Rebuilding Bridges

The diplomatic frost that had long defined India-Canada relations is finally beginning to thaw.

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What once seemed a near-irreparable breach, triggered by allegations surrounding the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil, is now giving way to a more pragmatic, forward-looking dialogue. The visit of Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to New Delhi marks not just a ceremonial step, but a deliberate attempt by both sides to reset the tone and substance of engagement.

The political rancour of the past two years had taken a visible toll. Trade negotiations were suspended, visa services disrupted, and both countries expelled senior diplomats. The diaspora ~ nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin living in Canada ~ found itself watching an increasingly acrimonious exchange between two democracies that had historically shared mutual respect and people-to-people warmth. What is unfolding now is an acknowledgment that the costs of estrangement have outweighed any perceived political gain.