Carney's India trip is all business: An inside look at what the PM has planned

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to India Thursday for what officials in both countries describe as a potentially history-making trip — one meant to put years of frosty relations aside and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive trade deal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said this week the "security situation" with India is an "extreme concern and priority." Even so, Ottawa is signaling it is still willing to do business despite India's alleged involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, on B.C. soil.

In 2023, former prime minister Justin Trudeau accused unnamed Indian agents of involvement in the fatal shooting of the Sikh separatist, a declaration that upended the relationship. A year later, the RCMP said the Indian government had played a role in "widespread violence" in Canada, including homicide and extortion.

However, speaking to reporters at a background briefing on the trip Wednesday, a government official said Ottawa is confident "that activity has not continued" and there is now "robust diplomatic engagement" on security issues.

"I really don't think we would be taking this trip if we thought these kinds of activities were continuing," the official said. He added there are "significant opportunities for partnership" between Canada and India.

That is not how prominent Sikh activist Moninder Singh sees it.

Singh said Vancouver police warned him on Sunday about a credible threat to his life. He suspects it is tied to the Indian government because of his work on referendum campaigns in Canada aimed at creating a separate Sikh state.

"In the wake of all that, we're going to India to reward them with trade deals. I think nothing could be a bigger slap in the face of the people that are at risk," Singh said in an interview with CBC News.

India, for its part, is also putting aside its claims that Canada is harboring Khalistani extremists — those supporting violence to establish a Sikh homeland — in what appears to be a diplomatic breakthrough with a one-time foe.

In an interview, India's high commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, said he believes a sweeping deal on trade and other matters can come together quickly.

"We are hopeful by the time the prime minister is in India, the terms of reference will be ready and we can start negotiations," Patnaik said.

"This visit is going to set a base on which we can take the relationship to the next level."

On security concerns, Patnaik said the two countries are working together now that diplomatic relations have been restored. "We are tackling it up front. That's how mature democracies work," he said.

"If we find out that agents of the government, or rogue agents, or Indian people are associated with what has happened with Mr. Nijjar, we ourselves will take action along with the Canadians."