Doval-Drouin talks spark breakthrough as Canada moves against Khalistan terrorists

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Ties between India and Canada had strained due to the baseless allegations made by Justin Trudeau regarding the Khalistan issue. After Trudeau stepped down and a new government was in place under Mark Carney, relations have witnessed a reset, but at a slower pace.

The Indian agencies saw some hope after the Canadian Intelligence reported that the Khalistan elements were using their soil to raise funds for terror-related activities. India was sceptical about whether action could be taken against the Khalistan terrorists operating on Canadian soil. However, the arrest of Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a key coordinator for the Khalistan referendum, is a positive sign.

India now feels that the Canadians are finally acknowledging the problem and are ready to work closely on the issue.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has been leading a team that is closely coordinating with agencies in Canada. India is providing Canada with dossiers and Intelligence about the Khalistan elements, and this has resulted in coordination, which ultimately led to the arrest of Gosal.

Officials said that this is not the first time that India has provided Canada with dossiers and information. The only difference is that now Canada is ready to act, unlike in the past when such dossiers were pushed under the table.

The NSA and his team have been pushing the point hard that these elements are not part of an advocacy group. They are part of a terrorist organisation which is being funded by the ISI, the Indian agencies have told Canada.

The breakthrough in the relations followed a meeting of NSA Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin, which was held earlier this month. This meeting led to a reset in relations, and the two agreed that it was about time that the problem was combated.

Both Doval and Drouin agreed to work closely and share Intelligence on this issue.

In addition to this meeting, both countries have also decided on a diplomatic front to work on the Khalistan issue. It is important that Canada acknowledge that the Khalistanis had become a grave threat.

Canada has also realised that these persons are not just using their soil to launch attacks against India, but the Khalistani elements have also become extremely aggressive in the country.

An incident during which the Khalistan elements told a group of Canadians to leave the country, as it belonged to them, was just one instance of how desperate and dangerous these groups have become.

An Intelligence assessment says that the Khalistanis have utterly failed in India. Multiple attempts to regroup in Punjab and seek a separate nation have failed owing to enhanced security measures and also the fact that the youth are showing no interest in the movement.

This is causing frustration, and in a bid to enhance their propaganda, they become aggressive in Canada, thereby hurting the country’s interests.

Officials explain that a complete reset would take time, and there is a lot to do, especially on the issue relating to the Khalistan movement. The arrest of Gosal is the first step in this battle against the issue.

India has sent 26 extradition requests to Canada, and Ottawa has resolved just five, while the remaining are hanging. India has in the past accused Canada of doing absolutely nothing on the issue. The Ministry of External Affairs had said that the 26 extradition requests are for people charged in India with terror and related crimes. India had also sought the provisional arrest of these persons.

--IANS

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