Our ties with Canada are deep; standoff won't last long: Venu Rajamony

As the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada deepens, the Indian government has strongly rejected Canada's claim that Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, are linked to an investigation in Canada, calling the accusations politically motivated.

Venu Rajamony, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, who was India's ambassador to the Netherlands, has been keenly watching the standoff and feels that this wouldn't impact the long-term relationship between the two countries. For now, Mr Rajamony said in a phone interview with www.english.dhanamonline.com, the conflict might hurt visa services and trade between Canada and India. Following are excerpts from the interview:  

Q. The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada is quite unprecedented. Why did it escalate so much?

A. The allegations which are raised are serious. And it is quite unusual that the High Commissioner of a country is named as a person of interest. And a number of diplomats are expelled. So, I mean, we need to get to the bottom of it. Right now, we have one set of allegations from Canada.

India has responded saying Canada has not shared any information. There is no basis to these allegations. And the allegations are also linked to people holding high positions in India.

If you look at news reports coming in the western media, they have even linked Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajith Doval. So, it is not normal that a country like Canada would react in this manner. 
But having done so, we who are not in the full knowledge of things can only say that the two countries should work together and get to the bottom of the truth as to what exactly has happened and who has been involved, if at all anybody has been involved.

Q. Canada said it expelled Indian diplomats on the grounds of national security and sovereignty. Is that justified? 

A. If there is any truth in those allegations, then it is an extremely serious matter. It is for Canada to react to it or to take decisions as it deems appropriate. But as an observer, all one can say is that India and Canada should sit down and discuss this and reveal to the public the truth of the matter through detailed investigations.

Because right now, India keeps saying that they don't have information, they have not been given information. While Canada says that they have enough information.

The international media reports talk about a meeting recently in Singapore between the Canadian National Security Advisor and his Indian counterpart.

Q. Why does India dismiss these accusations as politically motivated?

A. The reason India is saying this is because Canadian elections are due soon and they feel Prime Minister Trudeau, whose popularity has declined, is trying to woo the Sikh votes by taking such extreme steps against India. But that is not an allegation which can be easily established.

And ultimately, Canada is not a country where either the Prime Minister or one politician can do whatever he wants. And they have been working closely with the US and other Western countries on this matter. And US also, if you remember, has levied similar charges against India with regard to a different person.

Q. Why do the US officials say there's a need for accountability? And, they have labelled the situation as a sort of transnational repression. 

A. There's accountability meaning, look, if supposing these allegations are true and they believe these allegations are true, so who is responsible? The responsibility has to be either it is a rogue agent from within the Indian government, one man acting on his own, or it is directed by the highest levels of the government itself. So either way, it has to be established as to who did whatever they are accused of doing. And some punishment should be meted out.

Some people have to be held accountable for their wrongdoings because it is not correct to go and kill the citizen of another country in that country through a shady operation or by co-opting criminal gangs. So, this is the accountability and that is what the US is also saying. 

India must investigate and India must take action against anyone responsible if it is true and it is transnational repression because ultimately these people who are targeted, they are being killed without any trial.

Q. How will the diplomatic row affect  India-Canada relations in the long run?

A. With Canada, if the High Commissioner is not functioning, if diplomats are expelled, then the issue of visas and all will certainly be affected. It will come down. Similarly, economic and trade relations also is likely to decrease because it's not easy for businessmen to come and go and to do business deals and all.

But in the long run, it will not affect the relationship that much because we have an intimate relationship. We are intertwined in many, many ways. It's in the interests of the two countries to continue to do business with each other, to continue to have students go and study there or people from India immigrating there. So, the process will continue. There's no reason to presume that they will come to a sudden halt. But it will certainly slow down. 

Q. The balance of trade is loaded in Canada’s favour. So, won’t they have more to lose? 

A. Trade happens in the private sector. And those private sector agents will continue to trade wherever there is an opportunity. So once again, the trade imbalance is not much of a factor.

We'll have to see how the Indian government reacts. As in the case of China, if the Indian government tries to prevent Canadian business from functioning in India, then the trade and investments and business will be affected. But otherwise, this is something that happens in the private sector and it will continue to happen as long as there is opportunity.