Indian diplomat, Canadian politicians share stage amid tense ties

Contact between Indian officials and Canadian politicians has been absent since October when Ottawa sent a communique to New Delhi stating that six diplomats and officials were “persons of interest” in an investigation related to a violent crime

Toronto: For the first time since the diplomatic crisis between the two countries worsened this October, a senior Indian diplomat in Canada shared a stage with senior politicians of the country at an event late last month.

India’s consul general in Vancouver Masakui Rungsung (third from left, front row) at the Hindu Heritage Month event in Surrey on November 29. Also present were British Columbia’s Premier David Eby (back row centre), Deputy Premier Niki Sharma (front row centre) and Liberal Party MP Sukh Dhaliwal (second from left, front row). (Credit: Consulate of India, Vancouver)

India’s consul general Masakui Rungsung was among the guests present at a Hindu Heritage Month event in Surrey, British Columbia (BC), on November 29. Also among the attendees were the Premier of British Columbia (equivalent of the Chief Minister of an Indian state) David Eby, BC’s Deputy Premier Niki Sharma, several provincial Ministers, MLAs and a pair of Federal MPs.

Among the MPs were Sukh Dhaliwal and Randeep Sarai from the ruling Liberal Party of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On Friday, Dhaliwal unsuccessfully moved a motion in the House of Commons for the recognition of the violent attacks on Sikhs in 1984 to be recognised as a “genocide”.

The event was organised by leading entertainment industry figure Kamal Sharma, who told the Hindustan Times, “I love to put everybody together. I’m glad it succeeded.”

He said he has been organising the Hindu Heritage Month celebrations since 2022 when it was formally recognised by Canada’s Parliament. “This year considering the situation, I want not only the community, but the leaders also to be involved,” he said.

Sharma added that it is known that India’s consul general is always present at the functions he organises.

He said the “uniqueness” of this celebration was that there was representation not just from Hindus at the event but from all religions.

Contact between Indian officials and Canadian politicians has been absent since October this year when Ottawa sent a communique to New Delhi stating that six diplomats and officials were “persons of interest” in an investigation related to a violent crime committed in the country.

On October 14, India withdrew the six officials from Canada and expelled six Canadians diplomats.

That led to deterioration of bilateral ties that had already cratered after the statement by Trudeau in the House on September 18 last year that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar three months earlier in Surrey.