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New opportunity: On a reset in India-Canada ties

New opportunity: On a reset in India-Canada ties.

India and Canada can discuss a reset in ties after new Prime Minister takes over.

The newly elected leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party, Mark Carney, who is now Prime Minister-designate, has a tough task ahead in what is expected to be a short period of time. Mr. Carney, who is set to take over from Justin Trudeau when he formally steps down this week, will almost immediately face a confidence vote in Parliament, after it reconvenes on March 24. Federal elections in Canada are due in October 2025, but observers say Mr. Carney could call for snap polls first, hoping to ride a surge of unexpected popularity for the Liberal Party for standing up to threats made by the U.S. President Donald Trump since he took office. Mr. Trump has consistently targeted Mr. Trudeau, suggesting that Canada would be better off as the “U.S.’s 51st State”, and has been threatening to impose a slew of tariffs, accusing Canada of unfair duties as well as allowing fentanyl drugs and immigrants across the border. Canada has threatened counter-tariffs, and is considering a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S., with Mr. Carney claiming that “in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win”. Mr. Carney, who is unelected and not a traditional politician, will have to convince voters of his ability to ensure that, as he takes on his rival, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been far ahead in the polls until recent weeks. To that end, Mr. Carney’s non-political skills will come handy. He was an economist and a central bank Governor; that he was not a member of the Trudeau cabinet means that he is free of any taint from its actions.

The exit of Mr. Trudeau is cause for relief for India, and an opportunity to reset ties that have been on ice. His intemperate decision to name “Indian government agents” and then expel Indian diplomats, implicating them in a purported plot to kill Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, without proffering any proof, was a miscalculation and diplomatic blunder. The actions, seen in comparison to more discreet dealing by the U.S. in a linked case, sent India-Canada ties to their lowest ebb since the 1980s. It is significant that India is considering restoring a High Commissioner to Ottawa, while Canada is sending its intelligence chief to a conference in Delhi. Mr. Carney and Mr. Poilievre have made it clear that they would like to rework the relationship with India, and there will be opportunities to do so, particularly in education, investment and trade, all of which have taken a back seat after the violence and schisms within India’s diaspora community, and its supporters in Canada’s government. The interlude is also a fitting period for New Delhi to consider how it wishes to take ties forward. Regardless of the change in leadership, the Khalistan issue cannot be wished away, and requires sustained, considered diplomacy and respect for each other’s concerns, while ensuring India’s national security priorities.

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Reset (noun) – Reboot, fresh start, overhaul, adjustment, recalibration

पुनः प्रारंभ

 

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Ties
(noun) – connection, relations, link, bond, association

संबंध

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Ruling (adjective) – Governing, controlling, leading, dominant

शासक

 

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Set
(adjective) – ready, prepared, equipped, primed तैयार

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Step aside (phrasal verb) – Withdraw, move over, resign, vacate, make way

पीछे हटना

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Reconvene (verb) – Resume, Reassemble, Gather again, Continue, Meet again

पुनः संयोजन होना

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Due (adjective) – Scheduled, expected, planned.

निर्धारित

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Call for
(phrasal verb) – demand, require, request, ask for,

मांग करना

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Ride (for) (verb) – Exploit, Utilize, Take advantage of, Capitalize on, Leverage

लाभ उठाना

 

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Surge (noun) – Increase, rise, growth, escalation, upswing

वृद्धि

 

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Stand up to (phrase) – Confront, Resist, Oppose, Challenge, Defy

सामना करना

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Consistently
(adverb) – Constantly, always, time after time, time and again

लगातार

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On a better footing (phrase) – In a better position, improved, more advantageous, stronger, more secure

बेहतर स्थिति में

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Impose
(verb) – enforce, inflict, levy, force, foist

थोपना

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A slew of (phrase) – A large number of, many, a lot of, an abundance of
बहुत सारे

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Tariff
(noun) – Tax, duty, levy, charge, fee

शुल्क

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Accuse
(of) (verb) – charge with, indict for, arraign for, take to court for

आरोप लगाना

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Duty (noun) – tariff, levy, tax, charge, imposition

कर / शुल्क

 

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Immigrant (noun) – Migrant, newcomer, expatriate, settler, refugee

प्रवासी

 

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Surcharge (noun) – Additional charge, Extra fee, Premium, Levy, Tax

अतिरिक्त शुल्क

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Claim
(verb) – assert, demand, request, declare, state 

दावा करना

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Take
on (phrasal verb) – oppose, challenge, confront, face, fight, stand up to

सामना करना

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To that end (phrase) – For that purpose, with that aim, in order to achieve that, so as to fulfill that

उस उद्देश्य के लिए

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Come in handy
(phrase) – Be useful, be helpful, be beneficial, be advantageous

काम आना

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Taint (noun) – Stain, blemish, corruption, contamination, tarnish

कलंक

 

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Intemperate
(adjective) – Self-indulgent, uncontrolled, unrestrained

असंयमी

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Expel
(verb) – discharge, force out, let out.

निकालना

 

 

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Diplomat
(noun) – envoy, ambassador, negotiator, representative, delegate

राजनयिक

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Implicate (verb) – Involve, entangle, incriminate, connect, associate

फंसाना

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Purported (adjective) – Alleged, claimed, declared, professed

कथित

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Plot (noun) – Scheme, plan, conspiracy, stratagem, intrigue

साजिश

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Proffer (verb) – Offer, extend, present, give, propose

प्रस्तुत करना

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Blunder (noun) – Mistake, error, oversight, misstep

भूल/त्रुटि

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Discreet (adjective) – Cautious, Tactful, Prudent, Careful, Judicious

सतर्क

 

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Ebb
(verb) – Recede, decline, diminish, dwindle

कम होना

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Take a back seat (phrase) – Be less important, Recede, Withdraw, Step back, Retreat

पीछे हटना

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Schism (noun) – Division, Split, Rift, Breach, Disunion

विभाजन

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Diaspora
(noun) – dispersion, movement, migration, exodus

प्रवासी (समुदाय)

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Interlude
(noun) – interval, intermission, break

अन्तराल

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Fitting
(adjective) – appropriate, suitable, right, proper, correct

सही/ उचित

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The way forward (phrase) – Path ahead, future direction, road ahead, course to take, approach to follow

आगे का रास्ता

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Regardless
of (phrase) – in spite of, despite, notwithstanding, without regard to, irrespective of

भले ही

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Wish
away (phrasal verb) – Ignore, disregard, neglect, overlook

अनदेखी करना

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Sustained
(adjective) – continuous, ongoing, steady, continual, continuing

निरंतर

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Diplomacy (noun) – Negotiation, discussion, dialogue, consultation, conference

कूटनीति