Khalistani Extremism A Major Concern, Says Canadian MLA As PM Carney Invites PM Modi To G7 Summit

<p>In what&rsquo;s being hailed as a major step toward mending strained ties, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming G7 Summit &mdash; a move described as a &ldquo;fantastic development&rdquo; by Dallas Brodie, a Canadian lawmaker and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Vancouver-Quilchena in British Columbia.</p>
<p>Speaking in an exclusive interview with ANI on Friday, Brodie underscored the significance of the gesture, pointing out that Canada&rsquo;s relationship with India has been rocky in recent years. However, the recent outreach signals a shift in tone and intent.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Having India being invited to G7 Summit and our PM Mark Carney reaching out to India for this, is a fantastic development… There’s a lot in common between our countries. Canada has the largest diaspora of Indian people in the world… This move by the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, to reach out to India, is a very positive development. For the last several years, things have not been good. It’s very negative. We need to have a better relationship with India and move forward positively. I think this signals that they want to fix this dynamic,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>The G7 Summit is set to take place in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, and is expected to offer a platform for meaningful dialogue on global and bilateral issues. PM Modi confirmed the invitation via a post on X, expressing optimism about a renewed partnership.</p>
<p>”Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister @MarkJCarney of Canada. Congratulated him on his recent election victory and thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis later this month.<br />As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,” PM Modi posted.</p>
<p>Brodie believes Modi&rsquo;s presence at the summit could pave the way for healing the diplomatic rift and setting a more collaborative tone for future engagements.</p>
<p>However, she did not shy away from acknowledging the challenges that remain &mdash; particularly the rise of Khalistani extremism, which has long been a flashpoint in Indo-Canadian relations. Brodie called it &ldquo;a significant problem&rdquo; and voiced concerns over its impact on community harmony in Canada.</p>
<p>”The situation of Khalistani extremism is a significant problem. There’s no question. Most Hindus and Sikh people in Canada are not happy with this situation. Hopefully, this will be discussed by the federal government with India. I’m in the provincial government in British Columbia, where there is a large, Khalistani movement. It’s dangerous and scary for many people, and it’s time for this to be dealt with firmly. I hope this will be discussed in meetings between, Prime Minister Mark Carney and India in the G7 meeting,” she noted.</p>
<p>Adding a deeply emotional layer to her comments, Brodie revealed that she is working to establish a memorial in honor of the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing &mdash; an act of terrorism that originated in Canada and claimed 329 lives, most of them of Indian origin.</p>
<p>Brodie also reacted strongly to the recent terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, describing the incident as &ldquo;sickening&rdquo; and urging Canada to take a clear stand against such acts of violence.</p>
<p>”I would imagine that this (subject of eliminating terrorism) is going to be top of mind for PM Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney. I can’t imagine that this issue would not be addressed between these two leaders. The attack on the tourists in Kashmir was sickening, and Canada has to take a position on these kinds of things and deal with this. I’m hoping this will be on the list of items that they deal with and I’m sure it will be,” she said.</p>