India partially resumed its visa services in Canada on Thursday, a month after it suspended its operations following a diplomatic row over allegations that it was behind the killing of a Sikh separatist in the North American country.
India had suspended visa applications for Canadian citizens in September after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that there were "potential links between agents of the Indian government" and Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa said services for entry, business, medical and conference visas will be allowed starting on Thursday in a move seen as a major de-escalation by New Delhi.
“After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some of the recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services,” the High Commission said.
It said emergency services would continue to be handled by the Indian High Commission and the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver.
The entry visa is meant for Indian-origin Canadians and the business visa is for Canadian business travellers and investors in India. Tourist visas have not been resumed for Canadian citizens.
Mr Nijjar, 46, was a leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force, one of the separatist groups seeking the creation of a homeland called Khalistan for the Sikh religious minority in India's Punjab region.
He was designated a terrorist by India in 2020.
Mr Nijjar was shot dead in his vehicle outside a Sikh temple in Surrey in the Canadian province of British Columbia in June.
Ottawa and New Delhi expelled each other’s diplomats and Indians living in Canada were advised to exercise “utmost caution”.
New Delhi had dismissed the claim as "absurd and motivated" and in ensuing diplomatic tension, had closed the visa services temporarily.
India said that High Commission and consulates had faced threats that affected and disrupted their functioning.
It also asked Canada to withdraw dozens of its diplomatic staff by October 20 and threatened to remove their immunity “for all but 21” if they remained.
Forty-one Canadian diplomats left India last week.
Last week, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had said that India will resume issuing visas to Canadian citizens if it "sees progress" in the safety of its diplomats there.
Canada has one of the largest overseas communities of Indian origin with a population of 1.4 million and the highest population of Sikhs, about 770,000, outside their home state of Punjab.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
More on animal trafficking
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
