India and Canada have taken a cautious but necessary step towards repairing one of the most bruising diplomatic confrontations in their recent history. The appointment of new high commissioners in Ottawa and Delhi is not just a bureaucratic move but a signal that both countries have realised the costs of prolonged estrangement. The rupture of ties was dramatic. Accusations and counter-accusations over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada dragged bilateral relations into an unprecedented low. What should have remained a matter of law enforcement and intelligence cooperation quickly escalated into a public spat between two democracies that otherwise share much in common, from trade interests to educational exchanges and the presence of a vibrant diaspora.

The expulsion of senior diplomats underscored how quickly trust had eroded. That both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney chose to meet and agree on a reset shows a pragmatic recognition: neither........

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