Australia has taken action to contain Khalistani activities, says Indian high commissioner

Indian PM Narendra Modi is soon to visit Australia. WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal spoke with High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra to Australia to know more.

WION: How will this visit help further the relationship between India and Australia?

High Commissioner Vohra: The meetings between the heads of the govt carry things forward. We expect further discussions during this visit and possible outcomes. Clearly, these close interactions add momentum to discussions and negotiations and urgency to get things done and therefore I believe it is asignificant visitthat will take things forward.

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WION: How are India and Australia working in various areas? There is a huge Indian diaspora which the PM is going to address. Australians are also keen to open universities in India.

High Commissioner Vohra: This has already been announced. These will be the first two foreign universities that will open campuses in India under National Education Policy (NEP). Both happen to be Australian universities. We’re doing many other things for people-to-people links and making it easier for people to move between countries, to reside in the other country. We did a mutual recognition of educational qualification, people-centric issue.We’re now looking at migration at mobility partnership arrangement. People-to-people link is an important bedrock for India-Australia relations today.

WION: It’s expected that twenty thousand members of the diaspora will attend PM Modi's address. How big will it be?

High Commissioner Vohra: The capacity of the stadium is seventeen and a half thousand and I’m assured by the organisers that it will be ahousefull. There is huge excitement in Australia. There’s great anticipation. It’s also an event where [Australian PM] Albanese will be present. It’s the recognition of the importance of the Indian Australian community. Indian diaspora is valuable to the Australian economy, society, the multicultural diversity.

WION: What kind of areas we’re looking at in terms of defense security?

High Commissioner Vohra: We now have mutual logistic arrangement that has been operationalised. Our aircrafts are landing and deploying from each other's territories. There is 2+2 dialogue for FMs and Def Min. We will hold frequent exercises with Australia both bilaterally and multilaterally. Australia will be hosting the Malabar exercise in August as well.

WION: Will Khalistani actions impact the bilateral relations of India-Australia? What measures has the Australian govt taken?

High Commissioner Vohra: It is a matter of concern that such things happened in Australia. Foreign organisations like the Sikhs for Justice come in here and spread their radical agenda, commit acts of defacement and create violence. This is not something that defines Australia. Australian authorities are very cognizant of that now. Greater actions have been taken by them to combat this situation and identify the perpetrators. Therefore, we would expect that they would be even more action.

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WION: How do you see Australia and India engaging both in Quad and with respect to Indo-pacific vision?

High Commissioner Vohra: Some of the Quad initiatives naturally come to Australia and India as partners and [as they are] geographically in the Indo-pacific region. We are also trying to do a lot for Pacific island countries.

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