Author-diplomat Vikas Swarup, India’s current High Commissioner to Canada, has been appointed as Secretary in the Consular,Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs division, with effect from August 1. According to a circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, “TheAppointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Vikas Swarup, (Indian Foreign Service officer of 1986 batch) High Commissioner in Ottawa, as Secretary (CPV & amp;OIA) in the Ministry of External Affairs with effect from 1-8-2019.”

He takes over from Sanjiv Arora, former envoy to Lebanon,who took over as Secretary (CPV & amp; OIA) on February 25. Swarup, former spokesperson of the MEA and author of the bestselling “Q &A”, which wasmade into a hit film “Slumdog Millionaire”, returns to the capital at a time when India-Canada relations have turned frosty over the growing prominence ofpro-Khalistani elements.

India on Wednesday banned the pro-Khalistan Sikhs ForJustice (SFJ) that is run by a few Sikhs in the US, Canada and the UK. TheIndian government is also to take up with Canada the anti-India and sub versiveactivities of SFJ persons.The visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeauto India last February was also sullied with allegations of his cabinet havinglinks with Sikh separatists.

Trudeau had received a lukewarm welcome by the Indiangovernment during his visit as two of the four Sikh members in his cabinet --Harjit Sajjan, who is Defence Minister and Amarjeet Sohi, Minister for NaturalResources -- allegedly support the Khalistan movement.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankarconveyed to his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland that there is littlehope for improving the frosty bilateral relations if Ottawa doesn’t addressIndia’s concerns about the growing activities of Khalistani operatives andorganisations.