Trudeau must budge, mend ties with India

Canada cannot hide behind the confidentiality of security matters not to make any disclosures about India’s alleged complicity or guilt in the killing of a Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. Even Canadian people and opposition have started demanding credible answers from the Justin Trudeau government. Without a forethought, he seemed to have jumped the gun in a bid to appease hardline Khalistan-supporting New Democracy Party – on whose support hinges the survival of his Liberal party.

Making an explosive and wild allegation on Monday of India’s role, he announced expulsion of Indian diplomats, which was met with an equal measure from India. Vexed with Canada’s reluctance to act against forces fomenting secessionism and terrorism in India, the latter even cautioned its citizens over travel to Canada, and suspended visa services in Canada.

In one stroke, apparently for his political survival and in a bid to prop up his plummeting popularity, Trudeau did the unthinkable act of putting Indo-Canadian ties at stake. The ramifications are quite serious for Canada – and the West, too, which is keen to use India as a pivot to trouble the Chinese. Trudeau appears to have picked on a bad tactic of following the UK example which acted sternly against Russia following assassinations of former Russian agents on its soil. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has rightly asked his PM to “come clean” on his charges against India which has been indicted by Canada without any solid proof.

Knowingly backing up terrorists against India, and depending on them dearly for his survival, Trudeau jeopardised the interests of his country by trying to pin down a country which has time and again provided dossiers on the diabolical activities of Sikh terrorists on its soil. Not only that Trudeau is moving various countries to speak against India, but none cared for him, wisely. Western hypocrisy – with a holier-than-thou attitude – will be called into question, if US or any of its allies stands up for Canada and tries to put blame on India.

Their actions against humanity on foreign soil in the name of counter terrorism or dismembering of indigenous communities in the past affords them no moral leeway to lecture India or put it in the dock. India’s PM Narendra Modi is not garnering enough clout for India in the comity of nations to look other way when India’s interests are harmed. It is believed he told off his Canadian counterpart during the G20 summit for brooking Khalistani elements in the name of freedom of speech.

Where there were processes available for both countries to collaborate and uncover the truth, Trudeau acted unilaterally, in the name of rule of law. At a time when the Canadian PM is asked to lay focus on climate change (in form of record heat waves and wild fires), economic recovery, middle-class jobs, curbing inflation and heeding calls for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples,Trudeau’s careless act will only fuel people’s growing disenchantment with him. He had already called off trade negotiations with India.

New poll shows most Canadians want Trudeau to go, prefer Poilievre as PM. Any personal triumph, which is unlikely, will be a pyrrhic one for his country, however. Canada must reshape its pro-Khalistan policy and shun anti-India stance. It should appreciate India’s concerns, as it is itself facing the threat of separatism in the French-speaking Quebec province.