New Delhi: Asked about India’s concerns about the presence of pro-separatist Sikh groups in Canada and whether the issue figured in his informal talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said, “We will always defend freedom of expression, conscience and peaceful protest. However, at the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred.”
Trudeau was addressing a press conference following his informal meeting with Modi, on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. In response to the question about concerns over “Sikh Khalistani militancy” in Canada, he added that “it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada”.
On his his pull-aside meeting with the Prime Minister during which the two also discussed Ottawa’s apprehensions on foreign interference in the country’s elections, Trudeau said he and Modi “have always been able to have frank conversations about difficult issues”.
“Lot of different subjects were discussed such as the importance of following law based order and international law, access of farmers to international markets and more,” said Trudeau, who arrived in the capital Friday to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Met PM @JustinTrudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. We discussed the full range of India-Canada ties across different sectors. pic.twitter.com/iP9fsILWac
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in its statement on Modi’s meeting with Trudeau noted that the Prime Minister conveyed to his Canadian counterpart that ‘such forces should be a concern for Canada as well’. Modi, according to the statement, conveyed India’s “strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada”.
Such elements, it said, “are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship”.
“The nexus of such forces with organised crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats,” the statement added.
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Trudeau on ‘diaspora Canadians’
Prior to his arrival in Delhi, Trudeau had hinted at a press conference in Singapore that he would raise concerns about foreign interference during his trip to India. “One of the things we’re focused on in this inquiry is recognizing, yes, China and Russia are responsible for interference, but other countries engage in it as well,” he was quoted as saying by CBC.
Last week, Canada launched an inquiry into concerns over the interference by China and other countries in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The scope of the inquiry was later expanded to include Russia, India and Iran reportedly at the insistence of the opposition New Democrat party.
Asked about the message communicated to India in this regard, Trudeau told reporters in New Delhi Sunday that “the message is making sure of the respect for the rule of law, integrity and sovereignty of democratic institutions and processes and the respect for the sovereign choices of citizens in and of a given country, to choose their future”.
He added that “diaspora Canadians are a huge part” of the country and that “they should be able to express themselves and make their choices without interference from any of many countries we know are involved in interference challenges”.
New Delhi and Ottawa have been at odds over increasing utterances by Canada-based ‘pro-Khalistan’ elements in recent years.
In July, India summoned the Canadian envoy over a poster “inciting violence against” Indian diplomats, circulated by ‘pro-Khalistan’ elements. A month prior, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar had criticised Canada for allowing a float in a parade depicting the 1984 assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
Trudeau on trade with India, Ukraine
Though Trudeau referred to India an ‘important trade partner’ during the press conference Sunday, he evaded questions over ties between him and Modi, and rather incessantly emphasised on “respecting the rule of law”.
Roughly a week before the G20 Summit, Canada ‘paused’ the ‘ongoing fast-paced’ trade talks between the two countries. New Delhi and Ottawa first launched trade talks in 2010 which were later abandoned in 2017. But negotiations had since picked up pace under Trudeau, given that the deal was part of Canada’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy.
According to reports, India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said the pause will allow “more consultations with the stakeholders”.
Besides responding to questions about ties with India, Trudeau also said Sunday that he would have preferred stronger wording — in the G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration adopted Saturday — to address the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“If it was up to me, the declaration would be much stronger. However, if it was up to other leaders, the declaration would have been weaker,” he said. Trudeau added, “Nonetheless, Canada will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes and whatever it takes.”
Unlike British prime minister Rishi Sunak or US President Joe Biden, among others, Trudeau was found missing during the announcements for India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the Global Biofuels Alliance. On Sunday, while G20 leaders visited Raj Ghat to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the Canadian leader was seen distant from others, speaking to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
ThePrint reached the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi by email for comment in this regard but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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