The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, displaying his abundant lack of knowledge on diplomatic affairs, recently crossed a line by interfering in India’s internal affairs and supported the farmers’ protest in India. The fruits of Trudeau’s naivety have now started bearing results as after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refused to participate in the virtual meeting of the Canadian-led Ministerial Coordination Group of COVID-19 (MCGC), India has now called off Canada’s foreign office consultations between the top diplomats of the two nations.
As if still hurting over his disastrous trip to India where Trudeau was treated like a tourist rather than a visiting head of state due to his refusal to act on India’s concerns over the rise of Khalistani extremists on Canadian soil, Trudeau offered his unwanted two cents on the farmers’ protests in India as he described the protests as “concerning” while asserting that “Canada will always be there to defend the right to peaceful protest”.
Now, according to a report, India and Canada, who were scheduled to meet at the Foreign Secretary-level on December 15, will no longer be meeting as India asked to put off the meet citing date issues as the given date was not favourable to India.
It is the clearest sign yet that the bilateral relations between India and Canada have hit rock bottom in light of Trudeau’s zeal to interfere in internal affairs. Trudeau’s move to comment on internal affairs can also be read as a political move as he gave precedence to his party’s interests rather than what was best for Canada.
India’s move to cancel the meeting comes close on the heels of External Affairs Minister Jaishankar refusing to participate in the virtual meeting of the Ministerial Coordination Group of COVID-19 (MCGC), headed by Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne, citing “scheduling” issues. It is pertinent to note that India had participated in the previous meet of the grouping.
Not only this, but India had also summoned Canadian Ambassador Nadir Patel to New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs and while issuing a strong demarche, India said that the remarks made by PM Justin Trudeau were “damaging” on the relations between the two countries.
In a statement, India’s Foreign Ministry said, “The remarks by the Prime Minister of Canada, some cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament on issues related to Indian farmers are an interference in our internal affairs which is completely unacceptable.”
It will be foolhardy to think that the Canadian Prime Minister will realise his folly and stop intervening in internal affairs and support the Khalistanis as he is completely oblivious of how international relations and politics work.
In that case, India may also be forced to relook at its trade relations with Canada. India has a strong trade relationship with Canada and imports many things from it such as industrial chemical, newsprint, peas, copper, asbestos, wood pulp, etc. Now if India wishes, it can increase import duty on all these to a great extent, which will not only harm Canada financially but will also have to suffer political consequences.
Read: Canadian PM Trudeau has learnt his lesson after antagonising India and is trying to make amends
Importantly, Canada currently has a coalition government with Trudeau’s Liberal Party running the government in an alliance with pro-Khalistan pro-Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party which perhaps explains why Trudeau commented on the farmers’ protests.
At this stage, the relations continue to deteriorate at such a rapid pace, it will not be far-fetched to say that India might re-look at the trade relations with Canada just as it did with Malaysia during the regime of the radical Islamist Mahathir Mohammad.