Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s first official visit to India has not been the love fest many expected it to be. Instead it has led to speculation in the media both in Canada and India that the Indian government accorded him a lukewarm reception because of his alleged support of Sikh separatist Khalistani groups in his country.The speculation started when Trudeau was received at Delhi airport on Saturday night by Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. This was in stark contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally greeting global leaders on the tarmac with a bear hug as he did when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in January. Modi who is in Karnataka also did not meet Trudeau when the latter visited the prime minister s home state of Gujarat on Monday. The two leaders are scheduled to meet only on Friday at the end of Trudeau s week-long visit. The media also noted that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath did not greet the Canadian leader when he visited the Taj Mahal with his family on Sunday.However former Indian high commissioner to Canada Vishnu Prakash denied the government had snubbed Trudeau. In an interview to Scroll.in he said the government had followed protocol and extended all due courtesy to the visiting leader. But he admitted there was concern in India over the Trudeau government s wooing of Sikhs in Canada as this had emboldened Khalistani elements working against India.Edited excerpts from the interview:The fact that the Canadian prime minister was welcomed at the airport by a junior minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet seems to have prompted some commentary both in the Canadian press and the Indian media that this was a snub. How do you look at it?There is no snub whatsoever by any stretch of the imagination. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is an esteemed guest. He is on a state visit. He is here on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he has been accorded all due courtesy as per protocol.Not just in India but the world over the standard protocol is that a minister of state receives a head of government while it is a cabinet minister in the case of a visiting head of state. India has accorded every courtesy and gone by protocol in warmly welcoming every guest.Be that as it may is everything alright between the Indian and Canadian governments in light of Trudeau s politics and what we see happening in Canada for example the Ontario Provincial Parliament s adoption last year of a resolution terming the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India a genocide?This relationship is important to both countries. We are both G20 countries Canada is also part of the G7. We have complementary economies we have similarities like democracy rule of law a vibrant diversity the Indian diaspora. The relationship is good. There are a number of areas where we are doing well. It is not just a one-issue relationship. The countries have invested a lot of political capital diplomatic capital It was important it is important and it continues to be important.On the other hand there is certainly concern in fact major concern in India about the nature of vote-bank politics in Canada. We are also a democracy a multi-ethnic society so we understand vote-bank politics. There is no difficulty whatsoever on the matter of the Canadian leadership cultivating segments of its own populace or in particular courting the Sikh vote within gurdwaras. This is all a part of politics in any democracy.What we are concerned about is that successive Canadian governments in general and the Liberal government headed by Trudeau in particular have gone beyond the needs of political arithmetic and have been courting or mollycoddling radical elements Khalistani elements in particular.And there are these incidents you mentioned: the Liberal government in the Ontario Provincial Parliament passing a resolution terming the 1984 riots a genocide Trudeau appearing on Khalistani platforms with Khalistani flags where known terrorists who have the blood of innocent people on their hands were eulogised. These are cause for concern because frankly Canadian soil is being used by Khalistani elements for anti-India activities.What about Canadian gurdwaras banning the entry of Indian officials in recent months? We did not see strong condemnation from anybody in the Canadian government.This is not the doing of the Canadian government but certainly radical elements have been emboldened. The great Sikh religion that is inclusive benign open to all ethnicities and communities is being hijacked by a very small section of Khalistani elements who control the gurdwaras in Canada. They not only control the gurdwaras but through that they corner a lot of the funds that devotees bring in and they misuse that money. They misuse that platform. It is for the first time that a place of worship a gurdwara is being declared out of bounds to Indian officials.The good news is that there are sober and influential Sikh voices in Canada who have distanced themselves from this approach and from that resolution. But certainly an emboldened section of Khalistani elements continues to make mischief.How do you see this play out when Trudeau meets Modi later this week?There is a shadow on the relationship. There is no doubt about it. But as I said this is not a one-issue relationship. On the matter of Khalistani elements operating out of Canadian soil we have been taking this up with our Canadian friends for a long time and at all levels. It has been taken up with Trudeau also.We would expect a friendly country to show more sensitivity to India s concerns and not allow anti-India activities or hatred and disaffection against India to be whipped up by just a few misguided elements who have made this their business because 99.9% of the Sikh diaspora is friendly towards India and considers India their cultural home. It is just a microscopic section of the diaspora that is doing what it is doing but in the last two to three years since the Liberal government came to power we find they are emboldened.In fact this small section is radicalising Sikhs and this is something we have shared with our Canadian friends too. At the end of the day if you radicalise Sikh youth who are all Canadian youth and give them unsheathed swords to brandish these are not good signs for any democracy or any liberal progressive society.In your understanding why is the approach taken by Justin Trudeau different from say his predecessor Stephen Harper?The Liberal government is courting the Sikh vote and there is no problem with this. If you look at Canadian politics the majority of Sikh votes have always gone to the Liberal Party which is seen as supportive of the community. But why this government is going beyond political needs and arithmetic is beyond me. I do not see them getting an extra bang for their buck but somehow they have decided they are also going to sup with the radicals. They give the radicals the oxygen of publicity by appearing on their platforms. They give them respectability and that emboldens them.I have served in Canada and am very fond of these wonderful people. But I do not understand why this pandering should be taking placeCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a gurdwara in Ottawa. (Credit: Reuters)You have been quoted as saying Canada has truly been a land of opportunity for the Indian diaspora . That needs to be noted as well. And much can be done to improve trade relations between the two countries.I call it the three Es of the relationship economic energy and education.On the economic front there is a lot of scope and things are happening. Canadian pension funds are very bullish on India investing between 12 billion and 15 billion Canadian dollars. And there are large companies like Brookfield and Fairfax Holding We are negotiating a deeper more comprehensive economic partnership agreement. This should boost our trade and economic relationship.Canada is an energy superpower and we need energy. Canada can gradually become a key element for India s energy security. We are already importing uranium from Canada.Similarly education. Imagine there was a 60% increase in Indian students going to Canada in one year in 2017. And for good reason: Canada provides quality education. We also routinely give three-year work visas to scholars who have graduated from Canadian schools. And it is not one-sided.A controversy is also brewing over the Canadian prime minister reportedly deciding to not meet Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh over the latter s remarks that members of Trudeau s cabinet have links with Khalistani separatists and then later extending an olive branch to Singh.The chief minister of Punjab is on record saying that it is an honour to receive the esteemed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada when he visits Amritsar. Going by media reports I read that the high commissioner of Canada was asked to go to Punjab to invite Amarinder Singh for a meeting perhaps with Trudeau. This is very much in keeping with the quality of the India-Canada relationship. We are very happy that the esteemed guest is visiting the holy city of Amritsar and the Golden Temple which is open to people of all faiths. And that is a very happy development.
Written by C. Raja Mohan | Published: February 20 2018 12:04 am Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in an armchair discussion at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad India on Monday Feb. 19 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP) That domestic politics often trumps the enlightened pursuit of national interest abroad is not news. In most countries especially democracies the cultivation of narrowly-based domestic constituencies for electoral reasons has its unfortunate consequences for the conduct of foreign policy. Delhi s perennial focus on elections of one kind or another makes its leaders quite sensitive to the domestic political considerations of India s foreign interlocutors. But Delhi is struggling to make sense of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s political indulgence of Sikh extremists in Canada. To be sure Sikhs form a third of the Indian community in Canada of roughly 1.2 million or 3 per cent of Canadian population. That only a small section of Sikhs is hostile to Delhi makes Trudeau s approach truly baffling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is more than eager to serenade visiting leaders in his home state Gujarat did not travel to Ahmedabad to be with Trudeau on Monday. This underlines the new cooling that is enveloping the relationship. On the face of it the Canadian PM s visit is indeed a valuable opportunity to clear the air on Trudeau s attitude towards Sikh separatism. But it is not apparent at the writing of this column whether he is ready to affirm a strong commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of India and dissociate himself from the Khalistanis. Trudeau s team has been sending conflicting signals even after he landed in India on Saturday. Delhi is disappointed that despite its repeated efforts including at the highest political levels to flag the question of Sikh separatism in Canada Ottawa has seemed reluctant to address India s concerns. Delhi however has rightly decided it must stay engaged with Trudeau who leads one of the world s top economies and is a member of the Group of Seven advanced nations. But Delhi has good reasons to keep its fingers crossed. It is entirely possible that Trudeau s visit instead of putting aside the Khalistan issue could end up aggravating the differences with India. Those with longer memories in Delhi worry that Trudeau s trip could turn out to be the worst diplomatic disaster in India since Queen Elizabeth s visit in 1997. Although the Queen came to India to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Independence a series of incidents ruined the visit. As the Queen travelled to Pakistan before arriving in India the foreign secretary of the Labour government Robin Cook told the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that London could help find a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute. At a moment when Jammu and Kashmir was on the boil Delhi was provoked into an outrage. Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral responded to the British offer to mediate by dismissing the United Kingdom a third rate power . When the Queen visited Amritsar to lay a wreath at the memorial for the martyrs of the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre her husband Prince Philip was quoted as saying the the number of deaths may have been exaggerated . A scuffle with the Indian media on the tarmac as the royal aircraft prepared to take-off at the end of tour wrapped up the troubled trip. Two decades later the Indian media is a much larger and far more challenging entity that can amplify even the smallest of Trudeau s missteps into a huge political controversy. Whether Trudeau s visit will help or harm bilateral relations is likely to be decided in Amritsar. Trudeau is scheduled to visit the Harmandir Sahib on Wednesday. One would have thought that Trudeau s meeting with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh would send a clear political signal about Canada s rejection of Sikh extremism. After all the Khalistanis have especially targeted Singh. But there have been conflicting signals from Canada on whether Trudeau wants to meet Singh or not. Over the weekend Canadian media cited officials saying that Trudeau had no plans to meet with the CM. Later reports and Singh himself have suggested the opposite. It seems that efforts to arrange a meeting between the two are ongoing. It is indeed tragic that India-Canada relations have become a political hostage to the Khalistan question. What a fall from the exalted tradition of liberal internationalism that once bound Delhi and Ottawa. In the early years of the Cold War India and Canada sought to create political breathing room for middle powers in a fraught bipolar world. At the bilateral level civil nuclear collaboration between the two countries was a shining example of scientific internationalism during the Cold War. India and Canada did fall out when Delhi conducted a nuclear test in 1974 but their bitter arguments were at least about the principles of non-proliferation. It is a pity that Canada s vote-bank politics have grounded a relationship that was ready for take-off just before Trudeau s election. Modi and Trudeau s predecessor Stephen Harper had unveiled in 2015 a vision for strategic partnership that was to build on the many shared interests between the two countries. One can only hope that Trudeau and his team have the political will to put the partnership with India back on track and skill to navigate this difficult moment. The writer is director Carnegie India Delhi and a contributing editor on foreign affairs for The Indian Express . For all the latest Opinion News download Indian Express App More From C. Raja Mohan India Iran and a divided Middle East Awareness of Iran s domestic politics its involvement in multiple conflicts of the Middle East must inform Delhi s engagement .. As India looks west Delhi must come to terms with a changing Middle East and the opportunities it presents.. Turmoil in Maldives: What India must do Fixing other people s problems is never easy. But it is a burden of major powers especially in their region.. Tags: Justin Trudeau Kabir KabirFeb 20 2018 at 8:59 amWhat a foolish mistake this man Trudeau is making! Among Sikhs sympathisers for Khalistan are a small minority. Most Sikhs very much love India and all of India loves and respects Sikhs for the contributions they have made to the country. This Canadian PM has been badly advised. He needs better advisers. What a pity that they are ruining their relationship with India for inconsequential reasons. Meanwhile the Indian government is doing the right thing in trying in convey our displeasure with their strange stance.(0)(0) Reply Concerned PersonFeb 20 2018 at 8:56 amIt time to Charge Tradeau with sponsoring terrorism On June 23 1985 Air India Flight 182 was bombed midway in the sky as it was heading towards its destination - New Delhi. The flight took off from Montreal in Canada and was scheduled to stopover at the London Heathrow Airport. There were no survivors. All 329 people onboard the aircraft were killed. Majority of them were Canadian by nationality. Remembering the tragedy noted writer Khushwant Singh wrote in Outlook (November 15 2004) that among the worst (terror strikes) was the blowing up of Air India s Kanishka (June 23 1985) which killed all its 329 passengers and crew including over 30 Sikhs. Canadian khalistani murderers sponsored this cowardly dastartdly act of terrorism. Hold the imbecile thug Trudeau accountable for his policies.(1)(0) Reply Concerned PersonFeb 20 2018 at 8:12 amShould not have invited the imbecile canadian thug Trudeau without a public denounciation from him of khalistani terrorism. Remember Canadian Khalistani terrorists blew up a air plane murdering hundreds of innocents.(8)(0) Reply Rana AliFeb 20 2018 at 7:05 amCanada is a democracy where individual rights are respected. Not like India where minorities are insulted with hate speech by extreme elements on daily basis. Anyways what India has to to Canada in return for billions of dollars? More immigrants and nothing else.(2)(7) ReplyBBablooFeb 20 2018 at 7:30 amIf Trudeau loves the sikhs extremists so much why he doesnt give them land in Canda to build Khalistan there? As is India is land of filth and poverty .... no point doing anything here for the gora sahibs... just leave us alone with our fate... the goras can give khalistans (or whateveristan) on their land as much as they want....(7)(2) ReplyRana AliFeb 20 2018 at 8:28 amSikhs sacrificed immensely for India since 1947. What they asked for was autonomy for them in Punjab and in return they got state repression. In India they face jails and fake police encounters if they ask for their rights. But India should realize it can not force other democracies like Canada to use inhuman tactics on ethnic groups.(0)(1) Suren Singh SahniFeb 20 2018 at 7:04 amElements of extremism is prevalent in religion and communities .Sikhs have been hard done by the various Governments especially both the major parties have been involved in the massacre of innocents.If Justice is not served people lose faith and demand independence NE India Adivasis and Dalits are also fighting for Justice Kashmir last 70 years we have not resolved outstanding issues between two nuclear powers for the settlement of the dispute.By snubbing Canadian PM India has sent the message to the World and to our neighbours about the arrogance of the political elites.Why not a Single countries of SAARC like India ?(1)(14) Reply Load More Comments
08:41 (IST) Speculation about snub to Trudeau wrong: Govt sources Prime Minister Narendra Modi not receiving his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau at the airport a courtesy he extended to some world leaders in the past has triggered speculation in Canada that it was a snub to him for the rising Sikh radicalism in that country. However government sources strongly rejected the speculation insisting normal diplomatic protocol has been extended to Trudeau PTI reported. They also expressed surprise over the Canadian side preferring to schedule Trudeau s official engagements in Delhi at the fag end of the tour as against the normal practice of having bilateral meetings during the first part of such visits.
Justin Trudeau True North A less timid version of Justin Trudeau won t cut it. The NDP must be bolder To challenge the Liberals Jagmeet Singh will have to overthrow Canada s neoliberal consensus Martin Lukacs @Martin_Lukacs Mon 19 Feb 2018 23.29 GMT Last modified on Tue 20 Feb 2018 01.17 GMT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email View more sharing options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Close NDP leader Jagmeet Singh talks with a passerby as he visits Alma in the riding of Lac St-Jean on October 10 2017. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo At the New Democratic Party s convention this weekend in Ottawa their new leader Jagmeet Singh declared the time to be timid was over. For a party whose shambling meekness in the last election let Justin Trudeau claim the mantle of progressive champion such a shift could not come sooner. That an opportunity exists to capitalize on enormous hunger for change is apparent. Trudeau harnessed it for his route to power only to betray it in office. The environmental Adonis transformed into an oil barons salesman. An electoral reform promise was broken with a shrug. Instead of a peace offensive we ve gotten a military spending spree; instead of novel social programs novelty socks. The agenda the NDP began unveiling this weekend however needs to become a whole lot bolder. Expanding healthcare to cover drugs and dental-care stopping pension theft and new privatizations closing tax loopholes and building affordable housing: this is an end to the disastrous right-wing slide of past NDP leaders but it s not nearly ambitious enough. For years they ve seemed to believe success depended on becoming indistinguishable from centrist corporate-friendly Liberals: the point now is to become demonstrably different. One problem is that the Liberals can claim they are already pursuing many of these policies or as in the case of pharma-care that it may soon be in their platform. But the main problem is this: it doesn t truly break with the neoliberal economic consensus in Canada that has devastated peoples lives and turned so many off politics. Massive tax cuts for the rich deregulation privatization corporate trade deals and more money for prisons and police: this elite agenda has dominated for nearly four decades. It is why two billionaires own as much as wealth as the bottom third; why wages for a majority have not budged; why corporations have been unshackled to treat the atmosphere like a sewage dump. And yet the population seems more clued in than any of the political parties: Trickle-down economics has been laid bare as a cruel hoax in the view of many Canadians. That s not a line from an issue of the Socialist Worker but from mainstream pollsters. None of neoliberalism s consequences is more insidious than the structural timidity it has entrenched. As the state s capacity for positive intervention has been shrunk political parties have withdrawn from proposing solutions that match the scale our crises. Policy has been eclipsed by a fixation on personality. It is folly to think Singh can succeed by playing into this trend rather than bucking it. Dapper suits boasts about boxing or wrestling skills hopey slogans making a show of public access to candid private moments: all of these are already found in Justin Trudeau s playbook. And while the discrimination Singh has faced is vital to share to show the need to combat racism in Canada his individual story can t become a stand-in for a collective vision: he has to be a pitchman not the product. What is firing people up around the world are not flashy personalities but far-reaching policies. It s a good start that Singh has rejected balanced budgets a destructive neoliberal mantra that has transfixed the NDP for a generation and allowed them to be out-flanked by Trudeau. So too is the refreshing fact that Singh has begun arguing the case for taxation. A bold and transformative agenda funded by taxes and historic government spending as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has demonstrated in the UK is not a risk in elections. It is a sure-fire recipe for success. A dramatic challenge to neoliberalism would be just as popular in Canada. The NDP could propose not merely to close tax loopholes but to hike the rates paid by the corporations and ultra-rich which haven t been lower since WW2. To expand healthcare but also create new public services: free tuition universal childcare and a public bank to supplant the predatory loansharks. To defend our deteriorating public infrastructure and to move to publicly own other sectors: energy railways or telecoms providers. To go beyond symbolic support for reconciliation to amplify concrete Indigenous demands for land restitution. And it is not the moment to address the crisis of climate change with prevarication and platitude. That is already the method of the governing Liberals. People are ready to vote for a clean and cooperative economy that unleashes good-paying jobs in renewable energy instead of stop-gaping an oil industry that is on the way out. The surest way to tell that a NDP agenda could massively lift ordinary people s prospects and electrify the public? A backlash from the media and political class. As organizers from Corbyn and Sanders campaigns shared on the outskirts of the convention this backlash only underlined their anti-establishment bonafides. The elite aren t too worried going by their current response: a murmur of self-serving approval for Singh s plans. The NDP has to realize that the howls of out-of-touch pundits would not be a mark of its failure but a guarantee of its promise. It s also how the party could inspire people to go door-knocking for it across the country. What was on display at the Ottawa convention - while larger younger and more diverse than ever - was a party still bent on controlling and managing the energy of its grassroots rather than empowering and channeling it. Widely-supported resolutions on free tuition and more democratic decision-making were resisted and could end up ignored; another on Palestinian rights was stifled completely. There was a similar dynamic when members voted in 2016 to study and engage with the Leap Manifesto: it generated a flood of enthusiasm and revived interest in the party before it was buried by the establishment. The vibrancy of a new generation of activists should not be squandered. If the NDP wants to revive their chances becoming a less timid version of Justin Trudeau won t cut it. They can t hem and haw within Canada s neoliberal consensus they have to overthrow it. Twitter: @Martin_Lukacs Topics Justin Trudeau True North Canada Americas blogposts Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Reuse this content
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family visit the Taj Mahal.Agra: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who arrived in India last evening on a week-long visit is traveling to Agra today to visit the Taj Mahal. Prime Minister Trudeau who is accompanied by his wife and three children left for Agra from Delhi at 9:00 am. He will be visiting the Taj Mahal at around 10:45 am following which the Canadian prime minister will return to Delhi by 3:30 pm. Justin Trudeau who is in India till February 25 will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 23. The objective of Prime Minister Trudeau s visit to India is to expand overall ties between the two countries with a focus on defence and security counter-terror cooperation trade and investment and tackling climate change. Both countries are also expected to deliberate on enhancing cooperation in the civil nuclear sector. A number of Justin Trudeau s cabinet colleagues including Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan Science and Sports Minister Kirsty Duncan and Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi are also visiting India. The ties between India and Canada have been rising steadily. Approximately 1.4 million Canadians are of Indian origin and India is Canada s second largest source of immigrants. Here are the Highlights of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau s visit to the Taj Mahal today: Feb 18 201818:44 (IST)Photos: Justin Trudeau Kicks Off India Tour With Family Visit To The Taj Mahal Photo GalleryNDTV.com Photo Gallery - Exclusive Photos collection brings you the latest news photos news pictures of your favourite celebrities the hottest Models photos Movie Stars images Film Stars photos top Cricketers photos pictures and the first pictures from breaking news. Feb 18 201814:44 (IST) On February 20 he will visit Mumbai where he will hold meetings with top business leaders and meet representatives of Indian Film industry to explore various opportunities in the field of cinema. On February 21 the Canadian PM will travel to Amritsar where he will visit the Golden Temple. He will return to Delhi the same day. The Canadian PM is scheduled to visit Jama Masjid and a cricket ground in the national capital on February 22 besides delivering a lecture at a gathering of Canadian and Indian business leaders. He will then hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Modi on February 23. The next day he is scheduled to address a conference of young change-makers before wrapping up his visit.Feb 18 201814:40 (IST) Besides his engagements in Delhi Prime Minister Trudeau will visit Agra Ahmedabad Mumbai and Amritsar. Officials said Jutin Trudeau s his visit to Gujarat will be the first by a Canadian prime minister. Feb 18 201814:36 (IST) This will be an opportunity for the prime minister to promote Canada-India cooperation on a range of issues and highlight Canada s support for a strong united diverse India and to further strengthen the vibrant strategic partnership said a Canadian diplomatic source.Feb 18 201814:36 (IST) In 2017 the two-way merchandise trade between Canada and India amounted to 8.4 billion split equally between exports to and imports from India ( 4 billion each).Feb 18 201814:35 (IST) The negotiators of both the countries met last week to overcome the hurdles in finalising the pact the sources said adding Canadian investments in India were around 15 billion in the last couple of years and a free trade pact will further encourage investors from that country.Feb 18 201814:33 (IST) On trade the sources said Canadian investments in India were likely to decline in absence of a mechanism to protect them and Prime Minister Trudeau and PM Modi may deliberate during their talks on February 23 on making forward movement in firming up the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries.Feb 18 201814:32 (IST) Ahead of Justin Trudeau s visit to India the national security advisers of India and Canada met in Delhi. The Canadian prime minister s visit is aimed at further boosting strategic ties with a focus on defence and counter-terror cooperation. The two NSAs prepared the ground for Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Modi to intensify defence and security cooperation. India s concerns over rising Sikh radicalism in Canada are understood to have figured in the meeting held a couple days ago Canadian diplomatic sources indicated according to news agency PTI.Feb 18 201813:18 (IST)For me to be able to be here on an official trip while bringing my kids with me to share this is really special and being able to enjoy this as a dad with my kids is really nice: Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau on his Taj Mahal visit pic.twitter.com/P1k3q9sUdZ- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201813:17 (IST)Message by Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau in the visitor s book at Taj Mahal in Agra pic.twitter.com/8ku5zb15FP- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201813:16 (IST) Justin Trudeau writes in the visitors book at the Taj MahalFeb 18 201813:02 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children visit the Taj Mahal in AgraFeb 18 201812:49 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family at the Taj Mahal in AgraFeb 18 201812:47 (IST)#WATCH: PM of Canada #JustinTrudeau along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Xavier Ella-Grace & Hadrien at Taj Mahal in Agra. pic.twitter.com/DqnxoTqfni- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201812:35 (IST) Ahead of the visit Mr Trudeau tweeted Wheels up for India and a busy visit attaching a photograph of his wife and three children boarding the aircraft.Wheels up for India and a busy visit focused on creating good jobs and strengthening the deep connection between the people of our two countries. pic.twitter.com/Jg6UmL9y4S- Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 16 2018Feb 18 201812:35 (IST) The cultural component of the visit is seen as an outreach to estimated 1.4 million people of Indian origin settled in Canada. India is Canada s second-largest source of immigrants.Feb 18 201812:34 (IST) Mr Trudeau s agenda is also expected to include a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Delhi s Jama Masjid and a cricket ground.Feb 18 201812:34 (IST) In 2017 two-way merchandise trade between Canada and India amounted to 8.4 billion split equally between exports to and imports from India. India was Canada s eighth largest destination for merchandise exports.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) Counter-terror cooperation is also expected to be a key focus area. India s concerns over Sikh radicalism in Canada is understood to have figured in the meeting between the National Security Advisers of the two nations held a few days ago.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) His bilateral meeting with PM Modi is scheduled for February 23 during which the two leaders are expected to focus on trade defense civil nuclear cooperation space tackling climate change energy and education.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) Over the rest of the week Mr Trudeau will participate in business round-tables in Mumbai to promote trade investment and job creation. He will also meet representatives of Indian Film industry to explore opportunities in the field of cinema.Feb 18 201812:32 (IST) Tomorrow Mr Trudeau who is on his first state visit to India will fly to PM Modi s home state Gujarat. Besides a visit to Mahatma Gandhi s Sabarmati Ashram he will also visit the Akshardham Temple in Gujarat and lead a discussion at the Indian Institute of Management on Education and Investment Opportunities with students.Feb 18 201812:31 (IST) Mr Trudeau is accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Hadrien Ella-Grace Margaret and Xavier James Trudeau. At the airport the family posed for cameras with folded hands in the signature Indian greeting of Namaste.Strategic partnership underpinned by shared values of democracy and pluralism! Namaste to the Right Honorable @JustinTrudeau Prime Minister of Canada as he arrives on the State visit to India from 17-24 February 2018. pic.twitter.com/hcPSLDm0kx- Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 17 2018Feb 18 201812:31 (IST) Yesterday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was welcomed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh and Indian Ambassador to Canada Vikas Swarup.A high point for the High Commissioner to receive the Prime Minister of Canada on Indian soil. Aparna and I were delighted to welcome Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau at AFS Palam pic.twitter.com/f7ONqRZL0d- Vikas Swarup (@VikasSwarup) February 17 2018Feb 18 201812:30 (IST) The 46-year-old Canadian prime minister who once remarked that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than PM Narendra Modi is accompanied by a chunk of his cabinet ministers. This trip he said was focused on creating jobs and strengthening the deep connection between the people of the two nations.Feb 18 201812:29 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have reached Agra for a visit to the iconic Taj Mahal. The Trudeaus landed in Delhi last evening on a week-long visit to India that s expected to deepen ties as much with New Delhi as with Indians in Canada.No more content CommentsClose X
.story-content span .story-content p .story-content div color:#000!important;font-family: open sans Arial!important;font-size:15px!important span.p-content div id = div-gpt line-height:0;font-size:0 Push politics aside. Leave economics out. Even then Justin Trudeau s India visit is expected to make big headlines. The Canadian Prime Minister is no stranger to Indians having pulled stunts such as donning a pair of ducky rubber socks at Davos or rolling down stairs. Here s a partial list of the times the Canadian premier s acts went viral on social media. 1. When Trudeau Mansplained The Canadian PM came faced Twitteratti s ire last week after correcting a speaker to refer to mankind as peoplekind while speaking at a charity function in Canada s Edmonton. He was accused of mansplaining feminism to a woman. Later the premier was quoted as saying I made a dumb joke a few days ago that seems to have gone a little viral. It s a little reminder to me that I shouldn t be making jokes even when I think they re funny he added. The progressive leader of a conservative party chose a Cabinet with more than half female members. 2. Rubber Ducky Socks at Davos Justin Trudeau enlivened the dull and drab of World Economic Forum in Davos by sporting a pair of purple and yellow duck socks. He combined it with black shoes and a dark blue suit adding a quirky twist and inspiring the coinage of the term fashion diplomacy . However it was not the first time that he donned a wacky pair of socks https://www.torgi.gov.ru/forum/user/profile/478129.page. He wore a pair of Star Wars themed socks as he met International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde in September 2017. The premier also expressed his patriotism with a unique pair of Maple Leaf socks for Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Justin Trudeau on Pongal. Photo: Twitter 3. Pongal attire Tamilians in Canada were surprised to see Trudeau turn out in a veshti - their traditional attire. The premier uploaded photos of himself on Twitter and Indian tweeple as usual loved it. The Canadian Prime Minister was also seen donning a white Dhoti Yellow silk shirt and an angavastram . One feisty tweet quipped (@amitshah_ ) We want leader like you in India. Our current one is dictator. The Prime Minister had shared a video to wish Tamils in Canada and around the world a happy Pongal. In his address Trudeau said Tamil Canadians make important contributions to our country and help keep Canada open inclusive and strong. 4. Quantum Physics Trudeau was at the famed Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics when a reporter mocked him asking if he could explain quantum computing. Not the one to back out the premier gave an explanation that may not have been precise but was lauded by the scientific community. Scott Aaronson a noted quantum computing expert said: The widespread praise for this reply surely says more about how low the usual standards for politicians are and about Trudeau s fine comic delivery than about anything intrinsic to what he said. At a time when leaders like Narendra Modi and Donald Trump make unending errors while talking science the Canadian Prime Minister was celebrated on Twitter Facebook for displaying a genuine understanding of one of the biggest scientific issues of the day. 5. Trudeau s party trick The female heartthrob set heartbeats racing when he was seen falling down stairs during an interview. The 13-second clip shows the premier dressed casually in jeans and jacket theatrically roll down the wooden staircase head first. Later the Canadian premier clarifies that the comedy-tumble is one of his party tricks. Twitterati immediately latched on to the clip after the clip appeared in John Oliver s Last Week Tonight. The British comedian quipped But you cannot deny that it is somewhat satisfying to watch a soul-patch man named Justin with a French accent fall down some stairs. 6. Justin s break-up with Jennifer Aniston Ahead of his visit to India Trudeau found himself caught in a goof-up. The news about Jennifer Aniston s break-up with Justin spread like a wildfire on social media according to news agency ANI. Turns out Justin Theroux and Justin Trudeau s super-similar names are confusing people into thinking that Jennifer Aniston called it quits with the Canadian prime minister. While Theroux and Trudeau share lots of similarities such as same age belonging to famous families French-Canadian descent some major tattoos and the French-speaking skills - this goof-up has come out to be interesting. Justin Trudeau boarding his flight to India with wife and kids. Photo: Twitter Here is how Twitterati took it: One tweet read Ok wait this whole time i thought jennifer aniston was married to the prime minister of canada but i just realized she s married to justin theroux not justin trudeau . Another user tweeted Am I the only person living under a rock who didnt know about Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston being together and thought she was splitting from Justin Trudeau? . One user wrote At a glance I thought Jennifer Aniston had separated with Justin Trudeau the Canadian PM and was extremely confused for 30 seconds . Another wrote Read this as jennifer aniston and justin trudeau was disappointed read it correctly am more disappointed . 7. Mayurasana and Vrikshasana Justin Trudeau can perform one of the toughest yoga poses- the peacock pose or Mayurasana. A photo posted by yoga teacher David Gellineau went viral on social media a year after he became Prime Minister. It is said he inherited this prowess from his father. The pose is associated with Indian folklore based on the theme of peacocks destroying snakes that represent human flaws. Trudeau and his wife also did a tree pose or the Vrikshasana in 2015 at a community event. Justin Trudeau celebrating Diwali in Ottawa. Photo: Twitter ( @Justin Trudeau) 8. Diwali Mubarak Trudeau came under fire when he greeted Tweeple with Diwali Mubarak . However he made up for the so-called gaffe with his sartorial choice on the occassion. He turned out in a black sherwani at a cultural event organised by the Indian community in Ottawa. Diwali Mubarak! We re celebrating in Ottawa tonight. #HappyDiwali! pic.twitter.com/HBFlQUBhWX Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 17 2017
KOLKATA: Canada today sought Indian investments in the billion-dollar infrastructure sector roadmap of that country over the next 10 years. We see opportunity for Indians participating in the Canadian 180-billion dollar infrastructure (10-year) roadmap Canadian Minister for Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi said here today. The areas of infrastructure development include public transit trade corridors port and airport he said after an interaction with members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce. Sohi said Indian investment in Canadian infrastructure is low at present but has the potential to increase. He is part of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s current India visit which will focus on job creation and strengthening of ties between the two nations. Sohi said he is hopeful that bilateral trade between India and Canada will grow further. Different Canadian funds have so far invested about 10 billion Canadian dollars in India.
