Time to talk tough with Trudeau

Foreign policy is really domestic policy with its hat on,’ wrote former US vice-president Hubert H. Humphrey, many decades ago and what can be a better phrase than this to describe the ongoing faceoff between India and Canada on the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing? Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party have been in power in Canada for nine long years and questions are being continually raised on the domestic front about his government’s poor response to inflation and unemployment besides immigration issues as Canada heads to its next general election. Facing a tough challenge from the right-wing Conservative party, which many expect to sweep the elections in the emerging situation, political analysts feel Trudeau is trying to whip up support among the substantial Sikh population in the country.

Almost eight lakh of the 18 lakh strong Indian population in Canada are Sikhs and many in Punjab and other north Indian states consider it their favourite overseas destination for careers and education. There is nothing new about the Khalistani imbroglio in Canada where its roots go back as far as the 1980s when then PM Indira Gandhi had to engage in tough talk with Justin’s father and then PM Pierre Trudeau as the Canadian government played on pro-Khalistani sentiments to shore up support in the community. It is more than evident that 'Justin is now doing a Pierre' trying to reach out to the Sikhs with his pro-Khalistani and anti-Indian stance ahead of elections. But Canada seems to have gone overboard in attributing even the 1985 Kanishka Air India flight bombing to a gangster in India who was not even born at that time! The tendency to pander to local sentiments for political gain is perfectly understandable and politicians of all hues the world over do it all the time but why drag matters to the extent of spoiling ties with a country with which you engage in bilateral trade worth Dollar 8 billion? Targeting envoys claiming their involvement in criminal activity is not to be taken lightly and more so when you are dealing with India which has always stood for peaceful co-existence. Or has Trudeau become so desperate that he sees anti-India rhetoric as his last gamble to shore up support among the native Canadian population and the Sikh segment alike? He also seems to have reminisced the fact that the radicalised elements comprise only a small component of the Sikhs in his country and he could be further distancing himself from the majority of Canadian Indians with his constant anti-India rhetoric. India understandably has been treading cautiously on issues concerning Canada while being acutely aware of the impact it would have on Canadian Indians.

In fact New Delhi had rolled out the red carpet for Trudeau when he arrived here for the high-profile G-20 summit in September last year. But now, the external affairs ministry seems to have realised that enough is enough after the constant targeting of Indian personnel citing cases for which hardly any evidence has been provided so far. The decision on Monday to expel the six Canadian diplomats therefore needs to be supported by all parties alike for no nation, however big it may be, should be allowed to demean our diplomatic corps in this manner. One also hopes that the final word has not been said on India-Canada ties which have definitely hit the nadir after the withdrawal of diplomats. Maybe, once the Canada elections are over and a friendlier regime is in place, we can expect an easing of relations and a return to the normal. Till then, India will have to play its cards carefully for Canada is likely to use its influence among the G-7 nations and the ‘Five eyes’ intelligence alliance to further target and isolate us on this count.