Ex-diplomats slam Canada, say encouraged by its 'support', protesting farmers hardened stance

The diplomats said it is well known that separatist and violent Khalistani elements carry out anti-India activities from Canadian soil

A group of 22 retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers on Monday alleged that the farmers protesting against the new agricultural laws enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had “hardened” stance because they had been encouraged by support from Canada.

The retired diplomats wrote an “open letter” criticising Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other ministers of his cabinet for expressing concern over the protest by the farmers in India. They particularly slammed Trudeau’s comment as “uncalled for, disconnected with ground realities and served merely to fan the flames”.

The signatories of the open letter included Vishnu Prakash, who served as New Delhi’s envoy to Ottawa from 2015 to 2016, Anil Trigunayat, Ashok Sajjanhar, Bhaswati Mukherjee, Mohan Kumar, Veena Sikri and Amarendra Khtua.

They pointed out that India-Canada bilateral relations often come under stress due to the propensity of certain political parties and leaders of the North American nation “engage in vote bank politics”. “It is well known that the separatist and violent Khalistani elements carry out anti-India activities, from the safety of the Canadian soil. They are also radicalising the Canadian youth with far-reaching consequences, which is being ignored at the altar of short-term political expediency.”

They noted that the Khalistani elements controlled a number of prominent Gurudwaras in Canada and thus got access to substantial funds, some of which were allegedly diverted to the electoral campaign of political parties especially the Liberals (Trudeau’s Liberal Party). “They (Khalistanis in Canada)) regularly hold demonstrations, rallies and other events, where anti-India slogans are raised and terrorists eulogised. Few Canadian politicians have qualms about attending such events, which provide the oxygen of publicity to the separatists,” alleged the retired diplomats.

“Back home, encouraged by the Canadian support, the protestors have hardened their stance, adopting an all or nothing approach,” the IFS officers wrote in the open letter, adding: “Such blatant interference in India's internal affairs to appease a section of the Liberal Party's voter base is completely unacceptable and cannot but cast a long shadow on bilateral relations”.

Trudeau recently expressed concerns over protests by thousands of farmers in India, subtly nudging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in New Delhi to resolve the issue through dialogue. New Delhi immediately reacted to the statement by the Prime Minister of Canada, calling it “unwarranted”.

Ottawa’s envoy to New Delhi, Nadir Patel, was on December 4 last summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where senior officials served him a démarche, conveying that the comments made by Prime Minister and other ministers of the Canadian Government on the protest by farmers “constitute an unacceptable interference in internal affairs” of India.

Not only Trudeau, but Sikh ministers in the Canadian Government – Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Singh Bains and Minister for Diversity and Inclusion Bardish Chagger – also tweeted comments on police action against the farmers agitating against the new agricultural laws introduced by the Modi Government in India. They all expressed concern and stressed importance of allowing protests in democracies.