India-Canada, Mexico and South America: News and Discussion

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 23 Oct 2015 03:55

I recall Justin coming with his daughter to meet Modi durning his visit. Looks like it was a photo-op to woo the Indian voter base.

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 23 Oct 2015 07:19

Tuan · Post by **Tuan** » 05 Nov 2015 08:29

X-post:

So proud of this Indo-Canadian Army and Police intelligence officer who turned Minister of National Defense!

Harjit Sajjan immigrated to Canada from India with his family when he was five years old. Having grown up in South Vancouver, Harjit benefitted from everything this diverse and culturally rich community had to offer. While attending local elementary and high schools, Harjit was active in many of the sporting and athletic programs.

Harjit is married to Dr. Kuljit Kaur Sajjan, a UBC-educated family doctor, and together they have two young children.

Speaking about Harjit, Brigadier-General David Fraser was quoted in a letter to then Chief Constable Jamie Graham of the Vancouver Police Department:

“He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, and his hard work, personal bravery, and dogged determination undoubtedly saved a multitude of Coalition lives. Through his courage and dedication, (then) Major Sajjan has singlehandedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan.”

Harjit Sajjan has four operational deployments; one to Bosnia and three deployments to Afghanistan. He has been awarded the following honours in recognition of his service to Canada:

Order of Military Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (Afghanistan)
General Campaign Star (Afghanistan)
Mention in Dispatch
Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
NATO Service Medal (Bosnia)
Golden Jubilee Medal
Diamond Jubilee Medal
Canadian Forces’ Decoration
US Army Commendation Medal
Chief of Defence Staff Commendation
Deputy Minister Award (Department of National Defence)

Harjit Sajjan was a member of the Vancouver Police Department for 11 Years serving in South Vancouver and was selected as a Detective for the Gang Crime Unit. Harjit has long been advocating for education and mentorship programs that engage the youth to become more active members of society, while strengthening youth defense against the rule of gangs and drugs.

Born in a small village in India, Harjit learned the importance of the very basic human necessities at a young age. He is immensely grateful for the privilege of being a Canadian and now participates in humanitarian efforts where ever he can make a difference. He and his wife have four sponsored children and support many charities that promote health and education to impoverished children.

https://harjitsajjan.liberal.ca/biography/

Tuan · Post by **Tuan** » 05 Nov 2015 08:31

X-post

Full List of Canada's new cabinet:

The full list of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new 31-member cabinet, in order of precedence, being sworn in today at Rideau Hall in Ottawa (with their province in parenthesis):
■Justin Trudeau (Quebec) - Prime Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth.
■Ralph Goodale (Saskatchewan) - Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
■Lawrence MacAulay (P.E.I.) - Agriculture and Agri-Food.
■Stéphane Dion (Quebec) - Foreign Affairs.
■John McCallum (Ontario) - Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
■Carolyn Bennett (Ontario) - Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
■Scott Brison (Nova Scotia) - Treasury Board President.
■Dominic Leblanc (New Brunswick) - Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
■Navdeep Bains (Ontario) - Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
■Bill Morneau (Ontario) - Finance Minister.
■Jody Wilson-Raybould (B.C.) - Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
■Judy Foote (Newfoundland and Labrador) - Public Services and Procurement.
■Chrystia Freeland (Ontario) - International Trade.
■Jane Philpott (Ontario) - Health.
■Jean-Yves Duclos (Quebec) - Families, Children and Social Development.
■Marc Garneau (Quebec) - Transport.
■Marie-Claude Bibeau (Quebec) - International Development and La francophonie.
■Jim Carr (Manitoba) - Natural Resources.
■Mélanie Joly (Quebec) - Heritage.
■Diane Lebouthillier (Quebec) - National Revenue.
■Kent Hehr (Alberta) - Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence.
■Catherine McKenna (Ontario) - Environment and Climate Change.
■Harjit Sajjan (B.C.) - National Defence.
■MaryAnn Mihychuck (Manitoba) - Employment Workforce Development and Labour.
■Amarjeet Sohi (Alberta) - Infrastructure and Communities.
■Maryam Monsef (Ontario) - Democratic Institutions.
■Carla Qualtrough (B.C.) - Sport, and Persons with Disabilities.
■Hunter Tootoo (Nunavut) - Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard.
■Kirsty Duncan (Ontario) - Science.
■Patricia Hajdu (Ontario) - Status of Women.
■Bardish Chagger (Ontario) - Small Business and Tourism.

Map shows the regional distribution of ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (CBC)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/full-li ... -1.3300699

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 05 Nov 2015 18:34

From a Indian perspective, what is there to be proud of with respect to Harjit Sajjan ?

Harjit Sajjan's father is member of hardline Khalistan friendly World Sikh Organization. Harjit maintains he is not officially part of it. But he won with the support of WSO. No one knows if he is pro-Khalistan like his father and WSO or have different views. Infant back in 2014, moderate Sikhs protested that Liberal Party being hijacked by hardline Khalistan Sikhs when Harjit was declared as the Liberal candidate.

B.C. Sikhs quit Liberals to protest Justin Trudeau's 'star' candidate

In an embarrassing blow to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, a large group of Sikh Liberals in British Columbia is quitting the party, saying Trudeau is being "manipulated" by Sikhs under the banner of the World Sikh Organization.

"We think this Liberal Party's been hijacked by the WSO," said Rajinder Singh Bhela, a longtime Liberal and former general secretary of the Ross Street Temple, Vancouver's largest Sikh temple.

"The Liberal Party, especially Justin, is in bed with extremist and fundamental groups. That's why I decided to leave the Liberal Party," said Kashmir Dhaliwal, ex-president of the powerful Khalsa Diwan Society, founded by Sikh pioneers in 1902.

The walkout was provoked by the party's selection of a WSO-backed candidate, Harjit Singh Sajjan, over a prominent businessman, Barj Dhahan. Dhahan is a moderate ally of Ujjal Dosanjh, the previous Liberal MP.

Also, another member who got inducted Amarjeet Sohi was arrested for terrorism charges in Bihar in late 80s where was working as a playwork activist inciting laborers to revolt against the landlords. He is not a Khalistani but one who talks a lot about "human rights" and "state oppression". He talks about "growing Islamophobia" in Canada because someone mistook him for a Muslim.

Tuan · Post by **Tuan** » 06 Nov 2015 04:31

^^ Similar views have been expressed when a Sri Lankan Tamil Liberal MP Gary Aanandasangary was elected and he was also labelled as pro-LTTE by some sections of the SL Tamil diaspora.

IMO, it doesn't really matter whether they are pro Khalistan or pro LTTE, the real-time breaking news is that they have given up violence and chosen the path of a democratic dispensation, as they have decided to join the western mainstream politics, instead of propagating separatism back in India or Sri Lanka, a shift that should be welcomed not criticized.

member_29172 · Post by **member_29172** » 06 Nov 2015 05:01

It's a nice thing I suppose, but khalistanis supporters being elected to the govt. isn't really a good news for us. For the non-khalistani, non-nautanki types, my heartiest congratulations. khalistan as an idea is against the unity of India and the sacred thread that binds Hinduism and Sikhism together. If you care about either one, you would never ignore the khalistani bs as just a farce.

I don't know how to explain it, but there are plenty of brown faces in power in other countries, but they don't necessarily mean a good news for India.As such I congratulate them for their achievement, but I am not sure if I am proud for something so trivial. Just like I am not proud or happy or sad about booby jinda-dal, he's another brown sepoy that I don't want to associate with at all.

I'd suggest not discussing this topic anymore and moving on to something more relevant.

Tata to get $500 million a year in financing from Export Development Canada

Mumbai: Tata Sons Ltd, the holding company of the $108 billion Tata group, will receive up to $500 million a year in financing from Canadian government-owned Export Development Canada (EDC).

EDC will underwrite loans under the agreement as opportunities arise for Canadian companies, particularly small to medium-sized exporters, within Tata group’s global supply chains, the Ottawa-based agency and Mumbai-based company said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Tata companies have invested more than 1.3 billion Canadian dollars (CAD) in Canadian operations over the past five years, CAD 355 million last year alone, with active consideration for new developments going forward.

The Tata group has over 100 independent operating companies.

Among the Tata companies present in Canada are Tata Global Beverages Ltd, Tata Steel Ltd, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Tata Chemicals Ltd, Tata Communications Ltd, Tata Technologies Ltd and Tata Interactive Ltd, with approximately 3,000 employees in total.

“Their (Tata companies’) facilities include an IT development centre (Ontario), telecommunications facilities (Quebec and Ontario), iron ore mining (Quebec) and soda ash distribution centres (Quebec and New Brunswick). Tata companies’ worldwide operations already include more than 1,000 Canadian suppliers,” the joint statement said.

The financing agreement was signed by Madhu Kannan, member, group executive council at Tata Sons, and Benoit Daignault, president and chief executive officer of EDC.

“The Tata group has had a long-standing and successful presence in Canada. EDC continues to be a very important partner for us and we are delighted to enter into this funding arrangement with them which would facilitate the expansion plans of Tata companies,” Kannan said.

“The Tata group is a critical organisation within a key market for Canada and India, and the financing is a reflection of the Tata group’s importance to Canadian exporters,” said Daignault.

“Equally important is Canada’s importance to Tata, with EDC’s financing helping it deepen its roots at home and create new opportunities for Canadian companies,” he added.

In January, Mint reported that the Tata group had identified 12-16 international markets to invest in over the next eight years, including Canada, Japan, Germany, Myanmar, Vietnam and Nigeria.

Kannan, who joined the Tata group in May 2012, said in January that these markets were chosen after comparing factors such as the condition of the market, the aspiration of Tata companies, the compatibility of their business models vis-à-vis the market, the group’s and Tata companies’ historical presence in the country.

“The country list may change because of evolving geopolitical concerns and group company priorities, but for now they include a balanced combination of developed countries with slightly lower growth rates (Canada, Japan, Germany), countries with significant growth potential (Myanmar, Vietnam, Nigeria) and also countries where there is the potential of significant returns in the future if we invest in relationships today (Russia and Egypt),” Kannan said.

Kannan’s office is working on the globalization agenda for Tata companies.

He had said it is one thing to be an Indian company with a very strong presence in international markets but it is another thing altogether to be like IBM or GE—companies with local leadership in every market they operate in.

In April 2014, Reliance Industries Ltd had secured $500 million in financing from EDC as a response to the increasing business that the Mukesh Ambani-led company had been undertaking with Canadian companies since 2004, when EDC first became one of its financiers.

That financing package helped diversify Reliance Industries’ funding sources and extended the maturity profile of its long-term debt in a cost-effective manner.

EDC is Canada’s trade finance agency, providing financing and insurance solutions locally and around the world to help Canadian companies respond to international business opportunities.

In its April 2014 statement, EDC had said India is a strategic market for Canada, as outlined in its Government’s Global Market Action Plan, and a market of corporate priority for EDC.

“EDC is looking to grow the amount of financing that it offers to Indian companies for their capital expenditure, whether the financing be for general corporate purposes or project finance purposes. Canadian and Indian companies used EDC’s financial services to undertake CAD 1.8 billion of business in 2013 alone,” it said.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 06 Nov 2015 19:04

New Defence Minister Sajjan still in the Canadian military

Canada’s new minister of National Defence is still a serving member of the Canadian Forces, putting him in the unusual position of theoretically having to take orders from generals who are supposed to answer to him.

Harjit Sajjan, a lieutenant colonel in the army reserves, is trying to obtain his release from the Canadian Forces but at this point is still a member of the military.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Dec 2015 18:51

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/nod-for-r ... education/

Recognizing the potential of collaboration between higher education institutions, the Cabinet today gave its nod for renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Canada for cooperation in the sector.

ricky_v · Post by **ricky_v** » 24 Jun 2016 18:23

even in the great mulatto land, unexpected demographics pop up
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/09/world ... .html?_r=1

The commemoration reflected the resilience of what some historians call the lost colony of the Confederacy in this region of sugar cane fields and textile factories. Unencumbered by the debate raging in the United States over whether Confederate symbols promote racism, the Brazilian descendants of the American settlers, many of them clad in Civil War uniforms, mingled at food stands offering Southern fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits.

The motto of the organizers: To Live and Die in Dixie.

The presence of the Confederados in the interior of São Paulo State dates to an effort by Emperor Dom Pedro II, a staunch ally of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, to lure white immigrants to Brazil. Thousands of Southerners took him up on his offer, moving here in the 1860s and 1870s.

Santa Bárbara d'Oeste is in Sao Paulo btw....
on a side note there is a book that addresses this topic "The Lost Colony of the Confederacy " excerpt":

Eugene Harter vividly describes the lives of these last Confederates who founded their own city and were called Os Confederados. They retained much of their Southernness and lent an American flavour to Brazilian culture. First published in 1985, this work details the background of the exodus and describes the life of the twentieth century descendants, who have a strong link both to Southern history and to modern Brazil.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Feb 2017 00:52

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/eco ... 562395.ece
"As Trump quashes TPP, Canada pushes pact with India"

Canada is calling on India to fast-track a proposed bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). This is part of Canada’s attempts to strengthen ties with Asia following the decision of US President Donald Trump to pull out of the ambitious Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), of which the country was a part.

Canadian International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday to take forward negotiations on the FTA, called the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

New Delhi, however, remains apprehensive of Ottawa’s call for changes in some of the provisions of the model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) to make it more favourable for investors.

Although the BIT is separate from CEPA, Canada has been insisting on linking the two so that they get simultaneously signed.

“No doubt Canada is interested in pushing the CEPA with India after the Trump government withdrew from the TPP. But what remains to be seen is whether Canada changes its stance towards the model BIT,” a government official told BusinessLine.

While discussing the fallouts of the failure of the TPP, Champagne had earlier told the Canadian media that the country wants to send out the message that it is open to trade, “obviously with China, with India, with Japan.”
Source of investment

“India is very much interested in a CEPA with Canada as the country could be a big source of investments for us once the pact gets signed. But we don’t know to what extent the provisions of the model BIT could be changed,” the government official said.

Canada’s biggest problem with the model BIT, which has been framed by the Finance Ministry to protect India against international arbitration, is the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism.

The ISDS lays down that foreign companies can seek international arbitration only when all domestic legal options have been exhausted.

“In our previous interactions with Canadian officials, apprehensions have been expressed about the long time that Indian courts take in clearing cases,” the official said.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Apr 2017 05:09

X-posting for Cosmo_R

Cosmo_R wrote:OK, I've looked high and low for the Canada thread—no avail. I looked for the Khalistan thread no avail. So please x-post this to those threads if they exist. Since Khalistan is a paki invention, I will post here.

"Canada termed on Thursday as “disappointing and inaccurate” the comments by Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh that five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government, including defence minister Harjit Sajjan, were “Khalistani sympathisers”.

Singh had on Wednesday alleged that Sajjan like his father is a “Khalistani sympathiser” and he would not meet him during his scheduled visit to India later this month.

“There were, in fact, five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government who were Khalistani sympathisers and I will not have any truck with them,” Singh had further claimed."

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new ... jk1RP.html

My opinion of AS just went up a whole lot.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 01 Jul 2017 22:32

Happy 150th Canada, and thank you.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 01 Jul 2017 23:50

Happy Canada day as well, for all of what's good in the country. But there's a very dishonourable side to Canada, and that includes its total obliviousness to other countries in the British domains. Canada achieved its quasi-independence in 1867. India had to wait 80 years for something similar in 1947. Nigeria and Jamaica didn't achieve it until 1962, Barbados in 1966. Papua New Guinea in 1975. Zimbabwe/Rhodesia until 1980, or 113 years after Canada. Belize a couple of years later...and this is just of course a partial list. Canada maintained a cold, callous, oblivious indifference to all the other countries in the British empire, more or less accepting their status as desirable. That's a huge stain on Canada's historic moral and intellectual credibility.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 02 Jul 2017 02:51

Canada's historic moral and intellectual credibility.

Eh? The most intellectual of our denizens is the beaver. That's what is good-easy on the war making, meddling, self image, and also an evolution to include a strong commitment to equity.

Is it perfect? Hardly- but then neither am I.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 02 Jul 2017 18:37

Canada celebrates 150 but indigenous groups say history is being 'skated over'

“Every single time I see a Canada 150 logo I want to take a Sharpie and add a couple zeros to the end of it,” Inuk filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril told a forum earlier this year. “Asking me to celebrate Canada as being 150 years old is asking me to deny 14,000 years of indigenous history on this continent.”

“Everywhere I look right now I see every retailer and every store celebrating 150, but people really don’t have an understanding of what that means to indigenous people,” said Rhiannon Bennett of the Pulling Together Canoe Society. “The celebration of occupation of stolen land is really hard to wrap my head around. So we’re here looking at everyone celebrating 150 years of occupation and it’s hurtful.”

Across Canada – where Canada 150 is being marked without the plus symbol – the anniversary has sparked myriad responses. Some, such as the elders of the Association of Manitoba Chiefs, have decided to boycott all events related to the anniversary, frustrated by a narrative that continues to exclude or marginalise what the association described as “Canada’s genocidal policies towards indigenous peoples”.

Others have sought to highlight what the past 150 years have meant to their communities, donning T-shirts that read Colonialism 150 or plastering the country with thousands of stickers that read Canada 150 Years of Genocide and Canada 150 Years of Broken Treaties.

“If you’re a conscious Canadian living in this country, you shouldn’t be supporting Canada 150,” said Jay Soule, an indigenous artist known as Chippewar who launched the sticker campaign earlier this year. “You can be proud to be a Canadian and live in this country, but you have to acknowledge the present day plight of indigenous people – as well as the past history – and not just sweep it under the rug.”

The passing of the act 150 years ago ushered in Canada’s first prime minister, John A Macdonald, who bragged that the indigenous population was being kept on the “verge of actual starvation” in order to save government funds. In 1920, Canadian bureaucrat Duncan Campbell Scott detailed to a parliamentary committee his desire “to get rid of the Indian problem.” He continued: “Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department.”

His sentiment translated into the expansion of the church-run residential schools, which forcibly removed 150,000 Aboriginal children from their families. The schools, were rife with sexual and physical abuse, and were described as a tool of “cultural genocide” by a recent truth commission. In the 1940s, South African officials visited Canada to study the system of reserves and residential schools, taking home ideas to be incorporated into apartheid.

In some ways, little has changed, said Soule. “The same things are being done that were done 150 years ago, only with less blatant violence. We still have missing and murdered. Girls on a daily basis are still missing, still being murdered. We have mass incarceration, we have third world conditions, we have unsafe drinking water. The list going on and on and on.”

Along with repudiating the country’s collective amnesia, many activists have sought to highlight indigenous resilience and resistance. This week, dozens of groups across the country will take part in a National Day of Action – slated to coincide with the festivities of 1 July.

“We’re going to celebrate our survival,” said Russell Diabo of Defenders of the Land, a cross-Canada network of indigenous communities and activists. “It’s to celebrate our survival through racism and genocide – the policies of the government – but also to educate Canadians that we don’t have anything to celebrate when it comes to the British North America Act because that’s how the provinces stole our lands, territories and resources.”

“There’s been a deliberate skating over and glossing over of the real history of this country,” said Monkman, who is of Cree ancestry. “And I wanted a very strong message for people – this year particularly – to not allow them to celebrate their country without really reflecting on the problems with their country’s founding myths.”

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 02 Jul 2017 18:42

‘A horrible history’: Four Indigenous views on Canada 150

From Labrador to B.C., four people explain to Dakshana Bascaramurty why they struggle with this weekend’s sesquicentennial celebration – and even the label ‘Canadian’

kancha · Post by **kancha** » 13 Oct 2017 18:51

Folks, just put out a blog chronicling a part of the Kanishka bombing saga. Do have a look.
It is something that absolutely must be told over and over again

Blog Link

Twitter Link

In late 1984, at least two informers reported to authorities on the first abortive plot to bomb Air India Flight 182, which flew out of Montreal’s Mirabel International Airport at that time. In August 1984, the known criminal Gerry Boudreault claimed that Talwinder Parmar showed him a suitcase stuffed with $200,000, payment to plant a bomb. He refused to do so.

Then in September, in an attempt to get his sentence for theft and fraud reduced, Harmail Singh Grewal of Vancouver told the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of the plot to bomb the flight from Montreal.

What did the Canadians do? They fcuking DISMISSED these two reports pointing to the SAME plot from two UNRELATED sources as UNRELIABLE.

.
.

Apparently, James Bartleman, then Director General of the Intelligence & Security Bureau of the CSIS External Affairs Division, told the Air India Commission that he had seen secret info which “indicated that Flight 182 would be targeted.”

Now intelligence cannot get any more pointed than this. But when he brought this same info to the notice of an RCMP official, Bartleman testified that ‘he was met with a hostile reception’.

Mind you, he was a DG in the CSIS!
.
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In his verdict, Justice Josephson cited “unacceptable negligence” by CSIS when hundreds of wiretaps of the suspects were destroyed. Of the 210 wiretaps that were recorded during the months before and after the bombing, 156 were erased. Amazingly, nay, ‘Funnily’, these tapes continued to be erased even after the terrorists had become the primary suspects in the bombing! Because the original wiretap records were erased, they were inadmissible as evidence in court. In a lame excuse,CSIS claimed the wiretap recordings contained no relevant information, but an RCMP memo states that “There is a strong likelihood that had CSIS retained the tapes between March and August 1985, that a successful prosecution of at least some of principals in both bombings could have been undertaken.”
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This was not the only part of the aviation security lapses by the Canadian law enforcement agencies, Justice Major stated. He referred to one summer employee, Brian Simpson, who ‘boarded Flight 182 at Pearson International Airport in Toronto without detection on the afternoon of June 22, 1985’ and this person ‘had complete access to the aircraft from the cockpit to the equipment at the rear.’

Tragic?

NO.

The saddest part to Major was that during testimonies the ‘government counsel’ tried ‘to discredit this witness.’ Simpson’s evidence, he said, ‘revealed numerous weaknesses in security.’

sunnyP · Post by **sunnyP** » 14 Oct 2017 20:01

Why a journalist's question to Jagmeet Singh about an Air India bombing made them both targets of criticism
'If leaders in Canada don’t disown terrorists and terrorism, then who would?' asked Bal Gupta, whose wife was killed in the Air India bombing

It was his first day on the job as federal NDP leader, and in a television interview last week with the CBC’s Terry Milewski, Jagmeet Singh faced a question that on the surface seemed to have an obvious response.

Is it appropriate for Sikh temples in Canada to display posters hailing the alleged architect of the 1985 Air India bombing as a martyr?

Singh, who is an observant Sikh, danced around the question. His first response was to caution against exaggerating the conflict between Sikhs and Hindus. He then condemned the “heinous massacre” of people aboard Flight 182, calling it a terrorist act.

Pressed a fourth time by Milewski to denounce the posters of Parmar, Singh replied, “I don’t know who was responsible, but I think we need to find out who’s truly responsible. We need to make sure that the investigation actually results in a conviction of someone who is actually responsible.”

But for Bal Gupta, chairman of the Air India 182 Victims Families Association, Singh’s non-answer was a missed opportunity. “If leaders in Canada don’t disown terrorists and terrorism, then who would?” asked Gupta, whose wife Ramwati was killed in the bombing. He said families of the victims were very upset by Singh’s reply.

“You have to ask him whether he is representing all the Canadians or just one particular interest. I don’t know what is in his mind,” he said.

But it remains a mystery why he would be reluctant to speak out against the glorification of Parmar. Singh has not elaborated, and though the National Post left several messages with his office over the course of the last week, they did not receive a response.

Gupta said Jagmeet Singh’s reluctance to denounce Parmar will only embolden the conspiracy theorists who think the Indian government planted the bombs. “He should come out very clearly, and there is no doubt about the mastermind of the Air India tragedy,” Gupta said. “There is no doubt in any right-thinking person’s mind.”

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/why ... -criticism

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 14 Oct 2017 23:50

What is disgusting is how, except for the CBC, no major Canadian news outlet has gone into detail about that terrorist attack and its aftermath. The Toronto Star didn't bother to carry an article commemorating 30 years of the tragedy, in 2015. But they did publish an article marking 40 years of a shooting at a school( in 1975) in Brampton in which an Armenian Canadian killed 2 people and wounded 8. It almost looked like a deliberate tease or taunt of the Indo-Canadian community, and of India as a country. The Air India attack was the largest mass murder in modern Canadian history, and they don't bother to acknowledge it. ********, the Toronto Star.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 14 Feb 2018 04:04

With Trudeau's coming trip to India, some food for thought. An article from Toronto Sun.
Is Canada home to anti-India Sikh extremists?

Is Canada home to Sikh extremists trying to pump fresh air into the dying embers of the so-called Khalistan movement that seeks the breaking up of India to create a separate Sikh country in Punjab?

Are there such anti-India Sikhs in the federal cabinet and the Liberal Party and its Ontario wing?

Mainstream Canadians outside the circus of identity politics could care less about the wholesale buying and selling at ethnic vote banks, but it’s time they should. India is no longer that far-away country of 1985 when Air India 182 was blown out of the sky by Sikh extremists, killing 268 Canadian citizens among the 325 murdered over Ireland.

Today’s India is not just a beacon of democracy in a sea of tyrants that govern much of Asia and Africa, but its economy is booming, as is the trade between our two countries. Fears expressed by New Delhi can no longer be ignored. If they are, it will be our loss in Canada.

It has been reported that the current debate about Canada hosting Sikh extremists erupted when the popular Indian weekly, Outlook — in its Feb.12 edition — ran a cover story, featuring a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wearing traditional orange Sikh handkerchief on his head. The headline on the cover read, “Khalistan-II: Made in Canada.”

Sources in India tell me the Outlook edition story came only after the government of India and Indo-Canadians noticed a sudden spike in anti-India extremist activities at Sikh temples across Canada. In one such step, Indian diplomats were barred from entering any Sikh temple anywhere in Canada.

In his bilateral meeting with Trudeau on the sidelines of the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Trudeau to curb the rise of pro-Khalistan groups in Canada.

The Outlook report includes a Q and A segment with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who last April refused to meet with Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajan, calling him a “Khalistani sympathizer” — an allegation denied by Sajan.

In a condescending rebuttal, Sajan said: ”Canadians have the right to express (viewpoints), it’s called freedom of speech.”

Hopefully, Trudeau read the gist of the Outlook story and paid heed to Modi’s request in Davos. Ideally, Trudeau should make an emphatic statement in Delhi on behalf of the Canadian state, denouncing anyone or any group that uses Canadian soil to cause harm to the integrity of India.

Of course individual Canadians —extremist Sikhs and their Pakistani-Canadian allies — are free to speak and protest, but the Canadian government and its MPs cannot be seen as being soft in their approach to this menace.

No longer should Trudeau or any Canadian politician send felicitation to events where Sikh extremists parade floats glorifying Sikh militant leaders.

For example, on April 30, Trudeau addressed a parade for ‘Khalsa Day’, which included floats glorifying Sikh militant leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amreek Singh and former general Shahbeg Singh who were killed in the siege of the Golden Temple and Operation Bluestar in June 1984.

What I have gathered after speaking to many senior level Indian academics and politicians on both sides of the political divide is that India expects nothing short of a complete break between the Liberal Party and the opposition politicians and the Khalistan movement — not just in theory, but in practise, too.

But early indications from the itinerary for Trudeau’s state visit to India on Feb. 17- 23 show the Canadian prime minister will not deviate the script of using his trip to cajole the Sikh vote bank by donning a ceremonial headdress and paying a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

One Canadian Sikh lawyer in Brampton expressed her indignation at how Canadian politicians of all stripes use visits to the Golden Temple as a vote-getting tactic.

“It is demeaning to Canada’s Sikhs that Mr. Trudeau seeks our votes not by arguing the merits of his policy platforms, but by dressing up to mimic Sikh identity and visit our holiest shrine in India,” she added, requesting anonymity.

Perhaps someone in the PMO noticed that Trudeau could massage another vote bank in Canada if he paid a visit to a mosque. So the initial itinerary released in Jan. 22 was changed on Feb. 7 to include a visit to the majestic Jama Mosque in Delhi.

It will be fascinating to see Mr Trudeau lecture the mosque’s clerics about gender-equality after Syed Yahya Bukhari, president of the Jama Masjid United Forum, lashed out recently at a Muslim woman who led a mixed-gender congregation in the southern state of Kerala.

Which begs the question: If Trudeau is so enamoured by Sikhism and Islam, why doesn’t he abandon his Catholic faith and join our ranks? And if he is still a Catholic, why is he not visiting a single one of the many historic Catholic churches of India?

Sanjay Dixit, a senior Indian government officer who has served as an election observer in the Punjab elections of 2014 told me that there is no appetite for an independent Khalistan among the Sikhs of Punjab.

It is also intriguing that the banner men of Khalistan in Canada and the Ontario legislature keep feeding young Sikhs about the immense injustice committed on the Sikhs of Delhi in 1984 when tens of thousands are said to have been killed by roaming mobs. This is done to stir hatred against Hindus in Canada and India.

One last message to Trudeau: India has arrested three would-be assassins who came to India to kill a Canadian journalist working in Delhi. Could you please find out more from the Indian authorities since your High Commissioner to India, Mr Nadir Patel, seems uninterested in the fate of this Canadian?
(By - Tarek Fatah)

nvishal · Post by **nvishal** » 15 Feb 2018 12:50

I'm surprised no one has written on the standing of the khalistani movement and its actual appeal in the sikh community.

Take a look at these two photos and remember all the people in it because you'll be seeing a lot of them if you pay attention. All of them are "moderate" but all of them are a part of the khalistani appeal. Most of them are related to each other by blood or either married to each others sisters or cousins.

Popular youtuber jasmeet singh with Canadian politician Jagmeet singh. He's going to be a prime minster candidate in the next canadian elections.

From left,
fateh doe(2nd -rapper)
3rd - babbus sister
6th - close staff member in jagmeets campaign office
7th - gurkiran - jagmeets fiancee and sister of kayray - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnAvfqvp528
On knees - Babbulicious(works with jusreign - click) and another close staff member

The khalistani movement has picked up significantly in the last 10-15 years.
The movement is primarily fuelled up due to the slow but gradual social collapse of punjab.
The internet has been another major factor in boosting the appeal.
The khalistani appeal is viewed as a symbol of "modernity". It is the choice of the wealthy and well to do sikhs living abroad. Sikhs in india and elsewhere try to mimic them.

sunnyP · Post by **sunnyP** » 17 Feb 2018 22:28

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Reaches India On A "Busy Visit": 10 Points
Justin Trudeau's India visit, focused on creating good jobs and strengthening "deep connection between the people of our two countries", will also have a strong cultural component. The Trudeau family will visit the iconic Taj Mahal on Sunday and later in the week, Akshardham Temple in Gujarat.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cricket ... ts-1813739

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 17 Feb 2018 23:16

Govt has sent MoS for agri to receive Justin. Such a warm welcome.

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 17 Feb 2018 23:23

sunnyP wrote:
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Reaches India On A "Busy Visit": 10 Points
Justin Trudeau's India visit, focused on creating good jobs and strengthening "deep connection between the people of our two countries", will also have a strong cultural component. The Trudeau family will visit the iconic Taj Mahal on Sunday and later in the week, Akshardham Temple in Gujarat.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cricket ... ts-1813739

He's also visiting the Amritsar and Golden Temple as part of outreach to Canadian Sikhs. The NDTV article conveniently leaves that out.

kancha · Post by **kancha** » 18 Feb 2018 13:07

nvishal wrote:I'm surprised no one has written on the standing of the khalistani movement and its actual appeal in the sikh community.

Tweeted a thread on the Kanishka episode earlier this morning. May have a look and share on.

Twitter Link

Blog Link

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 18 Feb 2018 14:33

Karthik S wrote:Govt has sent MoS for agri to receive Justin. Such a warm welcome.

twitter

His reception was tepid,lack of enthusiasm on India's side is obvious..delayed his visit for over a yr.Trudeau has nothing better to do,here for 7days..of which only 1/2 a day official discussion with @narendramodi and gov,this visit is a major flop..India detests Terrorists

Canadian Pappu @JustinTrudeau has refused to meet Punjab CM. This bumbling idiot lectures the world on liberal values, but himself supports Khalistani terrorists for votes!

And so has CM Yogi -
Justin Trudeau to visit Taj, UP CM not to receive him
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... s?from=mdr …

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... from=mdr …

AGRA: Elaborate security arrangements are being made in the city for the the high profile visit of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau to Agra on Sunday.

However, neither chief minister, Adityanath Yogi, nor any other minister from the state has been deputed to receive Trudeau and all the protocol duties have been left to the District Magistrate and Agra Commissioner. This is in contrast to the welcome given to Israel prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara on Jan 15 when Yogi personally received them and took them around Taj.

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 18 Feb 2018 17:25

If it is true that he refused to meet Punjab CM in order to impress Khalistanis, he should not have been allowed to visit Amritsar in the first place. Seems pretty spineless on our part.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 19 Feb 2018 09:37

@JustinTrudeau was met by India’s MoS Agriculture Gajendra Shekhwat.

Gajendra Shekhwat was resplendent in jeans and a sports coat, no less!!.

For protocol conscious goras, that is a very tight, diplomatic, public slap on the face

Rupa Subramanya‏@rupasubramanya

.@CdnPress thinks India’s MoS for Agriculture,who has zero control over trade policy, was sent to meet @JustinTrudeau because of Canada’s concerns over India’s recent tariffs on chick peas and other pulses. Can’t make this up. #Clueless

Rupa Subramanya@rupasubramanya 14h14 hours ago

Not only was @JustinTrudeau met by junior minister fulfilling bare essentials of protocol, PM @narendramodi hasn't even tweeted a welcome. Massive failure by Trudeau to get his hosts even mildly interested. India Canada ties at low ebb since @stephenharper 's departure. #cdnpoli

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 19 Feb 2018 09:44

Bart S wrote:If it is true that he refused to meet Punjab CM in order to impress Khalistanis, he should not have been allowed to visit Amritsar in the first place. Seems pretty spineless on our part.

That would have been really churlish on our part.

There are enough non khalistani sikhs who also voted for this bloke.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 19 Feb 2018 17:22

The Toronto Star had an article, just before the visit, where the main issue seemed to be Indian duties on chickpeas. Very tawdry, shallow stuff!

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 19 Feb 2018 19:18

No comment!

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 19 Feb 2018 22:50

Wow this guy could beat any India politico in appeasement. The full family namaste pose was probably well rehearsed - they gave one while getting off the plane - only got them to a tiny picture in page 10 of today's ToI.

schinnas · Post by **schinnas** » 19 Feb 2018 23:22

Bart S wrote:If it is true that he refused to meet Punjab CM in order to impress Khalistanis, he should not have been allowed to visit Amritsar in the first place. Seems pretty spineless on our part.

He refused to meet Punjab CM because Punjab CM openly refused to meet some Canadian Sikh cabinet ministers who are Khalistani supporters.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 20 Feb 2018 01:15

Captain have tweeted that he will meet Trudeau. Message have been sent to Canada that we can simply ignore them. Khalistani thought they could leverage this visit to their end but now even Canadian public opinion have turned against them and their terrorist agenda.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Feb 2018 01:22

Rupabhen and other chatteratti are making it as if NaMo should have himself gone over and rolled the red carpet.
The Congress rascals who firmly believe in Dive ad Rule are all gaga over Trudeau visit.
Canada needs to show they don't support Khalistani terrorists.

Right now only two countries harbor terrorists against India: Pakistan and Canada.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 20 Feb 2018 01:44

Canada have both Paki and Khalistani .

Bart S · Post by **Bart S** » 20 Feb 2018 04:12

ramana wrote:Rupabhen and other chatteratti are making it as if NaMo should have himself gone over and rolled the red carpet.
The Congress rascals who firmly believe in Dive ad Rule are all gaga over Trudeau visit.
Canada needs to show they don't support Khalistani terrorists.

Right now only two countries harbor terrorists against India: Pakistan and Canada.

Rupa is the exact opposite of DDM and she was actually mocking Canada and the self-important attitude of the Canadian media coverage.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Feb 2018 10:16

The no testimonials, canadian pappu learns quickly, once his butt is kicked really hard.

Amarinder Singh will kick it even harder and will not mince his words.

the liberandu deserves it and more.

This is not some colonial India that can be bullied by some light weight twit.

Betting that there will be no hugs, though.

IndiaTodayFLASH‏Verified account @IndiaTodayFLASH

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to meet Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on February 21 in Amritsar. (ANI)

disha · Post by **disha** » 20 Feb 2018 12:36

Rupaben is a chameleon, her husband Vivek Dehejia is some prof. in some Kanuck Univ and holds forth on all things from Indian economy to Indian government to foreign relations.

Rupaben, Mihir Simon Sharma etc are birds of the same feather, just some of them dyeing it differently based on the political winds. Both Rupaben and Vivekbhai have inveigled themselves as go-to commentators on economy and foreign affairs. If BBC needs to talk about canada and economy, out comes gyan from Rupaben and Vivek Dehejia. If rNDTV wants to do a #Blow2Modi, Rupaben sets up interview with Nidhi (or vice versa) and tosses the ball for Mihir Simon sharma to spike it.

Savor this quote from Rupaben:

BJP unofficial SM team needs to decide if they think India has laid out red carpet for Trudeau or if minor visit. Canada was following protocol but Modi received rousing welcome from @stephenharper .Harper & Modi had a great connect already from his Gujarat days. Silly comparison

1. It is not a silly comparison. It shows how low relations have gone down due to Trudeau's left liberal vote bank politics
2. It is a great diplomacy when the snub is not a snub but still a snub.