India Unreasonable But Will Not Retaliate Says Canada; Evacuates Its Diplomats From Delhi
OTTAWA (IANS) – Canada evacuated its 41 diplomats and 42 accompanying dependents from India after New Delhi “threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity”, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said.
Addressing a press conference in Ottawa on October 19, the Canadian Foreign Minister said: “I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20.”
“India’s decision to declare persona non grata is unreasonable. But we will not retaliate,” Joly said while responding to a media query on whether Canada will retaliate by requiring India to reduce its diplomatic headcount in Canadarted.
Joly, who spoke alongside Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller, said that only 21 Canadian diplomats would be stationed in India from now onwards.
“The safety of Canadians and of our diplomats is always my top concern. Given the implications of India’s actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India,” Joly said. “This means that our diplomats and their families have now left.”
She accused India of unilaterally revoking diplomatic privileges and immunities by going against international law. “It is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” she said. “And threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory.”
Joly also announced that India’s move to declare persona non grata to 41 diplomats will impact the level of service delivery Canada will be able to provide in that country. “We are going to pause all in-person services at our consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore,” the Canadian Foreign Minister said.
India’s External Affairs Ministry had given an ultimatum to Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff by October 20. “We had no choice but to comply. The safety of Canadians, of our diplomats, is always my top concern,” Joly said.
The fresh development came amid strained ties between Canada and India after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in mid-September accused Indian government agents of being behind the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
Shortly after Trudeau’s remarks, the Canadian government announced the dismissal of a senior Indian diplomat in Canada, for his alleged involvement in the killing of Nijjar in the Canadian Province of British Columbia in June.
In response, India’s External Affairs Ministry rejected the Canadian claims, expelling Olivier Sylvestere, a senior Canadian diplomat based in New Delhi.
Both countries subsequently issued travel advisories urging their citizens to “exercise utmost caution” while travelling to some regions in the other country. Furthermore, India’s visa processing centre in Canada suspended services.
AL
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Why don’t the Khalistan supporters in Canada ask Justin Trudeau to convert a part of Canada into Khalistan? There is plenty of empty land there.
October 20, 2023Daljit (Dean)Singh
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This was the most responsible Canadian response to India for its cowboy diplomacy.
October 20, 2023Pradeep Srivastava
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““India’s decision to declare persona non grata is unreasonable. But we will not retaliate,” Joly said while responding to a media query on whether Canada will retaliate by requiring India to reduce its diplomatic headcount in Canadarted.”
I am impressed by Joly’s statement because this is how diplomats are supposed to talk and behave. On the contrary, I suspect that in the wake of the recent good economic growth in India, the country has become a bit arrogant, which will not be good for it in the long term. It’s good to be confident but not good to be overconfident.
Besides, Canada is home to nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, about 3.7% of the country’s total population, according to the 2021 census, therefore, Indians do have some political clout in Canada, which serves as an incentive for the Government of Canada to keep the Indians happy.
“Shortly after Trudeau’s remarks, the Canadian government announced the dismissal of a senior Indian diplomat in Canada, for his alleged involvement in the killing of Nijjar in the Canadian Province of British Columbia in June.”
October 24, 2023The correct response to this incident would have been for the Government of India to investigate the alleged involvement of the Indian diplomat, instead of expelling Olivier Sylvestere, a senior Canadian diplomat based in New Delhi. A simple tit-for-tat behavior doesn’t prove innocence of the Indian diplomat; it just proves that Government of India behaved angrily and irrationally.