Malignantly Devious India : Trudeau Reveals All

"India has big plans: The government in New Delhi foresees investments of $4.5-trillion by 2040 on clean power, bridges, dams, roads and modern urban infrastructure. Leaders from Europe, South Korea, China and Japan are sharply focused on Indian markets, and their country delegations are making significant inroads."
"Canada, in spite of its deep expertise in infrastructure development, as well as its much-touted Sikh diaspora, is struggling to improve trade with India -- currently a minuscule $8 billion a year, nearly the same volume as its daily business with the United States."
"In 2010, the Stephen Harper government initiated negotiations with India and proposed a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement [CEPA] between the two countries. The modalities of CEPA have been debated and negotiated ad nauseum, and Trudeau's visit could have resulted in a breakthrough, a true feather in the prime minister's cap."
Gurprit S. Kindra, professor, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa

"When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians [it is 'not an accident' that the Indian government removed Atwal from a blacklist of people blocked from obtaining visas to travel to the country -- and that it would be convenient for some in India's government to embarrass Trudeau with Sikh separatism] it's because they know it to be true. [It was the previous Conservative government that] torqued the public service every possible way they could."
"[Canada's national security agencies and police services are trusted by government.] They continue to do an excellent job."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Preparing chappati for a communal vegetarian meal. Picture: Amritsar District Public Relations OfficerSource:AFP

So there it is in full, the admission from Mr. Dress-Up that whatever befell his trade mission to India -- where he hauled along four Sikh Cabinet ministers, corporate leaders, an Indo-Canadian chef (to teach Indians Indo-Canadian haute cuisine), a reporting pool and various hangers-on along with his perfect Canadian wife and three photogenic children -- lest we forget an extensive wardrobe worthy of any Bollywood film studio -- for those endless photo-ops persuading a vote-demographic in Canada this government has their interests in mind, was the responsibility of an odious Indian government conspiracy.

The government of jovial, genial, sharp-witted Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to manipulate his Canadian counterpart to portray himself as a dress-up clown, forewarning famed Bollywood actors to dress in formal Western suits while encouraging the Trudeaus to garb themselves in Bollywood couture, to capture this virtuously sensitive family in blatant cultural and religious cross-stream shameless appropriation when all that was meant was a true appreciation of Indian culture and religion manifested by a deep and abiding sense of admiration.

With Bollywood star Shan Rukh Khan. Picture: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP.Source:AP

So deeply involved was the Canadian Prime Minister in efforts to convince the Indian sub-continent of his esteem and veneration that he chose with great deliberation and sacrifice to Canadian trade ambitions, to jettison business and government meetings to advance trade issues between the two countries and to focus instead on building cultural and educational ties as a symbol of his undying regard -- hoping to deepen respect between the two cultural giants, of which Justin Trudeau is a leading product of Canada's.

Adnan Abidi / Reuters     Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wife Sophie Gregoire, daughter Ella Grace and son Xavier pose for photographers during their visit to the holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar, India on Feb. 21, 2018. 

To the keen eye of the observer no one in India expressed a fervent wish to persuade the Trudeaus to make India their permanent home in a bid to enrich their culture and the efficiency of their government; now there's the slight to Canada. And lest Canadians be led to believe the calumnies in the House of Commons led by opposition politicians, Trudeau's trade mission did indeed reach some admirable milestones, as for example an important investment package to produce "over a billion dollars of investment in Canada", but oops, 3/4 of the funds is represented by Canadian investment in India.

Canada's goodwill was forcibly squandered by an unappreciative India, unaccountably fixated on their perception of Canada as a haven and support for Sikh Khalistanis just because the Canadian High Commission invited a convicted attempted murderer, Khalistani Indo-Canadian Jaspal Atwal, to a formal dinner at the High Commission with Trudeau et al. And photo-ops, always photo-ops, with the Liberal supporter and convicted B.C. assassin posing with Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, flaunting Canada's forgiving nature while flouting India's conviction that Trudeau's government is comprised of juvenile delinquents.

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy launching the "trillion dollars" infrastructure investment summit taking place in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the Canadian trade mission's minister of infrastructure was showing off his homespun skills, baking chapatis at the Amritsar Harimandir Sahib alongside his boss's efforts in the same venue. Business leaders representing competing foreign countries were negotiating and signing deals for expanded trade with India while Trudeau was exchanging thespian experiences with Bollywood stars.

And then, after a week of fun and games Trudeau was ready to introduce his cute and cuddly children to Prime Minister Modi, a nice, friendly get-together with plenty of warm hugs all around. To cap off the Trudeau family vacation, don't you see? A memorable time with oodles of photos to recall all the fascinating and fun episodes indulged in at some later date. Maybe on another trip to the Agha Khan's private island for a much-needed rest and retreat from the rigors of government administration in advancing Canada's trade future abroad.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hugs PM Narendra Modi at the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Feb. 23, 2018 in New Delhi, India. Hindustan Times via Getty Images