Canadian politics may hit terror agreement
TORONTO: A pathbreaking agreement between India and Canada on combating terrorism, the seminal outcome of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent visit to India, may turn into a non-starter due to the backlash against it in Canada and events that have followed the bilateral trip.
Concern is growing in India, and obviously within the government, that the Framework for Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism may well be undermined by political compulsions in Canada, and it may remain largely on paper rather than put into practice.
The framework was agreed upon on February 14 but formally released nine days later, after the bilateral meeting between Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Indian officials refused to comment on the matter given its sensitive nature, but there is a clear sense of frustration over how such an important pact could potentially be sabotaged by concerted opposition to it.
The agreement is “based on fundamental respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of India and Canada” and “institutionalised cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of the Republic of India and the office of Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor, and regular exchanges and coordination between India and Canada”.
It also equated groups associated with Khalistani terrorism with al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Lashkar-e-Taiba, among other major terror groups.
It has drawn immediate criticism in Canada.
Gurpatwant Pannun, legal advisor to the hardline Sikhs for Justice, said, “What act of violence has been funded by Canadian Sikhs? They (Indian government) cannot defame the (Sikh) community.” He also said that India “cannot dictate the terms, it’s not going to work in the end”.