India to Justin Trudeau: stop trying so hard
INDIA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot catch a break in India.
Trudeau, accustomed to being praised for his Prince Charming good looks, is getting a lot of flak on his tour of India, and the latest gags focus on his razzle-dazzle wardrobe, upstaging even India’s flamboyant movie stars.
Offending garments include Trudeau’s long, multicoloured sherwanis, usually worn on special occasions such as weddings or in Bollywood movies. He wore a sparkling gold one to a meeting with Bollywood’s top brass, while the film stars wore muted black suits.
Add to that the Canadian first family’s posey, soap opera-style namastes, and it’s enough to keep social media buzzing with memes and jokes.
‘‘It’s a little over the top,’’ said Vivek Dehejia, an economics professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. ‘‘I understand on day one having to wear the traditional clothes, but now it’s getting too much.’’
The gaffes with the razzmatazz outfits are latest in a series of fiascos during Trudeau’s visit.
First, he was teased for being ‘‘snubbed’’ by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when a junior agricultural minister was sent to receive him at the airport. Many pointed out that Modi, known for his social media savvy, did not even tweet a welcome to the Trudeaus until five days into the trip.
Then Trudeau was trolled for misspelling ‘‘Gandhi’’ in a tweet sent from the revered Indian leader’s ashram.
Trudeau’s trip has been beset by allegations that his Liberal Party curries favour with Canada’s prominent Sikh minority by supporting secessionist Sikh groups that want an independent homeland called Khalistan. His administration has denied backing pro-Khalistan groups.
Yesterday, Trudeau’s attendance at the Canada-India business summit was overshadowed by embarrassing revelations that the Canadian High Commission, the country’s diplomatic mission in India, had issued and then rescinded official invitations to Jaspal Atwal, a businessman convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian politician in the 1980s.
India’s magazine said the high commission also rescinded an invitation to its bureau chief because of an unflattering cover story pointing out links between the Trudeau administration and pro-Khalistan groups.
Meanwhile, on social media, memes and jokes about the Trudeaus’ attire are spreading. Some Indians are offering style advice, while others accuse the leader of cultural appropriation.
One politician tweeted: ‘‘Is it just me or is this choreographed cuteness all just a bit much now? Also FYI we Indians don’t dress like this every day sir, not even in Bollywood.’’ said it ‘‘was too Indian even for an Indian’’.
Trudeau has a history of experimental fashion choices. He is known for sporting themed or colourful socks, in what some call ‘‘sock diplomacy’’.
The Trudeaus commissioned top Indian designers for their photo-rich India tour, but Indian critics say the over-the-top costumes have failed to mask the visit’s shallow accomplishments.
‘‘It’s a kind of reverse colonialism to want to mimic the ‘native’,’’ political campaign adviser Dilip Cherian wrote on the Print news website.
Others praised the Trudeaus’ striking sartorial choices, saying it showed appreciation for India.
wrote: ‘‘The Canadian prime minister has been making an effort to show his affection for the country.‘‘