Ajay Kumar I Lucknow
After the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, there is hope in India that the new Canadian government will take a more flexible stance towards India. The Trudeau government had been supporting Khalistani elements, and this might be curtailed now.
Additionally, if the new Canadian Prime Minister is of Indian origin, it could also benefit India. However, even after Trudeau’s resignation, the problems of the Canadian citizens remain unresolved. The biggest issue now is deciding who should be the new Prime Minister of Canada, someone who can maintain good relations with both the Trump-era U.S. government and a developing country like India.
Several names are being discussed as potential future Prime Ministers, including two of Indian origin. Among these, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is the leading contender. The former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister had recently resigned from the Cabinet but was one of Trudeau’s strongest allies. While handling foreign affairs, he helped the country renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the U.S. and Mexico. He was also in charge of Canada’s financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to reports, after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Indian-origin MPs Chandra Arya and Anita Anand are also strong contenders for the position of Prime Minister. Anita Anand is known as a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She was a professor of law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investment Protection and Corporate Governance.
Currently, she is the Minister for Transport and Internal Trade in Trudeau’s government. Anita Anand has earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Law from Oxford University, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto.
According to Canadian media reports, the race for leadership has now intensified with prominent names like Anita Anand, Pierre Poilievre, Chrystia Freeland, and Mark Carney.
Indian-origin Anita Anand is considered one of the strongest contenders due to her impressive governance and public service record. Regarding Canadian MP Chandra Arya of Indian origin, he has also thrown his hat into the ring for the Prime Ministerial election. In a video clip, Arya stated that if the Canadian people elect him, he would lead an efficient and small government that ensures the nation’s reconstruction and prosperity for future generations. He added that he has always worked for the best interests of the Canadian people.
He emphasized that bold decisions must be made for the benefit of future generations. Chandra Arya has announced that he will run for the leadership of the Liberal Party. He also promised to make Canada a sovereign republic, raise the retirement age, implement a citizenship-based tax system, and recognize the State of Palestine. Discussing the future relationship between Canada’s new government and India, scholars in India are optimistic.
Professor Harsh V. Pant, Vice President of the Studies and Foreign Policy Department at Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, stated that Trudeau had damaged relations with India due to personal reasons, and he did not show the necessary seriousness to improve ties with India. This lack of effort resulted in significant damage to the bilateral relationship.
Notably, Justin Trudeau had been making anti-India statements recently. Meanwhile, Canada had made a decision related to student visas that caused difficulties for Indian students. This has contributed to the growing tension between India and Canada. Pant believes that it was clear for some time that as long as Trudeau remained Prime Minister, there would be no new developments in India-Canada relations that were needed.
On the other hand, Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, D.C., shares the same view about the deteriorating India-Canada relations. He wrote on X that Trudeau’s resignation could provide an opportunity to stabilize the deteriorating relations between India and Canada. Wilson also stated that New Delhi has directly blamed Trudeau for the deeply rooted problems in the bilateral relationship. In recent years, Canada has been the only Western country where relations with India have consistently worsened.
