NATIONAL PULSE – Rising tensions fuel plummeting Canadian views of India
Trudeau and Modi. (Image: Justin Trudeau, Facebook file photo)
One-in-three view India as a ‘threat’ or ‘enemy’; 64% seek at least a ‘cautious’ return to trade negotiations
By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE
December 3, 2024 – Amid fresh, but so far denied, allegations of Indian political interference in Canada’s 2022 Conservative Party leadership race, a new public opinion poll from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, indicates a significant decline in Canadian views towards the sub-continental superpower.
Where a majority (52%) of people in this country told ARI 20 months ago that Ottawa should approach New Delhi either as a valued partner and ally or on friendly terms, that sentiment has dropped by half to just 24 per cent.
Further, favourable views of India have plummeted from a high of 56 per cent in January 2020 to 26 per cent today. The inverse negative view has more than doubled.
These data also reveal India is now only seen more favourably by Canadians than Russia and China, while trust in New Delhi sits at less than one-third (28%).
There is less consensus over how Canada is perceived to be handling the relationship, although a plurality are inclined to say Ottawa isn’t managing it well (39%) compared to one-third (32%) who say the opposite and almost the same number (29%) who say they aren’t sure. A significant political tension colours these perceptions. Those who say they would vote for the Liberal Party of Canada in the next election are most complimentary of the Trudeau government’s performance on this file, while professed Conservative supporters say the current government is mishandling the situation.
The froideur between the two nations shows little sign of warming in the short term. The belief among 39 per cent in Canada is things will not improve until Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no longer in office, while 34 per cent say the same of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
That said, two-thirds (64%) of Canadians say this country should at minimum, “cautiously” attempt to re-open trade negotiations on a free trade agreement with India, a finding slightly boosted by threats from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump of blanket 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports.
More Key Findings:
- The proportion of Canadians who want increased trade ties with India has halved from one-in-five (18%) in 2014 to eight per cent now.
- Among Canada’s top 10 trading partners, only China (76%) and India (66%) are selected by a majority of Canadians as not “strictly upholding the rule of law or respecting human rights.”
- Two-thirds (66%) say Canada should “stand up for what it believes is right” with India even if it means a further deterioration of the relationship.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
These numbers aren’t really a surprise.
Modi and his government have earned this sentiment, by their inappropriate politicization of the Khalistan movement as ‘terrorists’, where it honestly isnt much different than past Quebec desires for separation … and then trying to use their rhetoric as justification for objectively entering Canada and extrajudicially assassinating a Khalistan leader, on government orders.
Modi got caught, Canada reacted appropriately (regardless of how the Conservatives tried to use it as pre election rhetorical fodder) and then we watched as Modi backed down and subjugated himself in the face of US supporting Canada’s position.
He’s willing to lose out on trade with Canada over this … but not the US.
Now we see the average Canadian deciding that no … none of this is cool … and this Indian government is not our friend.
Whether Trudeaus is in office or not, this wont change until Modi leaves office. Unfortunately he just won an election this year.
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A lot of parents and students in India are pretty mad about how Trudeau talked up how welcoming Canada is to immigrants in order to get all that tuition money and then changed the deals before educations could be finished and jobs secured.
Can you imagine suddenly being told you can only work 26 hours a week when you’re paying $10k per semester just in tuition ?
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Coming to Canada to study is one thing. But it is a whole different story expecting full time employment. Full time employment with all the benefits that entails is and should be strictly reserved for Canadian citizens or landed immigrants.
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Im more on the side of they shouldnt be allowed to work at all. If here for an education that they will take back overseas with them … they can do that, but that doesnt mean working here is some kind of a benefit.
In the US if an international student wants to study … fine … but they are not allowed to work without a green card, ever, period.
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When Ottawa takes sides in political squabbles in India or China or Europe that leads to division in the domestic population who are emigrants from these countries. In most cases taking sides is done to get the diaspora vote in the next election. Assassinations in India of Indira and later her son Rajiv Gandhi, and movement for an independent state of Khalistan, all played a role in acts of terrorism (Air India, and Narita Airport) with local connections and assassination (Nijjar). All this divides the population in Canada into Gurdwara by militancy which is then exploited for votes by political parties in the Federal government. Unfortunately, Multiculturalism has created division rather than unity, which political parties exploi
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