iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
A large group of Canadian farmers are driving their trucks for thousands of kilometers to reach the national capital, Ottawa, in protest against government policies. Protesters say they are ready to sit in protest for long periods of time in front of Parliament Hill till the government rolls back the contentious policies.
The Canadian farmers union has taken a leaf out of the Indian playbook, as this story seems a lot like the great Indian Farmers Protest that raged on for more than a year.
On Monday, February 7, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an end to a protest that have paralyzed Ottawa, as the city’s mayor asked for federal support.
“It has to stop,” said Trudeau during an emergency debate in the House of Commons following his return to Parliament after being isolated for some time due to a positive COVID-19 test.
“This pandemic has sucked for all Canadians,” said the PM, who looked frustrated with the protests that have paralyzed Ottawa for some days now.
He, however, added that “Canadians know the way to get through it is continuing to listen to science, continuing to lean on each other”.
“People of Ottawa don’t deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods. They don’t deserve to be confronted with the inherent violence of a swastika flying on a street corner or Confederate flag,” he further said.
These truck drivers drove cross-country to the capital Ottawa, covering an epic 3,765 km to protest against the Justin Trudeau government’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures. The protest has been dubbed the ‘Freedom Convoy’.
These truck drivers in Canada usually drive across the US-Canada border supplying the country with various necessities. The Trudeau government has made it mandatory for cross-border truckers to be fully vaccinated, or face quarantine measures upon arriving in Canada.
Without elaborating what measures might be planned, Trudeau promised to support the province and city with whatever resources they required.
This may be recalled that Trudeau and his family were shifted to a secret location due to security concerns when protesters began demonstrating over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
As soon as the Canadian Prime Minister’s remarks about the truckers’ protest surfaced, a statement he had made last year about supporting farmers’ protests in India started circulating on social media.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t start by recognizing the news coming from India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning. We are all very worried about family and friends. We know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protesters. We believe in the process of dialogue. We’ve reached out through multiple means to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns. This is a moment for all of us to pull together,” Trudeau had said in November 2021.
The Indian government had reacted sharply to these remarks and characterized them as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”.
“We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country. It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes,” the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson had said at the time.
Back in December 2020, Trudeau had expressed concerns about the protest by farmers in India against the now scrapped three farm laws. He had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.
Now, that Trudeau is being faced with protests against his policies, Indian netizens are saying, “Karma strikes.”
It also needs to be added that some of the protesters in Canada include Sikh immigrants from India.
