Police march towards Wellington Street on February 5, 2022 in Ottawa as truckers continue their rally against COVID-19 mandates over the weekend near Parliament Hill. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
PM reminded the Indian government of the ‘importance of dialogue’ during massive farmers’ protests in 2020
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A top Indian diplomat has criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for refusing to meet with protesting truckers in Ottawa, saying his actions contradict his advice to the Indian government during the farmers’ protests in December 2020.
“The Canadian prime minister who tried to advise us on how to deal with the farmers last year, and swore that Canada will be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests, has run away from the truckers and others,” said Deepak Vohra in a YouTube video on Jan. 31.
“[The truckers] are rallying against vaccine mandates, inflation, supply chain disruptions etc., so the fellow who was trying to give us advice has actually gone into hiding,” said Vohra, who has served as ambassador to various countries, including Sudan and Poland.
Farmers in India protested for over a year, sometimes in the tens of thousands, against laws passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that allowed farmers to sell produce directly to bulk buyers and make contract farming easier.
Opposition parties in Parliament opposed the move, saying it diminished the bargaining power of farmers. On Dec. 1, 2020, India’s ministers and representatives of the protesting farmers failed to break a deadlock over the new farm laws, despite talks lasting several hours.
Speaking to the Indian community in Canada in a video message on Nov. 30, 2020, Trudeau said he was worried about the protesting farmers.
“The situation is concerning. We are all very worried about family and friends … Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest,” he said.
“We believe in the importance of dialogue, and that’s why we’ve reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns.”
Vohra said Trudeau’s approach with the truckers, who have been protesting in large numbers in Ottawa since Jan. 29, has “betrayed their trust.”
“The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies. It comes from those who have faith in,” he said. “Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family.”
In a press conference on Jan. 31 from an undisclosed location, Trudeau took aim at the protesting truckers, who are demanding an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.
“Over the past few days, Canadians were shocked and frankly disgusted by the behaviour displayed by some people protesting in our nation’s capital,” he said.
Trudeau characterized the protesters as sporting “Nazi symbolism” and “racist imagery” and accused them of desecrating war memorials and engaging in other unruly and destructive behaviour, despite repeated statements from organizers that they condemned such behaviour and vowed to remain peaceful.
The prime minister said he would not be “intimidated” by the protesters, nor would he meet with them, since he has “chosen to not go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence towards fellow citizens, and a disrespect, not just of science, but of the front-line health workers.”
On the morning of Jan. 31, Trudeau announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had to “work remotely this week.” Since then a week has passed, but as yet he has not made a public appearance. Trudeau’s schedule, according to his office, shows that he has been in “private meetings” ever since his announcement about contracting the virus.
As the trucker protest continues in Ottawa, NDP MPs are asking where the prime minister is.
“PM Trudeau sure liked to come out daily to address the nation in the first year of COVID. Why has he been absent for the last 10 days of a state of emergency in our nation’s capital?” asked NDP health critic Don Davies on Twitter on Feb. 6.
NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus says Trudeau needs to show up for work and give Canadians an explanation on how he would resolve the issue.
“He needs to explain to Canadians: how he will help end the occupation; the path to heal the wounds and chart a path forward; and to articulate a vision that speaks to our shared values,” Angus said on Twitter on Feb. 6.
The protest movement started as a demonstration by truck drivers opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border travel, but has since become a much larger demonstration with people from across Canada joining in to oppose various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. Protest convoys drove from different parts of Canada to Ottawa on Jan. 29, and many have stayed in the city, saying they will remain until the government lifts vaccination mandates.
Protest organizers say they’re willing to talk to the government.
“The first thing they’ve got to do is call us. … We’re sitting here, we’re waiting by the phone,” protest organizer Benjamin Dichter said in a press conference in Ottawa on Feb. 6.
Reuters, Noé Chartier, Mimi Nguyen Ly, and Limin Zhou contributed to this report