Canada India Partners in Progress
First Published in India in 2016
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Copyright 2016, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
ISBN: 978-93-84464-88-2 (Hardback)
ISBN: 978-93-84464-89-9 (ebook)
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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or utilized in any Form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Application for such permission should be addressed to the publisher.
The views expressed in this book are of the author in his personal capacity and do not represent the views of the ICWA.
Printed and bound in India
Foreword
This book was waiting to be written. The right person has produced it at the right time. I have known the author, Prem Budhwar, for several decades. He was one of our ablest diplomats. He served India well. His major contribution was to deepen, widen and constructively expand our relations with Canada. Indo-Canadian cordiality began with Jawaharlal Nehrus first visit to Canada in 1949. He established friendly relationships with Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent.
Indo-Canadian bilateral relations are time tested and we value this friendship with one of the great democracies in the world. Inevitably, there were one or two hiccups, the most striking one was in May, 1998 when India became a nuclear weapons power. The setback was short lived.
Written in two parts, part one is an in-depth survey of Canada covering its various aspects. Part two is devoted entirely to India- Canada relations, including their ups and downs and the reasons thereof. The author had the satisfaction of participating in and witnessing the new beginning of an upswing in these relations during his tenure in Canada.
Prem Budhwar was the longest serving High Commissioner to so important and influential a country. The authors style is lively and lucid. Packed with details and sound analysis the book is eminently readable and absorbing. It deserves a long shelf life.
K. Natwar Singh
November, 2015
Preface
When, at the beginning of 2013, I was formally asked by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to do a comprehensive volume on Canada, I agreed to do so readily and without any hesitation. The time limit prescribed for this project was two years, which too was acceptable and reasonable. It would, I felt, keep the desirable pressure on me to finish the project on schedule and, at the same time, give me enough space to read a lot, collect various relevant materials, absorb them and put them in a readable form and lace them copiously with my own comments and observations. At the end of the day, I am happy to achieve all these objectives and deliver on schedule.
I undertook this project enthusiastically for a variety of reasons. I had lived and worked in Canada for nearly five years as Indias High Commissioner from 1992 to 1997. The end of my term coincided with my superannuation from the Foreign Service, a very satisfying career spanning a little over three and a half decades. Happily, Canada turned out to be the longest single posting in my career and by the time I left Ottawa, I had the distinction of having served the longest in the post of the High Commissioner of India to that country. I do not think that record has been broken yet by any of my successors, at least not so far.
Apart from the length of stay, I enjoyed my Canadian assignment for more reasons than one. Canada is not only a vast country, the second largest in the world in size, but also a beautiful country with friendly and helpful people. Given the opportunities for travel within the country and my fondness for travel, I made full use of them. Professionally, I felt it was desirable, in fact, essential if one had to truly understand this huge country and its people. I enjoyed and benefitted a lot from interacting with the Canadian people, from different walks of life and with different backgrounds; not the least, the huge Indian Diaspora spread all over, quite literally, the entire country. To understand and appreciate the enormous variety and beauty of Canada, even its vastness and emptiness, the circumstances of my official position enabled me to traverse across the full length and breadth of the country, from the Arctic region and the magnetic North Pole to the border with the USA and from the eastern most point jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean to the western most point on the Pacific coast. I visited all the ten provinces, some several times, and crossed the Arctic Circle a few times in the course of my forays into the Yukon and the huge North-West Territories. I was even fortunate enough to see the spectacular Aurora Borealis, the northern lights.
My attitude, over the years, has been that before going to any place, be it in India or abroad, whether on a visit or for living there for a certain period, read as much as possible about it. This attitude has paid off well and I continue to do so even in retirement when my quest for travelling has not diminished. This approach, what I often like to call doing your home-work before going to a new place, has paid off well. Thus equipped, you look at things differently, you have queries, you are looking for answers, you are more perceptive; altogether you get much more satisfaction out of the effort being put in by you.
But in a Foreign Service career, very often, you do not get enough notice before a country on the world map becomes your home for the next few years. Once your posting is formally made known to you, you get caught up in several other things, winding up your current establishment, the farewell visits and calls, the inevitable spate of farewell parties, to mention a few only. And yet, mentally, increasingly you are already elsewhere, the new country of your posting. Yes, you try and eke out some time, in the midst of these happenings, to read and know more about your next assignment. But the constraint of time, at least that was my experience, does not allow you to delve into great details. And, what happens when you finally reach the new place? This time, a round of welcome parties, meeting people, settling down both with your work and at home, sorting out various personal matters. It is action from day one. It is like being thrown into battle from the moment you land. True, it is very exciting, interesting, even challenging, but finding time for in-depth study and analysis remains a daunting task.
This is what I experienced, when, in about two months, I was told to proceed to Canada from Brazil, where I was serving as the Ambassador. Since the Ottawa post was already lying vacant and the government did not favour leaving it so for too long, I was asked to reach there directly from Brasilia. This meant a direct overnight flight from Brasilia to New York and on to Ottawa after a change of flights. It was the very beginning of November. Brasilia, being in the southern hemisphere, was warm and balmy. Ottawa was already below zero and covered in snow.
