Justin Trudeau visits Taj Mahal, heads toward Mathura: Top 10 highlights

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be visiting the Wild Life Sanctuary (Elephant Conservation Center) in Mathura's Churmura today

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the world-famous Taj Mahal here on Sunday. Trudeau, who arrived here on Saturday evening, managed to wow the Indian audience by greeting them with a Namaste from the aircraft. Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their three children, daughter Ella-Grace Margaret Trudeau, and sons Xavier James Trudeau and Hadrien, posed with folded hands for the cameras upon their arrival. The Trudeaus were greeted by Canada's high commissioner in India Nadir Patel, his wife, Jennifer Graham, and their two-year-old daughter, Nylah. Trudeau's youngest son Hadrien did his best to steal the show, making off down the red carpet with the flowers handed to his father by an Indian official, leaving the rest of his family to manage the receiving line.

Here are top 10 highlights of Justin Trudeau's visit 

1. Justin Trudeau on 'Sikhs' leaders

The Canadian Prime Minister, who had once famously remarked that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than PM Narendra Modi, has the entire line-up accompanying him on this visit.

2. Trudeau to visit Mathura wildlife sanctuary today

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be visiting the Wild Life Sanctuary (Elephant Conservation Center) in Mathura's Churmura on Sunday. Due to Canadian Prime Minister's visit, the sanctuary will remain shut for two hours.

3. Canadian firms want India's business, while the Liberals want Indo-Canadian votes

In an article published in the CBC News, titled as 'Trudeau's India mission mixes global business with local politics', senior journalist Evan Dyer emphasised that Canadian Prime Minister not only wants to grow business ties with India but is also looking for the Indo-Candian votes.

Trudeau's visit is only limited to the metropolitan cities, but the places Trudeau will visit are the centres of Indian politics, culture, and religion as his government is well aware that the Indo-Canadian votes are no longer as reliably Liberal as they once might have been.

4. Places Justin Trudeau's set visit

Trudeau will visit in Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

He will engage with youth and visit several landmarks, including the Taj Mahal, the Jama Masjid, and Swaminarayan Akshardham. Canadian Prime Minister will visit the Golden Temple on February 21.

5. What the world wants from Justin Trudeau's India visit

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to raise the threatened expulsion of Rohingyas from India, along with issues like use of pellet guns in Jammu and Kashmir and justice to 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims.
 

It also asked him to press for the decriminalisation of consensual gay sex between adults.

6. Trudeau to connect with Indian leaders

Trudeau's visit will provide an opportunity for Trudeau to connect with the Indian leaders in government and business, promote empowerment of women and girls, and strengthen Canada and India's close economic ties.

The prime ministers will reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries, and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

7. Rising Sikh radicalism in Canada

India's concerns over rising Sikh radicalism in Canada figured during a meeting between National Security Advisers of the two countries this week, and the issue may figure during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's talks with Indian leadership here.

In response to a question on whether India will take up the issue of rising pro-Khalistan radicalism in Canada during Trudeau's visit, external affairs ministry indicated that it may be raised.

8. Trudeau's visit to Gujarat

Trudeau's his visit to Gujarat will be first by a Canadian prime minister. Trudeau, who will be accompanied by his wife and three children, is schedule to visit Taj Mahal on February 18, and next day he will travel to Ahmedabad where he will visit Sabarmati Ashram.

How India's trade with Canada shapes up against its top trade partners
Country	Trade in 2016-17
China	71.45
USA	64.51
UAE	52.68
Saudi Arabia	25.08
Hong Kong	22.25
Canada	6.13
Trade figures in billion dollars Source: Ministry of Commerce

9. India-Canada ties on an upswing

The ties between India and Canada have been on an upswing. Approximately 1.4 million Canadians are of Indian heritage and India is Canada's second largest source of immigrants.

Canada is also a leading education destination for Indian students, and India is the second largest source of international students, an estimated 124,000 in 2017, as per official figures.

In a bid to grow the trade relations between the two nations, Trudeau has multiple meetings planned with Indian CEOs and business leaders over the coming days.

10. Pulses set tone

Of the $4.1 billion worth of imports from Canada in 2016-17, shipments of pulses — yellow peas, green peas and red lentils (masur) — amounted to $1.1 billion, or more than a quarter of the total, making pulses the central point of forthcoming trade discussions. 

Pulse imports from Canada have reduced to just above $500 million in 2017-18, owing to government caps and duties following a supply glut in 2016-17 and this year as well, putting Canada’s pulse exporting industry and pulse growers from Africa in a fix.