Canadian, Indian Business Councils Ignore BJP-Sponsored Human Rights Tragedies in Tone-deaf Report
August 5th, 2022
Formalizing an economic partnership agreement with India would demonstrate a shameful double-standard and hypocrisy within the Canadian government’s foreign and trade policy.
Advocates working hard to raise awareness strongly condemn both the Business Council of Canada, and the Canada-India Business Council, for failing to outline the need for human rights stipulations in their new report promoting economic partnership between Canada and India.
Justice For All Canada is a non-profit human rights and advocacy organization focusing on the worsening plight of Indian Muslim minorities.
India’s religious minorities face unprecedented violence and discrimination, particularly Muslims who are the target of genocide incitement, frequent hate speech and hate crimes committed and endorsed by right-wing supporters and officials of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling government.
In the backdrop of India’s escalating human rights abuses, we’ve urged Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Trade departments to make the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) conditional on human rights.
Trade deals like CEPA must ensure contingency on India’s commitment to implementing concrete policy actions that protect its vulnerable minorities.
The Business Council of Canada’s report has neglected the well-documented reports, images and disturbing videos of anti-minority hate crimes regularly occurring with tacit support from BJP officials.
“Canada has strongly led the global response against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while Canada’s own ally, India, refuses to condemn Russia’s actions. We can’t expect our government to grant India economic advantages with Canada. That would be hypocrisy,” said Executive Director Taha Ghayyur.
The report’s main objectives prove tone-deaf and out-of-line considering the current realities.
Any trade deals with India would position the country as a convenient counterweight to China. The Canadian government has sanctioned and placed limitations on business practices with China, due to the Chinese government’s ongoing genocidal crimes against Uighur Muslims. The main reason to pursue economic ties with India is to shift reliance away from China to an alternative Indo-Pacific region. Much like China, India’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is also guilty of state-sanctioned Islamophobic policies and crimes against humanity targeting Muslims, including Christian, Dalit, Sikh and Adivasi minorities.
Instead of using trade deals to encourage a government influenced by radical Hindutva ideology, the Business Council of Canada should call for sanctions and policy measures limiting the BJP’s impunity, free speech restrictions, and discriminatory citizenship policies threatening millions of Indian Muslims.
Critical Resources
Formalizing an economic partnership agreement with India would demonstrate a shameful double-standard and hypocrisy within the Canadian government’s foreign and trade policy.
Advocates working hard to raise awareness strongly condemn both the Business Council of Canada, and the Canada-India Business Council, for failing to outline the need for human rights stipulations in their new report promoting economic partnership between Canada and India.
Justice For All Canada is a non-profit human rights and advocacy organization focusing on the worsening plight of Indian Muslim minorities.
India’s religious minorities face unprecedented violence and discrimination, particularly Muslims who are the target of genocide incitement, frequent hate speech and hate crimes committed and endorsed by right-wing supporters and officials of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling government.
In the backdrop of India’s escalating human rights abuses, we’ve urged Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Trade departments to make the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) conditional on human rights.
Trade deals like CEPA must ensure contingency on India’s commitment to implementing concrete policy actions that protect its vulnerable minorities.
The Business Council of Canada’s report has neglected the well-documented reports, images and disturbing videos of anti-minority hate crimes regularly occurring with tacit support from BJP officials.
“Canada has strongly led the global response against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while Canada’s own ally, India, refuses to condemn Russia’s actions. We can’t expect our government to grant India economic advantages with Canada. That would be hypocrisy,” said Executive Director Taha Ghayyur.
The report’s main objectives prove tone-deaf and out-of-line considering the current realities.
Any trade deals with India would position the country as a convenient counterweight to China. The Canadian government has sanctioned and placed limitations on business practices with China, due to the Chinese government’s ongoing genocidal crimes against Uighur Muslims. The main reason to pursue economic ties with India is to shift reliance away from China to an alternative Indo-Pacific region. Much like China, India’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is also guilty of state-sanctioned Islamophobic policies and crimes against humanity targeting Muslims, including Christian, Dalit, Sikh and Adivasi minorities.
Instead of using trade deals to encourage a government influenced by radical Hindutva ideology, the Business Council of Canada should call for sanctions and policy measures limiting the BJP’s impunity, free speech restrictions, and discriminatory citizenship policies threatening millions of Indian Muslims.
Critical Resources