Indian diplomats criticised for interfering in Ontario cultural festival

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Meeshika Sharma
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland answers questions before attending the Liberal cabinet retreat in Calgary, Alta., Monday, Jan. 23, 2017.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office says it was “inappropriate” for Indian diplomats to interfere in a cultural festival outside of Toronto.

The allegations stem from a controversy last summer in which Indian consular officials reportedly tried to dissuade the annual Carabram festival in Brampton, Ont. – a city west of Toronto with a large Indian population – from having separate Punjab and India pavilions. Punjab is the only state in India with a Sikh majority.publive-image

Freeland’s spokesman, Adam Austen, wrote in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail, “Interference in domestic affairs by foreign representatives in Canada is inappropriate."

“The federal government has no role in planning Carabram, but supports the right of its organizers to do so however they see fit.”

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Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey first raised concerns about “unwarranted and unwelcome interference” by the Consulate General of India in a letter to Ms. Freeland on Aug. 18, 2017.publive-image

 In the letter, which has never been made public but was obtained by The Globe and Mail, Ms. Jeffrey said her office learned in July, 2017, that officials with the Consulate General in Toronto approached organizers of Carabram to cancel the Punjab pavilion, or merge it with the India pavilion. She also alleges that consular officials tried to pressure organizers to change the name to the Punjabi cultural pavilion. In the end, the Punjab pavilion went ahead.

The allegations of improper interference come at a time of heightened tensions between Canada and the Indian government.

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