“This really is a country whose natural beauty and rich cultural legacy is matched only by the generosity of its people.
“Indeed, I am reminded of the words that welcomed another Canadian Prime Minister fifty-one years ago. Greeting his counterpart at the airport in Delhi, Prime Minister Nehru told John Diefenbaker that Canada may be ‘halfway around the world,’ but he would ‘find here that the world is not so different. When friends meet, the world is the same.’ That saying holds a profound truth.
MUMBAI, INDIA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosts a roundtable meeting with Indian investors in Canada.
“Canada and India, despite our occasional differences, have always been friends. Our country was quick to recognize the significant role a soon-to-be-independent India would play in the post-war world. And that is why in spite of our country’s limited reach at the time, we chose India as the site of one of our first diplomatic posts in Asia.
“I am here to suggest to you that now is the time to nourish and deepen our relationship, to take new steps together, to look to the future not just as friends, but as partners determined to act together as a force for good in the world.
“Because, indeed, the world today is not the same. And nowhere is that more evident than here in India.
“Your country’s growing economic and political clout is undeniable; you have one of the world’s largest and fastest expanding economies; you are now home to one of the world’s largest middle classes; you are a world leader in science and technology boasting such global giants as Infosys, Tata and Reliance.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this South Asian tiger has awoken, and the world is standing in awe.
“Your success is a testament to good policy, perseverance and ingenuity.
“We are both countries that have forged cohesive, pluralistic societies out of ethnically, spiritually and linguistically diverse populations. We are both democracies in which the government is chosen by the people, and thus places the individual, not the state, at the core of society.
“We are both inheritors of the centuries-old and proven traditions of the parliamentary system which we have adapted to the ingenuity of federalism to accommodate our vast regional differences.
“We are both free societies in which every opinion imaginable can be and is expressed through a vibrant press.
“And we are, sadly, both countries that have been bloodied and have the scars of terrorism.
“We grieved with you following those harrowing days of November last year when the innocent citizens of this very city were subjected to outrageous acts of terror that shocked the world.
“Such vile, barbaric acts is the motivation behind our contributions to the international effort in Afghanistan, and these are acts that all civilized peoples utterly condemn.
“And let us not forget our strong human connections.
“Over one million Canadians have their roots in this country. Right across Canada, the sons and daughters of India have entered the mainstream of our society.
“They are working hard, raising families, and giving back to their communities and their new country.
“They are leading businessmen like Prem Watsa, the founder and Chairman of Fairfax Financial. They are popular entertainers like Russell Peters. And they are influential politicians like Deepak Obhrai, Tim Uppal, Devinder Shory and Nina Grewal, who with her husband, the retired Parliamentarian Gurmant Grewal, served as the first married couple ever in our House of Commons.
“Canada and India also share tremendous economic strengths.
“We are both weathering the global recession better than most. And, in both cases, this is not by accident. It is the result of sound fiscal policy, prudent regulation and goal-oriented economic management.
Like India, Canada is committed to strong financial institutions.
MUMBAI, INDIA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Bollywood star and 2010 Olympic Torch bearer Akshay Kumar are surrounded by children during a Canadian Tourism Event in Mumbai India November 16, 2009.
“Just as the freer flow of goods will help grow the global economy, so too will the freer flow of people. Tourism and travel are among the world’s fastest growing economic sectors, generating well over USD$900 billion in revenue last year alone.
“That is why, alongside international film sensation and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic torchbearer Akshay Kumar, I was pleased to kick off a new campaign to showcase Canada as a must-see destination to Indian tourists.
Let me conclude by noting that it has been famously said, ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men that, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.’
Author: Asma Amanat
