Five reasons why Canada is excited about Modi's visit
"Modi-mania" declared the Canadian newspaper National Post on its front page Saturday, teasing a huge spread on its centrefold packed with photographs, tidbits and opinion on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Canada from April 14 to 16. The cheat sheet included pointers on his "fashion sense" and "swashbuckling leadership style". Going by the extent of coverage in other major newspapers including The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, this will be one of the most anticipated foreign leader visits to Canada in recent times.
Modi will find an enthusiastic host in Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is scheduled to host him at various events throughout the vast country - in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Harper, a pro-trade conservative, was early to spot opportunities in India, especially in the business-friendly state of Gujarat under then chief minister Modi. Patrick Brown, a member of Parliament belonging to Harper's Conservative Party, has cultivated a close relationship with Modi, earning the moniker "Patrickbhai". "Prime Minister Harper saw India as a country that shared a Westminster-style of government, similar value set, commitment to work ethic, entrepreneurship, family… There was a real sense that this would be a country that is going to explode with growth," Brown said.
Supporters of greater engagement between India and Canada are hoping the hype and heat generated by Modi's visit, the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister in over 40 years, will finally ignite the bilateral relationship and trade, plagued for decades by sanctions, suspicion and stasis.
Free trade: High on Canada's wish list is the free trade agreement, called the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Negotiations have dragged long past the 2013 deadline for its completion, and annual bilateral trade is stuck at a paltry six billion dollars, as against the target of $15 billion by 2015.
Uranium supply: With India's focus on stepping up nuclear power generation, Canada's biggest uranium producer Cameco Corp, based in the province of Saskatchewan, is said to be close to finalising a multimillion dollar agreement with India. The Globe and Mail reported that talks to supply nuclear fuel could be concluded before Modi's visit. Saskatchewan's Premier Brad Wall told Bloomberg News the contract, if clinched, would be a "huge deal", creating millions of dollars in revenue, and mining jobs.
Visa-on-arrival: Canadian media have been abuzz with speculation that Modi could announce Canada's addition to India's visa-on-arrival programme, a move India-Canadian groups have been lobbying hard for. Canada's exclusion from this list so far is believed to be due to security concerns in India stemming from the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing and Canada's handling of Khalistan supporters at the time.
Higher education: Canadian universities are eager to attract more students from India, which is already the second largest source country for foreign students in Canada. International students contribute over eight billion dollars to Canada's economy, and the increase in the number of students from India has been among the fastest in recent years.
Votes: Harper will accompany Modi to several interactions with the India-Canadian community, including the public rally in downtown Toronto. With Federal Elections due by October, support from the large Indian community in vote-rich areas like Toronto and Vancouver could prove decisive. Harper's public image is as bland as Modi's is flamboyant, and the Canadian leader will hope some of the stardust from his Indian counterpart rubs off on him.