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First Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pro-Khalistan parade in Toronto. Will it be same old story under Mark Carney?
A pro-Khalistani and anti-Hindu parade in Toronto just a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal Party won Canada's federal election has aroused the ire of the Indian government. Many had hoped for better ties between the two countries under Carney, compared to Justin Trudeau. The early indication, however, is disappointing read more Many had hoped that Mark Carney's victory at the polls would result in better ties with India. AP A pro-Khalistani and anti-Hindu parade in Toronto has aroused the ire of the Indian government. The development comes just a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal Party won Canada's federal election – which many had hoped would result in better ties between the nations compared to under the previous prime minister Justin Trudeau. The Indian government on Monday conveyed to the Canadian High Commission 'in the strongest terms' its concerns about the about the parade. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what do we know about the parade? And will it be the same old Khalistani story under Carney? Let's take a closer look: What happened? As per The Federal, Khalistani supporters organised the parade in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday. The Khalistani supporters and their sympathisers waved flags and shouted pro-Khalistani and anti-Hindu slogans outside Canada's Malton Gurdwara in Toronto, as per Outlook. They demanded that 8 lakh Hindus be deported to India. As per The Hindu, terms like 'kill India' were bandied about. Hindustan Times reported that people were heard calling for the deportation of 'eight lakh Bharti' to 'Hindustan.' Firstpost has not independently confirmed this report. The rally also featured a large struck with a mock jail with the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. As per The Print, the parade also contained pro-Pakistan and pro-Sikh separatist propaganda. A number of Canadian groups have condemned the parade. The rally also featured a large struck with a mock jail with the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Firstpost Outlook quoted the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce as saying, 'History teaches us that calls for mass expulsion leads to unthinkable acts. This dangerous rhetoric must be denounced by all leaders.' Canadian Hindu Volunteers added, 'These are not the actions of 'activists'. These are the tactics of radicalised ideologues, many of whom have exploited Canada's asylum and immigration systems, presenting false claims of persecution to enter the country and build networks that fund, promote, and glorify violence.' The Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) wrote on X that the 'silence of many political leaders' in response to the remarks 'must be recognised as implicit consent'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It is the duty of all MPs and MPPs, across party lines, to take a stand against this divisiveness and reaffirm Canada's commitment to religious harmony and inclusivity. A civilised society cannot tolerate hate-mongering and attempts to fracture our diverse communities,' the HCF said. The Federal quoted the Coalition of Hindus of North America as calling it a 'shameful day.' 'The world has seen this template before and needs to be alarmed. Will city, provincial and national institutions take note? Will human rights groups or the media cover it?' 'This isn't a protest against India's government. It's blatant anti-Hindu hatred from a Khalistani terrorist group, notorious for Canada's deadliest attack,' Hindu community leader Shawn Binda wrote on X. Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman wrote, 'The jihadis rampaging through our streets have done significant damage to the social fabric running around, threatening any Jews they can find. But the Khalistanis are giving them a good run for their money on most hateful foreign-funded menace to society. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Will Carney's Canada be any different from Trudeau's?' The parade comes on the heels of a Sikh gurudwara and a Hindu temple being vandalised with pro-Khalistan graffiti. Past instances and Trudeau's support Canada has previously seen such pro- Khalistani parades being held under Trudeau. In May 2024, the very same town of Malton in the Greater Toronto Area witnessed a Khalsa Day parade, as per Hindustan Times. The parade saw separatist slogans being chanted and an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in chains and in a cage on prominent displayed. The display was put up by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Trudeau had at the time said Canada was 'a rule-of-law country with a strong and independent justice system, as well as a fundamental commitment to protecting all its citizens.' In April 2024, pro-Khalistan slogans were raised at a rally attended by the then prime minister – leading India to summon the Canadian deputy high commissioner. Canada has previously seen such pro-Khalistani parades being held under Justin Trudeau. Reuters 'To the nearly 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination,' Trudeau said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trudeau was accompanied at the event by four cabinet ministers. As he arrived on the podium, he was greeted with shouts of Khalistan Zindabad, PTI reported. The parade also featured 'wanted' posters of Modi and Shah, as per The Tribune. In June 2023, a parade was organised in Brampton, Ontario ahead of the anniversary of Operation Bluestar. The parade saw a float celebrating the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi — a female figure was shown in a blood-stained white saree, with the hands up, as turbaned men pointed guns at her. A poster behind the scene read 'Revenge for the attack on Darbar Sahib.' Other tableaux at the event had featured posters of Sikh preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Trudeau, attending the G20 in India, had defended Canada. Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us,' he said. 'At the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred. I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada,' Trudeau added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Relations with Canada had nosedived under Trudeau, who had claimed in parliament that there was 'credible' information connecting Indian government agents to the assassination of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had denied Trudeau's allegations calling all 'absurd and motivated.' What is India saying? The Indian government has registered an objection with the Carney government. 'We have conveyed our concerns in the strongest terms to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi regarding the parade held in Toronto, where unacceptable imagery and threatening language were used against our leadership and Indian citizens residing in Canada,' sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The MEA further stated, 'We once again call on Canadian authorities to take action against anti-India elements who promote hatred, extremism and a separatist agenda.' As per The Times of India, New Delhi has said it is willing to work with the new Carney govt 'based on respect for each other's concerns and interests.' The Print reported that India is likely to appoint a new High Commissioner to Canada soon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These developments come as Carney is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday in a high-stakes meeting.
India Today
24-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Middle-class stuck in debt trap, says Marcellus Investment's Saurabh Mukherjea
India's middle class is falling into a dangerous pattern of debt-fuelled consumption, warns Saurabh Mukherjea, founder of Marcellus Investment Managers. The dream of upward mobility is increasingly being financed through easy credit, and the fallout has already data from the Reserve Bank of India, Mukherjea estimates that 5-10% of middle-class households are now stuck in a debt trap. These are not isolated incidents, he says, but symptoms of a larger shift driven by social media-fuelled aspiration, cheap loans, and pandemic-era mindset two years at home during Covid, people were utterly convinced that whatever their financial means are, it doesn't matter—they too can live the good life,' Mukherjea said in a podcast with The Federal. From luxury vacations to designer gadgets and upscale homes, the illusion of affluence is now just an EMI away. Consumption, once tied to income, is being decoupled through credit.'You're told every minute that you should have the lifestyle of an IPL cricketer. You don't have to work for it—you can get it on credit,' Mukherjea pointed this shift is the India Stack—Jandhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile—which has made credit more accessible than ever before. While a success story in financial inclusion, Mukherjea argues it has also removed key friction points that once forced consumers to think twice before allows people to take on a ton of debt almost unthinkingly,' he distress is unfolding in predictable stages. First came defaults in microfinance. Then trouble in the unsecured loan segment. Now, credit card delinquencies are rising, and even two-wheeler financing is under pressure.'Whenever I see credit cards being handed out at airports, the analyst in me starts worrying,' Mukherjea now, home and car loans remain stable, but Mukherjea sees them as the next pressure points if the current cycle continues make matters worse, household savings have dropped to their lowest in 50 years. Middle-class income is being funnelled into loan repayments or risky investments in equities, leaving little safety net. Banks are feeling the strain as well, with deposit growth solution is a bold macroeconomic reset: 'We need the RBI to step in with a 2% rate cut, fresh liquidity, and a 10 to 15 percent devaluation of the rupee. That's the kind of decisive action that could pull us back from the edge.'Until then, the middle class remains locked in a fragile balancing act—living the good life on borrowed time, and borrowed money.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts sound alarm as health conditions worsen across vulnerable region: 'Soon we will be seeing it as a public health emergency'
Scientists are warning of an upswing in heat-related and vector-borne illnesses in one Indian state due to rising global temperatures. Increased humidity and soaring temperatures in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are causing a surge in a disease carried by mites, along with a host of other health concerns, the Federal reported. Heavy rains over the past few years have contributed to an upswing in cases of scrub typhus, the publication said, pointing to a recent study that found that for every 1% increase in mean relative humidity there was a 7.6% surge in scrub typhus cases. Meanwhile, an increase of one millimeter of rainfall contributed to 0.5-0.7% of monthly cases. The publication also reported that the state recorded 26,740 cases of dengue in 2024 and 13 deaths — this was the highest number of cases in the last six years. Meanwhile, cases of a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya rose from 153 in 2021 to 603 in 2024, and leptospirosis, a waterborne illness, is experiencing a gradual increase as well. Plus, extreme temperatures have led to a rise in heat stress and heat-related illnesses, along with mental health concerns. "As the summer unfolds and the climate worsens, hospitals and healthcare providers across India must prepare for a climate-induced health crisis," Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, chief executive officer and senior consultant of liver anaesthesia and intensive care at Rela Hospital, told The Federal. "Without appropriate actions, these climate changes will continue to worsen, and soon we will be seeing it as a public health emergency instead of just an environmental issue." Scrub typhus is a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection with no preventative vaccination available. Meanwhile, 21,000 dengue deaths are reported annually across the globe, according to the CDC. However, the agency reports that even milder cases of this mosquito-borne disease cause symptoms like severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, and vomiting. Tamil Nadu isn't the only place experiencing a surge in vector-borne illnesses like dengue and scrub typhus. For instance, warmer temperatures and a variation in the length of dry seasons appear to be influencing the prevalence of dengue fever in the Philippines, according to one study. Many vectors, such as mosquitoes, benefit from warmer temperatures and more humid conditions, which helps them to establish themselves in new geographical locations and lengthen their breeding seasons. For example, one study found that several mosquito species populations are set to expand their ranges in North and South America in the coming years, thanks to warmer temperatures. The Cleveland Clinic says the best way for people to prevent typhus is by taking action to prevent getting bitten by disease-carrying mites. This includes wearing insect repellent and long sleeves, keeping rodents away from work, home, and play areas, and showering or bathing in warm water regularly. Similarly, the CDC recommends insect repellent and long sleeves as two actions to help prevent mosquito-borne diseases like dengue. Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often Yes — but only sometimes Only when it's bad outside No — I never do Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Meanwhile, some local communities are taking action to remove the culprits of these diseases. For example, officials in one Florida county are using X-rays to kill invasive mosquitoes there, and one Manila neighborhood has enacted a controversial "bounty" program that pays residents to collect mosquitoes. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
