When one renounces one country’s citizenship and takes up the citizenship of the new or adopted country, it is a very strong personal as well as a public gesture signaling ones commitment to display loyalty to the new political entity chosen of free will. God forbid, but what if there is a war between Canada and What side will these people support or even fight for? What if there is a friendly sport competition between the two countries, what side will Indo-Canadians support? One has to put their loyalty to Canada in question when they sublimely celebrate their former country’s independence day with the urgings of representative of a foreign representative.
By Bhupinder S. Liddar
Imagine a representative of a foreign country in this country inviting Canadians to a parade in downtown Toronto to celebrate his or her country’s independence day. That is precisely what happened when Consul General of India invited Canadians to celebrate India’s independence on August 13 in Toronto.
Ethnic newspapers aimed at Indo-Canadian community were filled with advertisements extending felicitations on India’s independence day. The Ontario Liberal caucus not wanting to be left out also placed color ads featuring 14 MPPs conveying best wishes to the “community on the Independence Day of India”. What community were they addressing? I thought majority of Indo-Canadians are by now Canadian citizens. And most of these persons celebrating and exchanging greetings on India’s independence day have literally walked away from that country to enjoy the benefits of life in Canada!
When one renounces one country’s citizenship and takes up the citizenship of the new or adopted country, it is a very strong personal as well as a public gesture signaling ones commitment to display loyalty to the new political entity chosen of free will. God forbid, but what if there is a war between Canada and What side will these people support or even fight for? What if there is a friendly sport competition between the two countries, what side will Indo-Canadians support? One has to put their loyalty to Canada in question when they sublimely celebrate their former country’s independence day with the urgings of representative of a foreign representative.
Canada occasionally faces questions about creating strong institutions that are essential to creating and sustaining a strong Canada. The flag of a country is one of the strongest political symbols of a country. Therefore it is abhorrent on the part of the India government representative to invite Canadians to flag-raising ceremony of a foreign country. The representatives normally celebrate their independence and national days on their private properties and invite guests from host countries to attend. This is a normal diplomatic practice. But not to hold such functions in public places in a host country and invite citizens of the host country to attend.
For over a hundred years, starting with the early Sikh immigrants to British Columbia, and more recently immigrants from India to settling in almost every part of Canada, have chosen quality of life in Canada and run away in droves from India. Even after immigrating to Canada, many communities continue to enjoy and relish their cultures – media availability in their mother tongues and foods of their homelands. But they must not forget that they have chosen the new country over the old and the one symbol of they must respect is the Canadian flag and not show dual or split loyalty by show of public loyalty to the flag or institutions of the old country. The foreign government representatives will play on emotions of immigrants with such symbols but Canadian citizens must constantly be reminded that they literally “ran away” to live in Canada. It was by choice.
Canada is evolving to accommodate its changing demography. It is a country of the future an we must not burden it with baggage of our past but help it move forward and display undivided loyalty to the adopted country.
Bhupinder S. Liddar is a former Canadian diplomat and one-time editor of Diplomat & International Canada magazine. He can be reached at [email protected] or Tel. 1-647-982-4556 or www.liddar.ca.
