THE way the India-Canada row is shaping up and some other powers habitual of playing the ‘Big Brother’ to the world are trying to side with Canada in targeting India, Indians have a reason to believe that there is some sinister conspiracy brewing up to ‘keep in check’ the growth of India as a global force to reckon with. Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, is proving himself to be just a pawn in this larger sinister conspiracy. Hence, when the preposterous imputations he made while targeting India resulted in unexpected reprisal, and the situation started escalating, he felt insecure. India adopting a hard posture and expelling six Canadian diplomats, and now mulling over scrapping a multi-billion dollar defence deal, has left Mr. Trudeau shell-shocked. Besides, the crises brewing back home are creating an atmosphere in which calls are growing for Mr. Trudeau to ‘go’ since many in Canada feel that he has been seriously compromising the interest of the country. All these developments have rattled Mr. Trudeau and he has sought support from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia. This has exposed the larger conspiracy. Though Mr. Trudeau has been accused of appeasing the pro-Khalistan elements out of his petty consideration of domestic vote-bank politics, the statements issued particularly by the US and the UK point to involvement of a larger network in anti-India design. Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are a covert intelligence sharing club known as the ‘Five Eyes’.

 

These ‘eyes’ have been operating beyond respective national boundaries and meddling into the affairs of non-anglosphere countries. Oftentimes, they have been accused of planting their agents in different underground networks and their officials interacting with problem elements of non-anglosphere countries. Particularly the three countries in the ‘Five Eyes’ -- the US, the UK, Canada -- are notorious for granting asylum to extremists and perpetrators of violent acts from non-anglosphere countries. While doing so, the same sinister covert club claims duplicitously to be championing the cause of diversity, inclusion, peace, rule of law etc. And, they describe the extremists of other countries as ‘dissidents’ and use those to peddle fake narratives as to how democracy in non-anglosphere countries is on a downslide. If one closely examines Mr. Trudeau’s allegations, one wonders how he or the ‘Five Eyes’ found out that the so-called ‘agents of India’ had engaged in ‘clandestine information gathering techniques’. Also, even those who watch the ‘James Bond’ movies understand that the intelligence gathering is a ‘clandestine’ effort. It is not something like conducting a public hearing or consultation openly. And, in the instant case, did Mr. Trudeau’s agents or the ‘Five Eyes’ organise an open seminar in presence of academics, Government officials from different countries to dig out details about so-called involvement of India?

 

Against this backdrop, there is suspicion that the so-called ‘intelligence’ is ‘manufactured’ by the agents of the ‘Five Eyes’ to target India. Of course, these ‘Five Eyes’ will find it difficult to answer these questions. But, Indians and the wider international community needs to understand why India is being targeted by this covert club. While the entire world is still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic’s shock, India has managed herself well. India has emerged as one of the most influential global players -- economically and diplomatically. Under the leadership of an astute Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, India realises very well that the US and other Western powers are willing to co-operate with her as they want to gain some geopolitical advantage to keep the Communist China’s expansionism in check. But, while professing friendship with India and deepening trade and defence ties with her, these anglosphere countries cannot tolerate her rise internationally. They cannot tolerate that India has successfully emerged as the leader of the Global South.

 

They cannot digest that India has become the strongest votary of long overdue reforms at the international institutions dominated by them for years. Hence, while telling India that she is her best friend, the US-dominated institutions grant aid to Pakistan that has been exporting terrorism and fundamentalism to the world. Hence, while telling India that her emergence cannot be stopped, these anglosphere-dominated international institutions make it a point to activate their ecosystem to publish articles and make speeches that malign the image of India and Indian leadership. Hence, these powers want to secure trade deals from India and also want to have a presence in the Indian ‘markets’ to sell their products. But, they are not willing to acknowledge India’s right to further her national interest in this process. They call for the world to be made a better place to live in, but clandestinely practice ‘disturbance economy’. They champion the cause of equity and equality, but do not want reforms in existing institutions or emergence of new groupings or the practice of multilateralism. They just want the world to be a bipolar place -- anglosphere and non-anglosphere.

 

This larger part would have been hidden previously. With the growing interest of humanity in diplomacy, geopolitics, and emphasis on transparency, people definitely have developed an understanding of the clandestine hit-jobs on the emerging powers by the dominating ones. Mr. Trudeau, hence, comes across as just a pawn in international realpolitik trying to protect the interests of the ‘Five Eyes’. That is why, Indians need to look beyond Mr. Trudeau’s baseless allegations and beware of the larger sinister conspiracy.