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News18 Network Pulse: India’s Verdict on Canada: How Indians view the standoff, role of Justin Trudeau and Modi government’s handling of situation
The ‘News18 Network Pulse: India’s Verdict on Canada’ captured a total of 4,254 responses.
Amid the diplomatic standoff, News18 Network conducted ‘News18 Network Pulse: India’s Verdict on Canada’, a mega survey on public sentiment regarding India-Canada relations between October 21 and October 23.
The key questions in the survey focussed on how Indians now view Canada as a country and their opinion on India’s decision to expel Canadian diplomats. The respondents were also asked about how they perceive Canada’s inaction towards Khalistanis and which side of the narrative they believed.
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Responses were collected through personal interviews with the aid of an online questionnaire. The survey responses were collected extensively utilising News18’s network of reporters and stringers spread across the country.
They were also asked whether Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has damaged the relations with India and what seems to be his vote bank politics. The respondents were also asked to analyse the manner in which the Narendra Modi government has handled the issue and whether, in general, India has the right to eliminate terrorists, if foreign governments do not cooperate with their prosecution.
THE SURVEY
The survey captured a total of 4,254 responses. After an initial review, responses were filtered to ensure quality and relevance, resulting in a final data set of 2,436 retained responses, with 1,818 responses filtered out.
The filtering involved removing incomplete or inconsistent responses and removing the responses of those who indicated they were unaware of the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada. Additionally, responses from individuals who said they had no knowledge of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau were also skipped to maintain the integrity of the data.
Age-based and regional distribution were also considered to ensure a diverse and representative sample. Responses also focussed on states like Punjab, Gujarat which have large expatriate populations.
While the less than 18 years group accounted for 1.44% of responses, 18-25 years accounted for 17.78%. The 26-35 age group formed the largest portion with 32.88% of respondents. The 36-45 age group comprised 26.56%, while the 46-55 years group contributed 14.98% and the 56-65 age group accounted for 5.21% of the respondents. Those aged above 66 accounted for 1.11% of the responses.
THE STRAIN IN TIES
The ties between the two countries became strained when Trudeau recently naming Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma as a person of interest in an investigation, without naming the case. A person of interest means a suspect who is not arrested. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly rejected the Trudeau government’s claims, calling them “preposterous imputations”. India then expelled six Canadian diplomats and asked them to leave India by or before October 19, 2024, Saturday.
Trudeau later admitted that he had not provided India with concrete proof regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil while testifying before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions in Ottawa, bolstering India’s claims. CNN-News18, through numerous reports from intelligence sources, highlighted how Trudeau may have acted to appease the Khalistanis and the Pakistan link to the problem.