The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, was honoured with the Canada India Foundation’s Annual Global Indian Award for 2019 at a glittering Gala held Friday 5 July at Pearson Convention Centre 2019.
The Right Honourable Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, presented Mr. Harper with the trophy accompanied by His Excellency Vikas Swarup, the High Commissioner of India in Canada, and Honourable Deepak Obhrai, Member of Parliament.
Canada India Foundation’s Executive team comprising Anil Shah, Chair; Satish Thakkar, National Convener; Pankaj Dave, National Co-Convener; and Mr. Dennis Kossack, Manager of Commercial Credit, TD Commercial Banking, the presenting sponsor of the Award, were also present on the stage.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Harper thanked the Canada India Foundation for honouring him with the Global Indian Award. He said that it was his government that had taken the initiative to end the decades-long deep freeze of Canada-India relationship.
The former Prime Minister emphasized the need to denounce Khalistani sympathisers operating in Canada. He said, during his tenure, “as a government and as a party, we denounced and we refused all relationship with those Khalistanis and others who seek to bring the battles of the past to Canada and who seek to divide the great country that is modern India.”
