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New Delhi: Amidst escalating diplomatic tensions, the Indian Consulate in Canada has cancelled a number of planned consular camps on Thursday, citing security concerns. This decision follows alerts from local security agencies regarding their persistent inability to offer basic security guarantees for the event organizers.
In a statement, the Consulate General of India in Toronto explained, “Due to continued inability conveyed by security agencies to provide minimum security against heightened threats, the Consulate has had to cancel some more consular camps. Most of them were not at any places of worship, including one at a Police facility. The Consulate is fully sensitive to the difficulties faced by close to 4,000 elderly members of the diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area—both Indian and Canadian nationals—who have been deprived of an essential consular service.”
This month, the Consulate announced the cancellation of several camps after local authorities indicated they could not guarantee the necessary security. This announcement followed a violent disruption at a consular camp held at the Hindu Sabha Temple near Toronto.
After the incident, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The consulate in Toronto had to cancel the consular camp planned for the weekend because they did not receive adequate security or assurance from the government.”
Consular camps are crucial for the Indian diaspora, particularly in November and December, as many need documentation for pensions and other administrative tasks. Jaiswal mentioned that while camps in parts of Canada like Vancouver will proceed, their organization relies on safety assurances from local community groups.
“These consular camps are conducted at the request of community organizations. So where the community organisation is comfortable, we will go ahead with these consular camps,” Jaiswal clarified.
The cancellation of these events has caused alarm among the Indian community in Canada, especially among the elderly who depend on these camps for vital services.
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