Canada (Commonwealth Union) _ The recent award ceremony for the Global Indian Award, where Sudha Murty was honoured, saw the absence of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and several Canadian leaders. The event, hosted by the Canada India Foundation, awarded Sudha Murty, wife of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murty, with the $50,000 prize. Despite the absence of some prominent Canadian figures, including Premier Ford, Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya, Ontario legislators, and local mayors were present at the ceremony.
The current tensions between Canada and India were acknowledged during the event. Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, the chief guest, highlighted that the political relationship between the two countries would be addressed by the respective governments. However, he urged the Indo-Canadian community to continue building bilateral relationships, emphasizing the need to cool down the current heat in relations.
Verma drew on Indian mythology, invoking Vishnu and Shiva as symbols to signify moving the relationship forward and easing tensions. His encouragement extended to the Indian diaspora, urging them to actively participate in business, advocacy, teaching, and entrepreneurship. By fostering such engagement, Verma aimed to enhance bilateral ties and contribute to a more positive and constructive relationship between India and the respective community.
Canada India Foundation chairman Satish Thakkar emphasized that Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy relies on strong commercial and political ties with India. Thakkar urged that Canada-India relations should not be held hostage to local political compulsions and called for sustained diplomacy to address areas of discord.
The Global Indian Award, presented annually by the Canada India Foundation, has previously honoured individuals such as Sam Pitroda, Ratan Tata, NR Narayana Murthy, Baba Ramdev, and Anil Agarwal. Sudha Murty is the first woman to receive this prestigious award for her outstanding contribution in her field.
