G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit: Why Canada and the US are skipping it?

How Canadian colleges are seeking to reassure Indian students amid diplomatic standoff

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 India-Canada tensionsIndia’s relations with Canada deteriorated after Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau publicly levelled suspicions that Indian agents were involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in a Vancouver suburb.Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside a Sikh temple on 18 June. India had designated him as a “terrorist” three years earlier.India has denied the accusation and described it as "absurd" and "motivated." It has charged Ottawa with failing to take action against Canadian Khalistani separatists.India asked Canada to remove 41 diplomats by October 10 according to media reports. Canada then moved a majority of its diplomats working in India to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, according to PTI.PTI sources reported that the two nations are holding talks over India's demand.“Diplomacy is always better when conversations remain private, and that’s the approach I will continue to take when it comes to India,” Canadian foreign minister Melania Joly told reporters on Wednesday, according to The Times of India.Countries attending the summitMore than 350 delegates are expected to attend the three-day summit that will see the participation of 50 members of Parliament, 14 general secretaries, 26 vice-presidents, the International Parliamentary Union president and the president of the Pan-African Parliament, according to The Hindu.Speakers and heads of delegations of Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Spain, European Parliament, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Turkiye, Nigeria, Australia, Brazil, UAE, Singapore, Japan, Egypt, and Bangladesh will be present at the event.Following the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 in September, the Pan-African Parliament will attend this summit for the first time, as per Hindustan Times.The UK and Australia are participating, however, New Zealand was not invited to the summit.About P20 SummitThe Indian Parliament is hosting the summit as part of a larger initiative for India's G20 Presidency. Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future is the focus of the 9th P20 Summit.The summit will concentrate on the following four topics: accelerating SDGs, women-led development, transformation in people's lives through public digital platforms, and sustainable energy transition.A pre-summit Parliamentary Forum on LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was held on Thursday before the summit at Dwarka's Yashobhoomi. In order to emphasise India's longstanding and participatory democratic traditions, an exhibition titled "Mother of Democracy" will also be held, Birla had previously stated.No country is immune to the effects of climate change, Birla said on Thursday at the P20 pre-summit gathering. Speaking to the delegates, he added that ancient books from India demonstrate that individuals who safeguard the environment will also be protected by it.According to Hindustan Times, referring to the impact of climate change on humankind, he said, “In the changing context, there is no country in the world that remains untouched by the ill effects of climate change. We are aware of the challenges faced by the world. Therefore, firm efforts in this direction are the need of the hour. Mission LiFe inspires everyone to adopt a lifestyle that includes reducing, reusing and recycling. There is a need to adopt a lifestyle that does not harm the environment."The environment and climate change are related to the mutual future of the world and environment-related topics have been placed at the centre of discussions at the P20, he pointed out. “I think that this summit in the mother of democracy will help in giving new directions to new parameters. Environment and climate change are related to the mutual future of the world. So we have kept environment-related topics at the centre of discussion at the P20 summit... We all need to contribute collectively by bringing a change in our daily routine,” he said.With inputs from agencies