Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and his family are on a government sponsored trip to India.
He was already facing some criticism back-home for the very light business side of the trip which has been seen by many as a taxpayer funded family vacation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, left, their daughter Ella Grace and son Xavier pose with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, second left, in Mumbai. The Bollywood star was dressed in subdued black, while the Trudeau’s were criticized for their excessive “wedding” costumes. (SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Then there was the barely avoided gaffe of meeting and then inviting to dinner a Sikh businessman convicted of attempted assassination on an Indian official, an invitation hastily cancelled, but not before people were asking questions.
But as the trip continued, it was the continual change of “traditional” Indian clothing that started to get people wondering.
Many thought the dressing up in costume was a bit beyond the pale, and even Indians were starting to tweet things like “we don’t really dress like that, not even Bollywood stars”.
Back home and even elsewhere, the costumes were starting to invite smiles, and as the many costume changes continued from venue to venue, the comments started to get a little harsher, both at home, and from Indians themselves. Papers around the world have generally been rather critical of the Prime Minister and his garb, one describing the wearing of such lavish clothes as “reverse colonialism”
The eight-day trip ends today.
additional information-sources
- Washington Post: V Doshi: Feb 23/18: India to Justin: stop trying so hard
- Daily Mail. C Pleasance: Feb 22/18: Justin ridiculed by Indians
- Huff Post: Feb 21/18: PM called out for costumes, and snub
- CBC: As it Happens: Feb 22/18: dressing down for ‘costumes’
- Toronto Life: Feb 22/18: People aren’t thrilled with wardrobe
- CNN: H Wu: Feb 23/18: snub, scandal, outrage
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