Duty of citizens, sexism and dynasty politics were just some of the topics Justin Trudeau addressed at IIM-Ahmedabad

Donald Trump and I are similar in a lot of ways, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while addressing a bunch of surprised IIM-Ahmedabad students. “We have similar policies that are doing well for our respective economies, and both of us have an optimistic approach towards the future,” he said.

Trudeau was addressing students on the second day of his visit to India. The Canadian Prime Minister had landed on Saturday night and visited the Taj Mahal in Agra on Sunday with his wife and their three children.

 

I was about Xav's age when I first visited the Taj Mahal almost 35 years ago... and it's amazing to be back with him & the family on Day 1 of our trip to India. J’avais environ l’âge de Xav quand j’ai visité le Taj Mahal pour la première fois, il y a presque 35 ans. C’est incroyable de pouvoir être de retour ici avec lui et toute la famille le premier jour de notre voyage en Inde.

A post shared by Justin Trudeau (@justinpjtrudeau) on Feb 18, 2018 at 7:14am PST

On Monday, he began his visit to the Sabarmati Ashram and then visited the Akshardham temple, before meeting the students at IIM Ahmedabad. He addressed a number of topics ranging from global warming to sexism to the group of students present.

Homage to the icon of peace and no-violence. PM @JustinTrudeau and family visit the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/sI5u8MIrc3

— Vikas Swarup (@VikasSwarup) February 19, 2018

Paying tribute to Swaminarayan and his life and teachings. PM @JustinTrudeau visits the magnificent Akshardham Mandir in Gandhinagar, an architectural marvel, built from 6,000 metric tons of pink sandstone. pic.twitter.com/zuKfoQEE1i

— Vikas Swarup (@VikasSwarup) February 19, 2018

While addressing the topic of global warming, Trudeau said that it was important to take a middle path. “Canada has enough fossil fuel resources to not be bothered about climate change but that's not the right path. It is important to take oil resources to market at a reasonable price. It's important to find a middle ground and move ahead in a responsible way," he said.

He also addressed dynastic politics, a topic that has been a contention of debate in India. “My decision to get into politics was mine and not my father’s,” he said. Pierre Trudeau served as Canada’s Prime Minister between 1968 and 1979, and then from 1980 to 1984.

“I entered politics because I had to say certain things to the masses, not just because it was dynastic politics. Politics is unpleasant in certain ways and incredibly rewarding in other ways. Familial expectations isn't a way to be successful in politics,” he said.

Adding to that, Trudeau said that the citizens of a country were not fools. “They cantell whether someone is genuine in their approach or just trying to live up to some lofty familial expectation.”

When the topic of equal opportunities arose, Trudeau said that gender balance in terms of opportunities isn't the right thing to do but the smart thing to do in terms of growth. “If you think that men and women should get equal opportunities, you are a feminist, it is that simple,” he said.

On people commenting on his looks and hair, Trudeau made an interesting point. “No statement on how a man looks is not even an eyelash-worthy of the kind of sexism that women have to face every day in various ways,” he said.

Any comments about how a man looks isn't even an eyelash worth of the systemic discrimination women face. As a man in business & politics I had lots of advantage but I didn't go near discrimination, sexism, superficiality & judgement that women go through daily: #JustinTrudeau pic.twitter.com/dTj02qRFl4

— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2018

He also shared his definition of an ideal citizen. “The idea of ideal citizen does not just rest on surface attributes like ethnicity or racism, it is more dependent on shared values that a society subscribes to, says Trudeau. He adds that young people tend to get that kind of openness and they understand how defined you are in your choice,” he said.

In a boost to Indians looking to move, Trudeau added that Canada was open to immigration and trade.