Community members upbeat about growing number of people of Indian origin contesting elections in Canada

Over 65 candidates of Indian-origin have already announced that they are running for Canada’s federal election later this month. Over the next few days, others may also enter the electoral fray. Canadian Indians are enthusiastic about the trend of a growing number of members of the community seeking a career in politics and public life.
Veteran Indo-Canadian politician Ujjal Dosanjh finds it encouraging to see a significant number of young people from the community, representing the two big parties in Canada, Liberal and Conservative; choosing public life as their career. “This trend augurs well for our community. However, my only worry is that those of Indian-origin choosing public life are sometimes attracted to it because they are hoping to acquire power, glory, or money. Instead, they should be drawn to politics from a sense of public service,” Dosanjh, who was first elected in the Vancouver-Kensington riding in Canada in 1991 and served as premier of the state of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001, told the Times of India.
He added that Liberal leader and Canada’s minister for innovation, science, and industry, Anita Anand, who is running from the Oakville riding in Ontario, from where she was first elected in 2019, has made the entire community proud of her achievements. “Jessy Sahota, a young and accomplished police officer, who is contesting for the Conservative Party from
Delta, is also a promising candidate from the Indian community. We need such candidates who bring quality to public life and are also proud of their culture,” Dosanjh, who was born in Punjab and a Liberal member of the Canadian parliament between 2004 and 2011 and minister of health in 2004-2006, said.
Hemant M Shah, a business and community leader in Winnipeg, feels that Indians of Canadian origin, who are contesting in the elections and will become MPs, need to focus on several important issues including the Canada-US trade war. “The elections in Canada will see a closely contested battle between the Liberals and Conservatives. But whichever political party forms government, the big issues that they need to focus on include the relations with the US as well as the healthcare crisis that Canadians are facing, and the high taxes. Members of parliament of Indian origin, too, need to be working on these issues that are of concern to all Canadians. Problems faced by Indian students and immigration-related issues are currently far less important,” Shah said.
There is also a growing concern among Hindu Canadians regarding the very low representation of the community in political offices. “From an Indo-Canadian perspective, particularly within the Hindu community, there appears to be limited representation. Despite the Hindu community numbering approximately 800,000 in Canada, there is a perceived lack of political engagement and support,” Nagmani Sharma, a community leader who had contested for Ottawa’s city council, said. He added that while Minister Anand is a high-profile candidate from the Hindu community, running from the Oakville riding; the Hindu MP from the Nepean riding, Chandra Arya, was ousted by the Liberal Party and barred from contesting the election.