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44 th Canadian Parliament has
17 Indo-Canadian MP’s
Dr. P. R. Kalia
Editor, Asian Times
Ottawa, 21 Sept: Once again, history
has been made in Canada in the 44 th federal
elections, results of which were out on
Monday, 20 th September. Of the 59 Indo-
Canadian candidates, 17 are elected to
Canada’s Parliament. As many as 16
Punjabis have been elected as members of
the House of Commons (Parliament). The
number exceeds the figure of those elected
in Punjab, back in India, for the Lok Sabha
(14).
These 17 MP’s have won from four
provinces, namely Ontario (8), British
Columbia (5), Alberta
(3), and Quebec (1). Today, they are a
part of the decision- making of the future
of this country that every immigrant
community across the globe should emulate.
Out of these 17 members, 16 belong to
Canadian Punjabi community, of which3
members belong to the Conservative Party,
one from NDP, while remaining 13 are
Liberals. Five members of the Parliament
are turban -wearing Sikhs while six are
women. Chander Arya, who won from
Napean, is from Karnatka, back in India.
First Indo-Canadian and a turbanwearing
Sikh member of Canadian
parliament Gurbax Malhi was got elected
in 1993. First time in 1993, three Indo-
Canadians made to the Parliament. Prior to
this, the maximum number of Indo-
Canadians were elected 20 in 2019, and 19
in 2015 election.
This time the Liberal Party has won 158
seats, the Conservative party, 119 and the
NDP is placed third with 25 seats. Other
two parties Bloc Quebecois & Green party
has scored 34 & 2 seats respectively.
Traditionally, Punjabis have been close
to the Liberal Party. It was only in 1947
that Indo-Canadians were given the right
to vote. The Indo-Canadian community,
especially Punjabis, have, since then, not
looked back. For them, the 1990 Calgary
Convention of the Liberal Party, leading to
the election of Jean Chretien as its leader,
was a milestone, for it formed a solid, loyal
voting block for the future Prime Minister
of Canada.
It was the first time the community
organised itself as a political force. Thus,
the political leaders of the Indian origin in
Canada rose from the grassroots with no
mentor to help them in scaling the political
ladder. Today, they are getting voter support
to move on to the provincial and federal
stage. Till-date, 39 Indo-Canadians have
been elected as members of Parliament
since 1993, while 63 have been elected to
the 7 provincial legislatures of Canada. And
six have been nominated to the Senate of
this country.
They, somehow, do not get assimilated
Sikh Virsa, Calgary 52. October 2021