Indian politicians in Canada and India: A study in contrast
While MLAs and ministers of Punjabi/Indian origin in Canada actively participate in day-to-day tasks and interact with the public, Indian parliamentarians often behave like feudal lords, distant from the common people, writes Prof Chaman Lal.
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Prof Chaman Lal during his visit to Vancouver, Canada, in April. Written by Prof Chaman Lal
In March 2020, the Indo-Canadian Workers Association in Brampton invited me to deliver lectures on Shaheed Bhagat Singh in various Canadian cities. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the programs were cancelled, just like in India. The invitation finally came to fruition in March 2023, and I also gave lectures in Vancouver.
During my stay in Vancouver in April, I visited Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, with some Punjabi friends. MLA Mable Elmore, of Filipino origin and a former Vice President of the Drivers Union, invited us to visit the Assembly Hall of the province. Back in 2011, another MLA of Punjabi origin, Harry Bains, had entertained us in the Assembly Hall. This time, to my delight, there was a reference made to Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the Assembly proceedings, thanks to MLA Mable Elmore.
Kirpal Bains, a Punjabi friend and former union President, arranged the invitation for us. Five of us took a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria to attend the assembly. We were warmly received by MLA Mable Elmore herself, who showed us around the complex. Inside, we met various ministers, including the law minister, Niki Sharma, who, despite her background in Jalandhar, didn’t know Hindi.
We were pleasantly surprised to see Raj Chauhan as the Speaker of the British Columbia assembly, as he was a minister in 2011. He invited us to watch the afternoon session. During our visit, we had a nutritious lunch at the Assembly Canteen and met Jagrup Brar, who was a minister at that time. We also briefly encountered MLA Jinny Sims, who had been an MP in the federal parliament in 2011. Jinny’s real name is Joginder, and her father was a Communist activist in Punjab.
During lunch, she expressed her concern about the activities of Khalistani elements in Canada and Amritpal and others in the UK and other countries. In the afternoon Assembly session, we were introduced as special visitors from the gallery. Ex-Minister Jinny Sims introduced me as a researcher on Bhagat Singh, highlighting him as India’s greatest hero of the freedom struggle. Mable Elmore introduced my four friends, Kirpal Bains, Sadhu Singh, Iqbal Purewal, and Santokh Singh, with a special mention of Kirpal Bains as her mentor in the trade union. The proceedings were recorded, and I was pleased that Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s name was mentioned in the Assembly records as an icon of the Indian freedom struggle.
While exploring the assembly complex, I took a photograph of Ujjal Dosanjh, a former Premier of British Columbia and federal minister. I also presented a brochure of the Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre in New Delhi to be displayed in the Assembly library. Mable Elmore bid us farewell at the Assembly gate. I was told that the next day, she mentioned Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the context of a race being organized in his name in Vancouver.
Reflecting on the different systems in various countries, I observed that people from different backgrounds adapt to the country they live in. While MLAs and ministers of Punjabi/Indian origin in Canada actively participate in day-to-day tasks and interact with the public, Indian parliamentarians often behave like feudal lords, distant from the common people. While MLAs/ministers of Indian origin do all their work themselves, queuing up to buy tea or coffee, the Indian feudal minded parliamentarians cannot be even approached by common or even somewhat privileged Indians! Aam Aadmis (Common People in literal translation), become so Khas (Special), that they tend to ignore even their erstwhile close friends. I know one or two Cabinet ministers and senior functionaries of Punjab, who once took me to various historic places relating to Ghadar party like Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco in USA, but now don’t respond to my phone/whatsapp calls/messages or emails.
The Indian government sometimes fails to appreciate the truly multicultural Canadian Parliamentary system, despite its dominion connection to the British Empire. Indian background individuals often focus more on Indian issues even after becoming citizens of other countries, which can be seen as an irony. Indian leaders have been both praised and criticized by Indian background individuals in other countries, showcasing the complexity of their engagement with Indian politics.
The author is a retired Professor from JNU and Honorary Advisor to the Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre in Delhi. He recently visited Canada for a lecture series on Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
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