Jagmeet Singh, a 38-year-old Sikh criminal defense lawyer turned a politician on Sunday was elected as the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP). The first Indian and an obvious Sikh who has won numerous hearts surpassed 50% of voted over three other candidates.
He sets a ‘historical milestone’ among Canadian Sikhs who being the first person of colour to lead a federal party in Canada. He will now lead the NDP in the next federal election to be held in October 2019. Born in 1979 in Scarborough, Ontario, to Harmeet Kaur and Jagtaran Singh, immigrant parents from the Indian state of Punjab.
After Tom Mulcair lost a leadership review vote at the 2016 federal NDP convention, Singh was considered as a potential leadership candidate. He announced his intention to run for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada at a campaign launch on May 15, 2017, in Brampton.
He has a customized set of agendas noted for elections. Singh’s tax agenda during the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership election included creating new tax brackets for the highest-income earners and raising the corporate tax. Singh supports LGBTQ rights. Fighting climate change, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, electoral reform and inequality remains the four key policy areas. Branded himself as Progressive and Social Democrat under the motto of ‘Love and Courage’. He continued chanting his motto even when he was heckled by a lady in the meet and greet Jagpreet in a viral video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2onmR-oBIY) source: Brampton Focus
Also known for his sartorial elegance from having brightly coloured turban to his dapper styles, is Justin Trudeau’s prime ministerial rival in Canada with an uneasy relationship with India. Singh was denied a visa by the Indian government in December 2013. In fact, in 2016 he made a motion in Ontario Assembly describing 1984 Anti-Sikh riots of India and claimed it a ‘Genocide’ by criticizing the Indian government.
Now that Jagmeet is leading the third largest party in parliament in Canada with already renounced relation with India. We hope he would come up with mended patches towards India if he wins in 2019.
