Jagmeet Singh makes history but a tough road ahead
By winning the NDP Leadership this past week, Jagmeet Singh made history as he became the first visible minority leader of a major federal party in Canada. Singh, a practicing Sikh, enjoyed a decisive victory over his fellow contesters by winning 54.6 percent of the casted votes.
Singh’s success can be attributed to his wide popularity among the immigrant community in Canada, a country where one in five identify as visible minorities. Immigrants connect with Singh at an emotional level as he too faced common challenges that they dealt with while growing up in Canada. “I had a funny sounding name, brown skin and long hair”, Mr Singh said in an interview with CBC. “I faced a lot of bullying at school and often felt like I didn’t belong”. As Olivia Chow, widow of Mr Layton concluded in an interview, “[Singh] [has] something that no one else [has]: the ability to connect with newcomers, people that are diverse and ask if the government on their side”. If all goes well from here, Jagmeet Singh- lawyer, charismatic politician, and son of Indian immigrants- might become the next Prime Minster of Canada in the upcoming elections. Yet, a tough road lies ahead for Singh in his bid to win the 2019 elections.
No seat in House of Commons
Singh, an Ontario MPP, does not currently have a seat in the House of Commons. If Singh chooses to not run for elections till 2019, he leaves his party without a permanent leadership in the House of Commons. Yet, Singh states that he is comfortable with his position right now and would rather spend this time touring Canada in order to gain support for his party. It would be interesting to see whether or not Singh’s absence in the House of Commons would prove to be detrimental for the NDP party in the upcoming elections.
Deep distrust in Quebec
Scholars claim that the greatest hurdle for Jagmeet Singh and the NDP will be to persuade Quebec. The NDP only has 16 MPs in Quebec right now as compared to the 59 that were elected in 2011 under Mr. Layton. It would be difficult for Singh to turn around the NDP’s performance in Quebec as Quebecers are known to be aversive to any religious influence in politics. In an interview, NDP MP Pierre Dionne Labelle casted doubt on the amount of support Quebec would give to a person that wears a turban and carries a dagger. “To have a leader who would wear ostentatious signs, we are not ready”, he told Le Devoir. Only time- and partly the October 23rd by-election- would tell if Jagmeet Singh would be able to overcome Quebec’s discomfort with religious symbolism.
Lack of experience
Singh has been criticized for his lack of federal experience and not having a stance on key policy issues. In a meeting with Toronto Star, Singh could not tell the effect his promised tax reforms would have on economy. Singh also evaded questions asked on bombing of Air India flight 182. From here on, Jagmeet Singh would need to have clear policy ideas if he is to win the election. Along with charisma, Singh needs to persuade voters how his government’s policies and programs will prove to be more effective than the rival’s policy plans.
Jagmeet’s Singh race to the PM seat is both a challenge and an opportunity. Yet, despite his future win or loss, Singh’s candidacy will undoubtedly bring a new dimension to Canadian politics. Singh’s success proves that religion, race, and immigration status cannot prevent one from becoming the Prime Minister of Canada and it ultimately shows that everyone belongs.