Sikh-Canadian MP Dhaliwal hopeful of bill’s early passage
› The objective is to have the contribution and history of Sikhs to be recognised throughout Canada and tell people that the Sikh story is a Canadian story. SUKHMINDER SINGH DHALIWAL, MP, Surrey-Newton in Canada’s House of Commons
TORONTO: An Indo-Canadian MP from the province of British Columbia is pushing for April to be formally designated as Sikh Heritage Month in the country.
Sukhminder Singh Dhaliwal, better known as Sukh, is a Member Parliament (MP) of the ruling Liberal Party representing Surrey-Newton in Canada’s House of Commons. He has piloted a private member’s motion that is aimed at securing that formal recognition.
The Bill, C376, was debated in the House last week and will come up for discussion again before being voted on. Dhaliwal said in an interview he was hopeful of the bill’s passage in the near future because the intent was that the observation could begin by next April.
“The objective is to have the contribution and history of Sikhs to be recognised throughout Canada, telling people that the Sikh story is a Canadian story,” he said. The bill has received unanimous support in the House so far. As it was moved, the list of 20 MPs who could second it was quickly filled.
Dhaliwal pointed out the three major parties of Canada — the Liberals, the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party — had spoken in the bill’s favour and it had the support of other parties.
Similar motions have been passed in Canada earlier recognising Jewish Heritage Month and Tamil Heritage Month, among others. April is already celebrated as Sikh Heritage Month in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. “Once this bill goes through, it will be recognised across Canada,” Dhaliwal said.
After the voting on the bill in the House, the subsequent process before its enactment will involve passage by a committee, and by the Senate or upper chamber of the Parliament.
The text of the bill points out there are more than 50,000 Sikhs in Canada, making it the secondlargest population of the community in the world.