The Gujarati community of Canada has long restricted itself to trade and industry but this will change soon.
The Gujarati community of Canada has long restricted itself to trade and industry but this will change soon.
The community has decided to play a more active role in national politics and its first foray in this direction will be in the Toronto civic elections scheduled for October 25, 2010.
The initiative for this has come from the Gujarati Business Association (GBA) of Canada. The Toronto polls are nearly 10 months away but the GBA has already identified five Gujaratis who it wants to field in the elections.
Lalit Thakar, who has lived in Toronto for the past eight years, is likely to contest the Toronto polls as a GBA-backed candidate.
“I plan to contest the October elections,” he said. “I want to serve as the voice of the Gujarati community in Canada. Other South Asian communities already have a say in local matters.” Thakar said he was associated with 40 Gujarati Samaj organisations (besides the GBA) of Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
“They are all very supportive of me, and have been so for a long time,” he said. “GBA is already involved in local politics in Canada. The association, which has built up a good network among businessmen, has offered to support me in every way.”
Another likely candidate is the Gujarat-origin businessman, Vijay Pandya, who practises as financial security advisor. He has lived in Toronto for more than four years now.
“I am associated with many religious organisations, including BAPS,” he said. “There is a large Gujarati population in Toronto but, unfortunately, we are not represented at any level in politics. It is important for the community that its members take an active part in national politics.”
Pandya, too, said he was planning to contest the Toronto civic body polls. “I want to create public awareness about the strength, dedication and talent of the Gujarati community,” he said.
“If I win, I will encourage Gujaratis to start their own businesses and help them quit menial jobs. In fact, not only Gujarat-Canadians, I will help all Indian-Canadians and other Canadians as well to realise their potential.”
When he was in college in India, he was CR for 3 years and general secretary (GS) of CU Shah College, Pandya said.
The total population of Toronto is around 26 lakh of which 6.5 lakh are Sikhs. The Gujarati community is just 1 lakh-strong in the city.
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