Though there was no public holiday for Diwali in Canada, it is one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the Indian diaspora in the country. Reports mentioned that about 500, 000 people celebrate the festival in Canada, mostly Hindus, Sikhs and Jains
The Canadian Municipal elections were held on Diwali – that’s October 24 and the Indian-origin community in the country, including the Councillor candidates, were upset about the two events overlapping, reported Punjab News Express.
Though there was no public holiday for Diwali in Canada, it is one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the Indian diaspora in the country. Reports mentioned that about 500, 000 people celebrate the festival in Canada, mostly Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.
“A lot of people who would typically vote after work also would be participating in Diwali celebrations, which tend to be in the evening,” Ryan Singh, chair of the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association, told CTV News Toronto. “So people will probably prioritize being with their families and loved ones, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic rather than voting,” Singh pointed out.
Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October, and this time it was on October 24. These polls usually elect a mayor and city council and sometimes also a school board.
-
Diwali celebrations kicked off in Canada with the launch of a Diwali-themed stamp earlier this month
-
The stamp design highlighted two traditions central to the celebration of Diwali: fireworks displays and the lighting of diyas
-
Earlier in the week, Canadia Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrated Diwali with elementary school students by making small clay diyas
“Brampton city must take a step to consider the main festivals and events of its diverse population,” Vijay Mair, a candidate from Brampton, told Omni TV. Mair, however, told people to vote in huge numbers as “Diwali comes every year but elections happen once in four years”.
“It is very problematic that the elections are taking place on the Diwali day, especially the municipal election that has always seen a low voter turnout,” Gurpratap Singh Toor, Councillor candidate from Brampton, said.
Diwali celebrations kicked off in Canada with the launch of a Diwali-themed stamp earlier this month. The stamp design highlighted two traditions central to the celebration of Diwali: fireworks displays and the lighting of diyas. Earlier in the week, Canadia Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrated Diwali with elementary school students by making small clay diyas.
*********************************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com