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A New Breed of Politician:
Jagmeet Singh

by T. SHER SINGH

 

 

Last night's election in Ontario, Canada, saw the arrival of Jagmeet Singh as the new Member of Provincial Parliament from the Bramalea-Gore-Malton riding, bearing the flag of the New Democratic Party.

A Mississauga resident, Jagmeet Singh, 32, graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and practices criminal law in the Greater Toronto Area.

The late Canadian political leader, Jack Layton, once described Jagmeet as "one of the most dynamic voices in the community".

Before turning into a criminal defence lawyer and a community advocate, Jagmeet completed his B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Western Ontario. He then earned an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School and currently practices law. He is fluent in three languages - English, French and Punjabi.

"As a defender of fairness," explains a blog, "Jagmeet offers free legal rights seminars across Ontario and provides pro bono legal counsel for people and community organizations in need."

Good grounding for one who wants to serve his nation in the field of politics! And a marked departure from those who bring only one qualification to the job: a hunger for power, fame and the quick buck.

Toronto Verve, a popular fashion blog, once described him as follows:

"Jagmeet looks fantastic wearing his custom-made suit ...  He immediately caught my attention when I saw him briskly riding down Bloor and was gracious to show me the amazing craftsmanship of his suit. I was particularly impressed with the red embroidery of his signature in Punjabi on the inside of his jacket ...

" ... since he's riding a Bixi bike in busy downtown traffic, it's safe to assume his position on the environment."

It is indeed time that our politicians - including those of the Sikh ilk - moved up a few notches to provide proper representation to the citizenry.

Indeed, Jagmeet Singh comes with a breath of fresh air.

And a lot of promise.

 

October 7, 2011

Conversation about this article

1: Balraj Singh (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), October 07, 2011, 8:25 AM.

Now, this is the real bana! If you ain't the smartest dude on the street, you ain't nyaara. And if you ain't nyaara ...

2: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), October 07, 2011, 9:52 AM.

Saabat soorat, Green and NDP! Go, Jagmeet! Just ditch that leather bag and you will be super cool.

3: Baljit Singh Rihal, J.P. (London, United Kingdom), October 07, 2011, 9:55 AM.

Congratulations to Jagmeet Singh. Great to see him in his full Sikhi saroop.

4: Harcharan Singh (Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.), October 07, 2011, 9:58 AM.

Gurmeet: your comment was cool ... until you got to the leather bag! If only environmentalists learnt not be preachy, they'd get somewhere. Sorry, but you introduced such a discordant note into such a wonderful morning.

5: Harminder Singh Dhillon (London, United Kingdom), October 07, 2011, 10:00 AM.

An inspiration for Sikhs all over the world. And an epitome of young professional Sikhs in the diaspora.

6: Alicia (New York, U.S.A.), October 07, 2011, 10:02 AM.

I thought the leather bag was so part of the cool!

7: N. Singh (Canada), October 07, 2011, 12:30 PM.

When I was a little girl this was my experience of Sardars! Beautifully tied turbans, stylishly dressed and well educated. My mother used to say of my maternal uncles that you could spot them miles away in a crowd because they were so nyaara and true Sardars, through and through. So guys: what happened?

8: Sahib Singh (Fremont, California, U.S.A.), October 07, 2011, 1:02 PM.

Gurmeet: your comment was very positive and uplifting to read but the comment about the leather bag, I am sorry to say, just crossed the line between being a Sikh and being an environmentalist freak, over it. You don't always have to be so preachy; you need to learn to accept people and their habits and lifestyles the way it is, without passing judgment.

9: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), October 07, 2011, 4:16 PM.

This smart gentleman will do wonders with every single public appearance in key quarters.

10: Raj (Canada), October 07, 2011, 10:41 PM.

Finally a quality politician.

11: Yuktanand Singh (MI, U.S.A.), October 08, 2011, 9:57 AM.

I am delighted to see a chardi kalaa - upward bound - Sikh in the public eye. You could be a Sikh model! The turban, the glasses, the beard, the suit, the white shirt and shiny black shoes are chic; tan limp leather bag is not. I agree with Gurmeet. Ditch it for a sturdy (black or burgundy) briefcase.

12: Baljit (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), October 09, 2011, 12:02 PM.

Heartiest congratulations, Jagmeet! Great job.

13: Manjeet Shergill (Singapore), October 09, 2011, 8:26 PM.

Keep the bicycle, ditch the bag, the dark glasses - get a designer to tailor-make you a nihang smart suit in blue, black, and dude, you will ROCK!

14: Amandeep Singh  (United Kingdom), October 10, 2011, 8:21 AM.

Waheguru

15: Barinder Singh (Kolkata, Bengal, India), October 11, 2011, 2:25 AM.

Proud to be a Sikh. Congratulations to you for all your achievements and I pray to the Almighty to give you strength and shower His blessings on you to work for the good of the Khalsa Panth and humanity. Keep it up.

16: Bhupinder Singh (Livonia, MI, U.S.A.), October 12, 2011, 8:19 AM.

It gives us great pride whenever we see our young - men and women - like you. God bless you. Always follow what our Gurus said, and see where it takes you!

17: Jasteena Dhillon (Canada), May 25, 2014, 5:35 PM.

Fantastic!

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Jagmeet Singh"









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