French-speaking majority Quebec goes to polls on 1 October. Largely, this state has been unfriendly to Sikhs despite numbers.  As a run-up to the polls, the World Sikh Organisation engages the government of Quebec and political parties to resolve issues, long settled in the rest of Canada.

Multicultural Canada has given more than ample opportunity to Sikhs and other immigrant communities to establish and entrench themselves into Canadian social and political life. The overwhelming presence of Sikhs in the present Trudeau cabinet is an ample proof of the role played by Sikhs in the large canvas of Canadian society and how it has evolved over the century. The state of Quebec is an exception even though at an individual level the people are very welcoming.

Pro-Sikh freedom activists must note that this time the pro-freedom Parti Québécois is not making secession an election issue in Quebec after narrowly missing the bus in the two referendums held in the past.  In this context, it would be interesting for activists to think and ponder as to how peaceful self-determination works.

As the key political parties begin a hectic vote garnering campaign for the 1 October general election to the National Assembly of Quebec,  WSO has sought meetings with community leadership from the four main party leaders of Quebec. The Sikhs were encouraged by the remarks of Councilor Rotrand who urged the Montreal administration last March to recognize that today’s Montreal is a far more multicultural and multiracial milieu than in the past, promised to continue to lobby for reasonable changes that will allow religious and other minorities to contribute positively to Quebec society.

“We need to recognize that Quebec has evolved and that our policies have to prevent the exclusion of those who can contribute positively to our future success. I support the efforts of the WSO to promote dialogue” said Councillor Marvin Rotrand, a long-time councilor of Coalition Montreal and a staunch supporter of the Sikh turban.

“WSO has sought meetings with community leadership from the four main party leaders of Quebec.”

The World Sikh Organization of Canada today called upon the City of Montreal and the Government of Quebec to work far harder to implement concrete measures to break down systemic barriers that make it difficult for Sikhs, and other minorities, to play their full role in Quebec society. Despite a population of 15,000 Sikhs in the state, there are virtually no Sikhs employees in the Montreal and provincial civil services. The Montreal police and Surete du Quebec have yet to allow the wearing of the turban and develop hiring policies that could attract otherwise qualified Sikh candidates. The Quebec National Assembly is the only legislature in Canada that bars Sikhs from wearing their kirpans.

Setting an agenda on behalf of the Sikh community, the WSO has sought that the political parties should ensure that the City administration and next Government of Quebec mandate the relevant officers in their civil services to develop policies that remove unreasonable barriers and aid Sikhs in applying for positions in both civil services as well as in the paramunicipal and parapublic sectors.

“Montreal is a far more multicultural and multiracial milieu than in the past, promised to continue to lobby for reasonable changes that will allow religious and other minorities to contribute positively to Quebec society.”

Councillor Marvin Rotrand

Since the last two decades, democratic engagement has been the forte of the World Sikh Organisation which has been taking up Sikh issues and human rights concerns at all levels of the judiciary and the government. WSO President Mukhbir Singh while endorsing the efforts of Montreal Councilor Marvin Rotrand who proposed that the Montreal police department adopt Sikh-friendly policies for civil services and public security agencies, in a statement has said that Quebec has significant populations in the Montreal Borough of Lasalle and the Cities of Dollard des Ormeaux, Laval, Brossard and Vaudreuil-Dorion.

WSO has requested the SPVM -the Montreal Police and SQ -the Quebec police departments to  meet with the community to rapidly develop policies that will permit otherwise qualified Sikh candidates who wear turbans to be recruited. Mukhbir Singh further pointed out that subsequently they received a communication from the Montreal police in May this year indicating respect for human rights and promoting diversity in recruitment, but since then no move has been made.

 If you like our stories, do follow WSN on Facebook.

The WSO chief also indicated that many Sikhs in Quebec were born there and that young Sikhs have successfully graduated from Quebec educational institutions and are fluent in French.