Veteran Indo-Canadian politician Deepak Obhrai, the first Hindu to be elected to the country’s House of Commons and the longest-serving Conservative Party Member of Parliament in that chamber. He was 69.
Obhrai’s death shocked Canada’s political fraternity which is led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his predecessor Stephen Harper.
He passed away on Friday in Calgary, in the province of Alberta, surrounded by the family, just weeks after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He is survived by his wife Neena, three children, and their families.
Obhrai was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997, and re-elected ever since and was a sitting Member of Parliament and was, in fact, preparing to face an election for an eighth term during the Federal polls in October.
Born in Tanzania and having roots in Punjab, Obhrai was a strong proponent of closer ties between India and Canada. He was founder-chair of the Canada India Parliamentary Friendship Group and also organized Diwali celebrations in Parliament since 1998, making Canada the first western democracy to do so, Obhrai was honored the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Indian government in 2009.
Trudeau expressed his condolences and described Obhrai as “a champion of diversity and human rights. He will be remembered for his dedication to the Indo-Canadian community and his hard work on behalf of Albertans and all Canadians.” Harper, under whom Obhrai served as parliamentary secretary in the foreign affairs department, said that his “legacy is his life-long commitment to Canada, which he served with energy and distinction wherever he went home or abroad”.
Obhrai also ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2016 and the person who emerged victorious in that contest, Andrew Scheer, said he was “heartbroken” to hear of Obhrai’s passing.
There was an outpouring of tributes from the Indian community owing to his strong connection to organizations working within the India-Canada space.
The president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Canada-India Business Council, Kasi Rao said: “We remember him for his tireless advocacy of many causes, including the championing for expanded economic relations with India.”
