Absolutely.
In other words, what I'm trying to say is that we are here on behalf of the many people who celebrate within their cultures across this country of ours. Quite frankly, we have found in the past that our electoral days have been set on Diwali. For example, in 2022, there was consternation across the whole of southern Ontario, with hundreds of thousands of communities unable to actually go to the voting process because they had to choose between their faith and their civic duties.
We are saying that, while Canada is justifiably proud of its tradition as a multicultural country, we ask all of you, we urge all of you, to look to set future dates for elections with a sensitivity and a respect to the many thousands of Hindus and other multicultural communities who will be observing Diwali in 2025. As you move forward in the future, please take a look at other religious traditions that are just as important in our multicultural society as those who practise the Christian and Jewish faiths.
Thank you so much for your time.