Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to second this motion, and I commend the hon. member for Nepean for bringing this matter before the House.
Canada, as is so often observed in this place, is a community of communities. We may not all be immigrants, but all of us, even our first nations, can trace our roots to another place. With such diversity, it is important to celebrate our heritage and to remember our roots as we come together to forge this still young nation.
Our neighbour to the south, the United States, has for years proclaimed itself to be a melting pot. Those who go there are expected, to a certain degree, to forget their former culture, to melt together to form one America, with a homogenous culture and vision. That was especially apparent when it came to language. How well that has worked in recent years is a matter of debate. The American dream may not be as accessible as it once was, though the ideal remains strong. Different communities are making their voices heard in a way that did not happen in the past.
In Canada, we have never been a melting pot, never a place where immigrants were expected to become something completely new. Sociologists refer to the Canadian experiment not as a melting pot but as a mosaic, a place where each cultural group retains its distinct identity while contributing to the nation as a whole. In Canada, we celebrate our differences and try to learn from them, to better our cultural understanding of what makes our nation a great nation.
Hindu heritage month would celebrate Hindu Canadians and the contributions they have made to the socio-economic development of Canada. It would highlight their service to Canadian society, the richness of Hindu heritage and the contributions Hindus have made to the arts and sciences, both in Canada and around the world.
Hindu heritage month would bring to the forefront the Hindu religion, something many Canadians know little about. As a religion, Hinduism is one of the oldest in the world, with almost a billion adherents worldwide, dating back beyond recorded history. Today, there are nearly 900 million practising Hindus worldwide, about 9% of the world's population. It is the world's third-largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. While most Hindus call India home, there are more than half a million living in Canada. They follow a rich religious tradition, one with high ethical standards and practices designed for both individual and cultural enlightenment.
The first Hindus came to Canada more than a century ago. They are found in every province and territory. Each one has a different story of how they or their ancestors came to this country, and I do believe the hon. member for Nepean has his own story, too. What they have in common is their desire to become part of Canadian society and to contribute to its well-being.
When I think about the contributions of Hindus to Canadian society, the first name that comes to mind is that of the late Deepak Obhrai, who served this House and all Canadians as the member of Parliament for Calgary Forest Lawn from 1997 until his death in 2019. Deepak was a proud Canadian, an air traffic controller who retrained as an accountant when he came to Canada and opened his own small business. Before becoming an MP, he served the community as president of the India-Canada Association of Calgary, the Monterey Park Community Association, and the Hindu Society of Calgary. He also served as a vice-president of the National Indo-Canadian Council.
When first elected, Deepak served as an opposition MP. Then, when the Conservatives formed government, he became parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs and to the minister of international co-operation. In those roles, he was able to visit other countries as a representative of his adopted country. His official visits took him to more than 100 different lands. He could tell stories about his adventures in practically every country in the world.
Deepak was known for his support of immigrants in general and the Hindu community in particular. He may have lived in Calgary, but he was known to every Canadian of Hindu or Indian descent. He was proud of his roots and proud of his adopted country and the opportunities it offered to immigrants like him. He understood that there are no limits to what may be accomplished by those who make Canada their home.
In 2017, he ran for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party. His goal was to become the first Hindu prime minister of Canada. He dared to dream big, even knowing the odds were against him. That is the Hindu spirit. His presence enriched the campaign and the Conservative Party at that time.
Deepak Obhrai's story, as I have said, is but one of so many success stories that can be told of Hindus in Canada. All too often, though, these stories are not well known outside a limited community. Setting aside November every year as Hindu heritage month would allow the Hindu community a platform to present their history, their culture and the stories of their people to a wider audience. As Canadians, we like to celebrate our diversity. We are a nation of stories and storytellers, painting a rich tapestry of cultures that is envied by nations the world over.
That tapestry has been made stronger by the contributions of Hindu Canadians. Whether their origins are in India, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Eastern Africa, like my friend Deepak Obhrai, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan or Sri Lanka, their presence has enriched Canadian society. They have become an important part of the Canadian mosaic, and it is only fitting that we recognize that fact.
I am confident that all the members in this House will support the member for Nepean in his desire to see the establishment of Hindu heritage month. I congratulate the hon. member for Nepean for bringing this bill before the House and thank him for his service to Canadians.
