Singh is an inspiration, but he must go

I forget exactly how it happened, but a few months ago, on a patio in Toronto's west end, the name Rupi Kaur arose.

- NAVNEET ALANG

Kaur is a Brampton poet who, though globally popular, is often derided by literary snobs. Never having been a fan of her work, I said something dismissive about her to the group of mostly white, arty and progressive friends who had gathered for a birthday.

I was immediately struck by a pang of regret. Why was I badmouthing one of my own, especially to this crowd?

I may not share Kaur's literary sensibilities, but like her, I am a Punjabi, Sikh, Indo-Canadian. Normally I would have no compunction about critiquing an artist whose work I dislike, but when it came to a fellow Punjabi, I was suddenly conflicted.

Maybe it shouldn't be this way. Kaur's success has been part of a broader phenomenon in which Sikhs in Canada have become far more prominent. Whether entertainers like Lily Singh or Jasmeet Raina, business leaders like Manjit Minhas or Navdeep Bains, or an array of politicians such as Tim Uppal or Harjit Sajjan, Sikh Canadians have been pushing their way into the spotlight for years.

Arguably the most visible success story is that of Jagmeet Singh. After first arriving in Queen's Park as an MPP and then ascending to the leader of the federal NDP, Singh not only became a minor celebrity, he also emerged as a sort of symbol of Canada's multicultural bona fides.

Singh's coronation as NDP leader warmed even my cold, cynical heart. It wasn't just the usual question of representation (though that mattered too). It was also the way he interrupted the stereotypes of Canadian Sikhs as jolly but harmless bit players. Singh had style and social media savvy. Unlike the vast majority of Canadian politicians, he occasionally seems cool.