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The recently concluded federal election has proven one thing—it was a mandate for an inclusive Canada.

Even though Liberals were not able win another majority, the defeat of right-wing Conservatives and the decimation of the far-right People’s Party of Canada can be seen as a clear rejection of divisive politics by the electorate.

Out of 338 seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals have 157, which is way less than 177 seats they held in the previous Parliament, but they were able to crush the Conservatives’ hope for a majority government.

As the Conservatives are licking their wounds with only 121 seats, the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) lost its only riding, held by leader Maxime Bernier, to the Conservatives. The two-right wing parties were tough on immigration, with Bernier being more outspoken against multiculturalism. So much so, the PPC had ties with white nationalists. This was in sharp contrast to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The two parties have previously attacked Trudeau for opening doors to Syrian refugees and foreign students. It is a separate matter that the New Democrats’ much more diverse team and platform could not make a huge impact. The party only has 24 seats in the House, down from 39 under the leadership of Jagmeet Singh.

Singh is the first turbaned Sikh to become a leader of any national political party in Canada and encountered racism from both within his own party and outside during the campaign. None of his other turbaned Sikh candidates won in their ridings, whereas three turbaned Sikh Liberal incumbents—Harjit Singh Sajjan, Randeep Singh Sarai, and Navdeep Singh Bains—were re-elected.

Two turbaned Sikhs, Tim Uppal and Jasraj Singh Hallan, got elected as Conservative MPs. Notably, some of these candidates also faced racist attacks during the campaign. It is pertinent to mention that such negativity wasn’t only directed at the male Sikh candidates. Female candidates such as Liberal MP Hedy Fry and others from various visible minority groups also encountered racism.

The election of Jody Wilson-Raybould as an independent MP from Vancouver can also be seen as a symbolic defeat of structural racism against Indigenous peoples in Canada and a slap in the face of Justin Trudeau. She was the first Indigenous woman to become justice minister in 2015. Trudeau had kicked her out of the Liberal caucus to protect the interests of a controversial company that was facing investigation.

This widened a gulf between Trudeau and First Nations after Trudeau had come to power with a huge majority in 2015. That year, the Liberals were elected on the promise of building bridges with Indigenous communities who have faced mistreatment in Canada ever since the country was founded on their stolen lands. This was a time when minorities, including the indigenous peoples, were outraged by a Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, whose government had become infamous for infringing on the rights of Muslims and other marginalized sections of society.

Wilson-Raybould fought as an independent candidate this time in the face of hostility and vicious propaganda. Her victory is definitely a big jolt for Trudeau, whose poor showing can be attributed to his mishandling of the situation involving her.

As if this was not enough, old pictures and videos showing Trudeau having painted himself brown and black in the past dented his image internationally. However, the former U.S. president Barack Obama, the first black to lead his country, gave him a major boost in the final days of campaigning by endorsing him on Twitter.

The election was interesting from the perspective of the Indian diaspora vis-á-vis Canada's relationship with India.

Voters of Indian origin frustrated attempts by the pro-India lobby to bring Conservative government in Canada by using its influence in predominantly South Asian ridings. The right-wing Hindu nationalist government, under which attacks on religious minorities have grown, was never fond of Trudeau or Singh and always saw Conservatives as their real allies.

Trudeau is often accused by the Indian government of patronizing Sikh separatists who want to establish a homeland of their own to be carved out of northern India. Likewise, Singh has always been seen as a threat to India for being vocal against human rights abuses and repression of minorities in that country.

Apologists of the Indian state in some ridings with a sizable South Asian population worked hard to ensure victory of Conservatives and the defeat of Liberal and NDP candidates. This is not to suggest that the pro-India lobby is completely wedded to the Conservatives. The Liberals and NDP too have been penetrated by supporters of Indian government.

While the South Asian Conservative candidates had a cakewalk in some of ridings, 13 Liberal candidates of Indian origin were elected this time.

That doesn’t go in the interest of those who owe loyalties to their overseas masters in New Delhi.

The election results may not be 100 percent according to the wishes of those who care for a just society, but they give some solace to those were anxious about Canada going back to the Conservatives and joining the growing list of countries being taken over by populism and alt-right movements. Hopefully, Trudeau will try to learn from his mistakes and be more careful next time.