Jagmeet Singh hovered between tables, switching seamlessly between languages as he obliged photo requests. For a young mother from Ethiopia, the Canadian politician had a greeting in Amharic. To her friend from Eritrea, he offered a few lines of Tigrinya, plucked from a linguistic arsenal that Singh estimates includes a word or phrases from about 45 tongues.

It’s a handy skill for a politician based in Toronto, one of the world’s most multicultural cities. But for the 38-year-old – who recently became the first person of colour to lead a major political party in Canada – it’s also a nod to how he’s seeking to define himself in a global climate marked by Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump.

“At a time when we’re seeing the rise of a scary form of politics – divisive politics – I hope that I represent the opposite of all that,” the leader of the progressive New Democratic party told the Guardian. “I hope I represent a type of politics where we bring people together, where we inspire people – and we do it with this motivation of building a world that’s better for everybody.”

He’s keenly aware that this brand of politics might remind many of another Canadian politician: Justin Trudeau, the country’s Liberal prime minister. “We should always be striving to go further and be better,” Singh deadpanned. With a laugh, he added: “And my angle is that I’m just better.”

Singh, a practising Sikh and a cycling enthusiast, burst on to the national stage in October with a decisive victory that put him at the helm of Canada’s third-largest party.

He takes the reins of a party with a political platform that includes decriminalising all drugs, expanding universal health care, raising taxes on high earners and tackling precarious work.

Singh: ‘The reality is that I’m in an uphill battle.’ Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

But even as progressive movements bloom around the world, the NDP is struggling. The party began the last federal election campaign with a legitimate shot at taking power, but instead saw its share of seats plunge from 95 to 44 as centre-left voters flocked to Trudeau’s Liberal party.Midterm elections in recent weeks suggest the NDP continues to lose ground.

Singh chalked up the federal election loss to Trudeau’s ability to better connect with voters. “I would say, in fairness, he sounded good, he talked about some things that were good,” he said. “But then I would say just look a bit deeper into what he’s done, beyond broad announcements.”

This is where Singh is hoping to capitalise in the run-up to the country’s next federal election, slated for 2019. “It’s one thing to say you’re feminist, but then what does that mean? Not selling arms to a regime that is the most repressive and probably one of the worst human rights violators, particularly towards women, like Saudi Arabia?” Singh asked, alluding to the government’s decision to push forward with a billion-dollar arms deal with the country.

More than two years after Trudeau swept into power, little has been done to address a gender pay gap that ranks among the highest in the OECD. “Instead of just talking about the fact that women should be equal, let’s put legislation that enforces pay equity. We don’t have that.”

Singh meets with a young activist in Ontario. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

The Trump presidency is another, trickier example, said Singh. While other western leaders have at times criticised the president’s actions, Trudeau has remained tight-lipped, saying earlier this year that it was not his place to “lecture another country”.

Singh said he would do things differently. “I think there’s a certain principle you can’t compromise. If someone is being misogynistic, you have to name it. It’s not convenient to talk about discrimination, but if you don’t do it, you allow it to exist. So you have to name it,” he said.

Born in Canada to parents from Punjab, Singh has been vocal about his experience of growing up as a minority in Canada. In doing so, he’s dragged some of the darker aspects of Canada’s vaunted promotion of multiculturalism into the spotlight – from the relentless bullying he suffered as a child to the 11 times that he’s been stopped by police because of his appearance.

Singh says such experiences also explain his fondness for well-cut suits – a hallmark of wealth not usually associated with leftist politicians. “As a kid, I got a lot of attention – and it was bad attention,” he said. “So I thought: you know what, let me give them something to stare at. Let me just own this.”

He’s quick to contrast his background with that of Trudeau, the son of a former prime minister and who worked as a drama teacher and snowboarding instructor before making the leap into politics. “I get what it’s like to be mistreated or face unfairness just because of who you are,” he said.

Singh was in his 20s when his father became ill, catapulting him into the role of sole income earner in his family. He became the primary caregiver for his younger brother – making meals, buying him clothes and even attending parent-teacher interviews – until his father was able to work again.

Singh’s efforts have done little to curb comparisons between him and Trudeau. After all, both are confident, charismatic and savvy social media users who draw swarms of selfie-seekers wherever they go. At times the parallels are hard to ignore; Trudeau is a boxer while Singh has competed across North America in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

And both face critics who describe them as more style than substance. Singh smiled at the assessment, before rattling off a list of accomplishments. Fluent in English, Punjabi and French, he earned a degree in biology before turning to law. He practised as a criminal defence lawyer for six years, balancing his career with pro bono work for anti-poverty activists and groups dedicated to immigration and refugee rights.

In 2011, he was elected to the Ontario legislature. While there, he fought to improve the working conditions of temporary workers and ban racially motivated police checks, rising through the ranks to become the deputy leader of the Ontario NDP.

“So, I don’t know, does that sound like a lack of substance?” Singh asked.

While less than 2% of Canadians identify as Sikh, Canada’s parliament is home to 20 Sikhs, including four who are part of Trudeau’s Liberal cabinet – making Punjabi the third-most-spoken language in the House of Commons. Even so, Singh’s quest to become the first non-white leader of a national party has laid bare the many challenges that remain.

Some NDP party members in Quebec – where the party holds most of its seats – argued that the province’s deep belief in secularism would clash with a leader who wears a turban and kirpan.

On his first day as NDP leader, a CBC interview questioned him on the legacy of the 1985 Air India bombing, believed by police to be carried out by Sikh militants living in Canada. Singh pointed out that he was about five years old when the bombing took place, but the CBC later said the question was fair, alluding to Singh’s involvement with the Sikh Activist Network (a youth group co-founded by his brother) and his push to have the 1984 riots in New Delhi against Sikhs recognised in Ontario as an act of genocide.

Media commentators have asked if Canada is ready for a non-white NDP leader, pointing to a recent poll in which 31% of the 1,477 respondents said they would not vote for a politician who wore a turban and carried a kirpan.

Singh contrasted these points with an incident from the leadership campaign, when an angry heckler crashed a meet and greet session and repeatedly accused Singh of wanting to impose Sharia law in Canada. “We believe in love and courage,” Singh told her, deftly defusing the situation. “We don’t want to be intimidated by hate.”

Singh takes a selfie with a passerby. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

He later explained in a statement: “I didn’t answer the question because my response to Islamophobia has never been: ‘I’m not Muslim.’ It has always been – and will be – that hate is wrong. Once allowed to grow, hate doesn’t pick and choose.”

Months later, Singh still describes it as a defining moment, pointing to the millions of views the video racked up on social media. “It’s awesome that there’s so many people that are still thirsty for that type of politics or that type of leadership,” he said.

The incident, however, also hinted at the work that lies ahead. “The reality is that I’m in an uphill battle,” he said. “I think I have to work extra hard to prove myself – and I’ve always had to do that, so I’m up for the challenge.”