Rachna Singh, B.C.’s first parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives, is hopeful about change

Credit to Author: Vivien Fellegi| Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2022 20:39:40 +0000

Young Rachna Singh remembers begging her grandfather to buy her a sari every time they strolled through the marketplace in Delhi, India. “You are too young,” he told her.

Instead, the playwright and human rights champion gave his granddaughter something much more meaningful for her fifth birthday. A well-worn book from his own library, Russian writer Maxim Gorky’s novel about dreams and revolution. The story was too complex for the young girl to grasp, but Singh was elated by the gift. “I felt like he was treating me like a grownup,” she recalls. The book would launch her on a lifelong exploration of progressive ideas, beginning with her grandfather’s. “A lot that I see in myself, I have from him,” says Singh.

Singh’s parents also contributed to her liberal outlook, comparing her privilege to the lot of the poor. Compassion was also endorsed by her family’s Sikh tradition. “The Sikh teachings are…that we have to look after people who are downtrodden,” says Singh.

Singh’s early training in philanthropy led her to study psychology in university. “I was always interested in people and I could talk to them,” she says. As she began working as a counsellor, Singh refined her natural ability to tap into other people’s pain and perspectives. “It is all about empathy,” she says.

Singh would draw on this skillset once she entered politics. “A lot of times the politicians are so loud, they are talking, but one thing I bring forward is being able to listen.”

Having established her career path, Singh was ready to embark on marriage. When mutual friends introduced her to journalist Gurpreet Singh, she was impressed by his pursuit of social justice, reflected in his articles featuring labourers and other low-ranking workers. “He’s very passionate about the work that he does,” says Singh. “I really admire him for that.” The couple married in 1997.

The year 2001 was another turning point for the pair and their young son. Around this time Canada had opened its doors to the skilled workers category, and Singh threw her name in the ring.

“I just applied for the heck of it,” she says. When the pair were accepted, they took the gamble and immigrated to British Columbia. “You are young, you think that things would be very easy,” says Singh. They weren’t. The family began their new lives in a cramped basement suite in Surrey (on the outskirts of Vancouver), a far cry from their comfortable house in India. But the toughest challenge was the loss of their close-knit friends and family. “The initial years were lonely,” says Singh.

Racism was one issue Singh hadn’t expected to find in multicultural Canada. On one occasion, Singh applied for a promotion in a job she was fully qualified for and was already performing. The position went to a white woman. Unlike many victims of these microaggressions, Singh fought back. Two years later, the employers conceded her case, and restored the seniority she’d lost when her job was taken from her.

This painful experience would inform her politics. “It becomes my moral responsibility to stand up for people who cannot speak for themselves,” she says.

Apart from this unfortunate incident, Singh’s career was flourishing. Soon after arriving in Canada, she landed a job as a counsellor for victims of domestic violence. The recent budget cuts to social programs made the work “heartbreaking.” One night a woman called the domestic violence hotline sobbing, begging for shelter from an abusive husband. But every safe house nearby was full. Singh finally put the woman in touch with police, who would try to keep her safe. “It was very, very frustrating.”

These moments of helplessness recurred over and over again, reinforcing the value of responsible governance. “That made me think [about] what progressive governments can do,” says Singh.

Her job advocating for workers’ rights at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), a left-wing organization, brought Singh back in line with her affiliation with the NDP. “So, it was a natural step towards politics,” she says.

But though Singh had volunteered on countless campaigns for other NDP members, she hesitated when she was asked to run for political office. Concerned that the job’s demands might cut into her family time, Singh declined. “My first reaction was obviously, ‘No way,’” she says. But her husband changed her mind. “Just take the plunge,” he told her. “We are there to support you.”

It was good advice. In May 2017, Singh campaigned for the riding of Surrey-Green Timbers, and won the seat, repeating the feat in October 2020.

The opioid crisis, a prevalent but taboo issue in her riding, caught the former counsellor’s attention early on. Amongst many “ethnic cultures”, including her largely Punjabi constituents, the fear of stigma stifles many addicts from seeking help, says Singh. She spoke out on the subject on social media and in mainstream outlets, pointing out culturally sensitive resources designed to make clients more comfortable accessing services.

During her second term, Singh was offered the position of parliamentary secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, a newly created portfolio. “I was very honoured to get this,” she says. In order to create new policies to help dismantle systemic racism, her team needed race-based data to inform potential new anti-racism policies. Recognizing the scarcity of this information, Singh began consulting Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities to get their input on this matter. And though the proposed anti-racism data legislation won’t be announced until later this year, members of these marginalized groups are beginning to trust the party’s program for justice. “They are very hopeful about that,” says Singh.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to a career lived in the public eye. “You don’t have any private life,” says Singh, whose long days have eaten into her personal time.

But lately the seasoned politician has grown more assertive. “It’s my daughter’s birthday tomorrow,” she says.  “So I’ve told staff that I’m taking time off.”

But Singh’s best gift to her two children is the better world she’s helping to craft through her politics. “The future they have is much more secure, much more just, more equal,” she says. “That’s the world every parent strives for.”

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