Deepak Obhrai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deepak Obhrai
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Obhrai in 2017
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| Official Opposition Critic for International Development | |
| In office November 20, 2015 – July 12, 2016 |
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| Leader | Rona Ambrose |
| Preceded by | Hélène Laverdière |
| Succeeded by | Dean Allison |
| Member of Parliament for Calgary Forest Lawn (Calgary East; 1997–2015) |
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| In office June 2, 1997 – August 2, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Riding established |
| Succeeded by | Jasraj Hallan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 5, 1950 Oldeani, Tanganyika (now Oldeani, Tanzania) |
| Died | August 2, 2019 (aged 69) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations |
Reform Party, Canadian Alliance |
| Spouse | Neena Obhrai (until 2019, his death) |
| Occupation | Businessman, politician |
Deepak Obhrai (born July 5, 1950 – died August 2, 2019) was a Canadian politician who was born in Tanzania. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Calgary, Alberta, from 1997 until he passed away in 2019. He first represented the Reform Party of Canada and later the Conservative Party of Canada.
Mr. Obhrai was the first and only Hindu person to become an MP in Canada. When he died, he was the longest-serving Conservative MP in Canada. He also served as a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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Early Life and Moving to Canada
Deepak Obhrai was born on July 5, 1950, in Oldeani, a place that is now part of Tanzania. He grew up in a Hindu family. His father died when Deepak was six years old, so his mother, who worked at a bank, raised him.
He went to primary school in Moshi, a town near Mount Kilimanjaro. Later, he attended high school in Arusha before moving to India to study at the Daly College. After that, he moved to the United Kingdom and trained to become an air traffic controller. However, he faced unfair treatment there, so he returned to Tanzania to work.
In 1971, Deepak married Neena. In 1977, they moved to Canada with their daughter, Priti. They settled in Calgary, Alberta. In Calgary, Mr. Obhrai retrained as an accountant and worked for the city government. He and his wife also started a dry cleaning business, which grew to have three stores.
Community Involvement
In the 1990s, Deepak Obhrai became very active in the Calgary community. He led several groups, including the India-Canada Association of Calgary and the Hindu Society of Calgary. He also helped lead the National Indo-Canadian Council for Alberta.
Entering Federal Politics
Deepak Obhrai first tried to enter politics in Calgary in 1993, but he did not win a seat on the city council. He also tried to get nominated for provincial elections in 1995 and 1996, but was not successful.
His journey into federal politics began in 1997. He successfully ran for the Reform Party of Canada in the 1997 Canadian federal election. He won the election and became a Member of Parliament.
He was re-elected several times:
- In 2000, when the Reform Party became the Canadian Alliance.
- In 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2015, as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Key Roles in Parliament
As an MP, Mr. Obhrai held important roles. When his party was not in power, he spoke for the opposition on topics like International Cooperation, Multiculturalism, and International Trade.
When the Conservative Party formed the government in 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Mr. Obhrai as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This meant he helped the minister with their duties. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation at different times.
In 2013, his role as Parliamentary Secretary was expanded to include international human rights. He was also appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, which is a group of important people who advise the Governor General.
In 2014, he received the Pride of India Award. This award recognized his efforts to strengthen Canada's relationships with India and encourage people of Indian background to get involved in Canadian politics.
Deepak Obhrai was the longest-serving Conservative MP in Canada's 42nd Parliament. He also served as the International Development Critic for the Official Opposition.
Running for Party Leader
In 2017, Mr. Obhrai decided to run to become the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. His main goal was to encourage the party to connect more with immigrant communities. He also spoke out against ideas that suggested screening immigrants based on "Canadian values." He did not win the leadership, being eliminated in the first round of voting.
Death
Deepak Obhrai passed away from liver cancer on August 2, 2019, in Calgary. He had been diagnosed with the illness only a few weeks before. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving Conservative Member of Parliament. A memorial service was held in Calgary, where former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then-Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer spoke about his life and contributions.
