The Indian Panorama

Tag: Harry

  • Indian origin Jyoti Gondek, Calgary’s Mayor, seeks re-election viewing growing power of Punjabi vote

    Indian origin Jyoti Gondek, Calgary’s Mayor, seeks re-election viewing growing power of Punjabi vote

    CALGARY (TIP): Jyoti Gondek, Calgary’s first female mayor of Punjabi origin, is seeking re-election as Calgary Mayor, with the election scheduled for October 20. Gondek, who made history in 2021 by becoming the first woman to lead the city, is now vying for a second term with a campaign focused on public safety, economic revitalization, and balanced growth across Calgary’s communities.

    Gondek’s re-election platform emphasizes restoring downtown vibrancy, expanding housing affordability, and addressing concerns about addiction and safety. She has pledged to continue collaborations with provincial and federal governments to secure Calgary’s share of infrastructure funding while focusing on long-term sustainability.

    Her campaign speeches have underlined her commitment to making Calgary a safer, more inclusive, and future-ready city. Born Prabhjote Kaur Grewal to Punjabi parents in London and raised in Canada, Jyoti Gondek’s journey to City Hall embodies the story of immigrant determination and multicultural success. Before becoming mayor, she represented Ward 3 as a councilor from 2017 to 2021 and worked in academia and consulting.

    Her Punjabi heritage and deep community engagement have made her a familiar and respected figure among Calgary’s diverse population. This year’s municipal elections also reflect the growing influence of Calgary’s Punjabi community, with as many as seven Punjabi-origin candidates contesting city council seats.

    The community, which has steadily increased its civic participation, is now emerging as a powerful voice in local politics. Among the notable candidates are Reet Mushiana and Raj Dhaliwal from Ward 5, both active community figures with strong local ties.

    They are joined by Harinder (Harry) Singh Purba, Gurpreet Dhillon, Tarlochan Singh Sidhu, Taran Dhillon, and Jaspriya Johal, who are contesting across different wards. Many of these candidates have focused their campaigns on improving local infrastructure, ensuring equitable city services, and creating safer, more vibrant neighborhoods.

    Political observers note that Ward 5 and Ward 10, which have significant South Asian populations, will be among the most closely watched battlegrounds.

    A strong showing by Punjabi-origin candidates could mark a new chapter in Calgary’s civic landscape, showcasing the growing representation of immigrants in the city’s decision-making bodies.

    The Punjabi community’s engagement in Calgary politics mirrors its rising participation at the federal and provincial levels, where several Punjabi-origin leaders have already made their mark. Analysts believe this expanding political presence reflects both the community’s demographic strength and its growing confidence in shaping policy conversations within the city.

    While the mayoral race remains tightly contested, with recent polls showing Gondek among the frontrunners, the final outcome is expected to hinge on voter turnout and key issues like public safety, taxes, and city planning. For Gondek, a victory would reaffirm her leadership and strengthen her vision of a progressive, inclusive Calgary.

    For the Punjabi community, these elections represent not only a chance for broader representation but also a milestone in their ongoing journey of civic empowerment in Canada’s energy capital. While another prominent Punjabi figure and sitting Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is not seeking re-election for this upcoming term.

    In 2025, he announced a return to federal politics, saying that he would run as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton Southeast; he was defeated by Conservative candidate Jagsharan Singh Mahal. Following his loss, Sohi announced that he would not seek re-election as mayor in the 2025 municipal election.

    (Source: Live Matches)

  • Queen to attend UK Jubilee celebrations, but snubs for Andrew and Harry

    Queen to attend UK Jubilee celebrations, but snubs for Andrew and Harry

    London (TIP): Queen Elizabeth plans to attend major celebrations to mark her 70 years on the British throne next month, Buckingham Palace said on May 7, but two out-of-favour royals, Princes Andrew and Harry, will be excluded from one traditional event. The 96-year-old, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, marked seven decades as queen in February, and four days of “Platinum Jubilee” events to recognise that landmark are being held at the start of June.

    Elizabeth has been struggling with mobility issues, meaning most of her recent public engagements have had to be cancelled, but Buckingham Palace said she did plan to be at a number of events.

    “Her majesty is looking forward to the weekend and will be taking part in the celebrations, but her presence will not be confirmed until much nearer to the time or even on the day itself,” a palace spokesperson said.

    The four days of events start on June 2 with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in central London, followed by a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, and a pageant through the British capital on subsequent days.

    One feature of all major royal occasions is the gathering of the royal family to wave at crowds from the palace balcony. But, the queen has decided neither her son Prince Andrew nor grandson Prince Harry will be there this time.

    Andrew’s stock has plummeted after he settled a U.S. lawsuit in which he was accused of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre when she was a teenager in February. He had already stepped down from public duties because of his connections to the late convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and has been stripped of military titles and royal patronages and is no longer known as “His Royal Highness”.

    Harry, younger son of heir Prince Charles, also gave up royal duties and lost his patronages after moving with his American wife Meghan to Los Angeles, from where they have delivered barbs and accusations of racism against the royal household. “After careful consideration, the Queen has decided this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance …will be limited to her majesty and those members of the royal family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the queen,” the palace spokesperson said. (Reuters)

  • ‘We’re not racist’, says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

    ‘We’re not racist’, says Prince William after Meghan and Harry interview

    London (TIP): Prince William said on Thursday that Britain’s royals were not racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be. Meghan, 39, made the allegation during an explosive tell-all interview that she and Harry, 36, gave to Oprah Winfrey and which was aired on Sunday, plunging the British monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Princess Diana, William and Harry’s mother. On a visit to a school in east London, William said he had not talked to Harry since the interview was broadcast just over three days ago. “I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do,” William, 38, said. Asked by a reporter if the royal family was racist, William said: “We’re very much not a racist family.” In the two-hour show, nearly three years after their star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle, Meghan said the royals had ignored her pleas for help while she felt suicidal, while Harry said his father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had let him down and that he had felt trapped. On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth, the princes’ grandmother, in which she said the family were saddened by how challenging the couple had found the last few years. But it was the couple’s accusation that one of the royals had made a racist comment which has dominated coverage and has the potential to cause lasting damage to the 1,000-year-old monarchy.

    WHO SAID IT?

    Meghan, whose mother is Black and father is white, said while she was pregnant with Archie there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” Neither she nor Harry said who had made the remark, although Winfrey later clarified that Harry had said it was not the queen or her 99-year-old husband Philip, who has been in hospital for three weeks while the crisis unfolds.

    “That conversation, I’m never going to share,” Harry said during the interview. “But at the time, it was awkward. I was a bit shocked.” In the statement from the queen, the palace said issues of race were concerning and would be treated very seriously, but pointedly stated “some recollections may vary”.

    The Palace has said that it was a family matter that should be dealt with privately. During the interview, Harry also laid bare how distant he had become from the other members of his family, saying his father had stopped taking his calls at one point, and that there was “space” in his relationship with William.

    “Much will continue to be said about that … as I said before, you know, I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together, and we have a shared experience,” he said. “But we’re on different paths.”

    The interview, watched by 12.4 million viewers in Britain and 17.1 million in the United States, has proved divisive among the British public. Some believe it showed how outdated and intolerant the institution was, while others decried it as a self-serving assault that neither Elizabeth nor her family deserved. — Reuters

  • Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles spark dating rumors

    Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles spark dating rumors

    Actor-director Olivia Wilde and singer-actor Harry Styles have reportedly been dating for “a few weeks”. The duo was photographed holding hands at a friend’s wedding, sparking dating rumors.
    A source told People magazine, Wilde, 36 and Styles were in Montecito, California, this weekend for a wedding.
    “They were affectionate around their friends, held hands, and looked very happy. They have dated for a few weeks,” the insider added. Post the wedding, Wilde and Styles, 26, were spotted at the former One Direction member’s LA home with luggage in tow. They recently worked together on the film Don’t Worry Darling, which Styles starred in and Wilde directed.
    Styles, who made his feature film acting debut with Christopher Nolan’s 2017 war drama Dunkirk, replaced Shia LaBeouf in the psychological thriller last September.
    Don’t Worry Darling is set in an isolated, utopian community in the 1950s California desert. The film also stars Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, with Wilde in a supporting role.