For politicians, Surrey’s annual Vaisakhi Parade offers a golden opportunity to connect with thousands of voters and bolster their standing in the South Asian community.
In that way, observers say it’s akin to the stock market – the rewards mean politicians can’t afford not to be there, but it also exposes them to risks.
“Where else would you get such a big audience? For people in public office it’s a bonanza,” says Dr. Gulzar Cheema (pictured above), a former B.C. Liberal MLA who remains active in politics and always attends Vaisakhi celebrations.
Elected politicians or hopefuls don’t have to spend a cent to get exposure, he said. Nor do they have to pay for floats or do much beyond show up, say a few words in Punjabi, enjoy the food, and smile for the cameras.
“Those pictures are very attractive in an election campaign,” Cheema said.
With a provincial election looming in just over a year, the leaders of all three main parties are certain to attend, Cheema said, along with many sitting MLAs and challengers, as well as federal and municipal leaders.
“They will be climbing over each other,” he predicts.
“In Surrey, if you’re not part of the parade you can just kiss goodbye to your political career. If any of the leaders of the three parties don’t show up, they’re going to be in trouble. They have no choice.”
The risk of attending is that somewhere in the crowd of up to 200,000 are those who back an independent Sikh state and would honour or justify past terrorist crimes, such as the Air India bombings.
No politician wants to be associated with such controversies.
Cheema said skilled handlers steer their candidate away from any bad optics at the event.
They will also carefully select who walks alongside the candidate during the parade for photos and video.
The parade route is dotted with stages hosted by various groups and Cheema said candidates are wise to associate themselves with a safe stage – perhaps one hosted by a radio station or cultural organization that will keep a middle-of-the-road tone.
Even with precautions and “feelers” fanned out in the crowd looking for trouble, things can go awry.
“This parade has made many politicians and it has sunk many politicians.”
A candidate can end up in photos with someone whose past turns out to be checkered, Cheema said.
Even if photos of so-called martyrs aren’t publicly visible at the parade, someone might pick up a microphone and say something troubling.
A poorly prepared politician can even bungle their own words or presentation.
“If you say something stupid, it’s going to be on YouTube within 10 minutes. By the time you leave it’s going to be major news.”
A candidate or party can end up spending much time and numerous meetings in the community repairing damage.
No politician would make a mistake like failing to don the required head covering as the Sikh holy book approaches.
But Cheema said politicians are given robes of honour that they sometimes shed too fast as they exit in a car, which is seen as disrespectful.
Some politicians choose to exploit the parade as a launch pad for a campaign or issue, he said.
The worst offenders, Cheema said, aren’t locals but politicians from India who use the event to their own advantage because of the enduring links between Surrey and the Punjab.
Cheema argues Ottawa should do more to screen Indian politicians coming here to attend the parade and those with a history of inciting violence or hatred should be denied visitor’s visas.
SFU marketing professor Lindsay Meredith said many of the lessons for politicians at the Vaisakhi Parade also apply to businesses that aim to build their brands and customer base.
“You are known by the friends you keep,” Meredith said. “It’s not just a slam dunk. You have to do your home work. You have to know who you’re holding hands with.”
Like politicians, he said, businesses see the Vaisakhi parade as a perfect platform to reach masses of Punjabi-speaking Metro Vancouverites.
Tactically, he said, there are parallels to Vancouver’s gay pride parade.
“Again you have a well-defined target market,” Meredith said. “But it’s not a target market you dive into without doing your homework and without some element of risk associated with it.”
Firms need to be careful their courting of South Asian customers doesn’t undercut their marketing in the broader community, he said.
As a cautionary tale, he cited some of the major shopping malls in Richmond that switched to all-Chinese signage.
“They have basically walked away from the non-Chinese shopping contingent.”