Indian-origin woman in Canadian Senate

Dr Asha Seth with Canadian
 Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Ottawa - Dr Asha Seth, an obstetrician and gynaecologist based in Toronto, has become the first-ever Canadian woman of Indian origin to be nominated to the Senate, the Upper House of the Parliament of Canada. Nominated by the ruling Conservatives, she becomes the second Canadian of Indian origin after Vim Kochar to be nominated to the Senate.

An alumnus of Lucknow's prestigious King George Medical College, Asha Seth will remain Senator till December 15, 2014, as Canadian convention requires members of the Upper House to retire on attaining the age of 75 years. Her predecessor, Vim Kochar, an engineer and business manager, had, however, a shorter tenure as Senator. He was appointed on January 29, 2010 and retired in September last year. Both Vim Kochar and Asha Seth, who represented Ontario, have been the choice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who, of late has been able to break the Liberal stronghold in Ontario and get Conservatives a firm base in the province.Vim Kochar,

 who was born in Lahore in pre-partition India, had created history on his nomination to the Senate as no one at that time expected a technocrat-turned-businessman to be chosen for the honour. And now, Asha Seth has become the second professional, a doctor, to fill the slot and represent 1.5 million strong Indo-Canadian community in the Senate. Incidentally, both Vim Kochar and Asha Seth got the honours when they had crossed the age of 70.

From Lucknow she went to England where she completed her resident training in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Upon moving to Canada, she continued her training at St Joseph's Health Centre and Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Since then she has been in Toronto.

As a committed Conservative, she not only vitalised several Conservative candidates in the last Parliament elections. She hosted and spearheaded the fundraising for Parm Gill, who successfully contested against chiropractor and glamour girl of Canadian politics, Ruby Dhalla. for the riding of Brampton Springdale. With Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenny as chief guest. Later she exclusively hosted every member of the Conservative Party of Canada and Senate to recognise Jason Kenny for Calgary Southeast.

Asha Seth became the first South Asian woman to be appointed in 2004 as Chair of the Province of Ontario Medal for Police Bravery Advisory Council, a position she still holds. She also is a member of the Firefighter Bravery Advisory Council of Ontario.

As an active philanthropist, Asha Seth is also involved in a number of charities serving local and international communities. She founded the NIMDAC Foundation, which raised funds for organisations such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Foundation for the Physically Disabled Persons, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. She is also National Board Director of the CNIB.

Asha Seth resides in Toronto with her husband Dr Arun Seth. She has two daughters, Anila Seth Sharma, an endocrinologist and Angie Seth, an award winning journalist and news anchor, and four grandchildren.