in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada

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Subject: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada
  let me know if this stuff is of any interest to anyone. I tend to hunt my local paper (the Vancouver Sun) for stuff that gives immigration a face. I hope it helps us understand our new home beyond just job opportunites.
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A Sikh destiny: The goal for Indians as Canadians should be to re-learn our culture and the lessons of our ancestors

Suresh Kurl
Special to the Sun
July 1, 2005

RICHMOND - While the emotional blisters of the Air India bombing were still raw and oozing pain and grief, Indo-Canadian gangs emerged and embarked upon a killing spree.

Their carnage has earned our community a reputation that makes us hang our heads in shame.

The 1990s introduced me to new meanings, nuances and aspects of the "Sikh" religion. Until I learned of brawls in temple parking lots over chairs and tables, I had no clue there was such a classification as "fundamentalists" and "moderates." Before that, every Sikh was a respected warrior, a "Sardarji" to me.

Fortunately, it seems that these factions have resolved their differences. Now, they have their separate Baisakhi parades, they build their separate Gurdwaras.

In addition to committing violent acts against our own community, Indo-Canadians also committed heinous crimes against their own family members. Some examples of this horrific "brown on brown" violence include the cases of "The Kettle Bomber," the "Pink Lady," and the "Vernon Massacre."

Recently, we heard about a "good guy," "a nice family man" and an "ordinary father" who stabbed to death his 17-year-old daughter, 17 times, as though he inflicted one stab for each year she lived. Since when have we condoned "honour killings?"

These people, these crimes, do not reflect the Sikh community I knew growing up in India.

Gurbax Singh, a Sikh, was among many of my father´s multi-faith friends. He was so gentle that my father would say his friend did not have a single crooked bone in his body. His name should have been Sajjan (Gentle) Singh.

My uncle and his friend, Terlok Singh, a Sikh, were so close that you would have thought that they were brothers. Whenever I went to visit my uncle I found him there -- sipping tea.

Once, when I was visiting India with my then nine-year-old daughter Shachi, Terlok Singh dropped by and asked for me. He was wearing an orange turban. This was the mid-1980s, and Shachi thought that only Khalistanis wore orange turbans. When he entered the house, the poor kid freaked out; rushed inside to find me and blurted out, "there is a Khalistani looking for you." I came out and found Terlok Singh standing at the door. We hugged each other. I introduced him to Shachi assuring her that he was not a Khalistani.

One of my high school classmates in India was Nattha Singh. He was a tall, strong boy, full of energy and humour. He was not much interested in school, though he took a great interest in girls.

Once, for fun, I tripped him. Nattha´s books went in one direction and his cherry turban in the other. Of course, this took place in front of the girls he was always trying to impress. I was terrified of the consequences, but Nattha never settled that score with me. He swallowed his pride and let me go home that evening with all my body parts intact.

I know there is no such thing as absolute social harmony. But those are my recollections of a harmonious community.

Lately, I have been pondering our destiny. Where is it taking us? Have we forgotten every sermon our scriptures taught us? Have we lost all the lessons our ancestors reinforced? Or did we forget to pack them when we left for the West?
It appears we bartered them for material goals and vanity on arrival.

I am concerned about how other Canadians view us.

Do they see us as people from one of the oldest cultures of the world, where Buddha, Guru Nanak, Govind Singh and Mahatma Gandhi taught us to be loving, forgiving and compassionate, and inspired us to value truth? Or are we viewed as people who have come here from a self-centred, narcissistic culture where we resolve our differences through violence, by blowing up planes, by killing our spouses and stabbing our children?

If they view us as being from the second group, it will not be their fault.

We are the ones who converted Sikhism´s holiest shrine into an armory. We are the people who desecrated the sanctity of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by invading it.

We are the people who had danced on the streets and distributed sweets to celebrate the assassination of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. We are the people who vowed to kill 50,000 Hindus to avenge the victimization of Sikhs in India.

And we are the ones who blew 329 innocent men, women and children out of the sky 20 years ago.

We can´t deny any of these acts. So, how can we blame people for taking us as a bunch of bloodthirsty brutes?

There is still time to work on our image in our adopted country by reminding each other who we were, where we came from and where we are.

Let´s invest our energies on adults, and especially on parents, the trustees of the next generation. Let´s re-learn Indian culture before we force our children to behave like Indians.

In the process, some acculturation wouldn´t hurt.

After all, in Canada, there is no such thing as pure cultures any more. And it´s something we, as Canadians, often celebrate.

? The Vancouver Sun 2005

[01-07-2005,17:01]
[***.20.170.23]
sharon
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
Its an interesting article....

I dont know much about the SIKHS and what exactly happened during the Golden temple but I know one thing... This is all politics...

What Indira Gandhi did was right in her way and some Sikhs took it a little bit too serious and considered it to be an offence to their religion... No person in its right mind would want violence... you have to be really F@#$ed up to wake up one morning and start killing...

Some Sikhs woved to kill 50,000 Hindus to take revenge but revenge only spills more blood and this even a 5 yr old child can say...

I believe that this is all just politically instigated...
Look what happened during the Godhra Riots... and before that the Riots at Babri-masjid... and Bombay Bombings... What do you get out of this... A simple result that says that violence is not good and revenge is not going to bring your beloved ones back.

If Punjab seperats from India and become Khalistan it will become another Canada. It will just be very dependent on US.
No offence to any Candaians but this is what we are... very much dependent on US... Arent we...

Anyways this is not about Canada and US but about Khalistan and India... This is not going to have any results.

One more thing... The true sense for punjab is to stay with India and not seperate...

The people of Khalistan movement dont understand this... Unity will bring more strength.

Or this is will be like another Pakistan-India Division where lots and lots of people are going to be killed... there will be jsut be more violence...

The Sikhs who have moved to Canada as refugees during the khalistan movements have to go abck and cehck it one more time... see how India is prospering and how good it is now...

I guess more research is needed... for me as well as others... I am just a novice... but I strongly believe in what I have writen here...


[01-07-2005,20:00]
[**.30.92.5]
Anonymous
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
The founder of the Sikh religion was a Hindu...and Sikhism derives its roots from Hinduism..and of course a very little from Islam. So its utter stupidity to resort to violence of any sort.
[01-07-2005,21:17]
[**.33.91.61]
Anonymous
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
Don´t know how many of us really know the history of Sikhs and Sikhism but would be nice to know in order to understand the irony of the entire Hindu-Sikh situation here.

When Mogul rulers like Aurangzeb were converting Hindus to Islam by force, (note that Sikhs were not Sikhs at that time in the sense we know them now, they were just hindus who followed the way shown by a great Saint "Guru Nanak Dev"). The 9th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur, who had a large following at that time resisted his moves and was targetted by the Mogul king who tried to convert him so that he could defeat the morale of non-complying Hindus.
Guru Teg Bahadur was subject to extreme physical torture and ultimately died when they made poured boiling oil over him and then beheaded him. He did not bow to his demands.

Then, his Son, Guru Gobind took over and lead the resistance against Aurangzeb, but this time in a different way. He organized an army of Fighters from among Hindus and called them "Singhs" meaning Lions. HE asked them to grow Hair and wear turbans as an identification of being a Singh.

He and his army fought the Moguls bravely. The most touching part being the bravery shown by his four sons aged 9 to 17. Two of them died fighting the Mogul army and two of them were held captive and were asked to convert or else get buried alive. Those two kids had the strenth and courage of their father and will of a mountain. they chose being buried alive than compromising on their beliefs.

Such extreme sacrifice. For What and For whom ?
Yes, For Hindus and for Hinduism.

That is the history behind Sikhs being called Warriors today. They have won us many wars in the modern times as well. Who can forget a Sikh Regiment of 120 men holding up against a battallion of 4000 pakistani soldiers for a whole night in Longewal.

Still, this Hindu-Sikh Rivalry ? Beyond comprehension. Call it politics or call it modern fundamentalism or call it some foreign hands playing games, but in the minds of a God fearing Sikh and a history educated Hindu there is no difference between the two. When you leave it to the politicians, they will find ways to create a rift between a mother and even her unborn baby. Hindus an Sikhs are too easy for them to exploit..

Live and Let live
Love and get Love

[01-07-2005,21:17]
[***.214.150.100]
Amit
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
what I found most interesting about this article was how the Sikh community is struggling in Canada to embrace their new life and figure out a way to let go of the home style problems.

I was talking to my fiance about the new same sex marriage law that was passed this week. He is a Muslim and this new law is very hard for him to accept. I was explaining to him that part of the fine print in the immigration document that never gets read is that you must be ready to live beside people who think and behave differently than you do.

All the prejudices and strong opinions that are acceptable in a home country must live peacefully beside a neighbour who might think completely different. You do not have the right to insist someone agree, or conform to your thinking. That is what Canada is about.

It is easier for some than others.


[01-07-2005,21:53]
[***.20.170.23]
sharon
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
shut the hell up with this stupid comments and stupid articles...why are we talking this bulsshit...we need to achieve our goal which is canada so guys stop this stupid articles and write something useful....bloody stupids
[01-07-2005,22:20]
[***.78.97.238]
dude
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
hey dude... don´t read it if you do not like it. Nobody is slowing down your goal to Canada.

but if your goal is Canada...don´t you want to learn a little bit about what life might be like here- particularly for a new Canadian? Or are you like some of the people in the article, that think they can bring their home country with them and do not need to adapt to a new culture.

I learned some interesting things from our posters in this thread. hope others do too.


[01-07-2005,23:06]
[***.20.170.23]
sharon
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
Sharon,
The funny this is that this "Dude" actually write on the forum and advocates not to write on such issues...

Thats funny... He/She/It needs to relax and take some time off

[01-07-2005,23:58]
[**.30.92.5]
Anonymous
(in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
hi sharon
i know u have good knowledge about sikhism. but here u have written only with partiality.when mahatma gandhi was killed by nathu ram godse non of the marathi was killed by the mobs and again when rajiv gandhi was killed by timllian none of the tamillion was killed by mobs...WHY ONLY WHEN MRS INDIRA WAS KILLED BY HER BODY GUARD WHY ONLY SIKHS WERE KILLED BY MOBS IN ALL THE MAJORITY OF HINDU CITIES LIKE NEW DELHI,KAN PUR JAIPUR ALL MOST EVERY PLACE OTHER THAN PUNJAB.YOUNG GIRLS WERE RAPED SIKHS WERE BURNED LIVE LOOTED THERE HARD EARNED PROPERTY.None of the police or milltary were there to resque the helpless sikhs even being in indian air firce we being suffered lot of humiliaton
ONLY THE BEARER KNOWS WHEN THE SHOE PINCHES


DON´T B JAKAL OF ALL TRADES N MASTER OF NONE
2ND LY WHEN UR SUPREME COURT (HIEGST LAW BODY)HAS GAVE HTEIR VEDICT THAT THEY WERE NOT GUILTY ,EITHER U DON´T RESPECT THAT HONOURABLE COURT OR U HAVE SPECIAL ENIMITY WITH PARTICULAR COMMUNITY
THERE ARE LOT OF THING U R NOT AWARE OF ABOUT INDIAN BLOODY POLITICS

[05-07-2005,07:50]
[***.164.51.106]
air force
huh... (in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
Amen? Yay? Hurray? Boohoo? How should one react to this overreaction?
[07-07-2005,18:22]
[***.128.144.77]
Anonymous
hello (in reply to: in todays paper- about Sikhs in Canada)
was sure that the line "we have met the enemy and he is us" is from Shakespeare, but I cannot find it anywhere! Can you help?
[26-06-2006,19:28]
[**.31.86.8]
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