The Trailblazers

Indo- of

Sucha Singh Claire

English translation by

Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman

Edited by the author of Becoming Canadians. Sarjeet Singh Jagpal

Tarlochan Publishers, International Publishers of Indian / Foreign Languages

Representation Office : 33 old oak Lane Levittown, NY -11756 (U.S.A)

The Trailblazers Indo-Canadians of British Columbia by : Sucha Singh Claire Ph: 604-325-1450

English translation by Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman

Title designed by T. Singh ISBN : 978-81-7914-604-0

First Edition : 2013 Second Edition : 2014

Price : Rs. 200

© Author

Published by : Tarlochan Publishers 3236, Sector 15-D, Chandigarh (M) 98786 03236,98146 73236 E-mail : [email protected] Dedicated

To all Immigrants

Who landed on foreign lands empty handed

But

Made landmark achievements

in their respective fields CONTENTS

• A VIRTUOUS WORK BY SUCHA SINGH CLAIRE 7 Principal Sarwan Singh

• LITERARY EVALUATION OF TRAILBLAZERS 12 Principal Surinder Pal Kaur Brar

• A BRIEF POINT OF VIEW / Dr. Gurumel Sidhu 17

• TRANSLATOR’S NOTE 19 Jagtar Singh Dhiman (Dr)

• PREFACE / Sucha Singh Claire 21

1. ASA SINGH JOHAL 23 AN AMALGAM OF DILIGENCE AND PHILANTHROPY

2. HERB DHALIWAL 29 THE FIRST INDO-CANADIAN MINISTER IN .

3. SHUSHMA DATT 35 THE PRODUCER OF CULTURAL PROGRAMS

4. 40 THE PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

5. TARA SINGH HAYER 47 THE FOUNDER OF INDO CANADIAN TIMES

6. MOE SIHOTA 54 THE PIONEER LEGISLATOR OF INDIAN ORIGIN

7. 59 FROM POLICE OFFICER TO MINISTER

8. RUPINDER HAYER BAINS 63 THE EDITOR OF INDO-CANADIAN TIMES 9. MR WALLY OPPAL 70 THE FIRST INDO-CANADIAN JUSTICE

10. MOHINDER SINGH TAKHAR 75 THE FIRST TURBANED TO WIN ELECTORAL MANDATE

11. BALWANT SANGHERA 81 THE CONNOISSEUR OF EDUCATION

12. PETER DHILLON 86 THE KING OF CRANBERRIES

13. SHASHI ASSANAND 92 THE SOCIAL WORKER PAR EXCELLENCE

14. SURINDERPAL RATHOR 99 THE DEPUTY MAYOR

15 ARJAN BHULLAR 106 THE COMMONWEALTH GOLD MEDALIST

16 DR BIKKAR SINGH LALLI 112 THE ACE MATHEMATICIAN

17. JAGAT SINGH UPPAL 118 AN AMALGAM OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION

18. INDERJIT KAUR SIDHU 123 THE MULTI-DIMENTIONAL PERSONALITY

19. CHARANPAL GILL 130 THE SOUL OF PROGRESSIVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

20. MOHAN GILL 137 THE ONE WHO BOLDLY FACED CHALLENGES 21. DR. SETTY PENDAKUR 143 THE INTELLECTUAL AND TIRELESS PROFESSOR

22. DR GURDEV SINGH GILL 150 THE VILLAGE REFORMER PAR EXCELLENCE

23. MASTER GURNAM SINGH RANU 158 THE EPITOME OF STRUGGLE

24. SARPANCH JIT SINGH SANDHU 164 THE ONE WHO VALUES SELF-WORTH

25. BABA BUDH SINGH DHAHAN 169 THE STAUNCH PROMOTER OF HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION

26. MALKIT SINGH PARHAR 176 THE PIONEER IN RADIO PROGRAMS

6 / The Trailblazers A VIRTUOUS WORK BY SUCHA SINGH CLAIRE

Mr Sucha Singh Claire is a writer with simplicity, candor and clear- conception. He often writes effortlessly without any defilement. His writings are reader friendly as they can easily grasp the idea and intent. His writings have always been truthful about whomsoever he wrote. His sketches have since long been published in the magazine ‘Indo-Canadian Times’. He is indeed a candid journalist. A resolute individual, Mr Sucha Singh Claire has been consistently taking part in the famous ‘Ten Kilometer Sun Run’ of for many years at a stretch. Even at a ripe age touching three-quarters of a century, he might have left behind more than half of the forty- fifty thousand of runners that ran with him. He has been bestowed with an excellent physique, neither too fat, light- weight, tall or short. He weighs seventy kilos. He has a wheatish complexion, half-bald head and a shrilling voice. He walks upright and will live long. When I met him for the first time in 1995, he greatly impressed me. I wrote his pen-picture with a fitting title ‘Punjabi market da mohrigadd’ (Doyen of Punjabi Market). Later, he brought out two books namely, ‘Jagg beetiaan’ and ‘Samay di pairh’ and I stood by him when these were published. His writings are replete with general information that enhances readers know-how. Generally, he writes about his own experiences in Canada. It can be rightly held that his essays are like mirrors to the Indo-Canadian community living in Canada.

The Trailblazers / 7 A majority of Punjabi books are on poems, stories and other literary forms but those focusing on knowledge- imparting informative subjects are indeed in short supply. The knowledge imparting books on diverse subjects are not generally published in large numbers. The novel form of literature has not received the due focus. The critics too are not considering this. The book in hand carries vital information on about two-dozen persons. Projecting those trailblazing personalities was indeed a must. They left Punjab in search of green pastures in Canada. They had to struggle hard to be a part of the Canadian mainstream and became faces in the crowd. They can be role models for the new generation. They made initiatives in different areas and turned out to be creators of new paths. Mr Sucha Singh Claire himself is such a trailblazing personality. He was born on July 8, 1937 at Jagatpur Jattan of District Kapurthala in the Doaba region of Punjab in an ordinary farmers’ family that believed in simple living. He obtained his primary education from his village and higher education from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara. He served for some period as Chairman of Co operative Bank in his village and left for England in 1962. He worked diligently on machines at Coventry and earned good money before leaving for Canada in 1969. After reaching Canada he started his own clothing and textile business in one of the Shopping Districts of South Vancouver. Thereafter, Indo- Canadian merchants followed suit by starting some other businesses. His store was the first to have been opened by an Indo Canadian in that area. In a span of ten years time that Shopping District became known as Punjabi Market and Mr Sucha Singh Claire as pioneer of the Market. This was a special attraction for women customers.

8 / The Trailblazers Now the display boards atop different shops in the Punjabi Market, Vancouver are exclusively written in Punjabi and Surrey is like the Mini Punjab now. Its bazaars are displaying their Punjabi fervor to its full. There the dhabas have heated tandoors (ovens) and bhatthis. The chicken, karelas (bittergourds) and daals are being fried with typical Punjabi onion and garlic tadkas. The fragrance of dhania (coriander) and pudina (mint) fills the surroundings. Makki di roti (corn flour pancake), sarson da saag (cooked mustard greens) and mango pickles are easily available here. The chatti di khatti lassi (buttermilk prepared in earthen pitcher), which is vanishing from Punjab, is easily available here. From dahi bhalla to gol gappas and chhole bhathure, everything is available in the Market. One can have typical feel of the simmering tea with clove and cardamom flavors, frying of samosas and pakoras and making of jalebis. The sweet and sour aroma goes on attracting the passersby. The shops are replete with fashionable suits and jewelry in Surrey, Abbotsford and the Punjabi Market. One can also find desi juttis (Punjabi shoes), wangaan-choorian (colorful glass bangles) and type parandas (braid chords) and nalas (trouser chords) here. The Market is decorated with multi-hued turbans and chunnis for ladies. It looks like a market. The only difference is that in Ludhiana Punjabi is vanishing from the boards, but here in Canada the shops are getting adored with boards and banners written in Punjabi. Mr Sucha Singh Claire served the Punjabi Market Association as its Cashier a well as President. He contributed extensively in Central association of Punjabi Writers of North America Surrey B C and many other societies and committees. For his noble deeds he was bestowed with several honors and felicitations. He is leading

The Trailblazers / 9 journalist to have covered Canadian life, especially the Indo- Canadian fraternity in his writings. An article in this book is on Mr Moe Sihota, who became the first Indo-Canadian Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia State of Canada. He set up a tradition that was later followed by more than a dozen politicians of Punjabi origin, who became Legislators in different Legislative Assemblies. Some of them became Members of Parliament and even the Ministers. Mr Ujjal Dosanjh was the first Punjabi to have become the Premier or Chief Minister of the State of British Columbia. A profile on Mr Ujjal Dosanjh is also included in this book. Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar is the first turbaned Sikh to have won a City Council election. Mrs Shushma Datt is the first Indo-Canadian woman of Canada who started television program in Punjabi. Later, many Punjabi programs were started. Mr Bikkar Singh Lalli became famous as a mathematician. The name of Mr Asa Singh Johal is well known among all those concerned with wood-mills. His contribution is well known in the portals of history of wood- mills in Canada. The book in hand by Mr Sucha Singh Claire is indeed historically important. Whenever a treatise on the contribution of Punjabis in Canada will be written, or somebody will conduct research on the role of Indo- Canadians in the development of Canada, such books will serve as useful resource material. Mr Tara Singh Hayer was a pillar of Punjabi journalism in Canada. He started a magazine ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ and nurtured it to be on strong footing. Now the magazine is being looked after by his daughter Mrs Rupinder Hayer Bains with the cooperation of her family. This book incorporates sketches on them as well. Mr Herb Dhaliwal is the first Punjabi who became a Minister in the Canadian

10 / The Trailblazers Government. Similarly, Mr Wally Oppal rose to the position of a Justice in British Columbia. He en -kindled the name of Punjabis in the Canadian judiciary. Mr Arjun Singh Bhullar won gold for Canada in . It was indeed his exemplary prideful attainment. This book carries articles on hard workers Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, Mr Jagat Singh Uppal, Mr Malkit Singh Parhar, Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu, Mr Peter Dhillon, Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill, Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera, Mr Jeet Singh Sandhu, Mr Charanpal Gill, Mr Mohan Singh Gill, Mr Amrik Singh Virk, Mr Surinderpal Rathor, and some others, that throw light on their lives and actions. This book presents a unique style of Mr Sucha Singh Claire for developing word-pictures of these personalities. This book will motivate and encourage the readers. Those, whom this book is about, are diligent and immensely motivated that made them special from the ordinary. If the characters included in the book can become extraordinary from ordinary, then why not others can try? I congratulate Mr Sucha Singh Claire for diligently writing the book based on interviews with 26 personalities. I trust readers will like the book.

Principal Sarwan Singh Toronto (Canada)

The Trailblazers / 11 LITERARY EVALUATION OF TRAILBLAZERS

The Trailblazers by Sucha Singh Claire, leaves a unique and meaningful effect on the mind of readers. Sucha Singh Claire is a hardworking and socially reputable individual. He was born in Jagat Pur Jattan district Kaputhala, Punjab, India and gained his higher education from Ramgarhia educational institutions Phagwara. He moved to England in 1962 and then he immigrated to Canada in 1969 and started his own business in 1970. In my opinion Sucha Singh Claire himself is a trailblazer. It is only due to his creativity that we are able to know about some great personalities of BC described in the book. Great personalities are always a source of inspiration. According to WH Hudson Literature is a vital record what men have seen in life, what they have thought and experienced of life, Claire Sahib has well knitted the incidents of their lives in a very interesting way. There is performance in his essays as well as biographics as he worked hard to know these pioneers. The book is a collection of twenty six mini biographic representing excellent essay writing. There is an element of romance in the description of struggle in each person’ life as said “Truth is always stronger than fiction.” The bio graphics of Shakespeare and Bhai Veer Singh written by some writers failed to capture the romance in the daily struggle and hardships of their lives especially Bhai Veer Singh’s writings were considered as part of Singh Sabha’s movement.

Sucha Singh Claire has made a commendable effort to add to the history of BC immigrants from India by writing

12 / The Trailblazers about the great personalities who made a contribution in different works of life. People come and go they live and die but the contributions they make to the society live forever. After books named Same De Pair and Jag Beetian and than Trailblazer Sucha Singh Claire has proved that Punjabis are hard working and motivated people. People like Asa Singh Johal who started working with 25 cents per hour but to date he has donated 40 Lakh (4Million) dollars to Vancouver Children Hospital and he made a contribution of 22 Lakh dollars to establish a Punjabi Chair at the University of British Columbia. In 1991 he was honored with a Doctorate of Law by UBC. Mr. Herb Dhaliwal when he was minister he convinced the Govt. of Canada to open a visa office in Chandigarh and in 1999 glorified the Indian heritage by publishing a special postal stamp. Mr Claire has described Mr Ujjal Dosanjh who became first Attorney General than Premier of British Columbia in 2000 in a very spectacular way.

Essay writing was introduced in Punjabi literature through English literature . There’s always been a short fall of Punjabi essay writers although there has been great essay writers like Principal , Prof. Puran Singh, Mohan Singh and Gurbax Singh. Essays can be classified into two types, descriptive as the language of essay should per literary and the author should have a critical outlook. Sucha Singh Claire has described legendary Tara Singh Hayer in a very exploring way and it is only due to Tara Singh Hayer’s efforts that we are together in sharing and promoting Punjabi literature. He also started the first Punjabi school in 1973 in collaboration with managing committee of Khalsa Diwan society of Ross Street Gurdwara Vancouver. We salute his efforts. He was honored by the order of BC in 1995.

The Trailblazers / 13 Mr Moe Sihota who while he was serving his duties as a minister established 200 regional parks. Amrik Virk who was the first Punjabi police inspector in the western region of Canada and was member of the board of directors of Surrey Memorial Hospital have been mentioned in a very pioneering for the future generation. The achievements of Wally Oppal are also written in very meaningful way .This signifies the capability of understanding emotional psychology of different people by Sucha Singh Claire. Mr Wally Oppal practiced law for 13 years and 1985 he was nominated as a Judge of Supreme Court of BC and in 2005 he won the election of BC assembly and became the Attorney General. S.Mohinder Singh Takhar was the first elected turbaned representative in Canada. Renowned lover Balwant Sanghera remained a senator at SFU and received the Jubilee Award for nurturing and fostering Punjabi language.

The king of cranberry Mr Peter Dhillon broke records with cranberry production. The deputy mayor Surinderpal Rathor has been volunteering for the last 21 years. All these are the examples of Sucha Singh Claire’s vast outlook, either he is illustrating the gold medalist Mr Arjan Bhullar or the great mathematician Mr Bikkar Singh Lalli who in 1966 got his PhD degree from UBC, taught mathematics for 30 years and wrote nearly 150 research papers. From a sawmill worker to a sawmill owner Mr. Jagat Singh Uppal is an example of a hardworking and an enterprising individual. His father S Dalip Singh came to Canada in 1906 when there were only 387 Indo Canadian in BC. On 12 June 2012 Jagat Singh Uppal was honored with a Doctorate of Law by SFU Vancouver The founder of Pics Mr Charanpal Gill who started the BC farm union and BC organization to fight racism in 1980 has been honored several times by different organizations and institutions. Mr Setty Pendakur who has served as a director

14 / The Trailblazers of nearly 40 organizations and had written more than 100 papers on transport planning and public policy will always be an inspiration for people.

Dr. Gurdev Singh Gill was the first Indo Canadian student in UBC to pass his M D. It is only due to his untiring efforts that parties were exempted to go to Delhi for their medicals. He was also was honored with the Order of BC and Doctorate of Science. When one intends to write biographies it means that the biography has significant importance for that writer. Master Gurnam Singh’s achievements and a very self esteemed sarpanch Mr Jit Singh Sandhu’s contributions to social welfare organizations is also worth praising. They are like pyramids for the coming generations. Sucha Singh Claire also glorified the services rendered by Baba Budh Singh Dhahan in the field of education and health and late Malkit Singh Parhar who pioneered Punjabi radio programming in 1962-63. Mohan Gill and Inderjit Kaur Sidhu made immense contributions in the field of Punjabi literature have also been illustrated with acclaim. Mohan who is master English writes beautiful poetry (especially Haiku) has been president of central association of Punjabi writers of North America in 2011 and Mrs Inderjit Sidhu is a bold writer who write stories, essays and magnificent Punjabi poetry. Her writings have an element of revolt. She has also been a president of the Central Association of Punjabi writers and still working tirelessly for this association.

Everyone knows Shushma Datt that she is the one who started the 24 hours radio Rim Jhim. Rupinder Hayer Bains is an institution in herself. She is nurturing her father’s dream with hard work and passion. It is only due to her sheer efforts that the Indo Canadian Times paper is very popular in Canada and overseas. Similarly Shashi Assanand is a prominent

The Trailblazers / 15 social worker of greater Vancouver. Along with being a writer she is an excellent speaker too.

According to Mr. Ravinder Ravi, Sucha Singh Claire’s essays are not merely informative and knowledgeable but enthralling to read. There is clarity, brevity and originality in his writings. He has his own expression to express other people’s experiences, just like every bird makes its own nest, each winter procreates his writing style. I congratulate him on the publication of the second edition of this book and May God bless him with a long and healthy life so that he continues to write master pieces like this.

Principal, Surinder Pal Kaur Brar Vice President Central Association of Punjabi Writers North America. Vancouver. Canada

16 / The Trailblazers A BRIEF POINT OF VIEW

The Creators of New Foot Prints (Navian Paeraan de Sirjanhar) is a book by Sucha Singh Claire. It contains biographical sketches of various persons/ personalities living in Canada. These people, through their hard work, have influenced the Canadian Punjabi culture. Claire personally interviewed these individuals and has provided a reasonably good information. His efforts are praiseworthy because of the quality time he has spent to explore the lives and contributions of these persons. Now a day’s who takes pain to write about others . In modern times, time is money and everybody loves money. Claire has spent his precious time to collect data on these persons and produced a reasonably good anthology. The book is written in a simple Punjabi language.(Translated in English with a name The Trailblazers) Simplicity of language goes with the experience of the writer. The sketches have smooth reading indicating that the author has a grasp on the subject matter which made the style impressive and catchy. Claire is not a full time writer and as such is not a part of rat-race in Punjabi literature. However, rhetoric aspect of his writings points towards the quality of a good writer. Book contains some famous persons who have made their names in various walks of life. Noteworthy among them are, Ujjal Singh Dosanjh, Herb Dhaliwal, Tara Singh Hayer, Moe Sihota, Bikkar Singh Lalli, Dr. Gurdev Singh Gill, Asa Singh Johal, Budh Singh Dhahan Malkeet Singh Parhaar, Jeet Singh Ankhee, Rupinder Hayer Bains, Shushma Datt.

The Trailblazers / 17 Mohan Gill and Balwant Sanghera. I have the privilege to know some of these persons personally during my 10 years sojourn in Vancouver, first as a Ph.D. student at UBC and then as a faculty member of the Simon Frazer University at Burnaby, Canada. I know Sucha Singh Claire for many years. He is a hard working individual. Initially he migrated from India to England and then to Vancouver, Canada. He opened first cloth-shop on Main street in Vancouver. His efforts attracted other merchants and a full-fledged Punjabi market cropped up in Vancouver. His maiden efforts in establishing a business, points towards his enterprising nature of personality. This book is a splendid example of his outgoing nature to accomplish things.

Dr. Gurumel Sidhu Professor, California State University, Fresno, CA. USA.

18 / The Trailblazers TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Punjabis are known for their willpower, excellent adjustment to new environment and working with determination. They know how to create niche of creditability for themselves in newer areas andth professions. In the first half of the 20 century, several Punjabis, mostly from the Doaba region of Punjab, moved out to foreign lands in England and Canada with a primary motive of better prospects and green pasture as they had very less or no land holding back home. They made huge struggles, overcame emerging challenges and traversed arduous obstacles through sheer hard work, prudent planning and need-based adjustments. Many of them came victorious and reached the pinnacles of success in different professions. Indeed! They created new paths for themselves. These trailblazers are sources of great inspiration for others, particularly the younger generations. The Punjabis, all over the world are proud of their achievements. The book ‘Naweeaan Pairhan De Sirjanhaar” by Mr Sucha Singh Claire is a compilation of 26 Personality Profiles of these successful individuals. In the sketches, Mr Claire has effectively presented the struggle some lives of Punjabis living in Canada. As Canadian immigrants, these Punjabis started their lives from the square one but struggled hard to reach the highest pinnacles of success in varied fields of religion, politics, literature, culture, business, industry, education and other professional and academic arenas. It presents their success stories of becoming the noticeable faces in the crowd. They made initiatives in odd areas and turned out to be creators of new paths leading to glittering

The Trailblazers / 19 success. These successful creators of new paths can be role models for our new generations. These profiles included in the book were earlier published in ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, the famous Punjabi paper of Mr Tara Singh Hayer. Mr Claire has very honestly projected the actual but harsh realities of their determined, committed and progressive attitudes. The profiles, besides being deeply informative and motivating serve as useful resource material for anyone who wants to know about the ways of life that Punjabis have in Canada. His writing style is simple, lucid and focused. The subject matter included in the book emanates from his heart and carry the realistic experience that Mr Claire himself has had during his life. The information on the struggle, trauma, agony and joy are woven intricately in a simple understandable style though the content is penetrating. Principal Sarwan Singh has mentioned in the Foreword of the book that Mr Claire has made virtuous efforts to making the motivational success stories of these personalities known to the masses. I find the portrayal as of high quality illustrating the efforts made by our progressive fraternity in upholding the glory of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat. I have greatly enjoyed translating the personality profiles into English. I hope it will help promote the outreach of the information to a wider segment of readership internationally. I am sure, our younger generations who were born on the foreign land will come to know, by reading the book that their forefathers worked hard, made sacrifices and shed their eases to see their future generations live securely and comfortably. I congratulate Mr Sucha Singh Claire for the publication of this second edition of his book.

January.24,2014 Jagtar Singh Dhiman (Dr.) Ludhiana, India.

20 / The Trailblazers PREFACE

I spent seven years from the start of 1962 as immigrant in England before leaving for Vancouver City of British Columbia, Canada in October 1969 along with my family. Those days, Indians didn’t have many small business in Vancouver. Greatly impressed with the growing professions of people of Indian origin in England, I launched the first garment store in a Shopping District of South Vancouver in May 1970. Later on, that area became the well-known ‘Punjabi Market’. Toward the end of 1990s the Punjabis settled in British Columbia had started making good progress in economic, political, academic, and social fields. I was immensely impressed by the exemplary progress made by those people. The main objective of writing this book was to apprise the readers about the initial days of their struggle to go abroad in search of greener pasture, their work and job profiles and achievements that they made. I have included the profiles of some such successful people though there are many more faces who made remarkable achievements on the foreign land. But it is not possible to include each one of them in the book. God willing, I will endeavor writing about them also. I am extremely grateful to my family and friends for the encouragement and co-operation they offered to me for writing this book. I express my gratitude to the management of ‘Indo- Canadian Times’ for publishing all these profiles in the magazine in a series. I thank Principal Sarwan Singh for motivating me to publish my first book ‘Jagg beetiaan’ and for writing Foreword for the book in hand and thereby adding value to it. My thanks are also due to renowned litterateur

The Trailblazers / 21 Mr Ravinder Ravi, who wrote some lines for the last cover of the book. I am thankful to Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman for doing a very good job of translating this book from Punjabi to English. I gain pleasure by adding the views of Dr. Gurumel Sidhu University of Fresno California, America, Dr. Jagtar Singh Dhiman Agriculture University Ludhiana, Punjab, India and Principal Surinderpal Kaur Brar of Surrey BC Canada into this second addition of my book. I am thankful to Mr.Tarlochan Singh of M/S Tarlochan Publishers, Chandigarh for bringing out the book in nice print and making it reach out to readers. The decision on how far I have been successful in developing the profiles of trailblazers included in the book rests with the readers.

January.26, 2014. Sucha Singh Claire Vancouver (Canada)

22 / The Trailblazers ASA SINGH JOHAL AN AMALGAM OF DILIGENCE AND PHILANTHROPY

Punjabi Sikhs were dominant among the immigrants from India who settled in British Columbia province of Canada, in search of greener pastures, about a century ago. Though these immigrants were not well educated but they were the astute followers of Sikh Gurus and believed in hard work. They dressed themselves in Sikh attire and believed in hard physical work. Although they were in marginal numbers, yet they set up a gurdwara in Vancouver in 1906. This is an evidence of their firm faith in and an imbibing interest in offering endowment. The diligent person, who I am going to introduce to you, accompanied his father, S. Pratap Singh Johal, from village Jandiala in District to Canada in 1905. During his first journey to Canada from 1905 to 1919, he worked hard for most of the time in sawmills in the Vancouver region. When he went back to his village in 1919, he married Ms Tej Kaur and Mr Asa Singh was born on August 17, 1922. I got an opportunity to meet Mr Asa Singh Johal for an interview through Mr Jawanda, General Secretary of gurdwara Nanak Niwas and Cultural Centre, Richmond,B C in one of the offices of Nanak Niwas. Mr Asa Singh Johal played a pivotal role in the establishment of this Centre. I learned from the interview that Mr Asa Singh Johal came to Vancouver along with his parents, at a young age of one and a half, in 1924.

The Trailblazers / 23 He was sent to an Asian School, situated near the present Oak Bridge on the Marine Drive. Besides him and a Chinese student, the School had all the Japanese students. All and sundry in the school spoke Japanese and this made Mr Asa Singh to learn neither English, nor any other language. After about two years or so, when his parents came to know that Mr Asa Singh could not learn anything from this school, he was shifted to another school where majority of the students were non-Asians. Here too, Mr Asa Singh did not show any interest in studies. He left education at an age of 14 and took to work in the sawmill. He had to work very hard for 48 hours in a week. Those days, there was a great disparity in wages paid to foreigners and Asians. Whereas a non-Asian worker got 45 Cents, the Asian worker got 35 Cents and an Indian worker got only 25 Cents per hour. That was the time when the houses did not have any electricity or gas based heating system. The houses used to burn wood scraps salvaged from sawmills for heating and cooking. Later, he took to the trucking business. In 1948, he visited his Village Jandiala in India and married Ms Kashmir Kaur, daughter of Mr Hans Raj Basi and Mrs Joginder Kaur Basi, the well respected residents of the nearby Village Bundala. After spending a year in the village, Mr Asa Singh took his wife to Canada. He again took to wood-mill job and thereafter to trucking. In 1962, he set-up a sawmill. Earlier, the mill had only 10 workers but with time it grew to be the top-ranking mill of domestic control in British Columbia. This mill owned by Mr Asa Singh Johal came to be better known as Terminal Forest Industries. He being himself a diligent worker and the better management were the factors for the excellent productivity and progress of the mill. He was so

24 / The Trailblazers involved in this work that he preferred to build his house right in the compound of the mill where he stayed with his alone son Darshi, daughter Jeewan and wife Mrs Kashmir Kaur. Toward the end of the seventh decade of the last century, he bought his first home situated near the Langara College in Southern Vancouver. Presently, the family is living in a gorgeous and magnificent home located in the western part of Vancouver. His ability to manage and hard work led to remarkable growth in their establishments. In addition to the first mill called Terminal Forest Industries, the family now has Mainland Mill in Vancouver and another Mill in a small town called Abbots, situated near Lyndon and Sumas on the Canada-America border on the American side. During the interview, I learned that during the time when wood from these mills was in great demand, his mills employed early 350 workers. When he started working in the mill, Mr Asa Singh used to get 25 Cents per hour but now his workers are getting 25 Dollars per hour. From his life style, one finds that Mr Asa Singh Johal believes in the philosophy of “dabb ke waah, rajj ke khaah” (working hard to earn well) and is keen to contribute toward charity. From his righteous earnings, he contributes bigheartedly for the needy and treatment of the patients. During the last 25 years, he donated $ 40 lakh (4 Million) to Children Hospital at Vancouver. For the last 25 years, he is contributing $ one lakh annually to this hospital. When the hospital expressed the need for additional funds, Mr Asa Singh Johal presented a $10 lakh cheque followed by another cheque of $ 5 lakh. Toward the end of last year, the Hospital Management organized a mega function to thank Mr Asa Singh Johal for his consistent philanthropy. He has also been offering huge

The Trailblazers / 25 donations to other hospitals such as St Paul Hospital, Richmond Hospital, United Way and Cancer Society. Although he is not able to read or write Punjabi, he is immensely keen to help the cause of promotion of Punjabi language and culture. In the mid 1990s, when the connoisseurs of Punjabi language and culture were gathering funds for establishing a Sikh study Chair in the University of British Columbia (UBC), Mr Asa Singh Johal offered a contribution of $ 2.25 lakh.( Quarter Million) Mr Harjot Singh Oberoi was appointed as the first Chair person of that Chair. In the same year, Mr Asa Singh Johal donated a sum of $ 2.25 lakh to UBC for strengthening research on wood craft. He offered huge funds to an organization for getting Sri Guru Granth Sahib translated in English but he is not sure whether this task had been accomplished by that organization. In 1984, a small gurdwara Nanak Niwas was set up on 10 acre of land on Road # 5 of Richmond, a small town in the vicinity of Vancouver. Now this gurdwara is considered as number one among all gurdwaras of Greater Vancouver, as far as its architectural magnificence and landscape are concerned. According to the gurdwara Management Committee, Mr Asa Singh Johal has made a total contribution to the tune of 20 lakh dollars, to date. During his visit to India, he offered his contribution for the village school or for some other charitable act. While interacting with him, I came to know about the agreement that he made with a contractor in India. As per the agreement, Mr Asa Singh Johal gave a contract worth Rs 57 lakh for construction of a stadium in the girls’ school. As agreed upon, the stadium is to be completed by 2013. If the contractor is not able to complete the stadium up to August 2013, there will be pecuniary loss to him as every one

26 / The Trailblazers month’s delay would mean a deduction of Rs 50 thousands. He believes that with the creation of the stadium, the village girls will be motivated to studies as well as sports and games. After their education or becoming ace sportswomen they could get good jobs. Besides contributing liberally to organizations engaged in humane activities, he had been sparing time from his busy schedule to serve as Advisor to these organizations. During the 1990s he served on the Board of Governors of UBC for three years, as Director of Children Hospital for five years, and as Director of the renowned Forest Industries of British Columbia for 20 years. He remained as Director of Canadian Investment Corporation, Toronto for many years. This important body advises the Canadian Government about how to make investments. He is serving the International Punjabi Society of British Columbia as President and Guru Nanak Niwas gurdwara and India Cultural Centre as Trustee and Chairman, respectively. A large number of organizations have felicitated Mr Asa Singh Johal in recognition of his services to the cause of public welfare. The UBC honored him with the degree of Doctor of Law in 1989. He was awarded the coveted titles ‘Order of British Columbia’ by British Columbian Government in 1991 and the ‘Order of Canada’ by the Canadian Government in 1992. Mr Asa Singh Johal is the only person of Indian origin from western region so far, who has been honored with the prestigious title ‘Order of Canada’. Mr Asa Singh Johal has a well-built physique with Italian features. He is soft spoken, diligent, honest, punctual and a philanthropist of high order. He has seen past the era of apartheid (racial discrimination), the economic recession of the 1930s, and the turbulence of the Second World War. He expressed that when he took to sawmill work, he had

The Trailblazers / 27 decided to be successful in this line of work only. He witnessed many ups and downs but remained undeterred and continued with his efforts till he succeeded in achieving his goal. He seems to be fully contented with the fruit that his hard workst bore. He has completed his 90 years and is in his 91 year now. He always carries a cheerful disposition. He gets up early in the morning at 4 a.m. and visits his three mills by himself driving his car. He pays his obeisance in gurdwara Nanak Niwas three or four times a week. For a well-to-do person, the donation can only be offered, if he possesses generosity and consent of his better half. Mr Asa Singh Johal and his wife Mrs Kashmir Kaur, by offering crores of dollars to the service organizations engaged in doing good to people irrespective of communities, have glorified the name not only of their family but of the entire Punjabi community as well.

28 / The Trailblazers HERB DHALIWAL: THE FIRST INDO-CANADIAN MINISTER IN CANADA

A period of more than a century has gone into history since Punjabis, particularly the Jatt Sikhs, migrated to Canada and started working there in order to satiate their economic needs. It is right to say about Punjabis that wherever they go, they not only establish strong niches for themselves but also contribute toward the progress of the region. For every immigrant the basic needs are employment, food security and suitable place to stay. Though Jatt Sikhs hailing from Punjab have farming as their main background, yet they can adapt to any profession. Even on the foreign lands, Punjabis are keen to take up whatever profession is at their hand. On examining the professional scenario of Punjabi immigrants, we will find that they did extremely well in trucking and wood-mill based business, in the beginning. Today, Punjabis living in Canada are engaged in a variety of commercial ventures. After ensuring their economic well being, the Punjabis are also interested in trying their hands in politics. Mr Herb (Harbans Singh) Dhaliwal is an individual, who has made creditable achievements in economic and political spheres. During an exclusive interview with Mr Herb Dhaliwal held in his business concern named Limozet Gold and Dynamic Facility Service Limited, last week, I learned that his grandfather Mr Dharam Singh Dhaliwal left his native place, Village Deegrian in District Jalandhar, in 1906 for Canada and that he reached Canada in 1908 via Russia and America.

The Trailblazers / 29 Mr Herb Dhaliwal, the eldest brother of five sisters, was born to his mother Mata Tej Kaur in December 1952 in his maternal village Cheheru, near Jalandhar. His father Mr Harchand Singh joined his grandfather Mr Dharam Singh at Vancouver in 1954. The six year old Herb accompanied his mother to reach Canada in 1958. He obtained his primary education from Sexsmith Elementary and John Oliver High School in South Vancouver. In 1972, he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Mr Moe Sihota, who was the first Indo-Canadian to be elected as M.L.A. in the British Columbian Legislative Assembly in 1986, was his classmate and they are friends even today. He played an active role in the Students Associations during his studies at the UBC. According to his father Mr Harchand Singh, Herb did hard work of filling gas in cars at the gas stations and lifting wooden slabs in wood-mills during his school and college days. Mr Herb received his education in the area of Business Management and he was keen to take on to some business of his own. After completing studies at UBC, he set up a Company named as ‘Moonlite Maintenance’ in a basement of the Main Street and Marine Drive corner, in collaboration with his relative Mr Mike Olak. Soon they started receiving contracts for cleaning and building maintenance service. Some years later, the ‘Moonlite Maintenance’ was renamed as ‘Dynamic Facilities Services Limited’ and under the aegis of this company he soon became a contractor for cleanliness service in Vancouver, Victoria, , , and Toronto airports. He also provided Limousine service through his ‘Limojet Gold Limousine Service Company’. His Companies, besides providing airport cleanliness and limousine service and carrying out trucking and building

30 / The Trailblazers construction work, employed thousands of workers. With sheer hard work and visionary outlook, Mr Herb became a millionaire. He wedded Ms Amrit Kaur, daughter of Mr Tehal Singh and Mrs Rattan Kaur of Manipur state in India in 1980. He was blessed with a son and two daughters. The deep association with Students’ Society in the college and with Mr Moe Sihota, his politically motivated friend, Mr Herb Dhaliwal too felt like trying his mite in politics. He jumped in political field during the elections of Canadian Parliament in 1993. He sought election from a constituency of Richmond for Liberal Party nomination but lost to Mr Raymond Chen, of Chinese origin. Then he fought election for nomination from the South Vancouver constituency that also had the Punjabi Market area in it, and won the candidature for Canadian Lok Sabha (House of Commons). During elections, he became Member of Canadian Parliament for the first time. In 1993 elections, Mr.Herb Dhaliwal and Mr Gurbax Singh Malhi were the pioneer candidates of Indian origin having elected from the Western part of Canada and Eastern part of Toronto, respectively. Mr Gurbax Singh Malhi had been the first turbaned Sikh in the Canadian Parliament. Mr Herb Dhaliwal had been the consistent winner in the Lok Sabha elections of Canada from 1993 through 2000. In recognition of the vision and responsibilities shared by Mr Herb Dhaliwal in the Canadian Parliament, the Canadian Prime Minister, Hon’ble Jean Chretien appointed him as Revenue Minister in 1997. With this, he became the first person of Indian origin to be elevated to the coveted position of a Minister in Canadian Government. He handled the responsibilities of Revenue Minister with great acumen and took many important initiatives in the

The Trailblazers / 31 Ministry. To streamline working and enhancing efficiency, the Ministry of Revenue was renamed as Canada Custom and Revenue Agency. The Custom Performa that everyone, no matter whether resident or tourist, had to fill upon entry in Canada was modified as a single Performa applicable for the entire family. It is still in practice. He was given responsibilities of Ministry of Fishery and Ocean in 1999 and of Minister for Natural Resources in 2002. He was deputed as the Politics In charge of British Columbia. Mr Herb Dhaliwal carried out all the responsibilities and duties that were assigned by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Jean Chretien, from time to time with utmost dedication and commitment and thus enkindled the name of Indians. The Canadian Government sold atomic reactors to India at the time when Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Pierre Trudeau were Prime Ministers in India and Canada, respectively. Due to some controversy about their utility, the relationship between Indian and Canadian governments lost some warmth. To remove this, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Jean Chretien along with the Chief Ministers of all the Canadian States visited India . Mr Herb Dhaliwal was also part of this delegation and he played a key role in the dialogue that was held between Indian leaders and the Canadian delegation. During their next visit to India in 1999, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Mr Herb Dhaliwal visited and paid obeisance at the Golden Temple. To date, he was the first having visited and paid obeisance at the Golden Temple. Mr Herb Dhaliwal accompanied the Canadian Governor General Mr Romeo Leblanc and his successor Ms Adrienne Clarkson during their visits to India with a hope to prop up warmth in India-Canada relations and growth in trade. There

32 / The Trailblazers is no exaggeration in that with the efforts of Mr Herb Dhaliwal, significant improvement took place in the liaison between Indian and Canadian Governments and growth in trade. He made a noteworthy contribution in obtaining the approval of Canadian government for setting up a Visa Office at Chandigarh. As a Minister he took part in several international conferences. Based on the speech on ‘land mines’ delivered by him in the International Parliamentary Union Conference held at Beijing, a resolution was made to ban the use of land mines. When he visited as part of the Canadian delegation visiting Cuba, Mr Herb Dhaliwal shared that he was greatly impressed with the persona of President Fidel Castro, who was a 6 feet tall, well built person with cheerful disposition and possessed a sound knowledge of international issues. Under the American pressure several countries, excluding Canada, had snapped diplomatic ties from Cuba. Therefore, he was pleased with foreign policy of Canada and was grateful to the Canadian people. During his ministerial tenure, Mr Herb brought glory to Indians by getting a special commemorative postal stamp issued by Canada Post on the occasion of Centenary Celebration of Indians’ settlement in Canada and Third Centenary Celebration of the Khalsa. Previous to joining politics, Mr Herb Dhaliwal served as Vice Chairperson in the Board of Directors of B.C.Hydro and Chairman of the Budget Committee. Mr Herb Dhaliwal has been a competent minister and a blemish-free politician who had the veracity to put his views forcefully and daringly. When the American President George Bush had announced war with Iraq ignoring the will of its people, American and foreigners, the Hon’ble Minister Herb Dhaliwal expressed that President George Bush was not a Statesman. This statement created turbulence in America.

The Trailblazers / 33 The American Ambassador to Canada raised a question of Mr Herb Dhaliwal’s offering an apology but he did not. He has been truthful and straightforward in his expressions. About his leaving politics, he says that after the 2000 elections the Liberal Party developed cracks in it. One group was led by Prime Minister Jean Chretien while the other by Finance Minister , of the opposite camp. During those days, his wife Mrs Amrit was down with cancer. When Prime Minister Jean Chretien bade good bye to politics in the best interest of the Party, Mr Herb Dhaliwal too announced his decision to stay away from politics. He declared not to involve himself in the 2004 elections. He devotedly looked after his wife but she expired in July 2004. After leaving politics, he daily goes to the offices of the business and supervises the management of the programs that he and his partner Mr Mike Olak had set up. It will not be an exaggeration that he has been a seasoned politician, a manager par excellence, an alert trader, a caring son, a nice father and husband and friend of friends. He is fond of going on excursions, running, reading and playing golf. He gladly shared that some years ago when the former American President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Jean Chretien visited Vancouver, he was immensely delighted to play golf with them at the Shaughnessy Golf course. In 2008, he married Professor Mrs Neelu of Panjab University, Chandigarh and they are living in Richmond.

34 / The Trailblazers SHUSHMA DATT THE PRODUCER OF CULTURAL PROGRAMS

Language, customs, living style, social interaction, songs and music are integral part of human civilization. For the sustainable safeguarding of one’s culture and its richness, the survival of language is of utmost importance. Forgetting one’s language means losing one’s civilization. The utterance and description of civilization that is possible in the mother tongue is not possible in any other language. When someone asked the world renowned scholar Mr Ravindra Nath Tagore, as to which written or spoken language is best for expressing his mind, he replied it was his mother tongue, Bengali. The efforts being made by immigrants for bringing out vernacular newspapers and airing musical programs in their dialects through radio and television are indeed useful in quenching the craving of their communities. Although radio programs in Indian languages have been operating since early 1962-63 but there has been tremendous improvement and augmentation with the exclusive efforts made by Nairobi born Shushma Datt. Her maternal family hailing from village Jhander Kalan of District Jalandhar had immigrated to Nairobi long ago. Her maternal grandfather (Nanaji) and mother too were born in Nairobi. Shushma was born in 1946 to mother Mrs Leela ji and father Mr Mela Datt. Shushma belongs to the type of people who did not forget their mother tongue and culture even on foreign lands. While she lived in Nairobi, Shushma was keen to pursue her higher education in India. She proved her mite

The Trailblazers / 35 in passing the Senior Cambridge examination in good marks and convinced her parents to send her to India in 1962 to pursue her education there. She obtained degree of B.A. in Hindi in 1965 from Delhi University and studied for one more year to get degree of ‘Maha Videshi’. By then her family had shifted to England. Shushma too joined them from India. Her education in Hindi from India was really useful in fetching a job in B.B.C. London. She started her career as a Hindi typist in the Hindi Broadcasting Division of the B.B.C. She knew how to progress further to establish herself. She was able to have hands-on experience of broadcasting and of a technician from there. In 1966, she could manage a meager five-minute slot for music broadcasting that was later expanded to 15 minutes, which is still continuing under the title ‘Jhankar’. She is the first women in the history of B.B.C. to have been elevated from Technician to Studio Manager. She married a Canadian boy at an age of 25 and she visited Vancouver for the first time in 1971. Her interest to work for B.B.C. made her to return back to England. The grandeur and magnificence of Vancouver and the better career prospects in Canada goaded her to permanently settle in Vancouver, where she shifted in 1972. She got a job in the newly started C.J.V.B. Radio Station at Vancouver. Based on her qualifications, she was appointed as Producer of the petty programs being broadcast in Indian languages, in 1973. Together with one of her colleagues, she started a program entitled ‘Aap Ki Mehfil’ on a television channel, in 1976. This half hour program successfully continued for year and a half. In 1987, she acquired rights for running programs in Punjabi and Hindi languages around the clock from C.J.J.R. Radio Station. This program, named by her as ‘Rimjhim’, is aired even outside British Columbia in some parts up to Alberta and

36 / The Trailblazers Ontario, with the sponsorship of companies. It was the first program to be aired in Indian languages round the clock outside India. In 1979, when Rodger Cable Vision started multi-lingual programs, Mrs Shushma could succeed in obtaining a five hour a week slot. The program covers a range of subjects including news, community activities, dramas, films, interviews with seers, peers, artists and political leaders in addition to entertainment segments. Even now the program ‘What is new in Vancouver?’ is aired under the name ‘Indradhanush’ every Thursday evening from 8 to 9 pm. In her words, ‘Inderdhanush’ means rainbow that imbibes seven colors. Like a rainbow Indian culture is an amalgam of multiple cultures. She believes that ‘Indradhanush’ program is an attempt to have a common integrated program for every religion and culture. Every Saturday, Omni T.V. telecasts program with a focus on women achievements, rights and social services. In 2005, Mrs Shushma Datt succeeded in obtaining a license for relaying multi-lingual program on 1200 AM Radio Band from the C.R.T.C. Although many women are connected with presentation of radio programs in Canada, yet Mrs Shushma has been the women who pioneered seeking the C.R.T.C. license for radio program presentation as a woman. During an interview, she informed me that she is broadcasting programs in as many as 17 languages from the R.J. 1200 A.M. from Monday to Saturday, programs are broadcast in Hindi and Punjabi and on Sunday in other languages. Her hour long program ‘gupshup’ (chatting) is very popular among listeners. According to her, 63 per cent listeners of her radio programs are of Indian origin and that the proportion of those listening to her ‘gupshup’ program is 80 per cent. From both her Radio Stations the programs are relayed round the clock.

The Trailblazers / 37 She also gathers charity for organizations such as children hospitals, cancer societies, and united way, etc. through ‘Rimjhim’ radio program. This is indeed her initiative! Talking about her role in radio and television programs, Mrs Shushma Datt shared that she never tried to impose her religious or political views upon her audience. The critical listeners endorse this statement of hers. She always acted in an impartial and unbiased manner. She, however, admits that she always tried to indirectly rake up issues concerning women rights and achievements. She is of the opinion that in Indian society has not yet given the women the due rights and respect that they deserve. The soft spoken, fearless, short-statured, agile and sharp-witted Mrs Shushma Datt says that she was keen to be a singer and classical dancer, for which she made efforts, but destiny had something else in store for her. Owing to her linkage with Indian culture and civilization, she adopted broadcasting as her profession in which she is fully involved delightfully. Responding to query regarding constraints and challenges in the way of broadcasting profession, she held that some degree of criticism in professions dealing with public is all the time there, adding that when out of jealousy some people create hurdles, it is hurting. Her mother tongue is Punjabi but she has read most of the Hindi literature. Besides being a good communicator in English, she is able to converse well in Guajarati and Suheli. She also is an ardent writer. Her exclusive articles and news on the issues concerning immigrants have been published in famous Indian newspaper Times of India and Hindi magazine Dharamyug. She is also apt in exercising responsibilities of master of ceremonies of mega functions. Nearly two dozen assistants are employed in the studios and offices of her I.T. Production Company for television and radio programs. The company is situated in

38 / The Trailblazers the municipality area of Burnaby, a town adjoining Vancouver. Due to a feud that developed between Mrs Shushma and her husband, the married life had come to an end before long. She believes that the cordial harmony between husband and wife at home and looking after the children are their primary duties. She added that if bond between husband and wife become distressed it is bound to adversely affect children. Under such a situation separation should be the right option. As per this thought, Shushma along with her only son Sudhir, had started living with her mother and younger sister. Grown up under the guidance of his maternal grandmother and mother, Sudhir has turned out to be an ace technical expert as far as television and radio are concerned. He is handling technical duties of the Television and Radio organization of the family. Finding time from her busy schedules, Shushma has also been serving on the Board of Directors of the Mount St Joseph Hospital, a shoot of the Vancouver General Hospital and as Member of the Advisory Board of the Broadcasting Programs of British Columbian Institute of Technology I.C.B.C. In recognition of her community services she has been presented appreciation letters by several organizations of Indian origin. She has also been honored by Y.W.C.A. and Multi-Culture Society of Vancouver for her services. She has also been awarded during the British Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. She is the sole women in the Canadian fraternity, who has been honored in 1992 with the coveted award ‘Order of British Columbia’. She seems to be fully contented and pleased with her broadcasting and journalism profession. While interacting with me, she expressed her wish to be in this profession forever. I offer my best wishes for her long life and the fulfillment of her wish.

The Trailblazers / 39 UJJAL DOSANJH THE PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Canada is a huge country of multi- cultural, multi-racial, multi lingual and multi-religion people. A few centuries ago, people from England and France started settling here. According to the rules framed by them, Asians and black people from other regions could not come in there. About a century ago, when people of Indian origin started coming here furtively, the European inhabitants and government authorities adopted a policy of discrimination against them. In the middle of 1914, as about four hundred Indians traveled by Komagata Maru ship and reached the Vancouver city of British Columbia, they were not allowed by the authorities to enter. After about three months of harassment and humiliation the fruitless wandering ship was sent back. Since the start of last century the Indians who had settled in Canada, forfeited their voting right in 1908. The struggle made by people has indeed resulted in big changes pertaining to human rights and cultures over a period of time. India got independence in 1947 and in 1967 the Liberal Party Government of Canada amended the Canadian Immigration Act to effect a non-discriminatory act vide which people from anywhere in the world could come and settle in Canada. This opened doors for Indians. Till 1967, the quota of people migrating from India to Canada was 300 per annum but the number of Indians coming to Canada during the last decade has been thirty thousand per year. During the last four decades or so, the Canadian government has been fully cooperating by enacting

40 / The Trailblazers rules that look after the religious, linguistic and cultural interests of immigrants coming to Canada. The basic need of every immigrant is food, livelihood and lodging. The first priority of each one is economic well being before one could consider taking interest in social or political issues. Those who inhabit here are fully free to chose their work or participate in political activity. There are a lot of opportunities available for one to get affluent or excel in politics in this developed and further progressing country. After settling in Canada, many people have become millionaires with their sheer vision and hard work, and some are doing extremely well in politics. In my opinion, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh could not become a millionaire but scaled highest step of success in the ladder of politics. He was born to father Mr Pritam Singh and mother Mrs Surjit Kaur of village Dosanjh Kalan of District Jalandhar in September 1947. He is younger to his brother Kamal and elder to his two sisters. According to his masi (mother’s sister), Mrs Harjit Kaur Dhillon, who lives in Vancouver, Ujjal was just six years old when he lost his mother. He, therefore, had his education up to fourth grade at his nana (maternal grandfather) Jathedar Moola Singh and nani (maternal grandmother) Mrs Raj Kaur’s, village Bahowal, District Jalandhar. He was sent to Khalsa High School, which was run by his father in village Dosanjh Kalan, for fifth to tenth grade education. For about two years, he studied at Ramgarhia College, Phagwara but when he was about 17, he left for England, where he did diverse types of works in different factories. He, however, felt the need for proficiency in English language and tried hard to gain knowledge of it. Right from his college days, Mr Ujjal was fond of writing and delivering lectures from stage. With this aptitude, he served as Assistant Editor of the magazine ‘Mamta’, brought out by Mr Rai of England.

The Trailblazers / 41 Considering Canada as having better prospects than England, he shifted to Vancouver to join his maasi (mother’s sister) Mrs Harjit Kaur Dhillon and maasar (maasi’s husband) Mr Manjit Singh Dhillon. She provided him with motherly affection. Those days, most of the immigrants from India worked hard in sawmills. Mr Ujjal had already completed a Lab Technician’s course from England and finished the ‘First Aid’ course after he arrived in Vancouver. With this, he started working in the sawmill where Mr Dhillon worked. He knew it very well that it was through proper education that one could lead a life of status and comfort. He started attending evening classes. After he had worked in the sawmill for about three years, Ujjal hurt himself during work. This made him change his mind and now he was determined to study further. After studying in Langara College at Vancouver for some years, he joined Fraser University, Vancouver from where he completed a degree in Political Science. In 1977, he obtained degree in Law from the famous University of British Columbia. He started practice as a lawyer in 1979. In 1970, while being at Langara College, he came in contact with Major Balram Singh Sandhu and Mrs Charanjit Kaur Sandhu’s daughter Raminder. She had come to Canada after having completed B.Ed from India and had joined Langara College for further studies. With almost daily meetings they came closer and got married in 1972. They were blessed with three sons. After higher education from the Vancouver College, Mrs Raminder Kaur joined as a teacher of English and she continued in this profession until her retirement. Although Mr Ujjal Dosanjh was doing well with his law practice yet his fondness for politics, which he nurtured since childhood, was alive in his interior and was struggling

42 / The Trailblazers to come out. His nanaji played an active role in the Akali Dal movement aimed at getting keys (control) of gurdwara. His uncle Baba Bir Singh went to India as per the invitation of Canada and America based Ghadar Party. He was hanged in 1914. Ujjals’s nanaji had an indelible influence of Sikhism and socialistic thoughts while his father followed the tenets of Congress Party. Mr Ujaal used to listen to the conversation and exchange of views often taking place between his father and naniji. Mr Ujjal too was influenced by the ideology of his nanaji. Shortly after landing in Canada, Mr Ujjal, besides starting taking part in the social issues that his community faced, became a member of the leftist N.D.P. Party in British Columbia. Although, he wished taking part in the elections held in 1979 and 1983 on the nomination of N.D.P., to be elected as Member of Legislative Assembly, yet he remained un-successful both times. He was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly, British Columbia from Vancouver Kensington Electoral Constituency, in 1991. From thenceforth, he never looked back while treading on the path of politics. During the first eight months of 1995, he served for the cause of multi- cultures, human rights, provincial issues as Sports Minister. In view of his dedicated services to the masses and deep political acumen, the Hon’ble Premier appointed Mr Ujjal Dosanjh as the Attorney General in British Columbian Government, in August 1995. He exercised this responsibility in an effective and unbiased manner. Soon after assuming office of Attorney General, he came across a serious happening concerning the native people. About 400 kilometers on the North-East side the natives flocked the house of an affluent farmer and sat on dharna (sitting in protest), near the 100 Mile Stone, claiming that it was a place of their familial origin and, for that reason, a

The Trailblazers / 43 pious one. This was like regarding ‘Ram Janam Bhoomi’ claim by certain Hindu organizations in India. The intruders had also gathered weapons on site. The evacuation of the place came under the jurisdiction of Mr Ujjal Dosanjh. Exercising wisdom, he thought of not using force. The natives were surrounded from all sides with the help of about four hundred police. This police enclosure was continued for about a month and therefore, the claimant natives were forced to be ready for a dialogue. The operation cost the state exchequer expenses to the tune of $ 5.5 million but the dharna was ended without any casualty or bloodshed. The acumen of the British Columbian Attorney General Mr Ujjal Dosanjh was the talk of the town. Many of the leaders of the natives had to be in jail for many years. Hon’ble Mr Ujjal Dosanjh was the British Columbian Attorney General from May 1995 to February 2000. After the resignation by Hon’ble Chief Minister Mike Harcourt, Mr became the Premier. Mr Ujjal Dosanjh was still the British Columbian Attorney General. Hon’ble Mr Glen Clark too had to resign. To elect the leader of the Party elections were held in which Hon’ble Mr Ujjal Dosanjh defeated Mr , Mr Gordon Wilson and Mrs Joe Mac Phail and himself became the leader of his party. On February 24, 2000, Hon’ble Mr Ujjal Dosanjh became the 33rd Premier of British Columbia. In the history of Canada, he was the pioneer Indo-Canadian having elevated to the position of Premier of a State in Canada. During his tenure, Mr Dosanjh provided several facilities to people and presented a gainful budget. However, in the 2001 elections of British Colombia Legislative Assembly, the N.D.P. Party was badly defeated and Mr Ujjal Dosanjh himself could not win from his own constituency. With the defeat of his party and his own, he decided to leave provincial politics.

44 / The Trailblazers The President of , Hon’ble Mr Paul Martin, prevailed upon Mr Ujjal Dosanjh that he should seek election in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. Mr Dosanjh fought from South Vancouver Constituency and he was elected as Member Parliament of Canada. Based on the elections Hon’ble Mr Paul Martin and Hon’ble Mr Ujjal Dosanjh became as Canadian Prime Minister and Health Minister, respectively. Besides, placing bills on hazards of smoking; foods and nutrition of multi-cultural society, etc., Mr Dosanjh, in his capacity as Health Minister of Canada, inked an accord with the state governments worth $ 41 billion for 10 years concerning health care and this was appreciated by one and all. In the elections of Surrey area of British Columbia, held in May 2005, Mr Gurmant Grewal, the Member of Parliament of Conservative Party, played a plot to defame Hon’ble Ujjal Dosanjh. This sinister design proved counterproductive for Mr Grewal himself. In view of his mischief, his Party didn’t give Mr Grewal the ticket as the party candidate for the parliamentary elections that took place from 2006 through 2010. The evil design that he weaved for Mr Dosanjh proved costly to Mr Grewal. As no single Party could attain majority in the elections from 2004 to 2011, the Parliament had to be dissolved and thus the elections were to take place in 2006 and 2008, as well. Mr Ujjal Dosanjh continued to win in both these elections but his Liberal Party was not able to form the Government and sat on Opposition Benches. While being in the opposition, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh performed his role as a critic to issues such as defense, public safety and foreign policies. In the elections held during 2011, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh could not find entry into Parliament.

The Trailblazers / 45 In his capacity as the Attorney General and Chief Minister of British Columbia, and as Health Minister and Critic of the Canadian government, Mr Dosanjh performed many constructive actions. He had been an amalgam of an intellectual, a visionary, a seasoned politician, an apt writer and orator, companionable, righteous, bold, humble, simple habited, logical, socialist, social worker and a soft spoken individual. Though he is full of positive qualities, yet there is his wife Raminder behind his every success. She stood by him as a strategist during his election. Besides being an excellent teacher, she was successful in nurturing her children and making them attain higher education. Two of their sons are lawyers while one is a police officer. Mr and Mrs Ujjal are now free from their official responsibilities and are living with the family of their lawyer son, who lives in Western Vancouver.

46 / The Trailblazers TARA SINGH HAYER THE FOUNDER OF INDO CANADIAN TIMES

The late, Mr Tara Singh Hayer was one of the founders of Punjabi Journalism in Northern America. Many of his contemporaries bade good bye to journalism, but Tara Singh Hayer with hard work and will power sustained himself in this line of work. The newspaper ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ started by him is not only the top ranking papers in America but is shining among the Punjabi papers of the world. It is the only paper of its kind which carries editorial notes and is a priced one. The Founder of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, Mr Tara Singh Hayer was born on November 15, 1936. His parents S. Kabal Singh S.D.O. and Mrs Ratan Kaur belonged to village Paddi Jagir, District Jalandhar. He had his schooling and B.A., and B.Ed. education from Ramgarhia School and Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, respectively and M.A. from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He wrote for the college magazine ‘Jyoti’ and served as its editor. During his stay in the college, he was President of the Planning Forum, Vice President of Students Union and Executive Member of Punjabi Sahit Sabha (Punjabi Literary Society). Always keen to improve his qualifications, Mr Hayer obtained Diploma in ‘Claim Investigation and Adjustment’ in 1971, and Diplomas in a range of subjects including in ‘International Correspondence’; ‘Journalism and Short Story Writing’ in 1994. When 25 years old, he married Ms Baldev Kaur daughter of Mr Channan Singh and Mrs Udham Kaur of village Mander in District Jalandhar. He was

The Trailblazers / 47 blessed with a son and three daughters. He joined the Indian Army after completing his college studies and resigned as Captain in 1968 to go to England. During his stay in England for two years, he worked very hard in the paper mills and foundries. He then left for Canada in 1970. Failing to get any work in Vancouver area, he started working in North British Columbia in the Cassiar Asbestos Mine in the Yukon area of northern British Columbia. This used to be a temperate and unproductive land. He could not stay there for long and came back to Vancouver, where he served as a driver in a transport company before becoming the manager. As an immigrant landing on foreign land normally tries accepting to do any type of work that one gets to establish oneself, Mr Tara Singh Hayer did the same. As he established himself step by step, he continued having a keen desire for nurturing the cause of development of Punjabi language, literature and culture on Canadian land. To fulfill his desire of seeing Punjabi grow, he, in collaboration with the management of gurdwara situated on Ross Street, Vancouver, started a Punjabi school for children, in 1973, and himself volunteered to be the school Principal and taught Punjabi for two years. He contributed significantly toward the Punjabi monthly ‘Watno Door’ (Away from the homeland) from 1973 to 1978. The magazine used to be hand written in the beginning. In 1978, he launched a newspaper ‘Indo- Canadian Times’ with intent to convey his views and to apprise Punjabi fraternity of the day to day happenings. He had a fondness for a journalistic venture though knowing it very well that managing a paper was not at all a lucrative business. The subject matter of his early editorials clearly indicates that the newspaper was his keen effort to keep the Punjabis, coming to countries like Canada, connected to Punjabi language and culture. He consciously tried to

48 / The Trailblazers educate the unaware people coming from Punjab about the culture, laws, rights, etc. of North America, through his paper ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ in their vernacular language, Punjabi. He was a keen supporter of Punjabiat (Punjabi way of life). He made efforts to promote Punjabi language and Gurmukhi script consistently and religiously. He further glorified Punjabi script by getting evolved the Punjabi computer facility and thus bringing in attractiveness and swiftness in Punjabi printing. ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ pioneered in the world to have its matter computer typeset in Punjabi in Canada. Now the entire Punjabi press is using computer typesetting. Mr Tara Singh Hayer is accredited with being the first to have made the initiative to connect Punjabi writing with Microsoft Office, laser and the Internet technology. The late Mr Tara Singh Hayer acted as a key moderator of interactive get-togethers among writers and litterateurs. There is no parallel to the commendable efforts made by him in locating the writers visiting Canada, arranging their meets with local litterateurs and organizing their felicitations. He often sponsored board and lodging during such literary events. During his life, he honored more than 50 writers, artists and singers. The renowned literary critic, Prof. had expressed: “Whenever an intellectual from Punjab visits Canada, he is sure to meet Mr Tara Singh Hayer. It is not out of place to mention that Mr Tara Singh Hayer serves as a munificent host for Punjabis especially the writers in Canada. It is my personal experience”. In the words of Mr Ravinder Ravi, who hails from Terrace, a city of British Columbia and has authored about 80 books including stories, plays and novels: “ By honoring Sant Singh Sekhon, Kartar Singh Duggal, Amrita Pritam, Kulwant Virk, Ajit Kaur, Dr Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Dr Harcharan

The Trailblazers / 49 Singh, Dr Surjit Singh Sethi, Dr Davinder Kaur Kler, Dr Gurumail, Dr Prem Prakash Singh, Bachint Kaur, Fakhar Zaman, Dr Harnam Singh Shan, and me (Ravinder Ravi) and many other Punjabi writers from different parts of the world and by bringing out special supplements (of Indo- Canadian Times), Mr Tara Singh Hayer has rendered an exemplary service toward Punjabi language, literature and culture”. He got a literary body ‘Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (North America)’ registered at Victoria in August 1987 to cater to the literary interests of residents of Vancouver and Surrey areas. It regularly held literary meetings every month and proved motivational for people toward writing and reading. Now, this body has enrolled nearly 60 members. Many of the literature enthusiasts, who attended these meetings for the last couple of years, have become writers. In 2012, the ‘Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (North America)’ released about 18 books in its monthly meetings. In the Annual Function that takes place in April, the contributions of one Punjabi writer are recognized with the presentation of a Plaque and a Cash Award of $ 500. Undoubtedly, on becoming aware of a positive or a negative trait in an individual, a community or a group, Mr Tara Singh Hayer used to express his appreciation or condemnation boldly and forcefully. The comments and views that he expressed in his editorials were indeed soothing & encouraging for some and prickly & irritating for others. Whenever a reader responded to such editorial comments, Mr Tara Singh Hayer used to give space to those as well. He had set a tradition of publishing the opposing views of readers in his paper. He used to follow balanced reporting saying that it was the foremost duty of a journalist to state the truth without any fear or bias, whatsoever.

50 / The Trailblazers In 1988, a naive boy was used to fire at Mr Tara Singh Hayer in his Indo-Canadian Times office. This made him handicapped and he had to be on wheel chair for the very last decade of his life. Besides looking after the editorial responsibilities, he engaged himself in writing. He published about a dozen books and served the cause of Punjabi language. As per the opinion of Dr Gurumail S. Sidhu, a renowned Professor of Science at the California State University and an apt critic, “the late Mr Tara Singh Hayer was a multidimensional personality, who tried his hands on editing, journalistic activities, improvising typesetting and ingenious writing. Above all, on all these aspects he was utterly sensitive and attentively awake. Indeed, he could make a pivotal contribution toward the Canadian society”. In the words of the writer Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu, “Mr Tara Singh Hayer was an excellent amalgam of historian, journalist and a litterateur. Despite hardships, he nurtured journalism (Punjabi) on foreign land. He vigilantly and cogently condemned the incidents of atrocity and evil designs. He was an apt journalist who possessed daring and visionary outlook. In recognition to his services rendered to society, literature and journalism several literary, cultural and art-promoting organizations honored Mr Tara Singh Hayer. About three dozen India-based organizations, felicitated him with awards and honors. The Language Department, Punjab, recognized him with a ‘Gold Medal’ and cash award of Rs 21,000. He was also honored by six of American and about 25 Organizations of Canada. He was also bestowed upon with ‘Order of British Columbia’, the top-ranking honor in British Columbia, in June 1995 in a function at the capital city Victoria. For his outstanding services to journalism, the Canadian Association of Journalists recognized him with the ‘President’s Award’, posthumously. An organization for

The Trailblazers / 51 ‘British Columbia Civil Liberty’ also bestowed him with a prestigious award in recognition of his following a Canadian life style and making sacrifices for upholding the freedom of Press.ce against social and state atrocities, they had to undergo diverse sufferings at the hand of perpetrators. The great persons like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were treated with bullets at the hands of berserk assassins, as and when they denounced the prevailing social vices and injustice. Mr Tara Singh Hayer too was a sore in the eyes of certain berserk individuals who knew no rhyme or reason. As he returned from his office and reached home in the evening, Mr Hayer was shot dead by some unidentified crazy person in his garage on November 18, 1998. The news of assassination of History speaks that as and when our Sikh Gurus raised their voice against social and state atrocities, they had to undergo diverse sufferings at the hand of perpetrators. The great persons like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were treated with bullets at the hands of berserk assassins, as and when they denounced the prevailing social vices and injustice. Mr Tara Singh Hayer too was a sore in the eyes of certain berserk individuals who knew no rhyme or reason. As he returned from his office and reached home in the evening, Mr Hayer was shot dead by some unidentified crazy person in his garage on November 18, 1998. The news of assassination of Mr Tara Singh Hayer spread like wild fire throughout the world Mr Tara Singh Hayer spread like wild fire throughout the world and everybody was shocked with sorrow. Till date, the assassin has not been identified. In one of the interviews, Mr Ravinder Ravi asked Mr Tara Singh Hayer as to what will be the fate of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, in case something untoward happens to him(Mr Hayer), Mr Hayer had then expressed, “The success of the brigade depends on the

52 / The Trailblazers capability of its each and every soldier. In the same way every member of our staff possesses the editorial acumen and competence to ensure the continuity of the paper”. His prediction proved absolutely true. After the assassination of Mr Tara Singh Hayer, his daughter Mrs Rupinder Hayer Bains is managing the ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ with the co-operation of her family members and the paper is reaching the readers like before. The towering grades of journalism and improved printing techniques in Punjabi set by martyr Tara Singh Hayer will keep him eternally alive.

The Trailblazers / 53 MOE SIHOTA THE PIONEER LEGISLATOR OF INDIAN ORIGIN

From the history of emigration to Canada it becomes clear that people of Indian origin started going to Canada in the beginning of the last century. At that time India was under the British Rule. Due to this, Indians were not given much respect and admiration abroad. The British people considered them ignorant and uncultured. In the first decade of the last century, when the number of Indians in Canada started increasing, the Canadian government deprived them of their voting right in the elections. They started making one or other excuse to discourage the entry of Indians to Canada. For an example, the passengers of Komagata Maru ship were returned from Vancouver with the excuse that the ship didn’t come from India straight to Vancouver. In 1947, when India got freedom from British Rule, the Indians settled in Canada resumed their voting right. In 1968, when Canada had a government of the Liberal Party, the amendments made in the Canadian immigration rules enabled Indians to enjoy the rights similar to those available to people from other countries. The freshers and the already settled Indians recognized their rights for establishing themselves and seeking employment in government departments. Mr Moe (Manmohan Singh) Sihota’s father Mr Bachittar Singh Sihota, hailing from Bara Pind village near Guraya town of Punjab came to Vancouver in 1937. Moe was born to his mother, Mrs Amrit Kaur in 1955 in a small town called Duncan in the Vancouver Island. Soon after, the family shifted to Vancouver city and started business of furniture trading. 54 / The Trailblazers By the end of 1970s, Sihota’s father had many furniture stores. Mr Moe Sihota started his primary education at St Georges School in Vancouver. He was a bright student from the very beginning. When he finished his school education, he was already a recipient of a scholarship. He attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) and completed a degree in the subject of Sociology. With the University fellowship, he joined the Economics School of London, in England. After studying there for two years, he came back to Canada and attended a college in Victoria. In 1982 he had law degree from the and in 1984 he opened the Solicitor’s Office in Esquimalt area of Victoria. He had studied Sociology at his college in British Columbia. Social services are fundamental prerequisites to political career. Right from his college days, he was interested in politics and had started taking part in the activities of student organizations. In 1975, he was elected as Vice President of the Board of Governors. From the very beginning, he had a penchant towards (N.D.P.) and in 1978 he was elected as President of the N.D.P. (Youth Wing) and in 1984 he was elected as Elder Man from the Esquimalt area of Victoria. In the 1986 elections, he was elected on the N.D.P. candidature as a Member Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.) from the Esquimalt Renfrew Constituency of Victoria. He was the first Indo-Canadian in the entire country who was elected as an M.L.A. of a Canadian Assembly. Prior to him, there was no indo-Canadian member in the Canadian Lok Sabha (House of Commons). Mr Moe Sihota had been the first politician who took active part in Canadian politics. In 1991, when Assembly elections of British Columbia were held again, Mr Moe Sihota became victorious yet another time. Further, from a Constituency of Vancouver, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh

The Trailblazers / 55 was elected as an M.L.A on the N.D.P. ticket. In these elections, N.D.P. emerged victorious with a winning majority in the Legislative Assembly. Consequently, N.D.P. made the government and Hon’ble Mike Harcourt, representing Vancouver Constituency, became the Chief Minister of British Columbia. In the swearing in ceremony held on November 5, 1991, Mr Moe Sihota was given the portfolio of Minister for Constitution Affairs. From 1991 to 2001 British Columbia had the N.D.P. government in place. During these 10 years, Hon’ble Mike Harcourt, Glen Clark and Ujjal Dosanjh served as Chief Ministers. During the tenure of these three Chief Ministers spread over 10 years, Mr Moe Sihota meticulously exercised responsibilities as minister of diverse portfolios including Constitution Affairs; Labor and Consumer Services; Environment, Land and Parks; Multi culturalism and Human rights; Education and Skill Training; Public Services and Social Development and Economic Security, etc. during his ministerial tenure, he created 200 new Provincial Parks. When in 1984, I met him in the office of the Pan Pacific Hotel Complex for an interview regarding compensation to agricultural labor and the implementation of the law pertaining to Punjabi teaching in the schools, he replied: “Since the last century the Punjabi immigrants coming to Canada had contributed significantly to the economy of the state with their hard work. At present, the Punjabi Community has grown considerably in British Columbia. By now, the schools in British Columbia provide the students with opportunities to learn languages such as German, Spanish, French, etc., in addition to English. I understand that if one forgets one’s motherland, one forgets his or her culture and religion, as well. In my capacity as a Minister

56 / The Trailblazers in British Columbia, I have always been feeling that Punjabi being the third spoken language in British Columbia, should find a place in school syllabus. I am glad that I have been successful in making my colleagues in the government agree that Punjabi and Chinese languages should be incorporated in school syllabus. The day when the decision of teaching these languages in British Columbia Schools was implemented was a historical day for all of us. It was the first day in my life that I had got emotional in my speech”. While assuming office of the Minister, he was not at ease with Punjabi speaking. After implementing of the law regarding Punjabi teaching in schools, he himself started learning Punjabi. Not only he himself but also his young daughter and son can speak Punjabi fluently. During his tenure as Minister, Hon’ble Moe Sihota at times even dared crossing his permitted limits in order to sort out the problems faced by his community and friends. Therefore, he was being considered as an unbridled Minister. He was generally subject to criticism. He had to tender his resignation twice as Minister but every time he was reinstated. At one time, the Law Society of British Columbia had canceled his license for 18 months as a consequence for offering incorrect legal advice. Sometime before the 2001 assembly elections Mr Moe Sihota bade good bye to politics. The N.D.P. is a leftist Party that is considered to be well wisher of the working class. The philosophy of its members is to stay away from the world of rich people. Mr Moe Sihota is sharp witted and a farsighted person. Receiving scholarships right from his school days, becoming a lawyer, being a successful politician and getting elected as Elder Man, becoming the first Indo-Canadian member in Canadian history, serving

The Trailblazers / 57 various portfolios as Minister consistently for a long period of 10 years speak of his extraordinary abilities. After retiring from politics, he hosted a program on the local television station for many years at Victoria, the Capital of British Columbia. The subject matter of the program had been political dissection (analysis). He left the television program in 2004 and joined as a panelist in the political program broadcast from the B.B.C. Radio. Leaving aside politics and law, he started taking interest in golf course and hotel related activities. Currently, he is a Part Owner and Managing Director of the Northern Bear Golf Club Edmonton; Four Point Sheraton Hotel, Victoria; Lake Front Resort Oasis, British Columbia, etc. in November 2009, he was elected as President of the N.D.P. Party. During the last four years of his Party Presidency, he made efforts to elevate his smart and disciplined party as top ranking political party of British Columbia. On May 14, 2013 in the assembly elections of British Columbia, the N.D.P. Party was likely to win. However, there was a strong wave of change that influenced the voters on the day of election. Consequently, the Liberal Party led by Mrs toppled the National Democratic Party presided over by Mr Moe Sihota. The able public man and a successful business tycoon Hon’ble Moe Sihota married Jaswinder, daughter of Mr Tarlok Singh and Mrs Gurbachan Kaur Parmar of Vancouver Island, in 1985. Mr Moe Sihota, the recipient of huge pension of $ 55,000 and $ 72,000 for serving as the President of N.D.P. Party and for serving the British Columbia Government, respectively, is at present living with wife Jaswinder, young daughter Kareena and son Rajan at Victoria, the Capital of British Columbia.

58 / The Trailblazers AMRIK VIRK FROM POLICE OFFICER TO MINISTER

With the formation of Liberal Party Government in Canada in 1967, the amendments which were made in the immigration rules led to the application of an identical yardstick to immigrants from all over the world. Previous to that there used to be an annual quota of 300 persons coming from India. After the implementation of new rules, toward the later years of 1970s, the visitors from India started coming to Canada in the sponsored or tourist category. The sawmill business was quite brisk at that time in British Columbia. The mills were largely located in villages and small towns up to Fort St. John and Fort St James Northward of Vancouver. People coming from Punjab were generally given work in the wood-mills and they themselves preferred to do it because of the higher wages they got and moreover, there was no risk of a break in work. The Police Inspector that I am going to introduce you about, came to Williams Lake in Canada at a tender age of five along with his father, Mr Sawarn Singh and mother Mrs Tej Kaur under sponsorship of his aunt (father’s sister) Mrs Gurjit Kaur and her husband Mr Avtar Singh Thind in 1969. He was born in September 1964 at village Bajroor in District Ropar. In those days, the parents and brothers of my wife Harbans also lived in Williams Lake area. With their sponsorship, we came to Williams Lake from England in October 1969. About 550 kilometers toward North from Vancouver, Williams Lake used to be a small village, then. It had only one traffic light and a few big sawmills. In the

The Trailblazers / 59 later years of 1960s only three or four Punjabis lived there but by the end of 1990s, there were more than 400 Punjabis. The children born there or those who came to Canada at a tender age had a keen wish to live in cities like Vancouver. The parents, however, advised their children to study dedicatedly in case they wish to settle in big cities. As far as I know, the children of Punjabi parents who first settled in William Lake area performed relatively well in education than those of others and thus fetched better positions in Vancouver region. Mr Amrik Singh Virk, the Inspector of Department of Police of the R.C.M.P. was the one who also saw dreams of the city life. He had his school education from the schools of William Lake. During the school vacations, he used to pick berries at the farms in Abbotsford and when he grew up he looked after the cleaning of the sawmill and lifted wooden logs. With eagerness of leaving Williams Lake and a yearning to work in the big cities, he, after completing school, he got admission into , Vancouver. In 1987, he obtained a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History. After his graduation, he thought of a plan to adopt some profession and ultimately decided to go for a job in police department. It was a wise decision. After obtaining orientation training in Regina in the province of Saskatchewan, he went to the city of Red Deer, Alberta and then in Calgary, Edmonton and other cities. He served the Department of Police in Alberta for 14 years. He performed his duties in the Department of Police with honesty and veracity with strong zeal to serve others. He became the Police Inspector in 2001 owing to his benevolent service and acumen. He shared that there was no Indo-Canadian in service in R.C.M.P. Police in Alberta in those days. He was

60 / The Trailblazers transferred to the Punjabi dominated city Surrey of British Columbia and he served at that station for five years. He had the reputation of being known as a generous, daring and dedicated officer. After serving for five years at Surrey, he was transferred in 2006 to Langley Department, where he exercised responsibilities as Officer In Charge of 4-5 Units. Besides performing duties as a Police Officer, he played valuable role toward service to community. He had been on the Board of Directors of the Hospital Foundation for six years. He was always keen to gather funds for the hospital. He is continuing to be on the Board of Governors of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University, since 2008. He is a well known persona in the Canadian Police. He is also the Director of Canadian Association of Police Chiefs and a Member of British Columbian Association of Police Chiefs. He feels concerned with the group of Indo-Canadian issues and is always keen to make efforts to encourage them tread on the righteous paths. He is counted among the brilliant community servants. He is also one among the top snipers of the Canadian Police. From time to time, he is rendering his deliberations at different places with police as well as public gatherings. This tall, slim and agile Police Officer also holds a black belt in Karate. During my interview with him, he told that in 1987, when he took over as R.C.M.P. Police Officer in Alberta, there was no Indo-Canadian Police Officer. In the Western States of Canada, he was the first Indo-Canadian to be the Police Inspector in the R.C.M.P. Police Department, in 2001. He also shared that during the past four years or so, there were three more Indo-Canadians who rose to the level of Police Inspector in British Columbia. He has been honored with the award of a Medal by the Police Department in view of his glorious long service of 25

The Trailblazers / 61 years and for his acts of courageousness. He is also the recipient of Silver and Golden Jubilee Medals of Queen Elizabeth of England in recognition of his community services. He had indeed become a Police Officer who was very popular among people of every community and group. He married Ms Jatinder, daughter of Mr Gurnam Singh and Mrs Jaswant Kaur Ahluwalia of the British Columbian town Kelowna in 1984. He is residing with his wife and three daughters in Surrey for the last 12 years. The election to Legislative Assembly of British Columbia was scheduled to be held on May 14, 2013. Everyone was amazed when Inspector Amrik Virk had decided to proceed on leave from the Police Department to plunge into politics. The M.L.A. of the Liberal Party of British Columbia, Hon’ble Dave Hayer was elected thrice to be the British Columbia Assembly representing the Tynehead Constituency of Surrey. However, this time Mr Hayer didn’t participate in the elections. Now, in his place, Inspector Amrik Virk is participating in the election on the ticket of Liberal Party. Discussing about his coming into politics, Mr Amrik Virk expressed that even in police; he had a zeal for serving people and he greatly enjoyed serving the community for the last 25 years. He says that politics too is a means to serve people and that he is keen to do welfare oriented activities after getting elected as an M.L.A. of British Columbia. He has indeed been declared elected and has been given the Portfolio of Advanced Education Minister in British Columbia. I wish him all the best.

62 / The Trailblazers RUPINDER HAYER BAINS THE EDITOR OF INDO-CANADIAN TIMES

The Punjabis, having settled on the Canadian land during the past about four decades, in addition to establishing themselves on sound footing, have contributed significantly toward the economy and politics of Canada besides making all out efforts for safeguarding and promoting Punjabi language and culture as well. The becoming of Minister and holding of an important portfolio by Hon’ble Herb Dhaliwal (Harbans Singh Dhaliwal) and becoming of the Premier of British Columbia by Mr Ujjal Dosanjh during the last decade of the previous century, were indeed significant events in Canadian politics. The starting of varied business ventures in different British Columbian cities and purchasing of large tracts of agricultural land by thousands of our enterprising Indo-Canadians speak volumes of their contribution toward Canadian economy. The late Mr Tara Singh Hayer was among the pioneers who settled in British Columbia and made dedicated efforts to uphold and promote Punjabi language and culture in Canada. In view of the requirements of majority of Punjabis coming to Canada, he started the weekly newspaper ‘Indo- Canadian Times’ in 1978. He used to express that this endeavor was to set-up an information resource to provide our Punjabi immigrants with the required know-how about Canadian rules and their legitimate rights and to make efforts to promote Punjabi language. To run a Punjabi newspaper in Canada was indeed a venture replete with risks that might put your hard earned money on stake. But Mr Tara Singh

The Trailblazers / 63 Hayer continued with his mission and dealing with the challenges in the face of printing, he made innovative efforts to consult experts to evolve a computer capable of typing in Gurmukhi script. ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ was the first Punjabi newspaper in the world to have gone for computer- aided printing. Mrs Baldev Kaur Hayer, wife of Mr Tara Singh Hayer along with her son and three daughters came to Canada in 1972 from village Paddi Jagir of District Jalandhar. Mr Tara Singh Hayer had come to Canada in 1968. Rupinder is elder to her two sisters and younger to her brother Dave (Sukhdip) Hayer, who served as a Member of British Columbian Legislative Assembly for the last 11 years. When she came to Canada, she was 11 years old. After joining their father, the children started going to school for taking up their respective education. Rupinder started education of the fifth grade. There being no Punjabi teaching in the school, she started losing proficiency in Punjabi that she had attained while being in Punjab. After finishing school education, she joined . After her marriage, Rupinder obtained degree in Science and Business Management from the Phoenix College. In Punjab, it is by and large the case that parents involve their children in their own profession, depending upon their abilities. Rupinder too, during her student time, was helping her father in the journalistic profession, particularly in the accounts keeping. Rupinder got married to Mr Harjit Bains, son of Mr Piara Singh Bains and Mrs Jagjit Kaur Bains in 1983. The family was well educated as Harjit was M.A., B.Ed. and his father was Deputy District Education Officer in District Hoshiarpur. By that time the well established ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ was replete with work and, therefore, Harjit too joined it. Rupinder’s younger sister Daljit was married to Mr Amardip

64 / The Trailblazers Singh Sidhu of Sidhwan in District Ludhiana. Her other sister, Satpal, who was younger to her, was married to Mr Kulwinder Singh Aujla of village Muthada Khurd in District Jalandhar. Mr Tara Singh Hayer opened up printing business for his younger son in law, Mr Kulwinder Singh Aujla. With the printing machinery that was installed, he started the front and the back title covers of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ in color. After completing their studies, Rupinder’s two sisters, Daljit and Satpal, too joined ‘Indo-Canadian Times’. After his graduation, Mr Tara Singh Hayer joined army and retired therefrom as a Captain. He gave due importance to discipline in life. He also motivated his children and staff of ‘Indo-Canadian times’ to be disciplinarians. The jobs of printing as well as dispatch of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ were handled fast so as to ensure the timely outreach of the paper to its vendors. In an interview with her, Mrs Rupinder Hayer Bains disclosed that although her husband Harjit, her two sisters and Kulwinder worked for ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, but it was only her who was responsible for sorting out the emergent problem, if any. After Mr Tara Singh Hayer was assassinated in 1998, the entire responsibility of managing the ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ fell on Rupinder and her family, sisters, brothers and husband. The Punjabi community had varied opinion about her dad. While some considered him pro-Khalistan or agent of Indian government, there were others who thought he was an unbiased and a visionary person. His murder was a huge tragedy for the family. Rupinder’s mother held that the major motive of her husband’s liquidation was to silence the vociferous ‘Indo- Canadian Times’. She wanted that ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ must continue to play its role. In view of this desire of her, a decision to continue the paper was taken within a few hours

The Trailblazers / 65 of the killing of Mr Hayer. He was killed in the evening hours of Wednesday but the Thursday issue of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ was printed on time and distributed as usual. Mrs Rupinder Hayer told that her family received many threats after she lost her father but with the co-operation and encouraging support made available by her dad’s well wishers, the ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ started by her late father is still being printed and distributed. After the death of Mr Tara Singh Hayer, the editorial responsibilities of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ were given to Mrs Rupinder Hayer Bains. The editorial board was constituted which undertook decisions regarding editorials and the articles to be carried in the paper. She has been the first woman editor of any leading Punjabi paper published in North America. Today, there are scores of Punjabi newspapers brought out in North America. When her dad died, Rupinder was not apt at reading or writing Punjabi. She attained proficiency in Punjabi, on priority. First, the male readers, writers, politicians, and community leaders hesitated even talking to her, expressed she. Responding to a query, Rupinder explained that without any know-how of political and social concerns and with a tinge of bias, it is rather difficult to bring out a paper. She also shared that in journalistic profession, it is also a difficult task to please every reader and writer. She added that she scrutinizes all the compositions and other stuff sent by writers for publication and finally checks the composed newspaper before it is sent for printing. She delightfully informed that from the one who works on editorial desk of the newspaper to the one who makes it reach out to vendors, everyone is working in a responsible manner. It is due to the disciplined and dedicated approach followed by all staff members that print order of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ is swelling, she said , adding that they were indeed fortunate for getting the opportunity to serve the needy. 66 / The Trailblazers Talking about the services rendered by the management of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ to society, she highlighted that during the past two decades, it performed many philanthropic acts such as supporting 10 families of Kargil martyrs with Rs 50 thousands each; presenting pressure cooker to each of the 50 poor girls as wedding gift; financial contribution to the Mobile Nargis Dutt Hospital for health care of rural patients; setting up a Community Hall and dedicating it to the residents of village Paddi Jagir; financial contribution to Red Cross for the welfare of the families of 9/11 victims; distributing blankets and food to the needy in Vancouver and Punjab, from time to time; providing scholarships to the brilliant students, every year; honoring of more than 130 renowned artists, journalists and community workers of the local, national and international fame; and the like. Discussing about journalism, she said that in this profession, some qualities including thoughtful wisdom, discipline, punctuality, ability and acumen to deal with controversies, unbiased attitude and multi-dimensional comprehension of the subject are but prerequisites. This profession keeps you involved round the clock, she said. Mrs Rupinder, the mother of three held that besides arranging funds and handling managerial tasks, the other duties such as her family responsibilities as wife, mother, daughter-in- law, and daughter; and housekeeping make life arduous and more struggle some for a women editor. She was glad to share that the entire staff of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ including her sisters Daljit and Satpal, husband Harjit, brothers-in-law Kulwinder and Amardip, and all others in the family are contributing in their respective ways and are endeavoring to see ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ as the top ranking paper in the world. She mentioned that her late father, Mr Tara Singh

The Trailblazers / 67 Hayer, the Founder of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, led the way for the use of Punjabi font that he got exclusively developed for this paper. The readership of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ is now very vast in the North America. The paper reaches a large number of schools in Canada. It is archived in many big libraries of British Columbia. She elaborated that at present ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ is available on-line as e-paper and can be browsed by anyone anywhere in the world. Controlling her emotions, Rupinder said,”if my dad were alive today, he would have felt immensely happy at the progress the ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ has made”. In the end, she remarked that the place attained by ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ in the world is due to the dedicated working of its staff. She further informed that ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ has been awarded by 33 institutes in India, 7 in America and 50 in Canada. She attributed this to the diligence of its staff members. Under Rupinder’s supervision, the management of ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ has also started bringing out a Punjabi weekly, ‘Punjab Di Awaz’ (Voice of Punjab) and English weekly ‘Roots’. As their In charge, Mrs Rupinder Kaur Hayer Bains encourages the young writers to publish their compositions in these three papers. Besides her responsibilities toward ‘Indo-Canadian Times’, she is also playing useful role as Director of Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Punjabi Writers Society) of North America; as member of the Diversity Advisory Committee of R.C.M.P. Surrey; as first Vice President of the Liberal Party in the Tynehead region of Surrey and Board of Trade Surrey, with her services. She has contributed in terms of her services for Program Advisory Committee of North Surrey School and Fraser Health Crisis Centre. In recognition of her services in literature and journalism, whereas she has been

68 / The Trailblazers conferred with the Queen Jubilee Award, other organizations such as Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha; North America; Senior Centre Surrey; Paddi Jagir Sports Club and Mehli Hockey Challenge Cup Association and many more honored her. She has been living in Surrey with her family for several decades.

The Trailblazers / 69 MR WALLY OPPAL THE FIRST INDO-CANADIAN JUSTICE

The word ‘judge’ appended to any individual’s name conveys that the person must be of great prudence. To be a judge, one must possess qualities such as specialized higher education in law; honesty in behavior, morality, boldness, and unbiased approach. Earlier, before independence, boys in rural areas of Punjab were allowed to study only up to middle class (8th grade). Whenever anyone in the neighborhood asked for sending the boy to school for further study, the usual reply of the parents was “Further study will not get him post of a judge”. To become a judge was considered out of range of the ordinary, rather an unattainable goal. Until India became independent in 1947, the Indians migrating to Canada didn’t enjoy even the voting right. Though they got their right to vote and obtaining Canadian citizenship, but it was a big dream for any Indo-Canadian to occupy the chair of a Judge. Hon’ble Wally Oppal, whose childhood name was Taroo Singh, successfully realized that dream. He was the first Indo-Canadian Judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal in British Columbia. During one interview, he shared that his father Mr Hari Singh of village Oppal in District Jalandhar of Punjab came to Canada in 1910, rather at a tender age. His mother, Mrs Gurdial Kaur accompanied his father to Canada in 1934. Mr Wally Oppal was born in the Vancouver-Fraser view area in 1940. He also has his younger brother there. Wally was just four when his parents

70 / The Trailblazers shifted from Vancouver to a small town named Duncan in Vancouver-Island. He was merely ten year old when he lost his revered father. His mother did whatever work she could get to earn money to run the family. She is now 98 years old. During school vacations, Wally and his younger brother worked hard in a saw-mill located in Duncan. Wally completed his high school from the Duncan school before obtaining B.A. degree in 1963 and L.L.B. degree in 1967 from University of British Columbia. In 1968, he, in collaboration with his lawyer colleague Mr Campbell, opened up his own law practice, on the Fraser Street and 47 Avenue, in the ‘Campbell and Oppal Law” office on the second floor of the building where there is the Shopper’s Drug (departmental) store, at present. The place at that time had Shop Easy Grocery Store. In 1969, I too opened a Textile and Clothing Store on Main Street, which was about 8 blocks from the ‘Campbell and Oppal Law” office. For seeking legal advice pertaining to my business, I met him for the first time in 1971. Wally maintained his office on Fraser Street, for a long time. He practiced as a Government Lawyer for a long time. He earned a good reputation of being a clever and knowledgeable lawyer. During the eighties, a Punjabi girl living in a small town of Merritt in the North-western region of British Columbia love-married a boy without letting her father know of it. The boy too was a Punjabi. Her father, with an intention to finish the girl, had implanted a bomb in her tea kettle. The couple was killed due to the explosion. Mr Wally Oppal was a Prosecutor in this case. The police investigation and case pleading by Mr Wally Oppal made the ‘kettle bomb case’ quite well-known. Mr Wally Oppal received huge appreciation from far and near when the father of the girl was imprisoned for life.

The Trailblazers / 71 In 1981, the government of British Columbia appointed him as a Judge of the County Court, in consideration of his vast knowledge, services rendered, honesty and integrity, and experience of law. He was the first Indo-Canadian to have been appointed as a Judge in British Columbia. It was indeed a prideful achievement for the entire Indo-Canadian fraternity. He became famous as a Judge and was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 1985. As a Supreme Court Judge, he remained totally unbiased and made all out efforts for delivering justice. He, therefore, commands admiration from one and all. In recognition to his vast knowledge the premier of British Columbia, Mr Mike Harcourt assigned him responsibility of conducting a public inquiry on the working of the British Columbian Police. He submitted a 700 page report carrying his suggestions about the working of Police, to the government. This task of civic inquisition incurred an expenditure of $ 34 lakh.(3.4 Million) In 2003, he was appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Following his career in law as a Judge in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Wally joined politics. In 2005, he won as a candidate of Liberal Party in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly elections from the Vancouver-Fraser View Constituency. Hon’ble Mr became the Chief Minister of the newly formed government and Mr Wally Oppal got the title of Attorney- General. He was the second Indo-Canadian to hold the designation of Attorney-General. Earlier, Mr Ujjal Dosanjh had also served as Attorney- General. In addition to the title of Attorney-General he (Mr Oppal) held an important portfolio of the Minister for Multiculturalism. As Minister for Multiculturalism, he made unique efforts to set up Information Centers to enable the immigrants representing huge racial and linguistic diversity,

72 / The Trailblazers who either had already arrived or were still in the process of arriving in British Columbia, to know each other, become each others’ associates and live harmoniously. Out of his own experience and know–how, he often endorsed that members of Indo-Canadian community are very hard working and thus contributing significantly toward the British Columbian economy and politics. He used to say that it was a matter of pride for him that now many educated women of the Indo-Canadian community are playing their role by occupying high offices and that the young girls are keen to go for higher education. In 2009, he fought British Columbia Assembly elections from the Constituency but lost to independent candidate Mrs Vicky Huntington by a small margin of only three dozen votes. During his tenure of Attorney-General, there was an infamous case of killing and burying of dozens of women in the Pig Farm by its owner Mr in the Port area. The police had filed a suit against the culprit for the murder of seven women and the Judge had convicted Mr Robert Pickton. The police held that Mr Pickton had killed 36 women. There was a great hue and cry at this as to what the Police did when women went missing. The British Columbian government assigned Hon’ble Wally Oppal to investigate the case in depth. The inquiries were held from May 2011 to December 2012. He gave his 63 recommen- dations in a 1448 page report that he submitted to the government. The British Columbian government spent a huge amount of $19 million on this exclusive Public inquiry Dealing with legal matters is not his profession alone, but his temperament. Besides being the Attorney-General and the key Public Investigator, he makes it a point to participate and deliberate in seminars, meetings and functions concerning criminal justice and atrocities against

The Trailblazers / 73 women. He had served as Director of the Family Services of Greater Vancouver and British Columbian Coalition for Safer Communities. He has also exercised responsibilities of Member of the Supreme Court National Criminal Law Program, Judges Criminal Law Committee; and served as a Member of the Delegation to South Africa and Advisory Committee and Law Reform Commission of Canada. Mr Wally Oppal had also been the Chairman of Law Court’s Education Society of British Columbia. Mr. Oppal has also been taking part in academic and educational events and other activities which are important to the community. In the recent past, he has been appointed as Chancellor of the Thomson Rivers University, having one of its campuses at Williams Lake. It offers diploma and degree courses. Recently, he has been appointed as Director of the Doctor Peter AIDS Foundation. He has received many awards and honors in recognition of his services for the cause of Legal Justice and Society. Some of these include: Georges A. Gower K.U.C. Service Award; Lawyer Helping Lawyer Award; Medal for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Public Safety; R.B.C. Mehfil Magazine Award; and Doctor of Law (honoris causa) by the University of Fraser Valley award. He is fond of playing basket ball for which he manages to spare time from his professional routines. Besides being an ace player of basketball, he had been the coach of Steve Nash Basketball League. It seems law practice is an integral part of his inner self. He maintained his staying power and showed no sign of fatigue throughout his journey of practice right from a Lawyer to the Supreme Court Judge and Attorney- General. Currently, he is working as a Legal Adviser in the office of Boughton Law Corporation in Vancouver British Columbia.

74 / The Trailblazers MOHINDER SINGH TAKHAR THE FIRST TURBANED TOWIN ELECTORAL MANDATE

Guru Nanak, the Founder of Sikhism had ordained Mankind to understand the dignity of toiling with hands and to share the earnings with others. Majority of the followers of Sikhism live in Punjab. An overview of the times gone by of Punjab will reveal the fact that there is no dearth of people who believe in the dignity of work and philanthropy. Although in recent times there has been a decline in work culture in Punjab, but the Sikhs who happen to leave Punjab to settle on foreign lands, simply do wonders with their hard work; wherever they go, they carry their philosophy of doing hard toil with them. Punjabi youths who were not at all interested in doing physical work while in Punjab considering it below their dignity, are seen happily accepting to do any trivial physical work even if it is low paid or require long hours, when they migrated to England, America and Canada. When Punjabis take a decision to migrate, they leave empty handed without disposing of their house, land or other property. It is about half a century ago when I left Punjab to migrate to England. The prevailing rules of the Government of India at that time permitted carrying only a limited amount of foreign currency. One could board the plane with a meager amount of currency, worth two U.K pounds only. One feels elevated to learn about remarkable contribution by our Punjabi immigrants toward economy of their place of settlement, within a span of say a few decades. It is

The Trailblazers / 75 attributed to their diligence, hard slog and working with determination. Knowing about this, one cannot help appreciate that it is as per the dictates of doing hard work by our great gurus. About fifty years ago the economy of British Columbia largely depended on wood work related industry. Most of the small towns in North-East and North- West of British Columbia had saw-mills. Working in saw-mills used to be quite hard but lucratively remunerative. It was the reason why Punjabis used to accept working even at far off places. They also thought of investing their savings in other professions as well. Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar was from the same crew of successful workers. He lives in the city of Terrace, about 1400 kilometers North-West of Vancouver. It has a population of about twelve thousand. When I wrote about the newly elected Councilors of Municipal Committees of British Columbia in 2008, I only had a telephone conversation with him and had not met him in person. Last week, I had an opportunity to talk to him over a cup of tea while sitting in the Himalaya Restaurant in the Punjabi Market, Vancouver. He was attired in simple wear and looked slim, tall and graceful. Blessed with attractive features, he talked courteously but modestly without any trace of pride or conceit. During conversation, he shared that he was born in January 1941 in village Shanker, District Jalandhar. Mr Lachhman Singh and Mrs Dharam Kaur are his parents. He is elder to two brothers and four sisters. He shared that after the family returned from Pakistan, they stayed in village Jandiala, in District Jalandhar with his maternal grandparents. He had his school education at Phillaur. In December 1959 he immigrated to Canada and went to Victoria to join his maternal uncle (Mamaji) Mr Mohan Singh Johal, who owned a trucking company there. Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar started working as an assistant to

76 / The Trailblazers truck driver and earned one dollar and a half per hour. He also got his driving license within a period of three months in Canada and started working as a truck driver. When asked about his marriage, he replied that it happened very quickly. He expressed that he married Ms Darshan Kaur, daughter of Mr Hardyal Singh of village Kharaudi, settled in Victoria. She reached Victoria in 1960 to join her father and within her arrival of two months Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar and she got married. They were blessed with a daughter Kulwinder in 1961 and a son Jagdeep in 1965. In March 1962, he got a job in the big wood-mill owned by late Mr Sohan Singh Gill, in the Prince Rupert town, nearly 1500 kilometer away from Victoria. He also took along his wife and little daughter with him and his son Jagdeep was born in Prince Rupert. In 1970, he shifted from Prince Rupert to Terrace where he purchased a logging truck. In a few years he launched a ‘Takhar Trucking Company’ and soon had a fleet of about a dozen trucks. He worked diligently and served Punjabis and the residents of Terrace. With his initiative and liberal contribution the building of Gurdwara Sahib ‘ Guru Nanak Sikh Temple’ was constructed at Terrace, which was inaugurated in 1978. In recognition of his services, the residents of Terrace elected him as their City Councilor in 1982. He was the first turbaned Sikh to have been the elected member of any City Council , Legislative Assembly or House of Commons ( Lok Sabha). In Canada. He was followed by another turban bearer Mr Gurbax Singh Malhi who was elected as Member of Parliament in 1993. In addition to his responsibilities of Councilor, Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar served on the Management Board of the Hospital and as a Chairman of the Finance Committee and Member of Public Service Committee for 10 years. He remained the Councilor for a decade.

The Trailblazers / 77 In 1984, the saffron flag (Nishan Sahib) representative of the well being of Sikh community, unfurled besides the flag of British Columbia outside the City Hall of Terrace. This was for the first instance in the history of Canada that a Sikh flag was unfurled atop a government building. The Sakeena Cellulose Saw-mill was the biggest mill in the area, where more than 400 employees worked including the Indians who lived there. In 1985, Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar, in collaboration with the mill owners, set up his small saw-mill in order to cut small lumber. The lumber cut in this mill was also bought by Sakeena mill. The Sakeena Cellulose Sawmill came to a closure in 2002 owing to a slump in lumber business. Takhar’s mill was also affected and therefore had to be closed down. A large number of employees were out of work due to the closure of Sakeena Sawmill. Therefore, Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar, with his own investment of $11 lakh(1.1 Million) and sale of debentures to the tune of $50 lakh to about 50 other partners started a new private enterprise named ‘Terrace Lumber Company’. Later, in 2005, the Terrace based Chamber of Commerce recognized the Management of the lumber company with an appreciation letter; but due to the occurrence of slowdown in America, this company too had to be closed down in 2007. With the earnings from his trucking company and the saw-mill, he also operated the real estate business. In 1992, he purchased a 66-unit building and then sold it at a huge profit. Currently he owns a ‘Gobind Mall’ of 10 Stores; and a ‘block of apartments’ named ‘24 Summit Court’. He has also started the partnership for developing two sub-divisions of about 70 lots in Terrace. He is one amongst the pioneers for having started ‘Boston Pizza’ in partnership mode for which he bought shares in 2005. Over and above looking

78 / The Trailblazers after his business concerns, he had also been serving as a Member of the Advisory Committee constituted by the Federal Government and as a Member of the Rotary Club for 26 years. He is also one of the Trustees of the ‘Guru Nanak Medical and Educational Trust’ started by Baba Budh Singh Dhahan, at Nawan Shehar (now Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) in India. From time to time, he contributes donations from his earnings for the cause of charity for human welfare. During his visits to India he always supports the organizations engaged in welfare of Mankind. Near his ancestral village Shanker, there is a tiny village called ‘Dherian’. Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar owns a piece of land in that village. He has got a new Gurdwara constructed in the village, for which he never collected any money from anyone but if someone offered some money of his or her own, it was gratefully accepted. He has constructed five rooms dedicated to his grandchildren, in the Guru Nanak Mission Hospital and Educational Institute Dhahan Kaleran. During his visit to India in 2011, he, in association with his brothers Parkash and Sulakhan, organized a ‘free eye-check up camp’ in his home in village Dherian where 472 women and men patients came for the check-up. Of all the patients who were checked in the camp, 22 required surgical treatment. All these were got treated at the ‘Guru Nanak Mission Hospital’, Dhahan Kaleran. The entire treatment expenditure was borne by him. In recognition of his philanthropic efforts toward welfare of Mankind, he was felicitated and honored with many awards in India and Canada. It is matter of great pride that of the seven personalities honored for their humanitarian services, with the coveted ‘Order of Terrace’ award by the City Council of Terrace British Columbia in 2006. Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar

The Trailblazers / 79 was one of them. After him, his parents, brothers and sisters too joined him in Canada. His daughter lives in Calgary while his son in Vancouver. He shared that his wife and he are regular visitors to Vancouver to see their son and his family members. I was pleased to have an opportunity to meet him during his recent visit to Vancouver. When, towards the end of my interview with him, I expressed my happiness about his achievements and contributions, the God fearing Mr Mohinder Singh Takhar replied very humbly, “The supreme doer is the God Almighty and whatever I could achieve or contribute is due to His Grace”. I am indeed very pleased to share his struggle some efforts, contributions and achievements with the readers.

80 / The Trailblazers BALWANT SANGHERA THE CONNOISSEUR OF EDUCATION

Creating a niche of success abroad is not an easy task. To quench one’s craving for settlement on the foreign land; one has to experience several hardships. Indeed it is due to their determined willpower and sustained resolve that Punjabis, often starting empty handed from their homes eventually reach the pinnacle of success through facing the challenges here and there. In the beginning, the immigrants had to make a hard struggle for finding livelihood and compromise with available board and lodging, etc. Even they had to deal with the harsh challenges and ruthless hassles for securing their future and desired line of work. Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera, too is among the immigrants from Punjab, who at the age of 26 years reached Vancouver in 1966. He has all the time been keen to get on to the occupation that he always longed for. Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera was born to father Mr Inder Singh and mother Mrs Kishan Kaur in village Pharwala of District Jalandhar. For his education of grade five, he studied at Khalsa High School Bundala, situated at a few kilometers from his home. In 1954, a National High School opened in village Bilga, close to his village. Therefore, in 1955, while in grade nine, he shifted to National High School Bilga from where he did his Matriculation. He was a bright student. For passing Matriculation examination in1956 securing high marks, he was awarded scholarship. He passed his F.Sc. from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara and B.Sc. from Arya College, Ludhiana. According to him, he had

The Trailblazers / 81 a desire to provide the best education to children. If we have an overview of his life, we find that right from the time he entered British Columbia till date, he always remained occupied in educational spheres. He came to Vancouver in the beginning of 1966 under sponsorship of his elder brother Mr Gurbax Singh Sanghera. He worked for about 8 months in a saw-mill in Donald (Near Golden) a saw-mill town located on Trans Canada Highway 800 kilometers North- East of Vancouver. Thereafter, he studied at the newly opened Simon Fraser University British Columbia. After receiving his B.Ed., Mr Sanghera accepted a teaching position in 1968 in the town of Hudson Hope near St James British Columbia about 1150 kilometers of Vancouver. There was no person of Indian origin, except him in the town that had a population of around 1700. He taught there for five years and while in service, he acquired the degree of M.Ed. from the University of British Columbia (U.B.C.). In the year 1973, he got an opportunity of teaching at Lillooet, a small town 350 kilometer North-East ward from Vancouver, where he taught for 17 years. In this town, about two dozen people of Indian origin lived. He was always keen to perform community service, besides his teaching job. Due to his services rendered to citizens of Lillooet, he was quite admired and therefore, won the Municipality elections consistently for six times and served as Councilor for 13 years. He also served as the President of Lilooet School Teachers Association there. He used to fetch maximum votes compared to all the five elected Councilors in the Municipal elections. He married Ms Baldev Kaur daughter of Mr and Mrs Nasseb Kaur Atwal and the couple was blessed with two sons. He gave his children the best of education. One became a Solicitor and the other a Chartered Accountant.

82 / The Trailblazers He left Lillooet in 1990 to settle in Richmond and started working as a Psychologist in a school in Burnaby. He exercised responsibilities as a Psychologist in different schools in Greater Vancouver for 14 years. In 2004, after having served in different schools for 36 years, he retired upon superannuation. This provided him extra time to take part in community welfare activities more actively. Although throughout his career, he taught English and remained in the company of those who spoke English fluently, but he always endeavored for the promotion of his mother tongue Punjabi. About two decades ago, the enthusiasts for the upkeep of Punjabi, living in Greater Vancouver, had formed Punjabi Language Education Association which was commonly referred to with an abbreviated name ‘PLEA’. The foremost mandate of ‘PLEA’ was to organize awareness campaigns for keeping the newly arriving immigrants connected with their mother tongue Punjabi and to appeal the government to create resources for teaching of Punjabi in schools and colleges. Since the inception of ‘PLEA’, Mr Balwant Sanghera is continuing as its President. With the efforts made by ‘PLEA’ currently majority of the Vancouver schools are teaching Punjabi. The Punjabi classes are also held in colleges and senior schools. The Punjabi signboards are displayed in hospitals, banks and airports in Vancouver for the convenience of people. us services of community welfare rendered by him, he has become a well known personality. He has worked with so many welfare organizations and is still working with some. He has rendered service to community asIn 1990, when he came to Vancouver, very few people of Indian origin knew him but due to multifario former Chairperson of

The Trailblazers / 83 Multiculturalism Society of Richmond;Member, Board of Variance, and Director of an organization named ‘Virsa’ (Heritage). He is performing his duties as President of East Richmond Community Association and as Chairperson of South Asian Community Coalition against Youth Violence. Considering his acumen and dedication, the British Columbian Government appointed him as Senator of the Simon Fraser University located in Greater Vancouver, and he remained in this position for seven years. He also worked for five years as Member of the Board of Management and as the Vice Chairman of the famous Langara College of Vancouver. It was through government appointment. He also served the Ombuds Person Committee for Teachers of British Columbia as its Member and Chairperson for 10 rears. In view of his outstanding services rendered to the community, the citizens of Richmond included Mr Balwant Sanghera among the ‘10 Key Personalities’ who were honored in 2005. In 2007, he was enlisted among the ‘100 Most Influential Indo-Canadian Personalities’ declared by the ‘Sun’ newspaper. In 2010, he was included among the ‘25 Prominent Émigré Individuals’ chosen by one of the magazines related to immigration. Appreciation and felicitation of somebody doing good work greatly helps to further encourage him or her. It is like lubricating the already efficient machine. Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera was honored with the coveted ‘Jubilee Award’ during the Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Elizabeth, in 2002, in recognition of his services rendered and being rendered to the community. In 2006 and 2007, he was honored with the awards ‘Pride of India’ and ‘Glory of India’, respectively. In 2011, he was felicitated with the citation of ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Solicitor General of British

84 / The Trailblazers Columbia. Earlier in 2004, he also received ‘Order of British Columbia’, the highest honor for anyone in British Columbia. The Member of Canadian Parliament from Richmond, Mr Alice Wong presented Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera with the coveted ‘Diamond Award’ in view of the Queen’s Celebrations, on November 10, 2012. He has been endeavoring during the last 36 years to serve the cause of education for students as he considers the significance of ‘Vidya vichari, tan parupkari’ (Education enlightens you to serve others). A strong will to sort out the issues concerning his community is in his core. He is genuinely concerned with the issues such as atrocities against women; growing menace of drug addiction among youth; health related matters; looking after the elderly; housing issues, etc., and as and when any such issue emerges, he plays his role by discussing the matter on radio and television channels and sharing his views through news paper columns. While congratulating Mr Balwant Singh Sanghera for his admirable services, that he has provided or is still providing, to Punjabi community, I pray God Almighty to give him many more years of healthy life so that he continues with his mission to work for the welfare of the community, in still better way, in the times to come.

The Trailblazers / 85 PETER DHILLON THE KING OF CRANBERRIES

Majority of immigrants of Indian origin who settled in British Columbia Canada are Jatt Sikhs from Punjab. Farming is the main occupation of Jatt Sikhs in Punjab and it is a key resource of their economy. Punjabi farmers have a sound knowledge of growing different crops on their fields. Before partition of India, when the policy makers felt a need of food grain shortage, they allotted the barren and unproductive land in the area of Punjab which is in Pakistan now, to Punjabi army men. They worked hard to produce food grains as per need of feeding the population. After India’s independence in 1947, the hard working Punjabi farmers, who took lands in states like Uttar Pradesh, created wonders in transforming the barren, unproductive and untidy lands infested with wild bushes, to cultivable ones. A per the clarion call given by the Indian Prime Minister, Late Mr Lal Bahadhur Shastri for enhancing food grains production for the national food security, Punjabi farmers transformed the food scenario by producing more for the masses. On having an overview of the occupations held by Punjabis immigrating to British Columbia, we find that majority of them took to working in saw-mills and farming. It is generally said that if they get a hold fast in a new place, Punjabis very well know how to create a creditable niche for themselves. The Punjabis, who, in the very beginning, worked in blue berry, strawberry and cranberry farms, now own nearly half of the farms in Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley areas.

86 / The Trailblazers Recently, in a discussion with me, Mr Peter Dhillon, the Proprietor of Rich Berry Group of Companies, in his grand and magnificent New Westminster Highway, Richmond office, shared that he was born in 1965 in Vancouver. Mr Rachhpal Singh and Mrs Harbhajan Kaur are his parents. He obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts from University of British Columbia in 1988. Later, in 1993, he obtained L.L.B (Honors) degree from the famed University of Leeds in England. Discussing about farming, he shared that it was his dad who ventured into this occupation. Mr Peter Dhillon’s dad Mr Rachhpal Singh had come from his village Pandori, in District Jalandhar, to Canada, at a young age, to join his Bhuaji (father’s sister) and her husband, who lived in Vancouver. Alongside his studies, he did whatever insignificant and paltry work that came his way because he had a strong desire to establish himself in Canada. At an age of around 20 (Rachhpal), while inquiring about getting a job, he visited the Employment Office of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.). He could clear all the prescribed tests and ultimately became an officer of the R.C.M.P. This happened during 1957. Mr Rachhpal Singh Dhillon was the first Indo-Canadian in Canada to have been appointed as Branch Officer of R.C.M.P. He served as the Officer of R.C.M.P. and Sheriff for about 30 years. Peter told me that his dad had bought some property in the Vancouver region during his service in association with a partner and he purchased a farm in California. He went on to add that during his school vacation, he would go to the California farm with his parents. Picking fruits and doing some other farm work gave him great delight, he said.

The Trailblazers / 87 In 1979, Mr Rachhpal Singh purchased a cranberry farm in Richmond and besides his service routines; he worked sturdily at the farm also. He went on making purchase of more fields and in 1993, when Peter returned after studying his L.L.B. from England, his dad had built a huge cranberry farm of 100 acres. Peter is the only son of his parents and he has two sisters. Mr Peter was now a full-fledged lawyer and his father had an elaborate farming business. As expressed by Peter, he was at a crossroad to decide whether he should accept profession of law or join his father in cranberry farming. After careful thinking, he decided to go for farming. He was an educated young man. He was keen to go by his decision and after that there was no looking back. Mr Peter’s growing interest in farming, coupled with vast farming experience of his father, led to marked expansion of their cranberry production as well as the farm area. As destiny would have it, Peter’s father Mr Rachhpal Singh suffered from pulmonary ailment and, in 2003, left for his heavenly abode at an age of 64. Losing his father was indeed an irreparable and unfathomable loss for Mr Peter Dhillon. However, he took courage and continued with his farming. When in 1993, he started helping his father in farming, their cranberry farm was of 100 acres but currently, Mr Peter has a 1500 acre cranberry farm. Of this, about 1000 acres are in Greater Vancouver while 500 acres in Quebec. His farms have generated employment for hundreds of workers. There is an extensive set-up of Mr Peter’s farms. In spite of his demanding farming related schedules, it is rather strange how he has been finding time to serve as Chairperson of about 25 mega companies as well as Director of societal organizations. Some of these include:

88 / The Trailblazers Director of Airport Authority of Vancouver; Governor of Simon Fraser University; Director of Ocean Spray Company (that processes products such as juices, etc.) and Vice President; Director of Canadian Olympic Committee; Member of Board of Management of General Hospital Vancouver and University of British Columbia Hospital; Director and Vice Chairman of Ferries Corporation; Director of Custom and Revenue Agency of Canada; Director of Atomic Energy of Canada; Vice Chairman of Agricultural Land Commission; Honorary Chairman of Canadian Olympic Committee-2003, etc. It is a universal fact that hard work always pays, it never goes unrewarded. Mr Peter and his father, because of working carefully, diligently and prudently at their farms, became economically well-off. Besides playing his constructive role in important organizations, Mr Peter also participated in philanthropic activities and donated liberally toward programs of community welfare. He is of the view that the one who donates some fraction of one’s earning for charity gets a special delight which is blissful. Peter’s father died of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), which is a chronic and ultimately fatal disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function. In North America this disease is responsible for nearly 40,000 deaths. For research on the cure and management of this disease, Hon’ble Peter Dhillon donated $20 Lakh (2 Million) to University of British Columbia Hospital, a few years ago. He had also donated $11 Lakh for ‘Rachhpal Dhillon Track and Field Centre’ at U B C in the memory of his revered father, Mr Rachhpal Singh Dhillon. Although he is fully satisfied with his farm productivity, yet he has sponsored agricultural research by providing funds to the tune of $

The Trailblazers / 89 25,000 to Kwantlen Polytechnic University. From time to time, he had been financially supporting the organizations such as ‘Right to Play’ and ‘Red Cross Society’ for the welfare of the downtrodden and the handicapped children at the international level. Cranberry vines remain submerged in water and as the crop matures, its fruits come out of water and then these are picked. There are hundreds of cranberry farms in Greater Vancouver area. Mr Peter Dhillon too owns cranberry farms in Greater Vancouver. His farms are known for their maximum production among all the cranberry farms of Canada. The Ocean Spray Cooperative Company, which is one of the biggest units that processes fruit juices, purchases cranberry fruit from as many as 700 farmers. The farms of Mr Peter Dhillon form the biggest supplier of cranberry fruit to the Ocean Spray Cooperative Company, of which he is an important Partner. The Company has an annual trade of $ 3-4 billion. With about 4-5 per cent share, Mr Peter Dhillon is the largest Partner of this cooperative company. For having obtained maximum production of cranberry in Canada and supplying maximum produce to the Ocean Spray Cooperative Company, the Chief Executive Officer of the Richberry Group of Companies Richmond British Columbia described Mr Peter Dhillon as ‘King of Cranberry’ and there is no exaggeration in that. No doubt, he has established himself as the producer of 25 million pounds of cranberry fruits seasonally from his farms, yet he is keen to further augment the farm production so that he is known as the biggest cranberry producer in the world. Some years ago, the name of Mr Peter Dhillon was included in the list of ‘50 Most Influential Personalities’ of British Columbia. Several organizations have felicitated him

90 / The Trailblazers with honors and awards, in recognition of his outstanding contribution toward the economy of British Columbia and the services for the welfare of community. The Government of British Columbia recognized him with the coveted ‘Order of British Columbia’ Award in 2009. Mr Peter married a Canadian (GORI) girl in 1993 and now-a-days they are living in Shaughnessy, a posh locality of Vancouver. I wish them all the best.

The Trailblazers / 91 SHASHI ASSANAND THE SOCIAL WORKER PAR EXCELLENCE

Immigration and seeking asylum are both enormously difficult tasks. Man thinks of immigration in pursuit of one’s own desire to settle abroad while seeking asylum in the foreign land results from atrocities by others that force him or her to leave the home. In addition to difficulties in establishing oneself and adjusting to the new socio political and other circumstances of the foreign land, the language barriers problems encountered in finding livelihood, lack of proper information and knowledge about the local rules and regulations, altogether different social values, persistent worries about having the required board, food, clothing, etc., the immigrants and asylum seekers are under tremendous pressure and constant tension. The persistent tension often leads to domestic feuds and violence. This proves greatly detrimental to harmony in the families and the unbridled stress, worry and violence may even lead to dangerous consequences such as homicide. Canada is considered to be a multi-racial, multi- religious, multi-linguistic and multi-cultural nation. Its government is making efforts to rehabilitate the new immigrants entering the country. It renders full cooperation to immigrants to safeguard and promote their respective religion, language and culture. The Government Department pertaining to Social Issues provides funds for the activities of Social Organizations working to address issues and concerns of the immigrants and the refugees Social service is an arduous task. Although social workers are paid a

92 / The Trailblazers salary, but only those, who have a deep interest in working for the welfare of others and have experienced the multi- culturist society, can become ideal social workers. Mrs Shashi Assanand is a well known and prominent social worker of Greater Vancouver owing to her rich experience of social services. During an interview with her, she told me that she belongs to a Punjabi family. She elaborated that her father who belonged to Gujranwala area of West Punjab (now in Pakistan), migrated to Uganda in the beginning of last century. Like many immigrants, he too tried his hands on petty occupations but ultimately turned to be a big businessman. The graceful Mrs Shashi Assanand, having slim and tall personality, fair complexion and attractive features, shared that she was born in Uganda and that Mr Haveli Ram and Mrs Satwanti were her parents. She added that at a young age of just four, she was sent to Gujarat State of India along with her two elder sisters. She stayed there in a Boarding School for 14 years and learned different languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Sanskrit and English. After returning to Uganda, she cleared the examination of Senior Cambridge. She also obtained a Diploma in Management from a reputed Educational Institute. In 1965, she married Mr Surinder Assanand of an affluent business family. Her in-laws had their business branches outside Uganda also, in countries like Kenya and Tanzania. Surinder operated the family business in Uganda. Mrs Shashi shared that she was quite well-off and thus needed not to work to earn money. However, rather than sitting idle in home, she got a job in American Embassy in Ugandan capital city Kampala. She lived in Kampala itself. In 1972, when Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered all Asian people to leave Uganda, then the family of Mrs Shashi Assanand along with others had to shift to England empty

The Trailblazers / 93 handed. She worked for about a year in the Management Wing of a famous Store and in 1974, they shifted to Vancouver city of British Columbia. While Mr Surinder Assanand started his Radio, television and Audio-Video Business in the Trade Centre of the Fraser Street, Mrs Shashi Assanand, with a mission of helping the immigrants and refugees started working with a well established organization OASIS to provide the required service to immigrants at the Main Street and Marine Drive. She developed the basic disposition for multiculturalism right from her childhood as she remained exposed to diverse shades of people and cultures. She was born in a Punjabi family, passed her childhood in the company of Ugandan kids, obtained her primary education in Gujarat, and while serving the Management Wing of American Embassy she got enormous opportunities of interacting with different people. Moreover, although she herself had the personal experience of being an immigrant from Uganda to England, she passed many courses on handling the immigrants’ issues from several institutes such as Douglas College; British Columbia Institute of Technology (B.C.I.T.); University of British Columbia; Langara College and Kwantlen College. While being with ‘Oasis’, she served in various capacities as Social Worker, Coordinator and a community worker. She worked with OASIS’ for 16 years and then joined the legal services society of BC. During her tenure with OASIS‘ she greatly felt the need to have further resources for addressing the issues of immigrants entering the Canadian land and the increasing domestic violence. In 1991, based on the need for adequate services for the immigrants, she sent a proposal to the authorities of the Department of Social Services for setting up a ‘Multi Cultural Family Support service Organization’. After several

94 / The Trailblazers deliberations and discussions, they accepted the proposal of Mrs Shashi Assanand and decided to fund the ‘Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multi Cultural Family Support Services Society’. In answer to my question what her vision to start her own agency was, she said “My vision was to support victims of domestic violence walk through the systems that were established to support mainly women and children who were not able to access services because of their inability to speak English and or not knowing how to have access services. The agency has now grown to provide services in 24 different languages. My vision over the years has changed where I now believe that when we help mothers with their victimization, it leaves their daughters free to pursue the goals of their lives freely and make their own lives successful. Thereby, we are able to help two generations of women achieve sense of well being.” In those days, she was alone to run the Society but her plans were great. To fulfill the mandate of the Society and keeping in view the available fiscal grants, she started recruitment of additional social workers. During my interaction with Mrs Shashi Assanand in her third floor office on the multi-storey building situated on the corner of Bennet and Nelson in Burnaby, she told that presently her Society has a staff strength of 20. With a sense of utter delight and pride she mentioned that in the non-profit Society which was established with her efforts now runs with public funding. She has been connected with finding the solution of intricate problems faced by thousands of people. When asked what the major activities of her Society were, she responded by saying that the Society looked after varied social concerns that include:violence against women; ill-treatment meted out to the elderly and children; providing legal guidance to victims of domestic

The Trailblazers / 95 feuds and violence; creating awareness about the role of judiciary; providing training in social work; arranging inter- face meetings of student trainees of different educational institutes interested in social service, with the victims of social wrongs; giving expert talks on electronic media regarding sorting out immigrants’ issues; creating awareness among people about the emerging immigration issues and the role her Society was playing in this context; gathering feedback from people representing different professionals of Society including the lawyers, doctors, social workers and police and making efforts to build a co- ordinate d response to domestic violence. She highlighted that all employees of her Society are keen to bringing the feuding individuals to a level of compromise through motivating them for a dialogue and that the social workers are taking every initiative to advise the quarreling parties to stay away from altercations and feuds, in the future. She expressed that her Society is providing services to the needy in as many as 24 different languages. She herself is well versed in many languages including English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Swahili,Hindi and Urdu. When asked whether she had been connected with Societies and Organizations other than her own Society, she handed a long list over to me. The list said that, based on a rich experience gained through her entire social service career spread over 38 years, she exercised her knowledge and wit in making important contributions in over three dozen Societies and Organizations. As a resource person, she often delivers her lectures to students of Social work at University of British Columbia; University of Victoria; University of York; Langara College; Douglas College, etc. She had been rendering services as President, Vice President, Director, and Member of various organizations

96 / The Trailblazers such as Richmond Multicultural Concern Society; Immigrant and Visible Minority Women; Advisory Council of Multiculturalism of Ministry of Education;British Columbia Association of Social Workers and about 30 other organizations. She is still continuing to serve the cause of social welfare. Mrs Shashi Assanand is the founder and the Executive Director of the organization ‘Multicultural Family Support Services Society’ whose motto is ‘Let us work together to stop domestic violence’. She introduced me to different social service employees working in their separate offices in her 6000 square feet building. All these workers have different backgrounds from diverse communities and speak different languages. After showing me around the office, she told me over a cup of coffee that her office deals with cases regarding violence against women; ill treatment to the elderly and the trauma of children living in families with domestic feuds. She added that her teams of social service workers try to sort out such matters by personally visiting different homes, or calling the victims to their office to listen to their grievances. Besides being an experienced social worker, Mrs Shashi Assanand is an apt writer and orator. The newspapers and magazines give due space to her articles and columns. She has been profusely honored with felicitations and awards in recognition to her exclusive social services. The list of awards and honors include: Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award; Pride of India Award;Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award; Service to Victims Award of the Attorney General; Crime Prevention & Community Safty Award, Anniversary of Canadian Federation Award; Volunteer of the Year Award, etc. Discussing about her family and post retirement plans, she said that her husband Mr Surinder Assanand, closed the retail store of electronic goods

The Trailblazers / 97 pertaining to radio, Television and audio-video equipment that he had been operating on the Fraser Street, and started a comprehensive wholesale trade of the same stuff. She said that she has a daughter and a son. The daughter, after completing her Ph.D. is working as a Professor at a university while the son is a Charter Accountant and serving a reputed company as its Partner. Talking about her post retirement plans, she disclosed that she is totally absorbed in social work and had not yet decided about what she will do post retirement. In view of her remarkable contributions toward social service, it will not be an exaggeration to describe her as a ‘Prominent and Unrelenting Social Worker’!

98 / The Trailblazers SURINDERPAL RATHOR THE DEPUTY MAYOR

Properties.One can volunteer to serve others only if one derives inner happiness out of it. To tread on this path is not easy. In today’s materialistic and fast life, nobody has the required time to involve oneself in such a task oriented toward others’ welfare. However, there are persons like Mr Surinderpal Rathor who find time for the welfare of others. Mr Surinderpal Rathor is a disciple of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary, the pioneer in scaling the peak of the Himalayas in 1952. No doubt, he could not get the credit of scaling any high mountain top but has certainly got the rare distinction of becoming a prominent volunteer credited with the community service of 98,130 hours due to his immigration to Canada from India. Mr Surinderpal was born in 1952 in a small village Khurampur, Tehsil Phagwara and District Kapurthala. Col Avtar Singh and Mrs Nasib Kaur Rathor are his parents. He had his Primary School Education from his native village, passed Middle grade from Khalsa High School, village Palahi and Matric from Ramgarhia Model School, Phagwara. Mr Surinderpal had ample opportunities to accompany his father to different army cantonment headquarters in major cities of India and to stay there. He passed B.A.(Hons) Examination from S.D. College(Lahore) Ambala Cantt. During his college days, he obtained training under National Cadet Corps (N.C.C.). While studying at the G.M. College, Ambala he was commissioned and was selected as an Army Officer.

The Trailblazers / 99 In December 1974, he left his M.A. studies in between and immigrated to Canada on marriage basis. His in-laws were living in a small town of Williams Lake, about 550 kilometers far from Vancouver. He married Ms Charanjit Kaur daughter of Mr Kishan Singh and Mrs Baldev Kaur Parmar, in January 1975. Up to the late 1960s there were only 4-5 Punjabi families living in Williams Lake. However, by the time Mr Surinderpal Rathor reached Williams Lake, the town had about hundred Punjabi families. There used to be 4-5 saw-mills, which are still there. The majority of Punjabi immigrants worked in these mills. During winter season, the temperature dips down to as low as minus 40 degrees. In reply to my query as to how he felt after reaching Williams Lake, Mr Surinderpal Rathor replied that the ambitions that brought him to Canada from India remained just a dream. He added that those days the saw-mill owners had adequate number of workers; and there were no vacancies. Sitting at home and finding work nowhere in sight, he often became sad. He told that by then the Punjabi community of Williams Lake had started construction of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple (gurdwara Sahib). The members of the Punjabi community in West Fraser used to work as volunteers in the saw-mill as cleaners. However, the mill owner used to pay the wages for this job done by the Punjabi volunteers, to the management committee looking after the construction of gurdwara. Mr Surinderpal shared that he too volunteered for working as a cleaner and did dirty sanitation work for the sake of gurdwara Sahib. After sometime, although he got a job in the mill named P. &.T. but his passion for giving in terms of community welfare work kept on growing.

100 / The Trailblazers While looking at the list of his services rendered to the welfare of others as a volunteer indicates that he was in this benevolent task since 1975. The list highlights that as a volunteer he worked for people who were unable to fill their tax forms of their own or by making payment to some agent. He helped them by devoting 20,000 hours for filling as many as 13,000 forms per year for such people; 10,000 hours for preparing non- English knowing people taking the tests for Canadian citizenship; 11,000 hours for acting as their interpreter during interaction with hospitals and police departments; 4,300 hours for serving as Assistant Police Officer; and 10,000 hours for gathering funds for supporting various activities in organizations including Rick Hanson, Rotary Club, Cariboo Memorial Hospital, Museum, and Canadian National Institute for the Blind. He served the people living in Williams Lake as a volunteer in several fields and the list of his contributions is quite long. The sum total of the time devoted by Mr Surinderpal Rathor in the service for the welfare of the needy people works out to be 98,130 hours. In Williams Lake and the adjoining areas there is majority of native Indian and the European populace. When Punjabis started reaching Williams Lake, the local community considered them as intruders in their region. They looked at them with suspicion as if Punjabis have trespassed their territory to inflict some harm. In due course of time, however, the Indo-Canadian people started mixing up with the local population and succeed in winning over their trust. With the result, the local population started reposing their confidence in them. In 1979, they elected Mr Gurbax Singh Saini as Member of Williams Lake Municipality. Hailing from Village Bhungarni, District

The Trailblazers / 101 Hoshiarpur, he had come to Williams Lake in 1971. He continued winning the Council elections from 1979 to 1990. He sought election to the post of Mayor of Williams Lake in the Municipality Committee Elections held in 1990 but could not win. However, in the election of 1993 Mr Surinderpal Rathor was successful in getting chosen as Alderman. Mr Gurbax Singh Saini is at present a flourishing businessman in Williams Lake. To be elected as Member of Municipality in is difficult than becoming Member of Legislative Assembly or Member Parliament. Due to the lack of ward system (constituencies) in municipality elections, the candidates have to depend on all the voters in the city. However, in the Assembly and Parliamentary elections the area is divided into different constituencies based on population. From 1993 till 2011, he has a track record of winning every municipality election that is held every three years. This consistent victory over the years is attributed to his extra-ordinary community services. He has been liberally contributing in diverse ways, from the construction of gurdwara to sorting out the other matters of people. For the entertainment of people of Indian origin settled in Williams Lake, he hosted a program on community Channels of Shaw Television, for more than a decade, from 1980 to 1991. As per the rating of Shaw Television, it had been an outstanding and successful program. During 1984 and 1985 he served as Secretary as well as President of the Management Committee of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, Williams Lake. Mr Surinderpal Rathor played a key role in the creation of Five Rivers Crematorium for the Punjabi community and dedicating the same to the people of Williams Lake. Expressing his views about the Punjabi fraternity residing in Williams Lake, Mr Surinderpal Rathor told that toward the end of eighth decade of the last century, about 25 per cent proportion of the total population

102 / The Trailblazers of nearly 12 thousands was of the people of Indian origin and that now this proportion has declined to something like 5 per cent. From the elections held from 1993 till 2011, the city mayors and councilors have been changing but Mr Rathor has been winning every municipality election with progressively bigger margin. He had got opportunities to play his role while being on the Committee constituted by the Council to expeditiously get done its mandated tasks. For an instance, he had been and is still exercising his duties as Chairperson or Co-Chair of various Committees such as Public Safety Committee, Stampede Association, Airport Development Authority, Art and Cultural Committee and Public Works Committee. In his capacity as the Chairperson of Public Works Committee for ten years, Mr Surinderpal Rathor got millions of dollar sanctioned from the Government of British Columbia for repairing/ resurfacing of roads and thereby gave an attractive face to Williams Lake. In view of his valuable contributions in its activities, the Council appointed Mr Surinderpal Rathor as the Deputy Mayor after having created this position though passing a resolution in 2008. He is exercising the responsibilities of Deputy Mayor of Williams Lake since then. As far as I know, Williams Lake is the only city of British Columbia where the position of Deputy Mayor had been created. Mr Rathor also handled the charge of City Mayor from time to time. Col Avtar Singh had three daughters and two sons. The elder son Mr Surinderpal was the first in the family to have come to Canada and his one sister lives in India while the other in Italy. In 1986, Col Avtar Singh along with his wife, a daughter and a son migrated to Williams Lake. He feels like shifting from the Indian Cantonments to the one created by Punjabis at Williams Lake to enjoy his post retirement life.

The Trailblazers / 103 Mr Surinderpal Rathor is very hard working person. The saw-mill in which he worked in 1975, has been changing hands of owners and has been named differently in the process. Presently it is named as Tolko mill. Mr Surinderpal is continuing to work in this saw-mill. Presently, in addition to working as Head Electrician in the mill, he is a Member of the Committee constituted by the mill owners and Employee Union for the safety of workers. When the municipality elections, due for 2014, will take place, Mr Surinderpal Rathor would have completed a long journey of 21 years of distinctive service to the Williams Lake Council. Best to my knowledge is the first Indo Canadian Councilor in Canada who has a distinction of winning elections consecutively for 21 years. Based on the services he rendered to the community, Mr Surinderpal Rathor has been honored with several awards including ‘Canadian Federation Day Award’, in 1992; ‘Jubilee Award’ during the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Elizabeth, in 2002; ‘British Columbia Community Achievement Award’, in 2005; ‘Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award’, in 2009; ‘Newsmaker of the Year Award’, in 2009 and ‘Diamond Jubilee Award’ during the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Elizabeth, in 2012. While concluding the interview, Mr Surinderpal said that he is father to one daughter and one son and that he is now fortunate enough to be maternal grandfather (Nana) and paternal grandfather (Baba). He gave admiring comments for his wife Mrs Charanjit, daughter Roop and son Robinderpal for their acceptance and ever available cooperation that enabled him to spend maximum time for community work away from his home. He shared that he was doing, whatever he could, for the people of Williams Lake, with the ungrudging cooperation

104 / The Trailblazers of his family. In view of the prolonged commendable service he rendered for the community, and the maximum votes and support he received from his voters for his continuous victory over the years, it will be appropriate to describe Mr Surinderpal Rathor as a social worker par excellence and a most popular Councilor.

The Trailblazers / 105 ARJAN BHULLAR THE COMMONWEALTH GOLD MEDALIST

It is said that physical workouts make the human body strong, active and healthy. The strong and healthy youth turn out to be good sports persons. There are a great variety of games and sports played in different parts of the world. There are games that do not require costly equipment. One football is enough for 24 persons to play. For and playing kabaddi, players have only to wear shorts and jump in the arena. Wrestling requires players of sound physique. For a sound physique nutritious diet and regular exercise are the prerequisites. Wrestling is an age old sport in India. The ancient kings and emperors used to patronize wrestlers and had Royal Wrestlers. In the akharas (wrestling arenas) of Shinjh (wrestling tournament) wrestlers used to combat. This was common sight in the villages, where wrestlers used to prove their muscle. Now-a-days international sports institutes have been set up to arrange for tournaments of different games and sports. Wrestling as a sport is included in the tournaments organized by World Championships, Olympiads, and Commonwealth Games. Wrestlers representing different countries of the world participate in such sport tournaments and competitions. The wrestler Mr Arjan Bhullar was born in 1986 in the family of father Mr Avtar Singh and mother Mrs Salinder Bhullar at Richmond, British Columbia. Representing Canada, he has played in Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. He was inspired toward wrestling by his

106 / The Trailblazers father Mr Avtar Bhullar, who himself is an ace wrestler. Last week, as I went to meet Mr Arjan Bhullar at his Richmond home address, I was welcomed by his dad Mr Avtar Bhullar with whom I interacted. From its exterior, their home looked like a fort. Entering through a big gate I reached the drawing room. The spacious drawing room had sufficient sitting arrangement for about 15 guests. There were attractive sofa sets in place and the drawing room had four doors in each of its walls. Upon my asking, Mr Avtar Singh told that across each of the four doors there was a house where all the four brothers and their 26 family members lived. He added that the multifaceted house was spread on an area of 14,000 square feet. There was neither any television set nor radio set in the drawing room. Mr Avtar shared that normally most of their family members sit in the drawing room to review about the work accomplished during the day and discuss about the next day’s plans. Thereafter, general gossips are also held, he said. While talking about the exceptional harmony in their family, Mr Avtar Bhullar’s face was glowing with a much justified pride and delight. He told that he hailed from Village Bhullar, near Nakodar in District Jalandhar and that he was born in 1960. The name of his father was Mr Pritam Singh and of his mother was Mrs Gurmit Kaur. He immigrated to Canada in 1970. He is the youngest of one sister and six brothers. Right from when he was studying in primary classes, Mr Avtar Bhullar was interested in wrestling. His brothers didn’t involve him in any domestic work and his father encouraged him to follow the path of wrestling in which he was deeply interested. He told that every day he exercised which included three thousand sit-ups and four thousand push-ups. That was his daily routine. Rigorous fitness exercises and nutritious diet made him an ace and renowned

The Trailblazers / 107 wrestler. The family was keen to see their children becoming good wrestlers. He told that in their arena called ‘Bhullar Akhara’, every child in the family tried hands at wrestling, but Arjan excelled of all of them. His own aptitude for wrestling coupled with the encouragement from his family was responsible for his becoming an ace wrestler. During his school days, the hard practice that Arjan did in the Akhara in their home, under the motivation and guidance of his dad shaped him a good wrestler. He had won State and National level Wrestling Championships while being so young. Based on the Scholarship that he was getting, the Simon Fraser University, Vancouver admitted Mr Arjan Bhullar in the subject of Political Science, after he had finished his high school. He continued with his passion of wrestling. Trained by diligent and perceptive coaches, Arjan brought laurels for the Simon Fraser University by winning National Medals in the Leagues of the Canadian as well as American Universities. It was for the first time in the history of universities that Mr Arjan Bhullar had bagged Canadian Universities League Medal and also the American Universities League Medal, in the same year. In the global tournament of universities, he won a bronze medal as well. He won the Canadian Universities League Medal and the American Universities League Medal in 2009 and the University World Championship (Bronze Medal) in 2006. He was declared as ‘Athlete of the Year’ by Simon Fraser University and ‘Top Ranking Wrestler of Canada’ in 2008 and 2009, respectively. After excelling in universities of Canada and America, he started taking part in wrestling contests in Canada. Based on his winning performances in Canadian combats, he was selected to take part in the Commonwealth Games held in the Indian Capital of New

108 / The Trailblazers Delhi in 2010. To participate in the wrestling events, 7 wrestlers of different weight categories from Canada went there. Of these Mr Arjan Bhullar was the first Indo-Canadian wrestler to have participated in the Commonwealth Games. Among all the seven groups participating in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, it was only Arjan, who fetched the Gold Medal for Canada. He thus glorified both Canada and India by fetching gold. The Bhullar family has great passion for games and sports in general and for wrestling in particular. They were so keen to buck up that many of the family members accompanied Mr Arjan Bhullar to the Commonwealth Games at New Delhi. When they returned with the Gold Medal won by Mr Arjan Bhullar, the Indo- Canadian Fraternity gave them a warm welcome at the Vancouver Airport. It is a tradition that in case anybody in the Bhullar family makes a mark or gets involved in sports activities in sports, he doesn’t have to worry about living, food or clothing, etc. Arjan’s father Mr Avtar Singh disclosed with pride and delight that when he used to wrestle, he received encouraging support from his brothers, who gave him a free hand allowing him to devote fully to wrestling; and that they will look after him. They said that he (Avtar Singh) will equally share the property that they will generate through their working. Mr Avtar Singh told that till the age of 32 years he remained occupied with wrestling only and did nothing else during these years. After retiring from wrestling, he is helping his brothers in the management of 200 acre big Cranberry Farm, the 10-truck Transport Business and in the sale- purchase activities of the Real Estate Business of the family. He gladly shared that his brothers and their sons have also asked Arjan to devote wholeheartedly to wrestling only and not to worry about anything else. He too will have equal right

The Trailblazers / 109 and share in the family assets and properties.One can volunteer to serve others only if one derives inner happiness out of it. To tread on this path is not easy. In today’s materialistic and fast life, nobody has the required time to involve oneself in such a task oriented toward others’ welfare. However, there are persons like Mr Surinderpal Rathor who find time for the welfare of others. Mr Surinderpal Rathor is a disciple of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary, the pioneer in scaling the peak of the Himalayas in 1952. No doubt, he could not get the credit of scaling any high mountain top but has certainly got the rare distinction of becoming a prominent volunteer credited with the community service of 98,130 hours due to his immigration to Canada from India. Winning a sports tournament and receiving recognitions and felicitations thereafter is a great encouragement for the victor and it proves as a driving force for him to further excel in the coming time. Winning a gold medal in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games was a driving force for Arjan to participate in Olympic Games. The Commonwealth Games were held in New Delhi in 2010 and the Olympic Games in London in 2012. Having a 5 feet 11 inches tall stature and well-built solid body, Mr Arjan Bhullar, defeated other Canadian wrestlers to easily clear his way for participation in the Olympian Games. During the Opening Parade in the magnificent stadium of the London Olympian Games, Arjan sporting an elegant turban (head gear) and holding the Canadian Flag, while leading the Canadian team, seemed to represent both India and Canada. He reached the event for winning a bronze medal in the London Olympics. However, an Iranian wrestler defeated him to win the bronze medal.

110 / The Trailblazers During my interview, he shared in the end that he is studying in the Simon Fraser University for the Masters Degree in Political Science and that he said it will be completed in the next year. As laid down by the Sikh Gurus he offers one tenth of his earning for charity. From his scholarship amount, he contributes for the cause of education and health care of children. As a spokesperson of Central and State Governments, he fervently denounces atrocities against women and endeavors to stop it. He is always keen to motivate school children to participate in games and sports. Commenting on the dropping of wrestling from the Olympic Games, he said that wrestling was the most popular in as many as 180 countries of the world. In view of the suggestions of these countries, it seems that wrestling will not be dropped from the list of Olympian Games, he said. He earnestly hopes to win a medal for Canada in the ensuing Olympic Games. I offer him my best wishes for the fulfillment of his desire.

The Trailblazers / 111 DR BIKKAR SINGH LALLI THE ACE MATHEMATICIAN

Education is a vital source of knowledge and development of mental faculties. It serves as means for attaining comforts of life and to satiate our inquisitiveness to explore the unknown. Education dispels all darkness of mind and lights our lamp of knowledge. Education is for welfare but it can be acquired only through diligence and patience over a period of time. Those students who reach the upper rungs of the ladder of education in different subjects are respectfully known as scientists, doctors, engineers, economists, historians and mathematicians, etc depending upon their areas of specialized education. Although students are taught mathematics right from their primary classes, but a strong proficiency in mathematics is required if one is interested to pursue career of engineer, architecture, economist, data analyst, statistician, etc. A precise knowledge of mathematics is a prerequisite of being an ace mathematician. Resident of Surrey in British Columbia, Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli during an interview shared with me his success story of becoming a mathematician. He was born in 1928, in a small Village Kotli near Virk and Dosanjh Kalan villages of District Jalandhar. Mr Kartar Singh and Mrs Dhanwant Kaur were his parents. He is younger to his four brothers and a sister. In those days only some villages had schools. There being no school in Village Kotli, none of his brothers and sister could receive an education. The Education Department of the state

112 / The Trailblazers government was laying emphasis that one child from each family must go to school. Therefore, his parents thought of sending Bikkar Singh to a school in the nearby Village Mandali, as he was youngest of all children and was not able to do any work. He had to walk about 2 miles to go and return from school daily. When he passed the fourth grade from the school in Village Mandali, his father was not willing to send him to another school. However, at the persistent suggestion of Mr Pritam Singh, father of the British Columbian Premier, Hon’ble Mr Ujjal Dosanjh, Bikkar was sent to Khalsa Middle School at Dosanjh Kalan. Dosanjh Kalan was at a distance of 3 miles from Village Kotli. Every day, Bikkar had to go and return from school on foot, often bare footed. After passing his eighth class from Khalsa Middle School at Dosanjh Kalan, Mr Bikkar Singh started studying in Ramgarhia High School, Phagwara. The Ramgarhia High School, Phagwara was about 6 miles away from Village Kotli and he had to go and return from there on foot. While seeking admission in Ramgarhia High School, Bikkar Singh gave promise to his father and brothers that he will study dedicatedly to be able to earn a good livelihood and comfortable life for family. He really worked hard and passed his matriculation in flying colors. He was also awarded a scholarship that was quite well-paid. Winning the scholarship was indeed a motivation for him to excel in studies. After his schooling, he joined D.A.V. College, Jalandhar and passed his Faculty of Science (F.Sc) examination from there. He passed Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Mathematics in 1951 from Ramgarhia College Phagwara and Panjab University, respectively. After obtaining his degree of M.A. (Mathematics), he taught in the Sikh

The Trailblazers / 113 National College, Quadian, District Gurdaspur and in 1953 after his selection by Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) Public Service Commission, he taught mathematics to M.A. classes in Government Colleges. In 1954, he married Ms Surjit Kaur daughter of Dr Jaswant Singh Dhaliwal of Ludhiana. Dr Jaswant Singh Dhaliwal had also been the Principal of Banaras University. Surjit Kaur had completed her Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) from Lady Irwin College Delhi. The couple was blessed with three children. In the beginning of 1960s, he sent applications to some Canadian Universities for seeking admission in Ph.D in Mathematics. In 1962, the University of British Columbia (U.B.C.), Vancouver sponsored him and allowed him to do his Ph.D in Mathematics and also to simultaneously teach in the University. In 1966, he completed his Ph.D in Mathematics from the U.B.C. In the last month of his Ph.D program, he got many job placement offers from several Canadian universities. From these, he only accepted the offer by the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), Saskatoon, due to a rewarding salary and better promotion avenues. He started teaching there as Assistant Professor. He became Associate Professor in 1968 and a full-fledged Professor in 1974, due to his intellect and dedicated job performance. Later, he was appointed as Head of the Department. He taught mathematics to students of U of S for about 30 years. Due to his expertise and research findings in mathematics, Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli was talk of the world universities. He was invited by about 40 universities of the world for delivering his expert lectures. In addition to delivering expert talks on mathematics in universities at Mysore, Pune, Madras (now Chennai), Patiala, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, etc. in India, he

114 / The Trailblazers deliberated on various aspects of Mathematics in several Universities of Australia, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Singapore, Washington, Florida, Bulgaria, China, Hong Kong, Slovakia, San Antonio, Vancouver, Manitoba, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Scotland, etc. Wherever, he went for delivering his lectures, his visits were fully sponsored by the inviting Universities. He has published about 150 research papers and other articles on different aspects of mathematics in reputed journals and newspapers. He also evaluated a large number of scientific research papers and student thesis submitted to different Universities for the Ph.D and M.A. degrees. He chaired a Valedictory Session of an International Conference on Mathematics held at Vancouver, in 1974. After his retirement in 1993, he shifted from Saskatchewan to Surrey in British Columbia. I happened to interact with Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli during a meeting of the Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society, Vancouver, some years ago. I found him to be a tall, jovial, companionable, sportsperson like build having attractive features. I learned from him that during the fourth year of his study at Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, he was unanimously elected as President of the Student Union. After leaving his teaching profession, he didn’t sit idle at home but preferred to take part in community welfare activities. From 1999 onwards he is continuing as Member of Senate of the University of British Columbia and has played a significant role being the Member of various Committees constituted by the Senate. He is always concerned about the means and ways to address the menace of drug addiction and gangster culture prevailing among youth and the issues concerning the elderly. Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli played a key role in getting a grant of $50 lakh sanctioned

The Trailblazers / 115 by the Kwantlen Polytechnical University to support the ongoing campaign against the problem of gangster culture amongst our youth. He also played a major role in obtaining a grant for the ongoing project at the Simon Fraser University on Komagata Maru Ship. Since 2002, he is endeavoring to make the elderly people computer literate with the government grant. He played a pivotal role in re-establishing the ‘Chair for Sikh Studies’ in the University of British Columbia in 2005, which was earlier established in 1985 with the efforts of Sikh community, but was withdrawn later on account of some community controversy. Since he himself hailed from rural background, he was quite aware about the financial hardships through which rural students had to undergo. Therefore, acting magnanimously, he used to pay their fees from his pocket. While he was at Saskatoon, he had allowed many foreign students to stay at his home without any charges. In 2011, the Kwantlen University honored him with the honoris causa degree of ‘Doctor of Law’, in recognition of his social service track record. Expressing his views about the people of Indian origin living in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli said that those living in Saskatchewan were more concerned with the education of their children. He said that the children of people of Indian origin living in Saskatchewan endeavor acquiring more University degrees than the ones living in Greater Vancouver. Speaking about his own children he shared that both his sons, Paramjit and Baljit are orthodontists. Mr Paramjit lives at Saskatoon in Saskatchewan while Mr Baljit lives in the magnificent city of Sidney in Australia. His daughter Ms Moninder Bubber, besides exercising the responsibilities of librarian at Simon Fraser University

116 / The Trailblazers Burnaby B C is In Charge of Komagata Maru Project. Dr Bikkar Singh Lalli and his wife in want to stay near to their daughter and Considering the climate of Greater Vancouver as more friendly for the elderly, than that of Saskatchewan, they decided to settle in Surrey. Since 1996 they are living in Surrey.

The Trailblazers / 117 JAGAT SINGH UPPAL AN AMALGAM OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION

Punjabis started moving to Canada, in the beginning of the last century. Last week, I had a chance to have a short conversation with Mr Jagat Singh (Jack) Uppal, a diligent, dedicated and far-sighted social worker living in Vancouver, who had migrated to Canada some 86 years ago. From my discussion with him, I learned that his father, Mr Dalip Singh shifted from his Village, Uppal, District Jalandhar in 1906. From the very beginning, Punjabis reaching Canada, one way or another, settled in the locale around Vancouver city. As per the available official statistics, as many as 387 Indo-Canadian person were living in Canada in 1906. However, now their count has grown to lakhs. It may be worth mentioning as to what had been the state of affairs regarding their livelihood and the discrimination that was meted out to them at that time. The Indo-Canadian fraternity will be able to fully imagine the situation then and now. According to Mr Jagat Singh Uppal, his father stayed in Vancouver from 1906 to 1922 during which he worked very hard to earn, went to India and married Harnam Kaur. Mr Jagat Singh Uppal was born on February 27, 1925 in Village Uppal, District Jalandhar, Punjab in the family of father Mr Dalip Singh and mother Harnam Kaur. He joined his father in Canada along with his mother on May 7, 1926. Those days, the number of Punjabi women living in Canada was only two dozen or so. Mr Jagat Singh and his brother, Sadhu, who was elder to him by about a year, had their

118 / The Trailblazers primary education at Vancouver from Lord Beaconsfield School and Vancouver Technical Secondary School. His father handled work of selling and home delivery of fuel wood for use in wood stoves (hearths). As ill luck would have it, his father met with a fatal truck accident in 1938. Mr Jagat Singh was merely 13 years old by that time. He had to leave his studies in between and had to search for some livelihood. He tried his hand on the fuel wood work that his father was doing, but could not do well. Synchronous with doing very hard work for many years in the saw-mills of Vancouver and Vancouver Island, he pursued his management studies as well. He went back to India in 1947 and he married Ms Mohinder Kaur a year later. She was the younger sister of Mrs Gurdev Kaur, his elder brother Mr Sadhu Singh’s wife. After about two year’s stay in India, he shifted to Canada and had to make struggle some efforts to search for a right job. In 1952, he got a job of bus driver in the Vancouver Transport Company. However, he got a restricted number of hours for this job and thus earned a sum of $200 per month only which was inadequate to run the family chores. Ultimately, he had to leave this job. Thereafter, he got a chance to work in the mill named ‘Yukon’ owned by his friend, Mr Sohan Singh. In addition to working in the mill, he also had hands-on-experience about the managerial routines of the mill. He also started business of building construction. As he told me, his business flourished well as during the late 1970s he had as many as 30 condominiums in New Westminster area and 15 in Marpole area. However, due to the trickery by a close relative, he witnessed a huge loss in this business. In 1971, Mr Uppal, in collaboration with two of his friends, bought a saw-mill, near the Knight Street Bridge, in Richmond. However, his friends parted ways and Mr Uppal through diligence and meticulous planning and

The Trailblazers / 119 management, greatly improved the saw-mill performance. Currently, his saw-mill named ‘Gold Wood Industries Limited’ situated on the Mitchell Road, occupies enormous acreage. He shared that some years ago, before the slowdown witnessed by the house construction business in America; his mill had employed about 200 workers. The wood that was prepared in his mill was exported to America as well. Now-a-days, the production from his mill is also marketed to China. The employees working in the mill are paid to the tune of $25 per hour. When Jack Uppal took to work in the saw-mill in 1940, the wages were merely 25 Cents per hour. Mr Jagat Singh Uppal (Jack Uppal) has been brought up and educated in Canada itself. Even then, he stays connected with Indian culture and way of life. He is not only proficient in speaking Punjabi but also apt at reading and writing Punjabi. He is an effective orator. He reached Canada at a young age of 15 months and has gone through vast experience up to his present age of 87 years. During this long journey of life, he has witnessed and heard about the events concerning Indo-Canadians. During the Second World War, when India’s freedom struggle was gaining momentum, the Indo-Canadians were struggling for the right to exercise their franchise. That was the time when Punjabi youth had formed ‘East Indian Youth Association’ and Mr Jack Uppal, as its active member, took keen interest in its activities. The organization was making efforts to put across their demands to Canadian people, government officials, and politicians. It addressed the gatherings at different theatres in Vancouver. Mr Jagat Singh Uppal is one among the individuals, who from time to time, tried to bring into government’s notice the issues concerning atrocities against the Indo-Canadian population, through writing letters.

120 / The Trailblazers The ‘Khalsa Diwan Society’, always assisted and supported the Punjabis who had shifted to Vancouver and fought for their legitimate rights. Mr Jack Uppal had been connected with ‘Khalsa Diwan Society’ from the very beginning. He played a pivotal role in expediting the purchase of land meant for gurdwara on Ross Street, from the city of Vancouver. In 1949, when the first Prime Minister of India, Hon’ble Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru visited the gurdwara, the ‘Khalsa Diwan Society’ requested him to place a demand regarding expanding the influx quota of 150 persons (from India) per year, before the Canadian government. In the 1960s, the Canada Government had enhanced this quota to 300 persons migrating from India to Canada per year. It may be mentioned that during the past some years, on an average, 30 thousand Indian persons are entering Canada every year as immigrants. It has been learned from a source that Mr Jagat Singh Uppal had been helping the Indians in seeking the immigration to Canada. He has provided employment to hundreds of Punjabis in his mill. He believes in simple living, speaks courteously and is very companionable. He is one of the philanthropists who donate generously to the Pediatric Hospital and St Paul Hospital. In recognition of his attainments and services rendered to community welfare, the Simon Fraser University honored Mr Jagat Singh Uppal with the Honoris causa Degree of ‘Doctor of Law’ in its Convocation held on June 12, 2012. The thanksgiving address delivered by Mr Uppal to the Chancellor, Chairman, Members of Management Board, Senators, and Graduating Students was very effective. The details that he provided about the treatment that was meted out to the East Indians at the time when his revered father came to Canada; the special honor (that he never ever

The Trailblazers / 121 dreamed of) bestowed upon him by the university; and his love for human welfare were greatly impacting. After the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr expressed his regrets in 2008, about the Komagata Maru incident that took place in 1914 It was decided to constitute an three-member Advisory Committee to come up with ideas about erecting memorials of the Komagata Maru incident at the government expenditure of $25 lakh. The three Indo-Canadian members on the Advisory Committee were: Mr Jagat Singh Uppal; Prof Ratna Ghosh from Montreal and Mr Iqbal Singh Ramoowalia from Toronto. Mr Jagat Singh Uppal was appointed as its chairman. His wife, Mrs Mahinder Kaur left for her heavenly abode in 1993. He had four children, many grand children and great grand children. He is living with his daughter and her family in Vancouver, and continues going to office as usual, even at an age of 88 years. Last week, I met him in his office itself.

122 / The Trailblazers INDERJIT KAUR SIDHU THE MULTI-DIMENTIONAL PERSONALITY

The woman has been downtrodden and discriminated against in the male dominated society, since centuries. Being considered as weaker sex, she has been subjected to physical manhandling, in the Indian society. According to the latest available reports of the United Nations (UN), though India is the fourth nation in the world as far as risk to women safety is concerned, yet after India’s Independence its women have effectively sounded their concern for safeguarding their rights and have attained some success. Even then, the majority of them are unaware about their rights and are deprived of these. The growing proportion of girls in schools and colleges indicate that they are now positively aware to acquiring the knowledge that is vital for treading on the path of progress. It is, however, too difficult to break the barriers of tradition and custom, especially for women. It is not very long when the girls who performed daring acts like driving scooters and cars were described as rebels. For the last couple of decades, the educated women with a progressive outlook, no matter whether they lived in Punjab or settled in America or Canada, wrote and are still writing about the social restrictions faced by women and how to realize their rights. Several authors have published their own experiences from which others have driven motivation. Mrs Inderjit Kaur, who migrated to Canada in 1991, to settle in Punjabi dominated city of Surrey British Columbia, is one such woman, who has written profusely

The Trailblazers / 123 about community problems and also enriched Punjabi literature with her pen. During an interview she told me that she was born in August 1940, in the family of father Mr Jarnail Singh Sandhu and mother Mrs Aas Kaur at Karnal, Punjab (now in Haryana). She had her primary education at the Portmore School, Shimla while college education from Dev Samaj College, Ambala and Government College, Chandigarh. She passed her M.A. (Punjabi and English) from Panjab University, Chandigarh and B.Ed from Khalsa College, Amritsar. After completing her studies, she taught for sometime in Alexandra High School, Amritsar and D.A.V. College, Abohar. In 1961, she married Mr Mukhtar Singh son of Jathedar Puran Singh of Village Othian, near Ajnala. Mr Mukhtar Singh had completed his B.Sc. from Khalsa College Amritsar and was working as Block Development Officer (B.D.O.). In Punjab, generally the wife of one holding an important office is given due reverence, for example, a lady who married a Thanedaar (Station House Officer) is called Thanedaarni (wife of Station House Officer) and that of a Patwari (village level revenue official who keeps record of land holdings/ surveys crops and calculates land revenue) as Patwarni (revenue official’s wife). Similarly, marrying a B.D.O. automatically raised the status of Mrs Inderjit Kaur as an Officer’s wife. In a short period, Mr Mukhtar Singh displayed a good progress career-wise. He was promoted to District Panchayat Officer (D.P.O.) rather speedily and he was placed in many districts of Punjab. The writings of Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu indicate that she was quite serious about her studies right from her school days. She had started writing poetry right when she was a school student. During her college days at Chandigarh, she served as an Editor of the College Magazine. Later, after she got

124 / The Trailblazers married to a B.D.O., she read and wrote voraciously. While going through her biography ‘Na sarhkaan na dayarey’, one comes to know that her father and father-in-law both were of a religious temperament and deeply interested in politics. The campaign about the ‘keys of gurudwaras’ were in fact launched from her father-in-law’s house. Jathedar Puran Singh had to undergo imprisonment 36 times. His home was then attached on several occasions. During the 1980s, when Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala had launched a ‘dharam yudh morcha’ (religious battlefront) in Punjab, Mrs Inderjit Sidhu’s father Jathedar Jarnail Singh Sandhu, who had been President of Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, Surrey, Delta, left for Punjab along with his Canadian group. The domestic feuds involving brothers, sons and father, daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law over sharing of land and property getting progressively divided due to family fragmentation or inheritance, are very common in Punjab. A property related feud was also going on between Mrs Inderjit Sidhu’s husband with his brothers. Amongst the wives of various officers of Punjab, Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu was distinct in having learned how to drive a car. Being a wife of a senior officer of Punjab, she commanded good respect from people. Despite this, she worked in the fields driving a tractor in the village to cultivate the piece of land that belonged to her husband. Like an ordinary woman, she also carried food for the field workers. The time when the family was running through feud, was indeed very hard and a struggle for her but she acted boldly and daringly. It is said that when there are problems, these come in bundles. Not yet free from feuds with her brothers-in-law, the newly formed Akali government, out of vendetta of hatred and bias removed her husband from the government job. Standing by her husband like a rock, Mrs Inderjit supported him fully

The Trailblazers / 125 and worked hand in hand with him in seeking justice through legal discourse. After great effort and struggle she succeeded in getting her husband re-instated on the same job and also in receiving the compensation for the damage that had taken place. Eventually, her husband, Mr Mukhtar Singh superannuated from the position of Additional Director in Punjab Government. Mrs Inderjit Kaur shared that in 1974, her brother Mr Amarjit Sandhu, migrated to Canada and in 1979, his parents too joined him. Due to the matrimonial alliance of her daughter in Canada, then with her (daughter’s) sponsorship, Mrs Inderjit, her husband and son too came to Canada, in 1991. It is generally said that distant hills look beautiful. Similarly, visiting and settling in foreign countries is generally a great attraction, especially for Punjabis. The initial years in a foreign country are indeed very tough. The type of work that is available to migrants is generally far below their expectations. They by and large dream of the green pastures for them but often find the things quite different. One has to work hard and accept the petty works that come one’s way, to establish oneself. The high academic qualification of B.A. and M.A. that they might have attained in India may not be the basis of getting a good job in Canada, but it might help in further improving qualifications. Based on her education, Mrs Inderjit Sidhu studied for one year in Vancouver Community College to be a qualified school teacher. Besides this, she completed a course of ‘Community Sports Worker’ from a college at Burnaby city. She preferred to work in the Community Sports Institute to getting a teaching job. She worked at New Westminster Community Sports Centre for 14 years. Explaining about what Community Sports Work was, she said that it was a Government

126 / The Trailblazers Department for mentally and physically disabled persons wherein the sports workers make the disabled people feel that they are not slighter than others in any way. The duty of the Community Sports Workers is to look after them by taking them for outings in the parks, shopping centers, offer them tea, food and other refreshments, etc. I asked her whether she had any lowliness feeling in that while in Punjab, being the senior officer’s wife she commanded lot of respect and had many servants at her disposal, but in Canada she is simply working as Community Sports Worker. Responding to this query, she promptly said that there was nothing like an inferior work or a superior work. Every worker should feel proud in what she or he was doing. She disclosed that prior to her job as Community Sports Worker; she even cleaned utensils in a restaurant. She added that in Punjab she worked with field laborers and that this never led her to think that she was inferior in any way. Mrs Inderjit Sidhu developed a strong flair for writing. She is contributing a lot to Punjabi literature through her stories, poems and articles. She has developed expertise of being an audacious analyst and critic who writes critical reviews on published books and also participates in radio programs to air her views. On my asking her as to what prompted her to be a writer, she said that she developed an aptitude for writing when she was in primary school. She tried her hand at poetry. Over and above her curricular subjects, she read works of several English and Punjabi litterateurs. She expressed that the writings of Ajit Kaur and Dalip Kaur Tiwana had greatly influenced her. She has authored 12 books in Punjabi including six each of poetry and prose. A

The Trailblazers / 127 few of her books are part of the syllabus of M.Phil. at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Her maiden book on Punjabi prose was entitled as ‘Tann Mann’ (Body and Mind). She wrote five of her books when she was living in Punjab. She wrote eye-witness account of the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple, Amritsar) in 1984 in her book ‘Anhoni hi hoyee’ (Untoward has happened), the first edition of which was sold out like hot cakes. The stock was exhausted within a week only. Her father, Mr Jarnail Singh, presented a copy of the book to Mr Tara Singh Hayer, the Founder Editor of Indo-CanadianTimes. Mr Hayer was so much impressed with it that he showed magnanimity of dedicating an issue of his paper ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ to Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu. She came in contact with Mr Tara Singh Hayer, the Founder Editor of Indo-Canadian Times, when she shifted to Surrey for permanent settlement. At that time, Mr Tara Singh Hayer, had set-up Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Central Association of Punjabi Writers (North America). Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu started participating in the meetings of Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha and she was appointed as Director of the Association. She also served as its Vice President. She was also chosen as the President of Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Surrey, North America, in 2010. The newly published books of different authors are released in the literary functions of Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, every month. Of the papers that are read about the released books 75 per cent are by Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu. From the very beginning, she is maintaining a liaison with ‘Indo-Canadian Times’ which publishes her poems and articles, from time to time. Besides being a great support to Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu highlights issues concerning community welfare on

128 / The Trailblazers radio channels. When she participates in the discussion as a panelist, she audaciously voices her concerns, no matter whether she turns emotional or angry. Currently she has sought retirement from her job and is a pensioner. She is keeping her occupied in literary activities. Her four books, two in Punjabi and two in English are being printed and will be with the readers soon. Keen to buy books, Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu says that she prefers adding new books to her shelf rather than to add suits to her wardrobe.

The Trailblazers / 129 CHARANPAL GILL THE SOUL OF PROGRESSIVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

Punjabi culture, for its value based richness, is valued the world over. The values such as doing physical work, sharing earning with others, paying due respect to elders and looking after them, nurturing children well, promoting harmony and fraternity, helping the needy and the downtrodden, treading on the path of righteousness and truthfulness, etc., that the Punjabi culture propagated, are, however, experiencing a decline. The blood is losing its color; brothers are disconnecting and the elderly parents in the family are facing the brunt of being overlooked. The economic harmony and unity in the family are ostensibly becoming things of the past. In the materialistic and high-speed life of today, there are only a few people, who have the humanitarian zeal and come forward to the rescue of others needing help. Mr Charanpal Gill from Surrey of the metro city of Vancouver, British Columbia, belongs to such a category of benevolent people. In view of the ill treatment meted out to workers, children, aged persons, and women and looking after their specific needs, is forever keen to do a bit for helping them. Born in the foreign country (Hong Kong) on June 7, 1936 and educated in India, in the family of father Mr Santa Singh and mother Mrs Harnam Kaur, Mr Charanpal is one of the six siblings of his parents. In 1938, when he was just two years old, his parents shifted from Hong Kong to settle in their native Village Mahal Khurd in District Patiala.

130 / The Trailblazers In 1939, as ill luck would have it, he lost his revered father. It was indeed a serious blow as Charanpal was just a small child of three at that time. His courageous mother shouldered the responsibility of nurturing and educating him and other children. He passed his Matriculation from High School, Gurusar Sudhar and B.A. as well as M.A. degrees from Mahindra College, Patiala. After having completed his graduation, he married Ms Daljit Kaur, in 1957. Besides obtaining his B.A. as well as M.A. degrees, Mr Charanpal cleared his Giani examination also. After completing education he served as a school teacher for about a year and a half and also ran a College for Giani classes. All his brothers and sisters were born in Hong Kong, and hence they could visit there any time again. Mr Charanpal was better educated than his brothers and sisters. He understood the family responsibilities quite well. Having earned an experience of teaching and farming professions in Punjab, he thought of trying his luck back in Hong Kong. In 1960, he shifted to Hong Kong. Although he was well educated, yet the first job that he got I Hong Kong was that of a Chowkidar (watchman) and after some gap, he got a job as a bank clerk. Two of his sisters got married in India while one shifted to Canada. He called his mother, two brothers and wife to Hong Kong. Later, both his brothers settled in England. He developed a strong disposition toward community welfare work right from his childhood due to shouldering the family responsibilities at a young age. The ideology of his nana (maternal grandfather), Baba Dulla Singh Jalaldiwal, who was Ghadar Movement activist, also greatly influenced him in this direction. Punjabis are known as enterprising and adventurous community with a unique outlook of trying their luck for earning money even by leaving their homes and

The Trailblazers / 131 moving away from Punjab. If they learn about better economic prospects, Punjabis don’t mind moving out to Bombay (now Mumbai), Calcutta (now Kolkatta), Uttar Pradesh, Hong Kong, England or Canada. Considering Canada as a place of better prospects in future, Mr Charanpal Gill too decided to shift to Vancouver to join his sister in 1967. He got his first employment in Canada at saw-mill located in Williams Lake town about five hundred kilometers north of Vancouver. He worked very hard and after some struggle he was able to get a job of as a Social Worker in a government department. His placement for this job was in Prince Rupert, the extreme Northern city of British Columbia. It was the time when his wife along with his two sons and a daughter had reached Canada. In 1972, Mr Charanpal Gill was transferred from city of Prince Rupert to Burnaby, the metro city of Vancouver. To acquire proficiency in his social work activities, Mr Charanpal undertook further studies leading to the degrees of B.A. and M.A. in Sociology from the University of British Columbia. By the 1980s, scores of people from Punjab had immigrated to British Columbia. A big proportion of them, especially old men and women, worked in the agricultural farms. Because of inadequate facilities for such farm workers, their economic conditions were not that well, in those days. Mr Charanpal developed a strong inclination for doing community welfare work, right from his childhood due to shouldering the family responsibilities at a tender age, his close know-how while performing duties as a social worker and the motivation by his nana (maternal grandfather) for community work. In 1979, he, in association with his friends Mr Raj Chauhan and Mr Sarwan Bole, submitted a representation signed by 10,000 people to Mr Bill Bennet,

132 / The Trailblazers the Hon’ble Chief Minister of British Columbia in order to highlight the concerns of farm workers. In 1980, he was able to set-up ‘Canadian Farm Workers Union’. The facilities and rights which are available to farm workers are due to the struggles of Mr Charanpal Gill through the activities of ‘Canadian Farm Workers Union’. Due to the newly implemented Immigration Act of 1968, the number of people from India and other countries of Asia immigrating to Canada became quite large by 1980s. It was the time when some American outfits of racialist ideology such as Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K.) that campaigned to not only to propagate protest and hatred against Asians and Indo- Canadians but also thrashed them and started ransacking their dwellings. Mr Charanpal, together with his colleagues, established an organization called ‘British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism’ and contributed positively for its activities. Mr Charanpal Gill, while exercising his responsibilities as a social worker, fighting for the rights of farm workers and confronting the racial activities, endeavored trying his mite in politics. He tried to serve the community as a Member of Municipality, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and Canadian Parliament but he could not win election to any of these positions. With increase in the population of Indo-Canadians in Vancouver, the issues concerning their welfare and the needs of senior citizens are also increasing. Due to breach of relations, the senior citizens have to live away from their sons and daughters. Mr Charanpal Gill was deeply concerned with creating better living facilities for them. For starting a campaign to construct a place to stay for the aged people, he, in association with eight of his colleagues, set up an organization called ‘Progressive Intercultural

The Trailblazers / 133 Community Services Society’ which is popularly known as ‘PICS’, in 1987. Each of them contributed $10.00 for meeting the initial expenditure of PICS and Mr Charanpal Gill looked after its working, as its Administrator. With his dedication and visionary outlook, now this organization is performing diverse functions such as apprising the new immigrants about the prevailing rules and regulations as well as facilities available to them; providing guidance to search for jobs; providing them coaching enabling them to speak, read and write English; fighting for their legitimate rights; providing them with assistance to apply for passports or citizenship related tasks; obtaining official benefits for tenants; sorting out domestic feuds; providing health care services; helping in filling tax forms; making them computer literate, etc. These activities are carried out under the aegis of PICS without charging any fees. The biggest accomplishment of the PICS organization, working under the overall supervision and leadership of Mr Charanpal Gill is the creation of two residential complexes at Surrey. Both of these residential complexes are named as Guru Nanak Niwas. These residential facilities have been created with the donation made available by Punjabi fraternity, grants from the government and the cooperation of the Health Department. One of the residential complexes which was completed in 2002 has 54 Units. Each of the units is self-contained in having well furnished bed-room, kitchen, family-room, washrooms, etc. The occupant has to pay 30 per cent of the amount from his or her pension or welfare fund as rent and with the remaining amount is used for purchasing rations or meeting other domestic needs. The other residential complex with 72 Units was completed in November 2006. In this complex only those men or women

134 / The Trailblazers are accommodated who are either not able to cook their food or wash their clothes or are not willing to work bodily. They, therefore, pay 70 per cent of the amount from his or her pension or welfare fund as rent. Such occupants are served with three meals a day and the work related to laundry and cleaning, etc. is carried out by workers engaged by ‘Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society’. In addition to the facilities of nursing, there is arrangement done for their entertainment with music and singing. According to the Manager of Guru Nanak Residential Complex, Mr Inderjit Hundal, all the Units are fully occupied and there about 200 applicants are on waiting list. The Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society has a magnificent and spacious office in Surrey at 127 Street (Near the intersection of 80 Avenue and 128 Street) on its own possessed land. It also has its office at the Main Street and Marine Drive in Vancouver. While interacting with me last week, the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society’, Mr Charanpal Gill expressed that with the support of the Department of Health and the philanthropic donors, he is starting the construction of a bigger Residential Complex of 126 units at Surrey itself, with a budget outlay of $ 16 million from the next year. This will be like a nursing home for those aged persons who are generally prone to ailments toward the fag end of their lives. The ‘Progressive Inter- cultural Community Services Society’ which was started in 1987 with the cooperation of eight individuals with a meager budget of $ 80 now has a current year’s budget outlay of $ 80 lakh and now 165 employees are working in it. In recognition of the meticulous community services rendered by the PICS Organization, its C.E.O. Mr Charanpal Gill has been appreciated and honored with the award of

The Trailblazers / 135 citations and plaques by about two dozen government and non-government organizations. These awards and honors include the coveted ‘Order of British Columbia’ by the Government of British Columbia in 1999. In 2010, he was honored with a ‘Degree of Law’ from the Kwantlen Polytechnic University of Surrey British Columbia, in 2013. He received an award for being ‘One among the 25 most outstanding Indo-Canadians’. He is living in his 5-acre farm house in Surrey. He is relishing the eggs of poultry and milk of the herd of cows that he has kept in his farm house and is progressively exercising his community service duties diligently. A function was organized to observe the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of ‘Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society’, by its management on November 2, 2012. It was a big gala function. I offer my best wishes to tireless Mr Charanpal Gill for his good health and long life and for the success of ‘Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society’ in its benevolent mission to serve the community with its mandated activities.

136 / The Trailblazers MOHAN GILL THE ONE WHO BOLDLY FACED CHALLENGES

Every individual nurtures a desire to have a better living standard and have good health. For improving one’s living standard one needs money. For making money one must have a good employment and resources. For about half a century there had been a growing craze among people to immigrate to other countries in search of greener pastures. Man is wandering from place to place in search for his economic well being. Due to the burgeoning population in India, it has indeed become an uphill task to find a solution to growing unemployment. India otherwise is treading on a path of progress and has registered remarkable development. Although many job opportunities and employment avenues have been generated in India, yet the situation is not showing improvement; the unabated population increase is negating all efforts. After India attained independence, it witnessed escalating corruption and deteriorating administration. If people in the independent India come to know about any country easing immigration norms for them, they at once rush making beelines in that direction. When Canada opened its Visa for Indians, due to amendments in the Immigration Act in 1968, a large number of educated Indians shifted to Canada. Although the dreams about getting green-pasture jobs, with which the educated youth had come to Canada, remained largely unfulfilled, yet they gladly accepted any line of work that came their way, with a strong will to establish

The Trailblazers / 137 themselves on strong footing, on the foreign land. One of my relatives came to me after completing his M.Sc. from Dehradun. Initially, he worked here at the farms and later in the saw-mill. After some years, he left for America in connection with his marriage. There he got a job of teaching mathematics and science in a school. Even today, the immigrants from India are not able to get the job which they long for or which matches their qualifications. Mr Mohan Gill, who I am going to introduce you, through this chapter, told me that he was born in 1953 in the family of father Mr Jagir Singh and mother Mrs Dalip Kaur in Village Dehlon, District Ludhiana. He passed his eighth grade from the Village school while ninth and matriculation from Khalsa High School, Mandi Bahadur Garh. He cleared his B.A. from Gobind National College, Narangwal. After completing his M.A.(English) from the Government College, Ludhiana, he completed his D.P.Ed. from Nagpur University, in 1977. After he completed his education, suggestions came about his matrimonial alliance with Miss Manjit, daughter of Mr Mehar Singh Sidhu of village Chaminda, District Ludhiana. She had immigrated to Canada in 1975 and was living in a city named Williams Lake, about six hundred kilometers north of Vancouver. Based on the sponsorship sent by her, Mohan Gill reached Canada in 1977. He expressed how he found himself on the seventh heaven with dreams of rolling in prosperity, living at ease in Canada and a joyful feeling of getting married. He was happy to be married but his dream of earning a livelihood for leading a life full of comforts, shattered. After a period of staying with his wife, he got employment in a saw-mill in a small town of Prince George about two hundred North of Williams Lake. He did not have any experience of doing any manual hard work, when he was in Punjab. However, working in

138 / The Trailblazers saw-mill, especially in Canada, was both tough and high- speed. When he was at work, his hands usually got blistered and the limbs puffed up with inflammation. The idea of leaving the rough and tough work and going back to Punjab, after he had enough funds to buy the ticket, often crossed his mind. However, as the time passed, he, both physically and mentally, adjusted to the situation and when dollars poured into his kitty; he started believing that Canada was not that bad at least for one’s future. He further shared that during his college days, he had started writing stories and poetry. Therefore, while at Prince George, he spent his free time in poetry writing. He wrote poems such as ‘Kaamay di patni’ (Worker’s wife), ‘beemari’ (Ailment), ‘Pardesi’ (Foreigner) and ‘Mill malak di patni’ (Mill owner’s wife), etc. and constituted teams for Theater Performance and Bhangra for organizing cultural programs. In 1982, his parents too joined Mr Mohan Gill in Canada. His elder brother and sister, however, stayed back in India. His brother, Mr Zora Singh Gill had completed degree of M.A.(Mathematics) and was working as a lecturer. As ill luck would have it, Mr Zora Singh Gill died due to renal failure at an age of 34 and it was a serious blow to the family. This made Mohan Gill, greatly saddened and he would think why it happened and what the purpose of life was. In 1987, he left work at Prince George and came to Vancouver. He is of the view that although money was critical resource for meeting the necessities of life, but a rat race to gather money did not make sense as one cannot derive happiness from it. After coming from Prince George to Surrey, he worked for some years in saw-mill named ‘Imperial Lumber, Surrey’. Responding to my query regarding his literary interests, Mr Mohan Gill, said that inclination toward writing stories and poems, provides a great solace to the restless mind.

The Trailblazers / 139 Mr. Gill told how he came in contact with Mr Gurbhajan Gill and Mr Shamsher Sandhu, who wrote lyrics, stories and poems during college days, adding that the motivation which he derived from them fueled his craving for writing poems. He wrote many stories and poems during his college days and also got an opportunity to serve as Editor of the College Magazine, brought out by Gobind National College. He regularly received ‘Indo-Canadian Times started at Surrey by late Mr Tara Singh Hayer, every week at Prince George, by post. His poems and stories were also published in this paper. He disclosed that when he came to Surrey he met Mr Tara Singh Hayer and was a regular visitor to the meetings and functions of ‘Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha’ which was established by Mr Hayer himself. Health and disease is not in one’s own hands. Whatever clean and blissful nation or region one may hail from, he or she remains always exposed to germs and pathogens responsible for diverse ailments. In 1990s, Mr Mohan Gill was diagnosed as having the cancerous growth in his left leg. This dreaded disease shattered both him and his wife, Manjit. His family had not yet been recovered from the tragic shock that it received with the loss of his brother, Mr Zora Singh Gill. Mohan and Mrs Manjit continued receiving the medical treatment but did not make it known about it to his and her parents so that they may not be traumatized. When he underwent treatment of his leg from the St Paul Hospital, he carried out studies on surgical procedures and passed the course securing good marks. Based on this, he got an employment in the Surgical Department of the Surrey Hospital. After duty hours from the hospital, Mr Mohan Gill kept himself busy in literary activities and the betterment of ‘Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha’ of North America, in

140 / The Trailblazers association with his friend Mr Pritpal Gill, from Edmonton who came to him in Surrey. This provided him with a good pastime as well as providing him an outlet that helped keeping his mind from the anxiety of his illness. Both Mr Mohan Gill and Pritpal Gill performed yeoman’s task for the promotion of ‘Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha’. Mr Mohan Gill served as its Director, right from the beginning and besides handling its secretarial responsibilities served as its President in 2011. For the last two years, he is the President of the ‘Association of the Conservative Party’ in the ‘Electoral Constituency of Newton North Delta’. Discussing the literary activities further, Mr Mohan Gill shared that during his M.A. (English), he studied many English writers of which Walt Whitman, John Keats, T.S. Elliott, P.B. Shelley, William Wordsworth, William Shakespeare, etc. exerted an indelible influence on him. Mentioning about the Punjabi litterateurs, he said that Bawa Balwant, Prof. Mohan Singh, Amrita Pritam, Dr , Gurbhajan Gill, and Mrs Sukhwinder Amrit are poets of his liking. Speaking about his own compositions, Mr Mohan Gill said his stories and poems were finding place in newspapers and magazines during his college days and that he published his first book ‘Girjhaan di harhtaal’ (Vultures on strike) in 1995 ; followed by ‘Banvaas ton baad’ (After the exile), ‘Trel Tupke’(Dew Drops) and ‘Moksh’ (Salvation). He has written two more books which are under print. In addition to these, he has edited two books jointly with his wife’s colleague Mrs Inderjit Kaur Sidhu. Of these, a book entitled ‘Kalmaan da safar’ (Journey of pens) has been included in the curriculum of University of British Columbia. Mr Mohan Gill is the second poet in Canada after Mr Amarjit Sathi who has written a book on

The Trailblazers / 141 ‘Haiku’ (Tiny verses). Now-a-days, he is a famous literary figure who is commonly seen in almost all literary and cultural gatherings here and there. Every week, the Indo- Canadian Times’ carries one of his an exclusive humorous satire column ‘Namkeen Rasgulle’ (Pricks of humor and satire). He has now developed a disposition that keeps him free from the anxiety of his leg disease and is fully enjoying the affectionate warmth of his wife and parents. Living in the city of Surrey, Mr Mohan Gill considers India as his ‘janam bhoomi’ (place of birth) and Canada as his ‘karam bhoomi’ (place of activity).

142 / The Trailblazers DR. SETTY PENDAKUR THE INTELLECTUAL AND TIRELESS PROFESSOR

Prior to India’s independence in 1947, the system of education was not that elaborate there. The schools, which were not common in villages, were only very scantily distributed in rural areas. Only big cities of district headquarters had some colleges. It was generally beyond the educated youth from villages to think of higher education. Pursuing higher education abroad was like a dream for them. One of those students whose dream was realized is Mr Setty Pendakur. After coming from England in 1969 and opening my Clothing and Textile Store in one of the shopping districts in south Vancouver in 1970 and knowing the Indo Canadian community I learned that Mr Setty Pendakur, a Professor at the University of British Columbia was of Indian origin. It happened in 1972 when he participated in City Council elections. At that time, Vancouver had only a few Indo- Canadian residents. Very few of them voted. In that election, Mr Setty Pendakur won and become the City Councilor. Hon’ble Mr Art Phillips was elected City’s Mayor based on that election. Mr Setty Pendakur remained City Councilor for two years. After him no Indo-Canadians could win a Vancouver City Council election, even today they have difficulty . I happened to informally meet Mr Setty Pendakur in political or social functions, on many occasions but could not talk beyond exchanging pleasantries. It was only last

The Trailblazers / 143 week, when I interacted with him in detail in a coffee shop named ‘Roots’ in the Punjabi Market of Vancouver. As I sat in front of Mr Setty Pendakur, I noticed him to be a gentleman with a medium height, slim built and curly hair. From our conversation, I found that he was born in 1934 in a small village about 200 kilometers North -east of Bangalore in the Karnataka state of India. He had his primary education from his village high school in Hospet Taluka headquarters in 1954 and obtained a degree in engineering from B.M.C. College, Bangalore. From the beginning, he was a brilliant student. Based on the meritorious position attained by him in his graduation examination, he was awarded scholarship by several agencies including the B.C. Telephone Company of British Columbia; University of British Columbia and the United Nations in the end of 1955; he joined University of British Columbia for his higher studies. At that time the University of British Columbia had about only two dozen Indo-Canadian students at that time. He obtained a degree of M.Sc. in Engineering from the University of British Columbia in the year 1958. After this, he got a placement with an Engineering Company based at Vancouver. When Mr Setty Pendakur was studying at the University of British Columbia, he came in contact with a student Ms Rajinder Kaur Sardar daughter of Mr Sardar Singh Heer of Village Langeri in District Hoshiarpur. Ms Rajinder Kaur was born in Duncan town of British Columbia. Her father had immigrated to Canada in 1922. During their studies at University of British Columbia, both Mr Setty Pendakur and Ms Rajinder Kaur developed friendship and came near each other. In 1959, they got married and the wedding was solemnized in gurdwara Sahib situated at Second Avenue in Vancouver. In due course the couple was blessed with two sons Ravi and Krishna.

144 / The Trailblazers In 1961, after the birth of his son, Ravi, he shifted to America for seeking admission in the reputed University of Washington for further study in 1964, he obtained a Ph.d degree in transport engineering and public policy. With this, he came to be known as Dr Setty Pendakur. During 1957 to 1961, he worked with the department of Transport of the Canadian Government. During this period, he played a key role in the establishment of airports at Port Hardy, Prince George,KamLoops, Kelowna and Prince Rupert. In 1966, he started serving as a Professor and taught in the Transportation and Planning Department of the University of British Columbia. A far as I know, he is the first Indo- Canadian Professor in the University of British Columbia. He taught in the University of British Columbia for a long period of 32 years. In addition to this, he has been performing his duties of community welfare by working with several organizations. He also served as a Member of the City Planning Commission, Vancouver from 1970 to 1974. He served as Councilor of the Vancouver City Council from 1972 to 1974 and as Deputy Mayor during 1973. For about 25 years from 1970, he served in various capacities such as Member, Director, Chairman, and President of about 40 different organizations. Some of these include: Director, Greater Vancouver Regional and Parks and Water Districts; Pacific National Exhibition (P.N.E.); Citizen Coalition Transit; Immigrant Service Society of Greater Vancouver; British Columbia Transit Authority; United Way of Lower Main Land, British Columbia; and he served as Governor of Technical University of British Columbia from 1994 to 2002, and Governor of Real Estate Foundation from 1992 to 2005. He was Chairman of Building Committee of Akali Singh Sikh Temple from 1976 to 1983 and Chairman of Multicultural Education Project from 1981 to 1985, and Chairman of

The Trailblazers / 145 British Columbia Bus Transit Council from 1995 to 2001. He had been President of Vancouver Justice Council from 1979 to 1986, and President of Round House Community Center, Vancouver from 2008 to 2011. He served as Member of the Management Board of the Vancouver Public Library for many years. He is serving as the Chairman of the Committee constituted for establishment of a Senior Center of the Akali Singh gurdwara, since 2012. He now serves as a director of the Alexandra foundation and also the theater conspiracy society, which bring a awareness of social issues through theater. From time to time, he worked as Adviser to Minister of transport of the Canadian Government . In recognition of his meritorious services, he has been bestowed with the position of Honorary Professor by the National Academy of Sciences China. He has also contributed a lot toward the programs of Transport Research Board, and National Academy of Science, of America. He has delivered several invited lectures on subjects related to Transport, Planning and Public Policy, in about two dozen universities including the Chulalungkorn University and the Asian institute of Technology in Bangkok, University of Bangalore, Howard University, Delhi University, University of Chennai, University of Beijing, University of Paris, University of London, University of Tokyo, University of California, Asian Institute of Technology, etc. He has published more than one hundred papers on the subject matter related to Transport, Planning and Public Policy in reputed journals, magazines and newspapers. He also served as Director of Institute of Transport and Development Policy, New York from 1996 to 2011. For some period, he served as Adviser and Member, Board of Management of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

146 / The Trailblazers While responding to the questions that I asked him, he said that to be elected as a Member of the municipal council in Vancouver is difficult than becoming Member Legislative Assembly of British Columbia or Member Parliament of Canada. Because of the lack of ward system (constituencies) in municipality elections, the candidates have to depend on all the voters in the city. However, in the Assembly and Parliamentary elections the area is divided into different constituencies based on population. Talking about the gurdwara Sahib constructed at Skeena Road, Vancouver, by the Akali Singh Sikh Society, under his chairmanship, he shared that the said land was purchased from the city which was originally allocated to the Italian community for developing it into a Community Center, but they didn’t have enough funds. Dr Setty Pendakur was known to their leadership. In view of their inability to construct the building of Community Center, he purchased a four acre lot for gurdwara for one lakh dollars. In 1980, a well- designed gurdwara sahib was opened in 1983. While talking about the Vancouver City Council, that tenured from 1972 to 1974, and in which Mr Art Phillips was the Mayor and he himself was one of the Councillors, Dr Setty Pendakur shared that as many as four Professors from University of British Columbia were chosen as Councillors. He added that this Council took remarkable steps for the beautification of Vancouver and for creating better civic conditions for its residents. He expressed that the schemes about transport planning, etc., which were formulated by him, are still in operation. Towards the later years of 1960s, the prevailing racial activities, he mentioned, were latent in the official circles though fully perceptible at private places. Narrating a personal incident, he said that before getting married, both he and Rajinder lived in separate

The Trailblazers / 147 basements. In 1959, after their marriage, they were in search of a suitable lodging. He came across an advertisement bill for a basement accommodation and reached the place to enquire about it. As he knocked at the door, the manager came out to whom they asked about the rental of the apartment. However, Mrs and Dr Setty Pendakur were astonished, when the apartment manager said in a biased and discriminatory tone, ‘‘It was only meant for the Whites and will not allow others to stay there….’’. Narrating his story of becoming a landed immigrant from being a student, Dr Setty Pendakur said that in 1957, when he went to have the work permit, the Immigration Officer happily handed to him a Performa and asked him to fill the details. As he completed the form, the Immigration Officer immediately stamped it for ‘Landed Immigrant’. According to the view expressed by Dr Setty Pendakur, the most important reason for a fad developing among Punjabi youth to get rich overnight and for the growing menace of drugs and intoxicants is fundamentally a decline taking place in their cultural and familial value system. Prof Setty Pendakur taught in the Universities while his wife Mrs Rajinder in the schools, till their superannuation. They also looked after their sons and gave them the premier education. Their elder son, Ravi, who obtained his Ph.D. degree in Sociology from Carlton University, is serving as a Professor at University of while the younger one, Krishna, who obtained his Ph.D. degree in Economics from the reputed University of California in Berkeley is serving as a Professor at Simon Fraser University of Vancouver. The list of awards and honors that Prof Setty Pendakur have received in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the area of Transport Planning and Public Policy, and Community Welfare Activities is rather quite long, which

148 / The Trailblazers includes: ‘Life Membership Award’ in 2006, by American Transportation Research Board and ‘The Confederation Of Canada Medal’ in 1992 by the Governor General of Canada. Although he has retired from his active teaching profession, yet he is connected with several universities as ‘Professor Emeritus’. Prof Setty Pendakur is apt in speaking five Indian languages besides having a working knowledge of handling conversation in Mandarin, German, and Spanish. He is living with his wife, Mrs Rajinder Kaur in an upper story of a high rise apartment building situated in Yaletown of Vancouver. In view of the intellect and outstanding contributions made by Prof Setty Pendakur, it will not be an exaggeration if he is described as a knowledgeable, scholarly and tireless human being.

The Trailblazers / 149 DR GURDEV SINGH GILL THE VILLAGE REFORMER PAR EXCELLENCE

Generally, the persons who emigrate from less developed to more developed and rich countries forget about their motherland, their national scenario and the condition of their countrymen. On the other hand, there are persons, who always carry a built- in feeling of doing something for the welfare of their people back home. As and when they get a chance to do something benevolent for their people, they come forward with zeal. Dr Gurdev Singh Gill is a person of that kind. He was born in 1931 in village Kharaudi, District Hoshiarpur. After passing his Matriculation from High School, Mahil Pur, he immigrated to Canada in 1949. His revered father, Mr Dilbagh Singh visited Canada for the first time in 1924. When Mr Gurdev Singh Gill immigrated to Canada along with family, his father was settled in Duncan, a city in Victoria Island. In 1951, Gurdev passed his twelfth standard from High School at Duncan and sought admission in University of British Columbia for higher education. Consequently, he obtained a Degree in Medicine from University of British Columbia in 1957. He was the first Indo-Canadian student to obtain the degree of ‘Doctor of Medicine’ (M.D.) from University of British Columbia and for opening a clinic at New Westminster for the benefit of patients. He practiced there from 1958 to 1996. In addition to his medical services, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill also contributed by performing duties of a Teacher and an Examiner in St John Ambulance Brigade from 1958 to 1970. From 1960 to 1975, he held duties of

150 / The Trailblazers an Assistant in the matters related to Forensic Medicine under the aegis of R.C.M.P.(Royal Canadian Mounted Police). During his voyage of medical services, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill also participated in the teams of executives of the Royal Columbia Hospital; St Mary; and Queen’s Park Hospital. For many years, he served as a Trustee of organizations such as ‘British Columbia Cancer Agency’ and ‘India Culture Center’. I was with him in connection with an interview, last week. When I wanted to know from him about his contributions toward community and the Indo-Canadian Punjabi fraternity over and above his services being rendered under his medical profession, he narrated that he had been taking part and contributing under the aegis of different organizations, right from his school days. He shared that while he was a student in Punjab, he was a member of the Students Federation of India (S.F.I.) and that when at University of British Columbia, he founded East Indian Students Association (E.I.S.A.) of which he served as a Secretary. When he was studying at the University of British Columbia, he was made the Secretary of the Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver in 1954 for the first time. Thereafter, he streamlined the working of the Khalsa Diwan Society, by being its President for many years. He was one of the leading members of the Management Committee which was assigned the responsibility for establishing a gurdwara Sahib at the Ross Street. When the Ross Street gurdwara Sahib was inaugurated in 1970, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill was the President of Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver. He is one of the founders of the ‘India Culture Center’ established at Avenue # 5 of Richmond. Further, he has served as President of ‘East Indian Canadian Citizen Welfare Association’ for many terms. He disclosed that as

The Trailblazers / 151 Medical Adviser, he formed part of the Deputations for Ottawa in the context of difficulties being faced by immigrants coming from India, on many occasions. He added that his suggestions and proposals were accepted that provided relief from unnecessary formalities concerning medical examination, to the immigrants. Rather than going to New Delhi for getting the formalities of medical examination completed, now the facility is available right in Punjab itself and it is really convenient for those who wish to migrate from Punjab to Canada. In 1972, as President of ‘NACOI’, the National Association of Canadians of Origins in India, he developed an effective liaison with the Canadian Government in the context of demands and grievances of the Indo-Canadian people. Although, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill has been in Canada for a long time, he has not undergone any change under the exposure to western civilization. He is very much linked with his mother tongue Punjabi and the richness of Indian culture. He, in alliance with the medical doctors, who feel concerned with the health care of people of South East Asia, made an organization called ‘Association of Medical Doctors’. From time to time, he visited India and offered free medical aid to patients through hospitals. He had been on several terms President of the cultural organization ‘Indo-Canadian Friendship Society of British Columbia’ and is still holding this position. Dr Gurdev Singh Gill is the first Indo-Canadian, to have been bestowed by the Government of British Columbia with the coveted award ‘Order of British Columbia’ in 1990, in recognition of his outstanding services aimed at community welfare. The National Indo-Canadian Council also recognized him for his social services, in 1992. The University of British Columbia honored him with an honorary degree of Doctor

152 / The Trailblazers of Science in 1996. In this felicitation function, the President of the University of British Columbia, Dr David Strangway, expressed, “the strength of a nation depends on its people. For its strength, Canada owes greatly to those people who strive to foster comradeship among its diverse people of different races and to understand feelings of others. I feel greatly proud that Dr Gurdev Singh Gill is one such human being, who has played a pivotal role in understanding them and befriending with them”. In 2013 six members of the U B C alumni community were bestowed with achievement awards for making the world a better place. Dr Gurdev Gill was one of them. He was honored with a global citizenship award for his outstanding community services in Canada and India. In addition to the awards and honors highlighted above, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill has been honored with the award of medals on account of ‘125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada’; and the ‘Golden Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’. For the last about fifteen years, Dr Gurdev Singh Gill has initiated a campaign for environment protection in rural areas of Punjab. To my query, as to what prompted him to feel concerned about the Punjab villages, he responded that he himself hails from a Punjabi village and that when he happens to visit his village, the derisory drainage from the village streets and the likely risk of ailments for the villagers worries him a lot. He seems to have been motivated for community work by his forefathers, who played their part in the India’s struggle for freedom and looked after public welfare through their deeds. He started campaign for welfare work from his native Village Kharaudi in the District of Hoshiarpur. Giving details, he told that the scheme of welfare work in his village was given the final touches by him and his colleague, Dr Raghbir Singh, former Vice

The Trailblazers / 153 Chancellor of Rural Alaska University. As per the scheme, the planned project would involve a budget estimate of rupees one crore (Rs 100 lakh or Rs 10 million). The non residents of Village Kharaudi, who lived abroad, had gathered a sum of Rs 50 lakh (5 Million)and the matching grant of Rs 50 lakh was given by the Government of Punjab. According to the proposed plan, the sub-soil pipes were to connect all the 150 houses to the sewage system. The street roads have been laid with metal roads. A system for cleaning the sewage water has also been introduced. Solar lights have been provided in the village. The village school has been provided with computers and peripherals. Special arrangement for teaching English in the school has been made. Well landscaped parks with beautiful flower beds have been provided where children can play and people relax. Now the villagers drink filtered water. A modern crematorium has been developed. As per the information shared by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill, the entire project was completed and implemented within the allocated budget of rupees one crore. He added that had it were to be completed by the Punjab Government, the expenditure would have been not less than Rs three crore. Kharaudi is now famous as a model village, not only in Punjab but in India as a whole. When Hon’ble Ujjal Dosanjh, the Premier of British Columbia, visited Punjab in 2002, he paid a special visit to Village Kharaudi and the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal too accompanied him. In the presence of Mr Ujjal Dosanjh, Mr Parkash Singh Badal appreciated the community work done in the village and presented a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the Committee that has been formulated to look after the facilities created in the Village. In 2004, when His Excellency the President of the Republic of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited Punjab, he also went to Village

154 / The Trailblazers Kharaudi. The efforts of Dr Gurdev Singh Gill and Dr Raghbir Singh in the Village are drawing appreciation from far and wide; and now there is no dearth of money for such projects (as are accomplished through leadership by example). With the work done in the Village Kharaudi, the residents of adjoining villages have derived motivation to do similar improvement in their villages as well. Mr Anantpal Singh, a well known personality of Vancouver, through ‘Village Life Improvement Foundation’ founded by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill, has carried out improvement work in his village Behrampur in District Ludhiana on the pattern of Kharaudi. The Non Resident Indians (NRIs) emigrated from that Village and a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have contributed $ 60,000 each for the development of the village while the Government of Punjab contributed Rs 40 lakh for this. Dr Gurdev Singh Gill was delighted in mentioning that many projects have been implemented and completed under the aegis of his organization and that development work is also being taken up in four more villages. One of these villages is Dingrian, the native village of Mr Herb Dhaliwal, former minister of the Federal Government of Canada. For the development of his village, Mr Herb Dhaliwal has donated Rs 10 lakh( One Million) out of his own pocket and the remaining expenditure will be met by the villagers and the government. As per the estimate of Dr Gurdev Singh Gill, for installing sewer system, drinking water supply system, laying of street roads, laying of concealed telephone cables, setting up a centralized computer system in the village, the per household expenditure works out to be Rs 22,000/-. The village development and improvement program initiated by him has been appreciated not only by people in Punjab and India but also in Canada and elsewhere. A Canadian philanthropist,

The Trailblazers / 155 Mr Joan has not only applauded the work initiated by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill but gave a donation of $ 1,000,00 as a support to this benevolent campaign for rural uplifting. Each village has a Panchayat (local government). Each Panchayat should apply for the government grants for undertaking such development works as installation of sewer system, system for clean drinking water, etc. These facilities are vital for the protection against ailments and general health care of villagers. From the data gathered through the surveys about the occurrence of diseases in rural areas, it is evident that the incidence of diseases like dysentery is just one per cent in the villages which have the facility of underground sewage system. On the other hand the incidence of the disease is as high as 15 to 20 per cent in the villages which do not have the facility of underground sewage system. The Indo-Canadian Friendship Society organized a function in the magnificent Hall of the Windsor Art Gallery, on the Granville Street, Vancouver, on June 20, 2010 to mobilize collection of funds for the Organization founded by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill to contribute toward village development programs in India. The proprietors of diverse trades and entrepreneurs from among the Indo-Canadian Fraternity participated in this function. The Director the ‘Friendship Society’, Mr Garry Puni, apprised the participants and guests about the activities and programs being carried out by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill and his organization ‘Village Life Improvement Foundation’. Mr Herb Dhaliwal, former Indo- Canadian Minister of the Federal Government of Canada, greatly appreciated Dr Gurdev Singh Gill for the village improvement campaign he has launched in Punjab. He appealed to the audience to make efforts for the development of their native villages. Mr Raymond Louise, a Member of Vancouver City Council too lauded the efforts of

156 / The Trailblazers Dr Gurdev Singh Gill. Mr Jeet Singh Thandi, my neighbor shared that he had made efforts and gathered funds for the development of his native village, Daulatpur, having about four hundred houses. My friend, Mr Baldev Singh Sangra, who is running a car insurance company, said that he hailed from village Jandiala, which has also been greatly upgraded with the help of Dr Gurdev Singh Gill’s organization. During the function, a befitting exhibition of the photographs showing various aspects of the upgradation work carried out in Village Kharaudi was organized. The photographs were taken by Mr Lawrence the photographer. All the participants were keenly interested to see their native villages have the needed development and improvement. Dr Gurdev Singh Gill proposed his vote of thanks to all participants and guests. He declared that his organization was always willing to support the cause of village improvement and will be ever ready to help whosoever will come to it. In case a village does not have enough resources, even then Dr Gurdev Singh Gill’s organization supports its development with services and also with financial contribution. The villagers interested in the upgrading of their villages with the installation of sewer system and/or to have other services concerning environment conservation, should send their applications directly to the Deputy Commissioner of their District or else the application could be routed through ‘Village Life Improvement Foundation’ to get the benefit of its expertise.

The Trailblazers / 157 MASTER GURNAM SINGH RANU THE EPITOME OF STRUGGLE

The word ‘master’ affixed to somebody’s name is enough to indicate that the person must have been or is a school teacher. Proper education is a prerequisite for being appointed as a school teacher. In pre-partition days, Punjab had a very scanty number of schools in rural areas. The children’s pursuit for education started from the village shivdiwalyas or gurdwaras where the pundits or granthis used to teach them. It was then that the children started going to the village school, wherever it was available. What to talk of transport facilities, the students didn’t have their shoes even and then had to go to and from school walking barefoot. They had to cover several miles braving the harsh sunny summer as well as biting cold. The students, who developed a zeal for acquiring education, or became self motivated to attain the needed knowledge, made dedicated struggle with determination. Currently Master Gurnam Singh Ranu, is the General Secretary and Spokesperson of ‘Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society’ at Vancouver, British Columbia. He had been making some efforts to be an excellent teacher after acquiring the right education. He was born on April 1, 1926 in village Sarhala Ranuaan, near Behram and Dosanjh Kalan, District Jalandhar in the family of father Mr Veer Singh and mother Mrs Bishan Kaur. He was the youngest of the six children in the family. None of his brothers or sisters could go to school. In his childhood, Mr Gurnam Singh used to be taught in a farmer’s haveli at his village Sarhala

158 / The Trailblazers Ranuaan by Pandit Nauhria Ram, who came there, from the nearby village Sarhal Kazian, to teach the village children. His parents sent Mr Gurnam Singh to learn from Pandit Nauhria Ram. He was taught up to fourth standard. However, the school of Pandit Nauhria Ram was not recognized by any educational board and, therefore, its credentials were not valid. There was another school in village Pharala, about seven or eight miles away from Sarhala Ranuaan, where Mr Gurnam Singh studying for his fifth standard. He studied there for two years. This school too was not recognized. Therefore, he could not get any authentic certificate. A school teacher, Mr Tara Singh, who was known to Gurnam’s elder brother, Mr Charan Singh, operated a Khalsa High School in his Village Sarhal Kazian. Although he admitted Mr Gurnam Singh in his school, but due to the lack of any certificate in respect of his previous education, his name could not be entered in the School Register. Those days, the eighth standard examinations were conducted under the supervision of a government department (Education Department, Punjab), and the students from outside the school could also sit in the examination. Mr Gurnam Singh too took that examination and cleared it securing good marks. Now he could get the authentic certificate that was needed for further study. The person possessing the eighth standard qualification was eligible for the post of a Patwari (village level revenue official who keeps record of land holdings/surveys crops and calculates land revenue) or other such positions. His parents wanted him to do the job but Mr Gurnam Singh was keen to pursue further study. In view of his determined wish for higher education, his parents got him admitted in Ramgarhia High School, Phagwara. He passed his Matriculation from Ramgarhia High School,

The Trailblazers / 159 Phagwara and Faculty of Arts (F.A.) from D.A.V. College, Jalandhar. In 1951, he obtained degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara. When he was pursuing his college education, Mr Gurnam Singh married Ms Swaran Kaur, daughter of Master Tara Singh, who made him appear in the Eighth Standard Examination by admitting him in his school, in 1948. The couple was blessed with three sons and two daughters. After his graduation, Mr Gurnam Singh cleared his Bachelor of Teaching (B.T) from an institute at Faridkot. Normally, it is a one year course, but Mr Gurnam Singh completed in a short period of six months and got its certificate. That was the time when the Ramgarhia Education Council had started schools up to eighth standard in my village Jagatpur Jattan and Nangal Majha. Mr Amar Singh Virdi was the Headmaster of Ramgarhia High School situated in the village of Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu. At his recommendation, Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu was appointed as Headmaster in my village. I was a student of fifth class at that time. Master Nauhria Ram, by whom Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu was taught, used to be a teacher in our Village School. Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu taught in my Village Jagatpur Jattan from July 1951 to December 1952. Thereafter, he got selected by the District Board School Commission and was placed as a teacher in a High School in a town called Malaud near Malerkotla at a salary of Rs 130/- per month. During my interview with him, he told that the school had students from as many as 24 villages. He elaborated that those days, schools had many students and the state of affairs was very good. He taught English for 12 years and prepared four students with extra tuition for appearing in the examination for winning scholarships each year. He disclosed that the extra tuition would fetch him money equivalent to his monthly salary.

160 / The Trailblazers While being a teacher at High School, Malaud, Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu continued his further study and in 1962, he passed M.A. (History). As per the government policy in force, a teacher was to be transferred to another location after 10 years of stay at one place. His transfer orders from Malaud to a school in Himachal Pradesh were issued. However, he, exercising his influence and know-how, was able to get his transfer orders cancelled and was rather shifted to a government High School in his home district itself. After teaching in Sahlon and Buttar Kalan, for some years, he served in the Government High School, Banga. He taught there for 16 years till he retired as Headmaster in 1984. In addition to being a good teacher, he provided the best education for his children. One of his sons is a Doctor in America while the other is a Doctor in India. The third son is a Bank Manager. Both of his daughters have done their B.A.s and M.A.s and are living in Greater Vancouver area of Canada. During my conversation with Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu, I learned that though his brothers did not give him the share of land that he inherited from his parents, yet he helped their four children to stay with him and provided them education up to Matriculation. His son, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Ranu, is a specialist doctor of pre-mature delivered babies in New York (America). He obtained his degree from Government Medical College, Patiala. Based on his degree, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Ranu joined his parents at Vancouver, in 1990. He tried very hard to establish himself in the health sector, but could not succeed. While he was at Vancouver, he worked as a Security Guard. At that time, I wrote an article on him with the title ‘Des Doctor, Pardes Pehredar’ (Health-care on motherland and Property-care on foreign land). He left for America in 1996 and is presently living in

The Trailblazers / 161 the Long Island area of New York. Recently, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Ranu has been elected as President of ‘India Association of Long Island’. With a membership of 1600, this is the biggest association of Indo-Americans of New York. With sponsorship of his elder daughter settled in Vancouver, Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu, with his wife and younger daughter, immigrated to Canada in 1985. While working as a farm worker in Canada, a well respected school teacher of Punjab might have thought that ‘distant hills look beautiful’. After working in the fields for about a year, he went back to India. However, after about nine months, the matrimony of his younger daughter brought him to Vancouver again. This time, he adjusted himself to the situation that prevailed here. Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu didn’t want to be any burden on his daughters. Therefore, like other emigrant teachers, ex-servicemen, clerks, etc. coming to Canada, he worked for five years in the farms and three years as security guard. When free from the farm work, he would participate in the meetings of the newly established ‘Senior Society’ in southern Vancouver. Gradually, he could generate his positive impact on the society. For the last 10 years, he is continuing as the General Secretary and Spokesperson of Indo-Canadian Seniors’ Society’. In addition to serving from 1994 to 2000, as the Member of the Senior’s advisory Committee constituted by the Vancouver city council to look after the matters concerning the seniors persons, he also held responsibilities of serving the Multiculturalism Committee. He also served as a Member of the Sunset Community Board for many years. The Members of the Sunset Society meet every Thursday from 12.00 noon to 3.00 pm at the Sunset Community Center, Vancouver. Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu manages the stage and apprises the participants about the latest happenings in Canada as well as in Punjab.

162 / The Trailblazers The older persons assemble in the Ross Street gurdwara in the Hall that has been constructed especially for their meeting. This get-together is held every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 3.00 pm. Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu reaches there from his house on foot to participate in the congregation. He shares major news with the participants and provides them insight as to what is happening in Canada and Punjab. He also apprises them about their rights and the current rules and regulations governing them. He is very fond of reading newspapers and listening to news coverage by different stations on radio. He is now 86 and maintains a superb health, memory and mind’s eye. Discussing about his diet, he said that until this day, he has never consumed alcohol or meat. He holds that only the simple diet is a key to good health. In recognition to the services that he rendered or is rendering for the elderly and for the community, the Vancouver Park Board honored Mr Gurnam Singh Ranu with the ‘ Volunteer of the Year” Award in 2006.

The Trailblazers / 163 SARPANCH JIT SINGH SANDHU THE ONE WHO VALUES SELF-WORTH

When India was under the British rule, the Zaildars and Numberdars deputed by the government were the headman of the villages. After independence the Panchayati Raj began in Punjab. The villagers got the voting right to elect Sarpanch and Panches. The Village Panchayats were empowered to take decisions to sort out feuds and disputes among the villagers and to decide what is right for the betterment of the village. This Panchayati Raj System is working very successfully in Punjab, even today. Due to visionary Sarpanches, some villages have progressed well and the villagers have learnt about their self- worth. Mr Jit Singh Sandhu, commonly known as Mr Jit Singh Ankhi, served as a Sarpanch of Village Rurka Kalan, a village with a population of about 15 thousand in District Jalandhar from 1972 to 1977 and again from 1990 to 1995. He was born on September 20, 1931 in Village Rurka Kalan in the family of father, Mr Jawala Singh and mother Mrs Aati Kaur. He is the only brother of his two sisters. His father, Mr Jawala Singh immigrated to Canada in the beginning of the last century. He was an important partner of Guru Nanak Mining Company which was started in British Columbia. He was one of those who were involved in the construction of the first Gurudwara at Abbotsford, British Columbia. Due to his not keeping good health, he had but to return to Punjab from Canada. Mr Jit Singh had his primary education from his mother’s native Village, Sirhal Kaziaan in Tehsil Banga. After

164 / The Trailblazers passing matriculation examination from there, he joined a college at Jalandhar and passed Giani and Oriental Training (O.T.) course. With this qualification he got a teacher’s job at a school in Bilga, a large town. Besides his teaching assignment, he worked with a travel agency which sent people to England. Before 1962, people desirous of going to England needed no Visa. It required only a valid Passport. In those days, the travel advisers only managed the issuance of Passport of the Government of India, in one way or another. He too flew to England in 1962. He worked in the warehouse store of Nescafe Coffee and Tea Company for about a year and thereafter, left for India. He started farming in his village and worked delicately following the principle of ‘dabb ke wah te rajj ke khah’ (Thoroughly till your fields, earn more through better yields). Last week, sitting alone in a residential room of the ‘Kinsmen Lounge’ in front of the Surrey Hospital, Mr Jit Singh Sandhu said that he purchased 10 acres of land with his earning from farming, traveling services and saving made from working with Nescafe Coffee and Tea Company in England. Discussing about another land deal, he shared that it gave a profit of about Rs 70 Lakh for the family. Mr Jit Singh Sandhu said that he got married at a young age with Ms Mohinder Kaur, daughter of Mr Chattar Singh, of Bandala, the Village of Comerade Harkishan Singh Surjeet. The couple was blessed with three sons namely, Jaspal Singh, Jasdeep Singh and Jasbir Singh Sandhu. The eldest son Jaspal (nick name Pali) immigrated to Canada in 1972 and Mr Jit Singh Sandhu along with his wife and two sons, came to Canada in 1980 to join his son Pali. Presently, his youngest son Jasbir Singh Sandhu is a Member of Canadian Parliament representing South Surrey Parliamentary Constituency. Unfortunately, he lost his son

The Trailblazers / 165 Jasdeep in a road accident, a few years ago. Prior to his immigration to Canada, Mr Jit Singh Sandhu has held the position of Sarpanch in his Village from 1972 to 1977. From the very beginning, he believed in Marxism and has been a member of Communist Party. The villager friend of Mr Jit Singh Ankhi S. Mohan Singh Sandhu who moved to England in 1963 and then to Canada in 1990 and America in 1994 and back to Surrey Canada after about a decade, told me that Mr Jit Singh Sandhu has started taking part in dramas of the Communist Party and participated in a number of dramas over the years. Mr Jit Singh Sandhu had been an excellent orator and possessed a mesmerizing ability on stage. This six feet tall personality with slim built and good-looking features had an extraordinary talent of delivering speech. Although after entering Canada in 1980, he stayed here for a few years, yet he became a fairly known figure due to his connection with the Workers’ Associations and participation in the meetings of Punjabi Lekhak Sabha. I got to know him in Canada. He published his poems in various literary magazines of Punjab. ‘Ujjrhe Aalne’ (deserted nests) is a famous play written by him. After he returned from Canada in 1990, he was again elected as the Village Sarpanch. He was considered as an important personality and an ace politician in the region. During his five year tenure as a Sarpanch, he worked for the betterment of the village. Besides laying pucca surfaces on the village streets, he created drainage facilities. In addition to this, he improved the village school and the cremation ground. The credit of discouraging high-headiness of police in the village goes to Mr Jit Singh Sandhu. One of his friends narrated an episode. He said that once upon a time, two drunk police constables turned berserk and started

166 / The Trailblazers misbehaving with the village residents. Then on the behest of Mr Jit Singh Ankhi, Sarpanch, the constables were given a good shoe-beating. The Station House Officer (S.H.O.) was called and the two erring constables were handed over to him. During the time he remained a Sarpanch, the police did not dare to raid the village or to make any arrest again. However, the police was venturing to trap him in some concocted plot. In 1975, when emergency was imposed in India, Mr Jit Singh Ankhi, Sarpanch, was arrested and sent to jail, where he remained for about a year. During the mid 1990s, when someone was assassinated in the village, his opponents conspired to connect him with the assassin, but he was soon able to secure himself from the shackle of this conspiracy. He was always keen to help even the poorest of the poor in the village. He expressed with a sense of pride that he never spent money or offered intoxicants for seeking votes and that he never received a penny in lieu of help and support he gave to someone. When Mr Jit Singh Ankhi became Sarpanch, he was ever ready to help others. During the past 15 years he traveled from India to Canada and back on many occasions. During his tenure as village Sarpanch, Mr Jit Singh Sandhu followed a schedule of doing peoples’ work during the day and enjoying heavy drinks in the evening. For the last about four months, the 82 years old Mr Jit Singh Sandhu is residing i n the ‘Kinsmen Lounge (Care home for seniors)’ in front of the Surrey Hospital. While talking to me from his private room of the Care Homes, he expressed his dismay at the services available to the aged people. He expressed that the Service Centers were in fact, at great deviation from what they say. All that glitters is not gold. It was like ‘haathi de dand khan wale hor, ate dikhan wale hor’

The Trailblazers / 167 (Elephant has two sets of teeth, one to put on show and the other one to chew with). I noticed, he was alone in the room, lying on the bed and listening to Punjabi radio. Many other old ladies and men, who lived there, were sitting in the hall. When I suggested him to sit in the hall, with all those persons, he replied, “My thinking differs from theirs. What should I talk to them? He showed me a Lounge Manager’s notice hanging on the wall”. The notice mentions that Mr Jit Singh Sandhu has some superb traits such as scholarship, self-advocating ability, political leadership, cheerfulness, good-looking features, etc. as I keenly looked at him, he, with a pall of gloom, said that he had asked the attendants to remove that notice from the wall as he felt imprisoned there. When I asked him how the older persons of Punjabi origin should pass their days, he replied that they should spend their time in their own homes rather than in the Care Homes. He mentioned that he has to spend much less money at home to get better facilities than were available here. Here as our own children don’t have the time to look after their elderly parents and grandparents whereas even the neighbors do look after them in Punjab. He worked out that from his farm returns, rents of the shops, and other resources, he gets about Rs 25,000 a month which he believed can help him to be comfortable in his old age. Mr Jit Singh Sandhu’s nephew Mr Sewa Singh Sandhu is my younger Saandhu (brother-in-law, husband of my wife’s younger sister). I met him in 1971 in his native place in Punjab. In 1972, he happened to come to Canada and our closeness increased. I often visited with him Mr. Ankhi in the Kinsman Lounge. He has a fine mental state and memory retention although his speech delivery has depreciated. He conveyed his good wishes to all his friends and relatives.

168 / The Trailblazers BABA BUDH SINGH DHAHAN THE STAUNCH PROMOTER OF HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION

The mission of Guru Nanak Dev, the Founder of Sikhism, was to guide and reinforce contemporary mankind, which had undergone a serious decline in the political, religious and economic values. His mission relied on his principles of gratefulness to Almighty God for His blessings; reciting His Name; daring to challenge the state repression; raising voice for the women rights; motivating people for enlightening and welfare oriented activities; helping the poor and the downtrodden; exercising control over greed, attachment, arrogance, sexual-appetite, and anger, etc. In the realms of Sikh history, we can find enormous examples of sacrifices and allegiance to humanity by the devotees of the Sikh Gurus that succeeded Guru Nanak Dev. The persons, who develop spiritual attachment, sense of benevolent service and sacrifice for the sake of others, blend with divine power. The love legend Sassi is known for her passionate attachment; Mother Teresa for her benevolence; Kartar Singh Sarabha and Bhagat Singh for their feeling of making sacrifices, and having led others with their own examples, they are beyond compare. From among the followers of Sikhism, there have been numerous people who possessed remarkable philanthropy and a strong will to serve for the welfare of others. There are people, who are actively putting this compassion into practice and offer donations and take part in welfare activities as per they could afford, even today. Mr Budh Singh

The Trailblazers / 169 Dhahan, is one such personality. Last week, while talking to me on phone from the village Chandpur Roorki on the Garhsahanker-Anandpur Sahib Road, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan said that he was born in Village Dhahan in District Jalandhar in the family of father Mr Sher Singh and mother Mrs Nand Kaur, in 1925. He had his primary education from Khalsa High School, Khan Khana. He passed Giani from Khalsa College, Amritsar. His forefathers were strong followers of the tenets of Sikhism. He expressed that at that time, the Akali Party provided righteous leadership to the community about Sikhism, prevailing social concerns and political matters. Mr Budh Singh Dhahan said that he joined Akali Party when he was young and served as Secretary of District Unit of Akali Dal. In the morchas (agitations) led by Akali Dal for the rights of the people, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan went to jail ten times. He performed as the President of Punjab Peace Council, as well. He got married to Ms Kashmir Kaur daughter of Mr Bishan Singh and Mrs Aas Kaur of Village Pandori, District Hoshiarpur, at a young age. For improving the economic conditions of the family and for ensuring better prospects for his children, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan came to Canada in 1960, while his wife, Mrs Kashmir Kaur stayed with her four daughters and a son, back home in India. Some of his relatives lived in a small town of Port Alberni of Vancouver Island. Mr Budh Singh Dhahan got a job in a sawmill where he worked very hard for about a decade. In 1967, his wife along with all children joined him in Canada in 1970. He was a far-sighted person who kept a futuristic plan in mind and made his plans accordingly. He thought Vancouver had better prospects in store for his children and, therefore, shifted from Port Alberni. He switched on to real estate and

170 / The Trailblazers builders profession and was involved in the construction and sale of properties. He carried out this business for about 10 years. He had strong inclination toward religion, right from his childhood days. He linked himself with Ross Street Gurudwara Sahib, being managed by Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver. He also served as Secretary of Khalsa Diwan Society for three years. He provided good education to his children and brought them up well and performed their marriages. Those days, his real estate and builders work was flourishing well. Man may settle in any part of the world for a green pasture, but he never forgets his motherland and the state of affairs prevailing over there, It is but a universal truth. Same was the case with Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, who looked after his family while being in Vancouver but remains deeply concerned with education of children in his neighborhood and health care of people in his village. He also developed an inclination toward devoting himself to the cause of community welfare. With a passion for setting up facilities for education and health care in his village and adjoining areas, he shifted to his village, leaving his family behind in Vancouver. There he expressed his desire of starting a school and a hospital in the common land of villages Dhahan and Kaleran. The residents of both villages at once agreed with his proposal. For expediting this mission, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan formed a Trust named Guru Nanak Mission School Educational Trust. The residents of Dhahan and Kaleran Villages transferred 23 acres of land to the Trust. , the Founder of Pingalwara (Asylum for the crippled and the disabled) of Amritsar laid the Foundation Stone of Guru Nanak Mission Hospital at Village Kaleran on the Phagwara-Banga Road, near Dhahan

The Trailblazers / 171 on September 27, 1981. Mr Budh Singh Dhahan dedicated himself physically, mentally and financially for the realization of this noble cause. The land which had been considered as barren and deserted is now booming with the upcoming building of a hospital on it. As I am writing this article, Mr Kulwinder Singh Dhahan, General Secretary of the Dhahan-Kaleran Hospital and School Management Committee, who is on a visit to Canada and is in Vancouver, shared with me that now the said multi- utility Complex has a 250-bed Hospital, a Senior Secondary School, a Nursing School, Gurudwara Sahib, a Drug De- Addiction and Rehabilitation Center, about two dozen Shops, a Restaurant, a Bank, a Dispensary, etc. Presenting an overview of the educational and health care facilities available there, he highlighted that the Hospital has 25 doctors providing treatment of all types of ailments and that it provides modern diagnostic services and has an operation theater as well. About 250 outpatients visit the hospital daily to consult the doctors for their medical treatment. The hospital has separate male and female wards. To handle emergency cases, the hospital has three ambulance vans. The Gurbani Kirtan taking place in the Gurudwara Sahib can be listened to in the rooms of patients. The Senior Secondary School has strength of about 1600 students from different places in the region. The Nursing School has provision for Nursing Education from the Basic Course to M.Sc. The Nursery School of University of British Columbia, Vancouver has collaborative agreement with Nursery School of Dhahan Kaleran. The certificates and diplomas awarded by Nursery School of Dhahan Kaleran are recognized in various hospitals in India and abroad. Till now, about 1400 nurses produced by Nursery School of Dhahan Kaleran are serving within the country and overseas. The current annual

172 / The Trailblazers budget of Nursery School and Hospital of Dhahan Kaleran is in the tune of Rs 750 lakh. The creation of admirable facilities of education and health care, in the rural areas owes a great deal to Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, who made valuable contributions to this. This is a charitable organization that runs on donations. According to the information shared by Mr Budh Singh Dhahan himself, he made 30 trips to different countries including England, America, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, etc. and mobilized a donation of about Rs 40 crore.(Rs 400 millions). For this purpose, he has set up charitable branch offices in different countries including England, America, Canada, etc. His son, Mr Barjinder Singh Dhahan, who lives in Vancouver, owns many dealerships of Esso Gas Stations and Franchises of Tim Horton. In addition to his Real Estate business, Mr Barjinder Singh Dhahan, presently the chairman of India-Canada Foundation is making endeavors to promote trade between the two countries. Further, he, together with his family members, has established India- Canada Education Society, Vancouver. He has been sending the donations to Nursery School and Hospital of Dhahan Kaleran, that he collected through the said Society. Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, the Founder of Educational and Health Care Complex (Nursery School and Hospital of Dhahan Kaleran) continues as the president of its Management Committee since its inception. However, he has dissociated himself from this Complex for about four years. The reason for this was the controversy regarding appointment of a lady as its Public Relation Officer (P.R.O.). Whereas many Members of the Management Committee held that the appointment of a lady P.R.O. will not at all be beneficial or in the interest of the Organization, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan, however, strongly

The Trailblazers / 173 believed that it will be an asset for the advancement and well being of the Organization. Majority of the Members wanted the lady P.R.O. to be removed. This led to a rift between Mr Budh Singh Dhahan and those Members of the Management Committee. In 2009, when the Committee Members were to be elected, Mr Budh Singh Dhahan boycotted. Consequently, the Members, who were in majority, could easily elect Mr Amarjit Singh Kler as their President. Mr Budh Singh Dhahan stopped going there. Although, he is at a ripe age of 88, yet he is brimming with zeal to serve for the welfare of others, like before. In 2011, he started a Health Care Center at a place called Chandpur Roorki on the Garh Shanker-Anandpur Sahib Road, for rural people. After having formed Guru Nanak Mission International Charitable Trust, Nawangran Kulpur, he has purchased 23 acres of land for the Trust in this area. He is keen to set up an organization similar to that which he had early created at Dhahan Kaleran. While having telephonic conversation with me from Chandpur Roorki he shared that he disposed off his land in Village Dhahan for Rs 1.5 Crore to purchase land at a place near Chandpur Roorki. He has a plan to establish a Complex having a Hospital, Gurudwara Sahib, School, and Nursing Center on the pattern of Dhahan Kaleran Complex. He shared that people from his area, colleagues in the foreign countries and philanthropists are giving him full support and cooperation. The Foundation Stone of this Multi-Utility Complex was laid on March 24, 2013. Bhai Mahinder Singh, the Head of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewa Jatha, Birmingham, England, laid the Foundation Stone of the Hospital. Bhai Charan Singh Panchhi laid the Foundation Stone of Gurudwara Sahib. The Leader of the Delegation from Dubai, Bhai Kulwinder Singh Usmanpur launched the layout plan of one of the Hospital

174 / The Trailblazers Wards. There was a huge gathering of respectable people from the area in this Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony. The Management Committee of the Trust has Mr Budh Singh Dhahan as President, Mr Raghbir Singh as Chief Auditor and Mrs Sushil Kaur as Public Relation Officer. According to Mr Raghbhir Singh, a sum of Rs 20 Lakh was gathered as donation in the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony itself. The celebrities who laid the Foundation Stones promised to provide funds for the success of the project. I pray to Almighty God to bless Baba Budh Singh Dhahan more years of good health to carry on his services to realize his mission.

The Trailblazers / 175 MALKIT SINGH PARHAR THE PIONEER IN RADIO PROGRAMS

A Jatt Sikh native hailing from Punjab is always keen to preserve his mother tongue, religion and culture. Besides making efforts in this direction, he has the ability to create wonders even on the barren land. Punjabis are greatly adventurous in leaving their homes empty handed and have the courage to try settling abroad in pursuit of better employment and economic prosperity. On having a quick look at the emigration scenario of Punjabis during the last 150 years, we will find that wherever Punjabis have gone, they, due to sheer hard work and determined outlook, have been able utterly successful in creating the desired niches for themselves in terms of new homes, religious places and conditions for the promotion of their language and culture. The establishment of Gurdwaras in Canada, publication of a large number of Punjabi newspapers, promotion of Punjabi language and culture through radio programs, etc. are important examples of the exclusive efforts being made in this direction. The computer printing of Punjabi newspapers was a useful innovation in printing circles and it started with the efforts made by late Mr Tara Singh Hayer, the Founder of Indo-Canadian Times newspaper. Similarly, Punjabi radio programs started with the efforts of late Mr Malkit Singh Parhar from Vancouver city on the western coast of Canada. Mr Malkit Singh Parhar was born on March 23, 1924 at Village Karnana, near city of Banga in District Jalandhar (now in the District Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) in the

176 / The Trailblazers family of father Mr Wariam Singh and mother Mrs Ishar Kaur. He came to join his father at Vancouver in 1927, when he was merely four years old. After a stay of nearly six years in Vancouver, he went back to India along with his parents. There he married Ms Channan Kaur at a young age. It has been learned that he met his wife after a long gap of ten years after his marriage. Mr Malkit Singh Parhar and Mrs Channan Kaur were blessed with four daughters and a son in Canada. Until 1975, immigrants coming from India to British Columbia, Canada were generally given work in the sawmills and they themselves preferred to do it because of the higher wages they got and moreover, there was no risk of a break in work. Although Mr Malkit Parhar worked in the sawmill for some period, but he was by and large, interested in commercial business. From a source, I have come to learn that during the later years of 1950s, Mr Malkit Singh Parhar and his brother, Mr Bachint Singh opened a grocery shop near the Gurudwara Sahib at the 2nd Avenue in Vancouver. Later, toward the mid 1960s, Mr Parhar started a Travel Agency where his son also assisted him in the work. In the later years of 1970s, Mr Malkit Singh Parhar had opened a Travel Agency at Chandigarh, which was looked after and managed by his son Mr Hardal Parhar. Till 1972 visitors from India could come to Canada without any Visa. During the period from 1969 to 1972, a large number of the Indian visitors came to Vancouver through the Travel Agency of Mr Hardyal Singh Parhar and they were looked after by Mr Malkit Singh Parhar in Vancouver besides helping them in completing their immigration requirements. He had maintained a close connection with Immigration Officers, Solicitors and Officials of the Indian Council General that helped him to learn about clues that could be used for

The Trailblazers / 177 seeking immigration for the intending immigrants. His working was clean and nobody could trace any element of corruption in his dealings. He also handled business concerning import of gift-items from India to Canada and export of Canadian commodities to India. He sponsored the visit of wrestlers from India and set a tradition of wrestling. In 1961-62, he developed a tie-up with a Radio Station called K.E.R.I. and managed to air Punjabi radio program from Vancouver. The Radio Station was situated in the American city of Bellingham, in the vicinity of Vancouver. The said program was aired from this Radio Station every Sunday from 8 am to 9.30 am. In August 1972, Mr Manjit Singh Virdi, hailing from the Town of Zira, District Ferozepur got an air ticket from Chandigarh Travel Agency of Mr Hardial Singh Parhar and reached Vancouver. Mr Manjit Singh Virdi had served as a regular host in the radio programs being broadcast from All India Radio, Jalandhar. At Vancouver, he happened to meet Mr Malkit Parhar, who was in search of an experienced radio host. The rich experience of Mr Manjit Singh Virdi was indeed value addition to the radio programs of Mr Malkit Singh Parhar. Meticulous hosting by Mr Manjit Singh Virdi made the radio programs extremely popular among the listeners. A need was being felt for extending the duration of the Punjabi Radio Program. Mr Malkit Singh Parhar was successful in buying time from K.A.R.I. Radio Shacks of Blaine and K.L.Y.N. Station of Lynden for increasing his broadcasting time. He started airing his radio programs of many hours in a week. Mr Manjit Singh Virdi informed that there was a time when the radio program that he hosted was aired simultaneously by two different radio stations of America. The radio programs at that time covered musical

178 / The Trailblazers entertainment segment for the new immigrants attracted lot of revenue through advertisement of upcoming trades and business. Mr Manjit Singh Virdi hosted the radio programs for five years and later, he started his own new radio program that continued up to 2006. According to Mr Manjit Singh Virdi, Mr Parhar derived great delight in helping others. In case somebody came to his office with a request to visit the solicitor or immigration office, he (Mr Parhar) would immediately oblige him by accompanying him to help sort out his problem. He often did it at the cost of his own work. He was popularly referred to as ‘Vadda Bhai’ (elder brother) because he was habitual of addressing everybody, as ‘Vadda Bhai’. His range of friendship within Punjabi fraternity was indeed very wide. Almost all the Immigration Officers, Solicitors and Officials of the Indian Council General were his friends. The family of Mr Malkit Singh Parhar suffered a tragic blow with the passing away of his son, Mr Hardial Singh Parhar in the prime of his life. He succumbed to cancer some years before the demise of Mr Malkit Singh Parhar. Mr Malkit Singh Parhar was not only the originator of Radio Programs but he has the credit of having set a tradition of starting small entrepreneurship such as grocery shops; import of need-based commodities from India; opening of advisory centers for dealing with issues related to travel and immigration; gathering funds and helping the aggrieved and needy individuals; bringing out a paper ‘India News and Views’ in the mid sixties, etc. As informed by one of his friends, although Malkit did not obtain glittering success in any business that he tried his hands on, but he opened many avenues for people to be successful in their

The Trailblazers / 179 ventures. His friend Mr Jaswant Singh Parmar hailing from Village Jangliana, District Hoshiarpur, told that in view of the consequences of the Indo-China war of 1962, Mr Malkit Singh Parhar motivated the Indo-Canadian people living in British Columbia to donate for charity. He mobilized a collection of $ 75,000 to buy eleven Canada-made ambulance vans and sent them to the Government of India. From the nature and magnitude of works done by Mr Malkit Singh Parhar, one comes to know that the commercial enterprises, role of media, services for community welfare, helping the aggrieved people, etc that are occurring today, owe largely to him. As a matter of fact, he drew the foot prints for all these activities. During the period, 1990-92, as a Director of the British Columbia and Yukon Cancer Society, I had an opportunity to work with the team led by Mr Malkit Singh Parhar, to collect a sum of one Lakh dollars from the Indo-Canadian community, for the British Columbia and the Yukon Cancer Society. He was a friendly, compassionate and selfless personality. His main business headquarter and the meeting point was the building situated at Eastern Corner of the 6th Avenue on the Main Street. He left for his heavenly abode in August 2006 while his wife Mrs Channan Kaur on July 7 2007. His death anniversary falls on August 17, 2013. I pay my tributes to Mr Malkit Singh Parhar and his wife.

180 / The Trailblazers