The Trailblazers Indo-Canadians of British Columbia Sucha Singh Claire English translation by Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman Edited by the author of Becoming Canadians. Sarjeet Singh Jagpal Tarlochan Publishers, Chandigarh 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 CANADA. 3. SHUSHMA DATT 35 THE PRODUCER OF CULTURAL PROGRAMS 4. UJJAL DOSANJH 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. AMRIK VIRK 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 Vancouver 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 Patiala 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 Ludhiana 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.