Sir,

I write this letter after a great deal of contemplation, hoping that common sense and logic would prevail when the decision whether Sikhs should be allowed to wear turbans in the RCMP is made. As the president of Khalsa Diwan Society, the first society of the Sikhs in Canada since 1908, I feel it is necessary to clarify some misconceptions. The media has been trying to cover both sides of this sensitive issue, but mostly sensitizing and hurting all the minorities in the country.

Sikhs have been an integral part of Canada since the early settlers in 1896. They are found in all walks of life, from professionals such as university professors to medical specialists to businessmen of international calibre to workmen in the forest, mines, and farms of rural Canada. A number of the Sikhs have been fortunate enough to enjoy the true Canadian heritage of having a The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by being able to wear their turbans and other religious symbols at the workplace.

(Canada has come a long way from its inception when its Heritage was that of the First Nations’ People to the “White Only” policy of 1914, at the time of the Komagata Maru Incident to the present Multicultural society. Canada’s Heritage and Culture is not maintained by simply having RCMP officers wearing Stetsons and red tunic, but by having all the people working and living together in harmony in a multicultural setting. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as we call our national police, used to be mounted in the days gone by, but today as technology changes the RCMP is also changing. In 1973 when women were first admitted to the RCMP, there were similar discriminatory cries, but the politicians came with a logical and rational decision. It is sad when Member of Parliament Bobbie Sparrow says that Canada “has So little heritage left to protect…”, she would like to channel her energies in protecting a uniform at the expense of protecting our real Heritage ie. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,

In conclusion, I urge all Canadians to stop any type of institutionalized discrimination and encourage your friends, politicians, etc. to support the decision of RCMP officers belonging to the Sikh religion be able to practice their religion by allowing them to wear the turban and be exemplary Canadians and not be discriminated under the Charter of Rights Section 15(1).

Bikar Singh Dhillon

President

Khalsa Diwan Society.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 1, 1989