Dear Sir
(In reply of Letters of Malcolm McSporran Jan.2 Hugh Campbell Jan.7 Vancouver Sun)
The World Sikh Organization held a Convention in Vancouver on De.27, 28, 29, 1991 which I attended. I would like to clarify some of the “controversial statements” made.
First all Sikh immigrants in Canada prefer to be called Canadian. The World Sikh Organization has been emphasizing the need to stop hyphenating any Canadian In spite of all our efforts The Media politicians and man on the street still do insist on subdividing this great nation. Therefore we still refer to ourselves as Italian Canadians Ukrainian Canadian setc. In the real world we must concede to the fact that we cannot always have things the way that we would prefer. Therefore if possible insist on hyphenating us we fell that we must at least assert ourselves as t0 the designation of the hyphen.
So far we have been referred to as Indo-Canadians. The Indian government is persecuting our families our friends all whom we have left behind for no other reason than the fact that our democratic values of the equality of all mankind is a threat to their belief in the caste system and the intrinsic belief that every person must be categorized and held to his caste and his “place” in society. We wish to disassociate ourselves from that.
You have misconceptions about us because we did not disassociate ourselves from India long ago. In June 2, letter a reference is made to “Foreign customs such as discrimination against women, and the tendency to settle dispute with violence.
These are attributes you can give to “Indo-Canadians.” Sikh religion teaches the equality of all persons. Sikhs do not recognize divisions made as to caste religion color or sex Women is equal to men in every way in the Sikh religion. As to violence to settle all disputes…Sikhs are commanded to fight discrimination oppression of the weak and defence less. Buta Sikh fights only as a last resort. As a Christian counterpart was it not St. Paul who sad that turning the other cheek was fine but when you have run out of cheeks you must tum around and stand up for what you believe. That’s the stage that Sikhs have now found them in.
Our pre-occupation with human rights is not all that different from that of the three M.P.s who went to China. As Canadians we are very proud of their courageous stand. Surely there is no objection to their noble intent of making this a better world even though they were in China and not Canada.
Yes if you must hyphenate us please call us Sikh Canadians as you would call a Jew a Jewish Canadian. Please do not refer to us as Indo-Canadians We is not.
Bir S.Basarke
International Delegate
World Sikh Organization
Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992
