Rita Johnston’s first public meeting as premier in Surrey was a demonstration of retrained politics
Appearing at an inter-community banquet sponsored by the World Sikh Organization at the Clever dale fairgrounds on Friday Johnston took the podium following lengthy speeches by members and friends of the Sikh community. Some of the speeches offered criticism of B.C.’s treatment of Sikhs and other ethnic minorities.
“For a while I felt as if I was sitting on some type of hot seat and maybe there had been a special reason for why I had been invited. Jonston said in her view Canadians ethnics’ diversity forms a positive harmonious mosaic and the multicultural nature of Canadian society is what make Canada such a special country to live in”.
Johnston avoided debate on issues raised earlier in the evenings by Dr. John Spellman an expert on Sikh culture and Gian Singh Sandhu who is the international president of the World Sikh Organization Spellman accused the provincial education system as being “as parochial as the Greeks” in the field of promoting understandings of foreign cultures.
Johnston’s reply to Spellman’s charge was ‘I guess it’s something I should look at although I don’t feel I’m qualified to cither agree or argue with him”
Sandhu stirred emotion in the room when he claimed the provincial government is reluctant to appoint Sikhs to provincial boards and commissions such as the Workers Compensation Board. In her speech Johnston deemed this and offered to meet with Sandhu personally on this account.
The inter-community banquet was held in an error to foster closer relations between Sikhs and the community at large and try and dispel the stereotype of Sikhs being violent and supportive of terrorism. It was attended by about 400 people.
Recent controversy over public possession of the kirpan the Sikh ceremonial sword and the wearing of turbans in the RCMP has inspired Sikhs to demonstrate to others these traditions of their culture The World Sikh Organization is an international coalition of Sikhs working to establish Khalistan as an autonomous Sikh state in the Punjab region of India.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 26, 1991
