OTTAWA: The World Sikh Organization of Canada held a banquet in memory of the June 4th Anniversary in the Parliament buildings of Ottawa.
Twenty three members of Parliament were present as guests representing all three political Parties. Over 200 guests gathered at the conference room. The Mayor of Ottawa was in attendance. Three Police Services were represented as well as representatives of various ethnic communities
WSO Canada’s president Ram Raghbir Singh Chahal gave the welcoming speech. Everyone stood for one minute’s silence in respect of all those who died in June of 1984 and have been dying in the Sikh struggle since then Mr. Chahal gave a strong speech on the farce that is called Indian democracy. He spoke of the gross human rights violations in India and touched briefly on some of the problems faced by Sikhs today.
Dr.John Spellman a human rights activist well versed in the Sikh struggle was one of the guest speakers. He spoke very eloquently on the Multicultural Policy of this present government and how it is detrimental to the very people that it is trying to assist. As it is implemented today the Multicultural Policy promotes racism encourages professional ethnics and employs the divide and conquer principle to the so called ethnic communities. It creates hyphenated Canadians which is in itself a form of the caste system. He also spoke of government meddling in Sikh affairs by trying to organize a new organization for Sikhs that would give the government of Canada control on who speaks for the Sikh community and would therefore displace the World Sikh Organization. Dr. Spellman also spoke of the 1984 massacre of the Sikhs. More than 3000Sikhs were killed. Seven years later only three persons have been prosecuted. These three were scapegoats from the untouchables. People who were coerced into piling up bodies and burning them after the carnage. The organizers and the killers have still not been charged.
Dr. Laurie Wiseberg of the University of Ottawa spoke on Human Rights Activists the risks they take and the problems they run into. She elaborated on the need to protect and safeguard the people who often risk their lives in an attempt to document Human Rights abuses. A member of a new human rights group the South Asian Documentation Centre was recently arrested and severely tortured. Dr. Wiseberg spoke on the limitations and credibility of the Indian Media. Not only is the information they print edited and censored but what they are allowed to write on is also closely scrutinized by the Indian government. No credibility can be given to the Indian Press. Moreover the government is now selling up its own dummy human rights groups which report to the world press only that which they wish to make public Other legitimate groups are then dismissed because it is said that reports have already been made and there is no need for duplication.
Gian Singh Sandhu took our M.P. Bob Homer to task on some most insensitive remarks about the government’s Spousal Reunification program. He spoke out on the irony of government controlled organizations like the Canadian Ethno cultural Council that has denied membership to the World Sikh Organization even though precedent has been set by granting membership to other religious groups such as the Canadian Muslim Association and the Jewish Congress. Once again attention was brought to government meddling in Sikh affairs by the latest initiative of the Department of Multiculturalism in doing a feasibility study to start a new Sikh Organization that will be able to speak to the government on Sikh interests. Gian Singh Sandhu told the audience that Sikhs know who they are and what they need Sikhs do not need the government to tell them what they need and how to achieve their goals. Sikhs can pick their own leaders and don’t need to be told who can best represent them.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 14, 1991
