By Irvinderpal Singh Babra/Sikh Press
TORONTO: One of the cofounders of World Sikh Organization and member of ruling Liberal party Inderjit Singh Bal, who was appointed as a judge in June this year by his friend and Canadian immigration minister Sergio Marchi to the Immigration and Refugee Board, resigned last week. BAL who got the job in the Same Board which determines who. Can stay in Canada legally, confessed to the parliamentary committee that he had himself entered Canada illegally in 1976, fell in love with a Canadian girl and got married on July 4, 1977 in a Gurdwara.
‘On November 3, 1994 after living in Canada for over 18 years, Bal was questioned about the facts by an opposition Reform member of Parliament Art Hanger of Calgary. “Yes, I came on a ship and left it in Montreal,” BAL told him during the questioning in Ottawa. And it was this fact which exposed him across Canada as a ship jumper, refugee judge but overshadowed his present legal Status. As required by the Canadian immigration law, BAL had returned to Indian July 20, 1977, presented himself before the Canadian Immigration Department in New Delhi which found him suitable and gave him the much cherished legal immigration status. He then entered Canada legally in 1978 as a landed immigrant, haying cleared as an Indian national by the Canadian embassy in New Delhi to live with his first wife in Canada. BAL says, “My first marriage was not a marriage of convenience and it lasted for five years before we were divorced in 1982. We never had children. I met and married my second wife after my first marriage had ended.” BAL’s second wife is a Sikh lady and they have three children now.
On November 4, BAL was exposed across Canada by the mainstream media for his original illegal party and the earlier reports suggested that he had three wives. His second legal entry was totally Overlooked and ignored and BAL could do little about it.
On November 5, the immigration minister Sergio Marchi, who had known Bal for several years.as a fellow Liberal party member and appointed him to the top job at Over $85,000 per year, announced that he will review Bal’s case before drawing any conclusions. On the other hand, BAL consulted his Core friends and the action to resign was planned.
On November 6, without waiting for the review by Marchi, BAL reigned to the IRB chairperson Nurjehan Mawani. “I am concerned that the credibility of the IRB has been called into question and that if remain on the IRB, its credibility may be damaged further.” His resignation was accepted immediately, ending his immigration career with the board.
On November 7, BAL met the W.S.N. Sikh Press and other media members and gave them his press release. He said, “I do not question the right of the opposition or media to enquire about my past and I believed that my slate had been wiped clean and I could begin anew in Canada from 1978 ‘onwards. I respect the Canadian system which is a fully functioning democracy. I did not hide any circumstances and I have duly addressed all the questions. I am very proud of my past and achievements in Canada and losing the job is not an end for me.” BAL is now backing to his restaurant business in Brampton.
Bal’s arch rival Gurbax Singh Malhi and the first Sikh Member of Parliament in Canada said,” It’s ‘very unfortunate that this happened and T will go through the factors leading to it.” Another Liberal party stalwart and a reliable source said that BAL was subjected to heavy scrutiny and was treated shabbily. BAL seemed to have resigned hurriedly and many heads free expected to roll when the Prime Minister Jean Chretien returns from 4 visits to China next week.
BAL was overwhelmed by the events which occurred in quick secession last week and new questions are not answered. Why had he failed to wait for the review by Marchi and jumped for the second time? Is there anything more that Bails hiding? BAL is not an illegal now and got his Canadian citizenship about 14 years ago. By resigning so quickly BAL has proved the opposition stronger and weakened his and his party’s position. The fact of his legal status in Canada since 1978 will remain overshadowed by his original illegal entry of 1976 and many Sikhs, especially from India, may remain as immigration suspects.
Eyen Sukhminder Singh Hansra of Ankhila Punjab said in his nightly broadcast, “Many Sikhs and foreigners with dubious, fake and mistaken identity are living in ‘Canada and they continue to come and cheat the tolerant Canadian system and society. Only Native Indians never came from anywhere and BAL was more than truthful to be living legally now. Bal is a target of an Indian agent for his pro Khalistan views.”
It is on record that during his campaign to be an MP in 1992 BAL had gone on Joginder Singh Bassi’s Gaunda Punjab radio program and accepted his marriage to a non-Indian woman, Bassi is generally a pro Punjab and basher of ant India views in his broadcasts daily. Hanger got those transcripts and used them against BAL in the parliament. Even Bal had said, nobody came to Canada legally since 1972,” which is a superfluous and wrong comment. With BAL’s resignation, it’s once tubes across Canada where Sikhs are ridiculed and mocked by way of cartoons, extensive TV and radio coverage and news reports in the powerful, mainstream media. Like a bad storm it will stop by itself unless some new Sikh case and affair emerges. And there is No shortage of potential, because Sikhs, like others, love Canada passionately and many dare to enter illegally if not legally and absorb themselves. It’s Canadian, ch? Meanwhile, the heat is on Marchi and Mawani as another judge, Michael Scheele, who was suspended from the IRB before BAL, is getting support to claim many charges against his removal. BAL may regret his resigning in haste.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 11, 1994
