‘Dear Mr. Beatty:
In fighting the criminal elements tis probably customary for the law enforcement agencies to prepare a psychological profile of the criminal as one more tool for understanding and, therefore, apprehending the criminals. The more one can learn of the criminal ‘mind the greater the likelihood of preparedness among the law enforcement agencies and lesser the possibility for a surprise.
The life of law enforcement Official is at best a difficult one; He ‘wages a battle on two fronts. On one front he aims at upholding law and order fairly, prevent criminal behavior and apprehend the lawbreaker. On the other front he faces a review of his work by his superiors, regularly, as a measure of his performance for merit assessment and or advancement.
Equally difficult, though challenging, it is for the law enforcement official to operate in a diverse, alien, multi-cultural environ may ill‘equiphim to grasp and understand race culture of any particular ethnic group. Often, it is natural for one to assess and measure another’s behavior or wrath or expressions in terms of one’s own ‘moral code and mind-culture, since there is no other yardstick or reference point.
Often, morality is a question of geography e.g. that which may be quite acceptable behavior in one group (e.g. polygamy) may be considered criminal by another group.
Sikhs, as one ethnic group, are 1no different from other ethnic groups or races. But, because Sikhs stand apart from others at least in ‘outward appearance they regrettably invite closer scrutiny of behavior. History tells us that Sikhs are simple-minded, hard-working, and deeply religious and the least politicized. They are often quick to take up a cause or to lose their temper or to speak their mind. Seldom, if ever, they engage in Machiavellian politics. No wonder that they get into trouble for their blustering.
Whatever little I know, or I told, or heard in court about the five Canadian Sikhs before the Quebec courts on explosives related charges, when viewed paralleliestically with my interview with the RCMP re the altercation at Concordia University at a meeting with the Indian MP, Mrs. Amarjit Kaur, fills me with a great deal of apprehension and uneasiness.
June, 84, Blue Star Operation and November, 84, Aceldama has so devastated the Sikh community as a whole that there is much confusion over what should be the Sikh objectives and much less over the means. Even the call for Khalistan is one example of that confusion since some Sikhs view it as an end in itself, rather than the means (even as a last resort) whereas others consider that the principal aim is and remains that of safeguarding the identity, culture, language and religion of the Sikhs.
Canadian Sikh interest in Punjab has been questioned often enough and the truth is that we, the Sikhs, regard Punjab, the home of our Gurus, as our most treasured and revered temporal and spiritual homeland. Even an analogy to Vatican will be inappropriate since Christ was born and lived all his life in Roman Palestine.
India’s failure to live up to its promises of settling Punjab’s grievances has made most Sikhs deeply frustrated.
Confusion and frustration has resulted in some of the Sikhs losing their cool and thus becoming an easy target for swashbuckler. Anyone who fully understands and knows the young Sikh temperament and psyche can easily trap them to say or try to do anything. Also, they can be persuaded suggestively to do anything to assuage their hurt and pain, Some of these young-men have lost all faith in the Indian democratic procedures which they feel has let them down since 1947, the beginning of the unending Sikh nightmare.
All Sikhs strongly oppose and ‘condemn all acts of violence occurring in Canada but we will support any and all effort in freeing our spirit, religion and temples from who-so-ever tries to usurp these.
Law enforcement agencies, including RCMP, have done and continue to do a remarkably good job to keep us Canadians safe and secure. It would be a shame if zealousness, misreading of an ethnic or simply to win Brownie points may lead some officials to unfairness and injustice.
I do, hereby, if need be, volunteer my services not to explain the Sikh religion but to provide an interpretation of Sikh behavior. In closing, leave you with John Dryden’s words which are quite apt:
Errors, like straws, upon the surface
flow
He who would search for pearls,
must dive below
Yours truly, BS. Mahal.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 11, 1986
