SURREY: Newspapers from Canada report that Tara Singh Heyer, the editor of Indo Canadian Times is being sued by the President of Sikh Temple, for publishing derogatory editorials against the Surrey Gurdwara management.
Hayer charged that the construction work was not properly put to tender, that the Sikh Center although built with aid of $1 million provincial govt. grant would not be truly open to public since it would be run according 1o strict Sikh religious principles, and had a Khalistan flag flying on the site, He is reported to have repeated his attack on project in a letter to Premier Mike Harcourt.
Hayer who is known for his highly pro Indian government stance was refuted a rival newspaper which blamed him of having his facts all wrong.
Manjit Singh Dhami, the President of the temple said he is suing Hayer for having damaged the senior project by his writing which resulted to scaring away volunteer workers. Much of the construction work on the 6000 sq. foot two story center is done voluntarily. Dhami says government officials inspected the site and all aspects of the project following receipt of the letter to Harcourt, and gave it the all clear. He confirmed the earlier rejection of Hayer’s criticism, saying the alleged Khalistan flag flown on the building was actually nothing more than a Sikh flag commonly flown at the temple itself, and that the center will be run by the Indo Canadian Seniors’ Society, a community group that has no formal allegiance 10 the temple management,
As for the construction work, Dhami says the major work was put to tender installation of underground services and development of a parking lot. The dozens of smaller jobs were allocated either to volunteers or to workmen who responded to advertisements posted in the temple itself, he said.
“We do not have a good relationship with Tara Singh Hayer,” re marked Dhami, “He is not even a member of the temple society he just sits in his office and writes whatever he likes. I have instructed my lawyer to sue him.”
Article extracted from this publication >> October 22, 1993
