STOCKTON: “The World Sikh Organization is not a terrorist organization and I am sure it will never be one despite India’s best efforts to label it as one,” Canadian journalist and co-author of Soft Target Brian McAndrew exclaimed at the World Sikh News hosted dinner here on March 25.
Zuhair Kashmeria journalist with the Globe and Mail and the other co-author of Soft Target recounted his experiences with Indian diplomats and their subversive work in Canada which led to their writing the book.
Both the newsmen commended the Sikh community in its efforts to counter Indian propaganda and in exposing the gross human rights violations in Punjab. They exhorted Sikhs to work with their congressmen in bringing out the truth about India.
State Senator John Doolittle, who is running for Congress after Mr. Shumway declared his retirement, also graced the occasion. He promised to support the Sikh cause if he was sent to Washington DC.
The Muslim community of Stockton was also well represented by Mr. Shakur Khan who is the President of the Pakistan Association of San Joaquin County. He was accompanied by several of his colleagues.
The main hall of Stockton Inn was a veritable sea of multi colored turbans. Among the distinguished Sikhs of the area who attended were S. Didar Singh Bains founder president of the WSO, S. Gurcharan Singh Dhillon president WSO, USA, Dr. Ajit Pal Singh Sandhu who has just been nominated to the economic advisory council on Asia by the Lt Governor Leo McCarthy, S. Darshan Singh of the Parking Authority of San Francisco, S. Bhupinder S. Nijjar of Fremont, S. Mohinder Singh Thandi among others.
Zuhair spoke of how a supposed Babbar Khalsa backer had big business interests in Delhi and that the State Bank of India had given him a $2 million debenture. Such were the agents the Indian Govt used to infiltrate the Sikh community in Canada to bring them a bad name, he said.
Zuhair prefaced his speech with “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh” which was chorused by an enthusiastic audience. He went on to talk of his association with Indian diplomats prior to 1984 and later how the Indian consulate played its foul game of not only dividing Sikhs among themselves but also branding them terrorists in the eyes of the world.
His account of the Air India crash was revealing Surender Malik the then Consul General leaked information to Zuhair within 16 hours of the crash that L. Singhand A. Singh was responsible for the bombing.
On checking with his sources in Canadian intelligence, Zuhair discovered that the police had yet to go over the passenger list. How did Surender Malik know? He described the plot, the scene at the airport 16 hours after the crash and it took the RCMP several weeks to collect this information.
How could Sikhs who had worked 60-70 years to be accepted as Canadians in 4 years suddenly become terrorists was the question he said. Their investigations led to the writing of Soft Target.
Brian McAndrew spoke at length about the Indian Govt operation in Canada beginning with the 1982 courthouse shooting by Samra in which two people died. He said Samra was provided a phony passport to escape to India. That one incident sent shock waves around the world and was the beginning of a campaign to discredit Sikhs. Then came the bombing of the Air India jet in which 329 people perished.
He told the story of how the WSO name was involved in terrorism. A Canadian Sikh limousine driver went to India to visit his ailing sister. He was arrested and tortured by the Punjab Police. He was asked to sign several papers which he did not read. One of these stated that he was a member of the WSO and was in India to carry out terrorist crimes.
Brian McAndrew became involved after being assigned to cover the Air India crash for the Toronto Star. He also spoke at length about racism in Canada which he said was very subtle. One of the reasons for Sikhs being the focal point for this racism was largely due to. Indian Govt efforts.
The World Sikh News took the opportunity to honor some eminent local Sikhs with commendation plaques. S. Mohinder Singh Mann, an attorney from San Jose, Dr. Ranjeet Singh, Rajpaul of Madera, Dr. Ujjar Singh Dhillon and Dr. Satnam. Singh Atwal both of Fresno received plaques from S. Bakshish Singh, S. Sukhchain S. Brar, S. Amrik S. Gill, S. Hardyal S. Dhatt and S. Guam Singh Pamma.
Dr. Bakshish Singh Nijjar, an eminent Sikh historian was also honored. S. Bhupinder Singh Nijjar, his son received the plaque on his behalf.
- Didar Singh, eminent citizen of Yuba City and founder President of WSO gave a plaque to Brian McAndrew and S. Mohinder Singh Mann presented one to Zuhair Kashmiri on behalf of the WSN.
The president of World Sikh News, S. Gurinder Singh Grewal, M.D. in his concluding address exhorted Sikhs to follow the lead provided by the two brave journalists who he said had done praiseworthy work for the Sikhs. He said we are responsible for the future of our children and for that we must act now. He urged Sikhs to come forward and join WSO and urge their friends to do the same he warned Sikhs using Zuhair Kashmiris words “our children will never forgive us if we do not act now. He thanked the two newsmen and the audience for making the program a success.
Narinder Singh Somal Secretary WSN did a very efficient job of managing the stage and introducing the various speakers.
The covert intelligence operation in Canada involved the deception both of the security forces and the Canadian Govt, and led to one of the worst acts of modern terrorism in the Air India disaster.
At the center of Soft Target are Canada’s Sikhs. Probing the Sikh unrest from the early 80, the authors tell the story of how Sikhs were made victims of manipulation and disinformation at the hands of the Indian govt. They say Indian agents have infiltrated the Sikh community in Canada, fomenting hostility and provoking violence,
India also played a devious game with the Canadian Govt Indian diplomats and agents provided a lot of false information which was accepted in good faith by the RCMP. Some intelligence agents got wise but their political bosses would not listen.
Zuhair Kashmiri was born in Bombay and educated there. He started his career with the Indian Express in Bombay before moving to the UK and then Canada. He is an editor with the Globe and Mail. He’s specialty areas are law enforcement, international conflict and terrorism immigration, minorities and foreign policy, civil and human rights. His work has been published in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia.
Brian McAndrew was born in Niagara Falls Onto and began his career as a reporter for a group of weekly newspapers in Tilbury. He was active in the labor movement and organized a newsroom union at the Windsor Star. He joined the Toronto Star in 1984 and was promoted assistant city editor in 89.
Today both are editors with their newspapers.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 30, 1990
