MAJOR OPTIMISTIC AIR INDIA INQUIRY TO CONTINUE

OTTAWA — Air India Inquiry Commisioner John Major expressed cautious optimism today that his probe into Canada's deadliest experience with terrorism won't sink into oblivion due to government secrecy. Major, who threatened to shut down the inquiry last month because not enough internal documents were being made public, was responding to the government's commitment today to release more uncensored documents to the commission and victims' families by the end of this week.
The government of India, Vancouver police, and a senior RCMP official involved in the ongoing Air India probe were consulted as Ottawa sought ways to release more information without compromising national security, government lawyer Barney Brucker told the inquiry today. But he warned that excessive openness might be "potentially disastrous" by compromising important government sources in the fight against terrorism. "It would be like switching off a light and attempting to defend ourselves in the dark," Brucker said. Major said he's grateful the government is taking extra steps, though he said he's uncertain whether bureaucrats are as willing to open up the process. "I will have some skepticism about the troops behind you being able to follow your command," he said.
Major resisted a plea from a lawyer for the families of some of the 331 who died in 1985 as a result of the terror bombings orchestrated by Sikh extremists living in B.C. Jacques Shore said he'd like an extra two weeks to study documents once they are released by Friday. But Major said he will stick to next week's scheduled one-week adjournment unless the families, after seeing what the government provides to them later this week, provide a formal written request for more time. Major said he still fears that his probe could be jeopardized by continued delays. "We've seen commissions sink below the water and accomplish nothing," he said. (Van Sun)

PMs HOUSE ATTACK AIMS TO WIN OVER SIKHS

Most political observers were shaking their heads when Prime Minister Stephen Harper attacked newly minted Liberal Member of Parliament Navdeep Bains. How low could the prime minister go, railed opposition members. The prime minister had viscerally demonstrated to what depths he was willing to sink in search of the almighty vote. Mounting calls for an apology went unheeded as Harper laid the ground for a new debate on the terror bill. Harper succeeded in setting a trap that everyone fell into.

The anti-terror debate was about extending unused provisions of a bill, which could present an abuse of power. Syrian treatment of Maher Arar and the current Chinese incarceration of Canadian Huseyin Celil have raised questions about the treatment of Canadian citizens in a post-9/11 security climate -- and the extension of the anti-terror laws reinforced those concerns.
When the previous Liberal government introduced anti-terror limitations, a five-year sunset clause was included to guarantee a review of dubious legal remedies, including preventative arrests. In extending those legal provisions, Harper could have run the risk of appearing too close to George W. Bush. Instead, the debate is all about the Liberals. By throwing the House into turmoil, the prime minister muddied the waters by casting Liberals in the role of protecting terrorists. His House attack was consistent with an ongoing campaign to portray the Conservatives as a law and order party that will protect Canadians at home and abroad, reinforcing expected Tory themes for the next election.

If, in the process, Harper promotes the image of Opposition Leader Stephane Dion as weak, that too meets Harper's political objectives. Exaggerated reports of Liberal party splits on the terror bill were designed to do just that. Dion was already under attack by negative Tory advertising before the prime minister tried to link him to terrorism.

NEWS STORY

Harper claims he was only repeating the contents of a published news story by Kim Bolan, an award-winning Vancouver Sun journalist, who last year penned the definitive Air India story entitled Loss of Faith: How the Air India Bombers Got Away with Murder. Last week she wrote a story claiming a relative of Bains was on the interviewee list for a potential Air India follow-up. She also linked Bains to a block of 250 Grit leadership votes that went to Dion via Gerard Kennedy. (That vote block was actually split between Sikhs and Muslims.)
Harper immediately picked up on the story, attacking the Liberals as soft on crime and terror. As his negative Dion ads showed, Harper is willing to run the gauntlet in return for future electoral gains. He is banking on the fact that most Canadians consider this odious approach a normal part of the rough-and-tumble of politics. Harper is also working hard to gain Sikh support in the lead up to a tight federal election.
The Sikh community is probably the most politically active minority group in the country. Like any other group, their views are not homogeneous. They run the political spectrum from those who support separation from India to those who don't. In the past decade, the number of Sikhs supporting separation -- which was at the root of the Air India bombings -- has waned dramatically as their attention focuses on Canadian politics. With six Sikh MPs, from a community estimated at 278,000, they had sufficient influence in the last Liberal leadership to help determine the outcome. Sikhs also hold the balance of power in up to a dozen ridings across Canada.
Harper managed to cobble together his first minority with some Sikh support drawn largely from gay marriage opponents. He needs to do everything possible to build on that support since, historically and in current Parliamentary representation, Sikhs are generally Liberal voters. Harper's antics this week were deliberately aimed at consolidating a fragile Sikh coalition. By tying Liberals to a failed Air India inquiry, Harper hopes to get the Sikh majority behind his party. Ironically, current inquiry problems are actually linked to a resistance by some government agencies to release pertinent documents.

POPULARITY DECLINING
Harper's antics could galvanize the entire community against him. Despite the recent polling frenzy, Conservatives are still less popular than when they formed a minority government. They have a long way to go to reach a majority. Consolidation comes before growth. This week's ugly performance in the House was a deliberate, albeit risky, attempt at consolidation.

Shiela Copps

Edmonton Sun

HARPER STEPS IN TO DEFUSE A-I IMPASSE

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stepped in to defuse a bitter dispute over top secret government documents that could lead to the collapse of the Air-India Kanishka inquiry. On Monday, in hard-hitting language, retired Supreme Court judge John Major, who is leading the 1985 Kanishka inquiry, had threatened to close down the crash investigation unless the federal government released thousands of secret documents. Harper ordered national security officials Tuesday to look into the whole issue and swiftly expedite the investigation, the Star newspaper reported.
Major expressed frustration with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the department of foreign affairs for citing national security in denying information to the inquiry commission. "Let me be clear that I have instructed, and it is my understanding, that Justice Major has been given unedited all documents that related to the Air India inquiry, " Harper said. He also expressed his surprise at the news of Major's frustration. Harper also downplayed the amount of information involved in the dispute.
"What is at issue is in about 10 percent of the cases a dispute about what by law can and cannot be made public. I have instructed my national security adviser to meet with people in the various departments to impose a non-restrictive interpretation of the law and to expedite resolution of this dispute as quickly as possible," he said.

MANJIT PANGHALI'S FAMILY BATTLES TO SEE THEIR GRAND DAUGHTER

Surrey: It started sometime last week. Mukhtiar Panghali suddenly and abruptly on January 29 2007 refused to let Manjit's family members meet their grand daughter. Manjit's family members have been given access rights to the child, wherein every Monday they could meet her for a couple of hours. But last to last Monday Manjit's father, mother and sister came home disappointed. Jasmine Bamra (Manjit's Sister) then went to the court again.
On Feburary 2 2007, I happened to be at the Surrey Provincial Court covering some other case when I saw Mukhtiar Panghali. The matter was not clear to me then. But when I tried to talk to him, he backed off saying "no comments." His lawyer, who I didn't even want to talk to, flared up and was very rude. I keep meeting lawyers every now and then, but none have shown such attitude. I then spoke to Jasmine and she explained the whole story to me.
Both the families, Mukhtiar, his brother and sister-in-law, and Jasmine, her husband, father and mother met again at the court on Tuesday Jan 13. Mukhtiar claims that his daughter hurt herself when she was visiting her mother's family. And, Jasmine says that it never happened. The judge tried his best to resolve the matter to avoid a trial by suggesting supervised visiting. He (judge) suggested that an independent agency ComCare can be present at all time when the child visits her maternal grand parents, but Mr. Mukhtiar declined all suggestions and asked his lawyer to call for a trial, which is on Friday, Feb 16.
This time, there were other journalists as well from Province, CTV, Global, and Channel M. After the hearing all of us (reporters) waited for hours for Mukhtiar to come out of the court to take his comment. But he kept hiding. Finally when he did come out, he straightaway walked to his car where his brother and sister in law were sitting. He was bombarded with questions from the media, he didn’t utter a word, didn't even look at any of us, bumped into CTV's reporter, sat in the car and took off.
Jasmine later told me that Mukhtiar is now planning to shift to Victoria for good.
At the trial on Feb 16, both the parties will present witnesses. Muktiar's family will try to prove that the child was injured and Manjit's family will try to prove the opposite.

INDO-CANADIAN WOMAN'S BODY FOUND AT HER RESIDENCE

Surrey: An Indo-Canadian woman was reportedly killed and her body was found at her residence by family members. Thirty three year old woman was married and had three kids. Surprisingly, her kids were home when when family members arrived this morning and discovered her body. The home is on 125th street between 58th and 60th avenue. The case has been handed over to Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and the search started this afternoon. Corporal Dale Carr with the IHIT says the woman's husband, three kids, and extended family members live in the home. Police do not have a suspect, and they are not releasing the cause of death. They are questioning the woman's family and neighbours.

NO NIQABS OR KIRPANS IN CANADA TOWN

A small town in Canada - H’rouxville - has reportedly asked those who wear niqabs or carry kirpans (a ceremonial weapon carried by the Sikhs) to stay away and not settle there. The town has a meagre population of 1338. A sign at the town’s entrance reads: "H’rouxville welcomes you. Unless, that is, you plan on stoning a woman to death, sending your children to school with a kirpan or covering your face other than on Halloween.

"The town council of H’rouxville has adopted a declaration of ‘norms’ that the would-be immigrants need to be aware of before they settle there. Among them, it is forbidden to stone women or burn them with acid. Children cannot carry weapons to school, including kirpans, even though the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Sikhs can carry kirpans in schools. The declaration says that female police officers in H’rouxville, 165 km from Montreal, can arrest male suspects, and women are free to drive, dance and make decisions on their own.

"We’re telling people who we are. I asked myself, ‘How is it that these people can ask for such things? "And the only possible answer is that these people do not know who we are," The Mail quoted H’rouxville councillor Andr’ Drouin as saying.He added that the more accommodations are made for minorities, the greater the divide. "One of these days you will have (many divided) groups in Canada and groups in Canada, or groups in any country, doesn’t make a country."

PUNJAB ELECTION FEVER HITS SURREY

Representatives of Punjab's political parties are busy campaigning and fundraising in British Columbia among the sizeable Indo-Canadian community, especially Sikhs, ahead of the Feb 13 polls in Punjab. The party members are focusing on Surrey where there is a large Indo-Canadian population. Although Indo-Canadians are not allowed to vote in Indian elections, but the campaign leaders are hoping to influence them enough so that they are able to sway votes back home among relatives.

Among the parties campaigning in Surrey is the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Its leader Simranjit Singh Mann attracted more than 700 Indo-Canadians last week at the Grand Taj Banquet Hall when he gave a speech via webcam from India. Indo-Canadian Paul Brar, whose father-in-law is one of the candidates for the elections, organised a rally of more than 100 people in Surrey. "They (Indo-Canadians) can affect the outcome of the elections because sometimes the victory is decided by 1,000-2,000 votes, and a call from here is very important. People do listen to people from Canada and they vote that way," Brar said.

"It's not legal for political parties in India to accept contributions from a foreign source. But he said Indian citizens living abroad can make political donations," according to Ashok Kumar, consul general of India in Vancouver.

POLICE SEEKING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN THE MANJIT PANGHALI CASE

Delta: The Delta Police Department is requesting public assistance in relation to the on going Manjit Panghali homicide investigation. Police require assistance in identifying and locating a witness. This person was captured on video at a premise (service station) in Surrey the evening Manjit Panghali was last seen, October 18 2006. Police wish to speak to this person as he may have made observations or have information pertaining to this ongoing homicide investigation. Anyone who may know this person, or if you are this person, you are asked to contact the Delta Police Department at 604-946-4411.

Background:

At 0920 hrs on October 23, 2006 the Delta Police responded to a report of a found body just off of the Delta Port Way in South Delta. As a result of this report, from a passerby, the Delta Police Department’s Serious Crime and Forensic Sections as well as the coroner attended the scene. On October 26 2006 the Delta Police confirmed the body found was that of 30 year old Manjit Panghali. Since the discovery of her body, there has been and continues to be an active and indepth homicide investigation underway.

WINNIPEG SIKH COMMUNITY STILL IN SHOCK

Winnipeg: The Sikh community in Winnipeg is reacting with shock to news that police have formally charged three Sikh priests with a variety of sexual assault charges. All three teach at the Gurdwara Nanaksar temple in the St. Vital area. Gurdwara Nanaksar is one of only 17 temples of its kind worldwide - it is affiliated with a specific Sikh sect, Nanaksar Satsang Sabha. Others in the Sikh community worried about the scars the charges may leave on the reputation of the nearly 15,000 Sikhs in Winnipeg. The priests are alleged to have abused a Winnipeg man when he was a boy, over a period of more than five years from June 1990 to January 1996.
"The community is totally stunned by this," said Tej Bains, a retired social worker and activist. "We are still in shock and there's a number of factors. First of all, we just don't talk about sexuality and … we really honour our priests." Bakhshish Singh, 47, Kuljit Singh, 43, and Dalbag Singh, 37, all face charges of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. Some Sikhs have identified the Gurdwara Nanaksar temple as that of a sect outside mainstream Sikhism in which religious leaders remain celibate.

The temple is one of three of its kind in Canada -- the others are in Brampton, Ont., and Surrey, B.C. Winnipeg's Gurdwara Nanaksar began in 1982. "This is very bad... any allegations of this kind reflect bad on the community as a whole," said Mohinder Singh Dhillon, who worships at Singh Sabha, a mainstream Sikh temple on Sturgeon Rd. The priests were first arrested Dec. 23 and are set to appear in court next month.They have been ordered to stay away from the alleged victim. They've also been told to hand over their passports and not be in the presence of anyone under 18 years without supervision.
Sheldon Pinx, the lawyer representing all three men, said last month that his clients maintain their innocence and deny all charges. Meanwhile, a police spokesperson says there may be more arrests in the case. Winnipeg police said two more priests were arrested last weekend and were released on a promise to appear in court. Sgt. Kelly Dennison added the charges are linked to an alleged kidnapping occurring earlier this month. The Free Press previously reported that on Dec. 14, a man armed with a sword and another man armed with a tire iron allegedly kidnapped two priests from the temple.

The men drove them to a residence in the Waverley area where they allegedly physically assaulted the priests. Jeewan Jyot Kahlon, 24, and Amandeep Singh Chana, 25, both face charges of kidnapping, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. At the time, police said a "personal dispute" was behind the incident and the victims knew their attackers.

MJM OWNER'S DAUGHTER'S KIDNAPPING CASE HEARING ON JAN 31

Surrey: MJM Furniture owner Jeet Jaswal's daughter's kidnapping case will be heard on January 31. The concerned community members must attend the hearing to extend support to the family. This will also help other victims come forward, as the Surrey RCMP Major Crime investigators have reason to believe there may be other victims in the community that have not come forward to police. They had supposedly paid the ransom. There is absolutely no shame in letting th police know of the crime.

Background: Twenty two year old girl was kidnapped on January 19, 2007, at approximately 9:10pm. She was held against her will for several hours and the kidnappers asked for a huge sum of money. However, the culprits have been arrested and the girl is safe. Surrey RCMP has charged 26 year old Amandeep Randhawa and 33 year old Gurpreet Hundal for kidnapping, forcible confinement, exortotion and robbery.

MCGUINTY A STAR IN PUNJAB

Amritsar: It was Dalton-mania in Punjab over the weekend as Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his entourage were greeted here as something special. On his previous stops in his tour of India – Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai (Bombay) – McGuinty was received politely but nonchalantly. Indians in those cities have been inundated with foreign dignitaries in recent years and have become rather blasé about it. Gordon Brown, Britain's finance minister and putative future prime minister, and Anibal Cavaco Silva, president of Portugal, were in the same places at the same times as McGuinty and, naturally, drew more attention than a premier (which is not a term the Indians use) from some place called Ontario. But it was an entirely different story in Punjab, which is in the north end of the country and somewhat off the beaten track for foreign visitors.
Why did McGuinty go there?
Punjab is the homeland of the Sikhs, and there are some 250,000 Sikhs living in Ontario, including three MPPs who accompanied McGuinty on his tour: Harinder Takhar, minister of small business, and backbenchers Kuldip Kular and Vic Dhillon. They were all treated like visiting royalty from the time they touched down in Chandigarh (capital of Punjab) on Friday night and were given a police escort into town from the airport. The same evening, McGuinty and friends were the guests of honour at a sort-of state dinner at the Punjab Bhawan, the receiving place for visiting dignitaries. Their host was Amarinder Singh, chief minister (premier) of Punjab and the son of the last maharajah in the area. Key members of his government also attended, as well as local media, who jostled for position to get photos of McGuinty with Singh.
The next morning, McGuinty had breakfast with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, chief minister of the neighbouring state of Haryana. (Punjab and Haryana share Chandigarh as their capital.) Then it was on to deliver a speech to about 200 local businessmen before hopping a bus for a four-hour drive to Jalandhar, the birthplace of many Ontario Sikhs. His hotel was festooned with a sign: "Welcome Mr. Dalton McGuinty, hon'ble premier of Ontario-Canada." The welcome inside was rapturous as about 200 Sikhs – some of them on a visit from Ontario – crowded into a small hotel meeting room to get a glimpse of McGuinty. "I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am to be the very first Ontario premier to visit Punjab," McGuinty said in a brief speech. "We feel very much at home here."
After the speech, members of the audience were lining up to shake McGuinty's hand and be photographed with him. It was not all harmonious. Some of the hand-shakers also bent the premier's ear on issues like the problems Punjabi residents have getting visas to visit Canada and the difficulties that professionals from Punjab have finding work in their fields once they settle in Canada. But overall the atmosphere was boisterously friendly. So it was, too, yesterday morning when McGuinty visited the 400-year-old Golden Temple at Amritsar, the holiest of holy places in the Sikh faith.
What all this had to do with a trade mission to India is a good question.
The business leaders who had been accompanying McGuinty at the earlier stops all abandoned the tour before it reached Punjab. Their absence in Punjab was disdainfully noted by the half-dozen representatives of the Punjabi-Canadian media following McGuinty on his tour. They peppered him with questions about what business was actually being transacted in Punjab, and McGuinty responded with bafflegab. The answer to the question, of course, is that the Punjab leg of the tour was an opportunity for McGuinty to have positive images of himself beamed back to voters in ridings in Brampton and Mississauga, where Ontario's Sikhs are concentrated.

DAUGHTER OF MJM FURNITURE OWNER NOW SAFE, CHARGES LAID AGAINST TWO

Surrey: Twenty two year old duaghter of MJM Furniture's owner was kidnapped on January 19, 2007, at approximately 9:10pm. She was held against her will for several hours and the kidnappers asked for a huge sum of money. However, the culprits have been arrested and the girl is safe. Surrey RCMP has charged 26 year old Amandeep Randhawa and 33 year old Gurpreet Hundal for kidnapping, forcible confinement, exortotion and robbery.
Surrey RCMP Major Crime investigators have reason to believe there may be other victims in the community that have to date, not come forward to police. They are being strongly urged to do so at this time. Police has not released further information. The two accused are to appear in the court tomorow (Jan 23) at 1.30pm.
(Police hasn't released the name of the father or daughter, but I came to know that the rich Surrey businessman is none other than MJM Furniture's owner through some sources.)

THREE INDO CANADIANS TO FACE STIFF SENTENCES

Three men found guilty in the gang-style kidnapping of an Abbotsford man are facing the possibility of stiff sentences in Vancouver Supreme Court. Sarpreet Singh Johal of Surrey, Harjit Singh Deo of New Westminster, and Jasvinder Mangat of Burnaby were found guilty of kidnapping using a firearm, and extortion using a firearm. Mangat was also convicted of assault causing bodily harm, and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose. All were charged in connection with the May 2, 2005 kidnapping of Abbotsford resident Harjit Toor from his Coquitlam workplace.
Toor – who the kidnappers believed stole 300 pounds of marijuana – was bound, beaten, and held for ransom before being released two days later. The Crown and defence made lengthy submissions to Justice Arne Silverman when the accused first appeared in court for sentencing Jan. 8. The Crown is asking for a sentence of 10 to 14 years given the seriousness of the crime and the degree of the men’s involvement, said prosecutor Michel Huot last week. “Crown’s position is the accused had more or less the same degree of involvement in the kidnapping as Jethinder Raman Narwal and so should receive a similar sentence,” Huot said. Narwal, a Surrey resident, has already been convicted in the case and was sentenced in March to a total of 17 years in jail. The Surrey man was found guilty in the kidnapping of three people – including Toor – in three separate incidents in 2005.
Joe Bellows, Crown counsel for the Narwal trial, told the media after sentencing the prison term is believed to be the longest in B.C. for the offences for which he was convicted. When Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein handed down Narwal’s sentence, she gave him 22 months credit for 11 months already served, meaning he has more than 14 years in prison remaining. The trial for the roles played by Deo, Johal, and Mangat in the kidnapping started in September 2006 and ended with their conviction Oct. 20. At that time, a fifth man allegedly involved in the kidnapping, Davinder Singh Johal of Vancouver, was acquitted.

HARPER INCLUDES PUNJABIS IN APOLOGY LIST

Such a view, which is certainly not shared by Prime Minsiter Stephen Harper and the party leadership, is no doubt what has impelled him to take what, for him, was an unusual step. Surprisingly, he has joined the Apology Parade, adding a new category, the Punjabis, to the lengthening list of past peoples to whom Canada feels it owes an apology and, presumably, compensation. This already includes the Chinese, Japanese, Ukrainians, Germans, Italians and Sikhs. The Parade is, in fact, an exercise in historical revisionism most uncharacteristic of Harper. It leans heavily on two assumptions. One is that modern Canadians are far more just and inclusive than their forebears.

They therefore want to distance themselves from their ancestors' evil deeds. Always, the accompanying explanatory rationale fails to take into account the dire historical circumstances that usually obtained when this or that dark deed was done. Second, the Apology Parade relies on the easily demonstrated assumption that modern Canadians know very little history, of their own country or anybody else's. It is grounded, that is, on ignorance. But surely one does not cavil over such esoteric objections. Think of those Toronto seats, man! So why not a word or two for the Punjabis?

THOUSANDS ATTEND GURU PREMIERE IN TORONTO

The South Asian community in Toronto was out in full force for the premiere of Bollywood film Guru and to catch a glimpse of stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. An estimated 1,200 Hindi cinema fans - some clad in vibrant saris, ghagra cholis (skirt-blouse) and flashy salwar kameezes - were seen outside the historic Elgin Theatre Thursday evening." They're the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of the Indian community," an excited Indian teenager was heard saying after seeing Abhishek and Aishwarya, who arrived a little late owing to a flight delay.

"The South Asian community is very important to our city and so is the film industry. Bollywood brings them together," said Mayor David Miller as he walked into the screening, the Canada Post reported.According to the 2001 Canadian census, 917,000 individuals identified themselves as South Asians, accounting for 23 percent of the total population.Bobby Bedi, producer of Guru said he chose Toronto for his premiere because it "by far is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world".The film is about the life of a young man who rose from poverty in a small Indian village in the 1950s to defy the odds and become a major textile merchant. "Guru" is loosely based on late business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani.

GURUDWARA TO MARK BHAI MEWA SINGH'S SACRIFICE

New Westminster: This weekend, Sikhs will celebrate the sacrifice of Bhai Mewa Singh, who was hanged in New Westminster in 1915. The Sikh pioneer assassinated a local police inspector he believed was behind the widespread persecution of Sikhs. The Sikh temple Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar in Queensbrough will host the celebrations on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday there will be a youth program in English on Singh followed by a movie on the Komagata Maru. On Sunday there will be lectures and a slideshow presentation on a man considered a martyr for Sikhism. Local Sikhs celebrate Bhai Mewa Singh because his sacrifices remind them each year of the struggles Sikhs had to endure to gain equality in Canada.
Leading up to his execution, there were acts of injustice and discrimination against the small population of Sikhs, most located in B.C. Discriminatory acts by the government of the time included the 1907 Election Act, which deprived East Indians from voting in provincial and municipal elections. Other legislation prevented the children and wives of Sikhs from immigrating to Canada to join their fathers and husbands. The most obvious sign of discrimination was the Komagata Maru incident in 1914 when 376 Sikhs, Muslims and Hindu passengers aboard the ship Komagata Maru were denied entry at Vancouver harbour, despite the fact they were British subjects.
They were also physically threatened, denied food, water and supplies and not permitted to take their individual cases before the courts. Two months after they arrived, the ship left Vancouver and returned to Hong Kong. Early Sikhs also had to endure race riots and shootings of their leaders. In 1914, Bhai Mewa Singh shot Inspector William Hopkinson, after the policeman’s testimony led to the acquittal of a man accused of shooting a prominent Sikh leader. In the subsequent trial, Singh told the court he could no longer bear to witness the wrong done to his people.

DECEASED FEMALE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AMRITA SIDHU

Surrey: RCMP has confirmed that the body of a deceased female located on January 07, 2007 at 5:45 PM at Colebrook Road (just east of 152nd street) is that of 15 year-old Amrita Jyoti Sidhu. Amrita left an area hospital on January 05, 2007. She was last seen by hospital staff at 4:30 PM and was reported missing to police a short time later. Her whereabouts between the time of her departure from the hospital and the discovery of her body is unknown. The Surrey RCMP’s Major Crimes Section have conduct of this matter and are continuing their investigation. The cause of death is not being released pending autopsy results. Police are hoping to speak with anyone who may have seen or spoken to Amrita Sidhu between January 05 and January 07.

DELTA MAN BEATEN FOR MISTAKENLY CALLING 911

Delta: A Delta resident, Jaskaran Singh Randhawa, was beaten and put behind bars on Thursday night for mistakenly dialling 911. “I was calling India and forgot to dial the international access number 011, before dialling India code. The call mistakenly went to 911. By the time I got a chance to explain it to the dispatcher that it was by mistake I dialled 911, the cops were in front of my house.” He told Indo-Canadian Online, “I tried to explain it to the police officers that it was all a big mistake, but they just pulled me out of my house and started beating me up. I was then taken to the police station and had to spend my night in jail.

Though the next day, Randhawa did try to make it business as usual, he could not get over the fact that he was mistreated by police officers for committing an innocent mistake. “My knees were aching and my arms were aching. But it was nothing when you compare that with the emotional trauma I went through that night. They made me feel like a criminal.” Randhawa contacted Indo-Canadian radio station RED FM and informed them about the mistreatment. He was featured on The Harjinder Thind Show. Randhawa has hired a lawyer and lodged a complaint against the officers. Charlene Brooks, Delta Police Department spokesperson, said that the department was investigating the incident.

SIKH PRIESTS FACE SEX CHARGES; TEMPLE IN UPROAR

WINNIPEG: Members of a small Sikh temple are dismayed after charges of sexual misconduct were laid by police against three of its priests. "Everybody's shocked... this was the last thing that would have ever popped into my mind," said one member of Gurdwara Nanaksar, located on St. David Road in St. Vital. "There's a massive uproar - sex is not talked about... it's a very taboo topic," he said. Gurdwara Nanaksar is one of only 17 temples of its kind worldwide - it is affiliated with a specific Sikh sect, Nanaksar Satsang Sabha.
Priests at the temple are expected to be celibate, and from as young as age eight lead a monastic life of meditation and prayer, the member said. "(The priests) are raised in the temples - they don't have a choice in whether they are celibate or not," he said. According to the member, the priests in question are believed to still be conducting religious ceremonies at the temple, but in a limited capacity preventing them from having contact with minors. Others in the Sikh community worried about the scars the charges may leave on the reputation of the nearly 15,000 Sikhs in Winnipeg.
"This is very bad... any allegations of this kind reflect bad on the community as a whole," said Mohinder Singh Dhillon, who worships at Singh Sabha, a mainstream Sikh temple on Sturgeon Rd. Describing Winnipeg's small sect, consisting of fewer than 300 members, as "not for the general public, but run for certain people," Singh Dhillon referred to the priests as "temporary - they are recalled (to Punjab) every three or four years." Paramajit Gill said it's the first kind of incident he's heard involving members of his community, and hoped for a full inquiry into the allegations. "The Sikh people will not tolerate any incidents like this in our religion," he said.

Winnipeg police said the priests were arrested last weekend and were released on a promise to appear in court. Sgt. Kelly Dennison added the charges are linked to an alleged kidnapping occurring earlier this month. The Free Press previously reported that on Dec. 14, a man armed with a sword and another man armed with a tire iron allegedly kidnapped two priests from the temple. The men drove them to a residence in the Waverley area where they allegedly physically assaulted the priests. Jeewan Jyot Kahlon, 24, and Amandeep Singh Chana, 25, both face charges of kidnapping, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
At the time, police said a "personal dispute" was behind the incident and the victims knew their attackers. "It's one big sordid soap opera," Dennison said Saturday, noting police would not elaborate on the case. "This is historical. It goes back over time." The temple is one of three of its kind in Canada -- the others are in Brampton, Ont., and Surrey, B.C. Winnipeg's Gurdwara Nanaksar began in 1982.

PICS' CHARAN GILL GETS GLOBAL AWARD

The executive director of PICS, Charan Gill, is one of the four people worldwide who will receive a community service award from Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) this week. GOPIO is holding its own convention in New Delhi to coincide with the much bigger Indian government sponsored annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to be held on January 7-9, is an event for people of Indian origin to get together once a year, exchange ideas, interact and do business. This year GOPIO decided to hold its convention a couple of days before the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The highlight of the GOPIO meeting will be the reception and grand awards banquet at the Ashoka Hotel on the evening of January 5th and Minister of Overseas Indian Affair Vayalar Ravi will be the chief guest. He will present the community service awards to Charan Gill, George Abrahams of Singapore, Nevin P Megchiani of Bahrain and Wahed Saleh of Netherlands.