C O M M E N T

British Columbia remembers its hero Darshan Singh Canadian
Gurpreet Singh reports Victoria

THE NDP MLA Harry Bains created a history by remembering late Darshan Singh Canadian, a towering communist leader from Punjab in the BC legislature. Canadian who had been a star performer in the Punjab assembly for years was a leader of the Communist Party of India, and  was assassinated by the Khalistani extremists in 1988 close to his village near Garhshankar in Hoshirpur district of Punjab.

Bains recalled the heroic role played by Canadian in the assembly on the 100th anniversary of the disfranchisement of the Indo Canadians in BC. On March 26, 1907, the then BC government had disfranchised the Indians after taking away the right to vote from the Chinese and the Japanese immigrants in the preceding years.

This right was restored after years of struggle in 1947.

On the centennial of that discriminatory legislation, Harry Bains, who represents the official opposition in the house reminded his colleagues about the contribution Canadian had made in the struggle for right to vote. Since the McCarthy Era, the mainstream political parties of North America shy away from taking the name of the Communists publicly.

Canadian had lived in BC for several years before returning to India to work full time with the CPI. While in BC he was associated with the International Woodworkers Association (IWA) which had lobbied for the right to vote.

Bains himself belonged to this group before getting elected as MLA.

“On March 26, 1907 in this very chamber, legislation was passed to disfranchise people of India and put them in the same class as the Chinese and Japanese who were disfranchised earlier. This law denied them the right to vote for the next 40 years’’, Bains read from a written statement.

He added, ``What followed was a period of long and painful 40 years of struggle to bring back sanity and justice in this province and this country - involving many organizations such as IWA, lead by its presidents Harold Pritchet and Darshan Singh Canadian to convince the politicians of the day to right the wrong they have committed’’.

Bains made a passionate appeal to pause and pay a tribute to Canadian and other main leaders of the struggle. Not to be left behind, the ruling Liberal Party MLA, Dev Hayer also made a brief statement to recognize the pioneers who had fought for equality and freedom.

These statements came after criticism of the Indo Canadian politicians for ignoring the heroes of that historic struggle. Their ingratitude was visible at the recent funeral of Maher Singh Sandhu, who passed away last month. Sandhu was one of a few surviving participants of that struggle. Although there are 8 MLAs, 3 MPs and 14 city councilors of the Indian origin in BC, none showed up at his funeral. Herb Dhaliwal, a former MP was the only Indo Canadian politician who attended Sandhu’s funeral.

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Malik admits supporting Babbar Khalsa
Gurpreet Singh

Ripudaman Singh Malik, the Sikh millionaire who was earlier charged  with conspiracy to bomb the  Air India flight 182 in 1985 admits that he once supported the Babbar Khalsa, a banned terrorist organization.

Malik told www.southasiapost.org  that he once supported the group but never became its member. ``I have always supported the Sikh organizations that have served the community but have not necessarily agreed with their policies’’.

On being asked why he supported a group that is a banned terrorist organization he said, ``I had supported the Babbar Khalsa, when it was not outlawed in Canada.’’

Malik has now sued the Canadian government. He says that he was wrongly charged in the 1985 Air India bombing that claimed 331 lives. Malik confirmed to the SAP that he has sued both the federal and the BC governments for charging him with the conspiracy to bomb Air India plane. He was arrested in 2000, but was later acquitted by the BC Supreme Court in 2005. He is claiming unspecified damages for malicious prosecution and wrongful imprisonment, besides the breach of the Plaintiff’s Charter rights, and the negligent performance of duty and damage to the Plaintiff's reputation.

On March 16, 2005, a B.C. Supreme Court judge had acquitted  Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri on eight charges related to the bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 22, 1985. It was Canada's worst mass murder - 329 people were killed. Two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita Airport died in another connected bombing. The investigation and prosecution of the accused have been the costliest in Canadian history, estimated at about $130 million.

According to Malik, the BC Supreme Court judge who acquitted him had observed that the evidence against him has fallen short of standard.

However, the Babbar Khalsa is largely blamed for the Air India bombing. It   was designated as a terrorist group in Canada after 9/11 in 2003. When asked why he supported the family of Inderjit Singh Reyat then, he said that does not make him the participant in the crime.

Reyat is the only convict in the Air India bombing. His wife had worked at the day care run by the Khalsa School that was founded by Malik. ``Reyat is not even associated with the Babbar Khalsa’’. 

Malik claimed that his heart goes for the victims of the Air India bombing. ``A true Sikh can never do such a violent act’’.

For text of judgment
http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Jdb-txt/SC/05/03/2005BCSC0350.htm

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Berlin Declaration, Europe Moves Towards More Unity
Dr. Sawraj Singh

March 25, 2007 marks 50 years of the European Union, which was formed in Rome, Italy in 1957. The 27 members of the European Union participated in the celebrations presided over by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Berlin Declaration sets goals and directions for Europe in the newly emerging world order. The salient features of the declaration are:

• The unnatural division of Europe is now consigned to the past.

• We, the citizens of the European Union, have united for the better.

• We preserve in the European Union the identities and diverse traditions of its member states.

• We are united in our aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009.

On March 25, 1957, the six countries: Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands met in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in Rome, and signed the treaty to establish the European Economic Community. The key objectives were: a common market and customs union, ever-closer union among peoples of Europe, and pooling of resources to strengthen peace. The European Economic Community came into existence on January 1, 1958.

50 years later, there are 27 members with a total population of 490 million. Turkey and the Balkan countries also want to become members. Today, the European Union is the largest economic unit in the world. Five years ago, a common currency, the Euro, was launched. The rising value of the Euro as compared to the American dollar clearly indicates that the European Union is establishing itself as the leading economic center of the world.

There are two main trends of thinking in Europe today. The first can be called the Europeanist thinking and the second, the Atlantist thinking. France and Germany are the main advocates of the Europeanist thinking. They want to free Europe from American domination and establish Europe as an independent center of power. Charles de Gaulle was the strongest advocate of a Europe free from American domination. England has been the leading advocate of the Atlantist thinking in Europe. England has always tilted toward America rather than Europe, and emphasized the transatlantic alliance.

50 years ago, England was invited to attend the meeting in Rome to establish the European Economic Community, but it refused the invitation. Later on, England wanted to join the organization, but de Gaulle would not let England join the organization, calling England the “Trojan Horse of America.” England has never been an enthusiastic supporter of European unity. Margaret Thatcher became the closest associate of Ronald Regan and Tony Blair became the only unqualified supporter of President Bush. However, Blair has taken a big beating because of the global failure of Bush’s policies. It is becoming clear that France and Germany are gaining influence in Europe and England is being marginalized.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia sent a congratulatory message to the European Union. He said that Russia is a natural ally of the European Union. He said that Russia is an important part of the European civilization. Even though Russia will not join the European Union, yet Russia is ready to work with the European Union to solve the problems and challenges faced by Europe and the world. President Putin sees the rise of the European Union as a challenge to the unilateralist policies and a step towards a multipolar world. The Berlin Declaration will be a great milestone towards the unity of Europe and may challenge the only superpower status of the United States. The European Union may not agree on the question of admitting Turkey and the Balkan countries or on the constitution, but the Berlin Declaration is bound to play a historic role in uniting Europe.

[Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S is Chairman, Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman, Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice]

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