Issue 46 Vol II, August 31, 2007

T H I S  O U R  C A N A D A

Punjab born scientist wins his arduous battle in Canada
Khushwant Toor

For scientist Dr. Gian Singh Sangha, his high qualifications and minority status became a curse. But this valiant son of Punjab fought his battles over years and finally won to get a proper job in British Columbia. An environmentalist and former senior scientist with the environment department of Punjab government, 57 year old Sangha holds a doctorate from a prestigious German university. Way back in 2000, he was denied his rightful position with Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board of the Northwest Territories as he was over qualified and belonged to an immigrant minority community. He has jealousy guarded his identity whether in Germany or America or Canada.

After his graduation this Phagwara born environmentalist went to Germany and did his masters in landscape architecture and later a doctorate in environmental science. After holding senior positions in Punjab, he migrated to Canada on the basis of numbers/ merit in 1996. And then began his ordeal. Since he could not get suitable job, he went to America and taught at state university in Minnesota and later shifted to Canada after the infamous 9/11 bombing in New York, he applied for a job in Land and Water board. He was denied the job as he was more qualified and was from the minority community. He found it humiliating and a challenge to the much touted multi cultural philosophy of Canada. He decided to fight out his case.

His valiant battle that ended this year began with a petition before the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2001 and for six long years, his case was heard. Finally he has been awarded three years of salary and a suitable job. “For years we have been denied suitable jobs that doctors, engineers and scientists deserved and they were to ply taxis in Canada. The country suffers as do the qualified immigrants who migrate on the basis of their qualifications. This case would set a healthy precedent and get these persons justice”, say Indo-Canadian community leaders.

Indo-Canadian community leaders like Beant Singh Toor allege that “Scientists, doctors and other highly skilled immigrants are driving taxis and working security jobs because of discrimination against foreign-trained professionals. We want all levels of government to work to end discrimination against foreign credentials so that Canada can benefit from immigrants with advanced education.” The community leaders also say that this India-born scientist who was denied a job in the Northwest Territories after he was deemed to be overqualified has won a human rights commission decision a year ago, but was not offered a job or compensation.

Dr Sangha is now taking his case to the Federal Court of Canada week to seek a remedy in an action supported by the Akali Singh and Guru Nanak Sikh temples. The immigrant community leaders say that they realize that the talent of the people coming here are underutilized. "Whoever comes here, their credentials should be recognized and there should not be any discrimination," they say.

Sangha said Canada has to start moving forward to take advantage of the skills of new Canadians or the "system is going to collapse." "The Canadian government asks highly qualified immigrants to immigrate to Canada, but they have to go door-to-door to find a job and all the doors are closed everywhere," he said.

His lawyer David Perry said Canada is operating under "false pretences," bringing in immigrants because of their qualifications and then making it hard for them to find work.” We are desperately short of skilled labour. We are scouring the world looking for skilled labour. When they come we won't hire them." Sangha, who lives in Surrey, is seeking more than $100,000 in pay, his lawyer David Perry said, adding if he hadn't been denied the job he would've worked in the North for at least three years.

Instead, he spent the past six years keeping the books for Gill Electric Co. and working part-time as an environmental instructor for an American university.” It’s a real shame because this guy uprooted himself and came to Canada with his doctorate and we're not getting any benefit from it," Perry said.

Sangha is asking the federal court to award him back pay or employment in his field after he was turned down in 2001 for a job with the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board despite being top-rated for the position.

Indo-Canadians are not the only people affected by the problem, others from Asia and other countries too are discriminated against.

The government has opened the doors to these qualified professionals to come to the country so to deny them the opportunity for employment. It should not be acceptable.  Is it not a fact that the immigrant professionals are driving trucks, taxis or being cooks or waiters in restaurants?

There are many problems that the professional immigrants face.  Some, like Sangha are denied jobs because they are overqualified. Others find their credentials not acceptable in Canada and therefore lose work in their chosen careers. It is a loss to the countries of birth and little gain for Canada. Harkirat Singh, who holds several university degrees from Punjab, has also lost good jobs because he was deemed overqualified.

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Harper has tough choices in Afghanistan

WILL the Canadian deployment of troops in strife torn Afghanistan be a waterloo for the Conservative Prime Minister Stephan Harper? Can he risk a vote of   confidence in Parliament and face a disgusting prospect for Conservatives with dead soldiers being repatriated every week. Harper understands the political difficulty the Kandahar deployment represents.

We are told that the Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan have arrested several bomb makers and militants in a series of raids over the last month.  But these successes mean little to the ever worsening situation. Taliban remained a substantial threat in southern Afghanistan and experts predicted some "tough slogging" before this year's fighting season ended with the arrival of winter weather.

Most of the 70 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002 have died in blasts caused by roadside bombs and landmines -- also known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDS -- planted by the Taliban. NATO responded in September 2006 with a major two-week offensive in southern Afghanistan -- dubbed Operation Medusa -- which it said had killed up to 1,500 Taliban members.

Canada has 2,500 soldiers based in the southern city of Kandahar on a mission that is due to end in February 2009.

Recent polls shows Canadians are deeply split over the issue of maintaining troops in Afghanistan. Opposition parties say they are ready to bring down the minority Conservative government if it tries to extend the mission. Canadians are less spirited about militarism than Americans, whose history is replete with battles that yielded new territory.

True to form, the latest round of casualties triggered renewed political debate. It is Quebec from most soldiers come and so the casualties. Also, soldiering is not the favoured destination for the Canadian youth.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs Quebec if he's to win a majority government. But he's on the wrong side of the Afghan issue while his two main opponents in Quebec, the Bloc Quebecois and Liberals, are more in tune with Quebec opinion. Liberals want troops replaced by another NATO contingent in early 2009 while Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe is insisting on a firm end date to the mission. The NDP wants an immediate troop withdrawal.

Harper has good reason to move on this issue. First, three Quebec by elections, scheduled for Sept. 17, will provide a reading on Conservative popularity in Quebec and will give the party momentum, or not. Second, Harper is likely to launch a new session of Parliament this fall to re-energize his government with a throne speech -- which potentially could be followed by a non-confidence motion. Such a motion could topple the government if the three opposition parties join hands. That's why he shuffled his cabinet a few weeks ago to put two loquacious, pictorial ministers, Peter MacKay from the Atlantic region and Maxime Bernier from Quebec. He alerted George W. Bush to his plight at the Aug. 20 Montebello summit, getting a statement out of the president that the Canadians already have done "brilliant" work in Afghanistan.

Harper has now begun shifting his position, pledging troops won't stay beyond 2009 without opposition sanction and that more focus would be put on reconstruction. Afghans know that no construction is possible till the country is united and schism is over. Canadians, perhaps know less about that.

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