Issue 69 Vol III, August 15, 2008

T H I S  O U R  N O R T H  A M E R I C A

Riots in Montreal - Again- A shameful act in a developed country
Khushwant Toor writes from Toronto

RIOTS and social unrest are supposed to be the events happening in the under-developed or developing countries. However, last Sunday August 10, 2008, Canada had a taste of the shameful act again. Racial riots overtook a north Montreal neighborhood after a youth was shot dead by police on Saturday. Hundreds of riot police were deployed Sunday into early Monday as roving gangs of youths torched a fire station, cars and garbage containers etc.

A day before on Saturday, 18-year-old Honduran immigrant Freddy Villenueva was shot dead by the police. The police claim that a group of 20 youths began closing in on them as they were questioning Villenueva in a predominantly Haitian immigrant neighborhood. Two other youths were also shot but survived, and are recovering in the hospital. The Montreal police said the officers were trying to arrest an individual in a park around 7 p.m. when they were surrounded by a group of about 20 youths. A few individuals allegedly broke away from the group and rushed the officers. According to the police, one of the officers then opened fire.

The violence erupted on Sunday after the community was protesting peaceful against the shooting by the police. Sister of the victim said that the three shot by the police were not armed. The peaceful protest escalated to looting riots and about 20 stores were looted. Eight cars parked outside a fire station in Montreal North were also set on fire. Firefighters were pelted with beer bottles while trying to put off the fire. The following day early Monday, in another looting violence, two police officers were injured; one by a bullet to the leg, and a paramedic also was slightly hurt.

People in Montreal are concerned about the police treatment of minorities in this French-speaking region of Canada. Some people feel targeted because of the color of their skin. Community leaders say many youngsters in the area feel disenfranchised and are frustrated by what they see as heavy-handed police tactics. People don't like how authorities interact with them in these parts of Montreal. Some gang problems also exist in Montreal North to which the young people are susceptible because of poverty. Some parts of Montreal North are also called by some police officers as the Bronx of Montreal, after area of New York City known for its rough reputation.

The incidents Sunday marked the second time in four months that the city has been the scene of a large-scale riot. In April, a celebration after the Montreal Canadians defeated the Boston Bruins in a National Hockey League playoff game turned violent when people began torching police cars and looting stores. The police arrested 56 people in connection with that riot.

Montreal has its own history of violent riots some of the predominant incidents which rocked the city are:

1993 - A victory celebration for the Habs Stanley Cup win ends with rampant looting and vandalism. As many as 980 officers are needed to return order to downtown streets.

1986 - 5,000 people rampage through downtown Montreal following the Habs victory over Calgary. Police arrest 168 people.

1968 - Police arrest 290 people and 125 people were injured on the eve of the 1968 election, when Prime Minister Trudeau ignores threats of separatist violence and attends the St-Jean-Baptiste Day parade.

1955 - Fans at the Montreal forum revolt when NHL President Clarence Campbell showed up after suspending Maurice Rocket Richard. A smoke bomb empties the building, beginning seven hours of rioting.

1885 - Riots break out over compulsory vaccination after a smallpox outbreak.

1849 - The Parliament buildings were burnt down by rioters over a bill providing payment for people who lost property in the rebellions of 1837-38.

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Sovereignty of Demagogues and the Akal Takht
Dr. Amrik Singh writes from Sacramento

THE way Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti was packed off raises serious questions about the functioning of the parliament of Sikhs.  Supreme sacrifices of Sikhs to get this body had even fired up the freedom movement in 1925. The architects of SGPC had great expectations of saving Sikhs from anarchy by providing far-sighted leadership. The miserable failure of SGPC in providing a good management now compels attention of the community. Over the years, it has not developed any long lasting institution that the future generation may take pride in. It has not risen above bickering of its members which become major stories in the media every other day. It is deeply mired in controversies, crises and climaxes. Democratically elected SGPC members have been underperforming their role by giving free access to demagogues to tamper with the religious affairs.

The heavy politicization of SGPC has created a situation of religious neglect of the very people it was supposed to serve. Instead of spreading Guru’s word for uplifting the lower classes, SGPC has contributed in shoving them off to the fold of Deras for solace. The politicization process has promoted elitist attitudes confining the democratic body to only privileged classes. To keep their hold on to the reins, they have adopted all divisive agendas that Gurus stood against like a rock. Indeed, SGPC has touched its lowest ebb.

The blame squarely falls on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the present mess. He has donned all powers of an undisputed demagogue who can appoint anybody to the office of SGPC president and the august seat of the historical Akal Takht. His will can immobilize SGPC members to mere nobodies. SGPC president has to check with his Pasha on regular basis about his loyalty not to the Office of the SGPC but to his godfather. Such charges though have been making rounds for long, the arbitrary removal of the Jathedar  has proved beyond doubt that the Sovereign Seat of the Akal Takht is subordinated to the pleasure of the dictator.

Badal has given a lot of ammunition to anti-Sikh forces to play havoc with Sikhs’ future. There is no use blaming excommunicated editor of Spokesman and his gang for showing disrespect to the institution of Akal Takht, when Badal has done it ten times worse than any adversary of the Akal Takht. He has joined the bandwagon of Joginder Singh who will now decide which Granth to read and which not. His hands became stronger as the removal of Jathedar has been matched with the installation of Captain Amrinder Singh at the heart of Punjab Congress party. Whatever reasons might have compelled Badal to take this decision, but the Vedanti controversy will affect him politically a great deal. Capt. Amrinder Singh’s clout both in Dera Sauda and Delhi Akali Dal is an open secret. Earlier, Captain tried to stage a coup in SGPC during his term as CM of Punjab. Vedanti controversy now has undoubtedly proved auspicious for projecting him as the future leader of Punjab.

Centralizing all powers of SGPC, a democratically elected body, by S. PS Badal is in direct contradiction to his personal belief in federalism and decentralization of powers. Badal is nationally well known for more rights to States, and recently he vehemently countered Union Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil’s proposal for the establishment of a Central Agency to monitor terrorist threats. The veteran Akali leader should have practiced his beliefs in SGPC where his clout runs uninterruptedly. Even a little allegiance to his own Anandpur Sahib Resolution would have made him devise an honorable way to dispense with the services of a Jathedar who did his best to negotiate the controversies despite his (Badal’s) unethical pressure.

The institution of Akal Takht remains embroiled in political controversies  because no due process or procedures have been developed to run its affairs, meetings with other Takhts’ representatives, and SGPC house committees to deal with historical, sociological and cinematic representation of Sikhs in text books and films. It doesn’t appear SGPC is sensitive to maintain religious heritage by restoring historical sites, maintaining relics of Sikhs’ past and saving rare manuscripts of Sikhs’ enterprise. The result is the mess we are in today.

Insiders say there is a nagging fear of inviting enlightened Sikhs to work with the SGPC. The cadre that has been enjoying power through manipulations feels threatened when any innovations are suggested to cope with the technological and corporate culture. The tendency of SGPC to confine pious resources to a few is identical with ancient Brahmanical traditions that denied access of knowledge to the commoners. Neglect of lower castes by the mainstream leadership points a finger in that direction. Divisive mindset in such circumstances reigns supreme contradicting the philosophy of Sikh Gurus.

SGPC over the years could have become a laboratory of refined democratic values, had it adopted rational approach to cultivate culture of value-based consensus among SGPC members to solve problems Sikhs face from day to day. The diminution of SGPC members to mere puppets has barred any progress in Sikh affairs. Members should have been given greater role in sorting controversies than burdening priests with the controversial decisions. The critics too should share the blame as they shirked to go in stronghold of Sikh voters.

The Akal Takht and other Takhts are symbolic of moral authority. These institutions maybe used only for a symbolic acceptance of decisions reached in SGPC house or committees. The procedure maybe developed after a series of discussions, debates and deliberations that will save the institution of Akal Takht or its Jathedar from the mockery of its detractors.  If any decision becomes debatable, it will be the responsibility of the committees, not of the Jathedars who are now merely symbolic heads. In case of extreme religious importance, these heads may return controversial proposal to the house for incorporating suggestions. But this will be entirely up to the house to review and explain decisions made under the seal of Akal Takht.

SGPC may seek opinions of Sikh Diaspora on vital issues and ask representatives to work with committees for value-based decisions. The procedure for dissenting views should be adopted so that no bitter memories are left. The right to differ should be encouraged instead of suppressing it.

The process of appointing Akal Takht Jathedar should start at least one year before the actual appointment. The nominee should face the SGPC house, other Takhts, Sikh bodies and answer questions of members across party lines. The nominee should have track record of immaculate service and vast knowledge of Gurbani and Sikh history. The way the nominee handles questions in the house will make clear how the Jathedar will best symbolize the tradition of Sikhs’ aspirations. Diaspora too can arrange a session with the nominees through internet for answers of their questions.

These suggestions are just to set the ball rolling. If the SGPC still won’t wake up, the demagogues like Parkash Singh Badal or Capt. Amrinder Singh or Sarnas, or Joginders or Dera Chiefs will keep embarrassing Sikhs. The responsibility of all the mess is of the SGPC for abdicating its fundamental role in spreading Guru’s word to oppressed members of the society.

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The corrupting influence of oil money

IT was never so rosy for the Big Five oil companies. Exxon Mobil, the world's largest corporation has earned its "second-quarter profit rose 14 percent, to $11.68 billion, the highest-ever profit by an American company. Exxon broke its own record." Joining Exxon Mobil as the only oil companies to "earn more than $10 billion in a single quarter, Royal Dutch Shell admitted that its profit rose to $11.56 billion."  ConocoPhillips and BP last week reported their "massive second-quarter profits." The fifth oil major, Chevron, will release its earnings report tomorrow.

America’s  Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has announced "a new five-year leasing plan for offshore oil drilling" to give oil companies a "head start" on attacking protected waters, should the Congress follows President Bush, who recently lifted the presidential moratorium on offshore drilling "first issued by his father in 1990." Democratic Representative Ed Markey has described Kempthorne's announcement as a "Going out of Business Sale" on behalf of Big Oil.

 The unprecedented profits for Big Oil come at the expense of practically everyone else in the form of a collapsing economy, international instability, rampant commodity inflation, and deadly climate change. However, Big Oil's windfall has also meant largesse -- and criminal levels of corruption -- for some in Washington.

According to American Progress, since 2001, gasoline prices have more than doubled, and oil companies have made more than half a trillion dollars in profits. The price of oil has surged from below $30 a barrel to over $125, a fourfold increase. The Big Five oil companies could make a "projected $168 billion in profits" this year alone. The United States has only two percent of the world's oil reserves but consumes 25 percent of the world's oil. "At current oil prices," conservative oil man T. Boone Pickens argued, "we will send $700 billion dollars out of the country this year alone." If we continue on the same path for the next ten years, "the cost will be $10 trillion -- it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind," he added. The surging price of oil is due in part to demand growing faster than supply, but also to factors such as "the war in Iraq and the value of the dollar" and unregulated, Enron-like speculation. Instead of investing in 21st century energy, the oil companies are plowing most of their profits into stock buybacks, a windfall for their rich investors.

Meanwhile, More than 3.7 million Americans have had their full-time jobs cut to part time because of weak business, which is "the largest figure since the government began tracking such data more than half a century ago." The loss of pay has reinforced "the downturn gripping the economy" for millions of American families because "paychecks are shrinking just as home prices plunge and gas prices soar." [Courtesy IPS]

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