Courting the Ethnic Vote

It’s disgusting. And truly frightening the way our politicians, particularly the Conservatives, are courting the ethnic vote. Listening to the spinners on CBC on the Michael Enright talk show this morning (April 17) about how politicians must get close to, and sympathize with, the value systems of ethnic communities gave me painful pause. Especially when Michael and his guests started talking about how politicians should be courting the Sikh community. And then I remembered, oh, yes, the Vaisaki parade in Vancouver on Saturday.

Everybody was there, including Prime Minister Harper. Mr. Harper even shouted the Sikh religious slogan “Wahegurujji Ka Khalsa, Waheguruji Fateh” amid applause (IANS). And also in attendance was our provincial premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and even Ujjal Dosanjh. Ujjal Dosanjh, what were you doing there? I wondered. Some Sikhs are threatening to kill you because you oppose their separatist ways. However, this Vaisakhi parade was in Vancouver. The real parade, the one our politicians wish would drop off the face of the earth, will take place on April 23 in Surrey.

And who or what do the separatists Sikhs want to separate from? Canada? Yes, but first, they have to separate from India. Their hearts are still back in the Punjab State of India. This is what they are fighting for, a country of their own in India. And our politicians who in previous years have been troubled by the Vaisaki parades because they raise banners and photos of their fallen heroes in their separatist cause, including the assassins of Indira Gandhi (she was shot by her Sikh bodyguards), and the Air India Bombers, have recently turned to jelly.

Even though Canadian courts have established that a Sikh (Talwinder Parmar) was the worst mass murderer in Canadian history, as he was the master mind of the bombing of Air India, our politicians haven’t had a lot to say about it. Parmar’s organization (Babbar Khalsa) is officially condemned as a terrorist organization by the European Union, India, the US and Canada. Which raises the question:. how can a mass murderer, condemned by Canadian courts, be openly honoured as a hero in this country in a public parade (see picture, Parmar is featured third from right) without our political leaders, both provincially and federally, including the Attorney Generals, making any serious complaint? And seeking to forbid such a thing, along with threat of prison? Any other group, if publicly celebrating mass murder and political assassination, would promptly be treated to the inside of a courtroom and then prison cells.

The Sikhs are gaining power. They now number around four hundred thousand in Canada and half of them live in BC, mostly Surrey. They are the fifth largest religion in the world and fastest growing religious group in Canada. And they are perceived by politicians, to be a single voting bloc, extremist and all. Which may be why our politicians are fluttering like the sweetest butterflies around these Sikh leaders who applaud violence and who seem to care mostly for gaining enough power on these shores to convince India they should have their own state. And is this the reason why Mr. Harper was shouting Sikh religious slogans at Saturday’s parade (IANS April 16) when he should be pressing for investigations into the extremist religious community leaders who are willing to kill our own politicians who oppose them? Well, in my opinion Harper would do just about anything for that block of Sikh votes…sing, walk on his hands, bark like a dog. He may even be willing to ape Gregor Robertson and don a Canuck jersey. Although I’m not sure what that Canuck jersey had to do with the Sikh religious parade and celebration but it did suggest that the Vancouver Vaisakhi parade was probably a white bread version of the real thing.

So this was probably safe enough for the politicians, far from the troublesome banners and placards that will be raised in the real parade on April 23 in Surrey. And how will our law and order prime minister (tough on small crime, soft on the big stuff) and survivalist Christy Clark (BC Rail? No, thank you, reporter, we won’t be having a public investigation into BC Rail) both will simply ignore the whole other parade and pretend those banners and placards on the 23rd that celebrate assassins, mass murderers, and criminal threats (the very definition of terrorism) just aren’t happening. But the show will go on. It may eventually come back to haunt these same politicians. And when it does I think both of the Vaisakhi parades may have some mighty sharp teeth.

- Betty K