April is a Sikh heritage month in Canada :
Generosity, Equality, Openness, and Compassion
By: Surjit Singh Flora
(SAMAJ WEEKLY)- Canada is known as an enthusiastic, diverse, and tolerant country. This is the result of Canadians from all walks of life, races, and cultures ensuring that Canada is a country we can all be proud of. This is one of the reasons why we observe the months of Italian, Tamil, Black, Jewish, and Asian heritages. These months help us recognize, respect, and remember who we really are. Uniting our values, principles, and ideals is a common theme for Canadians.
The month of April recognizes and emphasizes the important contributions that the Sikh community has made — and will continue to make — to Canada’s social, economic, political, and cultural heritage.
Canada proudly has more than 500,000 Sikhs living here, making it one of the world’s largest Sikh populations in proportion to the overall country’s population. The United States, by comparison, has 700,000 Sikhs calling that country home.
Sikhs began to immigrate from India at the end of the 19th century, and members of this community began contributing to Canada through their achievements in various fields and helped shape Canada’s diversity. The core principles of Sikhism include generosity, equality, openness, and compassion. Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to reflect on the key role that the Sikh community plays in building a stronger, consciously more inclusive Canada.
Also, on March 28, 2022, the US Congress introduced a resolution to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day. Observing that the Sikh community, which began immigrating into the United States over 100 years ago, has played an important role in developing the United States.
April is an important month for the Sikh community. This month, Sikhs in Canada and around the world celebrate Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day, widely throughout Canada.
Every year in Toronto and Vancouver, a significant Khalsa Day parade is organized, attracting a massive gathering of over 150,000 Sikhs from across Canada.
By proclaiming April as Sikh Heritage Month, governments recognize the essential contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to the social, economic, political, and cultural fabric of the country.
Sikh Heritage Month was first recognized in Ontario in 2013. On Nov. 7, 2018, the federal Parliament voted to celebrate Sikh Heritage Month nationally in April of every year. It is also important to acknowledge that the journey that Sikhs experience in Canada is not always easy because many of the Sikhs, from time to time, have been killed due to mistaken identities or as victims of racism, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Followers of this faith can face intolerance and prejudice. These challenges have effectively made Sikhs second-class citizens at times, due to unfair labour laws. Many Canadians are aware of the terrible Komagata Maru incident in 1914, in which a chartered ship of Sikhs arrived in Vancouver in search of a new life. But a former practice excluded immigrants from India from entering Canada and the arrivals were refused entry because of these discriminatory laws.
The incident was a factor in overturning such practices, so that Sikhs became seen as equal members of Canadian society. By 1947, Sikhs were able to vote in federal elections. They support the right to vote and believe that citizen participation is not only a right but also an important part of citizenship.
In 1908, the Sikh community established Canada’s first Sikh temple in Vancouver. This has become a centre of faith, residence, advocacy and assembly, and community leaders are committed to finding ways to positively impact the entire Canadian community.
The Sikh religion includes a number of traditions: “The Articles of Faith and the turban worn by Sikhs ensures that they are always recognizable and visible. The Sikh identity was engineered to stand out and compel Sikhs to battle for justice and equality.”
The rich Sikh heritage in Canada is important to me since it reflects my 35 years in Canada and my journey. The Canadian Charter of Rights says I can wear a turban, a long beard, and my five “K”s on my body: kesh (uncut hair), kara (a steel bracelet), kanga (a wooden comb), kaccha (cotton underwear), and kirpan. Sikh Heritage Month deserves recognition. Happy Vaisakhi!
Surjit Singh Flora is a veteran journalist and freelance writer based in Brampton Canada
Surjit Singh Flora
Canada
647-829-9397
