Leaderboard

Renu Bakshi’s infamous article that was published in MacLean’s Magazine on December 23rd, 2002. I believe this article was the catalyst to get the South Asian Community talking about the Gang Violence Issue. A lot of people took this article negatively, however, if it wasn’t for this article, who knows how long the ignorance and denial would have kept their darkness draped over a growing issue. —– THE ROOTS OF GANG WARFARE B.C.’s Sikhs must look hard at themselves MacLean’s Magazine Published: December 23, 2002 by Renu Bakshi HE LEFT THE nightclub in his usual fashion — the envy of the room, a beautiful woman on his arm. As he hailed a cab for the short ride to his posh condo in downtown Vancouver, a man with his history had to know he was pegged. “It all happened so fast,” the cabbie would say as his fare lay bleeding, riddled with bullets on the road. Robbie Kandola. To youngsters and hangers-on, he was a name they knew and feared. To police investigators, he was a toe tagged No. 54. In the past 10 years in Greater Vancouver, Kandola had been the 54th young man killed in an Indo-Canadian gang war over drugs, money and women. The showdown of bravado has claimed victims execution-style on city streets. Suspects have forced victims to swallow gasoline before lighting a match. Some have been shot at close range at nightclubs. Others have just vanished without a trace. While the mode of attack varies, victim profiles are interchangeable. Their obituaries describe men in their early 20s. Eulogies honour “nice” boys from good families. Most discernable of all, the victims are predominantly Sikhs whose background, by birth or by family, is in India’s Punjab region. No other Indian sub-community in the nation has lost so many young men to murder. Even with large Hindu and Muslim populations in Canada, this bloody gang war is unique to B.C.’s primarily Sikh community. With 50-plus murder files — most unsolved — and the threat of more looming, police investigators are scratching their heads. For years they’ve searched for answers, ever hesitant to ask a controversial question finally posed publicly by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Wally Oppal: “Why has the Indo-Canadian community raised a disproportionate number of killers?” Some people may cringe at the “stereotype,” or gasp that such a discussion dare take place in an age when Canada has sworn in its first Indo-Canadian premier. But Justice Oppal is himself a Sikh. The truth is, the majority of the Punjabi community has contemplated the question, but chosen to quash it. Fear of legitimizing media coverage maybe? Or harming an already fractured community image? Not likely. This is a community that protects itself through denial. There’s really no dodging this bullet. A Punjabi boy’s aggression and contempt of the law can be traced to misguided religious beliefs and his family’s traditional practices. Most of the 50-plus victims come from this same complex culture. From the moment a Punjabi boy opens his eyes, his parents hand him the keys to the Porsche of life. From now on, his mother will ride in the back seat, literally and figuratively, putting her son ahead of the world. Her boy will have the privilege of eating a warm meal, without the chore of clearing the dishes alongside his sister. In a fit of childhood rage, he will kick and punch his mother, as his father and grandmother look on, taking great pride in their boy’s supposed courage. It is the same cycle in most Punjabi households. All Indos, as we tend to call ourselves, have witnessed parents, grandparents and relatives mourn the birth of a girl, even today, while celebrating news that an heir to the throne is born. As Indos, we know too many sisters who were raised under a microscope of discipline and fear, burdened with the terror of defying their parents or shaming the family. All the while, their male counterparts are heralded as the Kings of the Castle, allowed free rein. “That’s my boy,” Dad will say, as the little guy steals a sip of his Johnny Walker Red Label. Vancouver police Insp. Kash Heed knows the Punjabi culture well. He grew up in a Sikh family. Heed, now Vancouver’s top drug cop, says he’s embarrassed by the stigma facing his community. ” ‘That’s my boy, that’s my boy’ has gone out of control,” Heed says. “You have fathers and mothers praising their sons when these boys are involved in illegal activity — drug trafficking and murders. But these parents are still going ‘that’s my boy’ based on that old family principle.” Heed agrees Punjabi boys grow up in a testosterone-fuelled environment run by an iron-fisted patriarch. In too many cases, violence is the tool with which the head of household settles disputes with his wife, as well as other members of the family. RCMP in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, where many Sikhs live, say a disproportionate number of the domestic disputes their officers attend involve Sikh couples, and the disputes are almost always sparked by alcohol. Eventually, a young boy will become a young man and step into a community that thrives on bravado — a world where everything is a grudge match, a fight to the finish. From Sunday sermons at Sikh temples to Friday nights at bars, police files show that disagreements among Punjabi men are regularly settled with the use of force. The difference is, youngsters have replaced the holy Sikh sword with machine guns. Five centuries ago, Guru Nanak founded Sikhism, a religion designed to promote equality among people. Although it evolved into a warrior religion, it was intended to uphold bravery in the face of evil. But the very essence of Sikhism, its spiritual struggle for human rights, has been perverted by misguided men bent on gaining power and exacting revenge. The Sikh teaching, “When all else fails, only then raise your sword,” no longer applies to defending the defenceless. It is an excuse to use violence to settle the score. This is especially true in Greater Vancouver, where interpretations of Sikh principles have led to terrible bloodshed. Three orthodox Sikhs are currently awaiting trial in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people. Authorities believe the bombing was a Sikh separatist message for India’s dominant Hindu government. Heed says there are numerous high-profile examples in Vancouver of Sikhs using delusional personal readings of religion to settle disputes. People, he says, need to look no further than temple “leaders” in B.C. whose battles for political power have been captured repeatedly on video for the six o’clock news. “Once, an item on TV showed a religious Sikh leader taking a big sword and slashing someone in the stomach,” Heed says. “That happened at a temple. The image played over and over on TV.” Violence is even part of Punjabi pop culture. Songs that play on local radio stations encourage Sikhs to be proud of their identity at all costs. Some lyrics go as far as encouraging youngsters to pick up pistols and rifles to fight for “justice.” Bravado, Heed says, is part of the male species in general, but among Punjabis there are dangerous contributing factors. “Couple bravado with Sikh religion, couple it with the Punjabi culture and attitudes, and a lack of positive role models — look what you have.” What you have are young men who lack discipline and direction, young men who find adventure in earning fast money in the drug trade. Young men primed for violence. The catalyst for many teenage Sikhs may have come in 1994. Two young men gained notoriety far beyond the Sikh community when they used the evening news to exchange blatant threats. Weeks later, one of them was gunned down on a busy street in broad daylight. Television images showed paramedics working feverishly to save him from the gunshot wounds. The man charged but acquitted in his murder, Bindy Johal, emerged a hero among young men. “All of a sudden this behaviour was glorified,” Heed recalls. “If kids wanted to make a name for themselves and settle schoolyard fights, they saw this as the way to do it.” Those schoolyard fights have evolved into hunting season on Vancouver’s streets. These days, gangsters are dying at the rate of one per month; Johal himself was later gunned down. It’s a harsh reality, yet the Sikh community refuses to hear the wake-up call. Justice Oppal calls it willful blindness. “You tell me why a parent with an unemployed 23-year-old son driving a BMW doesn’t think there’s something wrong with that picture,” he says. “Our sons are getting slaughtered but parents and the community are in a state of denial.” Even after their sons are murdered in drug-related shootings, parents have often spoken on record to reinforce their sons’ “innocence.” Police officers have also described incidents where parents have slammed doors in their faces when they try to deliver news of the murder. Characteristics of Vancouver’s gang problem are now emerging in Britain and the U.S. Authorities in northern California say only 25 per cent of their Indo-American community is Sikh, yet violent Indo gangs are made up almost entirely of Sikh youngsters. California parents are also caught in the cycle of denial. They say their sons are not part of gangs, they’re just “boys being boys.” Over the years, Oppal has seen a drastic increase in the number of young Indo men caught up in B.C.’s justice system. “The community can blame the police, they can blame the courts, they can blame society at large. But it’s time we started looking inward.” Oppal says the community and police need to work together to stop the killing spree, but he admits that ignorance in Vancouver’s police department has contributed to the problem. “Police have never taken the time to get to know the Indo-Canadian community. This is what happened in the United States in inner cities where police are seen as the invading army. Police have no respect there.” Heed agrees. He questions why police officers show up at the annual Indian Diwali festival wearing uniforms and stern faces. “When police go to other communities’ events, they go in a community-policing role to meet and greet people,” he says. “Why is it that at Indian events, they show up in a strictly enforcement role?” That may be changing. In Vancouver, an important first step between police and the community took place on June 15. Police officers faced off with members of the Indo community at a forum designed to build trust and help solve the city’s gang problem. During the session, the split between police and the community was clear. Homicide officers expressed concern about the “conspiracy of silence” Sikhs use to protect their sons at the expense of solving murder investigations. Members of the community responded with accusations of racism. Why isolate “Indo” violence and host a forum, they asked. The statistics, however, won the day. Nearly 60 victims. Hundreds more gang members involved in the drug trade — many of them “targeted” for murder, police say. That drove a strong debate against the aggression that has become an integral part of Sikh culture, religion and family values. Indo teachers, social workers, police officers and politicians called for community reforms to stop further bloodshed. At this stage, Oppal admits, some youngsters cannot be saved. “We just have to write them off,” he says. Heed says police may have trouble keeping up with the deadly war. “The killings show no sign of slowing down,” he says. “Eventually murder suspects become victims.” Since Robbie Kandola’s death in June, four more Indo men have made it onto the list of victims, one a university student who was only 18. Another was clinging to life last week after five men were shot in a Surrey parking lot. The sad reality is, none of these young men ever had a fair shot at life. That chalk outline on the sidewalk is the final page of the religious and cultural blueprint that was used to raise them. Renu Bakshi, who comes from a Punjabi background, is a reporter with CTV in Vancouver.

Lets not get into a silly 'caste' debate samosa singh. Thats not what is at the heart of the issue here. The fact is the vast majority of UK Sikhs are kith and kin of the Vancouver Sikhs. I would say a very very large percentage of our parents and grandparents have siblings there. Its just that one sibling went to England and the other went to Vancouver (not so much the case with Toronto though because those Sikhs seem to be mostly from the malwai area of Punjab...which are not very well represented in England). That is to say, we have exactly the same pendu lifestyle......we have the same culture.....we bring our kids up the same way. i.e...The only thing seperating us is a great big ocean. I just find it odd how....in this country, society at large applauds our culture and sees it as the role model for producing law abiding citizens whilst a continent away, an author (judging from her surname) from a clearly urban Delhi background and thus possessing inherent anti-rural prejudices, seeks to imply that the exact same culture is a catalyst for violence.

Anyone who is interested in punjab politics..please give your input- who should/ shouldn't win this election? why and why not? who will win this election in punjab? why? At this point, I really want congress to win this year election, only because - there are predictions land prices will go up if they win and we wanted to sell our land this year. Some people may call this selfish act that i m putting my personal interest front instead of people of Punjab interest... There is no question, It is an selfish act. I will explain my reasoning behind why this sudden change? Just last summer, after speech of manpreet badal of people's party in Toronto, Canada. I was excited to see- new ray of hope in punjab, thought to myself- things could really change in punjab for good..despite of manpreet badal leaning on communism( i have no problem with modified communism as its close to socialism = sikhism), i felt he and his party is definitely breath of fresh air and many living abroad agreed..i was steady fast to vote for ppp putting public interest first over my personal interest.But things went from fair to worse in punjab, his two right hand men crossed floors, people in punjab failed to understand - need for change in punjab and in most popular surveys in punjab- people party of punjab had little if not no support whatsoever from public of punjab. So if public of punjab are so spineless, blind, self-centered, failed to see a need for change from same ol' crap, why should i (born in calcutta, raised in toronto) give a damn? Please share your input?

I too personally don't think its a bad idea. We all know what the dynamics were back then...after Baba Banda Singh Bahadar's Shaheedi, his close associates went on a anti-Gurmat path which we all accept. Even though Tat Khalsa were rightfully victorious, that didn't stop some Sikhs to continue in the character assasination of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur because 'he wasn't part of their jatha' - just in the same way we see it today about Sant Ji. Whatever Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's life prior to him becoming Sikh, i am a firm beliver that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur lived a life in accordance with Gurmat, and made amazing accomplishements for Sikhs in a very short space of time and gave the ultimate sacrifice with the blessing of Guru Gobind Singh Jee. Rattan Singh Bhangu may have added his own version of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's life but i don't accept all of what he writes as we all have our own agenda's and i'm certain he did too. His writings should be studied and vichared as with all wrtings but not necessarily taken for gospal truth!

Destroying the SGPC is not the answer. The concept of the SGPC is a great one. The problem is the election system of the SGPC which needs to be replaced. Religious institutions should not be run by democracy since most of the public is usually non religious and the leaders elected will just reflect the public that elected them to office. Furthermore, the strangle hold of the political party SAD should not be on the SGPC. But their stranglehold over the SGPC is also because of the election process of the SGPC.

Does anyone understand what this person says in any of his posts? Mods should have a rule. Either use proper English/punjabi or be banned. No one should have to take 5 minutes to decipher what this post says

PS ji we know that Amarinder Singh will not help the Sikhs. What are your views on Parkash Badal? You never seem to criticize Badal only Amarinder. I do not support Badal. He has many weaknesses and is promoting his son as his heir.That is not panthic way. In our Gurudwaras in Punjab we have traditional panthic atmosphere . If you visit Harmandir sahib you hardly notice any anti gurmat activities being carried out. This will change if heretic elements promoted by congress, sarnas take control You might have noticed their stance in Ragi darshan issue.sarna has handed over our historical Gurudwaras to atheist missionaries who preach manmat from bangla sahib. They are trying their best to wrest control of our Gurudwaras from panth but have not succeeded so far. The day akali dal changes maryada of our Gurudwaras i will be the first to shun them. Our loyalty should be to our maryada and not individuals.

I agree with Bhai GPS Ji, You can not blame SGPC for everything that goes on. Lately, the Satkar Commitee has started using questionable tactics themsevles. Years ago, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee was a joint effort between independent Panthic Singhs, Akhand Kirtan Jatha Singhs, and Damdami Taksal (Ajnala) Singhs. The latter two groups have now distanced themselves from the current head Balbir Singh Mucchall who has unilaterally made decisions that were not very popular with the rest of the Singhs. Reacting violently to every transgression is not the Khalsa way, Satkar Committee should know better. They need to learn to deal with issues in a more sophisticated manner. I hope Satkar Committee rethinks about their tactics and approach, otherwise they will not support from the Public or the Panth.

Osingh ji You should not beleive in whatever sikh channel is telling you.The clip from Punjabi newspaper is self explanatory. The incident took place at printing press located at some distance from harmandir sahib where task force of sgpc is located. It was satkar committee who came armed on the scene first and later was response from task force. When violence is resorted to innocent persons are likely to be hurt. No one is endorsing the action of task force.What is being said that if these peope of satkar committee has some issues the way Gutkas were being transported in a wrong way they should take this issue in a peaceful manner with SGPC and not resort to arms.They need to act like gursikhs of the past wherein they took such issues in a peaceful manner and won the battle. It is not right to draw swords over everything. That is not a sikh way. As a sikh i have no support for congress that has tortured sikhs ever since India got freedom from british.They made promises to sikhs in 1947 to give an area where they can expeience glow of freedom and later backed out. They are for capturing SGPC so that they can have control of sikh gurudwaras ever since.Finally They attacked our Harmandir sahib and killed sikhs in day light in Delhi and otehr cities of india. Now again they have a dummy who says that sehajdharis should vote in SGPC elections and having hair for sikhs is an outdated pracice of 15th century. Akali dal is not best but i will think thousand times before equating them to congress a sworn enemy of sikhs. This was question asked to Amrinder singh by chengappa editro of tribune regarding sehajdharis and follows reply of amrinder Question by tribune editor: Would the recent decision by the High Court to quash the notification preventing Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in SGPC elections be a factor? Reply by Amrinder singh: Yes, it would have an impact. I support the verdict. Why should a Sikh who cuts his hair not be allowed to vote in the SGPC elections? After all we are not living in the 16th century – we are in a different world. Note: Contrary to Amrinder's assertion, a sehajadhri is not a person who born of sikh parents cuts his hair. A sehjdhari is one who is on path of adopting sikhi from other religions but has not yet finalized his mind.

jaap sahib!

I heard you should recite and study Chaupai Sahib to strengthen your heart & become resilient (in terms of inner fortitude).

VJKK VJKF, Remember in Jap Ji sahib Guru Nanak dev ji said and wrote: Ketia Dookh Pookh Sad Maar Eh Bhi Dat Teri Dat Tar. Which means Even Pain and beatings are all gifts from god so dont forget! Fateh

Because the other side prayed more? Jokes aside, if we are to believe in one universal god then we must realise that god doesn't just belong to us.

why god give us pain? why god take away our loved ones? why god created hell? I believe that you need to read gurbani and that alone can provide you solutions of such soul-searching questions.. Start here: http://www.srigranth.org

It is easy to say that how negative posts/threads we see around and actually comments on those but ask oourself about how much we personally participated in such positive threads and carried long discussions related non-political issues? How many of us started gurbani related threads? Ask yourself on how many times we visited other positive theme sub-forums such as book club, gurbani/history section in a month? If we want to see the change then be the change. We can't change other people mind by talk but my setting personal good character example. A month from now.. try to open any gurmat based topic in the general section and i bet none of us who posted in this thread (including myself) will post reply in that gurmat thread. Easy 2 blame but hard 2 change. also our new year starts in near march and we still have time to sort it out :biggrin2:

so whats the EDL agenda.. manifesto? support victims? short, medium, long term plan to deal with radicalism, immigration, muslim pedo gangs?... Or you going to leave that to the politicians and get heavy instead? vigilante your areas, schools from drug dealers and perverts? So what kind of movement is it?.. boffins or heavies? At the moment its nothing! So far, all we've seen these guys do is gather their mates up in city centers and shout stuff... surely even now your bored of shouting "E E, E, D L"... completely familiarising yourselves with those 3 letters, like the longest sesame street episode from hell...

i say i agree with amarjit bhenji that it is called a nasha by sum because we get addicted to it and when we stop, like paretns tried to do they got headaches so its prefered that we do not drink it

Fateh parwaan karro jiyo, Na piyo coffee na piyo tea, Chako lassi ji. Lassi and tea got into a argument and please view this link to see what transpired: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCOnacJxZ1M Guur Rakha