Surrey Mayor:'I'Ve Had Enough Of This Hornet'S Nest Called Vaisakhi"

[sahib singh]

Surrey mayor: 'I've had enough of this hornet's nest called Vaisakhi'

Fed up with organizers, city may make big changes for future parades

By Ted Colley, Surrey Now

April 20, 2010

A Surrey Sikh temple could find itself excluded from organizing future Vaisakhi parades after its members included a float bearing images of Sikh terrorists in Saturday's perambulation.

"Enough is enough," Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said Monday.

"We've tried to work with that organizing committee for the last few years to keep this kind of thing out of the celebration and here we go again."

A committee made up of members of the Dasmesh Darbar temple, 12885 85th Ave., has traditionally organized the Surrey parade. They support the movement for an independent Sikh state carved out of India and view the men in the images as martyrs to that cause. Most of the men, however, are viewed by Canadian authorities as terrorists or as being connected to terrorist organizations.

The images include those of two Sikhs who assassinated Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and that of Talwinder Singh Parmar, suspected mastermind of the Air India bombings. Parmar was never tried for the bombings as he was killed by Indian police before the case went to trial.

Watts said having the images in the Vaisakhi parade is unacceptable and her patience with the Dasmesh Darbar committee is exhausted.

The situation was made worse when a member of the Dasmesh Darbar committee went on Sher-E-Punjab radio last Thursday and made what many believe were veiled threats against two B.C. politicians.

Inderjit Singh Bains appeared on a radio talk show two days before the parade saying Surrey MLA Dave Hayer and Vancouver MP Ujjal Dosanjh where not welcome at the Surrey festival, adding the two would be "responsible for their own safety and security" if they attended. Both men are moderate Sikhs who oppose violence.

"We've been working with those organizers for an entire year," Watts said. "They gave us assurances that float would not go in. Right the day before, those comments were made and then, on the day of the parade, that float goes in."

Bains' comments drew a demand for an apology from federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and led B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell to boycott the Surrey event.

Hayer, whose father was murdered for his opposition to Sikh terrorism, said Watts and city council have to end the politicization of Vaisakhi in Surrey.

"The mayor of Surrey has to do something. The people were really upset these people were allowed to go ahead with this kind of thing," Hayer told the Now.

"They must find a way to avoid this embarrassment for Surrey and the people here."

Watts agreed.

"He has a point. We have to look at a different format because I'm not going to go through this year after year. We're going to be looking at all our options for Vaisakhi."

Asked if the city might take over the festival and run it as an official city event, Watts said that's one option that will be considered. What about taking the event away from Dasmesh Darbar and letting another Sikh temple organize it?

"That's another option as well. We're going to review all of our options," Watts said.

Bains could not be reached for comment before press time and requests for an interview with a spokesman from Dasmesh Darbar went unanswered.

SADH SANGAT THIS IS ALL SHARAAT OF UJJAL DOUSANJH/DAVE HAYER/BALRAJ DEOL... GIVING REVENGE TO DASMESH DARBAR AND SANGAT OF SURREY..

[Singh559]

What a racist *edit*, she doesn't even understand what she's talking about. Doesn't Canada have something called freedom of speech or is that only reserved for neo-Nazi parades?

[sahib singh]

Everyone needs to send complaints and write how they feel to Diane Watts (MAYOR OF SURREY B.C) ... and show majority support and respect the Float with Our Respected Martyrs

http://www.surrey.ca/_Utility/Contact_Council.htm

PLEASE CONTACT THEM.. WITH RESPECT

[SunSingh]

just a note that form letters tend to be more easily disregarded by politicians. if they see that you take the effort to write an original letter people tend to feel it's more worthy of their attention.

[Singh559]

Is there something spotty about this image or is it just me?

[buddasingh]

Politicians raise their voices as politicians suggesting they wish to end the politicization of the nagar kirtan.

[Singh559]

Politicians raise their voices as politicians suggesting they wish to end the politicization of the nagar kirtan.

If you mean to say someone else suggested to bring up this issues (other than her), yeah that's what I was getting at. When one of my friends from Surrey first showed me an article on this a week ago, i thought the same thing./

[buddasingh]

There is a Shaheed Bhai Mewa Singh who shot and killed a racist immigration officer on Canadian soil. He turned himself in and was sentenced to death under Canadian laws.

http://mewasingh.com/

Bhai Mewa Singhs pictures hang in a Gurudwara Langar Hall in Vancouver. This is a gurdwara now run by self-proclaimed "moderates". Perhaps someone can confirm if in fact the langar hall is also name Bhai Mewa Singh Langar Hall. Ujjal Dosanjh was at that organizations nagar kirtan as was the mayor of Vancouver and the premier of British Columbia, dosanjh and hayer. They did not have a problem with this. Someone ask Hayer, Dosanjh, and Campbell about this?

Shaheed Bhagat Singh bombed parliament and killed a police officer. He was sentenced to death as well. Here is what Dave Hayer has to say about Bhagat Singh. –

See story #7 http://www.voiceonline.com/voice/070929/newsroundup.php

Have Ujjal Dosanjh and Dianne Watts not both campaigned at Dasmesh Darbar where there are pictures of shaheeds and khalistan slogans?

What does Ujjal Dosanjh say about Shaheed Bhagat Singh? Is tossing a bomb in parliament and ripping a bullet into a police officer not slightly threatening or violent….or is violence limited to someone suggesting that you arrange for your own security.

[GuruManeyoGranth]

Canadian Sikhs have to lobby HARD and RIGHT AWAY (but in a respectful and civilised manner) to Canadian politicians and let them know that Sikhs will always honour and glorify their martyrs.

How dare they say something so derogatory about our Shaheeds and Vaisakhi.

Waheguroo

[K Singh 82]

Canadian Sikhs have to lobby HARD and RIGHT AWAY (but in a respectful and civilised manner) to Canadian politicians and let them know that Sikhs will always honour and glorify their martyrs.

How dare they say something so derogatory about our Shaheeds and Vaisakhi.

Waheguroo

i'm just completely shocked with her statement: 'I've had enough of this hornet's nest called Vaisakhi'

That is just digusting!!! Its the duty of all Sikhs to ensure that such statements don't go unnoticed as no mayor/politician should be allowed to get away with racist comments. I agree with GuruManeyoGranth that the correct channels need to be utilised.

As stated by others, its essential we all try to write our own letters instead of a generic write-up.