By Balwant Sanghera

The South Asian community in Canada, due to its high profile, usually comes under a microscope from time to time. There are several reasons for it. There is no doubt that since its arrival in Canada more than 130 years ago, it has gone through numerous ups and downs. Our pioneers struggled hard to establish themselves here in Canada. Losing the right to vote in 1907, the racial riots at the turn of the 20th century, the Komagata Maru (aka Guru Nanak Jahaz) tragedy of 1914, restrictive and race based/discriminatory immigration policy are some of the dark chapters in Canadian history relating to our community. Despite these obstacles and hardships our pioneers did not give up but with their determination and hard work made a very respectable place for our community in Canadian society. Their resilience, persistence, sacrifices and struggles paved the way for the younger generations to succeed and excel. The fruits of their labour are now visible throughout Canada.

Today, one of our languages- Punjabi- has become the third most spoken language in Canada. Members of our community are occupying prominent positions in every area and at every level. They are excelling in every area, be it business, industry, technology, sports, politics, media or what not. This is a great credit to the dedication, hard work and resilience of the members of our community. A vast majority of South Asians are hard working and law-abiding citizens. They have been making a commendable contribution to Canada.  Unfortunately, there is a very small segment of our community that is tarnishing its hard-earned image.

Our radio talk shows and media reports indicate that during the past few years, like many other communities, our community has now also been plagued by a lot of unsavoury characters who are a disgrace to any community. Some of these shady characters have only one main objective in mind. That is to make money by hook or by crook. It is very disheartening to hear and read about incidents of   gangs, fighting, violence, extortions, tax evasion, fraud, abuse and misuse of laws of Canada. Only a few shady characters in the community are giving a bad name to the entire community. Consequently, during the past few years such negative activities have severely tarnished our community’s image. To reverse this trend, we need to put pressure on the provincial and federal governments. Both levels of government have the responsibility and obligation to take appropriate action to rectify the situation. In addition to that, In order to change this narrative, each one of us -individually and collectively-needs to get actively involved in this process.  It is not an easy task. However, it must be done.

Let us not forget that Canada is a very open, welcoming, inclusive, multicultural and compassionate country. It welcomes people from around the globe. Incidentally, Canada was the first western country in the world to adopt the Multiculturalism Act. Our constitution protects our basic rights. As a matter of fact, Canada is one of the most desirable countries to live in. Every year it welcomes hundreds of thousands of newcomers as international students, temporary foreign workers, refugees, permanent residents and others.

 As such, as residents of Canada, no matter under what category we came here, we have the responsibility and an obligation not only to respect and abide by Canadian laws and values but also promote them. Let us not forget that, except the Aboriginal communities, whether we are here for generations or have just arrived, we are all immigrants to this country. As such, we have an obligation and responsibility to respect and obey Canadian laws. Canada did not force us to come here. All of us have come here on our own free will to better ourselves. So rather than engaging in inappropriate activities and behaviour, we should make this country proud of ourselves.

Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.