Mr. Speaker, as a Sikh member of parliament and as the chief critic for multiculturalism for the official opposition of Canada, I am very pleased to speak in favour of Motion No. 32: that this House recognize the importance of April 13 to all Sikhs and the contributions that Canadian Sikhs have made to our country, and that this House also recognize the importance of the symbols of the Sikh religion called the five Ks, which I will be talking about later.
I congratulate and appreciate the efforts of the hon. member for Winnipeg—Transcona in tabling this motion. In 1999 the Manitoba legislature recognized a similar motion to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of khalsa , the pure Sikhs.
It is also important that one should respect all religions, irrespective of one's own faith. According to Sikhism, a Sikh should try to become a better Sikh, a Hindu a better Hindu, a Christian a better Christian, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Jew a better Jew and so on.
However, when the Prime Minister's office allegedly interfered with the services for the Swissair tragedy at Peggy's Cove by asking them not to refer to Jesus in the prayers in services, that was not fair. I stood up for my Christian brothers and sisters to oppose that interference by the Prime Minister's office.
Surrey Central, the largest constituency in Canada in population, has a large population of many ethnic communities, with a huge majority of Sikhs. In fact, the highest concentration of Sikhs in the world outside India's Punjab state live in Surrey.
The Sikhs are basically inhabitants of Punjab, which has about 3% of the area and 2.5% of the population of India. That state of Punjab produces over 70% of the food in the country. Sikhs participated in large numbers in the British and Indian armies. Their contribution in the great wars, World War I and World War II, has been recognized by the Queen. Of the total sacrifices made to get freedom for India, 97% were made by Sikhs. Their contribution to the Indian Olympic teams has also been very significant. Lastly, according to a recent congressional report in the U.S. senate, Punjabis have the highest per capita income and the highest per capita education level of any ethnic community in North America.
The history of Sikhs in Canada is about 100 years old. During this period, Sikhs have contributed in the making of railway tracks and in work in the sawmills and have made professional contributions in the fields of medicine, law, education, engineering, et cetera. Sikhs own big businesses and industries and of course contribute in politics, as we see by their contributions in the House.
Sikhs all over the world have been renowned for their hard work, great courage and enterprise, but a big scar in Canadian history is the Kamagatamaru ship incident, as the hon. member from the NDP mentioned. Most of the passengers on that ship were Sikhs who were fighting for human rights and freedom. Because of their country of origin and their race, the Liberal government did not allow them to land on Canadian soil. Upon the ship's return to India, most of the passengers were killed by the British army.
The history of Sikhs is about half a millennium old. It starts with the birth of the first guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who was born in 1469. On April 13, 1699, at a huge gathering, with a glittering sword in his hand, the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, gave a call for those who would protect the truth and live the faith even at the cost of their lives.
The first five who offered themselves to the guru were called panj pyaras , or the five beloved ones. They were baptized and then were requested by the guru to admit him into the panth by administering amrit to him, or baptizing him. About 20,000 persons took amrit and became members of the khalsa panth that day. This was the birth of Khalsa and the day is called Vaisakhi .
The amrit is partaken of after adopting the essential five external Sikh symbols, called the five Ks, which are a unique gift from the great Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. A Sikh is not supposed to part with any of these symbols.
To be a member of the khalsa panth , all individuals, even the guru, had to take amrit , adopt the five K uniform and have the name Singh for a male, which means lion, and Kaur for a female. Partaking of amrit is open to everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, race et cetera.
Now let me talk about the five Ks I referred to.
Out of the five K's, the first one is kes , or hair. Kes is a symbol of saintliness or holiness and is considered an important part of the human body. The hair of Khalsa creates a blessed appearance and outlook.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji said “ Khalsa is my special form. I live in the Khalsa ”. To keep hair intact and not meddle with hair is the first and foremost duty of a Sikh. Even the place where baptism of five beloved ones at Anadpur Sahib took place was named Kesh-Garh .
It is required of every Sikh to keep his or her head covered. Males do it by tying a turban while females keep a big scarf called a chunni or a smaller turban called a keski . The turban is a very important part of the Sikh religious tradition and also a matter of huge respect, pride and honour. This is why Sikhs cannot be asked to remove their turbans in any place under any circumstances.
In the past, oppressive Mughal emperors forcefully ordered Sikhs to cut their hair which resulted in Sikhs choosing to be beheaded rather than succumb to the orders of the oppressors.
The second K is for kangha , usually a small wooden comb. Khalsa combs the hair twice daily, ties the hair on the head in a topknot, sticks the kangha behind the knot and then ties the turban with pride.
The third K is kirpan , a stainless steel sword that is a symbol of power, dignity, courage, self-confidence and faith in the victory of good over evil. It is also called sri sahib . It is a weapon of defence and not offence. It is regarded as a scourge of the tyrant and the wicked. It is used to provide for the protection of a good or righteous cause. Sikhs keep the kirpan , the active symbol, in a sheath and wear it in a belt called gatra .
The Sikhs had to struggle to get concessions in regard to keeping these symbols intact as part and parcel of the *Khalsa code of conduct at all places, including the army, jails, flying or even on motorcycle rides.
In recognition of the loyal and distinguished services rendered by the Sikhs in the great wars to the Queen, in September 1920 Sikhs were allowed to wear the kirpan even in the army both in uniform and in plain clothes.
In the past, Singhs used the kirpan to free young Hindu ladies who were abducted and raped in the thousands by oppressive rulers and traded in the market. Sikhs freed them and returned them to their respective families safely.
The fourth K is kara , a stainless steel bracelet worn on the right wrist. It reminds the Sikhs of the vows of baptism. Thus it prevents Khalsa from doing anything evil that is unworthy of a Khalsa . Additionally, it serves the purpose of a shield to protect the arm while fighting with an enemy. Even those Sikhs who have not taken amrit wear kara .
The fifth K is kash or kashehra , which is underpants or drawers. It is so tailored that it covers the private parts well and does not restrict movements of the marshall Khalsa . It is a symbol of sexual restraint and moral purity. Khalsa has been known for not committing adultery.
On the day celebrated as Vaisakhi , the sangat founded by the first Guru Nanak Dev Ji was transformed into the Khalsa Panth . The mandate of the Khalsa is to spread righteousness, protect the human rights of truthful people and destroy tyranny.
The Vaisakhi brings the spirit of chardi kala , that is the high spirit to the Panth and reminds them of their great heritage, self-esteem and high character. To be a member of the Panth , one has to follow the life of Sewa-Simran and wish all humanity well.
During the 18th century becoming a Sikh was against the law of the land ruled by oppressive Mughal rulers who ordered that anyone who could find a Sikh could chop his head off and could exchange that head at any police station for about one year's wages.
Sikhs not only survived this elimination or genocide, but also before the turn of the century Sikhs became the formal rulers of the Punjab from Pishawar to Delhi. The Sikhs were famous for their pure conduct, bravery, love for humanity and the protection they provided the poor and helpless, even at the cost of their own lives.
The high character of Sikhs was so popular with the people that even a Muslim historian, Kazi Noor Mohammed, could not help recognizing it and recorded it on pages 156 to 159 in his book Jang Nama .
In conclusion, I congratulate the member for Winnipeg—Transcona for the motion and urge all members of the House to support it. Recognizing the importance of Vaisakhi , the Reform Party of Canada and now the Canadian Alliance, Her Majesty's Loyal Official Opposition of Canada, proudly celebrates Vaisakhi in parliament every year since 1998. This year's annual celebration of Vaisakhi will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 4, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, from 4 to 6 p.m. As always, I invite members of all parties and the public in general to join us in the celebration.
In 1998 the leader of the Reform Party was the first and only federal leader of any political party in Canada to visit the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs and the Durgiana Mander in Amritsar.
I would also like to say that I am a politician and not a religious leader in any way. Due to my limited knowledge, wisdom and time, I may have unknowingly made omissions or statements that may not have expressed the exact feelings or principles, for which I apologize.
However I am proud to end the speech with the Khalsa slogan, Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akaal and share the Guru's greetings, Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh .