Indo-Canadian Interview 20

              SIKHS IN CANADA
Interviewer: Professor,  G. B. Basran Department of Sociology

Interviewer: Professor, Gurcharan Singh Basran
Date of the Interview: July 5"th Time begin: 11:35
Language: The Interview would be conducted in Punjabi as well in English.

G. B. Hovi old are you now?
Informant: 63
G. B. Y0u are married?
Informant: Yes, I am.
G. B. How many children do you have?
Informant: I have four children.                                                                       _^/~
G. B. Which part of Punjab do you come from?
Informant: Distt. Jullundhur, village Tengho.
G. B. When you came in Canada, how old were you?
Informant: I was 38 at that time.
G. B. You were married at that irae, and your family came with you?
Informant: Yes, I was married, the family came in 19&9-
G. B. When you cane here, what you were1 doing before?
Informant: I was the Inspector in the Marketing Department.
G. B. "or about your education, before you came here?
Informant: I had grade 12, of India.
G. B. What was your main reason to come to Canada?
Informant: Main reason is just lilte other people, better living, that is all. Because we cams from Faldst3.ii, whatever we hacL it was robbed over there.
G. B. 'Jhere did you get the information about Canada, that you should come hers, 'lid you got frou your sister or from some where else?
Informant: Yes, somewhat from my brother-in-law (sister's husband) and. some fron other relatives.
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G. B. '-Then you came from India, what were the conditions over there, economic, social, politicle etc., as you came in 195^i at that time we got the Independence, but what was the condition?
Informant:. The condition was good. There was no politicle trouble, but these parties were there like Hindu party or SSkh party, but it was not like that, they are like enemy now.
G. B.   People were comfortable economically?
Informant:   Almost, they were ok.
G. B.   You came first in England?
Informant:   lilrst, I cane in England.
G. B.   Did you come by boat?
Informant:   No, I came by plane.
G. B.   So, you said, you came as a visitor?
Informant:   Yes, I came as a visitor.
G. B. Soy yoti stayed-- three '-years as- -a -visltpr,.. -then they used to renew the visitor visa every year?
Informant: Yes, you have to get it renew.
G. B. Then, you filed your case after three years?
Informant: Yes, I did and I £ot frea from that case.
G. B.  Then,  you £ot the imiTii -ration?
Informant: Yes, I £ot the immigration after that.
G. B. "hen you reached here first, what type of work you had to do?
Informant: I ~ot the work *.r tho Saw Kill, when I reached here. Actually, there were the 3 aw "ills mostly.
G. B. What kind of experience you have in the Saw Mill, like you were working with the people and their attitudes, and the delations, or the vrajes, workinj conditions, eq_ual wa^e for the same job, whites used, to do?
o
Informant: Images v*k; all the same for everybody, there was no difference in it, becav.se there vrare the Unions at that tine.
G. B. '.'ere you the member of the Union;
Informant: Yes, I was the member. Besides, the work compare to the others, it was heavy. Tut anyhow, our people kept on working with then.
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G. B. You came here first?
Informant: ITo, I came in Vancouver first, stayed there just one week. Then, I Kent to Htmeymoon Island, and I stayed there one year. Then I went to Port Alberny and stayed there eight or nine years.  Then, that Mill got closed, went to other place stayed there eight, nine months. After that we came to Sukamash close to Vancouver, here we stayed two and half years. Then, we came to Vancouver and built a house there. I had the share in the Ply ;Jood Kill, it ran almost three years then closed down. So, we came her, now we have been here since fourteen years.
G. B.It means, it was hard to find a job and you had to change it so many times?
Informant: Yes, it was very hard.
G. B. So, you came here alone, and later on the whole family came here?
Informant: Yes, they came later on together.
G. B. '-Then you came alone at that time, how you used to live here;'
Informant: There was a cook house in Honeymoon Island, there was a cook who used to cook for everyone. The expenses, they used to share and the whole building belonged to the Company, where we used to live.
G. B. The facilities were good, and you have no problem?
Informant: Yes, the facilities were very good and we did not have any problem.
G. B. The meal was good? And how our people used to spend their weekend? The holidays etc.?
Informant: The meal was good. On weekend, they used to play cards, .gossiping, and other games.
G. B. They used to meet with each other, I mean just with our own countrymen or with white people too?
Informant: They used to meet with their own country people. '.Je did not have the white people T.d.th us, there were workers and they used to go their homes. Dut, thfi;. cook house was for the Indian.
G. B. "Iher, you came according to that time, what do you think of the conditions now in here? There is enough development and improvement?
Informant: Yes, there is an improvement. At that time, you used to get the work but the wages were very small. ITow, wages are quite high and it is hard to find the work, but with the good wage you spend good time and. can save little "bit too.
G. B. If I would ask that question, that when you caiae here froi:: India, according to that, by the way when did you go to India?
Informant: I went in 19o?.
G. B. Jhat do you think of the situation over there?
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Informant: At that tine, the situation was good, there were no differences. 
G. B. "..'hat about now?
Informant: ITow, we all hear whatever is happening there, lots of groups or parties, they tell different stories.
G. B. How about the condition of the people? economic, poll tide, social condition?
Informant: We know that there is trouble, we do not know how long that trouble would stay there, whether it will finish or increase. I know little about it, I read in the paper.
G. B. The agitation which is running in Punjab, you know about that, Sikhs demands, then the struggle, _ attacking the Golden Temple, what do you think af that all?
Informant: Whatever happend up til now, no matter whose faitlt was that, it should not happened.
G. B. '."nose fault is that?
Informant:  I cannot say anything about it. I am sitting here, I do not know anything about it.
G. B. The Sikhs demands or the Hindus demands, do you think, they were reasonable?
Informant: Demands were general, first they were about Punjab, later on, they tell in the paper that Government changed them and the people changed up to some extent, so this way they became the politicle issue.
G. B. Like Sant Bhinderanwala, what do you think about him? Some says he should, not have gone inside the Ilarmander Sahib (Temple) some says whatever he -.Tic1, it was right, some says that he is the one who puts the Sikhs down, others sc.y, he did so much for the Sikhs?
Informant:  According to this, it was better for Bhinderaruala, if he would hav. stayed like 3a:it 7ateh Singh. :ihen Government tas thinking that he was trouble maker, then they "should not have released liin when they arrested him tiro or three times.
G. B. What do you think about the attack of Ilarmander S^ib, that vras his justification, or his reason?
Informant:  These natters are politicle, I cannot say anything about them. Only that, as I told you, that they wanted to arrest 3hinderanwala, they had arrester! him two three times, so they should not have let him go at that tine. That was the only purpose of-'-the7Gavemment, they could have arrested hin in any other way.
G. B. Whatover is happening now, like some says we will have Khalisten others sayin£*Wtnj I-I1 nclustan, what do you think of that';
A.
Khalis-tan-.
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Informant:  According to that, I have my own opinion, that we should not separate , but we should Itay with India.
G. B. Oh, I see, you are saying that we should stay with them and ask for the demands when staying together.  "hat impact do we have over here about those things?
Informant: Here people have their own different ideas. Some people are hot they are holding different ideas, some are moderate and are holding moderate ideas. It is just like the same in India, there are so many moderates "back over there. So, here is the same conditionpas in India. So, some people are hot tempered here too just like in India.
G. B. Any other general experience, which you want to relate about Canada or anything ?
Informant: Canada is very good for better living. Because, here people have no big problem, specially who vrork, "but the others, who do not work you do not know how they live on. On the whole, it is a peaceful country. If you do not say anything to anyone, then nobody bothers you.
G. B. The people who make noise about the discrimination or all these kinds of things, what do you thin!: of that?
Informant:If you think about discrimination, it is in our country too. If we say it is not, that is not correct, it was there and is there, ITow, see it is among the Hindus and the Sikhs. In the past, it was among the Hindus and the low casts people. 3o, these people do the discrimination, but they are very few, not common. \Je live here, you meet them and. they meet you no problem.
G. B. You did not have any problem like that even when you were working :rith the whites in the past?
Informant:  No, I did not have any problem like that in the past and now. They were polite and good.
G. B. Ary other thing you want to tell about your "back ground or here?
Informant:  As I told yon about India , we were living in Pakistan, we were veil off and lining confortably, Then, every thing was sacrificed for the sake of Independence, then we came here, it is because of God, so we got everything and are comfortable.
G. B. 3o, generally, you are very satisfied?
Informant: Oh, yes, I am.
G. B. Your children are living here?
Informant: Yes, soina are here, and so~:e are in Vancouver.
G. B. So, it is been long tine, you went to India?
Informant:  Yes, Tie have boon planning since long to go there, but the situation is liko that we could not go. "ow,we do not feel like going
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because of this present trouble, because, we think who know what would happen there.
G. B. Hid you ever realize to so back when you will retire?
Informant:  No, if the situation would have stayed like it was in I960 up til 19?0 then it was £ood, but now you never know what is £oiii£ to happen there.   .
G. B. "hen you were working, there were enough our people who used to be the member of the Union, or you were the option?
Informant: J!o, there were enough, who were the members, "veryone has to be the menber of the Union.
G. B. Our people were .enough active, or they just used to become the members?
Informant: It depends upon the person and his intelligence. Many of our people here, one has started the, Union here. As, here was one person Canadian, (our country nan they used to call him Canadian) I forgot his name, I think he came on a education visa, "is relations were with the communist party and. was 'TLA on behalf of that party, he was Darshan sinjh Canadian.
G. B. have not heard his name, he lives here?
Informant:  No, he is living in India. lie was very active, and ItfA Union, he is the one who started or nad.e the others to start that Union.
G.B. And. common people, they used to jive vote to the !TDP or to the 3ocial*.Ctedit':or-'.to Hhfe ;U.9ion menbers?
Informant: At that tine, people used to vote who they want to, they did not have ary special party on their mind.
G. B. ?Tow, you have been here since lonj, people who are coning in these days, what is your a.dvice how they should live here and should do?
Informant: Look, if we say that we ca^ie hers because we wanted to come according to our own will, nobody cones like that neither used to cooie. ^sca-use, the economic condition over there row a days is delicate. It is har* to afford the fpjnily. Thejoint family in the village, have fow acros of land it is hard to afford the family i.ith that piece of land. Here the corns because of that economic condition. But rijht now the workinj situation here is also not very satisfactory.
G. B. Is that rijht, our people are unemployed in ^reat nunbers?
Informant: They are not unenplcyod in rreat numbers, they work en the Abbos-Ford fams. They jo there and work on the far^i, And other people, they have their relatives here, if they had problem rejardinj jobs they find work with their sources like that.
G. B. What do yor think, that our people are very hard working, ar.d do not want to TO on the "ell Tare?
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Informant: No, they do not want to go on Well Fare, any body who is very help-les he might GO on that, otherwise they do hard work.  But, very, very few people go on Well Fare. Kay he one out of 700 goes. They •:doT: any kind, of job, amall or big does not matter.
G. B. Any other general matter you. want to tell in the Interview?
Informant: Just this, we should live with the unity, whether we are Sikhs or Hindus we are Indian. Ye should live peacefully.