Surrey's Vaisakhi parade-why all the controversy?
 

This year's parade is likely to be trouble free, based on all the politicians that are going to attend. However, in past years, Vaisakhi in Surrey attracted a lot of controversy. The organizers threatened Ujjal Dosanjh one year and Gordon Campbell refused to attend the year before that. From my Googling I found out that it was because Sikh extremists-including ones accused of the Air India bombing-were honoured as martyrs on some of the floats. They want to create an independent nation for Sikhs, Khalistan. But I'm sure someone much more knowledgeable than me could expand on that. I wonder how prevalent these extreme views are in Vancouver's South Asian community.

Another point I wanted to bring up, is that, from what I've been told, Surrey's parade does not have the family friendly atmosphere of the Vancouver parade. How true is this?

I thought about posting this in the multicultural events thread, but I didn't want to derail it.

You are right about what you read in regards to the martyr thing but that was years ago.

It is very family friendly. Good food.

I haven't found it very political but I'm a white chick so I'd probably the last person someone wants to discuss a separatist nation for Sikhs with.

There's a float/stall supporting terrorists every year as i understand it but thats only the surrey one not sure about the vancouver one

I heard from my brown friend that it might not be as family friendly because its obviously in surrey and also its on 4/20.

Not all Sikhs agree with the khalistan drama.. Some take offense to even mentioning it
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I also found something that worries me...

During my research, I came across an article on thetyee.ca about Dosanjh's fight against the extremists. It mentioned the Khalsa School, a private school for Sikh students. Apparently in the 2011 election, his opponent Wai Young attended a meeting where Ripudaman Singh Malik was also in attendance. He founded Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant organization which has been called a terrorist group by pretty much every western country, and has direct links to the Air India case. It upsets me that a Canadian educational institution would be okay with this. I'd like to think that most Sikhs in Metro Vancouver have more moderate views.

The whole Khalistan thing is a joke IMO -- you basically have extremist groups who don't even live in punjab trying to change it. They think because punjab is mostly agricultural farmers they can be self sufficient as a nation -- I'm not for it nor is anyone in my family.


I wouldn't worry too much about vaisakhi in Surrey .. I've been to two, and last time I went they actually took Sikh RCMP out of the parade to help breakup a fight between some teenagers involving someone getting peppersprayed
But hey, good punjabi food is spicy punjabi food.

That khalsa school being shut down will save MANY kids torment and social retardation -- mention of Malik offends a great deal of sikhs.

You have your fudamentalists (i.e. Malik and the gang) and you have the more liberal sikhs. A lot of people I know simply refuse to go to the surrey one just because of what it represents and the types of floats they have

Malik and family are scary.

Years ago I worked with his niece. She full on bragged about her uncle and the bombings....I asked her why she didn't feel bad for the victims...her response was, "why should I care?? Its not like I knew them".

It simply boggles my mind that such vermin, such filth, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Canadians and hundreds more in India, are not only tolerated but celebrated.

I don't spend a lot of time around Indo-Canadians so I haven't been able to get opinions about the Khalistan movement, but-short of making sweeping generalizations-I'm not sure I'll like what I hear.

A lot of Punjabi's don't believe in the terrorism aspect of the Khalistan or wanting a separate state from India but majority of Punjabi's are still very passionate about what happen in 1984. Hell I was only 4 years old when the genocide happen but it breaks my heart to hear and see what was done to Sikh's in India at that time and to hear stories about people who lost loved ones.

And don't buy into the whole Khalistan propaganda, there's powerful people in the Sikh community who have strong links with the Indian government and it's shocking how hard the Indian government tries to influence the Sikh media in Canada. You'll even see people from the Indian government at the parade wearing suits or looking really out of place filming the floats. Knowledge is power so never assume or take things at face value.

I've never heard of the surrey one or the vancouver one not being family friendly. In surrey, there used to be fights with kids at a school called strawberry hill which is just off the parade route. Honestly, it's pretty fukin pathetic to set up a fight and use a religious day as an excuse to be able to go to the fight. I'm sure all those kids parents feel proud their kids are taking part in something cultural and religious only to have the kids go fight other kids behind some school. Other than that, its great fun. Great food. Always great performances. I see a lot of different ethnicities there every year with the number growing.

The controversy sprouts from a few bad apples. A few ppl like to put up certain pictures that some find offensive. But to label and judge the whole event based on that is plain stupid like how muslims are all labelled terrorists after the american attacks (extreme example but you get the point). As dhillon09 said, majority of the sikhs don't even support the movement. Yes a lot want justice for something that happened a long time ago but there's a reason why they live here and not there. The extreme views actually go away from the actual teachings of sikhism but thats like with any religion.

Anyone in the area should definitely go and enjoy it.

I'm going tomorrow to check it out with my gf/sister and her family. Will be my first year attending so should be interesting.

The Surrey one was started by fundamentalists who belong to the Deshmesh Darbar temple. The Vancouver one is run by moderates. You also have people supporting banned terrorist organizations at the parade.

About fighting at Vaisakhi start at 1:54


More info here: Khalistan | CIR: Canadian Immigration Report

Remember, not all indo-canadian people are Sikh and not all Sikh indo-canadians support this.

Last night, we asked a few indo-canadian adults what would happen if a few of us asians(cheena/sp?)visited vaisakhi.

Said we'd get beat up :lol
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i grew up 2 blocks away from the temple in south van, im asian and ever since i was a kid they've been very welcoming. always got offered food/drinks and when i didnt understand why, they were more than happy to explain what it was all about. its actually a great atmosphere all around so im not sure if you're kidding, or if they were kidding

I'm asian and I went to the Van Vaisakhi :pokerface:

I went in with an empty stomach, and I came out with like 5 slices of pizza and a LOT of rice.

happy versace day to my kiddas


i went to vaisakhi last weekend in vancouver

man what a shit show that was after 2pm

better to go early like from 11-3 or something

gets hella busy and packed later on in the day

and good luck finding parking lol

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you have beef with an event because they have meatless products (where its FREE) then go on to wonder where people get money from?

...and that there was not pizza?!?!

I'm afraid, you come across as not only entirely missing the cultural aspect of the event, but as shallow and ungrateful.

QFTW.

I apologize, i see i have miserably failed at my beef and Hindu pun.

If i can rephrase it rather than using the sad pun - I was not aware everything is vegetarian. SpeedStars mentions pizza at the Vancouver one, which is interesting.

Seriously. I had legitimate concerns that the Surrey parade had been hijacked by hate, and you have to come in with your first world problem.