ON September 15, I had the opportunity to attend the Vancouver Heritage Foundations unveiling of a commemorative plaque in celebration of the first Sikh Gurdwara built in North America in 1908 on west Second Avenue in Vancouver.
Different personalities and community leaders talked about and shared their stories about the first Sikh Gurdwara and the importance of recognizing this site as integral to the cultural fabric and history of Vancouver. Despite the fact that there is now a residential building built on the site upon which the Khalsa Mean Society Gurdwara rested for more than 611 years, I still felt something very magical. It was like a homecoming to a home that I had never seen but have always felt to be an integral part of my identity as a Sikh Canadian.
The story of the Khalsa Diwan Society is almost as old as the immigration of the first Sikhs to British Columbia. During the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 1897, Sikh soldiers passed through British Columbia. They were very impressed with the majestic land and quickly spread the word to other soldiers and their relatives in their homeland, the Punjab. By 1906 more than 5,000 Sikh immigrants had arrived in Vancouver looking for greener pastures.
Along with this increase in the Sikh population came an increase in anti-Asian hysteria. In their push to keep Canada a white man's country, local politicians including the mayor of Vancouver were fueling the tire of hate and demanding a ban on immigration from India. Local media published unsavory Mimics written in bad taste about the new immigrants. They were portrayed as filthy, diseased, backward and uncivilized menaces. Canadians were warned that these people pitted a threat to women and children and that they would become a burden on society. People didn't want them living in their neighborhoods. It was impossible for them to find rental housing. They were condemned to old abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the city. Local workers unions wouldn't accept the Sikhs as members. They were given the most undesirable jobs and paid the lowest wages.
The anti-Asian sentiment fueled by local politicians and media culminated in the Anti-Asian riots of 1907. Most Sikhs remained indoors for several days fearing for their lives. During that same year the government quickly denied the Sikhs their right to citizenship and their voting rights were abolished. The Canadian government then moved to effectively ban all immigration from India by enacting the continuous passage law. The overzealous lawmakers didn't stop here. Their urge to keep Canada a white man's country culminated in a plan to send the remaining Sikhs in Vancouver to British Honduras for good.
Despite facing a very hostile and racist environment, the early Sikh pioneers were committed to making Canada their new home. They worked hard and with the fruits of their labor they erected the first Sikh Gurdwara in Canada. The doors to the Khalsa Diwan Society officially opened on January 19, 1908. Continuing their Sikh tradition of equality, inclusivity and good will for all, the Khalsa Society welcomed their Hindu and Muslim brethren to join in prayers and langar and advocated for their interests as well. Soon after its inception on June 12, 1908, the Khalsa Diwan Society - in its typical style - held a meeting of all the Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims to hear their views on the Honduras issue. Canadian government officials came to the Gurdwara that day as well to seek an answer. After the services were finished the congregation overwhelmingly rejected leaving Canada for Honduras. This message was relayed to the government officials who were made to wait patiently until Gurdwara services were finished. From 1909 to 1919 the Khalsa Diwan Society fiercely opposed the discriminatory laws enacted by the Canadian government. The Sikhs continued their struggle by holding mass meetings at the Gurdwara, through press statements, liaising with Canadians who sympathized with them and sending several delegations to India, Ottawa and England to garner support for equal treatment in Canada. The hard work and continued activism of the Khalsa Diwan Society resulted in relaxation of the continuous passage law. In 1919, South-Asian men won the right to sponsor their wives and children to come to Canada.
During the 1920's the Khalsa Diwan Society continued its struggle for obtaining voting rights in Canada. The movement faced a little stagnation due to the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930's. During this time, the Sikhs, like most people were focused on survival and maintaining whatever jobs they could. During these hard and trying times the Sikhs kept the doors of Khalsa Diwan Society open and fed anyone in need.
In 1942, as the premier organization of the Sikhs, the Khalsa Diwan Society decided to start an organized campaign to win back their voting rights. Members of the Khalsa Diwan Society executive travelled the entire province and put their case before ordinary Canadians and politicians alike. The Sikh campaign for franchise rights gained widespread support among several groups including journalists, church groups, boards of trade and workers unions. The long and difficult campaign spearheaded by the Khalsa Diwan Society lasted seven long years. It culminated in what many call the most significant Victory in the history of Sikhs in Canada. On April 2, 1947, the British Columbia government voted in favor of granting franchise rights to all "East Indians" in Canada. After more than six decades of contributing to Canada, the Sikhs could finally call themselves Canadians!
The Khalsa Divan Society attests to the resilience of the Canadian Sikhs. The legacy of social justice, activism and community service borne out of the first Sikh Temple on West Second Avenue continues to flourish. Canadian Sikhs are contributing to their societies more than ever. Through their Gurdwaras, Canadian Sikhs continue to feed impoverished persons free meals round the clock across the nation. Sikh Gurdwaras and organization continue to donate millions of dollars to hospitals and disaster relief efforts across the globe and are front and center in protecting the human rights of oppressed people in Canada and throughout the world!
SATNAM SINGH SANGRA
Punjabi Language / Science Educator
New Westminster Secondary School