People's Democracy

Canada: Comrade Surjeet Remembered

Joga Singh Randhwa

ORGANISED by the Indo-Canadian Worker's Association (ICWA) in Surrey, a public meeting remembered and paid tributes to veteran communist leader, late Comrade Harkishan Singh Surjeet, on Sunday, August 12. One recalls that Comrade Surjeet, who led the Communist Party of India (Marxist), as its general secretary for 13 long years, passed away on August 1, 2008.

The event, which was held to mark Comrade Surjeet’s fourth death anniversary, took place in the backdrop of the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting that left seven people dead on August 5. 

A moment of silence was observed in memory of the shooting victims. 

The speakers emphasised on maintaining a vigil against racism and communalism in accordance with the principles upheld by Comrade Surjeet who was a diehard critic of religious fanaticism. Jinny Sims, the Newton North Delta MP, and Jagrup Brar, Surrey Fleetwood MLA, pointed out that racial intolerance continues to prevail even in Canada and that the society needs to work together to end this tradition of hatred. Sims said that remembering secular leaders like Surjeet was not enough and that the struggle against racism, in all its forms, must go on. 

Moderate Sikh leaders, Balwant Singh Gill and Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal said that the Indo-Canadian community needs to be vigilant against those spreading hatred --- both in the mainstream society and within the Indo-Canadian community --- in the name of religion or caste. 

ICWA leaders Surinder Sangha and Kulwant Dhesi were of the same opinion. They pointed out that Surjeet was fully alert against the nefarious designs of such forces and did his best not to let the Hindu nationalists or Sikh separatists succeed in their mission to divide people whether in India or in Canada. 

Others who spoke on the occasion were Surinder Dhesi of ICWA, Hardev Singh (former leaders of the Students Federation of India), Paramjit Gandhri (former leader of teachers union from Punjab), Nazir Rizvi (leader of the Communist Party of Canada), Dr Sadhu Singh (a renowned scholar) and poet Paul Bilga.