- Member of Parliament
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
- Liberal
- Surrey Centre
- British Columbia
- Voting Attendance: 67%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $147,142.20
- Government Page
- May/3/24 11:15:06 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, April is over and with it brings the end of Sikh Heritage Month.
This April, Sikh Punjabis made strides across Canada and broke records across the nation. In my home city of Surrey, Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar hosted the largest Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan parade, with over 550,000 attendees who travelled from across the world. They sang beautiful kirtan, served amazing langar and shared their history and culture with all.
Then, only a week later, Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh made history at BC Place. Dosanjh kicked off his Canada-wide tour with a sold-out show to an audience of more than 54,000 people. The energy was electric and the vibe was amazing. From topping billboards to selling out stadiums, feats that are usually left for the likes of Taylor Swift are now quickly spreading to the Punjabi community.
As Sikh Heritage Month wrapped up its fifth anniversary, with Punjabi Sikhs breaking records every day, I have never been prouder to represent such a vibrant and flourishing community.
171 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/9/23 2:13:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to acknowledge two incredible and brave World War II veterans, Major Naib Singh Grewal and Subedar Kanwal Jit Singh.
There were over 365,000 Sikh soldiers who fought with us and our allies during World War I and World War II, and Major Naib Singh Grewal and Subedar Kanwal Jit Singh were two of them.
Major Naib Singh Grewal served from 1939 to 1945, and Subedar Kanwal Jit Singh served from 1939 to 1947. Both Major Naib Singh Grewal and Subedar Kanwal Jit Singh were a part of some of the most decisive battles of the Burmese front at Imphal and Kohima.
Major Naib Singh Grewal is set to celebrate his 101st birthday in just a few days, and Subedar Kanwal Jit Singh just celebrated his 100th birthday in September.
The Indian Ex-Servicemen Society in my home city of Surrey has been essential in reconnecting Indian veterans and ensuring their well-being through events that are put on throughout the year.
As Veterans' Week wraps up, let us all remember the sacrifices they took to ensure our freedom, safety and well-being.
191 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Sep/19/23 9:19:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Chair, the question was very poignant. Growing up in this country, we have heard many others speak in the same way. It was very troubling when we heard accounts of events that usually happened in other countries, perhaps in India and abroad. For many Canadians, especially those in the South Asian diaspora, it was their worst nightmare to find out that while speaking here, they could be targeted. To them I say they can rest assured that this country has their backs. This country will not sell them out for a trade deal. This country, this Prime Minister and this government will ensure that their rights are protected and we will voice that in all accounts. It was an unprecedented statement that the Prime Minister made, which assures a lot of those young people.
The second thing I would like to say is that they need to show that they are better, that they have communal harmony here regardless of their faith. They can be from the Indian diaspora. They can be a Sikh, a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim. We all get along very well. If people come to Surrey, they will see our places of worship, where people commingle. Members of all communities come and go. We should maintain that integrity and decorum. We should maintain that Canada is a beautiful, diverse, multicultural country and no one should ever tamper with that.
235 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Sep/19/23 9:11:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member of Parliament for Brampton North.
The announcement by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons regarding the credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen are deeply troubling. All Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and that is the highest priority of our government.
As the Prime Minister described, our top priorities at this time are that our law enforcement and security agencies ensure the continued safety of all Canadians, and that all steps be taken to hold the perpetrators of this murder to account.
I am thankful for the opportunity to address the recent allegations surrounding the death of the Sikh community leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, particularly in relation to the RCMP's involvement in this investigation.
Mr. Nijjar was a husband, a father, a businessman and a community leader. Only weeks before his assassination, he was at UBC attending his son's graduation, where I saw him with his family. He was smiling, as a proud father would seeing their son earn such a prestigious degree.
On Sunday, June 18, it was Father's Day. After spending time with his family, he did what he would do every evening, which was to go to Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and serve the congregation, not only as the president, but also in physically helping to build the new hall adjacent to the gurdwara. As he was leaving the gurdwara, Mr. Nijjar was shot and killed in cold blood in Surrey, British Columbia.
The community was shocked, and they wanted answers. Concerned MPs immediately met with the then minister of public safety. They were assured that no stone would be left unturned, and that the law enforcement agencies would investigate this with full resources at its disposal.
Yesterday, when Prime Minister Trudeau announced that there are credible allegations linking agents of the—
328 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/5/23 2:09:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, for many, the sacred place of worship is Jerusalem, Mecca or Varanasi. For the Sikh community, that place is the Harmandir Sahib, globally known as the Golden Temple.
However, in June 1984, the most sacred place of worship for Sikhs was stormed in an orchestrated military operation. In this gruesome attack, thousands were killed, many at point-blank range, and the sarovar turned red with blood. The Akal Takht was blasted. The Sikh Reference Library, containing thousands of manuscripts, paintings and scriptures, was torched to the ground. Forty other gurdwaras around the country were also attacked, and, 39 years later, Sikhs around the world still remember this tragic day.
The Sikh community will forever send its prayers to the victims of this massacre, while also praying that such a dreadful attack on a place of worship never happens again. We shall never forget 1984.
146 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/24/23 2:07:56 p.m.
- Watch
[Member spoke in Punjabi]
[English]
Mr. Speaker, today, I want to commemorate two extraordinary events.
Dasmesh Darbar Gurdwara hosted the world's largest Sikh nagar kirtan parade in Canada's fastest growing city of Surrey. There were 700,000 who people gathered from all across the country and abroad to celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. For miles, all one could see was a sea of chunnis, turbans, floats, flags and lots and lots of food.
I want to give a big thanks to all the sevadars, the volunteers and the sponsors, who made one of Canada's greatest events happen this weekend.
Then today, the Liberal Sikh caucus and the Ottawa Sikh Society hosted a three-day Akhand Path celebration of Vaisakhi, Khalsa Day and Sikh Heritage Month. This is the only such event continuously done in any Parliament in the world and something of which all Canadians should be proud.
A special thanks goes out to all the Hill staff and volunteers, and especially the Khalsa Aid volunteers who came out and made this an amazing Sikh Heritage Month.
181 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/28/22 10:54:39 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, yes. I was very happy to hear that members of the Sikh community led by Dr. Gulzar Cheema, a philanthropist and fundraiser for the community, stepped up and had spoken with several TV stations as well as radio stations to do a cross-Canada telethon and radiothon to raise funds to help those who are in need in a time like this, and to give any financial support that we can. I am very proud of the community in Surrey, and also across the country, who are helping their brothers and sisters in a time of need.
99 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/28/22 10:45:02 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, Canada's ties with the people of Ukraine have historical roots since well before Ukraine was a sovereign nation. This is why we were the first western country to recognize Ukraine's independence just over 30 years ago.
Let me begin by saying that I am with Ukraine. Russia's invasion is unlawful. It is uncalled for and needs to be stopped. We must do everything we can to stop this unprovoked war. We have developed a strong diplomatic relationship fuelled by a passionate, engaged Ukrainian diaspora of over 1.4 million people. The Ukrainian diaspora and other communities across the country are stepping up to support Ukrainians in need. I am very proud of the Sikh community members in Surrey who are organizing a radiothon and telethon with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to raise funds for Ukraine. Efforts like this are happening all over Canada, and bringing people together to support those affected in this time of need.
Historically, we signed the Joint Declaration on Special Partnership between Canada and Ukraine in 1994, which affirmed our countries' shared interests and desire for international co-operation. In 2014, thousands of Ukrainians stood up for a democratic future during the Revolution of Dignity. Canada supported many of the activists, human rights defenders and civil society organizations that fought tirelessly for a free and democratic future, and we continue to do so today in response to President Putin's aggressive actions.
Canada condemns Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. We reject President Putin's attempt to rob Ukraine of its history, identity, democracy and independence. President Putin's actions are a blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and they threaten our shared security. President Putin has no interest in resolving the crisis peacefully. Instead, he is putting millions of innocent lives at risk and causing a humanitarian crisis.
In coordination with our allies and partners, Canada has implemented immediate and hard-hitting sanctions that target President Putin himself and Russia's leadership: key individuals in President Putin's inner circle and key Russian banks and financial institutions. They also target export control and sovereign debt restrictions. By hitting at the heart of Russia's financial sector, we are suffocating the Russian regime's ability to fund this war.
To support Ukraine's defensive capabilities, Canada recently announced more than $7 million in lethal equipment and support items to the Ukrainian armed forces. This is in addition to the previously announced non-lethal equipment. On February 27, the government announced that Canada would send an additional $25-million worth of protective equipment to Ukraine to support the Ukrainian armed forces.
Since 2015, we have been helping to enhance the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces through our non-lethal military training and capacity-building mission: Operation Unifier. We were pleased to announce the extension and expansion of this mission to March 2025.
Further, we also backstopped Ukraine's resilience to Russian aggression through offers of financial assistance. This will help support Ukraine's economic stability. We also announced an additional $35 million in development assistance that will help coordinate and scale up support for services for those affected by the conflict, particularly women and marginalized groups. Furthermore, we are continuing to provide over $10 million per year in peace and security programming, including support to Ukraine's defence and broader security sector, to advancing the women, peace and security agenda, and to countering disinformation.
In order to meet the needs of those affected by the conflict, we responded rapidly by providing an initial $15 million in humanitarian assistance, which has been allocated and disbursed to experienced human rights partners in Ukraine who are ready to respond flexibly to the situation as it evolves. This early response is now being complemented by the launch of a matching fund, and I am sure my colleague the Minister of International Development will speak more on how Canada reaffirms our unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to stand with the government and people of Ukraine as we have for the past three decades of diplomatic relations.
697 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
