Investment on Education & Infrastructure main ingredient to prosperity: Canadian MP
Author(s): City Air NewsJasbir Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament from Surrey (Canada) visited Guru Kashi University on Friday. Talwandi Sabo, January 3, 2014: Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament from Surrey (Canada) visited Guru...
Talwandi Sabo, January 3, 2014: Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament from Surrey (Canada) visited Guru Kashi University today. He was given a warm welcome by Gurlabh Singh Sidhu, Chairman, Dr. N.S Malhi, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Director (Planning & Development) and other Senior Officers of the university.
Addressing the Senior Officers of the Guru Kashi University, Sandhu, besides narrating how from a small farmer he rose to be the Member of Parliament, dwelt upon the challenges that the Punjabis are taking in Canada & USA. His grandfather was an Akali leader and father belonged to the Communist Party. Thus politics came to his lap as a part of inheritance. The very first challenge that the Punjabi confronted with in Canada was in 1914. Earlier, on the pattern of Australia which banned entry of non-whites Canadian Govt. also attempted to follow suit. Facing strong protest from the Punjabi, it found a way-out and enacted a law that any non-white intending to come to Canada should travel by a non-stop ship from his native country to Canada. It was Bhai Gurdit Singh who challenged this law & launched Kamagata Maru movement.
In 1914, about 3000 Punjabi went over to Canada. They had to struggle hard. However, their struggle bore fruit in 1942 when they got the right to vote. However, they were still subject to discrimination having no right to build their own houses or to visit certain Bars and Shopping Malls or even to wear their traditional dress. After Sandhu became Member of Parliament, he organised Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Mela in Canada in 1989. At a huge gathering of Indian people, the Canadian Prime Minister expressed regret for the discrimination that the Punjabis had to face in Canada but Sandhu and his supporting fellows wanted the Prime Minister to tender apology in Parliament.
Another important issue that was focused upon by Sandhu in the meeting of senior officers was the indulgence of about 250 Punjabi youth in Drug-abuse & smuggling in Canada. They were put behind the bar. Ultimately, at the behest of Governor of Texas, who said that the State was going bankrupt as each prisoner entailed an expenditure of about 2000 US dollars per month. Realising the grave situation, Canada government evolved a new strategy to tackle this evil. They started imparting training to such youth in various trades and this strategy has proved to be a great success. Consequently the crime rate has gone down.
On the query from the audience, Sandhu stated that desirable investment on education and infrastructure was the only way to prosperity. These are the main ingredients for production in any field besides ensuring the accessibility of markets for the disposal of products.//punjab news live, punjab news online, punjab news, punjab news headlines, punjab breaking news, india news, punjab news,