CICSR Report

Volume 3, Number 4 I Aug2008

A newsletter from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

Installation of Sikh Holy Texts: Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

UFV faculty, friends, and students participated in the installation ceremony

of the translated, four-volume set of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the UFV library on October 21. These volumes were translated by Sardar Priam Singh Chahil over a majority of his life and donated kindly to UFV by Mr. Ivor Thompson of Toronto. The texts are a valuable resource to students, faculty and community members alike.

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, or Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib, is the Holy Scripture and the final Guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1,430 pages, compiled and composed during the period of the Sikh Gurus, from 1469 to 1708. It is a collection of hymns or shabad, which describe the characteristics of God, and which guide Sikhs in both worldly and spiritual ways of life. Mr. Ivor Thomson of Toronto (left) and Giani Veer Singh Pannu (right) after the dontation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.

ContentsShastri Indo-Canadian Institute meetings 2

Community profile: Tok Herar 2

CICS celebrates Diwali, a Festival of Lights 3

Fall events at the CICS 3

Faculty profile: Dr Zareen Naqvi 4

Lecture at CICS on markets and livelihoods in the Kerala coconut sector, India 5

Diaspora Studies certificate 5

Student Leader Profile: Bal Mandiar, SAPNA Chair 6

India school principals visit the CICS 6

Reading at UFV by author M G Vassanji 7

State, Society, and Economy in the 21st Century 7

Ceremony held in memory of 1984 8

India Study Tour 2010 8

Upcoming Events: Canadian Diaspora meeting, Chandigarh: December 11

Jammu conference: December 14–16

Chandigarh forum CRIID: December 17–18

India Study tour February 3–March 3, 2010

Sikh Diaspora conference May 2010

CICSR Report

Volume 3, Number 4 I Aug2008

A newsletter from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

Volume 4, Number 4 | December 2009

From left to right: Dr. Skip Bassford, Mr. Ivor Thomson , Satwinder Bains, and UFV president, Mark Evered.

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

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On September 24, the Consul General of India — Ashok Das — and his wife Erika

visited the centre to meet members of the Indo-Canadian Community Council. The council hosted a reception dinner at the CICS with new UFV president and vice-chancellor Dr. Mark Evered welcoming the Consul General to UFV. Mr. Das reciprocated by commending UFV for undertaking its initiatives with the Indian sub-continent and offered his support to the centre.

Following the reception, the Consul General, and the rest of the dinner party were joined by Princess Urmilla Devi at The Reach museum and gallery for the unveiling of the A Common Thread textile exhibit. The exhibition examines and juxtaposes quilts and textiles from three specific cultural communities: the Stó:lō Nation, the Mennonites, and the Ralli from the India-

Pakistan region. It explores the complex stories and meanings that are contained within each of the artworks as a way of sharing diverse cultural voices. The exhibit initiates dialogue in an attempt to help define community, encourage connections between communities, and share memories and stories through the exhibition of quilts and textiles.

On Sept 28, a memorable evening was had by all when Princess Urmilla Devi shared her personal account of the splendour of the lives of the Maharajas and Maharanis of India through a fascinating visual journey. The Princess shared a personal walk through the annals of the Wadiya dynasty of Mysore, India, intertwined with the historical narrative as personal reminiscences, anecdotes, and a private collection of visuals of the family.

Fall Events at the CICS

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CICS celebrates Diwali, a Festival of Lights

1 Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Punjab, India. I came to Canada in April 1952, under the quota system, where only 100 people were selected to come to Canada per year. At the time, I was attending DAV College in Jalandhar, Punjab doing my BSc. I applied to come to Canada, although I didn’t think my application would be accepted. During my interview, all we talked about was soccer because I was a soccer player at DAV College. One condition for my entry into Canada was that I needed someone to vouch for me in Canada. Other than a few village friends I knew, I had no family here in Canada, but they vouched for me. I was only 18 years old when I arrived. I first lived in Vancouver for six months, and then I moved to Mission where I have been ever since. In Mission, my community involvement began through soccer. I eventually became a scout commissioner. As I was young, I wanted to travel around the world after I got my Canadian citizenship. I have been all over the world as a result. I became a very successful

insurance salesman with North American Life Company and have traveled around the world because of that as well. I also joined the Mission Rotary in 1957, and have been a member ever since.

2 What is your affiliation with UFV and the CICS?

Madeleine Hardin and Parm Bains persuaded me to donate to the Centre years ago when it was just in its initial fundraising stages. Not only did I donate personally, but because of my connections with the community, I decided to become a part of the fundraising efforts. I went around encouraging others from the community to donate.

3 Why do you feel the desire to contribute to the CICS? What does the CICS offer to the community in your opinion?

Through my travels around the world, I thought it was about time that the Indo-Canadian community here had some central focus and profile. For example, I wanted the Indo-Canadian community here to have some sort of record of what our community has done in Canada, a sense of archival history, etc. Overall, the CICS offered a solid voice for the community and especially youth.

4 What roles do you see the centre having in the future?

I see the centre as being accessible to all. Through studies and understanding I believe tensions and conflicts can be eliminated. The centre plays a vital role in connecting community members with academia, students, and visiting scholars.

5 In what ways do you think the centre can better serve the community?

I believe that young people need to come forward, and our thinking needs to change. For example, it is only through the acceptance of each other, that we can become one voice, and not so many divided voices. The centre needs to be a hub for different Indian peoples to come together i.e. Pakistanis, Bengalis, Punjabis, Hindus,etc. Also, I think the centre should promote its work more in newspapers, temples, etc.

Community Profile: Tok Herar

UFV’s South Asian Peer Network (SAPNA) hosted Diwali at the Centre for Indo

Canadian Studies on October 16. It was a fun-filled day that included events such as diya painting (clay candle holders), and mehndi (henna tattoos) as well as delicious Indian food.

The centre also co-sponsored a Diwali event with the Multicultural department at Mission Community Services and the West Heights Inclusive Neighborhood project. These groups joined together to celebrate Diwali on October 16 at West Heights Elementary School. The Diwali festival celebrates victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.

Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute meetings

The fall executive council meeting of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute was held at

the University of the Fraser Valley on the week of November 22.

The executive council of Shastri has members both from India and Canada. Members of the Shastri community, the community at large, and the Shastri council members met and shared their ideas. Dr. Ghuman and Dr. Veer Singh presented papers on the privatization of higher education in India. The Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies hosted a dinner reception in their honour on November 23.

Left to right: Satwinder Bains, Dr. Mark Evered, Mr. Ashok Das (Consul-General of India) and Dr. Erika Das

Princess Urmilla Devi (fourth from right) fascinated a group that came together to hear her speak about the Wadiya dynasty of Mysore, India.

Tok Herar in front of the plaque acknowledging his contribution.

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Faculty Profile: Dr. Zareen Naqvi, Director for Institutional Research 1 Tell us a little about yourself

I am from Pakistan and have recently immigrated to Canada with my family. I am an economist by training and did my doctoral degree from Boston University (USA). I started my career in Pakistan as an Assistant Professor at the Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS), which is the top business school in Pakistan. I left LUMS for family reasons and worked as a Research Economist at the Applied Economics Research Centre in Karachi. I later joined the World Bank in 1996 where I worked for almost 10 years before coming to Canada. In Canada, I taught at SFU for two terms before joining UFV in May 2007. I am married with one daughter, and my husband is also an economist.

2 Can you tell me briefly about your work for the World Bank on Pakistan and Afghanistan?

I worked as an economist with the World Bank in Islamabad, Pakistan. From 1996 to 2001 I worked on Afghanistan, which involved close liaison with UN agencies and other bilateral donors. We helped to build a body of knowledge on Afghanistan’s economy, particularly on the agriculture sector, trade with neighbouring countries, role of remittances, education opportunities for displaced Afghans and refugees in Pakistan, and de-mining activities. I helped organize a number of international conferences on Afghanistan including a high-profile reconstruction conference following September 11, 2001. I managed a trust fund to work with Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The fund was used to develop programs for training women teachers and for capacity building of Afghan NGOs. On Pakistan, I worked on two US$90 million loans to the Government of Northwest Frontier Province in Pakistan on economic and social sector reforms. These two loans have helped to

improve basic education and health facilities in the province in a short period of time. I also worked on a number of other multi-dimensional projects in the areas of public policy and trade policy reforms. I have also worked extensively on issues of economic integration in South Asia. I have co-edited a book titled The Challenges and Potential of Pakistan-India Trade, which is a World Bank publication. I have presented papers at conferences and other forums on the same topic.

3 What attracted to you to research specifically on Pakistan and India?

International trade has been my area of expertise. I did my master’s thesis on the Trends in the Direction and Composition of Pakistan’s Trade. In 1995/96, I was part of a high-level government commission in Pakistan that looked at the issue of Pakistan–India trade. That commission directly reported to Benazir Bhutto, who was the Prime Minister at the time. We recommended that Pakistan should give India the Most Favoured Nation status and expand trade with India. In 2003/04, the World Bank was requested by the Government of Pakistan to revisit the issue of Pakistan–India trade, particularly to look at the impediments to trade and how to improve economic relationships. I led a team of about 20 researchers from various universities and research institutes in Pakistan to work on this issue. I feel passionately that Pakistan and India should have better political and economic relations, as a way of building peace and prosperity, not only in these two countries but in the whole South Asia region.

4 How does your research impact the India-Pakistan trade relationship?

I am hoping that my research is showing that both Pakistan and India have a lot to gain by expanding trade and investment relationships.

My research also shows the opportunities that have been lost by these two countries by not resolving their long-standing political conflicts. I have already seen the use of my research findings in the bilateral discussions on economic issues as part of the Composite Dialogue Process that started between Pakistan and India in January 2004. A number of bilateral trade agreements have been signed recently and negotiations on a number of outstanding issues have been moving well. My dream is that Pakistan and India should trade as US and Canada do — openly and with trust. They should look at each other as mutual friends/partners, not as perpetual enemies.

5 What influence does the CICS have on your research?

I would like my research to support the interests and goals of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies. I am interested in expanding my research in areas that are of common interest for me and the centre.

6 How did you get started in institutional research (IR)?

I started in institutional research more by accident than by design. My background in operational research and experience seemed to allow for a nice fit. Now that I have learned what institutional research is all about, I find it to be a very exciting field. I hope that I can help UFV improve the way it reports and analyzes data. I am also very interested in generating good-quality institutional research that helps UFV in better planning and future growth.

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On October 8, Terah Sportel, a PhD candidate in geography from the University

of Guelph, presented a lecture entitled Plucking Nuts: Shifting Labour, Markets & Livelihoods in the Kerala Coconut Sector in India.

The talk reflected one component of her PhD research in India — the role of social structures and political/economic factors on labour-market change in Kerala’s coconut sector. To understand trajectories in the Kerala coconut sector it is necessary to investigate how social structures, specifically class/caste, culture/identity, space, and mobility, interact with the changing political economy to

influence labour markets. Her research does this through a comparative case study approach and empirical research in two Panchayats.

India has had an irreversible pull for Terah professionally and personally since her first introduction during the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute’s summer program in 2000. In total she has spent two and half years living and working in India, mainly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Terah’s dissertation looks at the relationship between labour markets, livelihoods, and the changing Kerala coconut economy within an era of globalization.

Lecture on markets & livelihoods in the Kerala coconut sector, India

Geography faculty members Cherie Enns, (far right) and Dr. Garry Fehr (third from left), with Terah Sportel and session attendees.

UFV will develop a Diaspora Studies certificate program that will be an

option within a number of BA majors and will incorporate a field component. The certificate will be linked with partner universities associated with the Diaspora Education Consortium (DEC) student mobility project currently funded by Human Resources and Social Development, Canada and the European Union. These partners include Muenster University (Germany), the University of Northampton (UK), York University (Ontario), Mumbai University (India), and possibly the University of Delhi in the future.

The objectives of the program are to provide opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and competencies that will support their future work in immigrant/minority communities within a local and global context and/or to continue further studies of Diaspora cultures and related studies. The certificate will develop a common core program at the senior undergraduate level to be implemented by each partner university within the context of its local community. It will also create opportunities for faculty to share their research, pedagogical approaches, and other areas of academic interest across disciplines with faculty colleagues, with local Diaspora communities and with partner universities. The program will strengthen/build community Diaspora networks with NGOs, cultural groups, arts associations, religious organizations, immigrant associations and other appropriate groups/individuals.

Diaspora Studies certificate coming

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A newsletter from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

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A newsletter from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

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Volume 4, Number 4 | December 2009 Volume 4, Number 4 | December 2009

Award-winning author M.G. Vassanji visited the centre on November 20 to read from

The Assassin’s Song, which was published in 2007 and has since been short-listed for the Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award, and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Vassanji received the 2009 Governor General’s award for non-fiction for his memoir: A Place Within: Rediscovering India.

Born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania, M.G. Vassanji attended the University of Nairobi, where he won a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study nuclear physics. He completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1978, he moved to Canada to work at the Chalk River Laboratories, in the theoretical physics branch in Chalk River, Ontario. In 1980, Vassanji moved to Toronto to begin his writing career.

Vassanji’s work has received considerable critical acclaim. The Gunny Sack won a regional Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1990.

In 1994, he won the Harbourfront Festival Prize. That year he was also one of twelve Canadians chosen for the Maclean’s magazine honour roll. Vassanji won the inaugural Giller Prize in 1994 for The Book of Secrets. He again won the Giller Prize in 2003 for The

In-Between World of Vikram Lall, becoming the first writer to win the Giller Prize more than once. In 2006, When She Was Queen was short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award. In 2005, he was made a member of the Order of Canada.

I am an Abbotsford girl, born and raised. I come from a large extended family. As the eldest

of my siblings and cousins I was the first to venture out into the world of education. Initially, my experience in the public school system was horrible. Coming from a predominantly Punjabi-speaking home, English seemed very alien to

me. The language barrier segregated me further, shattering my confidence. Luckily my parents took notice and I then had the good fortune to obtain my elementary education at Dasmesh Punjabi School, where through the patience and support of my teachers and community I was able to flourish into a confident young woman.

My family’s interest in politics and history, and the wonderful teachers I had during high school, really sparked my curiosity to know my past, the history of my ancestors, my land, and the land of my parents. This awareness is what led me to begin my bachelor’s degree here at UFV with a major in history and a minor in English. As I grew further into my degree I began to develop a real interest in Diaspora studies, and this directed me towards the first Indo-Canadian studies course offered here at UFV.

In the spring of 2008, I began to work as research assistant at the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies. The project that I am currently working on is to record the oral Indo-Canadian history. This project has enriched my personal and professional life in numerous ways; for example, through the privilege of working with many of the elders of our community: to hear their stories, their accomplishments, and their struggles is a priceless form of education.

Working with the centre also allowed me to get involved with SAPNA. As the co-chair of this student association, I take great pride in promoting events and issues on campus which endorse charity and community. SAPNA has done a great deal of work on campus raising funds for the Abbotsford Food Bank and for the floods in Fiji.

Reading at UFV by author M.G. VassanjiStudent leader profile: Bal Mandair

Author M.G. Vassanji (second from left) with fans at his UFV reading. including actiing Dean of Arts Dr. jaqueline Nolte (far left)..

Co-Chair of SAPNA, Bal Mandair

Principals of seven schools from all over India were hosted by UFV International on

September 25. The principals also visited the centre to discuss partnerships and potential future collaborations with their institutes. They were visiting various universities to promote higher education in Canada for their students in India. At UFV they were welcomed by President and Vice-Chancellor Mark Evered, Acting Vice President and Provost Eric Davis, and Associate Vice President Research and Graduate Studies Yvon Dandurand. DJ Sandhu, BC Research Chair on Canada India Business and Economic Development gave a presentation on business and higher education opportunities in India.

Centre director Satwinder Bains (far right) with the group of school principals from India.

State, society, and economy in the twenty-first century

Yvon Dandurand, UFV’s Associate Vice-President of Research and Graduate Studies,

has contributed a chapter to the book State, Society and Economy in the Twenty First Century, edited by Dr. A.S. Narang, past-president of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute.

Dandurand’s chapter is entitled Canada-India Research Partnership in Fields of Justice, Public Safety and Human Rights.

Both India and Canada are regional powers with a global leadership role. Canada, the

second largest country in the world, and India, the second most populous, share a number of common values including a firm belief in democracy, the rule of law, and respect for pluralism. The two are among the rare examples of successful federal polities with a parliamentary system of government.

During the first ten years of India’s independence, the two countries had developed cordial and close relations to the extent of being called ‘Indo-Canadian entente’. The later decades of the 20th

century witnessed almost a freezing of those. The essays in this volume bring out new trends in strengthening Indo-Canadian relations and hope for positive growth. This volume is part of various efforts initiated to enhance political and cultural understanding between two different nations belonging to two different civilizations, but capable of contributing significantly in world affairs in a positive manner.

Co-Chair of SAPNA (South Asian Peer Network Association)

India school principals visit the centre

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Ceremony held at CICS in memory of 1984

Volume 4, Number 4 | December 2009

On November 3, the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies held a ceremony in

remembrance of the Delhi riots that occurred in 1984, which was a year of great tragedy for Sikhs around the world.

In early June 1984, thousands of Sikh pilgrims were killed when their holiest shrine, the Golden Temple of Amritsar, was attacked by the Indian army. Following this attack, in late October, then-prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in apparent retaliation. This assassination ignited a series of anti-Sikh riots across India, aided and abetted by various agencies of the state, in which several thousand more Sikhs were killed. These tragic events sparked more than a decade of violent ethnic conflict in Punjab and inspired Sikh nationalism abroad.

In memory of the 1984 events, a lecture on the origins and chronology of the tragedy and a consideration of its impacts on Canadian Sikhs was jointly presented by Satwinder Bains, director of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, and Dr. Nicola Mooney of the Social, Cultural, and Media Studies department.

The lecture was followed by a candle-lighting ceremony commemorating those Sikhs who lost their lives, and in remembrance of all the people affected by those traumatic events.

The next India Study Tour is all set to take place in February 2010, as students prepare to

not only experience the thrill, history, and beauty of a lifetime, but earn university credits during this great experience.

The study tour is part of a geography and field-study India course and this time around will expose students to several unique Indian states and cities including Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh, Shimla, Kandaghat, Amritsar, Bhopal, and Goa.

The course will consist of four weeks study prior to departure, one month in India, and then three weeks of study upon return. It includes historical, cultural, and social exposure that will allow students to see the real India first-hand. Faculty members helping to organize and take part in this tour include Dr. Garry Fehr, Cherie Enns, and Satwinder Bains.

India Study Tour 2010

Remembering the tragic events of June 1984.

CICS ReportThe newsletter for the

Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies

Publisher: Satwinder Bains, CICS Director

Satwinder Bains@ufv ca604-854-4547

Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley

UFV Abbotsford campus33844 King Road

Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7MBwww ufv ca/cics