Darshan Singh Canadian | |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Darshan A. Sangha 1917 Langeri,Punjab,India |
| Died | September 25, 1986(1986-09-25) (aged 68–69) India |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | Indian, Canadian |
| Political party | Communist Party of India Communist Party of Canada |
| Other political affiliations | Labor-Progressive Party |
| Spouse | Harbans Kaur |
| Occupation | Trade union activist |
Darshan Singh Canadian (bornDarshan A. Sangha in 1917 – 25 September 1986) was aSikhtrade union activist andcommunist organizer in Canada and India.[1]
Darshan Singh Canadian immigrated toVancouver, Canada in 1937. Upon his arrival, his uncle attempted to get him a job at Dominion Sawmills resulting in the uncle being fired and Sangha being hired at five cents less pay an hour. He became active in theLabor-Progressive Party (as theCommunist Party of Canada was known).[2] He was one of the founders of theInternational Woodworkers of America and served as one of the union's organizers as well as itsgeneral secretary from 1942 to 1946. He led striking woodworkers on a march on the provincial capital ofVictoria in 1946. He fought for the rights of B.C.'sEast Indian woodworkers.
Darshan Singh Canadian returned toIndia upon its independence in 1947 and adopted "Canadian" as his surname.
He became active in theCommunist Party of India (CPI) becoming party secretary inPunjab. Canadian was a powerful speaker, and addressed several meetings and mass rallies. He also served as the secretary ofPunjab Kisan Sabha.[3] He opposed theKhalistani separatists among theNRI Sikhs, and actively campaigned against them through his articles and speeches.[3] He representedGarhshankar Assembly constituency inHoshiarpur district as member ofPunjab State Legislature for two terms from 1972 to 1980.[4][5] He was assassinated in 1986, in retaliation for his comments againstKhalistani militants.[citation needed]
Darshan Singh married Harbans, the daughter of Baba Lal Singh, aGhadar veteran fromJandiala inJalandhar district. His two daughters settled in Britain and Canada. In his last years, he suffered fromspondylitis and other health problems, and once went to USSR for treatment.[3]
On the afternoon of 25 September, Darshan Singh was killed by Sikh militants during theinsurgency in Punjab, India.[6] Within two hours of his death, about a thousand demonstrators gathered at the police station atMahilpur, and blocked the way toHoshiarpur. They protested against police inactivity, and even accused the police of complicity in the crime.[3][7]
On 26 September, a huge march was organized from his native villageLangeri to Mahilpur. The people shouted slogans as "Darshan Singh Canadian Amar Rahe" (Long Live Darshan Singh Canadian), "Canadian aman ekta da shahid" (Canadian was a martyr to peace and unity), "Na Hindu Raj na Khalistan, jug jug jive Hindustan" (Neither Hindu Raj nor Khalistan, long live India), "Hindu Sikh noon jo ladaye, oh desh da vairi hai" (he who makes Hindus and Sikhs fight, is an enemy of the nation), "atvad wakhwad murdabad" (down with extremism and secessionism), "Lokan da ekta zindabad" (Long live public unity), "Hindu Sikh ekta zindabad" (Long live Hindu-Sikh unity), and "CPI zindabad" (Long live CPI).[3] From Mahilapur, the procession came back to Langeri. A 20,000-strong rally was held in the village school ground, where Canadian's body lay. Thousands of Sikh youth participated in the rally, denouncing the extremist killers.[3]
His body was cremated after several leaders, including theSGPC President, paid their tributes to him.[3]
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