100 Years of Sikh Achievements - Khalsa Diwan Society Centenary Celebrations

December 15th, 2006 by admin

Khalsa Diwan Society

Celebrating 100 Years

Celebrate the achievements and honour the sacrifices of Sikh pioneers who established the Khalsa Diwan Society.

Join the Sikh youth and community of BC in this new era of the Khalsa Diwan Society at Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar, New Westminster, to honour the pioneers of our community who sacrificed their families, livelihood, and lives for the freedoms and rights we cherish today.


Guest of Honour:
Baba Iqbal Singh Ji from Akal Academy, Baru Sahib

Daily keertan darbars with:

Bhai Niranjan Singh ji Jawaddi Kala wale

Special Seminars by:
Dr. Khem Singh Gill (former VC PAU)
Dr. Savraj Singh (USA)
Dr. P.S. Bhurji
Harinder Singh of the Sikh Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas

Various presentations by Sikh youth and students


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10 Days of Prayer, Meditation, Discussion & Reflection:

December 15 - 25th

Full Schedule Below

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The objectives of the 100 years celebration of the Khalsa Diwan Society by the New Westminster Khalsa Diwan Society is to share with the community and especially the youth the achievements and sacrifices of early Sikh Pioneers and to discuss how they have helped shaped the lives of all Canadians today.Besides a wide range of religious celebrations the society will hold seminars to discuss its achievements and the setbacks endured during the last one hundred years. We will also invite and implement new ideas from the participants in the seminars to strengthen our community and to play a healthy role for a better life in British Columbia, Canada.

In addition to this we will also hold competitions to engage our youth in activities such as Gatka, Volleyball and a Dastar Competition.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE BELOW (Subject to Change)
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Fri 15th Dec
9.30am
Akhand Path Sahib – Arumb
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

5pm–8.30pm
Kirtan Darbar & Opening Ceremony
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Sat 16th Dec
11am–5pm
Dastar Competition and Seminars on the Dastar
Queensborough Community Center

6.30pm–9pm
Kavi Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Sun 17th Dec
9.30am–1.30pm
Akhand Path Sahib – Bhog followed by Kirtan, Speeches by Scholars on Sikhs in Canada & History of Society followed by Speeches by Dignitaries
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

6.30pm–9pm
Dhadi Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Mon 18th Dec
5pm–9pm
Kirtan Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Tue 19th Dec
6.30pm–9pm
Katha Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Wed 20th Dec
6.30pm–9pm
Simran Samagam
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Thur 21st Dec
6.30pm–10pm
Bal Kirtan Darbar followed by Movie
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Fri 22nd Dec
9.00am–5.00pm
Workshop: The Gurū: Connecting with the Divine Light, by Bhai Harinder Singh, San Antonio, Texas.
Queensborough Community Center

5.30pm–7pm
Seminars: Shaibzadey & Mata Gujri Ji
Queensborough Community Center

6.30pm–9pm
Kirtan Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Sat 23rd Dec
9am
Akhand Path Sahib – Arumb
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

11am–5pm
Seminars: Rekindling the Sikh Spirit, Sikh History, Sant Baba Teja Singh Ji, Sikh Philosophy, Baba Bhudda Ji, Drug & Social Challenges, Violence against Woman & Future Directions of the Sikhs
Queensborough Community Center

6.30pm–9pm
Youth Kirtan Darbar
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Sun 24th Dec
10am–12pm
Society Invitations
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

1pm–6pm
Gatka Exhibition
Khalsa School Gym, Surrey

6.30pm–9pm
Youth Kirtan Darbar and Speeches followed by Fireworks
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Mon 25th Dec
10.30am– 2.00pm
Bhog Akhand Path Sahib, followed by Recognition of community pioneers & men and women with outstanding contribution. Followed by Closing Ceremony & Awards for competition winners
Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar

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Vancouver, BC - A century has gone by since the establishment of the pioneer Sikh institution Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver, British Columbia. During those days, people immigrating from India faced a hostile environment. It was full of racism and ostracism when they first arrived in North America. But instead of being deterred from a new life in Canada, they banded together to form the Khalsa Diwan Society - an organization that would provide facilities for religious practice and would also lead the struggle for human rights for decades to come.

The Indo-Canadian Community faced some major challenges. During 1904 a Sikh Bhai Arjan Singh Malik brought Sri Guru Granth Sahib to Vancouver. The Sikhs congregated at homes for religious ceremonies. The congregations around Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji became a source of unity, inspiration and strength to stand for the rights of the community. Our deepest reverence goes to those pioneer Sikhs who practiced what they preached.

Holding congregations at private homes would have been very inconvenient. It would have been natural to look for an ideal place where everybody could be accommodated on regular basis. As a result, they formed the Khalsa Diwan Society during 1906 and built their first place of worship – Gurdwara Sahib at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver – during 1908. The Sikhs of Canada will always be indebted to Professor Teja Singh Ji for his timely guidance and inspiration for the practice of Sikh heritage in Canada. The Indo-Canadians were identified as Hindus when he visited Canada. He will always be remembered for his message to the Canadians that the Sikhs had their own identity and they were not Hindus.

The Indo-Canadian faced harsh discriminatory laws. They were deprived of voting rights, forced to move to Honduras, and in one distressing incident fresh water and food meant for the passengers of Kamagata Maru –nicknamed by the Sikhs ‘Guru Nanak Jahaz’ were kept under heavy surveillance by the Canadian gun boat ‘Rainbow’.Some two months later Canadian immigration officials sent the vessel back to India without permitting its passengers to land on Canadian soil. Upon disembarking in Baj-Baj Ghat in Calcutta, many of its passengers were shot dead. Those who survived spent their lives in jails. Bhai Meva Singh stood for justice at the cost of his life and became a martyr in Canada.

The community stood united like a rock and faced all the challenges and came out victorious.

It is therefore our most important duty to express our sincere thanks to the pioneers who faced all sorts of hardships and paved a way for us all, for the quality of life that we enjoy in this country. Amongst other Sikh societies in British Columbia, the Khalsa Diwan Society, New Westminster was also a branch of the pioneer institution of the Sikhs then situated at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver. Therefore the new management of this Society has decided to celebrate the centenary of its establishment commencing 15th to 25th December, 2006.

Besides religious celebrations, the society will hold seminars to discuss its achievements and the setbacks endured during the last one hundred years. It will invite and implement new ideas from the participants in the seminars to strengthen our community to play a healthy role for a better life in British Columbia, Canada.

All are humbly urged for their presence and participation in the Centenary Celebrations of the establishment of the Khalsa Diwan Society.

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