Toronto
Southhall
People
A Parade of Peace
by TRISH CRAWFORD [Toronto Star]Kehar Singh Matharu got up at 2 a.m. yesterday to go to the gurdwara in the Finch and Sheppard Avenues area in Toronto, Canada, but he wasn't there to pray.
The retired machinist was cooking, as were hundreds of men and women in twelve gurdwaras around the Greater Toronto Area, in preparation for a mammoth feast to celebrate Khalsa Day, the Sikh New Year.
Vats of curry, trays of breads, buckets of chickpea spreads and salads were then brought early in the morning to the Better Living Centre at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds where crowds had assembled for morning hymns and prayers. Shoes were left at the door and heads were covered with turbans or scarves, out of respect, as the large room was converted into a temporary gurdwara.
"It doesn't matter who you are, we will feed you," said Matharu.
It is a Sikh tradition to provide food at no expense to people attending services, explained Matharu, as the crowds lined up in orderly rows to have their plates filled before finding a space on the floor to sit and eat.
Thousands of people were fed free of charge at both the CNE and Toronto City Hall later in the afternoon, following a colourful parade along Lake Shore Blvd. and York St., highlighted by the orange and blue colours of the Sikh religion.
An estimated 40,000 participated in the parade, which featured bands, floats, kids wearing T-shirts exhorting "See God in all," and men brandishing ceremonial kirpans.
It was the sword-fights (in the gatka demonstrations) that most intrigued 13-year-old Sarpreet Kaur Gill, of Brampton, who intends to study Sikh martial arts when she gets older, as it is open to both boys and girls.
"It is so interesting to watch, and the swords move so fast," she said.
She had helped her father, Dr. Varinder Singh Gill, create a brochure, which was handed out at the centre to the general public, explaining the Sikh religion and the use of the turban.
The homeopathic doctor said when he first came to Canada in the 1990s, he drove a taxi and was often asked about his turban.
This year, he thought it would be a good idea to provide an educational component to the festival.
"We need to explain to people who we are," said Gill, adding that he had been in the Middle East prior to coming to Canada and had "stones thrown at us." Canada, on the other hand, has been very welcoming, said the father of five.
Toronto's Khalsa festival, which started with 2,000 participants in 1986, has grown into a huge event attended by political leaders of all stripes, including Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ontario Conservative leader John Tory, federal Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and Toronto Mayor David Miller. The mayor proclaimed yesterday as Khalsa Day and praised the Sikh objectives of peace and respect.
Organizers put the size of the crowd at Nathan Phillips Square at up to 75,000 people. Downtown traffic was snarled by the parade and the large crowds of pedestrians attending the festival and others simply enjoying the warm spring day.
The square was alive with salwars and kameezes of every hue and people lined the City Hall parapet to watch crowds below. Bands playing traditional Indian music entertained prior to the late-afternoon speeches.
One aim of the festival is to educate other Canadians about the Sikh religion, but it also helps Sikhs stay connected to each other, said dental hygienist Inderjit Kaur Lamba, who came to Canada in 1994.
The mother of three, attending with her extended family, said the festival ensures " that we are not forgetting our religion and culture."
Her sister-in-law, Deepinder Kaur Lamba, a teacher, pointed out the importance of bringing their Canadian-born children to these types of events so that "the culture is not lost."
Many of the thousands attending the event sat on the pavement - no chair required.
Sitting on the floor is a way of showing "humbleness," explained Harjit Singh Lamba, who has been a special constable with the Toronto Police Services for 17 years. "When you are sitting on the floor, the poor and the rich are all equal. No one is above another," he said.
[Courtesy: The Toronto Star]
Photos, courtesy: Thumbnail - Carey Wagner, Fresno Bee. This page, top photo, of Sikh-Canadians awaiting the Vaisakhi parade at Toronto's City Hall: Derek Oliver, CP.