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\u00a0Baltej Singh Dhillon wasn\u2019t trying to be a trailblazer. He was just a young man who wanted to serve his country.<\/p>\n \u00a0Baltej Singh Dhillon wasn\u2019t trying to be a trailblazer. He was just a young man who wanted to serve his country.<\/p>\n
In 1988, when the college criminology graduate applied to join the RCMP after volunteering at a detachment in Surrey, B.C., Dhillon was rejected because he would not abide by the force\u2019s dress code, which banned turbans and beards required by practicing Sikhs.<\/p>\n
But he did not back down, pushing to change the RCMP uniform policy. And\u00a0two controversial years later<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0he received hate mail and death threats, while supporters rallied behind the Charter of Rights and Freedoms \u2014\u00a0the federal government revised the rules.<\/p>\n Even though visible minorities and women remain under-represented, the RCMP has become increasingly diverse over the past couple decades, mirroring other national institutions. From time to time, fellow Sikhs and other officers of colour tell Dhillon that he inspired them to pursue a career in law enforcement. This transformation is heartening, yet Dhillon \u2014\u00a0now Officer in Charge,\u00a0Operational Readiness and Response, with the RCMP in Vancouver \u2014 is humble about his role. \u201cI was just happy when the second Sikh officer came along seven years after me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dhillon will be one of the keynote speakers on Nov. 27 at Carleton\u2019s\u00a0Symposium on Sikhism<\/a>, hosted by the university\u2019s\u00a0Canada-India Centre for Excellence\u00a0<\/a>(CICE). The day-long gathering, featuring presentations and panel discussions with scholars, business leaders and public officials will explore the emergence and global impact of Sikhism in the context of Canada\u2019s commitment to multiculturalism.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada has become an example of how immigrants from different backgrounds come together to bring peace and prosperity to the whole world,\u201d says CICE Manager Harry Sharma. \u201cOne immigrant community that\u2019s at the forefront in this<\/p>\n country is the Sikh community. Despite comprising a tiny percentage of the world\u2019s population, Sikhs have made tremendous contributions to businesses, academia and culture. As the Canadian electorate and businesses look towards the future, they must have a better understanding of Sikhism.\u201d<\/p>\n To Dhillon, Sikhism is not so much a religion but a way of life, a path<\/p>\n <\/p>\n that brings people together. His faith is a central part of who he is, with manifestations such as the weekly yoga and mindfulness class he teaches for RCMP officers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dhillon meditates\u00a0every morning, which helps him remain compassionate and present throughout the ebb and flow of each day. This type of practice can give police the skills they need to better manage some of the challenges and stresses of their profession, including PTSD.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn North America, we\u2019re used to looking for complex answers,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve just got to sit and be quiet for 11 minutes, man! Meditation can be a preventative measure.\u201d Dhillon appreciates the educational value of visible minorities succeeding in public careers. Seeing a man in a turban wearing a uniform can provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn from one another, and he feels that there is more cultural awareness about Sikhism in Canada than in the United States.<\/p>\n But he also knows that we still have a lot more work to do to overcome the sense that some careers are not safe or accepting for everybody.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to get to a place where we\u2019re not differentiating on the basis of culture, religion or ethnicity,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s how we can grow as a society. We\u2019re all just Canadian citizens who have a certain background and choose to live a particular type of life.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be remembered just as a Sikh police officer, but also that I was a\u00a0good<\/em>\u00a0police officer. I want to leave behind a legacy beyond the fact that I was the first.\u201d<\/p>\n Mainstream awareness about Sikhs in Canada has been amplified by a number of prominent members of the community, including Minister of National Defence\u00a0Harjit Sajjan<\/a>\u00a0and recently elected federal NDP Leader\u00a0Jagmeet Singh<\/a>.<\/p>\n This visibility is a byproduct of the growing population of Sikhs in Canada, says Baljit Singh Chadha, the president and founder of Montreal-based Balcorp Ltd., an international trade and marketing firm, and another speaker at the symposium.<\/p>\n There are roughly 700,000 Sikhs in Canada, he says, more than the 470,000 identified in the 2011 census because many do not self-declare.<\/p>\n When people emigrate to a new country, they often settle amongst others from the same homeland. This tendency has led to the growth of large Sikh communities in places such as Surrey and Brampton, Ont. Successive generations become more prominent in the educational and employment landscapes and branch out geographically, which helps break down misconceptions and fulfills the vision of Canada as a cultural mosaic.<\/p>\n \u201cMulticulturalism in Canada may need some tweaking or fine-tuning, but it\u2019s working,\u201d says Chadha, who came to Canada as a university student in 1973 and, three years later, founded Balcorp with \u201cborrowed capital and a rented desk.\u201d<\/p>\n The company is focused on trade between North America and Asia, and although trade between India and Canada is growing, he says it\u2019s fraction of what it should be.<\/p>\n Cultural awareness about India and Sikhism also has room to grow, which is why the Chadha Family Foundation has started and supported courses on Sikhism at several Canadian universities. These courses are not aimed at Indo-Canadian students \u2014\u00a0they\u2019re for all Canadians.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the racist attitudes that develop are because of ignorance,\u201d says Chadha. \u201cWe need to increase the knowledge we have about each other.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/india\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_20171127_110004-240x135.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA Path That Brings People Together<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nAmplifying Mainstream Awareness about Sikhs<\/h2>\n
Sharing, Service and Earning an Honest Living<\/h2>\n
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