Indo-Canadian Interview 39
In: icohc:28; local: Interview_39; uuid: a1e0bf2a-7ed5-42bf-ac07-81f6a7ce96a4;; (1985)
Audio
Zugriff:
Il est arrivé au Canada à l’âge de 17 ans, en 1932. Il est retourné aux Indes en 1947 pour se marier et il est revenu au Canada en 1950. Aux Indes, il était fermier. Son oncle vivait au Canada et il l’a invité à venir le rejoindre. Il est venu à contre-cœur mais après 2-3 ans, il était heureux au Canada et il ne voulait plus retourner aux Indes. Il raconte qu’aux Indes, les gens étaient pauvres mais ils étaient heureux alors qu’au Canada, les conditions de vie étaient mauvaises parce qu’il n’y avait pas d’aide sociale pour les pauvres (avant la guerre). Pour se rendre au Canada, il a pris un bateau de Calcutta à Hong Kong, un trajet de 22 jours, puis il a pris l’avion jusqu’à Victoria. Il explique qu’il régnait un esprit d’harmonie sur le navire et que tous les passagers cuisinaient en commun pour partager leur nourriture. Son père était décédé et il fut adopté par son oncle qui vivait au Canada. À son arrivée à Victoria, il était accompagné d’un homme appelé Lall Singh qui consommait de l’opium. Il l’a suivi, car il ne savait pas où aller. Son oncle habitait sur une ferme à Abbotsford, mais il n’arrivait pas à trouver du travail dans cette ville. Il fut embauché par une scierie située à 150 miles d’Abbotsford. Le travail était très exigeant et il ne gagnait que 0,15$ l’heure. Il ne sait pas si les Blancs gagnaient le même salaire que les asiatiques. Il s’entendait bien avec ses confrères de travail caucasiens, mis à part quelques mésententes avec les autres jeunes hommes. Il décrit comment les travailleurs mettaient leur argent en commun pour payer un cuisinier ; ils ne chargeaient rien aux étudiants qui travaillaient avec eux afin de les aider à économiser pour leurs études. Il exprime son opinion sur la situation politique et sur les revendications des Sikhs aux Indes. Les immigrants indiens étaient très généreux et n’hésitaient jamais à amasser de l’argent pour différentes causes humanitaires. Il trouve que les nouveaux immigrants indiens sont impolis et ingrats, peut-être parce qu’ils ont trop d’argent. ; [This transcript was created by optical character recognition (OCR) software and the accuracy depends on the quality of scanned images and complexity of original text.] SIKHS IN CANADA Interviewer: Professor, G. B.: Basran Department of Sociology University of Saskatchewan SIKHS IN CANADA Interviewer: Professor, Gurcharan Singh Basran Date of the Interviews July 8th Time begin: 10 p.m. Language: The Interview would be conducted mainly in Punjabi and in English. G. B.: How old are you now? Informant: 72 years G. B.: When you came here, were you married at that time? Informant: I was married, but I did not have any concerned with that marriage. I stayed here 15 years, then I wrote two or three letters to my wife, that ybu should settle down some where else, because I do not want to come. I came to know about this country, so I wanted to stay here. Then, I had to go to India in 19^7, and then I got married some where else. First of all, I got divorce from my first wife, but at that time, there was not any law for divorce in India. I took her with me ±n Barnala, and also five elected members from her village went with her, and Numberdars from my village went there too. The Tehsildar said, that there is no law of divorce, but will prepare some kind of paper, so, he did it. After that, I got married and stayed three years, and came back in 1950• ' G. B.: How many children do you have? Informant: I have five daughters, and one son. G. B.: Your village is in District Ludhiana (in Punjab)? Informant: First, it was Ludhiana,but after the partition of Pakistan and Hindustan, Government changed the States or eliminate the Riastes etc, so, now our District is Sangrur. G. B.: When you came here in Canada, how old were you at that time? Informant: I would say, I turned 1?. G. B.: It means, you were married at that time, but your wife did not come with you? Informant: No, but at that time, there was no law to bring your wife here. G. B.: So, then, you went to India in 19^7, got married and came bac in 1950? Informant: Yes, that is right. G. B.: What you used to do there , in India, before you came here? You used to stay home, and did house work? Informant: My God, it is a long story. My father died hey, when there was a second world war, after the plague. He lived in this country for three years, then went back, and I was born, after that he died, too bad. Then I came in this country, my uncle brought me here . I worked very hard, >>••.• when I was in India. I used to plough the field, even I ploughed with the camel, when I was only fourteen years old. G. B.: Oh, I see, then you used to do the farming. Informant: Yes, we were farmers, real farmers. G. B.: Then, how about the study,there were no schools in those days in the villages? Informant: In our village, there was no school at that time, when we were young, but I studied;" Punjabi for five years. There were no other school where you could learn other language or anything else. There was a school four miles away from our village, but my Grandfather did not agree about that school, so, I learned only Punjabi. G. B.: When you came here from India, you had only this reason, that this country is good and, lots of money, good condition etc.? Informant: According to me, I think people had more knowledge about this country compare to me, because I did not like to leave my house, did not want to come here. I had my brother, he wanted me to come here, because he said, that uncle is calling you now, and that country is very good, this and that. G. B.: So, you did not want to come? Informant: No, I was home-sick. When I used to read a letter from India, I started to cry all the time. It took me two, three years to get over with it. After that, I got used to this country quite bit, then I did not want to go back, did not feel like going back, j ^ telling you the truth. G. B.: How were the conditions of the villages, when you came here first time? Informant: You know that, in the villages there was poverty, but people were living happily than people were here. Here, the condition of people was bad. I have seen these white people's children, if they had the shoes but without the soles very bad, and at that time there was no well-fare and unemployment.-kinEts-;. f' *Mngs. I have the first book of unemployment with me f j_f vou want to have the number, I would give it to you. This book was published in 19^-2. G. B.: I see, so, in 1942, when they passed this. Informant: They began to make the Social Security Cards and other things like that, at the time of the war, so that, they come to know the people where they are, and where they go . Actually they passed this at the time of war, and •^•after that, they made these cards. But, here in this country the condition was worse compare to India. G. B.: When you came first time, did you come by sea ship? Informant: Quite right. G. B.: Did you take of from Calcutta? Informant: First of all, I came to Ludhiana, then we came to Calcutta. There, we stayed ten days. The ship, in which I was to board, it left already. After that ship, there was another one, which was to come after two weeks. SB, after ten days I got that ship, and we had to stay with our friends from our village before I boarded in next ship. Then, that ship came to Plang, Kulampur, then came Singhapur. At Singhapur, the stayed three days because it was a goods ship (Freight)* We reached in Hong-Cong after 22 days. G. B.: That ship was for the goods, but there were people too? Informant: Yes, there were passengers too, but it was a goods ship. So, when we came to Singhapur,our2iJ-, 25 Sikhs boarded in that ship, they were policemen, and 200 people were arrested from Hong-Cong, who try to cross the border , so our Sikh policemen were taking themj.nto the jail. And, there used to be one hearth, and they used to cook Themselves. G. B.: How about the grocery? Informant: They (people) used to bring their own grocery, like flour, lentils and roasted chick peas and panjeeri etc. Then, people used to gather into groups of five or ten, and they used to say why don:'t.we cook together, they used to care and love with each other. Chineese, Japneese, and our people and others, all of them used to cook on the same hearth. If they (Chineese) did not get the chance to cook, they used to get mad or used to get into argument and so on. So, after that, the government made that system that you would get ready madjt food. It was very hard at that time. G. B.: How you used to sleep there (ship)? Informant: They had built some kind of shelves to sleep, as we have in the trains in India, to put the luggage up there. G. B.: Oh, yes, bunk beds. Informant: Yes, that is right, bunk beds. G. B.: How many did they have? Informant: Two, one was at the top and one at the bottom. Sometimes, we used to jump down on the bunk bed, and the other person used to go up on the v bunk bed, and talk. G. B.: When you were in the boat, you used to meet just our country-men or there were white people too? Informant: The white people were not many, they used to keep our people at minimum or cheap wages. As, first, they started their work like that. They are doing the same thing now, when and where they could get the worker on minimum wage, they keep him. But, we did not have any relation with them. G. B.: So, they were living on one side, and you were on the othersside. Informant: Yes, it was like that, they never asked us what are you doing. G. B.: When you came here in Canada, your uncle called you? And did he give you any kind of card, and you came here, what was your proof? Informant: At that time, there was a immigration/rule, that a person who came in Kama Ghatta Maru, if he has one child as^ten, so, if he would write as many, that was true at that time. So, many people wrote, that I have three children, nephews, whoever the*y were, they came like that.^ My father has lived here and he had very good relations with my uncle, so my uncle called me, but my father died at that time. My uncle adopted me as his own son. G. B.: When you came in 1932, what work did you do, at that time? Informant: It was very tough, very tough. G. B.: Where did you stay, when you came? Informant: I am telling you, when I got off in Victoria, there, Mr. M6ety"' who was the owner of the Mills, he was our rich man, other was Mr. Kapoor whose daughters built a hospital in Ludhianafone of their friends came from India on the same plane, I came in. They have come to receive him. The; immigration people asked them, you know his parents. They replied, yes,- • we know them, they are working at that or this place, so they said you go. G. B.: So, they let you come with them too? Informant: Yes, I came with them too, nothing happened. So, we started from Victoria and reached Vancouver. There was a man, named Lall singh from Abbub&L village, he was with me, that man used to take opium. There is no law to bring opium with you , he took it in the boat whatever he had with him, then he drank opium (doddays) from someone in Victoria. After that, we came to Vancouver by ship, after five hours. I did not know anything, I was like a blind person who walks here and there without knowing anything. Then, he said, now we are to go to our friends who lives close to the Gurdawara, there was a Gurdawara on the Second Avenue. I asked him, how far it is, he told me it is just four miles. I had one suitcase and one bed (sleeping bag etc.) wrapped with a rope like we do in our country. Now, we feel embarrassed when we see this, because at that time, we did not know much about anything like that. He needed the opium, we got off the CPR Ghat, we were suppose to go straight, which I came to know later on, he took towards the Chineese Town. G. B.: He knew he could get the opium from there? Informant: Yes, he knew, because he lived here many years. I did not know what he do there. „= ate there and ca»e ba<*. ! sat at the station of ^Tedro. That was B. C. Hedro, there was a station, but now there are some kind of offices at that place. 80, I sat there on the (at the station) planks made of wood, I had my luggage and his luggage too. When I was sitting there and waiting for Lall singh, one white man came to me, I do not know what he said to me, I kept quite. May be he said get up or something like that but I did not know what he said to me. He came two or three times to me, but I kept sitting quitely. Then, my friend (lall singh) came back, I said to him, that this white pan came to me two three times, and said something to me, but I do not know what he was saying, because I did not know English at all. Then, my friend said, let us go. We put our luggage on our head and held^ our suitcase, I asked him, how much we have to pay the train fare, the electric train was running at that time. Only seven cents, you have to pay at that time, he said, just keep on walking. We did, but we were dead tired, I would never forget that time, I was feeling miserable. My health was very good, when I was a, wrestler, I used to lift the weight. But, I played out in the ship, we stayed two months in ship. We could not eat white people's meal, now we do not care. At the most, we used to apple, and porridge etc. So, I was so tired, I sat down to take rest . He said, keep on walking, I said, I cannot walk. But, we walked later on, what we could do. We had a very difficult time, it was very tough. After that, when I came, I stayed with my uncle. G. B.: Your uncle, was in Vancouver? Informant: Ko, my uncle was in Abbis ford, where, there is a black foot lumberyard beside the Gurdawara 4i-that was my uncles place. It was 3f acres. We sold that place for five EuftacBd dollars, in 19*4-2. People are fighting for £ha$tplaeft Jfot*<-.,fe were responsible for that place, my cousin (uncle's son) said, we shduld. sell this place, because we have to pay 12 dollars every year for the installement, it was a big amount at that time. I said, it is your will, we can sell it. In 19^2, I was in Port Muddy, I had a contract in the Mill over there. G. B.: So, when you came to your uncle, then, you started working in the Mill? Informant: No, I stayed with them (uncle) for one month. There was no work here* and was no Mill either. The Gurdawara in Abbis ford, there is a Mill "rLake beside it, and called it Mill Lake. There used to two Mills, one was lumber Mill, and the other was the Shingle Mill. When; I came, the Lumber Mill was not running, but the Shingle Mill was still running, but after one month this Mill closed down too. These people were working in the Lumber Hill, and they used to carry the lumbers on their shoulder and they built this Gurdawara, because of that Mill was running at that time. Our first people built that Gurdawara and worked very very hard. And I stayed with my uncle one month, but there was no work. There was a friend of my uncle, in Parkish Lumber Company, ^0 miles away from Shikamus. Niranjan sinfeh'Gandhi's father was there at that time,he was a business man, and I worked with him for six months. G. B.: How far it is from here? Informant: It might be 150 miles from here. But, train was not going at that time. You had to go in plane from Vancouver, now, they constructed a road for that place. G. B.: What kind of work was there? Informant: In the Hill. That was all. G. B.: What kind of work was that? Informant: Very hard work. I was very strong for my age. They put me on the Tays, they are I think 6 by 8 , 8 feet long, I used to lift them and put them on the piles or stack them, so, I used to do all day long. Stack them high, first used to make the ladder with those tays and stack them, it was very hard work, when you are young, it is not bad. But, it was very very hard work. G. B.: What was your wage? How much did they pay you? Informant: They used to pay 15 cents an hour. G. B.: There were white people?, who were working with you? Informant: There were 35 our countrymen, and 20 white people, and 10 Chineese people, not much difference. G. B.: They used to get the same wages as you did? Informant: In my opinion, there was no difference in the pay, it may be possible, the person who is running the machine or doing somekind of different work he gets two cents more. But, the common labour used to do the same work. G. B.: What kind of'relations did you have with the whites? Informant: The whites were very nice, but when you are quite young, then you sometimes pick up fights, not all of them, just few or two are like that, I was quite a strong young maji , one white used to annoy me, he used to spit when I used to pass before him, actually, he used to eat or chew the tobacco, I told my boss that he is doing it intentially, he does not spit just for nothing. I said, you can watch him, but I am going to beat him up. The boss said, he is stronger than you, look at his muscles, I said, I don't care about his muscles, I would see, what is going to happen. I weighed 150 pounds and very strong. So, I beat him up quite bit, his friend who was working in the Hill, the Kill was running with the steam not with the electric. I went to take bath, there used to be a sign for the bath turns, |like one day if for the Chineese one for the whites and one for the Hindus fete. So, you let the steam come, and turn the cold water then mix them together and take bath. When, I was just about take a bath, the steam was shulbpbg. the white man, that boy was working on duty. I told Niranjan singh that the water is coming cold, he said, the steam is full you can see. I L told him, but there is something wrong. He went to that boy, and asked} the boy said, that I did it intentially, because he beat up our man. So, he said, that I wanted to fight with him too, that is why I shut the water. Niranjan singh told the same thing to me. I came out, and said to the white boy, that I do not want to fight Hr., but we both wrestled and fought. I held him on the shoulder, and made him fall on the ground. There was a piece of wood, two by four, his back banged against that wood, he was screaming but I kept him pressed down. Then, Niranjan singh said to me that I should leave him because he was saying, I should leave him, so I let him go, and I told Niranjan, that he should first go and let the steam run, then he went and let the steam come to take bath. G. B.: Did he let the steam run or come? Informant: Oh, yes, he did.t These people are nice like that, our people would keep on doing the same thing, no matter what. We did quite bit hard work. In thfcse days, we did not have any kind of facilities like now. You get off the ship and carry your own luggage on your shoulder. Now, when you come cars are here, meal is reatfy at home, even the bottle of drink is at the table before you come home or at your friends place, even they celebrate of your coming here. Now, there is a difference of day and night. G. B.: How you used to live in the Mills? Informant: In the Mills, there was a very good system compared to now. Now, we stay home, the woman works too, I am giving my own example, my wife works and our son went to take off the load, everybody works, doing the labour just for the living. At that time, families were $f> and bachelors 95^ although they were married back in the country (India), but here, they were living as bachelors. There used to be cook houses in the Kills. There is a big Mill and runs day and night, there are ?0 nen or 50 men, they had the cook, who used to cookfor these men. The caters used to buy the grocery. They were five^elected members (caters). .They used to buy whole grocery on credit, and these five caters used to keep the bills very carefully. After a month, these five men used to'collect the money, and check how much money they got, if it is 1000 or 1500 dollars. If there were ?0 people and one of them came just one week before, or two weeks before, so they used to charge him only one or two weeks. If I am working here and one of my friend came to me to ask about work, I say, you stay with me and I would ask my boss, suppose that friend of mine had to stay with me then nothing was charged it was free. If he stayed one day more then he had to pay. Suppose you are living in the cook house, in Missin, you went to Vancouver and did not return till week, they would not charge for that week, it was free. If you stayed there four days and return the fifth day then you had to pay for the food. These rules were made by the first people here. If any boy, who was a stud&rt, whether he is Hindu, Madrassi, Bengali or anybody in the holidays, like in the University or school, if he wants to work, there was a rule made by the first people, before we came, nothing was used to charge from them, whether they stay two months or four months, even they stay one year, students did not have to pay for the food or lodging etc. Our people used to think that they would study and bring a good name to our country. So, students did not have to pay for the grocery etc. No matter whose son was, they were thinking that they are ours. Now a days people cannot stand each other. People cared and loved each other in the past. G. B.: There were not many Gurdawaras at that time? Informant: 'Then I cane, there was a big Gurdawara i'i Vancouver on the Second Street. On was in Victoria, which is still there now. The other was Abbotsford G. B.: You used to go to the Gurdawara, when you used to live here? I came to know, that people at that time, used to go without their head covered? Informant: Yes, they used to go to the Gurdawara with their head uncovered, I have seen with my own eyes. If someone had his cap on, they used to ask him, take off your hat man. They started to cover just five or six years ago. Every body used to go without a cover or hat. One time, a man came from England, he was a nice fellow, he kept on standing in front of the Gurdawara door, he was not saying anything to any one. Baba Meehan singh came here on one time, he said, look, it is nice to cover your head, it is just like a respect we pay or do to our parents. He told, that if we cover our head, that does not mean to degrade or lower someone or lift someone up. It is just like we respect our parents, same way we respect our Guru. If the head is covered then it looks nice otherwise nothing else. Look at the Jews, they cover their heads. One time one Jew boy went with me in Abb]jJ I told him Ross, take y<5ur bloody hat off. He asked me why? I told him our people do not want that damn hat on your head. Ke said, not me, he was a complete coiiuftunis^, he said I do not take it off. He said, otherwise I do not want to go inside, I said, well come inside (Gurdawara) then, so, he went inside with me. Two Sikhs came to him and said, why are you not talcing of your hat, I said to them, he wouldn't, they said, what is the matter, I said, he is a complete sikh, he is Jew, Jew had the law, that no one can go without a hat. I think nothing is wrong with it, I told even few of my friends that if you are happy to go without a cover that is fine, If I want to go with my turban wrapped it is fine for me, why should you bother each other. Let it go free. Some people go without their head uncovered, and their kids fiavB the scarf wrapped around their buns. ~,fe believe the same God, we do not where is the God, but Heis there somewhere. Our people do not have the sense of giving and taking, they do not how to respect each other and get respect frrom others, I have been here since long, I used to go to different clubs nobody said anything to me. You respect people and they will respect you. G. B.: What do you think of India? Its condition at present time, economic and political condition, social or others, whatever you hear or have seen etc. ? Uhen you left for the first time, and you hear now about it? Informant: I do not have any knowledge about this. But only I can say that nuch, that whatever our Guru Gobind Singh did to us, that was useful. Look, how nany people were killed at that time, their heads were cut off. Our Guru Gobind singh fought for us although we knew that the Muslims were stronger than us, so, if we got the succes in India it is because of everybody's effort Sikhs, Hindus, Marhattas, look at, Bhagat singh, Raj Datt, and others. Everybody took part in it, as far as I_can_see. _ Like, JEndira Gandhi was_ our Prime-Kinister, people were saying that she does -not agree with us, so they were mad at her, the leaders made a mountain out of mole-hill by the pressures. "hen the Delegation of five people went to India, to express their anger^ one of my friend, he is muslim and Phd. he is a very nice fellow and a good friend of mine. We started to talk;: and asked him JfcJJan what do you think of the Delegation of five people who went to Indi?. today, he said politics is not bad, but the way they (Sikhs) are doing it is not nice. So, I asked they should do. He said, I think, If they wanted to go, that, there is not justice vrith the Sikhs, they should not go like that. I asked him, the?? how they should go? Re told me, that Sikhs are all over the world, they should take one person from a small country and two or more from a big ones, they should go in hundreds, before they should go there, they should make an appointment with the Prime Minister, and have gone. He was right. The Deputation should have gone from all over the countries, to settle down the matter. G. B.: What do you think of the agitation in India, and its situation, like whatever is happeining now? Informant: I do not know anything about it, because I did not go there since long, so I can not make any opinion. G. B.: What is happening in here, people are fighting with each other, some are supporting the Government, and others are saying the Sikhs are right, is there anything like that in here according to you? Informant: Personally, I do not take any part in these matters. Because, some people just find the excuse to pick up the fight with you. They do not use their own intelligence. So, whatever is happening in India, let it happened. We Sikhs, are living here, if we could help in any way, do it if you know the real cause. Not long time ago, we were asking the Independence, now fighting with each other, and spoiling the whole thing, now fighting with each other. I do not know what is this all about. I am also a Sikh, but not a Singh, but it is quite a different way. First of all, there used to be the l^i- black turbans, then blue turbans, now they changed into orange color (kessari), it should have some meaning, but I do not know why. Moreover, in every Gurudawara, they are hanging the'picta£e&-,of Nehru I am not against it, I am Sikh, I have also Nehru's and Snastri's pictures in my basement along with their history. What I mean to say, that if some one did some sacrifice or did a brave deed, I give him creditr»who-it may be. I am not supporting anyone, what is I am saying, that we should give a credit to a person, who is doingright thing, we should tell the truth. Our, Bhagat singh got the death sentence, what we can do to the Sikhs. I asked the members of the committee of Abbos ford, if they would allow me, to enlarge the picture of Shahid Udha^Singh, I have this picture, I asked them, that if they aould let'me put in the Gurdawara, because in the old Gurdawara, they had. the pictures of all the Shahid's. So, they said, it is a good idea. I enlarged that picture and put on the wall, it stayed there for six months. They took it off, committee did not take it off, but, one man with the big underwear came from India, he seemed like he was on drug, he was hooting, said, that this man should not be in the Gurdawara, so the managing people took it of at the same time, don't you think these people are stupid or dumm. You cannot tell a person is real sikh or a good man, if he is keeping hair and turban. He can be a bad person or drug user. Now, the communist boys asked me that, I should give that picture to them, I told them that we will request the Gurdawara people, because , I gave it to them. If they want to put it there then it is fine, or they would give back to us. Our people are like that, we can not do anything. G. B.: When we come here, we have our aspirations about our kids, and about the life, that we will do that and this etc. Now, when you see and think of those things, you think you are happy, and your dreams are fulfilled? Informant: Well, as far my family concerned, I am alright. If I think, that my family should marry like in India and should live like in India, then I am not happy. I have four daughters first then a boy then another girl. My son did no get the University Education, he went there but after two years he did not go back. But, all my daughters got their degrees. My older daughter is Nurse, and the second one, she is teaching in the Kaplana college, she is also writing a book like you are writing. My daughter, we call her BalM*V I would call her to meet you. G. B.: Oh, yes, Jimmy told me about her, your son-in-law. Informant: Oh, yes. G. B: As a matter of fact, you know what, I called her to-day, she was not at home. Actually, I have her phone No. Informant: Oh, yes, I will show you her picture. G. B.: Anything else about the olden times, you want to share and tell? (in Canada) Informant: I have^Sr grudge against that time especially against the Singhs, we were only-1000 people here not many. In 1935i there was a earthquake in Kota, and many people died with this earthquake. In Canada there were not many people, only 1000 were here. Here, people passed the law at that time, that a person who is earning here, he should give one month pay. Whether he is professor, labourer, whatever he is earning he should Igive one month pay. Most people were earning 25 dollars a month. Everybody paid the one month earning, I paid too. Look, we gave the money, but the Sikhs fought at the time of sending money. Half of them were saying send this m oney to the congress and the other half wanted to send to the sovreign committee. Nobody, put the pressure, so after five or six months later they returned every body's money, you see, what is this, it is not a justice. At that time, congress was at the top and doing good, but our Sikhs could not decide, instead fighting with each other. G. B.: I was reading some book, and according to that book, I saw the figures and the wages of the people, they used to give quite bit money. Informant: Oh, yes, at that time people cared about people. Still, people give money, but not up to that level. I go to every Gurdawara, I give five dollars, but, in WestMinister, those people spend money on filing the case against es,ch other or things like that, in that case I do not want to give five dollars to that place, because they are not using the money on so°d deeds. So, people do not give that much money now a days. Look, how many Preachers or Priests in a gang come here, it is surprising, how they get the visa. I am putting that question, how these people get the visa? and people do not get it? G. B.: I do not know aboxit it. Informant: These priests have hair and the turbans, they are complete Sikh, they get the visa, but it is hard for us people, we don't get the visa. something is wrong there. ITay be, they show something else, and say soiathing else. G. B.: You used to do the wrestling, I heard about it. Informant: Yes, I used to do it. G. B.: You used to do it here or in America? Informant: No, I did in California, in America, for five years. I used to do it in Vancouver, but I did it in California for five years. Yes, -I stumbled here and there five or six years, but it was very good though. G. B.: You used to do the Free Style? Informant: Yes, that one, jumping, kicking, and fisting etc. G. B.: Any other gossip of the people of the old time? When you used to meet each other, used to gather and talk about the things, tell me about it if you remember anything, people used to fight too? Informant: No fighting at all, people loved each other. Now, we old people are scared of these people (new), wondering, from vffane these ghosts came from. That is true. If somebody's girl is going, they kept on whistlfcng , this is the case in every city like Torontoetc. This new generation, these people are not doing good, cheating doing these kinds of things. People were nice I would say all of them were nice. Now, see, the old people say hello, to every one, some people think that he is crazy. People who come from India now, they do not talk to anyone. They would walk straight, if they see any person coming in the front, they would not look at that person. I do not know what do they think of themselves? G. B.: Why it is like that? Informant: I do not know. May be, they started to make money and that money changed their head. I do not know what is wrong, but there is something wrong here. They should just say mere hello to their countrymen, if not other thing is possible. One Sikh came with me in 1972, he was to go to San- Fran Cisco, I heard when they announced in the plane. I tried to talk to that man, he did not even look at me. I said to myself, heck with you, if you do not like to look at me, why I should bother. Nothing is wrong with it if you ask where are you going, and in return, I would ask you where you are going. So, the time has changed quite bit, Canada became just like Punjab. G. B.: So many people came here. Informant: That is right, they should live, it is not a bad thing, but if our own sons cut our hair (harm) it is no good. lie should not let other say bad things to us, and on the other hand should not say bad stuff to others. They, try to please the whites, and feel like cutting the head of their own people, that is no good. If the white says come on, I want to fight with go ahead fight with himm what is the difference, he would not ask for the fight next time . G. B.: By the way, you got a very good memory, you know all those dates. Informant: Well, when I worked in the Mill, I remembered all those dates. I went to the people who decide about the pensions, the people of IW. They were asking about the Mill, where I was working, I told him, that those (MCfSftpanie are broken now, and you were not born at that time, he was laughing so" much. Then, he said you are right.
Titel: |
Indo-Canadian Interview 39
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Gurcharn S. Basran, B. Singh Bolaria. (interviewer) |
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Quelle: | icohc:28; local: Interview_39; uuid: a1e0bf2a-7ed5-42bf-ac07-81f6a7ce96a4;; (1985) |
Veröffentlichung: | 1985 |
Medientyp: | Audio |
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