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[Group portrait of Arvindpal Singh receiving a plaque from former Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and others at Mela Ghadri Babeya Da in Surrey]

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Date Created
2005-07-31
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Group portrait of Arvindpal Singh receiving a plaque from former Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and others at Mela Ghadri Babeya Da held at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, B.C.

Mela Ghadri Babeya Da, sponsored by Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation (Canada), is a festival dedicated to the memory of South Asians on the Komagata Maru ship who were turned away from Vancouver, as well as the Ghadar movement and Indian freedom fighters. The festival also commemorates and celebrates the Gadri Babai, immigrants from Panjab who fought for the end of colonialism in South Asia.

The Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation of Canada is a secular human rights organization based in Greater Vancouver, B.C.. The Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation has advocated to recognize and help address the historic wrongs committed against South Asian migrants who were denied access to Canada over the past century (with particular focus on the Komagata Maru tragedy). In the years since, the Foundation has fought for justice and human rights for all Canadians, and marginalized communities everywhere. The foundation holds 'Mela Gadri Babiyan Da' at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, B.C., the first weekend of August each year. This is the largest event of its kind outside of India.

Ujjal Dosanjh is a Canadian lawyer, civil rights activist, and politician. Born in Panjab, India in 1947, Dosanjh emigrated to England at the age of 17 and came to Canada four years later, in 1968. He started off at a Vancouver sawmill, but when a back injury hindered his career at the mill, he enrolled at Langara College and completed a degree in political science at Simon Fraser University. He earned a law degree at the University of British Columbia and established a law practice in Vancouver in 1979. First elected as MLA for Vancouver-Kensington in 1991, Dosanjh twice served as Caucus Chair and also chaired the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. Dosanjh was sworn in as British Columbia's 33rd Premier and Canada's first Indo-Canadian Premier on February 24, 2000, serving until 2001. He had previously served as Minister of Government Services and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights, Sports and Immigration in 1995, and served as Attorney General from August 1995 to February 2000. He was also the leader of the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP) and later served as a Member of Parliament with the Liberal Party. A long time human rights activist, his past community involvements include: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, MOSAIC, the B.C. Multicultural Society and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. In 1977 he helped set up the first farm workers' legal information services while he was chair of the Labour Advocacy Research Association. Throughout his career, Dosanjh has been a strong advocate for social justice, healthcare, and public policy issues.
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1 photograph : col. negative
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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