Atwal, Kartar Kaur

Transcription of an interview with Rattan Kaur Atwal. Rattan Kaur first came to Canada from the village of Langaree Sangha, district Hoshiarpur in 1952 to join her husband Hardial Singh Atwal. Hardial Singh was the first Sikh born in Canada. The couple was married on June 15, 1936. Hardial Singh sponsored his family in 1952, and by that time he was settled on Vancouver island. Rattan Kaur Atwal and her three sons arrived in Vancouver on July 12, 1952. In the interview Rattan Kaur speaks about her experience immigrating to Canada, what it was like living in Paldi, as well as the history of her husband's family.

Narrative of an interview with Rattan Kaur Atwal. Rattan Kaur was married to Hardial Singh Atwal, the first Canadian-born Sikh, in 1936. She first arrived in Canada in 1952 to join her husband. Hardial Singh worked in Mayo Singh's mill, Mayo Lumber in Paldi. In the interview Rattan Kaur speaks about her in-laws, including her father-in-law, Balwant Singh Atwal and mother-in-law, Kartar Kaur.

Group photograph of the Atwal family. Balwant Singh and Kartar Kaur are seated on chairs. Their two young children, Naranjan Kaur and Hardial Singh, are seated in their parents laps, while the third and eldest daughter, Udham Kaur, is standing in the middle. All three children are dressed in light-colored clothes, whereas Hardial Singh and Kartar Kaur are wearing dark-colored clothes with a white turban and white chunni respectively.

Handwritten life history of Hardial Singh Atwal, son of Bhai Balwant Singh Atwal and Kartar Kaur. Hardial Singh was the first Sikh born in Canada. In the writing, Hardial Singh describes Balwant Singh Atwal's story including from he arrived in Canada in 1906. Hardial Singh describes Balwant Singh's involvement in the Ghadr movement, the Komagata Maru incident, and his work advocating for the allowance of Indian families to Canada. During a trip back to India, Bhai Balwant Singh was arrested and sent to prison in Lahore. He was eventually hanged to death in 1916. After his death, the family remained in India. Hardial Singh describes how as a Canadian citizen he was able to return to the country without trouble, and came back in 1928.