Why would we get both a Punjab pavilion and an Indian pavilion?

[Colibri]

@mandala

And there was once a nutcase independence movement in Punjab, fuelled by Pakistan and the involvement of some Punjabi assholes. A lot of those assholes are now holed up in Canada. They call themselves Khalistanis, and have no love lost for India. That could be one reason.

@nani

The Indian government forces were the far bigger assholes involved in that (Khalistan) movement. And don’t forget the ant-Sikh riots (arguably with police help) around India that killed thousands in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination at the hands of her Sikh bodyguards.

[Moderator Note]

While some discussion of political reasons for having two pavilions might be relevant, I don’t think debating which side had the biggest assholes is appropriate to GQ. If you want to pursue this discussion, take it to GD or the Pit.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

[Kenm]

Winnipeg’s Folklarama will have both pavilions, too.

http://www.folklorama.ca/find-a-pavilion

I don’t know whether this will be the first time it’s had both.

[nani]

@Colibri

[Moderator Note]

While some discussion of political reasons for having two pavilions might be relevant, I don’t think debating which side had the biggest assholes is appropriate to GQ. If you want to pursue this discussion, take it to GD or the Pit.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

Apologies.

[md2000]

@Colibri

[Moderator Note]

While some discussion of political reasons for having two pavilions might be relevant, I don’t think debating which side had the biggest assholes is appropriate to GQ. If you want to pursue this discussion, take it to GD or the Pit.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

Yes. most political differences go back a long way, and are often also tied with ethnic grievances and offences on both sides. Like the Hadfields and McCoys, who started it is probably irrelevant by now if anyone did. Regardless, that seems to be mostly old history now - I haven’t heard any recent issues in the press about these problems in Canada or in India, so I assume a lot of it has died down recently. Good.

So yes, the real answer to the OP is that whatever else is going on, between ethnic and religious this is a separate distinct cultural subgroup that in Canada has the size and participation level to provide its own pavilion. Based on the various such events I’ve been to or read about over the years, the organizers likely have been happy to accept any interested groups that want to participate. The more the merrier number of pavilions simply adds to the appeal of the overall event.

[bldysabba]

@mandala

And there was once a nutcase independence movement in Punjab, fuelled by Pakistan and the involvement of some Punjabi assholes. A lot of those assholes are now holed up in Canada. They call themselves Khalistanis, and have no love lost for India. That could be one reason.

But I’d say each Indian state deserves its own pavilion; there is so much variety in Indian cuisine that one “India pavilion” hardly does justice to a food festival.

From what I know, the Khalistan movement was funded(in part) out of Canada, and the last surviving outpost of Khalistan in the world is Vancouver. It wouldn’t surprise me if that has something to do with separate pavilions for India and Punjab.

[bldysabba]

@nani

The Indian government forces were the far bigger assholes involved in that (Khalistan) movement. And don’t forget the ant-Sikh riots (arguably with police help) around India that killed thousands in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination at the hands of her Sikh bodyguards.

If you want to stand by this statement, open a GD thread. As it is, I want to provide a counterpoint. I’m Punjabi, and while the Indian government no doubt violated human rights and due process in combating Khalistani separatism, the general perception in Punjab is that the process was effective and necessary. (The riots, of course, remain a terrible blot. No contest from me on that point)
I’ll use the words of Khushwant Singh, one of India’s most celebrated Sikh authors, to back up what I’m saying

The Sikh Times - News and Analysis - K.P.S. Gill Is a "Hero"

For 10 years, the Punjab countryside was in the grip of terrorists, over 10,000 lives were lost before the Punjab Police led by J.F. Ribeiro and following him K.P.S. Gill put them down with a heavy hand. A small section of the community hailed Bhindranwale as a martyr, lent tacit support to the demand for a separate state and condemned Gill as a wanton killer. In my judgement, they were wrong and Gill saved Sikhs and Punjab for India. He comes out as a hero in my assessment. However, I had also to look into charges levelled against him and his police by human rights activists and the disposal of over 1,000 bodies without proper identification or post-mortem. I could do no more than mention this without passing judgment.

…

The postscript was a happy ending. Just as it was going to press appeared a lovely colour photograph on the front page of The Hindu, showing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led by a naval officer carrying a drawn sword walking past the guard of honour provided by the Sikh Regiment [actually, Sikh Light Infantry whose 4th Battalion provide the Rashtrapati Bhawan Guard Battalion]. The photograph (unfortunately not on the cover but inside) pretty well tells the story of the Sikhs in the last quarter of a century: alienated from the mainstream in 1984, completely re-integrated by 2004 with the ablest, most honest and experienced Sikh at the helm of affairs of the country.

This article was written in 2004. Manmohan Singh was later joined at the top of Indian institutions by Bikram Singh who is the current Army chief of staff. Sikhs are completely integrated into the mainstream in India while maintaining a vibrant identity of their own, and I think that success mitigates whatever charges you may wish to level against the Indian government.

[Colibri]

@bldysabba

If you want to stand by this statement, open a GD thread. As it is, I want to provide a counterpoint. I’m Punjabi, and while the Indian government no doubt violated human rights and due process in combating Khalistani separatism, the general perception in Punjab is that the process was effective and necessary. (The riots, of course, remain a terrible blot. No contest from me on that point)

Moderating

If you want to discuss the details of the politics of this issue, please open a new thread in GD. Let’s not get too far afield of the subject of the OP.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

[Wendell_Wagner]

As it happens, we also have a local multicultural festival with pavilions representing many foreign countries. We already have a Canadian pavilion here, but how would you like to organize a Regina pavilion too, Northern Piper? You could tell us all about your local customs in the heart and spiritual soul of Canada. Let’s see, you eat poutine, wear toques, spend your free time in Tim Horton’s outlets, pronounce “about” as if it was “aboot,” and say, “Eh, you hoser,” to each other, right? I’m all confused about this Canada thing. Is that actually a separate country from the U.S.? It’s like north of here or something, right?

[bldysabba]

@Colibri

Moderating

If you want to discuss the details of the politics of this issue, please open a new thread in GD. Let’s not get too far afield of the subject of the OP.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

Yeah, sorry. I just didn’t want to let a statement like that stand without providing some balance, and opening a whole new thread seemed disproportionate. I won’t pursue it further in this thread.