By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Vancouver : The Indo-Canadian community here has mounted yet another bid to get refugee status for a paralysed man, Laibar Singh, whose deportation they aborted last week by not letting police put him on a flight to India.
Community leaders told IANS that Nina Grewal, an Indo-Canadian legislator, will soon meet federal leaders, including the Canadian prime minister and the immigration minister, to plead Singh’s case.
A 48-year-old widower with four children in India, Singh had entered Canada in 2003 on a fake passport and sought refugee status on the grounds that if he was sent back to India he could be tortured for his alleged links with Punjab militants.
Even as his case was rejected, Singh became bed-ridden after being paralysed in 2006.
Despite pleas to the Canadian authorities by the Indo-Canadian community and various organisations, he was served a deportation order this July. But just a day before he was to be deported, Singh was taken out of hospital by his supporters and put in the care of a gurdwara at Abbotsford near Vancouver.
On a personal bond, Singh was allowed to stay for 60 days. This period was extended twice by 60 days.
On Dec 10, a large Indo-Canadian rally in front of the Vancouver International Airport forced the Canadian police to abandon their plan to deport Singh for the second time.
Speaking to IANS, Balwant Gill of Guru Nanak Sikh Niwas where Singh is currently sheltered said: “We have mounted fresh pressure on the federal government to let this poor man stay in Canada. Nina Grewal is meeting Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Diane Finley to persuade them to allow Singh to stay here.”
However, he said, he will not stop the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) from taking Singh away if they wish. “Unlike what happened last week, I am not in favour of creating a law and order situation. This man is still under deportation order, which has not been revoked. He can be deported any time. But so long as he is under our care, we will give him our best possible care.”
Harjap Grewal, spokesperson for all the organisations and gurdwaras fighting Singh’s case, alleged: “It is a clear case of racism in Canada which prides itself on its human rights record. I ask Immigration Minister Diane Finley: ‘If a Polish man in similar circumstances can be grated refugee status just last year, why not Singh?’ It is round two of battle for Singh.
“This government is appeasing certain fringe elements in the mainstream white community who don’t want Singh to be given asylum. But, by and large, the whole mainstream community and organisations have supported us.”
Asked how they could fight for someone who had entered Canada illegally, Grewal shot back: “How do refugees enter a country where they seek asylum? On proper visas? Passports? They all come on fake documents, which is recognised under UN and Canadian refugee laws. Not a single lawyer has raised the issue of his (Singh’s) entry into Canada on a fake passport. It is only the mainstream media which is spreading this misinformation.”
He said they were ready to pay Singh’s huge medical bills and raise more money for his upkeep in Canada. “If we lose our battle, we will not let this man down. We will pay for his health in India. But right now, our focus is to get answers from the government as to why Singh cannot be granted refugee status,” Grewal said.