Surrey proclaims day in memory of Sikh victim of racist attack

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Surrey: On the 25th anniversary of the brutal murder of Nirmal Singh Gill by white supremacists, one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities has issued a proclamation acknowledging the incident.

Gill, who was a caretaker at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, gave his life in the line of duty on January 4, 1998, when a group of neo-Nazis came to attack the place of worship.

On Saturday, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke presented the proclamation to Gill’s relatives at a memorial event held inside the gurdwara. Gill’s maternal grandson, Paramjit Singh Sandhu, came from Toronto to accept the proclamation which declares January 4 as “Nirmal Singh Gill Day”.

Locke, who also addressed the congregation, received a robe of honor from gurdwara officials for speaking out against a controversial bill in Quebec that bans people from wearing religious symbols in public office. .

The law affected turbaned Sikhs and hijab-wearing Muslim women, as well as other faith groups, and fueled racial tensions.

Education and Childcare Minister Rachna Singh, who previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, was also present and presented a certificate acknowledging Gill’s sacrifice to temple officials for having kept alive the history of resistance against racism.

Last year, Gill’s photo was installed at the senior center located on the temple grounds.

Among those who paid tribute to Gill on the occasion was anti-hate educator and former neo-Nazi Tony McAleer.

Author of The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist’s Journey from Violent Extremism to Radial Compassion, McAleer visited the gurdwara in the past to repent of the episode.

Although he was never directly involved, he took moral responsibility for contributing to hatred through his activities which culminated in Gill’s death. He had apologized to Gill’s son-in-law when he visited Canada in 2015. He had also donated money from the proceeds of the sale of his book to the gurdwara.

Imtiaz Popat, co-founder of Coalition Against Bigotry, also spoke at the event. He made a documentary about Gill.

The speakers unanimously called on everyone to help fight the racism that refuses to die. A message from Gill’s daughter in India, Ranjit Kaur, was read at the event, while Sandhu recalled memories of his grandfather’s final days in Surrey in a hushed voice.

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