By Asia Samachar | Canada |
“When did I first experience anti-Sikh hate in Canada? Day two after arriving in 1983. It was commonplace.”
With that stark reflection, Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon recounted his early days in Canada during a Sikh Heritage Month event organised by the World Sikh Organization (WSO) in Brampton, Canada.
The Malaysian-born former police officer described how, by his second day in school, he was already being targeted as the only dastaar-wearing student, subjected to name-calling and exclusion.
The discrimination persisted when he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1991. He encountered anti-Sikh pins, offensive imagery on workplace calendars, and even highway signs portraying a Sikh figure marked with a “no entry” symbol.
Yet, Baltej chose resolve over retreat. He understood that the challenge extended beyond personal dignity — it was about representing the Sikh identity as a whole.
“He reminds us that the price on our head has never gone away,” he said, underscoring that resilience must be lived, not merely spoken about.
In February 2025, then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him as an independent senator for British Columbia.
Baltej had earlier made history as the first officer in the RCMP permitted to wear a turban, going on to serve a distinguished 30-year career that included involvement in several high-profile investigations.
Since 2019, he has worked with British Columbia’s anti-gang agency, while remaining actively engaged in community work, particularly in mentoring youth.
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