The Life-Journey of an Emigrant Sikh

These nephews thought that if I shaved, I would make better progress in Canada. Gradually, they brought up the subject of my hair and beard, and then other things. It was very painful for me. They talked about Indian culture, how backward it was, and so on, without thinking that I could be well-informed about cultures and affairs around the world.

In fact, they were generally well behind me. They came to acknowledge this, but all their talk was aimed at inducing me to shave. They wanted me to change my outer form, which was my God-given form. Quite a few times, I reminded them, "Look here fellows, faith is faith. I don't feel inferior being an Indian or being a Sikh and I never thought it would be my own people who would hate my hair. No white man has done that to me so far."

In the beginning, these discussions were friendly. Then they became more combative. They frustrated me so much that, at one point, I told my brother-in-law, with tears in my eyes, "I did not know that my hair would be an obstacle and I am greatly grieved." --Tara Singh Bains

Tara Singh Bains is one of those rare people who sees the hand of God in every facet of his life. A man of strong convictions, he has consistently refused to compromise his beliefs. The Four Quarters of the Night is as much the story of his faith as of his life.

Identifying himself as both an Indian and a Canadian but first and foremost a Sikh, Tara Singh has shuttled back and forth between Canada and India for most of his life, finding personal harmony while incorporating two very different countries and cultures into his life.

Four Sikh pioneers: (l to r: Natha Singh Mattu, Dalip Singh Uppal, Harnam Singh Dalawala, and Saran Singh Meham)

Tara Singh was raised within an amritdhari, or baptised, Sikh tradition in a small village in Punjab, India; his values and identity are firmly rooted in Punjabi Sikh culture. As a child and adolescent he suffered mercilessly from his father's verbal and physical cruelty, but the support that he drew from his village environment and his religion gave him strength. He married, according to traditional practices, the woman that his family had arranged for him to wed.

Sponsored by his sister, Tara Singh emigrated to Canada in the early 1950s and settled in British Columbia. He came alone, without his wife and children, as most Punjabis did.

His greatest initial shock in Canada was his experience with racism, and its impact on his relatives who tried to persuade him to shave his beard and abandon his turban - two sacred symbols of the Sikh. Refusing to betray his beliefs, he resisted the relentless pressure of his family just as he later fought against the exploitation of immigrants in the saw mills where he worked. Tara Singh became active in fighting for immigrant rights and protecting the Sikh faith in Canada.

The Four Quarters of the Night is more than one man's life story: his single voice reveals much about the collective experience of immigrants. Tara Singh's narrative presents an evocative picture of a newcomer's experiences in a land of foreign customs, culture, and religious beliefs. Hugh Johnston, to whom Tara Singh told his story, has created a unique and invaluable document in immigration and ethnic history.

Published 1995 304 pp 6 x 9 14 b&w photographs
Paper ISBN 0-7735-1266-7 $24.95
Cloth ISBN 0-7735-1265-9 $65.00

Quote Source: The Sikh Canadian Experience, Sandeep Singh Brar.
Photo Credit: Four Pioneer Sikhs, IM Interactive Multimedia, Toronto.