Peel is the district area that includes Mississauga which is home to a massive South Asian population many of whom are Punjabis, Goans and other Indians. Peel adjoins Toronto and not more than 2 decades ago, comprised of white-owned farmland which quickly transformed into urban sprawl under a long-serving mayor Hazel McCallion who recently retired in her nineties.
Despite the diversity of the population, whites continue to dominate the police forces and local authorities. The chief of the Police Board is a powerful position that is now occupied by a Sikh, but the Board while supervising the police force, is confined to policy, not operations. Fortunately the Punjabi community has successfully participated in local and national politics, won elected positions and to that extent have warded off racism. Today's headlines tell of a Human Rights ruling in favour of Staff Sgt (the highest non management rank) B J Sandhu who was racially discriminated in the most humiliating manner and incidents both during his 28 year career and in his application for the management position of Inspector. In 2013 among 33 applicants for Inspector, he was one of two who were not allowed even to apply since the two senior officers involved in the promotion process "devalued his service in diversity and South Asian intelligence since South Asian portfolios were generally devalued in the service" because "they were associated with the South Asian population". Therefore his service did not constitute "valuable police work". Staff Sgt Sandhu is a decorated officer with 28 years service with several commendations and awards for helping to solve a wide variety of cases from homicides to drug trafficking, along with a 2011 newspaper article calling him one of the three most influential South Asian Canadians working in law enforcement that included current Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan. There were a few Goans who were Inspectors and Staff Superintendents but they started their careers in British manned police forces in Africa and Pakistan and were therefore used to their hosts' customs and mannerisms. A big shame that the brave and large hearted Sardars had to be discriminated by ignorants unknowing of their rich contributions to every society they served and lived in. Roland Francis Toronto.
