Ujjal Dosanjh says Idle No More has resulted from political inaction

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      Former NDP premier and ex-Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh has urged visible minorities to support the aboriginal people's struggle for equality.

      He issued the call in a speech today at the Strawberry Hill Library.

      Dosanjh said that when he was in federal and provincial politics, he and his colleagues acknowledged there was a "ticking time bomb" if they didn't address aboriginal people's issues.

      "That ticking time bomb has now taken the shape of Idle No More," Dosanjh declared. "It's peaceful—and that's absolutely wonderful."

      He specifically mentioned poverty, oppression, and depravation in the Downtown Eastside, which is home to many First Nations people. And he noted that Canada is one of the world's most affluent countries.

      "I'm not saying we're not mindful of these issues," Dosanjh stated before adding, "I think it's more incumbent on us to look at other minorities and see how...we can actually make their struggle as part of our struggle and vice versa, so that this country's minorities can be treated well and they can be part of the mainstream."

      The former premier also pointed out that the roots of the Idle No More movement go back several hundred years.

      Dosanjh was one of more than a dozen speakers at the launch of a calendar celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Ghadar Party, which was created on the west coast of Canada and the U.S. to try to end the British occupation of India.

      The calendar was created by Radio India and the Indo-Canadian Workers' Association.

      Comments

      8 Comments

      Darren Blaney

      Jan 12, 2013 at 11:39pm

      Thank You it has been difficult to see all the racism and attacks by the CONS on First Nations while the mainstream media piles on. Especially on Chief Spence

      Rob Roy

      Jan 13, 2013 at 1:26am

      "...poverty, oppression, and depravation..."

      'Depravation'?

      Deprivation, surely. The other has a quite different meaning.

      Gene Logan

      Jan 13, 2013 at 11:24am

      Mr Dosanjh would get my vote any day ... too bad he's not running

      blueheron

      Jan 13, 2013 at 11:44am

      Darren Blaney, 'racism' such as the message on one protester's sign, which read "TREATY RIGHTS, NOT GREEDY WHITES" ?

      Being of the winter pallor persuasion, I'm offended.

      As for Ujjal Dosanjh, suggesting that people of colour join the First Nations members in protesting sounds awfully race-centric to me.

      Building division, one protest at a time.

      Ron S.

      Jan 13, 2013 at 12:02pm

      He should know. he did nothing whRal Premier and as a LIbERal.

      cuz

      Jan 13, 2013 at 11:26pm

      Darren, so if we think Chief Spence is incompetent and has wasted millions of UNACCOUNTED FOR tax dollars, we are accused of "piling on"??? What, we aren't allowed a reasonable opinion because we disagree??? And you guys accuse the conservatives of being prejudiced - you are just as bad. Your self righteousness is making me ill.

      22 8Rating: +14

      orkidnut

      Jan 14, 2013 at 7:00pm

      I agree that there needs to be something done to address the poverty issues, but don't have any respect for those protesters breaking laws & blocking traffic. The government can't do everything for them, they need to start looking after themselves, paying taxes & working like all the rest of us!

      9 6Rating: +3

      Jim Van Rassel

      Jan 14, 2013 at 9:40pm

      Wow Ujjal you came up with that brain fart all by yourself? The department of Indian affairs is one of Canada best examples of bureaucracy running the show. I would have to say that over half the budget is for personnel, personnel whose only function is to show that they have a function and then create another"project" to hire more people whose function is to run that project, and so on. Oh sorry this was about our First Nations people wasn't it.

      9 11Rating: -2