CHANDIGARH / VANCOUVER (TIP): Red tape and a callous bureaucratic attitude derailed ambitious development projects initiated by NRIs in collaboration with the Punjab Government, said Harbance Singh (Herb) Dhaliwal, the first Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister, in a conversation with The Tribune in Chandigarh.
Dhaliwal was referring to the efforts of the Indo-Canadian Friendship Society of British Columbia, which launched development projects in 20 villages across the districts of Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Amritsar. Started in 1999, the projects focused on wastewater treatment, underground sewerage, street lighting, tree plantation, gender empowerment, clean drinking water, paved streets, hygiene, and computer education.
“The initiative was led by Dr Gurdev Singh Gill, the first Indo-Canadian physician in 1958, known for his public service and grassroots activism. He stayed in Punjab to personally anchor the programme,” Dhaliwal said. “We began with Kharaudi village in Hoshiarpur district, which was later visited by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,” he added.
The programme received early support, and former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh even announced that 700 villages would be developed as model villages during a function in Bahrampur, Ludhiana.
“Initially, the state government responded positively, but over time, things changed. Bureaucratic hurdles and delays in project clearances made it difficult to move forward. Officers offered only lip service. Eventually, we withdrew. After Dr Gill passed away in 2023, our connection with the government was lost,” Dhaliwal shared.
He added, “The project had the enthusiastic support of Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Capt. Amarinder Singh. I also discussed it with former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh, I.K. Gujral, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. NRIs from the USA joined efforts in at least one village.”
He remarked that despite good intentions from political leadership, the state machinery failed to offer sustained cooperation, and we were left stranded midway.
Political Career
A member of Jean Chrétien’s government, Dhaliwal served as Canada’s Minister of Revenue in 1997, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in 1999, and Minister of Natural Resources in the same year.
Personal Journey
Dhaliwal’s grandfather had migrated to Russia in 1904, then to the USA, and eventually settled in Vancouver. Born on December 12, 1952, in Chaheru village (Kapurthala), Dhaliwal moved to Canada at the age of five.
“My parents worked as laborers and encouraged me to focus on education. I supported myself with jobs in sawmills and other small tasks,” he recalled. He earned a B. Com from the University of British Columbia in 1972 and started a maintenance business from his basement. He later expanded into transportation and real estate. A self-made millionaire, Dhaliwal donated $1 million to his alma mater for medical cannabis research. Dhaliwal’s wife, Amrit Kaur, passed away. He is father to two daughters and a son and has five grandchildren.
Canada Still Needs Indian Youth
On the recent deportation of thousands of Indian students from Canada, Dhaliwal called it a temporary phase. “Canada is facing an aging population crisis. We need young people,” he said. “The current situation is due to poor planning—lack of housing and jobs. But in the long run, Canada will need more youngsters to lead the country forward. Better planning is the need of the hour.”
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