ਸੂਬਾ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਦੇ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਨੇ ਦਸਵੇਂ ਪਾਤਿਸ਼ਾਹ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਛੋਟੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਾ ਹੀ ਨੀਂਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਚਿਣਵਾ ਕੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ। ਇਸ ਘਟਨਾ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਮਾਨਸਿਕਤਾ ’ਤੇ ਡੂੰਘਾ ਅਸਰ ਪਾਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਨਾਂ ਅੰਦਰ ਹਕੂਮਤ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਨਫ਼ਰਤ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਨੂੰ ਹੋਰ ਭੜਕਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਨਹਿਰੀ ਅੱਖਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਿਖ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਇੱਕ ਪੰਥ ਦੋ ਕਾਜ। ਇੱਕ ਤਾਂ ਮਈ 12, 1710 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਚੱਪੜਚਿੜੀ ਦੇ ਮੈਦਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਤੇ ਦੂਸਰਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਕਮਾਨ ਹੇਠ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਨੇ ਮਈ 14, 1710 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ’ਤੇ ਕਬਜ਼ਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਰਾਜ ਦੀ ਸਥਾਪਨਾ ਦਾ ਮੁੱਢ ਬੰਨ੍ਹਿਆ।
ਇਹ ਓਹੀ ‘ਬੰਦਾ’ ਸੀ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਜਨਮ 16 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ 1670 ਨੂੰ ਜੰਮੂ-ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਦੇ ਪੁਣਛ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਦੇ ਇੱਕ ਛੋਟੇ ਜਿਹੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਰਾਜੌਰੀ ਵਿਖੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮ ਦੇਵ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਹੋਇਆ। ਬਚਪਨ ਦਾ ਨਾਂ ਲਛਮਣ ਦਾਸ ਤੇ ਪਿਤਾ ਜੀ ਇੱਕ ਰਾਜਪੂਤ ਕਿਸਾਨ ਸਨ।

3 ਸਤੰਬਰ, 1708 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਗੋਦਾਵਰੀ ਦੇ ਕੰਢੇ ਨੰਦੇੜ ਵਿਖੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ‘ਬਹਾਦਰ’ ਦਾ ਖ਼ਿਤਾਬ ਦੇ ਕੇ, ਪੰਜ ਪਿਆਰਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਹੇਠ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵੱਲ ਰਵਾਨਾ ਕੀਤਾ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵੱਲ ਵਧਦਿਆਂ ਹੀ ਵੱਡੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿੰਘ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਫੌਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਗਏ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ 40,000 ਤੱਕ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਗਈ ਸੀ। ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨੇ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਨੂੰ ਆਉਂਦੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਕਈ ਜੰਗਾਂ ਜਿੱਤੀਆਂ। ਨੌਵੀਂ ਪਾਤਸ਼ਾਹੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਕਾਤਲ ਜਲਾਲ-ਉਲ-ਦੀਨ, ਜੋ ਸਮਾਣੇ ਦਾ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਛੋਟੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਕਾਤਲ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਮੌਤ ਦੇ ਘਾਟ ਉਤਾਰਿਆ। ਘੜਾਮ ਜੋ ਪਠਾਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਗੜ੍ਹ ਸੀ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਮਲਬੇ ਦੇ ਢੇਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਦਲ ਦਿੱਤਾ।
12 ਮਈ, 1710 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ੁੱਕਰਵਾਰ ਵਾਲੇ ਦਿਨ ਚੱਪੜਚਿੜੀ, ਜੋ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਤੋਂ 10 ਕੋਹ ਦੀ ਵਿੱਥ ’ਤੇ ਸੀ, ਫੈਸਲਾਕੁਨ ਯੁੱਧ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਇਆ। ਇਸ ਜੰਗ ਨੂੰ ਸੇਧ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਇੱਕ ਉੱਚੀ ਥਾਂ ’ਤੇ ਬੈਠ ਗਏ। ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਹੀ ਫੌਜ ਦਾ ਪੱਲੜਾ ਭਾਰੀ ਰਿਹਾ। ਉਪ-ਕਮਾਂਡਰ ਭਾਈ ਬਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ, ਬਾਜ਼ੀ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਦੇਖ ਕੇ ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀ ਕੋਲ ਆ ਪਹੁੰਚਿਆ, ਜੋ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੇਖ ਰਹੇ ਸਨ। ਝੱਟ ਹੀ ਆਪਣੀ ਸੈਨਾ ਦੀਆਂ ਮੂਹਰਲੀਆਂ ਕਤਾਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਆ ਖੜੋਤੇ। ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੌਸਲੇ ਬੁਲੰਦ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਉਹ ਤਾਂ ਇਉਂ ਮੁਗਲਾਂ ’ਤੇ ਟੁੱਟ ਪਏ ਜਿਉਂ ਭੁੱਖਾ ਸ਼ੇਰ ਆਪਣੀ ਗੁਫਾਂ ’ਚੋਂ ਨਿਕਲਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ। ਹਮਲਾ ਏਨਾ ਜ਼ਬਰਦਸਤ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣ ਦੇ ਪੈਰ ਉਖੜਨੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਇਸ ਖੂਨ-ਡੋਲ੍ਹਵੀਂ ਲੜਾਈ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਗਿਆ। ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਦੀ ਫੌਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਗਦੜ ਮੱਚ ਗਈ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਜਿੱਤ ਦੇ ਝੰਡੇ ਲਹਿਰਾਉਂਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਵੱਲ ਵਧਣ ਲੱਗੇ।
ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਇਸ ਗੱਲ ਦੀ ਗਵਾਹੀ ਭਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਦੇ ਇੱਕ ਸਿਰਕੱਢ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਭਾਈ ਫਤਹਿ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਮੌਤ ਦੇ ਘਾਟ ਉਤਾਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ।
ਮੈਕਾਲਿਫ, ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ ਸਾਹਿਤਕਾਰ, ਲਿਖਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜਦੋਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਮਾਰੇ ਗਏ ਸਨ ਤਾਂ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਤੇ ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ ਆਪਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਹਮੋ-ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆ ਗਏ। ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਤਲਵਾਰ ਦੇ ਇਕੋ ਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਦਾ ਸਿਰ ਧੜ ਤੋਂ ਅਲੱਗ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਫੌਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਗਦੜ ਮੱਚ ਗਈ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਜਿੱਤ ਦੇ ਝੰਡੇ ਲਹਿਰਾਉਂਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਰਹੰਦ ਵੱਲ ਵਧਣ ਲੱਗੇ। 14 ਮਈ, 1710 ਈਸਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖ ਜੇਤੂਆਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਾਖਲ ਹੋਏ। ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਦੀ ਗਲੀ-ਗਲੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਘੁਮਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਦਾਰ ਨੇ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਦੀ ਇੱਟ ਨਾਲ ਇੱਟ ਖੜਕਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਸੁੱਚਾ ਨੰਦ ਦੀ ਹਵੇਲੀ ਵੀ ਤਬਾਹੀ ਦੇ ਮਲਬੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਦਲ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਇਹ ਉਹੀ ਸੁੱਚਾ ਨੰਦ ਸੀ ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਛੋਟੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਹਾਦਤ ਵੇਲੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਭੱਦੀ ਭੂਮਿਕਾ ਨਿਭਾਈ ਸੀ। ਉਸ ਦੇ ਨੱਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੋਹੇ ਦੀ ਮੁੰਦਰੀ ਪਾ ਕੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਘੁੰਮਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ।
ਵਜ਼ੀਰ ਖਾਨ ਦਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਭੱਜ ਗਿਆ। ਇੱਕ ਅੰਦਾਜ਼ੇ ਮੁਤਾਬਕ ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀ ਕੋਲ ਦੋ ਕਰੋੜ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਦੀ ਮਲਕੀਅਤ ਆਈ ਸੀ।
ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਫੌਜ ਦੇ ਸਿਰਕੱਢ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਭਾਈ ਬਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਹਿੰਦ ਦਾ ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਈ ਆਲੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਥਾਪਿਆ। ਸਢੌਰਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਾਹਨ ਵਿਚਕਾਰਲੇ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਨੂੰ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ‘ਲੋਹਗੜ੍ਹ’ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ’ਤੇ ਸਿੱਕਾ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸੁਤੰਤਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਰਾਜ ਦੀ ਘੋਸ਼ਣਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇੱਕ ਛੋਟੀ ਜਿਹੀ ਕੌਮ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰੀ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਨਕਸ਼ੇ ’ਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਰਾਜਸੀ ਤਾਕਤ ਵਜੋਂ ਉਭਰ ਕੇ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆਈ। ਗੱਲ ਕੀ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਰਾਜ ਦਾ ਨੀਂਹ-ਪੱਥਰ ਰੱਖਿਆ।
ਅਜੋਕੀ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਡਾਂਵਾਡੋਲ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਆਪਣਾ ਕਿਰਦਾਰ ਭੁੱਲਦੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ। ਖਾਲਸਾ ਪੰਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਖਾਲਸ ਖਤਮ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪਦਾਰਥਵਾਦ ਭਾਰੀ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਸੋ, ਅੱਜ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਜਿਹੇ ਬਹਾਦਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਪੰਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਵੀਂ ਰੂਹ ਫੂਕੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੌਸਲੇ ਬੁਲੰਦ ਕੀਤੇ।

ਬਾਬਾ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਰੂਹਾਨੀਅਤ ਦੀ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡੀ ਜਾਇਦਾਦ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤੀਆਂ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਨਿਮਰ ਬਣੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਦੀ ਹੈ। ਦੁਨੀਆ ਵਿਚ ਸਥਾਈ ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ ਸਥਾਪਿਤ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀਕੋਣ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਤਬਦੀਲੀ ਲਈ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਖੋਜ ਰਾਂਹੀ ਕਦਰਾਂ-ਕੀਮਤਾਂ ਤੇ ਅਧਾਰਿਤ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਰੂਹਾਨੀ ਪੁਨਰ ਸੁਰਜੀਤ ਤੇ ਜ਼ੋਰ ਦਿਤਾ ਹੈ।
ਲੇਖਕ, ਬਾਬਾ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਤੋਂ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਿਤ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਮਾਣਮੱਤੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਇੱਕਠਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਬਿਆਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਇਸ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਧਾਰਨ ਲਈ ਸੰਤ ਅਤਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਤ ਤੇਜਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ-ਨਾਲ ਆਧੁਨਿਕ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਅਧਿਆਤਮਿਕ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਦੀ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਵੀ ਅਪਣਾਈ ਗਈ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਕਾਸਸ਼ੀਲ ਕੌਮਾਂਤਰੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਮਹਾਨ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਦੇ ਨੇਤਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਮਾਨੀ ਜੀਵਨ ਜੋ ਇਕ ਨੌਕਰਸ਼ਾਹ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਮੁਕਤੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਦੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਇਕ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪੀ ਅਧਿਆਤਮਿਕ ਨੇਤਾ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਨਾਦਾਇਕ ਹੈ।
ਜ਼ਿਕਰਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਬੜੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਨੂੰ ਕਲਗੀਧਰ ਟਰੱਸਟ ਚਲਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿ ਇਕ ਗੁਰੂਕੁਲ ਹੈ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਧਿਆਪਕ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਇਕਸੁਰਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਅਨੁਕੂਲਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਇਕੱਠੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ,ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇ ਹੁਨਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕਾਰਜ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਕਿਰਿਆ ਨਿਰੰਤਰ ਜਾਰੀ ਹੈ। ਯਕੀਨਨ ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਪੱਖੋ ਵੱਡੀ ਤਬਦੀਲੀ ਅਤੇ ਇੰਨਕਲਾਬ ਲਿਆਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
‘ਮਿਊਜ਼ਿਕ ਫਾਰ ਪੀਸ’ ਦਾ ਸਿਰਲੇਖ ਵਾਲਾ ਆਖਰੀ ਅਧਿਆਇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਤੌਰ ਉਭਾਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਅਧਿਆਇ ਹੈ। ਜਿੱਥੇ ਅਕਾਲ ਅਕੈਡਮੀ ਆਪਣੀ ਗਠਨ ਦੇ ਤੀਹ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਜਸ਼ਨ ਮਨਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਉੱਥੇ ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇਮੈਂ ਬਾਬਾ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਪਰਉਪਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਦਾ ਜਾਰੀ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਇਛਾਵਾਂ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ।
ਅਜੈ ਜੀ ਪਿਰਾਮਲ,

The Correctional Service of Canada has appointed the first Turbaned Sikh Warden to be the institutional head of a federal prison in Canada.

Sawinder (Sav) Singh Bains was appointed as the Warden of Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford on last July.

Bains has a Bachelor degree from Simon Fraser University and began his career with CSC in 2002 as a Correctional Officer at Matsqui Institution.

Little did Bains know that he was about to land a career in corrections that would eventually lead to him becoming the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) first Turbaned Sikh warden, a highly respected executive, and a celebrated member of the Sikh community in British Columbia.
“I didn’t expect this all to happen” says Bains. “I just tagged along with my wife that day and here I am fifteen years later!”
On December 20, 2016 a Change of Command Ceremony took place at Fraser Valley Institution where the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada Don Head officially handed the responsibility of Fraser Valley Institution to Bains.
The Regional Management Committee, Deputy Commissioner for Women, and various Senior Executives were in attendance to witness the ceremony. The Change of Command ceremony is a formal, symbolic passing of responsibility, authority, and accountability of command from one leader to another.
Over the course of the years, Bains has worked in a variety of positions starting as a correctional officer at Matsqui Institution. From there he has held management positions at various institutions out west, as well as positions at regional and national headquarters in Ottawa. He also completed CSC’s Executive Leadership Development Program, after which he was successful in an executive competitive process. Sav is now the warden of Fraser Valley Institution in Abbottsford, British Columbia.
What is it that keeps Bains here after all these years? That’s simple, he says.
“I truly believe in the work we do here in corrections. We are contributing to public safety by preparing offenders to be reintegrated into the community. It’s important work, and work that I enjoy educating the public about.”
During his time with CSC, Bains has taken it upon himself to stay connected with the communities in which he’s worked. He enjoys talking with members of the public about what CSC does, how it does it, and why. As is the case in most areas of the country, there are a number of misconceptions about corrections and how CSC operates. Addressing those misconceptions and providing information to those interested is an ongoing responsibility that Bains is happy to have.
“Maintaining a dialogue with our communities is important,” he says. “It’s important because we need to clear up confusion and respond to the curiosity that exists about what we do.”
In fact, says Bains, the local BC communities where he works, as well as resides, are particularly interested in learning about CSC. Right now there are significant issues with a portion of Indo-Canadian youth going down the wrong path toward crime and incarceration, typically through gang affiliations. That’s why Bains has taken an active role in speaking at various forums, particularly with local youth at risk about corrections, and by showing through his own actions and presence in the community, that there are other options for young people. It’s a responsibility that he does not take lightly, but is happy to have if it makes a difference.
“I never saw myself as a role model per se,” says Bains. “But in my local Sikh community, people who have made their way up to important positions are very respected and celebrated, particularly if they’ve accomplished something as a ‘first’. Being the first Sikh Turbaned Warden in CSC is an accomplishment that I’m very proud of. I hope that in maintaining my ties with the community and setting an example for the kids at risk, I can inspire them to seek other ways of living their lives outside of crime, and concentrating on pursuing career goals and making a difference.”
Bains officially took over responsibility of Fraser Valley Institution last Decemver at a formal Change of Command Ceremony attended by the Commissioner of CSC. It was a powerful moment in his career – one that he looks forward to working in for many years to come.
“I’ve got a lot of years in corrections left but right now I’m happy being warden and learning every day.”
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is the federal government agency responsible for administering sentences of a term of two years or more, as imposed by the courts. CSC is responsible for managing institutions of various security levels and supervising offenders under conditional release in the community.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is a key partner in public safety. On a typical day, the CSC manages approximately 15,000 offenders placed within 43 institutions and more than 8,500 offenders under supervision in the community. The CSC is building a strong, vibrant, and diverse team of professionals. CSC has been widely recognized as an international leader in correctional justice.
The Pacific Region of the Correctional Service of Canada operates 8 federal institutions, including one facility for women offenders, a Community Correctional Centre and five parole areas in British Columbia including the Yukon Territory.
First Turbaned Sikh Warden Appointed By Corrections Canada
Sawinder (Sav) Singh Bains was appointed as the Warden of Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford on last July. Bains got into corrections by chance.
By R. Paul Dhillon
With News Files From CSC
SURREY – The Correctional Service of Canada has appointed the first Turbaned Sikh Warden to be the institutional head of a federal prison in Canada.
Sawinder (Sav) Singh Bains was appointed as the Warden of Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford on last July.
Bains has a Bachelor degree from Simon Fraser University and began his career with CSC in 2002 as a Correctional Officer at Matsqui Institution.
Bains got into corrections by chance. His wife was attending a local job fair and she decided to bring him along with her.
Little did Bains know that he was about to land a career in corrections that would eventually lead to him becoming the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) first Turbaned Sikh warden, a highly respected executive, and a celebrated member of the Sikh community in British Columbia.
“I didn’t expect this all to happen” says Bains. “I just tagged along with my wife that day and here I am fifteen years later!”
On December 20, 2016 a Change of Command Ceremony took place at Fraser Valley Institution where the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada Don Head officially handed the responsibility of Fraser Valley Institution to Bains.
The Regional Management Committee, Deputy Commissioner for Women, and various Senior Executives were in attendance to witness the ceremony. The Change of Command ceremony is a formal, symbolic passing of responsibility, authority, and accountability of command from one leader to another.
Over the course of the years, Bains has worked in a variety of positions starting as a correctional officer at Matsqui Institution. From there he has held management positions at various institutions out west, as well as positions at regional and national headquarters in Ottawa. He also completed CSC’s Executive Leadership Development Program, after which he was successful in an executive competitive process. Sav is now the warden of Fraser Valley Institution in Abbottsford, British Columbia.
What is it that keeps Bains here after all these years? That’s simple, he says.
“I truly believe in the work we do here in corrections. We are contributing to public safety by preparing offenders to be reintegrated into the community. It’s important work, and work that I enjoy educating the public about.”
During his time with CSC, Bains has taken it upon himself to stay connected with the communities in which he’s worked. He enjoys talking with members of the public about what CSC does, how it does it, and why. As is the case in most areas of the country, there are a number of misconceptions about corrections and how CSC operates. Addressing those misconceptions and providing information to those interested is an ongoing responsibility that Bains is happy to have.
“Maintaining a dialogue with our communities is important,” he says. “It’s important because we need to clear up confusion and respond to the curiosity that exists about what we do.”
In fact, says Bains, the local BC communities where he works, as well as resides, are particularly interested in learning about CSC. Right now there are significant issues with a portion of Indo-Canadian youth going down the wrong path toward crime and incarceration, typically through gang affiliations. That’s why Bains has taken an active role in speaking at various forums, particularly with local youth at risk about corrections, and by showing through his own actions and presence in the community, that there are other options for young people. It’s a responsibility that he does not take lightly, but is happy to have if it makes a difference.
“I never saw myself as a role model per se,” says Bains. “But in my local Sikh community, people who have made their way up to important positions are very respected and celebrated, particularly if they’ve accomplished something as a ‘first’. Being the first Sikh Turbaned Warden in CSC is an accomplishment that I’m very proud of. I hope that in maintaining my ties with the community and setting an example for the kids at risk, I can inspire them to seek other ways of living their lives outside of crime, and concentrating on pursuing career goals and making a difference.”
Bains officially took over responsibility of Fraser Valley Institution last Decemver at a formal Change of Command Ceremony attended by the Commissioner of CSC. It was a powerful moment in his career – one that he looks forward to working in for many years to come.
“I’ve got a lot of years in corrections left but right now I’m happy being warden and learning every day.”
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is the federal government agency responsible for administering sentences of a term of two years or more, as imposed by the courts. CSC is responsible for managing institutions of various security levels and supervising offenders under conditional release in the community.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is a key partner in public safety. On a typical day, the CSC manages approximately 15,000 offenders placed within 43 institutions and more than 8,500 offenders under supervision in the community. The CSC is building a strong, vibrant, and diverse team of professionals. CSC has been widely recognized as an international leader in correctional justice.

The Pacific Region of the Correctional Service of Canada operates 8 federal institutions, including one facility for women offenders, a Community Correctional Centre and five parole areas in British Columbia including the Yukon Territory.

Hana Kaur Mangat looked out at her students, wondering which one she should call on. “Anyone have any questions?” she asked in a perfect educator’s mix of prim and peppy. “If not, I’ll just keep asking questions. I have lots of questions to ask.”

Hana, 17 years old and totally poised in a red scarf and bold glasses, stood before an audience of adults who all work as teachers in the Montgomery County Public Schools.

The students have been teaching a sort of Sikhism 101 to their teachers at after-school events at their gurdwara — a Sikh house of worship — in North Potomac for four years. Last year, according to organizer Harminder Kaur, they won approval from the state of Maryland to get their free class to count as formal teacher training.

Now they’re planning classes for educators from across the state and from the District. Next, the students want to go national: They’re training groups of kids at gurdwaras in Fresno, Calif., and Phoenix to implement the same program for their own teachers.

Sikh rappers, Sikh basketball players, Sikh YouTubers, Sikh holidays, Sikh prayer — the class in Montgomery covered everything that the Sikh students know all about — and most of their teachers don’t.

There are 25 million Sikhs worldwide, compared to just 14 million Jews, according to the World Religion Database. Yet in America, where at least 360,000 Sikhs belong to 246 congregations, the majority of citizens know nothing about Sikhism — 60 percent of  Americans, according to a recent study commissioned by the new National Sikh Campaign, say they don’t know anything at all about the religion.

Americans incorrectly assume, by large majorities, that a person wearing a turban — symbolic of Sikh faith — is Muslim. Two-thirds of Americans say they’ve never interacted with anyone who is Sikh. They certainly didn’t learn about Sikhism in school. Sometimes the ignorance causes harm: Sixty-seven percent of Sikh children report being bullied, according to the Sikh Coalition.

Outside of schools, the violence can be far worse: Four days after the 9/11 attacks, a Sikh man was murdered by an American who mistook him for being Muslim. In 2012, a white supremacist went on a shooting rampage in a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six Sikh worshipers. Last month near Seattle, a gunman approached a Sikh man in his own driveway, said “Go back to your own country” and shot him.

Alarmed by rising hate crimes targeting not only Sikhs but also other Indian Americans and other religious groups including Muslims and Jews, the Sikh community in America recently created a national TV ad in which people of all ages declare to the camera, “We are Sikhs. We are Americans.”

The message that the children presented to the Montgomery County teachers was much the same as the ad that aired on CNN. And the teachers found it useful.

Cynthia Nystrom, a Spanish teacher at Newport Mill Middle School, said the training would help her understand her students’ experiences. “I teach in a school that’s very diverse. We’ve had Sikh kids,” she said. Before the class, she didn’t know much about their faith.

And these students benefit from the exchange as well.

“Kids can take the leadership role, and they feel proud in talking about their own faith and about their own identity,” said Rajwant Singh, a dentist who is secretary of this gurdwara, the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, and a co-founder of the national campaign.

It’s a change of pace for many of them, who have been bullied because of the visibility of their faith — Sikhs don’t cut their hair, so boys are teased about the turbans they wear to hold their long locks, and girls are teased about not shaving their legs.

By informing Montgomery County’s teachers — more than 200 of them, so far — about the faith, the students and their parents hope that the teachers will be better prepared to head off such religion-based bullying in the county schools.

Amrit Kaur has had firsthand experience with such bullying. The 14-year-old said she wanted to become a teacher in this class after watching students badgering her twin brother, Anmol, about his topknot when they were in seventh grade.

“Is that a rock?” “Is that a hamburger?” they asked him about the bump under his turban. When Amrit insisted, “It’s his hair!” one of the boys tried to yank his turban off to see.

Amrit, now a freshman at Winston Churchill High School, said that before teaching the class at the gurdwara, she felt powerless to stop the bullies.

During the class, Harvi Shergill, a 16-year-old student at Winston Churchill, ran through a presentation outlining basic facts about the religion: Founded 500 years ago in India, Sikhism is monotheistic, doesn’t believe in proselytizing, and traditionally gives everyone the same last name (Singh, meaning Lion, for men; Kaur, meaning Princess, for women). Based on the teachings of the religion’s founder Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru, and the nine Sikh gurus that followed him, Sikhism’s tenets include a belief in the unity of humanity and the value of selfless service and honest conduct. Sikhs also meditate on the name of the first guru as a means to feel God’s presence and control human vices.

Shergill also offered his own spin on the benefits of wearing a turban: “You never have a bad hair day, and it makes you taller.”

The teachers got to witness a Sikh worship service, conducted by the students. As they walked into the sanctuary — called a diwan hall, they learned — they stared at the altar containing the Sikh scriptures, draped in richly embroidered royal blue cloth, and at the empty floor for worshipers to sit.

“I wonder if it’s gender-segregated,” one teacher whispered to another. “That’s what I wondered,” the other teacher replied, both of them hesitating to sit down at all.

That was an opportunity for one of the many teenagers, who strategically placed themselves near the teachers to answer any questions they might have, to chime in with a quick lesson: Sikhism has emphasized gender equality and class equality as core tenets from the very beginning. In other words, sit anywhere you’d like.

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The teachers asked about the Sikh population of Montgomery and learned that at least 200 Sikh families live within 15 miles of the North Potomac gurdwara. They asked what holidays Sikhs celebrate, and students complained that they’ve been marked down in class for missing school on holidays that their teachers have never heard of. They asked about playing sports while wearing a turban, and all the kids said it was easy to tie a smaller turban and participate in any sport.

Madhur Kaur, a junior at Quince Orchard High School, showed off skills she mastered for her recent baptism in the faith, reading aloud from the scripture written in Gurmukhi.

She knows this class works. After her history teacher attended it, they got to India in their world history class. One day, Madhur saw an overhead slide that repeated a common misconception: It said that Sikhism is an offshoot of the Hindu religion.

She was about to raise her hand to assert that Sikhism is a separate faith, not a variant of Hinduism or Islam, when her teacher beat her to the punch. He told the class that the overhead slide was wrong — something he learned in his class at the gurdwara.

Source- washingtonpost