Talking to TOI on Tuesday, former council chairman Harbans Singh Jandali said besides organising seminars and radio talks to save the next generation from falling prey to drugs, the management of the Dixie gurdwara has set up three football playgrounds, two each for volleyball and basketball and one for hockey for Punjabi youths. He said in other sports complexes the youth usually drank beer but here at the Dixie gurdwara, they steered clear of alcoholic drinks.

He the youngsters also bring their elders to these sports facilities to listen to ‘kirtan’ held every day from 6 am to 9 pm.

The Dixie gurdwara is spread over 37 acres of land with a parking to accommodate 5,000 cars. Jandali said from Monday through Saturday two-hour special classes are held in which about 700 boys and girls are taught the Punjabi language. Every Friday a special class for university students was organised in which about 1,200 youngsters are taught Sikh history and culture, he added.

He said in the Toronto area the number of Punjabi speaking people has been put at over 146,000. However, a large number had not got recorded their mother tongue as Punjabi, he added.

The former chairman of the council, which controls 27 gurdwaras in the area, said at least eleven legislators four MPs and seven MLAs always seek time from the gurdwara management to address the youngsters.

Talking about other contributions of the gurdwara, Jandali said every year the management organised two blood donation camps in which large number of people participated.

Besides this, on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival every year, the Punjabi community in Canada took out a procession in which at least 100,000 joined, he added.

-By Gur Kirpal Singh Ashk ,TNN