Suburban Pundit

My ancestors originate from Punjab, which is the land of five rivers in northern India. Punjab has been consistently ranked as having the best quality of life, best infrastructure, lowest hunger level and best overall state in India for a number of years. It has been described as the “granary of India” because it produces much of the country’s cotton, wheat and rice. About 25 million people live in Punjab: 15 million Sikhs, 9 million Hindus and smaller populations of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Jains.

The Punjabi Sikhs are well known for their contribution to India’s military forces, as well as the historical role they played in battles for the British Empire. In fact, much of Punjab and northern India formed part of the sovereign Sikh Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh prior to British colonial rule.

The Punjabis are a mixed people. Along with the British, the Turks, Persian, Afghans and Greeks, among others, invaded northern India. The farthest extent of Alexander the Great’s empire was the Indus River—the Indus Valley and Vedic Civilizations flourished in northern India.   

With all of these collective agreements ready for negotiation in British Columbia, I propose two ideas which I feel will improve the quality of life of workers.

The first is encouraging telecommuting or working from home. Employees would have better and longer sleep, and arguably, more productivity on the job working flexible hours at their peak. The environment would also benefit with less congestion on the roads and public transport.

The second is providing full-time government employees with the “option” of working part-time. This will result in more time off to spend with families, a lower tax bracket for employees, and more jobs for new workers. It’s a great way to redistribute the employment wealth during these tough economic times. Yes, government employees would have to learn how to live on marginally less income but this does not mean they will suffer from a lower quality of life. Maybe this will result in a shift in consumer spending priorities and lead to innovation, market ideas, and more affordable goods and services.

What do VO readers think of these two ideas?

Many communities, such as the South Asian community, have a high focus on marriage and children. This poses a dilemma for many gay and bisexual men. Should they abide by cultural and religious norms and marry a woman or settle down with a man who they are sexually compatible with? This is not an easy question to answer.   

Sometimes it’s not easy for the mainstream community to understand why some gay men cannot come out of the closet and be honest with themselves and others about their sexuality. Well, many of these men may have had an arranged marriage when they were in their early twenties.  This may have been a time when they were still coming to terms with their sexuality and are not necessarily ready for marriage. 

For others, they may not want to shame their family and community.  Many South Asian men, for example, live in extended families. Their loyalty, land, money, and social status are tied to their family duty and above all they are raised to respect their elders and parents. As a result, sex in a marital relationship is often not a priority consideration. 

Vancouver visionary and social activist launches his new book, The Modern Thinker

The world is changing every day; what is your part in making a difference?

Delta, BC – Everyday, around the globe, events are unfolding that have a direct or indirect impact on one’s life. Social activist and VO contributor Alex Sangha covers thought-inspiring subjects that range from compassionate capitalism and government debt, to Canadian immigration policies, Quebec secession, and an aboriginal parliament, not to mention a refreshing take on spirituality, in his new book, The Modern Thinker: Timeless Ideas, Inspiration, and Hope for the 21^st Century.

Says Alex of his book, “We who are lucky to have been born or raised in Canada face a fraction of the economic, political, social, moral, religious, and sexual issues that affect others around the world. Yet there is a synergy between all things past and present and our actions today will define our lives tomorrow.”