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Not nama, but name for this Bains

PTI | ByCANADA DIARY | Gurmukh Singh
Jul 08, 2005 08:35 PM IST

Most Indians abroad have made nama (money), but few have made a name like Bains, writes Gurmukh Singh.

Most Indians abroad have made (money), but few have made a name for themselves.

Canada's Dr Raghbir Singh Bains stands out among them. 

Having made British Columbia his home 15 years ago, this former Indian taxman is today a well-known figure for his scholarly and social work in his adopted land as well as India. 

Not surprisingly, he is a much-feted man, winning as many as 60 awards all over the world. And the Order of British Columbia (OBC), which was bestowed on him last week, is just another feather in his turban.

Instituted in 1989, the Order of British Columbia is the highest civilian award in the province where Indians constitute about eight per cent of the total population of about four million. The OBC is given to individuals for their outstanding contribution to society in various fields. The awardees are nominated by the public and then finalised by an advisory council. 

At a function in the provincial capital of Victoria, Lt. Governor Iona Campagnolo presented the award to Dr Bains. Also present on the occasion were Premier Gordon Campbell, BC chief justice Lance SG Pinch, ministers and MPs from the province. 

Dr Bains received a lapel pin and a Certificate of Appointment to the OBC. 

With this, he becomes entitled to use the words O.B.C after his name.

The award citation read: "Dr Raghbir Singh Bains emigrated to Canada in 1990, and has since worked tirelessly as a volunteer, community activist and educator for organisations to promote cultural understanding and mutual respect. He has presented (papers) at seminars and conferences worldwide on the subjects of drugs and youth, AIDS awareness, environmental issues and world peace…"

More than anything else, Dr Bains will always be remembered for creating the world's first encyclopaedia on CD-ROM in 1997. Called 'Encyclopaedia of Sikhism', the CD-ROM took him 15 years, $200,000 and visits to 31 countries to complete this monumental work. So much so that this man had to sell parts of his property to fulfil his mission. 

Launched by the then Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1997 - later in India it was launched by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- the CD-ROM encyclopaedia touches 3,500 topics. 

Laced with audio, video, animation and graphic components, the CD-ROM covers more than 35,000 pages. "Any information about Sikh religion and culture is just a click away. Mind you, this CD-ROM came out even before Britannica Encyclopaedia's CD-ROM versions," beams Dr Bains. 

"In this CD-ROM, there is a section for kids. It is just like playing video games and kids find it very interesting," says Dr Bains who lives in Surrey.

The encyclopaedia won him laurels all over the world. In his native Punjab, he was given the Order of Khalsa in 1999. And in 2001, he was given the highest Path Rattan award. 

Then followed the Nishan-e-Sikhi, Sahitya Shiromani Vashesh and Bhai Gurdas awards. Senior International University in Wyoming in the US conferred a doctorate of philosophy on him for his work on world religions.

Last year, Dr Bains created yet another wonder in the world of Sikhism when he set up the Multimedia Sikh Museum at Khadur Sahib near Amritsar.

"Again, this is the first multimedia religious museum in the world which uses robotic technology. For a long time I had been toying with this idea. And then approached Khadur Sahib which was celebrating the 500th birth anniversary of the second Sikh Guru Angad Dev in 2004. We have used LCD (liquid crystal technology) or touch-screen technology to guide visitors. A robot, made with the help of NASA students, will take you a guided tour of the place. You have to touch a button and you will have all information read to you. It created such an impression that teams from the British House of Commons and Switzerland visited us. At peak, we used to get more than 8,000 visitors to the museum last year," says the technology savvy Sikh.

Outside the museum, this man had created a superb combination of technology and environmental beauty to soothe the visitors. One is guided every step of the way by electronic gadgets. 

However, what Dr Bains is most passionate about is his work on drugs and rehabilitation around the world and in his native Punjab. You rarely find this driven man resting at his home in this old age, and he is somewhere lecturing the youth against drug use. 

And the plight of the Punjabi youth is his biggest worry. "Punjab is the worst affected by drugs in India. More than 90 per cent of Punjabis use drugs and alcohol, and the way things are going, we have a very bleak future. Punjab is dotted with liquor shops and more are coming up every year. But no leader is bothered," he laments.

And he is absolutely right.

His native Punjab may not value his contribution but his adopted city of Surrey has certainly recognised his role. Accordingly, Mayor Doug McCallum conferred on him the Good Citizen of Surrey Award in 2002. And Dr Bains is thankful that "somebody was there to notice my work in this country of my dreams".

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