Darshan Singh Sangha: A Human Spirit that Transcended Boundaries, Podcast Ep. 22
Darshan Singh Sangha made a huge contribution to the early organizing efforts of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) and campaigned relentlessly for justice for South Asians in the 1940s. In this episode of our On the Line podcast we dig into Sangha’s life, from his origins in the Punjab, through his arrival to Canada, his advocacy for workers in BC, and finally his return to India where he was known as “Darshan Singh Canadian.”
Publication date: September 19, 2023
Podcast length: 25:53
Hosted by: Rod Mickleburgh
Research and writing by: Patricia Wejr and Rod Mickleburgh
Production by: John Mabbott
Arriving in Canada from the Punjab in 1937, Sangha initially worked in sawmills before pursuing studies at the University of British Columbia, where he was drawn to progressive political activism. His early experiences of discrimination and exploitation in the lumber industry led him to the IWA, where he would become one of the union’s most effective organizers.
Fluent in Punjabi and English, Sangha was able to mobilize South Asian workers across the province’s sawmills, often under difficult and hostile conditions. He played a key role in breaking down racial divisions in the workforce, exposing unequal pay scales and discriminatory hiring practices. As the first person of colour elected to the IWA District Council, Sangha contributed both to internal union governance and to broader campaigns for voting rights for South Asians and other racialized groups.
The episode details Sangha’s role in the historic 1946 IWA strike, during which he delivered a widely quoted speech calling for fairness, unity, and worker solidarity. His advocacy extended beyond union demands to include strong support for Indian independence, which led to his eventual return to India in 1947. There, he became known as “Darshan Singh Canadian,” a Communist Party leader and elected legislator in Punjab. He was assassinated in 1986 by suspected Khalistani separatists, but his legacy endures.
Through archival reflections, union interviews, and contemporary commentary, this episode presents Sangha as a bridge between international movements for labour rights and anti-colonial liberation. His life is now commemorated by a BC Labour Heritage Centre plaque at the Kaatza Station Museum in Lake Cowichan.