ROBERT MATAS--Globe & Mail

After a contentious and bitter election in November, the youth slate's Amardeep Singh Deol emerged as the leader of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple, where he stands in the forefront of a new generation that could shift how Canada's Punjabi community is viewed

SURREY -- When Amardeep Singh Deol arrives at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Surrey for an interview, he appears uncertain about where to sit. About two dozen people are in the temple's dining hall and community kitchen. Mr. Deol wanders over to a back corner of the room. But he will not sit at one of the vacant tables.

Sitting at a table could be a provocative act in a Sikh temple. Conflict over tables and chairs led to violent confrontations at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in the 1990s. Traditional Sikhs insist on sitting on the floor as a sign of humility, following the path set by rulers of an earlier era who sat with beggars on the ground for their meals. For the past decade, Surrey's temple has elected an executive of moderates who kept table and chairs in the dining hall. But temple elections in November reopened old wounds. In an upset victory, an 18-member youth slate headed by Mr. Deol, 27, won the election.

The slate advocates a return to traditional religious observances. Its members would like the tables removed for all but the aged and infirm. The youth candidates were a third option in the contest at the temple, where some 21,000 members were eligible to vote. Mr. Deol's slate was expected to receive only a token number of votes.

The community has been under a shadow since a Sikh group in 1985 placed baggage with bombs on aircraft leaving Canada. The terrorists were part of a political campaign for an independent Sikh country carved out of India. Two explosions killed 331 people. The militants' violence also gave the Sikh religion a bad name, linking the faith's distinctive garb in the public mind with the uniform of terrorists. The community has also been tarred over the past 15 years by the involvement of some Indo-Canadians in gang violence and the drug trade.

In sharp contrast, Mr. Deol is a thoughtful Canadian-born software programmer who lives his religion. He promotes education as the antidote to contentious religious issues and to drugs and gang violence.

The youngest of five children, Mr. Deol went to public school and graduated in 2004 from the University of British Columbia in computer science. He now works at Electronic Arts, mostly on central components of some of the company's most popular online sports games. He does not draw a line between his digital life and his religion. "Sikhism is not so much a religion. It is a way of life," he says.

He grew up in a traditional home. He says he has never eaten meat, had a drink of alcohol, smoked a cigarette or done drugs. He cut his hair in Grade 5, a violation of tradition that he attributed to a lack of knowledge. He started growing his hair again in his first year of university, as he became better informed about Sikhism. The following year, he formally dedicated himself to the faith in a ceremony called amrit shakna, a Punjabi expression translated as "to drink nectar."

A few years ago, he stopped going to the temple daily to pray. "Life is busy," he said. He became involved in setting up the Guru Nanak Academy, which now offers classes for 200 students in Punjabi language, scripture reading, and Sikh philosophy and history. Mr. Deol, an academy director, teaches scripture reading.

He was approached to be part of the youth slate in mid-October. He dismisses suggestions that the slate is a front group for tradition-based organizations in the community. Around half of the slate's support in the election came from those who favour tables and chairs in the dining hall, he says. Those members voted for change.

"People are sick of the issue ... they know it is not such a big deal. They want to see some change," he said. "We're trying to bring youth into the religion while not completely changing everything so it is completely youth oriented. A lot of parents see the need for this and they want something done for their children," he added.

Mr. Deol says he is not interested in politics. He declines to express an opinion about the Air-India disaster, an independent state for Sikhs or internal splits in the community between fundamentalists and moderates. The youth slate that won the election was a list of people active in the Sikh community. They do not believe the community should be divided into groups, he says.

"We're trying to get rid of divisions and bring people back together."

His decision to become involved in temple politics stems from his work at the academy. "We wanted to take it to the next level," he said, lapsing into the vocabulary of his work life. "We wanted to help kids get connected to the gurdwara [Sikh temple] and try to address problems the community has."

He believes divisive issues such as tables and chairs in the dining hall can be resolved through education and discussion. Stronger role models and better education will help young people stay away from drugs and gangs. "We want to bring the community together. We have a really bad image in a lot of circles and we are trying to repair that to the best we can."

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ONE TO WATCH

Who

Amardeep Singh Deol

Why to watch

Mr. Deol's emerging role at Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh temple reflects a generational change in leadership within the Indo-Canadian community.