Corrupt to the Core Corrupt to the Core Memoirs of a Health Canada Whistleblower S S H H I I V V C C H H O O P P R R A A Second Edition “Shiv Chopra is a Canadian hero. He was guided by science to conclusions that were not politically convenient. I'm grateful that he was not deterred and continued to speak out. Do you think our governmental institutions keep our health and best interests as their uppermost priorities? Read this eye opening book for a shocking answer.” —DAVID SUZUKI, Canadian environmentalist “Shiv Chopra is a hero. So are his five scientist colleagues who took on the powers at Health Canada’s food inspection bureau. My best memory of Shiv is sitting on a platform with him and Ralph Nader at a huge conference in Ottawa called “Science in the Public Good” when, after receiving our “Whistleblower of the Year” award, he announced to the audience that he would whistle blow “again and again and again” until the abuse stopped. Ralph Nader doubled over with laughter and declared that in all his years as a rabble-rouser, he had never heard anyone announce publicly, in advance, that they were going to blow the whistle.” —MAUDE BARLOW, Chair, Council of Canadians , recipient of the Swedish Right Livelihood Award “The cancer of corporate corruption of science and safety regulations is becoming a major threat to the planet’s health and to public health. Dr. Shiv Chopra’s book describes a leading scientists’ witnessing of this corruption. His courageous writing provides a dose of resilience to all who care about the integrity of science, the independence of government regulations from corporate influence, and the freedom of citizens from hazardous food and medicines.” —VANDANA SHIVA, Environmental activist in India, recipient of the Swedish Right Livelihood Award “Independent research and publication by agency scientists, which conflict with internal policy more often than not, results in punitive let alone disciplinary action and sidelining or even dismissal. So, it takes heroic personal courage to research and publicize adverse or critical findings on products and policies endorsed by the govern- ments involved. Dr. Chopra more than exemplifies such qualifications.” —Samuel S. Epstein, University of Chicago, recipient of the Swedish Right Livelihood Award D D r. S S H H I I V V C C H H O O P P R R A A ’s name has become synonymous with food safety. With full support of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada —a 50,000 member union of scientific and professional public service employees, Dr. Chopra and his colleagues refused to approve various harmful drugs such as B B o o v v i i n n e e G G r r o o w w t t h h H H o o r r m m o o n n e e , B B a a y y t t r r i i l l , and R R e e v v a a l l o o r r - - H H , for use in meat and milk production. They opposed a series of prime ministers and health ministers who had little or no regard for public safety. They defied gag orders, spoke publicly to the media, and testified at many Senate and parliamentary committees. The courts supported Dr. Chopra and his fellow scientists. Today, the dangers of these drugs are inter- nationally recognized. Chopra's fight against the totally avoidable sources of M M a a d d C C o o w w D D i i s s e e a a s s e e , calling the bluff on the A A n n t t h h r r a a x x s s c c a a r r e e , and warning about t t h h e e m m y y t t h h o o f f s s a a f f e e a a n n d d e e f f f f e e c c t t i i v v e e v v a a c c c c i i n n e e s s are equally inspiring stories. Here is the full account of how government corruption endangers the public food supply. This book contains a blueprint for the establishment of food safety and security: Dr. Chopra’s “Five Pillars of Food Safety,” which was presented in April 2008 to the Canadian Parliament by MP ( NDP ) Paul Dewar. www.shivchopra.com www.CCFSH.org Praise for Dr. Shiv Chopra... Praise for Dr. Shiv Chopra... Cor Corr ru up pt t to to t th he e Core Core S S H H I I V V C C H H O O P P R R A A 2nd Edition Corrupt to the Core S S H H I I V V C C H H O O P P R R A A Copyright © 2016 by Shiv Chopra Previously published in 2009 by KOS Publishing All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in review. ISBN 978-0-new to come This is a book of memoirs and the opinions expressed are personal. Any errors in fact are unin- tended and regretted. If any errors are detected, they are to be sent to the author for correction in future editions of this book. www.shivchopra.com www.CCFSH.org Text design, page layout, print production: Beth Crane, WeMakeBooks.ca Cover image: Sam Javanrouh, sam@topleftpixel.com Front cover design: John Lee Printed and bound in Canada For Nirmala, my love For all the years I’m known to you I went hunting for food warring with scoundrels to fend for the brood particularly you. Yet It’s not in me to bring flowers nor jewels to you. But Till death do us part I’ll love you I do. Shiv By Catherine Ann Abel, a famous Canadian artist, from Lethbridge, Alberta. They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, I acknowledge it with my deepest gratitude. It depicts the whole of my message on food sovereignty by a “Canadian Satyagraha for Food”. P REFACES B Y Maude Barlow — vi Paul Dewar — vii Vandana Shiva — viii David Yazbeck — x I NTRODUCTION to the 2nd Edition — xiii C HAPTER 1 Becoming a Public Servant — 1 C HAPTER 2 Seeds of Corruption — 33 C HAPTER 3 Boardroom Racism — 45 C HAPTER 4 Food Safety With Twists of Boardroom Racism — 69 C HAPTER 5 Holy Cow — 107 C HAPTER 6 The Storm — 149 C HAPTER 7 Rewards and Retributions — 181 C HAPTER 8 The Mob — 206 C HAPTER 9 Beelzebub — 242 E PILOGUE The Five Pillars of Food Safety — 289 A CKNOWLEDGMENTS — 297 A PPENDICES — 299 G LOSSARY OF A BBREVIATIONS — 321 L IST OF N AMES AND T HEIR P OSITIONS — 323 B IBLIOGRAPHY & M EDIA S OURCES — 327 I NDEX — 337 Table of Contents Preface by Maude Barlow H ero is not a designation I use lightly. Very few people in our world are willing to make the personal sacrifice necessary to qualify. Shiv Chopra is a hero. So are his five scientist colleagues who took on the powers at Health Canada’s food inspection bureau. Appalled at the lax standards and corporate influence over the setting of food safety rules, Shiv and his fellow “whistleblowers” risked their careers, reputations, and health in order to protect Canada’s food system. Shiv Chopra is a soft-spoken, gentle, funny family man, as well as a brilliant scientist. All he wanted was to use his vast training to ensure that Canadians were eating the safest food in the world. Instead, he had to make a decision between staying quiet, while Health Canada adopted rules that jeopardized the safety of our food system, or put himself publicly on the line. He chose the latter. I first met Shiv when we, at the Council of Canadians, were fighting to keep bovine growth hormone out of the country’s milk supply. Our most formidable ally was Shiv Chopra and his bril- liant testimony before parliamentary committees and in public events we set up. My best memory of Shiv is sitting on a platform with him and Ralph Nader at a huge conference in Ottawa called “Science in the Public Good” when, after receiving our “Whistleblower of the Year” award, he announced to the audience that he would whistle blow “again and again and again” until the abuse stopped. Ralph Nader doubled over with laughter and declared that in all his years as a rabble-rouser, he had never heard anyone announce publicly, in advance, that they were going to blow the whistle. But then, Ralph didn’t know Shiv the way that we did. So this then, is the inside story of a hero and one that every Canadian should honour. Shiv Chopra’s book is shocking as is his report on the corruption at the highest levels of Health Canada. But it is also full of hope and reminds us all that there are still people who care more about the safety of others and the integrity of the system than about their own personal careers. Maude Barlow is the national chairperson of the Council of Canadians, Canada’s largest public advocacy organi- zation, founder of the Blue Planet Project, and Councillor with the World Future Council in Germany. She was awarded Sweden’s Right Livelihood Award, the so-called “Alternative Nobel Prize” in 2007. vi Preface by Paul Dewar, MP (2006-2015) W e have all heard the saying “you are what you eat,” but what if you do not know what it is you are eating? What we feed ourselves has definite and lasting implications on our health. On Monday April 14, 2008 I rose in the House of Commons to table a petition authored by Dr. Chopra and signed by hundreds of Canadians from all across the country: “Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition signed by Canadians from coast to coast to coast asking the government to prohibit the use of hormones, antibiotics, rendered slaughterhouse waste, genetically modi- fied organisms and pesticides in the production of food. “Canadians care deeply about the safety of their food and how it relates to human health. Governments can and should provide Canadians with a stable, but most important, healthy food supply, void of contaminants and toxins”. —T HE H ANSARD Like me, the petitioners were familiar with Dr. Chopra’s work. Throughout years of engaging with Dr. Chopra, I have come to realize the importance of public knowledge about the process of food production, and its implications for public health. As a first step in Dr. Chopra’s path for food safety, I have put forward legislation that will require full disclosure of food ingredients by reforming Canada’s food labelling practices. My bill requires the mandatory labelling of the use of hormones, antibiotics or rendered slaughterhouse waste in meat and poultry products, and the use of pesticides or genetically modified organisms in all food products. When Canadian families put food on their tables, they want to make sure that the food is nourishing them, not making them sick. After reading Dr. Chopra’s work, I believe that mandatory labelling of food products is the first step in rehabilitating the process of food production in our country. In this book by Dr. Chopra, readers come face to face with outrageous negligence by their governments when it comes to food safety. His accounts of his experience as a whistleblower and the abuse he has endured by his superiors leave the readers appalled. Dr. Chopra’s project, however, is not to spread fear and anger. Rather, he mobilizes his readers for change—just like the hundreds of people who have already signed onto his petition, demanding food safety from their government. Paul Dewar, MP Ottawa Centre vii Preface by Dr. Vandana Shiva T he cancer of corporate corruption of science and safety regulations is becoming a major threat to the planet’s health and to public health. Dr. Shiv Chopra’s book Corrupt to the Core describes a leading scientists’ witnessing of this corruption. His courageous writing provides a dose of resilience to all who care about the integrity of science, the independence of government regulations from corporate influence, and the freedom of citizens from hazardous food and medicines. The corruption Dr. Chopra has fought against in Canada is spreading everywhere, with global corporations subverting regulations and scientific research to push unsafe products on society. Nothing illustrates this better than the push for GMO ’s (genetically modified organisms) in our food and agriculture. The first step towards this corruption was made by the USA through the deregulation of GMO ’s on the basis of the scientifically false principle of “substantial equivalence.” The biotechnology industry, which calls itself the “Life Sciences Industry” and controls seeds and agrichemicals used its influence to block international regulations under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity ( CBD ). I was a member of the expert group on Biosafety set up by the UNEP to create the framework for the Biosafety Protocol under Art. 19.3 of the CBD . I witnessed first hand the bullying tactics of the industry, which has a revolving door within the U.S. administration In spite of the bullying, the Biosafety Protocol was finalized. In 1998, Monsanto put ads in Indian papers about introducing its Bt. Cotton, Bollgard. Knowing that India had strong Biosafety Regulations, I investigated whether Monsanto had received statutory approval. It had not. So, I initiated a case in the Supreme Court of India to stop the field trials and proposed commercialization. As a result of our case, Monsanto could no longer bypass regulatory authorities. So it started to corrupt them instead and clearances were granted to Monsanto for commercial planting in 2002. The Bt. Cotton seeds were expensive, non-reliable and non-renewable. Farmers went into debt. More than 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India as a result. The suicide belt coincides with the Bt. Cotton belt. Vidharbha now has 2.8 million acres under Bt. Cotton and the estimate is that one farmer suicide takes place every eight hours. viii Monsanto is also corrupting research. Our research shows 300–400 kg/ acre as average yields under rain-fed conditions, Monsanto fabricates figures of 1500 kg/acres. Our research shows losses of Rs. 6400 / acre. Monsanto sponsored research claims that Bt. Cotton has helped farmers earn Rs. 70.39 billion additional incomes. Vandana Shiva , by training a physicist, did her doctorate at the University of Western Ontario and became a world- renowned eco-feminist, environmental activist and author of many books on food safety, globalization and related topics. She is an Indian national and in the 1970s participated in India’s Chipco Movement started by women determined to protect India’s forests. Together with Ralph Nader, Jeremy Rifkin, Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith, she is a member of the International Forum on Globalisation. She was featured in the Canadian documentary “ The Corpo- ration .” In 1993 Dr. Shiva received Sweden’s Right Livelyhood Award, the so-called “Alternative Nobel Prize.” Preface ix Preface by David Yazbeck I first met Shiv Chopra at a hearing in the Federal Court, Trial Division in 1995. The case concerned the jurisdiction of a grievance adjudicator in the federal public service to consider allegations of discrimination made by Dr. Chopra. Until that point, Dr. Chopra had numerous difficulties convincing Health Canada to address squarely his concerns regarding discrimination in the workplace. A grievance was a logical, and practical, means to ensure that these important issues were addressed. One would have expected our federal government to take a stance that enabled employees to effectively address discrimination in the workplace through the grievance procedure. Instead, the government opposed Dr. Chopra’s right to make these allegations in that context, thereby making it harder to address discrimination. For the federal government, these issues could only be addressed through a more costly and time-consuming procedure which did not even guarantee a hearing. The case was brought in Dr. Chopra’s name; therefore, to a certain extent, the government was attempting to deny him the right to grieve and adjudicate discrimination claims. (Dr. Chopra would find out over the years that this would be a standard tactic in the federal public service.) However, it was also apparent that this case would have a wide impact as it dealt with an issue of principle regarding the adjudication of human rights claims. There is no doubt that this was the reason that Dr. Chopra’s union, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, supported the case with conviction and foresight. I was there as co-counsel for another union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which supported the position being advanced by Dr. Chopra and the Institute. After the hearing, Dr. Chopra made a point of thanking us for the support we provided to his case. Shortly thereafter, he lost on the jurisdictional point. The Federal Court concluded that allegations of discrimination could only be dealt with under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Several years later, many legisla- tures, including Parliament, amended their labour statutes to provide employees with the right to grieve human rights violations. Dr. Chopra’s case was well ahead of its time. Of course, at that time, I had no idea that I would eventually act as counsel for Dr. Chopra on so many other significant cases, including some of the issues that were the subject of his grievance that the Federal Court considered. As I look back on that initial meeting, I can see several important themes that have developed throughout our relationship. x First, was our mutual respect, and passion for the law. Dr. Chopra has consistently demonstrated that the legal system can address the issues he cares about. Even if the issues were on the cutting edge and were therefore pushing the law into uncharted territory, he has been prepared to fight to ensure that the law respects the most basic elements of fairness, human rights and justice. I have been privileged to have been, and to continue to be, his legal advisor in those areas. As of this writing, we are in the midst of a protracted hearing into a number of grievances concerning Dr. Chopra and his colleagues, Drs. Margaret Haydon and Gérard Lambert. We are dealing with some of the most important scientific and political issues of the day, all concerning the health and safety of Canadians and the free speech of federal public service employees—whistle- blowers. Dr. Chopra and his colleagues have taken strong stands on important issues which may seem contrary to the law governing the behaviour of public service employees. However, Dr. Chopra and his colleagues seek to uphold the law: the law that requires that drugs, which are allowed or maintained to be used by Health Canada, must meet the human safety require- ments of the Food and Drugs Act and its Regulations. No more. But certainly no less. Not only do these scientists seek to ensure the operation of that law for the benefit of Canadians. They seek also to challenge and extend the law governing freedom of expression. While this current case is about three committed scientists concerned about the health and safety of Canadians, it is also about the extent to which the law allows them to raise their concerns. There are many argu- ments that the government can use to attempt to justify a gag order on its employees; we maintain they are contrary to the most fundamental law: the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Indeed, it is arguable that, as federal public service employees, there is an obligation to report wrong- doing. Unfortunately, as this book illustrates, exercising that obligation comes with a heavy price. As you read this book, consider how important the legal framework is to all that Dr. Chopra has attempted to accomplish. And more, think about how holes in that framework affect not only health and safety, but liberty, the freedom to speak out, and the freedom to associate. This book is among some of the most significant currents of our time—the tension between the state and indi- vidual, the responsibilities of one to the other and, ultimately, the definition and role of the public interest. A second theme that our first meeting illustrated was that of government opposition to progressive policies. While the machinery of government may be viewed as the sum of persons and places and poli- cies, that sum is greater than all of it parts: government often instinctively reacts in defense to any form of criticism. It closes ranks most strongly on those who persist, and particularly those who are right. Eventually, Dr. Chopra’s essential position from 1995 was sustained through the will of the Preface xi people in the form of legislative change. This book illustrates how principles can overcome persecution and politics. A third theme I have become familiar with is Dr. Chopra’s grace and appreciation. At that hearing in 1995, Dr. Chopra made a point of extending a friendly hand to a supporter. He continues that path to today. These pages provide countless examples of attempts to define, discuss, debate, and determine the issues of the day without malice. It is the scientific method in motion. And yet, these attempts to extend the hand have often been met with resistance—in some cases, severe resis- tance. In spite of that, Dr. Chopra has continued to engage others in discussions, in the hope that reason within the law will prevail. There is no doubt that those who have assisted him are aware of his gratitude. A final theme is perseverance and passion. Addressing these issues takes time. Dr. Chopra’s case from the 1990s-raised issues which became legislatively recognized many years later. He, his bargaining agent PIPSC, and many other public service unions should be thanked for knowing when a cause is worthwhile, and for pursuing that cause with dignity and passion. The law can be used to protect the public. The law can be changed for the better of all. And if we don’t believe that to be true, then we will find ourselves in the state we deserve. On a personal level, there is little doubt that Dr. Chopra and I have grown to hold each other with great affection. I admire his tenacity, his love for the law, his love for science, his love for investigating the spiritual side of life, and his wonderful sense of humour. I am amazed that, in spite of all that has been thrown at him, he continues to pursue these issues without bitterness, and with a determination that demonstrates a deeper knowledge of the stakes involved. It is a knowledge informed as much by the soul as the mind, derived as much from the spiritual as the scientific. And yet, in spite of these deep sources of energy which drive Dr. Chopra, and the nature of his own convictions, he has always remained open to my counsel. I am pleased, proud and privileged to have played—and to continue to play—a role in the events which are outlined in this book. I look forward to the sequel. David Yazbeck is a partner in the law firm Raven Ballentyne Cameron & Yazbeck in Ottawa, Canada. Corrupt to the Core xii Introduction to the 2nd Edition T he first edition of this book was published in 2009, followed by a French edition in 2010. Its reviews in the national and international media received five-star ratings. Due to this book, I have been invited to speak in numerous cities across Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada. It earned me an “Integrity Award” from the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. It reads like a fiction. But, the acts of corruption revealed in this book are thoroughly annotated by naming names of everyone involved. Furthermore, in the hope that the powers-that-be would address the within described wrongdoings, a free-of–cost copy of one or both of the English and French editions, was supplied by public donations to every member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Senate. However, as revealed in this book, no such thing has happened. On the contrary, the corruption involving food safety and public health is taking its toll everywhere in the world via secretly agreed trade partnerships, such as NAFTA , TAFTA , CETA , TPP , TTIP , etc. The reason for the 2nd edition is the following: 1. To meet popular demand for the public’s right to know. 2. To reiterate that contrary to a common perception that Canada’s food supply is one of the safest in the world, it is the opposite; for present in it are five adulterants, improperly approved by Health Canada, including hormones, antibiotics, slaughterhouse wastes, pesti- cides, and GMO s (Genetically Modified Organisms and their products), all of which are detrimental to food safety and public health. 3. To stress that food safety is a fundamental requirement of the Food and Drugs Act and that any infringement of it is forbidden under the Criminal Code of Canada. 4. To confirm that except for certain pesticides no such materials are allowed to be utilized in food and agricultural production across the European Union. 5. To convey that the Canadian approach to food safety is harmful to public health and that it is driven by the Canadian Government to benefit transnational corporations. 6. To urge the powers-that-be to do their duty to safeguard the public interest. — Shiv Chopra xiii Becoming a Public Servant Beginnings D uring most of my childhood India was engulfed in World War II. The war that it fought was purely to protect British interests over which its people had no control. It was also a war that almost everybody joined to expel the British colonial rule. However, the “war” that their most trusted leader, Mahatma Gandhi, wanted all Indians to join would involve no violence against anyone. It was to acquire self rule ( swaraj ) with the aim to remove poverty and improve health, education, equity and equal rights for all and thus lead to universal peace. Memories of Mahatma Gandhi left a strong influence on my life. His observations that “ Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state becomes lawless or corrupt” and that “ the first step in fighting injustice is to make it visible” served as the guiding principles for me to live by. While very young and throughout school and intermediate college I remember my mother continually advising that I must work hard to become a “doctor.” By doctor she no doubt meant a medical doctor as a result of which not only would I earn a prosperous standard of living but also be respected for it. To ensure that I would follow her advice she would frequently remind me that to support my university education my father had taken out a sizable amount of insurance policy which, if unutilized, would go to waste. Unfortunately, I could not become a medical doctor. This was because Punjab and its four adjoining states shared a single government medical college with only seventy seats per year and to which hundreds of candidates from each of these states aspired to enter. The only possibility for me was to enter a private medical college requiring enormous tuition fees and out-of-town living expenses which my parents could spend on me but which I did not want them to do. So, I proposed to enter a veterinary college instead where I could obtain a government scholarship with no tuition fee to pay. Ultimately, that was what happened, although my father was 1 not too pleased about it. I received a very generous state scholarship and no tuition fee to be paid during the entire four-year course that led me to obtain a Bachelor in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc. & AH) from Punjab University. However, attached to this scholarship was a bond that committed me to serve as a state veteri- narian for no less than five years, and if I failed to comply for even a day less than that, I was required to refund the entire sum plus interest at the rate of four percent per year from the first installment. I felt no compunction in signing this bond at the time of my admission (1953) but it posed a huge burden after I got accepted at McGill University (1960) with the Punjab Government demanding to be paid back in full. When I went home to announce that I was offered a scholarship by a famous Canadian university everyone was very proud of me. However, the fact I would need to raise a lot of money raised doubts whether I could afford to go to Canada. Firstly, there was the unfinished portion of my bond with the Punjab Government that would insist on being paid in full or to make me sign yet another bond for ten additional years upon my return from Canada. Secondly, there would be the plane fare to Canada. Finally, to equate my yet to be tested qualifications from India to match with those of McGill standards, the Chairman of Microbiology Department, Dr. Clark Blackwood, required me to register as a “qualifying student” which meant that apart from every- thing else I would need to bring an extra year’s tuition fee with me. The total sum of money that I needed to raise for all these items was approximately twenty thousand rupees ($4,000 00 ) which in those days in India was a huge amount, especially for a middle class family. It was certainly beyond my personal resources. Earning a salary of approximately two hundred rupees ($40 00 ) per month not much could be put into savings. Moreover, the postgraduate training that I received in vaccine manufacture was done on study leave without pay, which meant that any savings that I did accumu- late were completely depleted. In fact, I had to borrow a fair bit of extra money from my father to fund it. The only other option was to approach my father again who was a well-to-do businessman had other responsibilities ahead. Growing up behind me were my five additional siblings whose needs for education were just as important as mine. Therefore, I found it hard to ask my father to devote any more money to just my education. Yet, I had to do something about it. Knowing that in matters pertaining to education my mother would be a more receptive parent, I approached her alone while pledging to return my debt to the family plus much more in a very short period of time. “Don’t worry,” she said, noticing the moistness in my eyes. “I will speak to your father,” she added. The next morning my father sat me down alone to ask what would happen if my trip to Canada failed to materialize? “Probably the same that happened to you when your father refused to allow you to go to university,” I replied. My answer appeared to Corrupt to the Core 2 touch a long-held regret in my father due to his inability to receive university education. I sensed that he did not wish to repeat it in me. Finally, being a man of very few words he told me to proceed without worrying about money. It was around the middle of February in 1960. I was not expected to arrive in Canada until September 15th of that year. However, I had to complete many formalities before I could depart from India. Steps that I needed to accomplish included: negotiating a duly fair financial release for my service contract with the Punjab government, getting a passport, getting a student visa to Canada, obtaining income tax clearance certificate and permission for foreign exchange from the Reserve Bank of India. Fortunately, I managed to accomplish all these formalities in less than two months. Therefore, with nothing more to do, I decided to leave on May 25th, 1960. Going abroad from India in those days used to be a rare event. Going to study in Canada was even less common. I was the first to achieve this honor in my family and probably the whole of Kapurthala—my home town. As a result, many friends, relatives and even some of my former teachers came to our home to congratulate my family and me for it. Actually, the whole of my family and many relatives and friends went to see me off at the airport in New Delhi which is approxi- mately five hundred kilometers from Kapurthala. The send-off party from Kapurthala consisted of approximately twenty-five people and almost as many additional relatives and friends from other places joining us in Delhi. Leaving India, riding on a plane, eating foods that I had never tasted before, and stopping in places that I had not even read about made me wonder if this was all a dream. In retrospect, memo- ries of flying above the clouds, gliding across the ice-capped peaks of the Alps, seeing a rainbow in the valleys below, and fleeting over unending waves and froth in the Atlantic aroused many a poetic thought to write back home. I suddenly woke up to a more immediate reality as we were about to land in Montreal. Actually, I was woken up by a friend, Kamala Joshi, sitting next to me, who was coming here for the first time to join her husband. Her husband, Narendra Joshi, was a former college mate of mine who was studying for his Masters in microbiology as well. Kamala said to me that “Narendra is supposed to get us picked up at Montreal Airport in Dorval.” We landed there at 8.30 AM on May 26th, 1960. Outside the gates of the airport we found Joshi waiting. He was accompanied by a very distin- guished looking gentleman wearing a bow tie—Professor Clark Blackwood who was Chairman of the Department of Microbiology. Following brief introductions Blackwood went to fetch his car from the parking lot. Meanwhile, Joshi and I wheeled out the luggage. As we started to load it into the car, the esteemed professor got into the act of lifting some of our bags as well. I was absolutely Becoming a Public Servant 3 stunned! Coming from India, it was as if I had taken part in an act of blasphemy to let my teacher— my guru—lift the bags of a student. Since then, I have become accustomed to it, but I have never been able to forget the first experience. Professor Blackwood drove us all to the Macdonald College campus of McGill University in Ste Anne de Bellevue. After getting there, he let me out at the postgraduate residence, Harrison House, which was next door to his own house. Before departing, he instructed Joshi to fetch me to a meeting scheduled at the department for 11 o’clock. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Doug Dale who was introduced to me as Assistant Professor Animal Pathology in the Department of Animal Science. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss my research project. Blackwood mentioned that I was the only student who requested to work on a project in veterinary microbiology while all the other projects in that Department pertained to crop, soil or marine microbiology. He said that to accommodate my wish he was pleased to obtain support from Dr. Dale who, being a veterinarian, proposed an excellent project which the Quebec Agricultural Research Council (QARC) had agreed to fund. I was thoroughly pleased and grateful to both the professors and thanked them for it. However, a bad piece of news that Dr. Dale conveyed indicated that although the QARC grant application for the project was approved, the necessary funds from which to pay me would not be available until September of that year. However, Blackwood assured me not to worry about it. He said that he had already managed to find a short term project that would help to tide over the period. This project involved microbio- logical analysis of a batch of chocolates that was suspected to have caused food poisoning. I found nothing harmful in those chocolates. So pleased was Blackwood with my performance on this project that he decided to remove the qualifying clause for my admission which would have required me to pay $525 00 in tuition fee. Those chocolates saved me a lot of money and the trouble to prove additional credentials. My first year at Macdonald College went very well. Scoring high marks in all the courses, particu- larly the one on bacterial physiology taught by Blackwood, I progressed quite nicely in my research project on swine enteritis also. I took part in various campus clubs and the many issues concerning student interests. In less than two years since my arrival at Macdonald College, I obtained my master’s degree (1962) and within two years from that my doctorate in microbiology (1964). One day, during a coffee break in the second year of my studies (1961), the media room techni- cian, Magda Fischer, mentioned that Professor Blackwood had received an application from a girl called Nirmala Ahooja from University of Bombay. I wondered if she was that same “microbiolo- gist” sister of a fellow, Chandra Ahooja, whom I happened to meet some months earlier on a bus. Corrupt to the Core 4 Upon learning from me that I was studying for my master’s in microbiology at Macdonald College, he had asked how his sister could apply for admission as well. It turned out that this was indeed the same person. Nirmala arrived at Macdonald College on October 13th, 1962. I first met her when Professor Blackwood asked me to escort her to the college library, the dining room and the local bank in Ste Anne de Bellevue. I was very pleased to escort this very attractive, Punjabi-speaking, young woman from Bombay (Mumbai). I found her company to be a delight. I took every opportu- nity to be with her. I learned that her family background was very similar to mine. Originally from Amritsar, which is approximately sixty kilometers from my home town, Kapurthala, Nirmala was the youngest in her family while I was the oldest in mine. We had almost every lunch and coffee break together, went for long walks and occasionally to the local cinema or pizzeria parlor. Daily, I escorted her to her brother’s house in Beaconsfield. The only time we separated was either to attend our separate classes or while working on our individual research projects. We hated to be apart. Finally, on her next birthday I proposed to her, which she graciously accepted. We planned to get married on May 6th, 1962. However, to honor our Indian upbringing and tradition, we decided to obtain the blessing of our parents first. Neither family posed any objection nor to our proposal that we should get married in Canada. The only problem that we faced for getting married here was that neither of us was Christian. We learned that, in the Province of Quebec, all marriages were required to be conducted by either a Catholic priest or a Protestant minister. There was no provision at that time in Quebec law for either a civil ceremony or one in accordance with any non-Christian denominations. Being unfa- miliar with this law, we approached several different Catholic priests to conduct our marriage. The answer that we invariably received was that to be married by a Catholic priest we must pre-commit to raise our children as Catholics, which meant that we must either convert to Catholicism or remain unmarried. Ultimately, a close friend of mine, Victor Mason, suggested that we should see Reverend Leonard Mason (no relation) at the Unitarian Church in downtown Montreal. So, off we trotted to try our luck with this Reverend Mason. In Reverend Mason we found a wonderful human being. “Oh, you poor things,” he said, after listening to the sad tale of a Hindu couple trying to get married under Quebec law. “How do you get married back home?” he asked. “We do not get married in temples,” I replied. The presiding priest or purohit as we refer to him in Hindi is invited to the bride’s home where he conducts the wedding ceremony in the company of both families and their friends. “Do you want me to do that for you?” he asked. “That’s very kind of you, except that being students with very limited budgets at our disposal we need to think about it,” I replied and added that I would soon get back to him. Becoming a Public Servant 5