G. A. Easwar: Connecting South Asian Diasporas in the Canadian Mosaic

When G. A. Easwar first arrived in Canada 26 years ago with his wife Shagorika and his two young sons, he was astonished at the vast differences that separated the Canadian landscape from his home in India. During his early years in India and later in Dubai, Easwar was surrounded by local members of the Indian community – a stark difference to Canada, where the South Asian community was much smaller in the mid-1990s.

Now, however, things have changed; for example, back then, there was only one Indian bazaar on Gerrard Street in Toronto. "But now, there are Indian bazaars everywhere. In Brampton alone, you can find ten," he says.

Post-arrival, Easwar and his family had many questions, particularly relating to how they, as newcomers, could navigate this new country whilst still remaining true to their Indian cultural identity. So he founded Desi News magazine with Shagorika just a year after their arrival. Both journalists with extensive media, marketing and advertising industry experience in India and the Middle East, their own discoveries about Canada in their first months in the country formed the basis for stories about the community, covering the social and cultural issues of the day.

Twenty five years later, Desi News is Canada's premier South Asian print and online magazine and continues to resonate with the burgeoning community. Easwar, as the Publisher, sees his role as being a mirror to the community, highlighting the achievements of many in the Canadian mosaic and discussing issues that challenge the community while eschewing divisive political topics. "Who am I?" Every issue of Desi News explores this question both in terms of one’s roots in the Indian subcontinent and one's Canadian identity in the context of everyday issues and experiences. CanadaBound Immigrant, now in its 12th year, is a print and online magazine that caters to the informational needs of would-be immigrants planning their move to Canada and post-landing. It is the only publication of its kind in the country that addresses the pre-arrival concerns of newcomers.

Both publications are founded on the principle of encouraging every new Canadian to be all that one can be in this land of immense opportunity. Shagorika is the Editor of both magazines.

As years go on, Easwar sees himself as both Canadian and Indian.

"The Indian part of me is in my roots; it'll always be there," he says. "But I see that being Canadian means to be inclusive, and that inclusion means you can be whatever you want to be. My identity is proudly Canadian, one of inclusion."

As one of CIRCLE's Steering Committee members, Easwar sees a synergy in his role with his professional media responsibilities – showcasing the remarkable work CIRCLE is accomplishing within research, programming, and community engagement – the last of which he thinks is lacking in many contemporary organizations. He admires CIRCLE's adherence to its core mandate, of bringing together researchers focusing on India and South Asia and using research to engage communities. He hopes that the circle will continue to widen.

His advice for incoming newcomers to Canada? Easwar says, "This is a land of great opportunity and Canadian society is essentially inclusive to newcomers. One can really fly as high as one wants to."

Liaba Nisar, a student writer for CIRCLE, is in her fourth year, completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Guelph.