Why Ghulam Rasool, New Immigrant To Canada, Is Calling It Quits!

By Binoy Thomas The following is a gut-wrenching story of how the dreams of one immigrant to Canada came to naught. Ghulam Rasool is a Mechanical Engineer (1976) with M. E. in Production (1979) and Industrial Engineering (1980) from India with immediate family on both sides of the border. Before he migrated to Canada, induced by the promises held forth by Canada's immigration policy, he had picked up years of experience in machine building industry. He recently contacted us with his story that he wanted to tell the people through Voice. It was a sort of a last minute 'gift' to thousands of others who suffer silently, having been denied in similar fashion opportunity that they sought in Canada. When I received his email, I wanted to meet with him not just to empathize with him, but also offer my congratulations on a bold decision that many stay away from - to talk about it openly without shame or fear. Ghulam Rasool is going back home, most probably to Mumbai, and by the time you read his account of his five years in Canada, he will be thousands of miles away, the land that he once held dear. He and his family left town on May 14. He wrote to Voice: "I may not be able to access my mail anymore now. There is not time left for me. My phone is gone and I am in a basement living on Bread and Water literally, but waiting for the next three days to go by so that 14th dawns. Thanks for taking interest in my case. I am aware of you doing a lot for bettering the lot of immigrants. I would like you to somehow reach this to the Prime Minister and compel him to reply in the Newspapers. As a media you have done well, but probably there are no takers. Good luck to you all. My best wishes for you to prosper here in Canada. Insha Allah, should conditions improve, it will be good for all. The only advantage of Canada is its very little population. But the narrow mind does more harm!" I can certainly bring Rasool's story to you the people, but the Prime Minister? Right now it just might be a tad inconvenient for Martin to be reading the sad tale of a single immigrant! We all know that Rasool's case is not unique or rare. Among the immigrant community, especially those who come with decent skill sets and qualifications, frustration is building up. Something is drastically wrong with Canada's immigration system. At least for the qualified immigrant, this is proving to be a passport to wilderness. Rasool says that he knows of other families who have quietly decided to move back or go to other destinations to survive. Ghulam Rasool says he realized how it's to live a nightmare. Many in our country, (that include politicians and bureaucrats and of course, those power brokers such as the regulatory bodies and the unions, are either unaware or reluctant to admit this deplorable state). Mercifully, there is some real authoritative statistics coming out of such independent bodies like the Conference Board of Canada on how this country wastes immigrant talent. Rasool says, "Many articles have been written before. Nothing will come out of this as well, but please try and reach this to as many people as possible." While we wish Rasool and his family the very best in his old/new homeland, here's his account of the great Canadian dream gone bad. It would be an understatement to say he is critical of Canada, but when you have seen your whole life unraveling before you, thanks to a system that's exclusionary, then who are we to nit-pick? The least we can do is to let him blow his steam, hoping that someone somewhere would be moved by yet one more story to do something about it. CANADA - A NIGHTMARE COME TRUE!! By Ghulam Rasool Enough is enough! It's never too late to call it quits. Having realized this after 5 long years, I am going back to my country and for good. The ruling equation here is that while immigrants build Canada, Canada batters and shatters them! The very people who come here drawn by attractively designed websites or on the 'invitations' of immigration consultants' invitations, eager to build a new life while contributing to this country are destroyed and consumed by it!! What an irony!! Continued.... http://www.weeklyvoice.com/CNews/?CNewsID=526428