Union Zindabad! — South Asian Canadian Labour History in British Columbia

Bhangra Giddha dancers at CFU Anniversary Celebration, April 9, 1983
Photos-061. Canadian Farmworkers Union Collection, Simon Fraser University Library.
and labour activism. He was one of the first professional
Bhangra dancers in BC, teaching many
Canadian-born youth through his Richmond
based dance troupe, the Punjab Cultural
Association.
Bhangra originated as an amalgamation of folk
dances from various regions in the Punjab, coming
together in the revolutionary era of the 1940s and
continuing to evolve in years since. Song lyrics
often include themes of love, patriotism, strength
and celebration during times of harvest, which
resonated strongly with BC farmworkers. Many
of the traditional dance moves represent farming
activities: for example, the “pick and place” action
of harvesting or moving crop.
The Binning family was involved with the CFU
from the beginning, and it wasn’t long before Paul
was in charge of organizing entertainment for the
union’s frequent fundraising dinners. Despite its
strong historic working-class associations, not
everyone in the community appreciated Bhangra’s
role as a labour organizing tool.
Binning defended what he called ‘revolutionary
Bhangra’. “We can change things with the songs.
We can tell people what we want to tell them, and
we can sing songs because they know these songs
are inspiring songs. You know, when you get a
88 | UNION ZINDABAD! South Asian Canadian Labour History in British Columbia