SURREY – The Times Of India Film Awards provided great entertainment for the Indo-Canadian community as well as Bollywood fans, but it has become clear the purpose of the event wasn’t for entertainment and to boost tourism, it was more political, says Charan Gill, the CEO of the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS).
Gill said: “Premier Christy Clark and Finance Minister Mike de Jong were in the forefront mingling with actors and dancing away to create an impression that they’re friendly and accepting of the Indo-Canadian people. This was all a tactic for them to generate intended popular votes for the upcoming elections.
“The $11 million spent on this entertainment will be fruitless and forgotten very quickly. That money could have been spent on more meaningful and useful purposes like towards the underemployed and unprivileged by providing them with adequate social services.
“Unfortunately, I doubt BC tax payers will see the fruits of the money spent on this extravagant event. The benefits were rewarded for the friends and associates – we hope the government will be accountable and release the details to the tax payers who deserve to know.”
