Ranj Dhaliwal ( Punjabi: ਰਣਜ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ; born 1976/1977) is a Canadian author.

Early life

Born in Vancouver, Dhaliwal grew up in Surrey Central, British Columbia in the 1980s, which was a time when

Indo-Canadian Indian Canadians are Canadians who have ancestry from India. The terms ''Indo-Canadian'' or ''East Indian'' are sometimes used to avoid confusion with the Indigenous peoples in Canada, Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Categorically, Indian Cana ...

families were scattered across the suburbs. Unfortunately this was a time when minorities were subjected to discrimination and racism, which Dhaliwal faced firsthand. During his youth, Dhaliwal grew up with kids that at the early age of 13 were packing guns, stealing cars, getting into fights, making alliances, and selling drugs at school with police always close by watching the beginning of the Indo-Canadian gang culture rise.

Personal life

Ranj Dhaliwal is a

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

. He and his wife live in

Surrey, British Columbia Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surr ...

and have three sons.

Writing career

In 2006, Dhaliwal's first novel ''

Daaku ''Daaku'' is a 2006 Canadian crime fiction novel by Ranj Dhaliwal. Synopsis In the violent and ruthless world of Indo–Canadian gangs, Ruby Pandher is on his way up. A self–described daaku (Punjabi for outlaw), Ruby learns young that might, in ...

'' was published. The release of Dhaliwal's novel was the subject of controversy in the South Asian community for breaking the code of silence in the Indo-Canadian community, though not based on a true story. In 2011, Dhaliwal's second novel ''Daaku: The Gangster's Life'' was published. Ranj Dhaliwal is currently working on his third novel ''Gangland'', which is predicted to be released in 2016. A fourth novel ''Gang Related'' is also in the works and set to be released in coming years.

Community and politics

Dhaliwal was praised as an important community leader by the Walrus magazine in his bid to gain control of a controversial Sikh temple in Surrey, BC that was involved in a violent and bloody clash between fundamentalists and moderates over edicts from the head priest of Sikhs. Dhaliwal was elected in and became the Vice-President elect of the temple in 2008. He then resigned to focus his attention on at-risk youth while a litigious battle ensued in the courts over his slate's election. Dhaliwal continues to be involved in politics in Surrey and coordinates youth programs. Because of his active involvement in the community, Ranj has been called upon to mediate local disputes and conflicts. His involvement in politics isn't just locally, as Dhaliwal brings Sikh leaders from India to tour Canadian Sikh temples. Dhaliwal has worked with aboriginal and environmental law organizations for many years, and volunteers with several organizations aimed at helping at-risk youths. Dhaliwal speaks on organized crime at high schools and universities, and alongside police officers in an effort to educate youth about the dangers of the gangster lifestyle.

Bibliography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dhaliwal, Ranj 1976 births Living people 21st-century Canadian novelists Canadian male novelists Canadian people of Indian descent Canadian people of Punjabi descent Canadian Sikhs Canadian writers of Asian descent Canadian crime fiction writers Organized crime novelists People from Surrey, British Columbia Writers from Vancouver 21st-century Canadian male writers