Aujla, the Indo-Canadian singer has achieved another milestone as the first Punjabi musician to be featured in Apple Music’s global Up Next initiative. Naujawaan Support Network—a group advocating for youth, international students, and workers—held a demonstration at Kaneff Park in Brampton to protest against the recent changes to Canada’s study permit and post-graduation work permit policies, calling for fairer treatment. According to Toronto Today, international students took to the streets of Brampton in protest last Saturday, braving rainy and windy conditions to demand an end to the exploitation of immigrants and students. The students are pushing the government to extend the work permits of foreign workers set to expire in 2024 and 2025, advocating for a more accessible pathway to permanent residency. Their motto, “good enough to work, good enough to stay,” reflects their stance against what they perceive as the exploitation of international students as a source of cheap labor in Canada. Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, joined the protest to show her support. She remarked, “Your fight is our fight… Quite frankly, what we see right now is racism. It’s discrimination, and there’s no room for racism and discrimination in our province and in our country,” as quoted by Toronto Today. A widely circulated poster on social media emphasized the protest’s message, stating that international students are being unfairly blamed for the housing and jobs crisis, despite “zero evidence” supporting such claims. The group insists that government policies and corporate practices are the actual issues, not the students. “International students are not the cause of the crisis, but we are being made into scapegoats,” the statement read. By the end of 2023, Canada had accepted 1,040,985 international students, according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education. However, Toronto Today notes a significant 52.6 percent decline in the number of international students arriving in Canada for the 2023 session compared to the 2021-22 session, when 2,196,468 international students came to the country.
Indo -Canadian singer Karan Aujla Breaks New Ground in Music Industry Karan Aujla is making significant strides in the music industry this year. In March, the Punjabi-Canadian artist became the first individual of Punjabi descent to win the Juno Fan Choice Award. Now, he has achieved another milestone as the first Punjabi musician to be featured in Apple Music’s global Up Next initiative. This program focuses on emerging stars, providing Apple Music’s editorial resources to support featured artists through original short films, interviews with Apple Music radio hosts, and more. Aujla’s short film showcases him exploring his favorite spots in Vancouver, such as Eddy’s barbershop, and discussing his musical aspirations. “I feel like my music helped a lot of people that don’t know my language,” Aujla states in the film. “There don’t have to be barriers around it, like ‘Oh, this is a Punjabi song. I can’t listen to this.’ I don’t think that’s right. I listen to Spanish music all the time. I don’t know a word of Spanish.” Aujla expresses hope that Punjabi music will have a global breakthrough similar to “Despacito,” as the Punjabi Wave gains popularity in markets outside India. The Up Next feature highlights Aujla’s rising status as an icon. Starting as a lyricist in Vancouver, collaborating with Punjabi artists like Diljit Dosanjh, Aujla has made a name for himself as a performer. His collaborative album with producer Ikky, *Making Memories*, reached No. 5 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart last year. In addition to his achievements, Aujla is releasing an Apple Music edition of his latest EP *Four Me* and preparing for his first Canadian tour this summer, which will include performances in three arenas across the country. The four-song EP follows last year’s *Four You*, another collaboration with Ikky. Aujla joins the ranks of other Canadian artists who have been featured in Apple’s Up Next program, including Orville Peck, Jessie Reyez, Daniel Caesar, and Tate McRae.
Tragic Accident Claims Life of Punjab Student in Surrey A young man from Punjab, Sanjeev Kumar Sachdeva of Talwandi Bhai, tragically lost his life in a road accident in Surrey, Canada. Having arrived in Canada three months ago to pursue his studies, Sachdeva and one of his colleagues died at the scene of the accident on Friday. Two others were seriously injured in the incident.
