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Two home runs in quick succession!

Ajit Jain in Toronto

After getting the Order of Ontario last December, Indo-Canadian journalist Haroon Siddiqui, editorial page editor emeritus of the Toronto Star, now gets the Order of Canada, the highest civilian award that the Canadian government can bestow on its civilians.

Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson made an announcement to this effect on Wednesday night.

Another Indo-Canadian who is amongst the list of 104 new recipients of the Order of Canada is Sudershen Devanesen, a family physician in Toronto.

"A highly respected journalist, he has been an advocate for fairness and equality of opportunity," Clarkson's office said about Siddiqui. "He has challenged stereotyped thinking about minorities through his newspaper articles and public appearances.

"Calling for an active involvement of new Canadians in mainstream society, Siddiqui has encouraged dialogue and understanding."

Devanesen is former chief of family and community medicine at Toronto's St Miachel's Hospital. "An expert in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases affecting Canadians of south Asian descent, Devanesen has worked tirelessly with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to launch education programmes aimed at risk reduction," Clarkson's office said.

"This Indo-Canadian physician has been a role model and mentor to hundreds of medical residents, family physicians and nurse practitioners."

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