"A son's estrangement from his roots is something most immigrant parents accept, said Basir Hussein, executive director of the Alliance of South Asian Communities.

"Here they get involved in the local society, so their attitudes change. It's normal," Hussein said.

But some parents who expect full obedience from their kids can be heavyhanded in their discipline. This, said Hussein, can cause a child to rebel even more.

But there's no indication Gill's parents ruled the home with an iron fist.

While they were not fully involved in the community, everyone who spoke to CanWest News Service said they are moderate, kind people who integrated well into Canada.

It's this paradox that has the community shocked and flummoxed, Verma said.

Youth of South Asian origins have been showing some troublesome signs lately, Hussein said, which spurred the community to develop preventive social programs.

"They're like any other youth. There are some problems with school dropouts, with drugs and alcohol. We are working very hard to make them understand what kind of problems they'll create if they get into these activities."

(Montreal Gazette)