E-Mail: singh@thelangarhall.com
Web Page: http://www.thelangarhall.com
Registered Since: 2007-12-17 04:45:38
Profile: singh is a sikh and he blogs here. in his profile pic he is holding an amb (mango)...
Posts by Singh:
Gold Rimmed, Khanda Shaped, Sikh Glasses
October 8th, 2008
Has anyone else noticed how ridiculous the (US Presidential Election) campaigns have gotten? The ridiculousness has reached a new all time low in the past few weeks with both sides slinging mud, making tenuous connections, and outright lying. Admittedly, I have a preference for one side over the other, but like most people nowadays that means less than it used to and I have truly tried to be “fair” in my analysis of recent politicking. What I have seen from both sides makes me gag.
It seems to me that the strategies on both sides of the isle amount to this: avoid answering any questions; lie/stretch the truth whenever you feel you can get away with it (or even when you know you can’t), and don’t forget to act arrogant. If you doubt my generalization, I implore you to go to johnmccain.com or barackobama.com and look at the ads for yourself, watch the debates, or just snippets on youtube. What’s even worse is that the media has come to expect this childishness. Some of you may be thinking “So what?! - this is politics.” It is my hope that most of you don’t feel that way and just accept this behavior as the status quo.
I think what gets to me about this whole election cycle is how fundamentally un-Sikh-like the behavior has been. Let me explain. As a Sikh - I like to look at things through my Sikh glasses and when something is fuzzy or just doesn’t make sense, it is time to analyze why. Growing up as a Sikh and trying to live a gursikh life now, I have come to think of certain things - stand up for what you believe in, speak the truth - as almost requirements for being a good person. Gurbani provides numerous references to such virtues and while I am sure they are no different from many other religions, I think they are much more pronounced in the Sikh faith. Integrity, honesty, and courage are central to Sikhi. So from this perspective I evaluate recent campaign tactics.
Ultimately, my point is that the campaigns aren’t making their cases very well to someone like me, who is wearing gold rimmed, khanda shaped, Sikh glasses. Ideally, I’d like a President who I can feel good about, someone I see as a role model, and right now the choices leave much to be desired…
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By the way, despite the above I feel one of the candidates is at least trying to steer clear of the muck and focus on the issues…so I give props to OBAMA for that. Go OBAMA!
Gurdwara Funds: A Fine Line…
October 3rd, 2008Often on this blog we have discussed what role our institutions should play in our lives and recently I had an opportunity to examine the issue anew. In a recent gurdwara council meeting I attended, one gurdwara decided to give a large sum of money to a group putting on a bhangra program. The group was not affiliated with the gurdwara. I will admit, I did not say anything at the time because I do not attend the gurdwara that decided to do this, but the incident did get me thinking about gurdwara funds and the concept of daswand.
When a gurdwara collects funds from the sangat – it does so under the pretence that the money is being collected to be put to some higher use, a use that we ourselves could perhaps not put it to, whether it be spiritual or practical. Usually we give the money as part of our daswand or some random seva to the gurdwara, but I think in every case it is understood that we are giving the money up to be put to a use that our Guru’s would have used it for – something necessary, something practical, and fundamentally “good.”
And as I write this post, some questions that I haven’t even answered for myself come to mind - Is the daswand I give to the gurdwara something I have a right to control – can I decide where it goes? If Sikhi is to be treated like a democracy, I would argue that absolutely I have every right to “vote” on where the funds go or at least have a chance to say something. But even in such a vote – should there be limits? Shouldn’t the funds of a gurdwara be spent on activities, which embody Sikh ideals and values? Presently, I am inclined to believe that sangat should have a say in where gurdwara funds are spent, but also that the options for spending funds should be limited to projects that actually embody and promote Sikh ideals.
But back to where we started – I brought bhangra up because it is something that can be debated – I’m not contending that it is an anti-Sikh activity, but at the same time, I don’t really think bhangra is something that perpetuates the Sikh way of life either. So I guess the dilemma in my mind in determining where the gurdwara should be spending its funds and where to draw the line…
Bollywood’s “Heroes” - More Sikh Characters on the Big Screen
September 17th, 2008We have had a lot of discussion about the Sikh identity here on TLH, so it is no surprise that when I saw this movie poster I immediately wanted to bring it to your attention.
Bollywood is doing it again – another movie with Sikhs. But instead of what we have seen in the past with Sikhs often portrayed as unflattering villains and goofballs, it seems that the trend now is to cast people in Sikhs roles where the Sikhs are the heroes. I suppose it is partly in that spirit that the movie is called “Heroes.”
Heroes is about two friends who journey through India meeting everyday heroes, at least one of whom is a Sikh. But that is not the part that interested me of course. The interesting part is not the story line, but all of the press that Salman Khan (the actor who plays a Sikh hero) has gotten for his attempt to play a real Sikh.
Salman Khan [is] seen in a Sikh makeover for the first time ever and he makes a good looking jatt Sikh with a beautifully tied turban. He grew his beard for three weeks before the filming for an authentic bearded Sikh look. Source.
I think this is probably the first time that I have heard this happening. Although, I think actor Sunny Deol may have grown his own beard for a couple of his roles as a Sikh – it has never been so explicitly commended or publicized. I’m not sure how I come down on this, but all the press does point to a deliberate effort by Bollywood to NOT-offend Sikhs, which I think is a positive move on the film industries part.
Sikhnet – Gracefully Pushing the Limits of Punjabi Sikh Perspectives on Courtship
August 31st, 2008This past week, I saw this advertisement about the “GurSikh Speed Meeting.” For those of you who have no idea the Sikhnet’s Gursikh Speed Meeting is obviously (and admittedly) the Sikh version of speed dating. According to the organizers of the program:
The concept is quite simple. An equal number of Sardars and Sardarnis register. On the event date, each Sardar will meet each Sardarni one-on-one and chat for a specified number of minutes rotating till they have met all the Singhnis. This face to face style of meeting has spurred much interest, in addition to, respecting the participant’s privacy. Only if there is an agreed ‘CLICK’ will an exchange of contact information occur.
I remember when I first saw Sikhnet advertising this a couple of years ago and thinking to myself, “this is bold.” I don’t necessarily think dating for Sikhs is anti-gurmat, but dating is definitely still taboo in A LOT of Punjabi Sikh families.
Sikh Prisoner’s Hair Cut Against His Will - PETITION
August 30th, 2008In July of this year Jagmohan Singh, who is being held in a Florida prison on misdemeanor charges, had his hair forcibly cut by prison authorities. Florida’s prison regulations require that hair and beard be cut while a prisoner is in prison and the regulations have been repeatedly upheld on grounds that they serve safety interests. Such regulations disproportionately impact Sikhs and United Sikhs is working to protect Jagmohan Singh (and others) from such discrimination. A few days ago they issued a press release stating that:
UNITED SIKHS’ legal team and religious liberties experts are diligently working on this case, but we need your assistance. Your signatures can make the biggest difference to persuade Florida government officials to take action. UNITED SIKHS calls on all concerned individuals and organizations to sign the petition to save Jagmohan Singh from further trauma and humiliation, and to change the discriminatory Florida prison regulations.
The link to the petition is here.
The sad irony about Jagmohan Singh’s situation is that he narrowly escaped religious persecution under the Taliban in Afghanistan, where Sikhs were not allowed to practice their religion freely under the tyrannical regime. Jagmohan fled to America in 2001 on the basis of religious persecution, only to have his dearest of religious rights violated while serving a sentence for a misdemeanor offense.
Our signatures can make a difference so your activism would be greatly appreciated.
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Thanks to Dave for sending the link around.
Dastarbandi/Turban Tying
August 22nd, 2008A few days ago Sikhnet News posted a story about the Dastarbandi/Pagri di Rasam/Turban Tying Ceremony of Harmanas Singh, a 16 year old young man in California. 
While the story gave only a brief explanation for the ceremony it got me thinking about the significance of the ceremony in the Sikh community in general: why we perform the ceremony, how wide spread it is, and how it pertains today to Sikh women.
A couple of websites describe the ceremony like this:
People who have lived in India would know the turban tying ceremony known as Rasam Pagri (Turban Tying Ceremony). This ceremony takes place once a man passes away and his oldest son takes over the family responsibilities by tying turban in front of a large gathering. It signifies that now he has shouldered the responsibility of his father and he is the head of the family. [Source]
The explanation is a bit off –because the ceremony seems more for the passing of personal rather than family responsibility. While there may have been a time when the ceremony signified the passage of family leadership – I think in the Sikh faith the ceremony has come to signify the shouldering of personal responsibility for young Sikhs. The dastarbandi ceremony represents something different for Sikhs – it is as Guru Gobind Singh intended it – a stamp of identity for Sikhs and the responsibilities that being a Sikh entail.
Olympic Gold: Singh is King
August 11th, 2008
Today Abhinav Bindra won the first individual gold medal ever claimed by any Indian Olympian. He competed in and won the 10M air rifle event this morning in Beijing. We originally posted about him a few days ago here.
Abhivan hails from Chandigarh, Punjab and is the son of Dr. A.S. Bindra and Babli Bindra. Abhivan has been training since childhood as a shooter and is a holder of the Khel Ratan Award, India’s highest athletic honor. This is his second time at the Olympics.
His family had gathered at the Sector 8 Gurdwara in the three days preceding his competition for an Akhand patth sahib thanking Waheguru for his success and praying for a win. After hearing that his son had won the gold, Dr. A.S. Bindra proclaimed:
My son has proved that ‘Singh is King’ in a real sense. He has brought laurels for the whole Sikh community and for the whole nation…
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As an aside - for those of you wondering, as I was, what his name means - it means “quite new”
Also just found a link to Abhinav’s personal blog
Jathedar Vedanti “Resigns”
August 6th, 2008Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, resigned yesterday without providing any real reason for the step down. From reports it seems that the Jathedar was asked to resigned late Monday night 
after some SGPC execs visited him at home – the apparent reason: differences of opinion with the Shromini Akali Dal (lead by Badal) and the SGPC (lead by Makkar). In an attempt to cover up the transparently obvious removal, the SGPC president, Avtar Singh Makkar attributed the resignation to Vedanti’s ill health. However, most sources reported something more along these lines:
It is understood that Vedanti’s increasing proximity with hard liner Sikh organizations on the issue of Dera Sacha Sauda and his public opinion to vote for Sikh Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during UPA government’s trust vote on July 22 last were key factors that compelled SGPC to pack up Vedanti. The reports said that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had told Vedanti to quit else he will be expelled.
After reading about Jathedar Vedanti removal and the circumstances, (like many others) I am a bit confused and disturbed with the recent trend – Jathedar Vedanti’s removal is not a first:
The removal of Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode as the Akal Takht Jathedar started the trend of sacking Jathedars. Previously, a Jathedar either resigned or died in office.
Bhai Ranjit Singh, the daring Jathedar of Akal Takht was sacked on April 28,1998 and SGPC installed Giani Puran Singh as the new Jathedar on February 15,1999. Vedanti was appointed as acting Jathedar of Akal Takht on March 28, 2000 after the SGPC then led by Bibi Jagir Kaur blamed Giani Puran Singh of violating the maryada (Sikh code of conduct) and sacked him.
I think what makes this most unsettling is the fact that the Jathedar of the Akal Takht is supposed to be given a certain degree of credibility and authority. The Jathedar is a Sikh leader; someone who represents our interests, is our ambassador, and serves as a guide to Sikhs worldwide. I’m not giving him/her Papal status by any means, but the Jathedar’s position is an executive role within the Panth and removal at the whim and fancy of often corrupt officials in the SGPC or the SAD illegitimates any credibility the position once held. The fact that the last four Jathedars have been “removed” by the SGPC/SAD & Co. says a great deal about the way our Panth is run…little of which can be construed in a positive light.
Preserving History the Right Way?
February 16th, 2008
Good news! After years of coaxing and clamoring by Sikhs worldwide, the SGPC has recently committed to preserving Sikh buildings in their historic condition - instead of updating facades with rows of crisp white 4×4 tile, layers of white paint, and sheets of white marble, among other forms of traditional Sikh rehabilitation. The conduits for the SGPC’s work of keeping up historic and new buildings are the groups of Kar Seva Wale Babe and this week the SGPC announced that:
‘kar seva wale’ saints will be requested to maintain the original structures without making additions or alternations.
This is amazing news because in the past a lot of valuable Sikh history and art in the form of frescos and architectural detail has been lost due to the SGPC’s building renovations and updates. Now there seems to be an affirmative acknowledgment that such things can’t continue to happen - a step in what a lot (including I) feel is the right direction. However, the announcement comes at the heels of an interesting tid-bit regarding one historic Amritsar structure: In early January this year, renowned New York hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal announced that he had plans to turn Gobindgarh Fort into a hotel and museum. Hence, the question in the title of this post. As a historic building, Gobindgarh Fort is one of a the older forts in Amritsar, and was built around 1760 by the Bhangi Misl. It was later taken over and refortified by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and used to protect the city of Amritsar. It is, therefore, one of a number of historic buildings that would most likely be subject at some point to the SGPC’s newfound preservationist attitude. In announcing his plans, the report noted that:
Chatwal said that the amount of non-resident Indians as well as foreigners visiting Amritsar is massive because of the Golden Temple but unfortunately the city still does not [have] a world class hotel.
Obviously, allowing such a joint venture would meet a number of different needs simultaniously - fulfilling the desire to keep intact the old fort, meeting the needs of NRI and foreign visitors, and providing a steady stream of return on investment for Mr. Chatwal - BUT the big question is - whether this is the type of preservation Sikhs want. Does turning a historic Sikh fort into a heritage hotel really count as preservation? Thoughts?
The Search for Thematically Sikh Art
February 3rd, 2008I always keep my eye out online for Sikh art (visual art that is) because, to be quite honest, there is very little accessible Sikh art on the market – aside from the legendary Sobha Singh prints (available almost everywhere) 
and the works of lesser known artists displayed on Sikh calendars (the hallmarks of almost every Sikh-owned business) of course. Until recently, Sikh-themed art seemed to be limited to the afore mentioned. No longer! A number of artists have come out with Sikh-themed art and there are two that I would like to highlight in particular.
First is Kanwar Singh Dhillon, a Punjab-born Canadian whose works are themed around Sikh history. I was attracted by the detail in his art and was surprised to learn that he uses a rather unique medium – although his 
works look as if they are done in oil on canvas – his paintings are computer created and printed onto the canvas. Needless to say the product is still wonderful.
The other artist is Bhupinder Singh. I came across his art long before I knew who he was. I actually had the painting titled “Gurdwara Entrance” (pictured) as my desktop background for the longest time, and admired it every time I sat at my computer. It was only after I came across a second painting by him on flicker.com (which reminded me of the first) that I started poking about the net. His medium of choice is watercolor –making his work both unique and striking.
Please feel free to post your thoughts and about any cool works of art or artist that you know of. Note – I know there are other artists out there, but I chose to post about these two because they are new to me.
Has the Anand Karaj Lost its Significance to the Afterparty?
January 14th, 2008Hey readers…I accidentally deleted the post on Sikh weddings and we are in the process of trying to retrieve it. I may attempt a reconstruction if we cannot, but in the meanwhile - We’d still like to hear your thoughts on the question posed in the title.
The question is prompted by this article in the NYTimes about the trent of having ridiculously expensive weddings going on in Afghanistan currently. Reading the article made me think about our own wedding traditions and how much of the Sikh wedding has lost its meaning (particularly the anand karaj itself) and the focus has really shifted to the afterparty and in the case of Sikh weddings in Punjab the “before-during-after party” where many guests bypass the anand karaj altogether and head straight for the wedding palace.Recently the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee even mandated simple Sikh weddings (without extravagant parties that include alcohol) for the Sikhs to whom it was to issue marriage licenses.So, what do you think - has the anand karaj lost its significance to the afterparty?
P.S. some of the comments also were deleted with the post so if you commented, I apologize for losing your thoughts.
Just Cool
January 9th, 2008My brother sent me the following picture. There is no article to accompanying it, but I thought that it is just cool to have a sabat surat Sikh portrayed in such a positive and “normal” light. The man in the picture is Fauja Singh, a world record holding marathon runner. This billboard appears in Vancouver, Canada.
Sikh Leaders and Speaking Up for the Sikh Identity
January 5th, 2008
Recently I have read a few articles about instances where Sikh leaders have partaken in activities with various anti-Sikh groups, such as the RSS and Dera Sacha Sauda.
In part, the controversies that have arisen are rooted in the questions of what role Sikh leader ought to play in the context of anti-Sikh propaganda. Should our leaders be attending functions organized by anti-Sikh groups? Should they boycott them? Many leaders have been seen “supporting” such organizations by hobnobbing with, accepting gifts from, and turning a blind eye to their activities.
One recent instance of this is the Jathedar of the Akal Takht and others accepting pictures which expressly co-mingle Sikhi with Hinduism (with Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Sri Ram) at an RSS function. It may not seem like a big deal, but one of the RSS’s assertions is that Sikhs are derivatives of Hinduism and that the Guru’s are the descendants of the Hindu God Ram. I wonder if anyone else feels that our Jathedar’s acceptance of such a picture is a bit shady? As a Sikh I expect my leaders to stand up for Sikh beliefs and the Sikh identity - not accept memorabilia which dilutes my identity and depicts something that they sit on stages across the globe and negate.
As I write this post, I realize that some of you may be thinking that of the instance above does not amount to much, but I think it is illustrative of a much larger issue …if our leaders do not take a stand on something as simple as “Sikhi and Hinduism are not the same,” then where does that leave us as a Sikh nation? How are we to face other challenges to our identity in the West? What are our expectations of our leaders? And are there any avenues we can take to enact change?
Re: Relationships - What Guru Sahib Thinks
December 22nd, 2007Many of our recent posts have involved discussion about relationships and gender differentiations in our community. So on Thursday, when I drafted this post, I decided to read the “hukamnama” from Darbar Sahib Amritsar and see what Guru Granth Sahib Ji had to say that day.
For those of you who are novice to hukamnamas – a “hukamnama” is a royal edict or decree. In the Sikh context, the hukamnama serves as a command from the Guru, a lesson in the Sikh perspective, and is something to reflect upon for (at least) the day. The hukamnama for that day was as follows:
Sorat(h) Mehalaa 5 Ghar 2 Dhupadhae
Ik oa(n)kaar Sathigur Prasaadh ||
Sagal banasapath mehi baisa(n)thar sagal dhoodhh mehi gheeaa ||
Ooch neech mehi joth samaanee ghatt ghatt maadhho jeeaa ||1||
Sa(n)thahu ghatt ghatt rehiaa samaahiou ||
Pooran poor rehiou sarab mehi jal thhal rameeaa aahiou ||1|| rehaao ||
Gun nidhhaan naanak jas gaavai sathigur bharam chukaaeiou ||
Sarab nivaasee sadhaa alaepaa sabh mehi rehiaa samaaeiou ||2||1||29||Sorat’h, Fifth Mehla, Second House, Du-Paday:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Fire is contained in all firewood, and butter is contained in all milk.
God’s Light is contained in the high and the low; the Lord is in the hearts of all beings. ||1||
O Saints, He is pervading and permeating each and every heart.
The Perfect Lord is completely permeating everyone, everywhere; He is diffused in the water and the land. ||1||Pause||
Nanak sings the Praises of the Lord, the treasure of excellence; the True Guru has dispelled his doubt.
The Lord is pervading everywhere, permeating all, and yet, He is unattached from all. ||2||1||29||
Initially, I read the hukamnama for its obvious meaning: the light of the Almighty is in every person. But as I tried to make sense of the hukamnama in relation to the ongoing discussion about relationships, it dawned on me that perhaps the Guru’s message is deeper than just acknowledging the inherent God-light in our fellows. Ultimately, if we see the spark of God in every person with whom we interact, we would treat that individual differently.
I realize presenting this hukamnama is no solution to the problem of gender inequality/differentiation/bias, but I think that a lot of the time we lose sight of the point that our Guru demands that we treat others in a certain manner.
If we were given the change to meet and interact with Akal Purakh on a regular basis – how would we behave? Would we deceive, abuse, or abandon Him? As a Sikh then, how must we treat each other (especially our companions) in light of the above hukamnama?
