Sexual Trafficking In India
Yesterday was International Human Rights Day where people across the globe were asked to recognize and take action against the many forms of human rights abuses that take place in the world. A powerful talk on TED by Sunitha Krishnan brought insight into the grueling ground realities of sex trafficking...
Begin the New Year By Reflecting On Sikhi
Posted by Phulkari in Canada, General, Sikhi, USA on 12 4th, 2009 | Comments Off on Begin the New Year By Reflecting On Sikhi
In the coming New Year spend January attending two Sikh events-one in Canada and the other in the United States. The Toronto Sikh Retreat and Surat Sikh Conference will be taking place during the first half of January 2010.
Toronto Sikh Retreat is a 4-day retreat in the outskirts of Toronto in a winter...
Stephen Harper Visits Harmandir Sahib
Many politicians in America and Canada appeal to their Sikh constituents by visiting local Gurdwaras. Sometimes these visits include a brief speech and other times just a saroopa. Regardless, it’s usually an ask for votes.
What I particularly find powerful about Canadian politicians is that...
TAKE ACTION NOW: Pass The Healthy Families Act
Flu season along with H1N1 are in full swing right now. We worry about catching it at schools, in airports, and work. Often we hear of recommendations for people to stay home if they are sick so they don’t infect their co-workers and give themselves time to get well. However, for some staying...
Sikh Women’s Reflections of 1984
The role of Sikh women often remembered in 1984 is that of victim. Yes women were raped, killed, and left to care for their families when their male relatives were kidnapped and killed. However, the strength and perseverance to move forward without justice is often glossed over. I find it powerful...
Helpline Successful In Combating Female Foeticide
Domestic violence organizations often use helplines to reach a larger population, while providing an anonymous format to offer help. The Punjab Government implemented a community health helpline 20 days ago to assist in locating ultrasound and abortion centers in a similar endeavour to protect women’s...
Got Shardhaa?
Posted by Phulkari in General on 10 23rd, 2009 | 3 Comments
What’s in the daal at the langar hall that makes it so yummy? Is it the shardhaa with which it is made or how it is allowed to slowly cook? Recently, I heard there was a CNN article on this issue by a South Indian (I am still trying to locate the article and will post the link soon), where...
President Obama’s “Diwali” Message
As we head into Bandi Chod Diwas/Diwali/Deva Diwali weekend, let’s listen to President Obama’s message! I appreciate his genuine effort to wish the South Asian community a happy celebration. I’m very impressed that he said “Sikh” correctly! About time we have a US President...
“Meet The Grewals”-A Reality Show
Guess what a British Asian family is hitting the reality TV scene … “Meet The Grewals” will begin filming 24/7 on November 4th in the UK. The three-generation family will be filmed for over eight weeks. Their lives will be aired as part of the iconic series, The Family, on Channel...
High Unemployment Among Youth Of Color
The bad economy has worried many of us. From losses on investments to lack of jobs, many of us worry about when the economy will turn around. Interestingly, the group most effected by high unemployment is youth. Last week, the Labor Department reported that youth unemployment stands at 18.2%, nearly...
Missing Punjabi Sikh Girl In Reno, Nevada
All help is needed to locate Karamjit Kaur,16, a Punjabi Sikh teenage girl from Reno, Nevada who went missing on Wednesday evening while riding her bike. She had arrived from India eight-months ago and recently started learning how to ride her bike. On a hot Wednesday evening around 6:30pm Karamjit...
UPDATE: British Sikh Police Officer Humiliated For Practicing Sikhi
Gurmeal Singh, the British Sikh police officer who was humiliated for practicing Sikhi, will be compensated for “indirect harassment” and humiliation. Judge Murray Creevy ruled that the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) violated his dignity.
The BBC reports that the Assistant Chief Officer at GMP,...
Abercrombie & Fitch: Is The Religious Practice “Sexy” Enough to Protect?
So Abercrombie & Fitch is at it again or I should say has been at it for a while-practicing bias against those who “don’t look the part” of mainstream White American society. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a college age Muslim girl who wears a hijab is filing suit against the retail store for not hiring...
British Sikh Police Officer Humiliated For Practicing Sikhi
A couple of months ago the Sikh community was elated to see the Queen of England make two Sikh gentlemen her bodyguards. Thisact was seen as a huge step forward for Sikhs in the fight against discrimination for our religious articles of faith. It tremendously inspired many of us to continue the fight...
Take Action To Make Kirpan Education Bill Into Law
Posted by Phulkari in Activism, Education, General, Human Rights, Law, News, Politics, Sikhi, USA on 09 11th, 2009 | 1 Comment
The California legislator has unanimously passed a Kirpan Education Bill (AB 504) through both houses (Assembly & Senate); it is now headed to Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk. This bill, carried by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) and other co-sponsors, will only become law if...
Taxi Cab Drivers: Who Is Protecting Their Rights?
Last week a Punjabi Sikh cab driver suffered a gruesome act of hate in the middle of the night in the Bay Area. He was called “Bin Laden”, a “terrorist”, and someone who had come to this country to kill Americans. His attackers where white males working professional jobs in real-estate. ...
Miss World Punjaban 2008
Posted by Phulkari in General, Images, Media, Punjabi, Sikhi, World News on 08 28th, 2009 | 5 Comments
I found this video of the Miss World Punjaban 2008 contest interesting because the contestant chose to highlight her Sikh identity that is intimately linked to Punjabi culture. I find that it is easy for us to “intellectually” talk about the separation of the two identities. However,...
Elderly Not A Burden But A Source Of Cohesion
Often times the elderly are considered “high-cost” because they take money out of American system. They are seen as a “liability” because they withdraw medicare and social security benefits. Foriegn elders are similarly viewed as a group that “takes” through government...
Yudh Gatka Tournament
Gatka is becoming popular amongst Sikhs and non-Sikhs in the West. Raveena Aulakh writes that this resurgence in the Toronto area is primarily because of The Annual International Yudh Gatka Tournament that originated in Toronto in 2003. This year the tournament is being held in New Jersey. The...
Civic Engagement And Sikh Community Leadership
We are seeing how political power is harnessed and used by the Sikh community as we engage in more civic engagement projects initiated by our own Sikh institutions. Civic engagement is not new to our community per se. The first Asian congressman was a Sikh-Dalip Singh Saund. As a child I remember local...
