Navigating Identity as a Sikh Child
A nice piece in the Columbia Journalist discusses the challenges incurred by young Sikh men and women as they navigate through their adolescent years. The article tells us of two friends, Sonu Singh and Manjinder Singh, who have bonded over their love of hip-hop, video games, and (of course) girls....
Pakistan’s Sikh Refugees
Gurdwara Panja Sahib, located just outside Pakistan’s North-West frontier province, has become the temporary home for about 3,000 Sikhs who have been displaced by the presence of the Taliban in the region. Gurdwara Panja Sahib is one of the most notable Sikh shrines in Pakistan and has been transformed...
Turbanology
Turbanology, or knowledge of Turbans, is a TV documentary recently released in the UK which explores the meaning of the turban in England since the London bombings. Filmmaker, Jay Singh-Sohal, was working for a conservative think-tank in the US when he first began considering the misconceptions...
Making Inroads (or Raising Barriers?) With Sewers in Punjab
Co-blogged by Sundari and Camille.
While many LangarHall moments are spent bringing awareness to adverse issues impacting our community, we believe it is equally important to highlight solutions to these problems. There are several people and organizations who are working to improve the social development...
A Born Human Rights Activist
It is with saddness that we report on the passing of Ram Narayan Kumar, a human rights activist who actively and vocally worked on the dissapearances and killings in Punjab. He was 56 years old.
Kumar was a born human rights activist. He had engaged himself with human rights activism since 1975...
Scripture of the Sikhs
The Sikh Gurus never believed in the exclusivity of their teachings. The Gurus undertook travels to spread their message to peoples of different cultures in their own native languages. The Gurus did not believe in the ideas of any language being ‘sacred’ or ‘special’. [link]
I...
Looking to Our Sikh Elders
I am inspired. With the growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes in our community – it is important to be inspired. Fauja Singh, Amrik Singh, Ajit Singh and Karnail Singh (with a combined age of 336) recently took part in the Edinburgh Marathon as part of the relay...
Cultural Issues in the Sikh Community: Part 2
A recent article out of Surrey, Canada discusses an education and prevention video targeted at alcohol abuse in the Punjabi community. The video, titled Kharaab Daru-Bad Medicine, was created by Peace Arch Community Services – a social service agency based in British Columbia, Canada.
Kharaab...
Cultural Issues in the Sikh Community: Part 1
I wanted to take the time to highlight two issues (Part 2 to be posted soon) which have plagued the Punjabi Sikh community for many, many years. I know that discussing these issues over and over again is overwhelmingly tedious for the majority of people. Quite frankly, I agree. However, if I didn’t...
Why We Remember 1984
Posted by Reema in Sikhi on 06 9th, 2009 | 93 Comments
Joint post by Mapleleaf Sikh, Sundari, Jodha, Camille, Phulkari, RP Singh, Reema
It has been 25 years and we remember.
On this day we remember; in this week we remember; in this month we remember; in this year we remember. On June 6th we stopped to remember the recent chapter in the history of the Sikhs.
When...
How 1984 Has Since Affected Sikhs
This week I came across a couple of interesting stories out of the UK about how 1984 has since affected Sikhs. BBC Asian Network is currently previewing a radio documentary, hosted by Pops from Tigerstyle, discussing the impact Operation Bluestar has had on British Sikhs. The documentary discusses...
Sikh Author Wins Mind Book of the Year Award
Last year we discussed Satnam Sanghera’s memoir, If You Don’t Know Me By Now: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhamptom, and dialogued around the issue of mental health in the Punjabi Sikh community. The memoir was recently awarded the Mind Book of the Year Award for its literary...
Building Human Rights Culture
Breakthrough is an innovative, international human rights organization using the power of popular culture, media, leadership development and community education to transform public attitudes and advance equality, justice, and dignity. Through initiatives in India and the United States, Breakthrough addresses...
Leaving Punjab on the Cancer Train
“…the first troubling clues in the late 1980s and early ’90s: Peacocks – India’s national bird – disappeared from the fields.”
A recent story on NPR discussed the “cancer train” in Punjab. The train is so named as it routinely carries about 60 patients...
From Peru to Punjab
As someone who considers herself honorary Peruvian (it’s a long story) – I was especially proud when I heard about Operation Walk – an organization established by Harpal Singh Khanuja and his wife Maria Khanuja. The non-profit organization is dedicated to providing free knee and...
The Return of Shastar Vidiya
Gatka owes its early development to the Shaster Vidiya, literally meaning knowledge of the arms. This was a warrior curriculum used by the Sikhs for military training. [link]
A fascinating article in a UK newspaper highlights the return of Shaster Vidiya – the “world’s original martial...
Gatka by Rashpal Kaur
Many of you will fondly remember Rohanpreet’s performance on Zee TV last year. In similar news, here is Rashpal Kaur – a young girl from Chandigarh – who recently performed Gatka on Zee TVs Dance India Dance. The judges were not only taken aback by her performance, but also by the...
Seva, Redefined
One of the underlying issues to many of the discussions we have here on TLH seems to focus upon whether or not elements of Sikhi are being redefined as we evolve in the communities within which we reside. We often take concepts such as Seva, Sangat and Simran for granted without wondering if they...
Thinking of the City of Bliss
With Vaisakhi upon is, what is it you think of? Perhaps Anandpur Sahib, the city of bliss? Maybe the Panj Piaray, the five beloved ones? Or perhaps it is Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s message of fraternity and equality that resonates with you. Whatever it is that you think of, I wonder if it stirs you...
The Southall Story
A few months ago, with our first TLH book club, Jodha blogged about Sikhs In Britain. The book was a fascinating insight into how the lives of Sikhs living in England have been shaped over generations. In a similar attempt to historically document the Punjabi Sikh community in the UK, The Southall...
