Kaur Revolution: Why I changed my last name from Singh to Kaur
Guest blogged by Nina Chanpreet Kaur
In September, I attended a Sikh awareness training at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Sitting in the audience, I watched and listened as the presenter referred to Sikh women in passing and brought the Sikh male experience and turban to the center of the stage. During the Q&A, a woman behind me stood up. It was evident that she had heard Kaur for the first time during the presentation. She pronounced it “hora” then “whore” until she was finally corrected to “Kaur” as in core. It reminded me of how obsolete Kaur has become. I was also reminded of a dear friend of mine who recently told me about a reunion visit she had with some of our long time, mutual friends. As the usual gossip and updates ensued, someone mentioned my change of last name to Kaur and whispers and glances shot around the room. One woman surmised that I had gotten married. I had at that point received many Facebook messages congratulating me on my marriage. When my friend assured them, despite their insistence, that I had not gotten married another woman speculated that I had just become suddenly religious and so of course I changed my last name.
Across the globe today, our last names generally link us to patriarchy through kinship reference and in many cases ethnic, national, religious and class ties as well. In India and the South Asian diaspora, someone’s last name alone indicates what village or city she is from, her religious affiliation, familial ties, and even her family’s occupation and class status. In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Guru of Sikhism and my spiritual father, asked Sikh men to take on the last name Singh meaning lion and Sikh women to take on the last name Kaur meaning prince. This request was intended to bring equality to a society then entrenched in inequality through caste, classism and sexism. Our world today remains entrenched in inequality.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s call for Singh and Kaur was more than a request to fight classism and kinship preference, it was a demand to subvert the structure of patriarchy and class structure as we know it. It was a call for revolution, the type of revolution that happens every day when we make choices that force us to stand out and stand up for our values. The type of revolution that happens each time large numbers of people choose to do something different and effect change through subversion. You can imagine, then, my surprise and amusement at the irony of being congratulated on my marriage when I changed my last name from Singh to Kaur.
18 Responses to “Kaur Revolution: Why I changed my last name from Singh to Kaur”
DHAN GURU NANAK
Beautiful. X X X X X X
TO BE A KAUR IS TO BE PRECIOUS AND PROUD
A great article – thank you for sharing!
This was so beautiful!
hey
I want to thank the blogger very much not only for this post,but also for his all previous efforts. I found this Google search to be greatly interesting. I will be coming back to your site for more information. revoluza registation <a/>
Essay writing is not as bad as many people like to make it out to be. If we are able to make sense of the principles of essay writing then we shall have little to no trouble wring an essay.
I believe that Guru Gobind Singh ji was a visionary and his motivations behind Singh/Kaur were pure. However, we are now living in a different time. Sex separation is becoming obsolete and separating girls and boys so obviously does nothing to help us. The Singh/Kaur concept was a simplistic realisation of a very complex issue, made simple for the sole purpose of communicating intricate ideas to an illiterate and mostly uneducated population. I like the article and I think it's great that you got to choose the name Kaur for yourself, but some women feel sidelined by the name. Why are men lions? Why are women princesses? Why can't women be lionesses? Are they not strong too?
Everyone should have a choice. Women can choose to be Singh or Kaur or Sandhu or Landa. And so should men have the choice.
We have a simple technique to asking a girl out using a date that won't place a male in that style of intimidating situation while using the fear connected with rejection by her. In truth, this secret boosts the probability of getting a girl out using a date by means of 100%. Secrets is “DON’T consult her for just a date”. http://www.udating.net
It could possibly definitely be good if perhaps preserving with regards to pension were being because quick because environment to get started dating?, directed your individual expense accounts in the correct journey, as very well as going for walks aside for most years, time intended for discover all prepared when you required that. http://www.datingpro.net
On this technology centric world, nearly just about every facility together with service under the sun can be obtained at the exact click on the mouse. But one need to be sure on the need independently. Babysitter together with nanny may look like synonymous disorders but actions look may perhaps reveal of which there’s a componant in his or her meanings as well as services they give. http://www.techtoolsforactivism.net
Nowadays chances are you'll hardly endure any articles or reviews, books, Disc disks, shows, movies, documentaries about self-improvement or perhaps self-help devoid of finding a minumum of one mentioning regarding some ‘Universal Law’. http://www.lawtechtalk.net
Why will it be important for rug cleaning professionals to and also the most new carpet established technologies? Because it means that you can stay in the know on the types regarding floors you can be cleaning. http://www.technologyacceleration.net
For anyone who is planning of purchasing a completely new HARDWARE adobe flash generate or are simply just interested within the upgrade there are various factors that you consider that you simply buy the most beneficial unit. http://www.technology2.net
No matter if the drive you're planning to acquire is substantial enough there are the expected security features it can be of hardly any value if perhaps it sheds apart after having a little wear and tear. http://www.nyctechnology.net
Hi I just wanted to tell you that I did enjoy my visit to your webpage and to wish you all the best with it in the future – Kaleigh Cabo
nice work but as my point it was difficult to understand as i am not as much good in english
md ms admission
md ms admission in india
md ms in india