Picture of Canadian Field Hockey Team with Sikh Turbans
Everyone seems to be searching for it online. The Langar Hall got it first. So, for those of you that missed the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, here is a picture of the Punjabi Sikh field hockey players on the Canadian field hockey team with their pagris (turbans). Pictured from left to right:...
Essay competition on French ban of (Sikh) articles of faith
Posted by Reema in General on 08 13th, 2008 | Comments Off on Essay competition on French ban of (Sikh) articles of faith
We’ve occasionally, briefly discussed the current French ban in public schools on articles of faith. Recently, the Sikh Coalition invited high school students from all over the world to submit entries into their Diversity Essay Contest on “The Role of Freedom of Religion in the context of...
Sikh Summer School
In light of the recent post on Punjabi classes in California high schools, I ran into this article in the Chronicle Herald about Sikh summer school:
A couple of years ago Aman Tut’s seven-year-old daughter asked her if she could wear a Christian cross. Tut was surprised because she and her husband...
Sex-selection, pop culture, and the tipping point
Is the tipping point (the level at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable) approaching for a change in attitudes towards the value of women and need to have sons?
There has been a widespread, public movement condemning sex-selection by the government, ngos, and others in the community for...
Olympic Gold: Singh is King
Posted by Singh in General on 08 11th, 2008 | 8 Comments
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...
Athletic Kaurs
Harwant Kaur is from Punjab and will be competing in the discus throw. It seems that she has recently moved to Australia after a career in the Punjab Police with only dismal prospects. She had previously finished 13th at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
The women’s discus qualifying round is set...
High School Panjabi Classes
Langa(w)riters have posted in the past on issues surrounding the preservation of the Panjabi language here, here, and here. Be it anywhere from Panjab to North America, the preservation of the Panjabi language is intimately tied to the preservation of a Panjabi and Sikh heritage. For example, in a recent...
On Whose Watch?
Like many, my family and I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics last night. In the middle of the parade of nations, the commentators off-handedly remarked that the country of Georgia had just been invaded by Russia, over an escalated territorial dispute (note that this region of the former-USSR...
Hard Kaur (Revisited)
Updated and extended, August 9
I try not to do this too often, but I realized I may not have adequately contextualized what I was getting at when posting on Hard Kaur. I’ve tried to extend the analysis and conversation below:
I’ve been thinking about Hard Kaur (Taran Kaur Dhillon) a lot...
Sikhs that Shoot
Abhinav Bindra was considered a child prodigy, but has had limited success on the largest competitive stages. Still he is considered a medal hopeful.
Bindra will be competing in the 10m air rifle competition. Qualifications and the finale will all be on Day 3 (Monday, August 11, 2008) in the afternoon
Canadian Field Hockey
In these commentary posts, I will be republishing my original writings as well as include pictures of the athletes and the timings of their events.
There will be four Canadian field hockey athletes that come from Punjabi Sikh backgrounds on this year’s Canadian Olympics Team. Our Sikh community’s...
Seafaring Sikhs
Rowing
Manjeet Singh, a Chandigarh rower, has had much success at the junior levels. He will be competing in at the world stage in Beijing in the lightweight double sculls event. While Manjeet Singh and his partner Devinder Kumar are not considered medal contenders, they are hoping for a top-10 finish.
Rowing...
Jasveer Singh – Canadian Sikh Weightlifter
Representing the world of weightlifting, 5’3” Jasveer Singh (sometimes written Jasvir Singh), who came from Punjab in 2002, has become a Canadian and Sikh sensation (many communities have even held akhand paaths to raise money for him). He is the first British Columbian weightlifter to go to the...
Sikhs in the Olympics, Beijing 2008
So today will mark the opening of the Olympic Games. Some will cheer for their states; some will cheer for their heroes; some won’t care.
Well, here are FOURTEEN reasons to care: reasons that transcends national barriers and in many ways is more reflective of our Sikh-centered, globalized outlook....
Jathedar Vedanti “Resigns”
Jathedar 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...
Sikh Women At The Bristol Gurdwara: “We’re Not Going Anywhere”
Posted by Phulkari in General, News, Organizations, Politics, Sikhi, UK on 08 6th, 2008 | 43 Comments
In a recent post, Camille asked important questions around growing Sikh female leadership/representation, rather than just “managing” it. At the heart of leadership in any organization is decision-making. A critical component of growing Sikh female-leadership/representation is giving access to decision-making...
Kar sewa in times of tragedy
In case you’ve missed the front page of every major newspaper in the past few days, nearly 150 people died in a stampede in the Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh. (As great of a tragedy as this is, I’m not sure why it’s front page on American newspapers, considering that incidents...
Southall
I was in London last week and stopped off in Hounslow, Ealing and Southall to just walk about and visit family. In the past 50 years, Southall has become a huge pass-through and historic cultural and political center for Punjabis, especially Indian and Sikh Punjabis, in London and the greater UK. I...
Relocating Gender in Sikh History
Posted by Reema in General on 08 4th, 2008 | 68 Comments
I recently ran across Relocating Gender in Sikh History by Doris R. Jakobsh who is now an Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Waterloo. I’m not a scholar of either Sikh history (and Jakobsh shouldn’t be considered one until she can read and understand Gurbani), and the ideas presented...
Celebrating Satwant Dhindsa
Posted by Jodha in General on 08 1st, 2008 | 12 Comments
Although a semi-frequent traveler to Canada, I must admit I have never been to the city of Vernon. I have been to the city Mt. Vernon in Ohio. Not a pretty place.
Well in a week that saw the tragic death of Ishmeet Singh and the triumphant victory of Sarika Singh in the UK, I found a personal obituary...
