Reading Shakespeare in Punjabi
To be or not to be? Well, apparently for Surjit Singh Hans – it is to be. Hans, an academia based in Mohali, is undergoing the feat of translating Shakespeare’s work into Punjabi. Hans retired from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, where he had once been head of the department of history...
Yuba City’s First Punjabi-American Mayor
Kash Gill, who grew up as a farm worker, will be sworn in today as Yuba City’s first Punjabi-American mayor. As many of you know, Yuba City (often referred to as the pindh of California), has a large Punjabi Sikh population. Just last weekend, 75,000 people gathered in Yuba City for the annual...
In the News: 1984
Posted by Sundari in Activism, Featured Articles, History, Human Rights, India, Media, News on 11 3rd, 2009 | 8 Comments
25 years ago history was made for several different reasons. Today, as we reflect on the invasion, on the assassination, and on the massacres, we come across multiple news articles which provide information and commentary on the events of that year. I wanted to take the time to document and highlight...
Celebrating Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab
Posted by Sundari in Sikhi on 11 2nd, 2009 | 5 Comments
Gurpurab Greetings! As many of you know, today is Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s gurpurab. Guru Nanak Dev Ji bestowed much upon us, including the concepts of Naam Japna, Kirat Karni, and Vand Chakna.
Naam Japna: Guru Ji taught us to directly practice Simran and Naam Japna – meditation on the word...
From Children to Adults-1984 Anti-Sikh Riots Victims
I was just forwarded the link to a photo essay which speaks volumes for children who grew up in the shadows of the 1984 riots in Delhi. Photographer Sanjay Austa has shared pictures and stories of young men and women whose fathers and husbands were killed during 1984 and how the events of that year transformed...
House of Waris
Posted by Sundari in Art on 10 27th, 2009 | 26 Comments
Those of you who know my blogging tendencies, know that I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to post about our favorite New Yorker! Waris Ahluwalia’s recent presence in Vogue (hat tip: Anandica) comes about as a contender for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award. The award helps...
For Many, Being a Sikh Means Being an Activist
Posted by Sundari in Activism, Art, Entertainment, Featured Articles, Media, Music, Sikhi on 10 20th, 2009 | 21 Comments
While everyone seems to be pretty excited about Kamaljit topping the Billboard charts – it seems that Jay Sean is not the only musician from our community who is gaining a ton of attention lately. In the October/November 2009 issue of East West magazine, an article by Navdeep Singh Dhillon titled,...
Reconsidering our ‘Heroes’
Yesterday, October 12th, was “Columbus Day” – a day where the United States government honors and celebrates the achievements of Christopher Columbus. For some in the United States, Columbus Day is just another holiday. However, for many individuals and communities – it is...
Sikhs in the Spotlight
This past week I came across two videos that are just… cool. The videos are not necessarily Sikhi-related but they show everyday Sikhs in their element. This first video was taken at a U2 concert where a lucky fan [Amp Bains] was invited onstage to sing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” with...
Promoting Multilingualism in the Punjabi Community
A few weeks ago I attended the Sikh Education Conference hosted by the Sikh Research Institute that brought together educators from across North America. One of the presentations focused on the importance of language education. The presenter made it quite clear – teaching young children multiple...
(Dis)honor Killings in Punjab
One of our goals on The Langar Hall is to raise awareness about issues affecting our community around the globe. Whether or not we identify or relate to these specific issues may not be as important as much as the acknowledgement that these issues do occur and that individuals and families and even...
Kisaan: A Film About Farmer Suicides?
While I do value the role films play in telling stories, I wonder if at times it can do more harm than good. I recently heard about a new bollywood movie called Kisaan and had the opportunity to watch it last night. I had been told the movie was about farmer suicides in punjab and while i was aware...
Jasmeet Kaur Sidhu: Top 10 College Women
Jasmeet Kaur Sidhu is a 21-year-old aspiring journalist, who currently writes a climate blog for the Toronto Star (she even has The Langar Hall listed as one of her links!). She was recenly chosen as one of the Top 10 College Women for Glamour Magazine (hat tip: Maple Leaf Sikh). The award is usually...
Visions of Truth: Sikh Stories and Films
Last week, Reema discussed the dynamic Punjabi-Sikh art scene. We’ve come a long way, especially in the field of film and media with a growing number of films by, for and about Sikhs. Now, you can attend Sikh film festivals in every corner of the country and even internationally. In addition...
Pollution and Disease in Punjab
In the Faridkot centre… Harmanbir Kaur, 15, was rocking gently backwards and forwards. When her test results came back, they showed she had 10 times the safe limit of uranium in her body. Her brother, Naunihal Singh, six, has double the safe level. [link]
An article in The Observer discusses the...
True Saint, Fearless Soldier: Bhai Taru Singh
For those of you who enjoyed Vismaad Productions’ work with Sahibzadey, Rise of the Khalsa and Sundri, there is now a new animated movie to look forward to this fall. Bhai Taru Singh: True Saint. Fearless Soldier, is the latest production and will be premiering around the world over the next...
What’s Your Inspiration?
Posted by Sundari in Art on 08 18th, 2009 | 4 Comments
We live in a global world and there are images around us that constantly stimulate us. Once in a while we’ll see images that also inspire us – whether it be musically or artistically. For Lucas Ossendrijver, Dutch-borh Lanvin’s men’s wear designer, a familiar image appears...
Moving Beyond Folk Tales – Sikh Children’s Books
Posted by Sundari in Art, Canada, Education, Environment, Literature, Sikhi, USA on 08 11th, 2009 | 18 Comments
African American publishing houses were born out of a need – the need to fill a void in the industry. Bookshelves needed to share stories of their struggles and to give children a stake in their evolving identities. In turn, they gave rise to a new generation of diverse voices, with Asian-Pacific...
Sikh Marriage Counseling
Since I exist in the age bracket where many of my friends are married or getting married, I am aptly aware of the concerns couples have about adjusting to one another after marriage. For example, how will living habits change? How will your husband/wife fit into your family? It’s a pretty...
A Separate Justice for Sikhs?
Sikh victims of crime will now be given the option of requesting a Sikh police officer to work on their case. Well, in London at least. The goal of this new service, offered by the Metropolitan Police, is to make use of the “special” knowledge officers have in regards to Punjabi culture...
