This past weekend at the Toronto Sikh Retreat a workshop was offered on Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. I personally think it’s great when we are given the opportunity to delve into the lives of our Gurus. We get to see Sikhi come alive through history. Our Gurus become real as we learn about Sikh principles through their life experiences. No longer are they just pictures on the walls or names to memorize, but perfect humans who overcame personal and communal challenges. Their strong convictions and stead-fast adherence to the values of humility, patience, justice, and equality during difficult times highlights the strength of Sikhi as a practical religion than just a “philosophy”. I hope more conferences and retreats will take this approach.
During the retreat Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s life and bani was discussed by participants. As a young boy he was taught by Bhai Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji. The former taught him archery and horsemanship, while the latter focused on ancient classics. Thus, Guruji was both a fighter and intellectual that had a deep appreciation for music along with the sword. The Mahima Prakash says: “Sri Tegh Bahadur was the summit of knowledge. He was a recluse at heart, a king in demour. His patience was unmatched, so was his generosity.”
In Sri Lanka last week, a brave voice was silenced. The editor of the Sunday L
eader, Lasantha Wickramatunga, was killed by gunmen on two motorcycles on his way to work. With prescience, he had predicted his impending death, believing that he would be killed by the government. He wrote an incredibly moving essay, with instructions that it be published upon his death.
A brief summary of the context, the war which Wickramatunga covered and was silenced by, can be found here.
Wickramatunga’s essay is deeply moving. You can find it in full here and here. Below is an excerpt:
No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces and, in Sri Lanka, journalism. In the course of the past few years, the independent media have increasingly come under attack. Electronic and print-media institutions have been burnt, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honour to belong to all those categories and now especially the last.
I have been in the business of journalism a good long time. Indeed, 2009 will be The Sunday Leader’s 15th year. Many things have changed in Sri Lanka during that time, and it does not need me to tell you that the greater part of that change has been for the worse. We find ourselves in the midst of a civil war ruthlessly prosecuted by protagonists whose bloodlust knows no bounds. Terror, whether perpetrated by terrorists or the state, has become the order of the day. Indeed, murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty. Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges. For neither group have the risks ever been higher or the stakes lower.
Why then do we do it? I often wonder that. After all, I too am a husband, and the father of three wonderful children. I too have responsibilities and obligations that transcend my profession, be it the law or journalism. Is it worth the risk? Many people tell me it is not. Friends tell me to revert to the bar, and goodness knows it offers a better and safer livelihood. Others, including political leaders on both sides, have at various times sought to induce me to take to politics, going so far as to offer me ministries of my choice. Diplomats, recognising the risk journalists face in Sri Lanka, have offered me safe passage and the right of residence in their countries. Whatever else I may have been stuck for, I have not been stuck for choice.
But there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.
It’s been a long time coming but Sikhs all across the globe seem to be making more of an effort to celebrate Lohri today, not only for their sons but also for their daughters. In Tarn Taran, Punjab, this year’s Lohri’s celebrations were dedicated to the 101 baby girls who live in the area.
“The main purpose of this celebration is to make people aware of the social evil of female foeticide. The male and female ratio is getting unbalanced with each passing day. In order to balance the gap in the Sikh society, Akal Takht has given order not to support female infanticide. Female foeticide is as bad as slaughtering a holy cow,” said Parvinder Singh. Chairman, Kalpana Chawla Pragtisheel Society.
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Also in the news today is the story of Lak[h]winder Singh, a Giani in Kelowna, Canada who was arrested and is being charged for sexual exploitation, sexual interference, two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault. The allegations that give rise to the sexual offences began in late 2007 and the victim is now 16 years old.
Lakwinder Singh, the 29-year-old preacher at a Rutland temple, Gurdwara Guru Amandas Darbar, was arrested after a family with ties to the temple brought forward allegations of sexual impropriety to police last week.
Tarsem Singh, a spokesman for the Gurdwara, said Lakwinder Singh was employed at their temple for nearly seven years, but has since been fired. In addition, the gurdwara is supporting the police’s efforts in finding any other possible victims.
While emotions often run high on this issue, an email from a friend struck me enough to think about and create a forum for the issue.
As current estimates has over 850 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths, the tragedy in Gaza will be continued with Israeli strikes. Throughout the world, we have seen breath-taking numbers of individuals take to the streets (Professor Juan Cole of Informed Comment provides a cogent argument that street protests are overall useless and believes better lobbying for the future of the struggle) denouncing and calling for an end to the current strikes.
During the summer, on the eve of the Olympic Games, a fellow Langa(w)riter asked about the question of the shaheed (the witness) in the case of injustice and abuse.
While there will be varied Sikh perspectives on the issue of the current violence (often according to age, but not always) certain Sikh groups have taken an active stand.
Co-blogged by Phulkari and Sundari
Perhaps like many of you, last night was spent watching The Story of India – a BBC series being aired on PBS. The six-part series (which our UK langarites may have already seen as it was aired in the UK in 2007) is narrated by historian Michael Wood and covers 4,500 years of the subcontinent’s rich history.
The first two episodes aired last night. Episode One, aptly titled Beginnings, takes us on a journey through India, tracing the incredible richness and diversity of its people, cultures and landscapes. Through ancient manuscripts and oral tales the documentary charts the first human migrations out of Africa.
In Tamil Nadu the latest DNA research takes him to a village where everyone still bears the genetic imprint of those first “beachcombing incomers”-the “first Indians” who went on to populate the rest of the world excluding Africa. [link]
As Wood aptly says, “Mother India indeed”.
This holiday season I noticed the pinched expressions on people’s faces, the emptier stores, the going out of business sales, and the general air of unease and uncertainty as we round out of the holiday season and into a worsening (economically) new year.
Over the past few weeks, the NYT has been covering how the recession has impacted small businesses, which tend to operate under situations that make them more sensitive to the need for liquidity than larger corporations.
Even companies…, whose products and services are in demand, are being ensnared in the deepening recession…
Some 60 to 80 percent of new jobs [in the U.S.] come from small businesses, Mr. Keating said, and more than 50 percent of private sector gross domestic product is created by small business. [link]
The damage, however, is not just localized. As the slowdown in the U.S. economy drags other world economies down, slow times have also impacted small business owners in immigrant communities, including Vancouver’s Punjabi Market:
“I don’t see much of a future here,” said Virani, who is considering closing her shop.She isn’t alone. At least 10 storefronts between 48th and 51st avenues are papered over and displaying For Rent signs.
On December 19, 2008, a UPS employee delivered a package to the home of Anant Singh. Singh’s father, a turbaned Sikh, signed for the package. Rather than entering the elder Singh’s name onto the electronic tracking slip, the UPS employee noted that a “terrorist” had signed for the package (see image at right). The incident has led outraged Sikhs to demand serious action, including an apology, from UPS. (See TLH’s previous coverage here.)
Instead of taking appropriate steps to address the incident, UPS issued a curt and grossly insufficient public statement. The inadequacy of the statement adds insult to injury, and demonstrates the need for the Sikhs to continue to press UPS for a more comprehensive and meaningful remedial response.
In a significant development, the Government of Iraq has decided to rebuild the 15th century Sikh Guru Guru Nanak Dev’s shrine which was destroyed in the 2003 war in Baghdad. [link]
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is said to have visited the place on his way back from Mecca where he stopped to speak with religious leaders including the caretaker of the mausoleums of Abdul Qadir gilani and Bahlol the Wise, who were greatly impressed by his views on God and religion. A monument, in the form of a platform, was raised where Guru Nanak had sat and provided these discourses. It is documented that Sikh soldiers who went to Iraq during the First World War, 1914-18, raised a Gurdwara here, but now only a room exists which is visited by Sikh and non-Sikh Punjabis who work in Iraq. In addition, it is noted that since the gurdwara is located within a graveyard, visitors are banned from staying overnight, cooking meals or holding Langar and Kirtan. I was not able to locate any information regarding who is currently in charge of the gurdwara or what the dynamics of the gurdwara are (without Langar or Kirtan). I do wonder if a Guru Granth Sahib is kept there and, in that case, who does the seva.
Although other bloggers have touched upon different aspect of Christmas and the holiday season, while viewing Sepia Mutiny I saw an interesting video of the NORAD-tracked Santa at the Taj Mahal.
However, at the end of the video (cue to :24), I couldn’t help but notice a very familiar Sikh site. Heading north through Punjab, it seems that the NORAD tracking has Santa flying through the Darbar Sahib complex. While they never show Harmandir Sahib (incorrectly called the Golden Temple), they do show Santa flying by the the Langar Hall, passing next to the Ramgharia Bunga, above the Langar Deori, making a quick right that allows us a great view of the Ghanta Ghar Deori, and in the distance the Akal Takht and kesri Nishan Sahib.
Have a wonderful weekend!
I. Introduction
My last post, which addressed the First Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference held by the non-profit group United Sikhs, generated significant discussion. In an attempt to re-focus and reinvigorate that discussion, I wish to first clarify what the post was not about — it was not intended to serve as an indictment of the United Sikhs’ work overall, to criticize specific projects or initiatives other than the conference, or to compare their efforts to that of other Sikh organizations with greater financial resources. Some of the comments did touch on these subjects, though this was not my intention.
My sole interest was and remains the manner in which the United Sikhs decided, on its own, to describe the conference and the report to the public, including necessarily the Sikh members of it. I wrote that it was “the United Sikhs’ characterizations of the conference and report” that I found problematic. Regrettably, the comments to my post — some made spiritedly by United Sikhs Director Mejindarpaul Kaur and others working for or affiliated with the United Sikhs — have done little to assuage my earlier concerns.
Are how I usually spend December 25th (unless, like this year, Gurpurab services fall on the same day). When I was younger, my family and I would spend the week of Christmas collecting items for donation, volunteering with the local soup kitchen, and generally reflecting on, and brainstorming, how we could help others during a sometimes lean time of year. I like to think this tradition has morphed as I’ve grown older (into a year-long commitment to service), but something about December always makes me feel more thoughtful.
My parents also went out of their way to explain that as Sikhs we did not celebrate Christmas, but they explained the significance of the Sikh religious holidays that tend to fall around this time of year. I didn’t feel like I had to trade — presents were not really an expectation or feature of the season after I passed the age of 7. Instead we spent loooooong hours at the gurdwara for services.
Last night, I watched a great awards program. No it wasn’t the Emmy’s or 
Grammy’s (I only know one person that watches those!). It was far more meaningful.
It is called CNN Heroes.
CNN launched its second annual global search for ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds in February. The network has aired weekly CNN Hero profiles of those people, chosen from more than 3,700a nominations submitted by viewers in 75 countries.
I am sure it will be replayed to death on CNN over the next few days. It will be airing at 2pm EST on Christmas Day.
With the calendar year 2008 coming to an end (the Nanakshahi Calendar year 540 still has some time to go), I have been reflecting a bit on the subject of heroes and sheroes. I know I have blogged on some, some, some, some, and some this year.
Still I wonder who are your Sikh heroes and sheroes? Tell us who and why? I’d love to hear about those truly unheralded sheroes and heroes that do various seva with love without any expectation of recognition.
I saw this article?on BBC online and thought I’d share it with your guys. Basically, the BBC did a composite of six interviews with people of non-Christian faiths and asked them how they spend the time they have off for Christmas.
The Sikh interviewee noted that during this time of year, Sikhs mark the martyrdom of the Sahibzadey and that it is important to remember the significance of our holidays. Agreed.
Last year Anandica wrote a post about Santa Singh and the Khalsa Tree and explained how some families have incorporated Western traditions into Sikhi, to give new meaning to common symbols, but what about Sikhs participating in the religious celebrations of others?
During this holiday season of hard times, not even houses of God have been spared. Some lenders believe more churches than ever have fallen behind on loans or defaulted this year. Some churches, and at least one company that specialized in church lending, have filed for bankruptcy. Church giving is down as much as 15% in some places, pastors and lenders report.
An article in today’s Wall Street Journal highlights the financial pressures being faced by many churches across America. From my perspective, there’s two implications for Sikhs here, one a threat and the other an opportunity.
“There have been too many churches with a ‘build it and they will come’ attitude,” says N. Michael Tangen, executive vice president at American Investors Group Inc., a church lender in Minnetonka, Minn. “They had glory in their eyes that wasn’t backed up with adequate business plans and cash flow.”
We tend to complain a lot. Really, we do. We complain about the lack of activisim by Sikh youth. We complain about not being able to understand Gurbani or be able to do Kirtan. We complain about the disconnect between Sikh elders and Sikh youth. It’s the status quo – to spend time dwelling on what’s wrong in our community rather than celebrate what’s actually going right.
However, in recent years we’ve been seeing an increased number of Sikh student or Sikh youth
run events – which means it’s becoming clear that the status quo is no longer okay. I think it is not only important, but necessary, for Sikh youth to take more of an active role in their community. So it was refreshing for me to hear about this student initiated event which is being planned in collaboration with the Sikh Student Associations across California. This Diwan Night, which is to be held on January 24th 2009 in Southern California, will bring together Sikh students from across California for a night of Rehraas, Kirtan, Sewa and Langar. It’s important to support these types of initiatives and encourage Sikh youth to participate in coordinating these events. I hope this is one of many student initiated events which brings various organizations together in the hopes of actively involving youth in Sikhi.
The event is on January 24th, 2009 from 5-11pm at Walnut Gurdwara. If you would like to participate in Kirtan, call Gagan Kaur at 602 538 5507. For general information, call Rimmy Kaur at 818 309 7282.
The phone rings and its the call you dread as an uncle or older cousin. A desperate parent is on the other end asking for your help. Your teenage nephew/cousin wants to cut his hair. Can you please talk some sense into him.
This happened to me last week with my cousin and, I have to admit, I was woefully unprepared. While I’ve given lots of talks on Sikhi at Sikh camps and to non-Sikh audiences, I’ve never had to actually have this kind of discussion. One where I may be the determining factor in an individual’s major life decision.But what could I offer that he hadn’t already heard? How could I change the mind of a guy that’s already decided? He’s grown up in a Sikh family, his entire family keeps their hair. He has lots of Sikh friends and lives in a Sikh part of town. He should have picked up Sikhi through osmosis, but he hasn’t.
His parents have tried their best but working multiple jobs and struggling financially, putting food on the table has been their priority. And like many Punjabi Sikh parents, they’ve assumed that being surrounded by Sikh culture would be enough. So they’re shocked, betrayed, angered, hurt and deeply saddened when they’re son finally musters up enough courage to talk to them.
I know not whether it is an ‘old tradition‘ or a ‘family tradition’; I only know it seems to be a great tradition. Last 
week, Camille bulletin board-ed a winter clothing distribution in Central California being sponsored by Mike Sandhu of Sandhu Brothers Farms.
The Tracy Press published some pictures of the distribution that saw some 1200 jackets (over $50,000 in value) go out to anyone that needed. Mike stated that this was a family tradition in honor of the 2 youngest Sahibzadas.
“So we do this to keep other children, other families, warm in their honor,” he said. “It’s just something my family has done here for about six years now.”[link]
I hope that other local Sikh sangats take Mike Sandhu and the Tracy Sikh Community’s lead in making such events more regular. More than any donation of rumaals to the Gurdwara, this is one of the best ways to honor the Qaum’s shaheeds.
I like to spend winter catching up on all the reading I’ve left by the wayside, but imagine my surprise when I came across these op-eds. The first argues that the Sikh youth slate (an all amritdhari slate) that won in Surrey is “fundamentalist,” while the other article argues that Sehajdari Sikhs are, by definition, not Sikhs at all.
Both of these op-eds are a little insane to me. The first argues that the Surrey gurdwara’s prior practice of allowing uncovered heads, shoes, and tables/chairs in the langar hall somehow constituted a “moderated” practice of Sikhi, and it effectively calls for a stand against the amritdhari youth slate, which it maligns as fundamentalist, orthodox, rigid, etc. The second article argues that there is no room in Sikhi for Sehajdari individuals, and then proceeds to trace the history of in/exclusion of non-kesdari Sikhs in SGPC elections.
Yes, a company called IndiaNIC has developed a Sukhmani Sahib iPhone application. For $0.99 you can download the entire Sukhmani Sahib and with a single swipe, read through it on your iPhone. Information about this application reads,
This iphone book has following features:
– Full Sukhmani Sahib in Hindi Language
– No need for internet connectivity to view content
– Each page changes with swipe and button options
– No need of Language Setting
– Elegant Layout & Cool Design
– Easy to carry everywhere you go
No, you did not read incorrectly. This Sukhmani Sahib is in Hindi and not Gurmukhi as … perhaps would be expected? There are few different questions that come to mind when trying to assess why the company chose to publish this application in Hindi. Who is their target audience I wonder? Are there many non-Sikhs who read Sukhmani Sahib (that’s great if that is the case!)? We’ve had the debate before about whether Punjabi is a diminishing language – so I wonder how much of that plays a role in this initiative. (I know, I know, I seem to be full of many questions and few answers). With the growing popularity of mobile-based content, it is nice to find these Sikhi focused applications. Mr. Sikhnet recently discussed his efforts and the need to develop applications for mobile phones. I assume there will be challenges associated with transitioning texts such as Sukhmani Sahib, which are predominantly read by using gutkas to reading Gurbani on your iPhone while you’re waiting for the bus. Personally, I think that Gurbani should be accessible to all and whether it is read in a gutka or on your mobile phone screen should not be important. Those individuals who do not already have an interest in learning Gurbani will probably not download this application anyway. It is likely targeted at those who are wanting to learn and if it so happens to be on an iPhone, then I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. Nevertheless, I am still wondering about the choice of Hindi….
Well I was hoping someone far more knowledgeable from our esteemed blog roster would write about this, but I figured since I feel it is extremely important and raises some critical issues, you’ll have to settle for me.
Yesterday when I was watching CNN, Jasvinder Sanghera came on to talk about the recent release of Humayra Abedin.
For those that may not be aware, Jasvinder Sanghera is the author of a biography called Shame and the founder of Karma Nirvana, “[an organization] with a view to create support project for women who experienced language & cultural barriers.” I have read Sanghera’s memoirs and although her particular story of her parents’ attempt to force her into a marriage and the consequences she experienced is more extreme than most cases, still it echoes the larger problems of “forced marriage” in our community and differences may only vary in degree.
