Jodha previously blogged about national-level elected Sikh leaders and rightfully noted the low representation of leaders from the UK. This week, Councillor Gurcharan Singh was chosen to represent the Conservatives as the Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing Southall. Ealing Southall has one of the highest proportions of Sikhs in any constituency in the UK and contains the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, one of the largest Sikh 
temple’s outside of India. Chairman of the Ealing Southall Conservative Association, Manjit Singh notes,
“The people of Ealing Southall are fed up with Labour and want an MP who can make a difference. After the next election we will have a new Conservative Government led by David Cameron and a new Conservative MP for Ealing Southall in Gurcharan Singh. I look forward to taking our message to the voters and getting rid of this tired Labour Government and the local MP who is more interested in collecting his allowance than in serving residents.” [link]
Interestingly, Gurcharan Singh was one of five representatives who left the Labour party last year to join the Conservative party. Gurcharan Singh moved to the UK in 1972 and originally joined the Labour Party in 1976 and became a councillor in 1982. Last year, the Labour party faced internal division over their candidate selection and following Virendra Sharma’s selection several Sikh Labour councillors, led by Gurcharan Singh defected to the Conservative party. In June 2007 (and in the picture above with Tony Blair – Labour party) Gurcharan Singh said,
“I am full of hope for the future as this to me signals the beginning of an era where the Labour party can consolidate its leanings over the last few years and move forward with a new outlook based upon positive change. We progress.” [link]
The last time I was in Punjab, I visited a gurdwara with a cousin of mine who was a one-time employee of the SGPC. 
Upon receiving and tasting the karah parshad, I asked him why it was so coarse and dry compared what I was used to. He responded that it was now common practice for SGPC-controlled gurdwaras to use a lower quality, more unrefined type of flour, as this required less butter. But why would the gurdwara staff want to use less butter? To pocket the savings in the butter budget, of course.
Sadly, not much surprises me about the SGPC anymore. A story out of the Tribune India this weekend reported the following account of 15 SGPC employees being fired.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee dismissed as many as 15 employees on the recommendation of the fact-finding committee, headed by general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur.
Earlier, they were indicted for indulging in serious cases including corruption, addiction and moral turpitude. However, the SGPC has decided to review the cases of those who were found guilty of pilferage of ration from the Guru Ram Dass Langar and iron rods from store of Gurdwara Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthalla).
Among those who have been dismissed include Sukhvir Singh, a gurdwara inspector, SGPC, Sawinder Singh, posted at Gurdwara Jind, Ajit Singh (Gurdwara Bir Sahib), Devinder Singh (Darbar Sahib, Amritsar), Lakhwant Singh, Satnam Singh (Gurdwara Sukhchaina Sahib, Phagwara), Pargat Singh and Baldev Singh (Darbar Sahib), Balkar Singh (Gurdwara Tahliana, Raikot), Harjit Singh, Natha Singh and Dalbag Singh (Takht Kesgarh Sahib), Rachhpal Singh (Darbar Singh) and Tarsem Singh (Gurdwara Amb Sahib).
Talking to The Tribune, SGPC president Avtar Singh said the employees who were sacked were allegedly involved in theft/pilferage of ration, drug addiction and moral turpitude.
He said the SGPC was determined to weed out corruption and all sorts of evils from the committee.
The sub-committee, which recommended immediate dismissal of the employees, comprised Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Gurbachan Singh Karmuwala, Bibi Bhajan Kaur Dograwala, both executive members, Baba Tek Singh, Makhan Singh Nangli, Kulowant Singh Mannan and Harbans Singh Kandhola. Earlier, the accused employees were placed under suspension, but they had applied for mercy appeal.
However, after scrutiny of the record, 22 employees were found to be guilty of various charges, while certain officials were let off for want of proof. It may be recalled that the SGPC had dismissed its two employees while two officials were suspended for bogus purchase of more than 10,000 cement bags by the SGPC by tampering with records.
Sorry for not posting last week…so here we go with the summary of the final part of the book. Next week will be the grand-finale as we try to pull all these pieces together and view the book in a comparative Sikh diasporic framework.
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Coblogged by: Jodha and Mewa Singh
Chapter 9 deals with “Punjabi, Bhangra, and Youth Identities” and the final chapter is the conclusion.
Chapter 9 opens with a discussion on the propagation of the Punjabi language in Britain. Since at least the 1960s members of the community have been worried about the decline in Punjabi language competency and in 1965 established the first Gurdwara-run “Punjabi school” in Smethwick.
During the 1960s-80s a series of laws were passed that sought to encourage support for minority languages. This resulted in the institutionalization of Punjabi at the GCSE and A levels. Despite these moves by the state and by the community (Punjabi broadcasting, newspapers, television stations), the general outlook of Punjabi’s future seems rather gloomy.
UPDATE: If you are outraged by this incident, please CALL THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE (TEXAS) @ (713-755-6044) and let Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas know how you feel. These Officers need to be reprimanded and we as a community need to push the Sheriff’s Office to act. You can also contact Houston Mayor Bill White at (832-393-1000) or mayor@cityofhouston.net.
The night before Thanksgiving you are robbed of your sense of security and $15,000 of your home belongings AND THEN you are robbed of your humanity by Sheriff’s Officers who promise to protect you. All this happens in your own home …
The Tagore family in Texas were criminalized and terrorized because of their Sikh articles of faith after calling in to report a burglary in their home.
Ramandeep Singh Tagore says,
“That night we were actually robbed twice … Once by the actual burglars, who we don’t know who they were, and secondly by the Sheriff’s Department, who we knew who they were.”
Once the Sheriff’s Officers had arrived in their home they started focusing on Kawaljeet Kaur’s kirpan and told her: “You can’t wear that”, she felt like she was being treated “ … like a criminal in my own home … “. Kawaljeet Kaur [Ramandeep Singh Tagore’s sister] told the Houston News that “I didn’t appreciate the way that I was treated that day … I’m a human and I would have expected to be treated like a human.” Kawaljeet verbalized her feelings and constitutional right to practice her faith to the Officers. Their response was pushing her out of her house, having her sit in the middle of the street, and handcuffing her.
Ramandeep said to Harpreet Kaur of Sach Productions (watch the video below for more in-depth reporting)
“first we are calm and then the aggression … brutality type of thing … pushing and shoving is starting when the cops get here I mean their acting like thugs … if we are civilizingly dealing with them then why do you have to come push me and shove me when we’re trying to talk to you … is it because I look different or something.”
Manjit Kaur, Ramandeep’s mother, felt: “Dekhoo ik taan saade ghar robbery hoyi hai ..tusi lok saadi help karan aaye aan k saanu arrest karan aaye aan” (Look there has been a robbery in our house … have you people [Sheriff’s Officers] come to help us or arrest us?)
In my last post, I argued that terrorists, by their actions, sever any legitimate relationship with a religion and any recognized sovereign, and as such terrorists should be identified as terrorists (e.g., “terrorists have invoked an interpretation of Islam to justify their actions”), even if the terrorists use religion or a disputed regional policy as a justification for their acts. Note that the focus of the proposition is identification of terrorists, and that its purpose was to suggest ways in which a backlash against all Muslims in India could be avoided.
This post generated a significant and spirited reaction. For example, some contended that my argument was typical of the left, of apologists, and of those who fail to understand the demonstrated link between Islam and terrorism. In response, and consistent with the fact that it’s exam time in classrooms and campuses across America, I ask the following:
Who made these statements:
“Ours is a war not against a religion, not against the Muslim faith. But ours is a war against individuals who absolutely hate what America stands for[.]”
“Americans understand we fight not a religion; ours is not a campaign against the Muslim faith. Ours is a campaign against evil.”
“The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists[.]”
“[T]he war against terrorism is not a war against Muslims, nor is it a war against Arabs. It’s a war against evil people who conduct crimes against innocent people.”
And the kicker:
This enemy tries to hide behind a peaceful faith. But those who celebrate the murder of innocent men, women and children have no religion, have no conscience and have no mercy.
A French Sikh who appealed the ban on wearing a turban for ID-card photos was denied his right to religious practice by the European Court of Human Rights. While acknowleding that the ban interferes with religious practice, the Court argued that “public safety” overrode accommodation. As a rationale for their ruling, they argued that there was a safety need to photograph individuals without their religious attire and that similar steps have been taken with the hijab.
Every time I read a story like this, it’s hard not to be livid. When the French ban came down, I thought it was unabashedly racist, with an imposition of one mode of attire/appearance privileged and institutionalized over diversity. It’s even more shameful, in my opinion, to have a court whose sole duty is to adjudicate and defend human rights rule against religious accommodation on the basis of xenophobia and misinformation. If a Sikh or a Muslim is walking about in religious attire, how will photographing them without it help you identify them? The real underlying argument is about “hiding” dangerous things in one’s outfit, which is no easier to do than hiding it on your person, and no less offensive.
This brings up two underlying issues for me. The first speaks to the completely disparate meanings we attach to the word “secular” on either side of the Atlantic. Here in the U.S., the idea of “secularism” means the absence of the establishment of a national church or faith. In effect, a very religious country is allowed to have many different expressions of faith co-exist, and for the most part, has been relatively more open about this. In France, “secular” means the expungement of religion from public space (although, of course, this has disproportionate effects for religions that incorporate attire or presentation into one’s practice). When both of these competing ideas exist, I would expect a human rights body to adjudicate on the side of freedom, not on the side of fear.
The underlying argument — that national security (couched in “public safety” here) trumps other principles of expression or practice is not unfamiliar, but it seems so jarringly out of touch with the reality of people’s lives. So what do you do when a rights-based argument fails against a national defense argument? What becomes the forum for legal protection? Are there any legally-rooted places to resort to for communities who pose a large enough minority to bring out reactionary legislation, but not enough to impact political change?
Lookout New Yorkers! There’s a new Sikh in town! Where is he? Who is he? He’s on your subway wall… representing Bank of America, sporting a NICE pagh with the cleanest layers I’ve seen in a long time. It looks like the folks at Kenneth Cole’s might have some competition…
The designers obviously weren’t Sikh because they messed with his pagh and flipped it- maybe to make it look more original. The inset of the picture on the left shows the model with his pagh properly tied – with the larhs (layers) on the right.
Previous discussions of Sikhs in the media, entertainment and modeling:
1. Raising Awareness or A Turban Commodified?
2. Will the Revolution be Televised? Sikhs and the Media
The contents of an email from Tarlochan Singh, a member of the Indian Parliament, to Jagpal Singh Tiwana were published in The Sikh Times recently. 
Apparently, the member of Parliament is trying to have the Indian Constitution amended so that Sikhs are no longer referred to as Hindus for the purposes of Article 25 (freedom of religion).
Dear S. Tiwana Ji,
When I became a Member of Parliament I moved a Private Members Bill for an amendment of Section 25 of the Indian Constitution such that the Sikhs are treated as an independent religion. Under the present Constitution Sikhs are regarded as part of the Hindus. So this amendment is required for getting us independent status. My bill came before the House for discussion twice but due to disturbances in the House no proceeding could take place. Now I am waiting for the next opportunity. [The Sikh Times]
Currently, freedom of religion in India’s Constitution (Article 25) reads as follows:
There’s a profile in today’s Toronto Star (and a video online) of the classical Punjabi Sikh family in Canada. Dad came to Canada as young man and goes back to get married. 
Mom and Dad both have college degrees from India but have limited ability to speak English in a business setting. Living with Dad’s parents, the economic pressures quickly put them into the workforce where they are able to land blue collar jobs at a local car parts factory. There they work with other immigrants, mostly Punjabi with whom they feel comfortable. Business is doing well, they’re able to get good jobs on the factory floor, buy a good house and provide for their children.
Then the economy falls apart. Auto sales plummet and parts suppliers can’t stay afloat. They shut plants and layoff workers. All of a sudden Mom and Dad find themselves out of a job with limited transferable skills.
That’s the story of Adarash Pal Singh and Paramjeet Kaur Saini. Both were laid off from Progressive Moulded Products last June and haven’t been able to find employment. To re-skill, both are pursuing further education and Paramjeet just got accepted into Second Career program.
Today is World AIDS Day. The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is leadership and efforts are focused on prevention. Indeed, on this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, President-elect Obama has stated that his administration will focus on prevention and treatment for at-risk communities in the U.S. and rest of the world. World AIDS Day, is the day when organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. In 2007, there were 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Women account for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide and young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide.
In line with the theme of leadership which is the message of this year’s anniversary, I came across AIDS Jagoo – an effort by Mira Nair and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – to bring together Indian directors and actors to create four short dramatic films that aim to “dismantle myths and misconceptions of HIV/AIDS.” The four AIDS Jagoo films come from various parts of India – each its own genre and with a different point of view on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Migration, directed by Mira Nair, discusses HIV/AIDS from an urban/rural angle. Blood Brothers, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, follows the journey of a young man from a positive HIV diagnosis to the eye-opening conclusion. Prarambha (The Beginning), directed by Santosh Sivan, deals with society’s prejudices against people with AIDS through the journey of a young boy’s search for his mother. Positive, directed by Farhan Akhtar, shows a family coping with AIDS and reveals the courage they bring to overcome the tragedy. Most of the films have subtitles. Hopefully you’ll be able to watch some or all of these and join the global community in remembering those impacted by HIV/AIDS.
It has been over a year since the brutal attack upon Sukhvir Singh, a Sikh taxi driver from Seattle. I previously blogged about the ordeal and Sukhvir’s heroic capacity to forgive. In many ways his move enshrines a message by Guru Nanak from SGGS (p. 223) in Raag Gauri:
Khima Gahi Brath Seel Santokh
Extending forgiveness is the (true) fast, (the true act of) kindness, (the true path of) contentment
However, for the Sikh community in Seattle, the movement did not end there. It seemed to have prompted two Sikh students at the University of Washington, Jay Singh and Paul Bassi, to come up with a project.
The terrorist attacks in Mumbai — which consisted of blasts in at least seven sites and which apparently targeted Westerners — have, as of this writing, claimed over 110 lives and injured a minimum of 300. Terrorism on this scale has the tendency to engender very common, basic reactions: fear of another attack, concern for those who are at or near the location(s) of the attacks, care for friends or family who may have loved ones affected, disbelief that one set of humans can do this to other humans, and an interest in why the terrorists did what they did. All these elements were present in the wake of 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings, and I believe have been resurrected again with the Mumbai attacks.
There is another aspect of a response to mass terrorism that I’d like to discuss in this post: the inclination to unfavorably treat those who share characteristics with or bear resemblance to the terrorists. Following 9/11 and 7/7, Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim were subject to a pervasive and violent backlash. (As we reported earlier this week, Sikhs in America have been profiled in the airport setting.) Accordingly, with news accounts suggesting that the Mumbai terrorists are Muslim, some are worried that Muslims in India may face a wave of public and/or private harassment and discrimination. For example, a colleague who heads a major civil rights organization in America expressed that he was “praying for victims of [the] Mumbai attack[s] and for Muslims in India.”
It should not have to be this way.
Ok, so on Friday, I write this sort of stupid post. It isn’t meant to be taken too seriously so relax (I’m sure many won’t, but oh well).
Last year, my friend sent me this link from craigslist. It was a ‘rant’ but in so many ways it is sooo true.
So here is my question, why is “Every Punjabi Girl’s” post-college apartment the same as “Every Girl‘s”?
List of necessary items:
- Everything ever made from Ikea and Pier 1
- Candles
- Cats
- Pictures on the Fridge
- Papizan chair
Anything missing? What does ‘every Punjabi Guy’s room look like? Basketball posters, swords, what else?
Well have a great Friday as you eat left-over turkey (or tofurkey), watch football, or whatever else you do. Do read the humorous ‘rant’ from a very ‘bitter boy’ if you get a chance. Here’s a look at a different Punjabi girl in a different Punjabi world.
A retelling of Heer Ranjha is set to launch in Glasgow this week, and the screenwriters have done a fascinating job of trying to place the classic love story in a contemporary setting. 
Instead of the story of two villagers (Ranjha, who leaves his home and is hired by Heer), it’s the story of a Muslim restaurant worker and a Sikh socialite:
In a fit of depression, [Ranjha] throws himself off the George VI bridge, presumably choosing that one ahead of the Kingston so that the play can continue. He is pulled out of the Clyde by a boatful of partygoers, led by the beautiful Heer, the fast-living daughter of a Glasgow curry magnate and a Sikh. [link]
And, instead of fully morphing the play, the director discussed his desire to speak directly to the Asian population in Glasgow. He integrates a fully Punjabi story into the framework of life experience for Punjabi Scots, including choosing to play the dialogue in local dialect:
“I had been trying for some time to find a story that would attract Asian audiences [Glasgow’s Asian community is primarily Punjabi] and Heer Ranjha was something I had come across very frequently in my discussions with [local] people,” says Lalitha Rajan, artistic director of Ankur Productions. “I wanted to make it relevant and contemporary and I wanted a writer who had an ear for Glaswegian dialect, because it has its own unique linguistic richness. [link]
I think one of the most striking features of this show the opportunity it takes to speak to, and honor, the interconnectedness of the history of Scotland’s Punjabi community within the artistic/social narrative of the U.K. Instead of the story feeling unfamiliar, exotic, or far, it is re-placed to popularize it among youth in the diaspora. Whether this means it’s more risque or departs dramatically from the original, I’m curious to see how it turns out. If any of our readers are Scotland-based, I would love to hear a review if you’re able to go!
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and celebrate what we are thankful for, rather than commemorate the manipulative actions of the Pilgrims (yes, in many ways this statement makes me feel better when I have my Thanksgiving meal)!
One of the things I am thankful for this year is Barack Obama’s victory as the 44th President-elect of the United States of America. It has been wonderful to be alive to witness this moment in history. As the saying goes, you can only truly value and appreciate yourself if you can also laugh at yourself. So, I will extend this belief to Barack Obama’s presidential win. So, let’s laugh at this satire on Obama supporters (especially if you were one of them 🙂 … I know I did)!
Have a good Thanks-Giving!
If you haven’t already come across this link, CNN-IBN is
streaming live (though the worst of the violence is definitely over).
Even by the standards of terrorism in India, which has suffered a rising number of terrorist attacks this year, the assaults were particularly brazen and dramatically different in their scale and execution. Rarely for India, the attackers specifically targeted sites popular with tourists… Unlike previous attacks in India this year, which consisted of anonymously planted bombs, the assailants on Wednesday night were spectacularly well-armed and confrontational.[IHT]
There are still 5 hostages being held in the Oberoi and operations to rescue them are ongoing.
The latest numbers, according to CNN-IBN say 87 killed, 187 injured. Those are, of course, the official numbers. The IHT says preliminary reports say 240 injured.
If you have family and/or friends in the city, I hope they’re safe.
A Sardar friend of mine once recounted his experiences flying soon after 9/11. He was flying within California to a small Central California city. Upon arriving he had to wait for his plane-side check-in luggage and the air-hostess joked that he was lucky to have flown at all. When he asked why, she told him
that 2 customers had felt ‘uneasy’ with him on the plane and had they had a third complaint, he would not have been allowed to fly. He asked if he was flying with his three friends, could they report that they felt ‘uneasy’ if they saw a man with a cowboy hat. The air-hostess replied that – that would be a different situation.
It seems for 3 “eminent Sikh classical musicians” there situation was not much different than others that flew post 9/11. In a news report that is widely circulating in the Indian press, three Sikh musicians were on board to fly from Sacramento to Salt Lake City on US Airways were asked to deboard the plane after they had cleared proper TSA security clearances, at the whim of the pilot:
The incident occurred after Gulbag, Davinder, and Iqbal Singh cleared Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security and boarded US Airways flight no. 0493 on November 15th in Sacramento, California, on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah. The three were sitting together in the rear of the plane, in their assigned seats. After having been on the plane for approximately ten minutes, they were approached by one of the ticket-reception desk workers and asked to exit the plane. While none of the three adequately comprehend or speak English, the group complied and exited the aircraft. When it became apparent that the group was unable to converse with US Airways representatives, a Panjabi interpreter was called to assist.
Joint Post by Reema and Singh
The Book Club recently commented on the terminology and applicability of the term ‘diaspora’ to the Punjabi community outside Punjab-and whether ‘diaspora’ can apply to a group that won’t be returning to the homeland. For more discussion of the term, check out the Book Club.
We wanted to explore that tangent a little more – the idea of returning to the homeland, and how distant of a reality it actually might be.
An interesting piece by an Indian-American journalist, who was born in the US and returned to India to write, explores this theme.
It was five years ago that I left America to come live and work in India. Now, in our family and among our Indian-American friends, other children of immigrants are exploring motherland opportunities. The idea is spreading virally through émigré households across the West. [Source]
You might assume that motherland opportunities for foreign-born Sikhs are in the cities – in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chandigarh. And if you’re thinking of business opportunities, that might be true. But Sikhs are drawn to Punjab for a number of reasons: for humanitarian work, community building activities, and unique educational experiences. With a growing number of international organizations like United Sikhs, and in the past Fateh offering opportunities for work and study in Punjab; academies like MiriPiri Academy in Amritsar LINK and Akal Academy at Baru Sahib (in neighboring HP); and foreign universities offer programs tailored to those interested in connected or reconnecting with Punjab – going back to the motherland has become easier than ever.
Last week we actually had a conversation about the book (thanks RT!) and hopefully this week will continue the dialogue. Sorry for the delay in getting this up, airline delays are tough. Here we continue….
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The chapters of this section probably also warrant separate blog posts as we tackle the subjects of Chapter 7 (“Employment and Education” and Chapter 8 (“Family, Gender and Sexuality”). Still time and space constricts us.
Chapter 7 looks at the employment and education profile of the Sikhs in greater detail than previously mentioned in Chapter 3. The authors note that the followers of Guru Nanak have done well in the UK, but by no means are they ‘ethnic high flyers’ (145).
Entering the UK job market as door-to-door tradesmen (Sikh Bhatras of the 1930s/40s) and followed by post WWII unskilled manual labourers, Sikh enclaves formed where employment opportunities were available. First jobs for newly arrived immigrants were facilitated by previously settled kith and kin.
Labour exploitation at the hands of factory managers and even intermediaries from their own community (batoos) helped to propel the labour movements led by the IWAs.
Gotta love Kim Bolan. For years, the Sikh-Canadian community’s favourite journalist has gotten tremendous mileage from the monikers “moderate” and “fundamentalists” that she has used to describe the BC’s Sikh population. Now, in her reporting of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple’s election, she’s created a new segment of Sikhs: the “orthodox youth”.
Orthodox youth group sweep all executive positions at Surrey Sikh temple (Link)
I guess just saying “youth group” wouldn’t have been malicious enough. That would have brought up images of young underdog activists who chose to actually make a difference in overcoming tremendous odds in beating a slate of grey-bearded (or no-bearded) uncles who have monopolized our institutions.
Instead, she (and the Vancouver Sun) chose to stick a loaded word in front that insinuates a group that’s rigid, backwards and slightly Talibanistic. Yes, I know the word orthodox technically means “Adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith” but the textbook definition of fundamentalist is someone who has ” a point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles”, and that’s not how it was used over the past decade to describe observant Sikhs.
I guess Miss Bolan still has a job to do. If Sikhs actually got along and there was no controversy (real or incited), she’d have nothing to write about.
