You Know You're Brown When..

Sikh Brampton Boy

Randomly, a Sikh boy painting on the City of Brampton's website.

Gurdas Mann Remembers His Pind Diyan Galiyan

I got to see real glimpses of this romanticized rural Punjab on my visits there, but I doubt my kids will see much beyond tourist visits to Haveli.

Operation Blue Star 1984 Photo Set

The defining photos of the 1984 attack on the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Punjab.

Operation Blue Star was the codename for the attack on the Akal Takht Sahib and the Harmandir Sahib complex during the period June 1 to 6, 1984. The Indian army invaded the Harmandir Sahib complex on the orders of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. At the time of the operation, close to 100,000 army troops had been deployed throughout Punjab.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Grow A Row! Donate Your Fresh Produce To The Seva Food Bank

In anticipation of the upcoming garden season, Mississauga’s Seva Food Bank has launched their first “Grow A Row” campaign.

“Are you getting ready to plant your garden this summer?” asks Grow A Row organizer Amarpreet Kaur. “If so, please consider planting a row for hungry families served by the Seva Food Bank. We welcome all donations of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Members of the local community that grow their own vegetable gardens are being encouraged to dedicate a row of their garden to the Seva Food Bank and donate the fresh produce from that row.

Produce can be prohibitively expensive for families with limited incomes, but is essential for a healthy diet. Fresh veggies and fruits are highly prized items at the Seva Food Bank and are quickly distributed to families in need. Produce provided from home gardens is much fresher than any from other sources and is quickly distributed to clients.

“There is no such thing as too much produce at the food bank” says Manraj Singh Pannu, head of Client Relations for the food bank. “Our food bank clients are very appreciative of the donations.”

Long lasting root vegetables like carrots, beets and potatoes are the most appropriate for the food bank. However, any produce items that can be easily handled and stored, such as cabbage, peas, beans, tomatoes, radishes, parsnips, sweet peppers, summer squash, apples, and pears are welcome.

Since opening its doors in September 2010, the Seva Food Bank has distributed over 100,000 pounds of food to over 450 families in need from the L5B and L5C postal codes of Mississauga.

The Seva Food Bank is located at 3413 Wolfedale Rd (Unit 10), Mississauga, ON, L5C 1V8. Donations can be made during operating hours on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon.

The Seva Food Bank is an initiative of Sikhs Serving Canada, a registered not-for-profit organization whose mission is to positively impact local communities by acting on the basic Sikh tenets of sarbat da bhalla (the well being of all) and seva (selfless service).

Interview with Dr. Lonnie Smith

This guy is one cool cat. I've tried finding out his story about how he came to adopt the Sikh identity but haven't out too much. Anyone know anything more about he got to looking as styling as he does here?

Jassi Sidhu - Nai Reesa

Its been a while since Jassi Sidhu has put out anything noteworthy. This is a pretty decent song with a well produced video. Although I'm surprised there's no Singhs in his army.

The Reunion (Short Film)

Two Sikh friends reunite after years apart. One has cut his hair after a brutal hate crime. The other hasn't.

Co-Written, Co-Directed and Co-Produced by: Russell Brothers Company and Angad Singh.

The Reunion from Russell Brothers on Vimeo.

Wall Street Journal Examines Punjab's Fledgling Economy

Canadian Election 2011 Analysis: On Sikh Context, Comments, and Critiques

Also cross-posted on The Langar Hall. Interesting that this one hasn't generated the same level of discussion as the first one.

And I was worried that no one was going to read my post :)

Over the past week, I’ve read through all the comments in detail and have had many conversations with people in person. The dialogue has been supportive as well as critical, eye opening, challenging but most importantly always respectful. Its reaffirmed my belief that we Sikhs can openly articulate our differences in a productive way. Here’s some additional perspectives that I’ll put out there for debate:

Liberals

Of course, Michael Ignatieff’s failure to connect with Canadians was a major reason for the collapse of the Liberals. But there are much deeper, systemic issues with the party and for the party to survive, it needs a transformation from top to bottom. This will require a redefinition of what it means to be a Liberal in today’s Canada. This also includes reaching out to all those stakeholders to whom they had grown complacent, Sikh-Canadians included.

The Liberal party has done great things for our community over the years, a lot of which falls on deaf ears because it is ancient history to the under-30 generation. These youth only remember sponsorship scandals, Chretien vs Martin and Ignatieff’s reluctance to support the 1984 petition. Having said that, the party and its Sikh representatives need to produce much better answers for the questions of “what have you done for us lately?” and “what are you going to do for us going forward?”

Conservatives

I am an optimist and hopeful that the Conservatives will choose to represent not just those who voted for them, but all Canadians. The next four years will prove whether their hidden agenda is a reality or a bogey man conjured up by the opposition.

However, I personally lived through the anti-Sikh hatemongering stirred up by the Reform party during the RCMP campaign of the late-eighties and early-nineties. I vividly remember the petitions, NO TURBAN lapel pins and racist calendars proudly promoted by members and leaders of the party, many of whom are still in the Conservative party. Having said that, all parties can and do change with time. If the Conservatives are sincere in their outreach to the Sikh-Canadian community, their actions, and particularly those of Sikh Conservative MPs like Tim Uppal, Bal Gosal, Nina Grewal and Parm Gill will speak for themselves. Parm Gill’s attendance at the Kamal Nath protests was a good sign.

NDP

Jack Layton and his team now provide the only significant counterweight to the Conservatives. Jack has been a strong friend of the Sikh community. He’s been an outspoken advocate against human rights abuses in India, introduced a motion on the kakkars, and promised a real Komagata Maru apology. However, the NDP has a whole host of new responsibilities and issues to deal with over the next four years. Within that agenda, I’m hopeful that Sikh-Canadian issues continue to find a voice. I’m also interested in learning more about the views of Jinny Sims who defeated Sukh Dhaliwal in BC.

MP Accountability

MPs need to be held accountable for their (in)decisions. From the comments, it is has been articulated loud and clear that the quality of Sikh politicians is important, not just the quantity. The Sikh politicians banished from Parliament covered the spectrum from being openly supporting Sikh causes to actively undermining the community. I shed no tears for the losses of Ruby Dhalla and Ujjal Dosanjh. They have been an embarrassment to the community and have seriously damaged our credibility on the national and international stage. And yes, individuals like Malhi should have figured out that they were past their prime and gracefully retired. However, I believe that we now have fewer pro-Sikh MPs in the House and so it will be significantly harder to find traction on issues like the genocide petition and Komagata Maru apology in this parliamentary session. This will necessitate stronger outreach to non-Sikh MPs.

Furthermore, we should hold Sikh elected officials to a high bar on Sikh issues. However, it should not be so high that we have no one left to elect. 1984 is not the only test of panthic virtue. Politics is the art of the possible and it must take into account, unintended but likely consequences. As our community matures so must our outlook and timelines. We need to be thinking out 10 to 20 years, not just the next election cycle. And yes, there’s more to being a Sikh MP than doing Akhand Paths and ribbon-cuttings.

What are Sikh Issues?

Immigration and the 1984 genocide are both very important issues for the community. In particular on 1984, Sikhs in Canada have taken the lead on raising awareness and fighting for justice. However, they are not the ONLY ones that we need to deal with. Youth violence, new Canadian settlement, elder care and the defence of our articles of faith all warrant similar efforts. These issues were addressed by some candidates, including Jagmeet Singh, but the discussions need to be elevated to greater importance.

Even more importantly, we Sikhs are at our finest and most Guru-blessed when we put the rights of others far ahead of our own. Unfortunately, we seem to have lost our collective voices on issues of global concern. Where is the outrage against anti-democratic crackdowns in the Middle East and the paralyzing impact of increasing food prices on the world’s poorest? Why aren’t we punishing politicians for their refusal to deal with climate change? If we want to fight inequality and marginalization, we should start with supporting Canada’s First Nations peoples. Canadian issues are Sikh issues too, and we must engage all MPs in addressing them.

Panthic vs Party Loyalties

We have the ability to advocate Sikh issues with a level of freedom that is unmatched in the world. Unless Sikh-Canadians form their own political party (which I’m not in favour of), we must work within the existing party system. We are not a monolithic community. There is nothing wrong with individuals having affiliations with specific political parties of their choosing. We all have differences in how we want to move Canada forward. However, we do need to ensure we have the flexibility to come together on common causes. The institution of the Sarbat Khalsa from the 1700s provides us with a model of how this can be done. More modern examples are the political caucuses in the US. What if we had a Sikh-Canadian caucus made up of all Sikh MPs across all parties like the National Black Caucus of State Legislators or DC Latino Caucus in Washington? What could we collectively accomplish?

There is also a bigger question for anyone engaged in Canadian politics to ponder. As Sikh-Canadians we’ve given our blood, sweat and tears to the political establishment. How do we stop working for politicians and start to get them working for us? What can we be doing individually and collectively to change the equation?

The Future

In conclusion, I hope the future of the Sikh-Canadian politics more closely resembles Jagmeet Singh’s campaign (on whom my first post came down, regrettably, much harsher than intended) than those of other candidates and previous elections. I hope to see campaigns where the candidates bring real credentials and skills to the table. Where youth are actively solicited and the entire community is engaged. Where real substantive issues of importance to Sikh-Canadians and all Canadians are raised and thoroughly debated. And unlike in the 2011 elections, hopefully, where the most capable and competent get elected to represent us in government.

Delhi 2 Dublin Live Performance

Here's your pick-me-up track of the day. A very energetic performance by Vancouver's Delhi 2 Dublin performing in NYC.

The Seva Food Bank Story (So Far...)

Recapping the achievements of the Seva Food Bank since its launch in September 2010. From The Seva Spark Fundraising Dinner hosted on May 6, 2011.



Find the Seva Food Bank online. LIKE them on Facebook. FOLLOW them on Twitter. WATCH them on YouTube.

Sorry You Can't Work Here Because Of Your Turban

Here's an ABC News experiment to see how people react to employment discrimination against a turbaned job applicant. I'm cautiously confident that in Canada, you'd get a much stronger outcry against the hiring managers tactics. What do you think?

Canadian Election 2011 Analysis – Sikhs-Canadians: Kingmakers in Our Own Mind

Here's a piece that I wrote for The Langar Hall last week. Its generated lots of comments and discussion. I'm in the process of reviewing it all and will post my replies this week.

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My fellow Sikh-Canadians, its the morning after the big party. How does it feel? You must be a little hung over? Why wouldn’t you be? You’ve been drunk on power over the last 5 weeks. You’ve had every leader in the country wining and dining you in style. Telling you how great you are, how important you are to him and how he can’t live without you. They’ve trotted you out to every event like a prized possession, your dastaar (turban) became the ultimate fashion accessory of the election. No political stage was complete without a token Sardar in his requisite blue, red or orange turban.

You took the leaders everywhere with you. They met your family and friends – heck you even introduced them to your Father Guru and foolishly praised their false kingdoms in the presence of the King of Kings. You invited them to your Khalsa’s birthday celebrations and if they were able to say the Guru’s Fateh, your heart melted because you believed they really loved you. It felt great to be in the spotlight.

After so many years of being insulted and neglected, being seen as an outsider and the Other, you were finally part of the cool kids crowd. You felt like a somebody – recognized on the national stage as a king-maker. Now its the morning after and what do you have to show for it?

The numbers are clear. Not a single Amritdhari left in Parliament. In fact you’re down to only one Sardar. 1984 petition supporters Sukh Dhaliwal and Andrew Kania both gone. Gurbax Malhi gone too. ALL defeated largely by Sikhs supporting their opponents. But, boy did it feel good to get rid of Ujjal and Ruby. Except at the end of the day they’re Sikhs too. Sure you’ve added a few Sikh faces but it remains a question of where their loyalties really lie and if they will fight for our rights.

Congratulations Sikh-Canadians. You’ve cut off your nose to spite your face.

You spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, fighting each other. You dug up dirt on each other and leaked scandals to the media. You even got your smear campaigns on to CBC’s The National.

Its a sad day for the Guru’s Panth in Canada, when you see Amritdhari uncles with long flowing beards and kirpans stationed as scrutineers at a polling station to ensure the Amritdhari candidates LOSES because he’s from the wrong gurdwara.

Sure there were some bright spots but they were few. Jagmeet Singh’s campaign and near win was inspirational in its mobilzation of youth and its largely positive message. He’s got a great career ahead of him BUT for now he has to live with the knowledge that because of him the longest serving Sikh dastaar-wearing politician in Canadian history is no longer in office. I doubt Bal Gosal will be taking over Mr. Malhi’s tradition of Vaisakhi Akhand Paths in the Canadian Parliament. Nor will Mr. Gosal likely be making statements on 1984 in the House of Commons like Mr. Malhi has gone on record to do multiple times.

Its widely acknowledged that the NDP are great supporters of the Sikh community and its key concerns. Jack Layton has passionately defended the kakkars and spoken loudly against human rights abuses by the Indian state in Punjab. However, he can kick and scream all he wants over the next four years, but a majority Conservative government will do what it pleases.

Speaking of a majority Conservative government, I’m not optimistic for Sikh-Canadian issues. Kiss your 1984 genocide petition goodbye along with anything substantial on the Komagata Maru apology. And the next time the Sikh identity is attacked by irrational Quebecers or anyone else for that matter, don’t expect anything more than apathetic half-hearted responses from our government. This has been the Conservative response over the past 5 years and there’s nothing seen said or done by Tim Uppal, Nina Grewal or Parm Gill that gives me confidence that this will change. But hey if you suck up to Jason Kenney your cousin might get a visa.

The icing on the cake is that we now have an unstoppable Prime Minister who while working as the Director of Policy contributed to a Blue Book for the Reform Party of Canada in which the party explicitly stated that it “supports the preservation of the the distinctive heritage and tradition of the RCMP by retaining the uniformity of the dress code. Changes should not be made for religious or ethnic reasons.” To top it off they “opposed to any immigration based on race or creed or designed to radically or suddenly alter the ethnic makeup of Canada”. Sure the Reform Party is no more and every individuals views change over time, but the individuals that supported the ban on Sikhs from legions are still in the party fold. It is unfortunate that most Sikhs in Canada probably weren’t here and don’t remember this not-so-distant past. However, those of us who were here and endured their racist policies, will never forget.

So my fellow Sikh-Canadians, we have flexed an unprecedented level of power and influence in federal Canadian politics this campaign and we are the poorer for it. We are an even more divided community with fewer elected representatives in office. Sikh issues will move even further to the periphery of the Canadian agenda. We had a great time during the election party but now that it’s back to the business of running the country and, we’re on the outside looking in. And we did it to ourselves.

Singh Is Chess King

This great picture of Cherrytree Public School's Navir Briach was on the front cover of yesterday's Brampton Guardian. He was competing in the ninth annual Peel District School Board chess tournament.

Unique View of Toronto Nagar Kirtan