Warrior Saints

"For young Sikhs, the turban is old hat"

2007-04-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

By Amelia Gentleman
Published: March 29, 2007
in the International Herald Tribune

AMRITSAR, India: The day 14-year-old Jugraj Singh abandoned his turban and had a lifetime's growth of hair cut off, he collected the tresses from the barber shop's floor and packed them into a plastic bag. Then he threw the bag into a river flowing out of Amritsar, the spiritual home of the Sikhs.

"It was my parents' idea to float it down the river; they thought it would be a display of respect to the hair I had cut off," said Singh, now an 18-year-old business student. "For me it wasn't an emotional moment."

Like many young Sikhs, he found the turban a bother. It got in the way during judo classes. Washing his long hair was time-consuming, as was the morning ritual of winding seven meters, or more than 20 feet, of cloth around his head. It was hot and uncomfortable.

"In the end," he said, "it was a question of fashion. I felt smarter without it."

Sikh spiritual leaders voice dismay at the rapidity with which a new generation of young men are trimming their hair and abandoning the turban, the most conspicuous emblem of the Sikh faith.

While there are no hard data, Jaswinder Singh, a lawyer and leader of a "turban pride" movement, estimates that half of India's Sikh men now forgo the turban, compared with just 10 percent a couple of decades ago.

"The problem is very severe," he said, from the basement headquarters of his organization, Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj, or Army of God, here in Amritsar, in the northern state of Punjab, where most of India's 18 million Sikhs are based. "We are going to have to battle hard to turn back the tide. Otherwise another 20 years will pass and India won't have any more Sikhs in turbans."

Since 1699, about two centuries after the founding of the religion, Sikhs have been prohibited from cutting their hair. At that time every Sikh man was given the surname Singh - lion - and was required to wear a steel wristband and long cotton underwear, carry a short sword and a wooden comb. The turban was conceived as a statement of proud individuality, intended to make Sikhs easily identifiable in a crowd.

But, these days, not every young Sikh wants to stand out so boldly.

The dwindling numbers of turban wearers reflects less a loss of spirituality than encroaching Westernization and the accelerating pace of Indian life, Jaswinder Singh believes.

He puts the start of rapid decline at the mid-1990s, as India began liberalizing its economy, more people began traveling abroad and satellite television arrived in the villages of Punjab. Working mothers are too rushed to help their sons with the arduous task of mastering turban-wearing, he said, and increasingly just shrug and let their children cut their hair.

"Everyone is working harder to buy themselves bigger cars," Singh continued. "They don't have time to teach their children about the Sikh heroes. Boys take film stars as their idols instead."

Twenty-three years ago, when the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard led to the massacre of thousands of Sikhs across India, some abandoned the turban in self-defense. But changes wrought by globalization have had a far greater impact on the number of turbaned Sikhs than the oppression of the 1980s.

"There is this terrible, misplaced urge to merge with the rest of the world," said Patwant Singh, a historian and author of "The Sikhs" (John Murray, 1999).

In addition, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Sikhs traveling abroad have complained of being confused with members of the Taliban and harassed at airport security. This, too, has contributed to the desire to shed the turban.

Outside the Army of God offices is a turban clinic offering free classes for boys in how to tie up their heads with finesse - one of a series of new Sikh revivalism programs.

Standing before full-length mirrors, an instructor shows teenaged boys in baggy jeans and sports shoes how to twist the cloth into neatly layered folds on one side and smooth the pleats into sharp lines with a hooked silver pin, which is then concealed beneath the hair at the back of the head.

The fumbling attempts of young beginners must receive only praise, the tutor stresses. "Learner turban-wearers," he says, must not be discouraged.

A "Smart Turban 1.0" CD-rom offers step-by-step instructions in constructing fashionable looks and guides new turban-wearers on how to choose the most flattering style according to face shape.

In sheer desperation, Sikh leaders have also started holding "Mr. Singh International" pageants (contestants are judged by looks, moral character, knowledge of Sikh history and principles and turban-tying skills) in an attempt to promote the turban as a high fashion item.

The sixth World Turban Day will be celebrated on April 13 with a march through Amritsar by thousands of turban-wearing Sikhs in a display of unity.

India has no shortage of powerful Sikh role models, like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lieutenant General Joginder Jaswant Singh, the army chief of staff. But they are hardly style icons and their prominence has done nothing to stem the disaffection of a younger generation with the most important symbol of the Sikh faith.

For that, turban promoters turn to the Punjabi pop star Pammi Bai. Grinning through clenched white teeth, his canary-yellow turban at a jaunty angle, he sings of the glory of wearing the turban in a single released this month as part of the campaign. Images of the prime minister and the army chief flash behind him as he dances in the video version.

"I try my level best to gear up the youngsters," Bai said in an interview, absentmindedly pulling a pin from his turban to dig out the battery from his mobile phone. "They've adopted bad European habits - fast food, pubs and clubs. They want to show they are modern. They are forgetting their own culture." The album containing the turban song has sold 100,000 copies so far.

Are these efforts working?

Not according to Namrata Saluja, manager of the Colour Lounge hairdressers in central Amritsar, which turns away young Sikh men every week who want to get their long hair cut off.

"Kids come in groups - there's a lot of peer pressure," she said. "But we won't unturban them here. We don't want to be responsible for that upheaval in their families."

Instead the barbers advise the boys to cut their own hair at home and come back for styling.

"It's usually college-going students who are more worried about looking good than about their spiritual identity," she said. "It's a thrilling moment for them. You can see a flush on their faces. Taking eight or nine meters of cloth off your head releases a certain amount of pressure."

But while it's good for business, as a religious Sikh she feels ambivalent about the trend. "At the end of the day it is a bit hurtful," she said. "It means one more identifiable Sikh is missing."

Dastaar used to train police in UK

2007-03-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Got this email from a police officer in the UK who ordered Dastaar:

Thank you very much for posting Dastaar (Defending Sikh Identity) by Kevin Lee. This is very much appreciated and I will be using this video for training puropses for the UK Thamesvalley Police force. If there is anything I could do for yourselves I will be more than happy to accomodate any reqest you may have.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Indy Nandha
Community & Diversity Officer
Thamesvalley Police

A couple of events I'll be at: Ottawa and DC

2007-03-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Ottawa-Carleton Sikh Students Association presents:

Lights, Camera & Action: Sikh Day 2007

at the University of Ottawa's Alumni Auditorium, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm on March 30, 2007;

An evening of film and culture exploring a vibrant community through the lens, complete with musical performances blending traditional Indian instrumentals and percussions, and an electrifying tabla fusion by 'The Tabla Guy'. (www.thetablaguy.com)

The evening will be followed by a reception where light refreshments will be served.

For more information, please refer to the poster or contact us at sikhday2007@gmail.com

Dastaar playing at Spinning Wheel Film Festival -- Washington, DC; Saturday 4/8/2007 2:30PM at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - visit www.spinningwheeldc.org for details

***************************************************
A PREMIERE EVENT: FOR THE FIRST TIME : SIKH FILMS
DEBUT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.**

The Kaur Foundation proudly debuts the Spinning Wheel
Film Festival at the world re-known Kennedy Center for
Performing Arts in Washington D.C this April 6th and
7th, 2007. This premier two-day event hosted by the
Kaur Foundation, will start off on the evening of
April 6th, 2007 with a Gala Event evening, “Leaders of
Today - Lighting the Torch for Tomorrow” at the Hyatt
Regency in Bethesda, Maryland.

On April 7th, 2007 the esteemed Kennedy Center for
Performing Arts will be the venue for the Spinning
Wheel Film Festival. This acclaimed Sikh Film
festival brings together the diverse cultural and
historical perspectives of Sikhs worldwide, offering
cinematic insight on universal themes. The highlight
of the Festival is the opportunity to meet with the
Sikh directors and actors who partake in informative
discussions and Q&A sessions with the audience after
each cluster of films is shown.

These two pioneering events will bring together
world-renowned artists, film directors, Hollywood
actors, corporate giants, congressional dignitaries,
and celebrated community leaders from all across the
United States, Britain and Canada. The events will
highlight and honor the achievements of community
leaders and partners who have made an outstanding
contribution towards the advancement of the Sikh
community. The Kaur Foundation wishes to showcase the
talent, creative capital and potential of the
community by sending a message of excellence for the
younger generations of Sikh Americans.

Buy your tickets today! This premiere event is not to
be missed!

For Kaur Foundation Leadership Gala Event Evening and
Spinning Wheel Film Festival ticket passes and for
further information contact: www.spinningwheeldc.org

At the Sikh Photo Exhibit at the Queens Museum of Art

2007-03-05T12:43:00.001-08:00

Okay so I made a major goof by saying that Vaisakhi was this month and not April :-(, but aside from that, at least I said a few good words in praise of Sikhism. Chardi Kala!

A 10 minute highlight video of the exhibit will be posted shortly...

Dastaar to play at Queens Museum of Art event tomorrow

2007-03-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Sikh Coalition and Grassroots Initiative Announce Opening of Photo Exhibition

"Fighting Prejudice With Votes -
Sikhs in New York"

First Ever Photo Exhibition on Sikhs to Show at the Queens Musuem of Art from March 3 to March 31st

New York, NY (February 26, 2007) – The Sikh Coalition and Grassroots Initiative are proud to announce the opening this week of "Fighting Prejudice with Votes: Sikhs in New York" a photo exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art by photographer Sarah Tew. The photo exhibition marks the first time a Sikh-centered photo exhibition has been displayed at any museum in New York.

About the Photo Exhibition

In 2006, Grassroots Initiative teamed up with the Sikh Coalition to help elect the first-ever Sikh elected officials in New York.

In this bold new exhibit, Brooklyn-based photographer Sarah Tew documents the experience in images, juxtaposing the private and public lives of the Sikh community and the process of merging these lives through entry into the political process. The images provide an intimate look into the culture, faith and recent triumphs of one of New York’s most colorful and least understood ethnic communities.

RSVP for the Opening Reception
The opening reception, on March 3, 2007 at the Queens Museum of Art will feature the premier public screening of a news extended version filmmaker Kevin B. Lee's Dastaar (link to older, shorter version), an intimate discussion panel with the artists and activists involved in the exhibit, and a Q&A with the Sikh candidates themselves.

Opening reception, featuring sweets and refreshments, will be held on March 3, 2007 from 3-5 pm. Please RSVP here; space is limited.

New York Times and Other Media Articles on Elected Sikhs

The election of the 5 Sikh officials in New York City has generated a great deal of media interest. Publications such as the New York Times covered their election in an article entitled "Politics, Spoken in Punjabi." In addition the New York Sun covered their election in a front page article and the Times Ledger covered the election in an article entitled "Sikhs Join Dem Committee for First Time in Queens History."

The Sikh Coalition encourages all Sikhs to get involved in their local electoral process with any political party they choose support. It is critical that our community becomes a part of the decision-making structures our the countries within which we resided rather than simply advocating for change from outside.

Grassroots Initiative is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization committed to rebuilding democracy by opening doors, breaking down barriers and establishing effective dialogue between community residents and public decision makers. Grassroots Initiative promotes community involvement, assists first-time candidates for public office and enables decision makers to better utilize public input. For more information, please visit www.gograssroots.org.

Japji 25

2007-03-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Grace abounds beyond all reckoning,
Great is the Giver, with no trace of greed.
So many, the crowds of the heroes who beg,
So many, their numbers cannot be reckoned.
So many are wasted and ruin their gifts,
So many keep getting, but deny they've received.
So many are fools who just keep on consuming,
So many keep suffering sorrow and hunger.
These also are gifts which You give us.
Your will determines release from our bondage,
No one else has a say about this.
The fool who dares to speak
Alone knows the blows on his face.
The Knower and the Giver are one and the same
Though this is acknowledged by few.
The person gifted to praise and adore,
Nanak says, is truly monarch of monarchs.

Harvard University Sikh Scholarship

2007-03-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

vidia vicari tam parupkari

Contemplate and reflect upon knowledge and you will become a benefactor to others

HARVARD UNIVERSITY SIKH SCHOLARSHIP

The Sikh Scholarship Foundation was started in 2002 to provide scholarship grants to Sikh students at Oxford University, UK. Building upon the success of the program there, the Foundation is glad to announce the availability of a US $10,000 annual scholarship award to one Sikh student who has been duly admitted to Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States for the academic year 2007-2008. The scholarship award will be paid to the successful candidate each academic year for up to four years.

It is high time that the Sikh community encourage their youth to not only attend excellent and prestigious institutions of higher learning, but also provide incentive to learn and commit to the Sikh ideals of sevā-simran at the same time as undertaking their academic education. To that end, the Sikh Scholarship Foundation requires recipients of the scholarship to attend a 2 week intensive Gurmat training course and occasional projects, lectures and assignments on Sikhī topics during their university career. Furthermore, the scholars automatically become members of the Mātā Sāhib Kaur Alumni Society and utilize their education and Sikhi background to participate in society as practicing ambassadors of the Sikh nation.

All students interested in this program are urged to request an application form from the Sikh Scholarship Foundation using the following contact information:

Email – applicationform@sikhscholarship.org

Phone – 1-978-764-6855 (Harvard Shcolarship only)

Web page – www.sikhscholarship.org

What – The Sikh Scholarship Foundation, Harvard Scholarship

Who – All Sikh students admitted to Harvard University, Cambridge, MA for the academic year 2007-2008 are eligible to apply

How – Request an application form from applicationform@sikhscholarship.org

When – Deadline for all application forms is June 30, 2007. Scholarship award is announced August 1, 2007.

For more information regarding the Sikh Scholarship Foundation, please visit www.sikhscholarship.org.

In partnership with the Sikh Research Institute, the Sikh Scholarship Foundation – Harvard is also accepting funds for this program. If you are interested in contributing, please send us your tax-deductible donation to:

Sikh Research Institute

P.O. Box 690504

San Antonio , TX 78269

Please make check payable to Sikh Research Institute and write "SSF-Harvard" in the memo.

Alternatively you may contribute via internet at http://www.sikhri.org/donation and select "Sikh Scholarship Foundation – Harvard" when making your yearly commitment.

My anthem, courtesy of Guru Nanak

2007-02-28T12:20:00.001-08:00

What I would give to have my own work convey the same feeling I get when reading this:

Infinite is the Glory, and infinite the ways to sing praise

Infinite are the deeds, and infinite the gifts

Infinite is the seeing, and infinite the hearing

Infinite are the workings of the Mind

Infinite is the variety of forms

Infinite are the edges of the universe

How many weep and yearn to find the limits

But these are not to be found

The end euldes all

The more it is expressed, the more is yet to be found

God is great and high in station

Yet higher still is the Name

If we could ever reach that height

Then only would we know the Highest of the high

Expansive as It is, That One alone can know Itself

Nanak says we are graced with the gift of the Gaze.

- Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Japji Sahib, stanza 24

Greetings from Oklahoma!

2007-02-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

I received this email from a Sikh school teacher in Oklahoma who had requested a copy of Dastaar to screen to her students. Her feedback is one of the most powerful letters about Dastaar I've received:

Dear Kevin,

How are you? Dastaar was a HIT in the classroom! The kids really loved it, and were very sensitive to the message. They all feel smarter now because they know more about Sikhs, and they will possibly now think twice before engaging in hateful behavior towards others because of religion or ethnicity. We talked about things like, "Should people have to hide who they are because they might offend someone or because they are not like the mainstream population of an area?" "Can you look at a person and tell if they are a terrorist or not?" "Is Islam given a fair representation in the media?" "Have you ever hear of a Sikh before today?" "Would you like to see a more in depth study of other cultures and religions other than what is offered in the textbooks you use?" "Is it right to attack people because they are or might be a part of a culture that is perceived as threatening, even though they personally did nothing wrong?"

The kids were very empathetic towards the older man at the beginning of the DVD. One girl wanted to know how anyone would want to hurt that "sweet old man." We talked about how in the ignorance of the attacker's minds they were attacking the "enemy" even though Mr. Khalsa was not even involved nor is he even a Moslem. He is just a sweet old man.

I told the kids that there are Sikhs in Oklahoma, and there is a Gurdwara in Oklahoma CIty. I told them that a few people know that I am Hindu, but I also am studying Sikhism, and that I also attend the Gurdwara in Oklahoma City along with my son and daughter. I told them that I did not share my personal life and religion with many people because I did not want any backlash from living in an area where there are not many Hindus, and no Hindu teachers. I would love to be able to feel free to wear tika on my forehead every day, but I save that for the Temple. I told them that I often wear a salwar-kameez to school, and though they see it as pretty clothes, to me it is much more. We talked about how our part of the country needs to lighten up about being able to learn about other religions. We can teach in depth about other faiths without the fear of conversion. I told them that I would be happy to share all I know about Hinduism and Sikhism, and that I would never try to convert anyone, because that is not what we do. (In direct opposition to the mainstream Protestant (Baptist mostly) religions here.)

It was a very mature discussion for a group of raucous 8th graders.

Thank you for DASTAAR, it is a wonderful teaching tool. Oklahoma City is waiting for you, if you ever get a chance to come down this way!

WGJKK
WGJKF
Parvati

New Documentary about Sikhs and Sodhi killings screening at Lincoln Center

2007-02-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

Thurs Feb 22: 6:30pm

Admission: $10, $7 for students, $6 FSLC & IFP members.

There will be a Q&A after the screening.

A joint program of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFP.

A Dream In Doubt
Tami Yeager, U.S., 2007; 57 min
Rana Singh Sodhi and his brothers escaped persecution in India to become successful gas station owners in Mesa, Arizona. In the volatile atmosphere in the United States after 9/11, their turbans and beards, expressions of their faith as Sikhs, are mistaken as identifying symbols. Balbir, Rana's oldest brother, becomes the first victim of a 9/11 revenge killing, gunned down at his station by a man who claimed to be rooting out terrorists. As the Sikh community continues to live as misunderstood Americans, Rana Sodhi attempts to educate Phoenix residents about hate crimes, act as a spokesman for his family and community, and guard his own school-aged children from the bullying and harassment they continually face. When tragedy strikes his family a second time, Rana Sodhi’s perceptions of America come into deep focus. He questions how much more his family can endure and how they will achieve the American dream when they look like the enemy.

Japji case study

2007-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

So I've picked out a passage from Japji to compare the different translations I have at hand.

Note that in the original Gurbani, each couplet is a rhyming match, an essential poetic quality to the original that none of the following translations can replicate. This is why I am told that to truly appreciate the power of japji one must recite it in its original language. Whatever I gain from these translations is but a fraction of the poetic and philosophical depth of Japji. But let's see what I can dinf out.

3rd stanza (excerpt)

translated by Arvind Mandair and Christopher Shackle:

Some sing of His power, for they have the power,
Some sing of His bounty, for they know its signs.
Some sing of His virtues, greatness and acts,
Some sing of His knowledge, so hard to imagine.
Some sing of His making, the body, then dust.
Some sing of His taking, and giving back life.
Some sing that He seems and appears far away,
Some sing that He sees all, present and here.

Rajinder Singh Vidyarthi:

Many sing His might, who have a capacity to sing that?
Many recite His bounties taking them as His signs.
Many sing His excellence and the virtues,
Others, His knowledge so hard to conceive.
Many sing His power of creation and destruction,
That, 'He takes away life and recreates.'
Many sing 'He is near at hand' others think afar.
Many sing 'He beholds us and is ever Omnipresent.'

Gurbachan Singh:

Who has the strength to sing and appreciate Supreme power?
Who can know and sing the marking rewards of the Lord?
Who can sing the greatness and excellences of God?
Who can sing His wisdom and know the knowledge of the Lord
Who can sing that creations are created and vanished by Him?
Who can sing that life is taken away and again it is restored?
Who can sing that He seems to be far away?
Who can sing that He seems to be present just face to face?

Harbans Singh:

Who has the power to sing and define God's Power?
Who can sing and describe the boons (the marks of grace) of God?
Who can sing the virtues and excellences of God?
Who can sing and describe the most difficult knowledge of God?
Who can sing God, who forms the body, and then reduces it to dust?
Who can sing God, who takes away life and again infuses it?
Who can sing god, who seems to be far away?
Who can sing God, who sees all just face to face?

Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh:

Filled with might, they sing praise of the Might,
Seeing the signs, they sing praise of the Bounty,
Perceiving the virtues, they sing praise of the Glory.
Some sing praise through high philosophy,
Some sing praise of the power that creates and destroys,
Some sing in awe of the giving and taking of life.
Some sing of the thereness, the utter transcendence,
Some sing of the hereness, the close watch over all.

Observations:
- Note that two of the translations phrase each line as a question. Harbans Singh includes an annotation: "The above verses have also been translated by substituting "Some" for "who" and omitting signs of interrogation." I guess the original is phrased in such a way that can be taken as either a question or a statement. The questioning quality adds to a sense of wonderment at the human capacity or lack thereof to describe and praise God's glory sufficiently.
- In the original, each line begins with the word "Gavai" which is translated as either "some sing" or "who can sing?" Most of these translations mirror the repetitive, rhythmic quality of the start of each line throughout this passage.
- God's name and gender: note that the first four translations refer to "God" in the masculine, as it is written in the original. Neither Harbans or Nikky-Guninder ascribe a gender to the almighty being described. Furthermore, it's worth noting that only Gurbachan and Harbans use the word God to address that being described -- the others, especially Nikky-Guninder, refer to it or Him in a more abstract manner. The term "God" is problematic with mainline Sikhism because it implies a deistic faith, where Sikhism is not necessarily deistic -- "God" - commonly refered to Waheguru in Sikhism - is both being and non-being, nameable and nameless. It is this very approach to understanding metaphysical reality that gives Japji its poetic power.
- Line six -- note the nuances in interpreting this idea of God taking and giving life. The translations by Mandiar/Shackle, Gurbachan and Harbans could be read as implying God's power of resurrection. Vidyarthi is a bit more vague, while Nikky-Guninder avoids such a reading by reversing the sequence to read "giving and taking of life".
- In the last line, the use of the term "face to face" in two of the translations while no mention of faces is used in the rest, makes me wonder if there was an idiom employed in the translation -- does Waheguru have a face?

I don't think I will continue using all of these Japji as I work through the rest of the 38 stanzas - by comparing all of them at once I will gravitate towards some that strike me as either more accurate or precise in their translations or more philosophically moving or poetically expressed. Still, it's been fascinating comparing all of them and seeing just how varied the translations can be.

Japjis I have known

2007-02-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to make a regular practice of reading and meditating on Japji this year. It's just a way of trying to make time daily to give myself space to think about Sikhi. It's amazing how much this seems easier said than done. It's also become a way for me to reflect on my own journey and bring together the pieces of experiences and resources that I've picked up along the way.

Piece #1: I first got exposed to Japji (without quite knowing what it was) 2 years ago, when I attended Prof. Arvind Mandair's Sikhism class in Hofstra. As part of the syllabus he included his own translations of Japji Sahib as well as many other sacred nitnem and verse from Guru Granth Sahib. I read through these translations on and off for over a year, not sure quite what to make of them and what they had to do with my project, but certain that they had some value that would eventually make itself known to me.

Piece #2: Meher, my inten from last summer, gave me her book of nitnem, as translated by a Rajinder Singh Vidyarthi, printed in Malaysia(!). It was her nitnem from when she was a kid - in fact it is covered in a Baby Gap suede book covering!

Piece #3: When visiting the Sikh community in Seattle last June to do filming for the Sikh Coalition, I spent an afternoon with Parminder Singh and his family. At the end of evening prayers, Parminder offered me a Nitnem from his own home, translation by Prof. Gurbachan Singh M.A., published by B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh in Bazar Mai Sewan, Amritsar Punjab.

Pieces #4, #5 and #6: While attending the Toronto Film Festival last September, I hung out with Kulvir Singh Gill and he took me to the Sacha Sauda Gurmat Prachar Society, the largest Sikh bookstore in North America. There we went on a bit of a shopping spree, and I walked out with armfuls of books and recordings - including three versions of Japji.

One in print, which I've seen rather often, is translated by Harbans Singh Doabia in Chandigarh.

The second version of Japji is on a 2-Disc CD - no info on the translator is provided, but it's distributed by an outfit called Kirat.

And finally - an English language translation titled "The Name of My Beloved" by Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, religion professor at Colby College.

So there I have it - no less than six versions of Japji to choose from. What's interesting is that in having so many versions, I've become more sensitive to the meaning of the texts, trying to get a real sense of the nuances. I'll try to say more about this in another post.

Reunited with RSK

2007-01-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I paid a long overdue visit to Rajinder Singh Khalsa. I was feeling pretty bad about just how many months had passed since I'd seen him. When I called him on the phone this was our conversation:

"Are you home Khalsa Ji?"
"Yes brother?"
"Can I come to visit you know?"
"Why you asking this question? You are thinking too much like an American. If you know I am hom, you just come here. If nobody is home we willl give you the key. You are our family."

I took the one hour subway trip out to Richmond Hill. When I got there the place looked more or less the same. He had replaced the electric, light-up picture of the Golden Temple with a more classy-looking photo of the same. More VIP photos of him that he had taken in recent months. He had been invited by Councilmember John Liu to speak at a Diwali celebration (for some reason it was called Deepawali on the program) and he also attended a South Asian reception at Mayor Bloomberg's office (he has a great photo of himself shaking hands with Mayor Mike, who looks as frozen as a wax statue).

The man has had his highs in the past few months. But he's having his share of challenges too. The facial fractures he suffered from his beating leaves his face very sensitive to temperature changes -- his whole face aches when it gets cold or damp. He still can't work a fulltime job because he gets tired after two hours - - even in talking with me and sharing all of his recent highlights, he became exhausted (and this is a guy who LOVES to talk about his achievements).

But he was cheered up when he watched the video of his daughter's wedding that I had finally completed over the holidays (the wedding was back in April!) I felt good too watching it - there were some really nice moments and shots that I had captured. And just sitting beside him I did feel like part of the family in some way. There are some people in the world that make you feel right at home, and Khalsa Ji is one of them.

I promised Khalsa Ji that I would see more of him. In fact I want to resume my education in Sikhims under his tutelage. I plan to stop by next Friday to ask him to help me with Ardas, and see what other conversations emerge. It's all part of a process of knowing and growing more.

Getting back on the horse

2007-01-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

Man, 2006 was a mad busy year. So much happened. And yet here I am, Warrior Saints still a work in progress. But it's like a wise person once said, sometimes the journey counts more than the destination.

Some of the highlights that have happened since my last visit to the blog:

- Getting help from my first ever intern! Meher Kaur was a tremendous help this past summer with translation of interviews, editing and just being a good person to talk to in figuring out next steps.
- Visiting Camp Chardi Kala, the first and oldest Sikh youth camp in the United States - celebrating their 30th anniversary.
- Getting a rousing reception at the Spinning Wheel Sikh Film Festival in Toronto - my second visit to Spinning Wheel, and an even better time than last year.
- And most recently, attending the Surat Sikh Youth Conference in New York. What an inspiration to see so many young Sikhs gathering together to gain knowledge, support and inspiration to live their lives by their highest principles. Plus I finally got the distinct pleasure of meeting Professor Cynthia Mahmood, one of the most respected scholars on Sikh contemporary history and culture. I sincerely hope to see more of her in the future.

I have many new year's resolutions for 2007, as there's more to do and d experirience than ever boefore. But one thing I want to commit to is writing in this blog more frequently. This is my space and place to work through a lot of the questions I need to answer to finish my project and make it what I want it to be. God give me strength, wisdom and perseverance to see it through.

Sikh links up and running

2006-05-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

the "Links" page on the site is now active with over 70 links related to Sikhism, from religious overviews to community activist sites to places where you can shop for Sikh paraphernalia to downloadable music . I've tried to categorize them as best I could, though many sites fill multiple functions. Many thanks to Meher Kaur for helping to collect these links. It's definitely still a work in progress -- I'm still collecting sites. I don't intend to link to every single Sikh site out there,, but just serve as a reliable hub for relevant resources. If anyone wants to share their feedback, recommendations or insights on links, you are more than welcome to do so.

Recollections and corrections

2006-05-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

11 days since the last update. I've kind of taken a mini-vacation from all my video projects to focus on a couple of things. One is an article on Korean actress Bae Doo-Na (whom I think is the most talented young actress in the world), which I hope I can get published in one of the major film journals like Film Comment or Cinema-scope. The article has taken much more time to write than I had counted on. It makes me wonder if I can really pull off a career being a filmmaker and film critic/writer or anything else -- it's just a lot to juggle. But I'm letting myself follow my instincts and as long as I feel good about whatever it is I'm doing, I think I'll come out just fine.

The other development of the past few days has been increased instances of socializing, which has done wonders on my state of mind and mood! Starting with last weekend's camping trip/ co-ed sendoff for a Sikh friend of mine who is getting hitched later this month. About 30 of us went to White Haven, PA for grilling and white water rafting. The guest list read like this: Singh, Singh, Singh, Singh Lee, Singh, Singh... In fact at one point I was called "The Token White Guy" which was pretty funny since I've done that with my white friends sometimes. I was treated to some beautiful renditions of Punjabi songs and poetry while we ate smores around the campfire. Then someone looked at me and said "Okay now it's time for you to sing a song that we can't understand!" So I did a Chinese love duet by myself and got a lot of applause -- it was great because I admit I was a little apprehensive about not quite fitting in, but everyone made me feel welcome. And as the days passed I came to realize that even among such a uniform-looking group of young Sikh Americans, there were significant cultural differences. When it came to group singalongs, some people insisted on the traditional Punjabi songs around the campfire, while others felt that the best they could offer were the old school rap hits they knew by heart in high school. Hearing them back to back, I couldn't help but wonder what Guru Nanak would have thought, and my guess is that he would have appreciated the beauty of human creation to be found in each, as well as in all manifestations of God on earth.

So in the midst of all the food and fun I had an embarrassing moment (and I'm not talking about when I called someone by someone else's name, which earned the response "That's okay, I know, we all look the same!"). Some of us were talking about Sikh books, and I, fresh of my last blog posting, mentioned W.H. McLeod. They looked at me like I was crazy. "McLeod? Most Sikhs wouldn't touch him with a 12 foot pole." I then said that Arvind Mandair at Hofstra taught him, which prompted them to wonder why Prof. Mandair would do such a thing. "McLeod, he was 'first to market' in that he was the first Westerner to do significant research on Sikhism, but that doesn't mean his scholarship is reputable." They said he took an Orientalist approach to the subject matter, among other objectionable issues.

It then occurred to me that this was the very scholar whose work Prof. Mandair had criticized in the lectures I attended last year! So how could I have been so horribly mistaken? Perhaps because McLeod was the only Western author who showed up in my library's catalog on Sikh books, and somehow I assumed he was the one to read.

An instance like this makes me feel really foolish and unqualified to explore the topic much less share my thoughts on it. To set the record straight, the Western scholar whom I was really thinking of in my last post, the one that Professor Mandair studied with and approves of, is Christopher Shackle. I am going to write to Prof. Mandair and ask him to state for the record what the objections are to McLeod's research. What's doubly embarrassing for me in all of this is that McLeod's research is a sore topic among many Sikh scholars, as evidenced by this intensely critical article on McLeod that goes so far to psychoanalyze McLeod's authobiography to undermine him as a human being as well as a scholar!

Reading something like that linked article, I actually feel compelled to finish reading my copy of McLeod's book so I can judge for myself what the problem is. And of course I will supplement that with materials that others find more commendable. In fact when I go to the Sikh Coalition offices today, I'll ask them for the recommended reading materials that they've drafted to present to schools across the country to properly educate people about Sikhism. Slowly (and surely with some forgiveable missteps here and there) the pieces will come together.

Books on Sikhism - recommendations given and sought

2006-05-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

All right, only 4 days since my last post! I'm getting better at this.

I wanted to mention that I've been reading a most excellent book on Sikhism. It is "Sikhism" by Hew MacLeod, an Australian scholar who has published extensively on Sikh religion and culture. He first came to my attention in Professor Arvind Mandair's class at Hofstra. I think the Professor studied with MacLeod and has a similar approach, one I would describe as having a greater socio-historical emphasis than past research on the subject. They don't take a lot of handed down knowledge for granted as historical fact -- if something that has been commonly accepted as history does not have significant documentation to back it up, they'll say as much, however much that might raise the ire of more dogmatic practicioners of the faith. In this sense their work is kind of comparable to the Historical Jesus movement that raised a lot of questions about traditional beliefs towards Christianity.

To follow MacLeod's and Mandair's lead, I really should give some examples from MacLeod's book to illustrate what I'm talking about. The one that stands out in my mind is MacLeod's speculation that 1699 may not have been the actual year that the Order of the Khalsa was created. For whatever reason the year has been institutionalized as historical fact. Sikhism has such a long and legendary history, perhaps it's inevitable that facts get obfuscated here and there, or events get exaggerated. I wonder how many Sikhs really believe that Baba Dip Singh was able to fight off hundreds of Muslim invaders while holding his own severed head in one hand? Still, an image like that certainly fires up the imagination, which I think is ultimately the point, and why there's always going to be a volatile relationship between the history that actually happened and the myth that we carry in our hearts. It's no different that what I am doing as a filmmaker, trying to distill all my experiences and encounters into a story that will work with people.

I was also reading about the emergence of the Tat Khalsa from the Singh Sabha in the 19th century to become the dominant voice in Sikhism and firmly establish the concept that to be a Sikh requires joining the Khalsa, an idea that seems to be taken for granted today but a century ago wasn't so firm. This is the complicated history that I'm still getting my head around,and may not end up being discussed in my film, but it helps to enrich my understanding of the faith and how it evolved through many circumstances. It's important not to take what I understand about Sikhism for granted.

I'm going to try to make it more of a daily habit to write reflections as I keep reading through MacLeod. In the meantime if anyone reading this has any suggestions as to great books on Sikhism, please send them this way.

Also I want to post some pictures from last Saturday's Sikhism parade, but I think I need to free up some drive space first. Too much good stuff to be done!

Catching up with myself

2006-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

My it has been busy. I keep meaning to check in here to post my movements in the world of Warrior Saints, but then something else comes along and adds to the heap of news items to report. Finally I’ve decided to cut my losses and just list what I’ve done over the past month, just for the record. I can’t go into nearly as much detail as I’d like with each of them. Maybe this means I need to get involved in fewer activities so that I can get more out of the ones I decide to do?

There is no question that this project for me has made me more sensitive of the need to be mindful and conscientious about how one goes through life. That is perhaps the single most important tenet of Sikhism, because from that state of mind springs all kinds of enlightenment, goodwill and peace both inside and out. It’s a great state of mind to be in, and not one that happens as often as I’d like, at least with myself. But just typing these words helps me to get there. I can just recall the past month of activity and not feel compelled to write grandiose accounts of each thing I did to impress anyone who reads this. I can let them rest simply as markers of past experiences that I will always enjoy remembering.

First, to wrap up my March trip to San Francisco:

Friday 3/24 - Met Gagandeep and Mansheel Singh, two University of California Berkeley students who are fighting for their right to wear the kirpan, a Sikh article of faith on campus. Also interviewed Pritpal Singh, a Bay Area entrepreneur who is also an active contributor to the Sikh community.

Saturday 3/25 - Visited Yuba City California, the historical heartland of Sikh America. There, a kind gentleman by the name of Dr. Jasbir Kang showed me around and helped me to interview two people who are firsthand witnesses to the plight of Sikh Americans post-9/11. Gurpal Singh is a truck driver who was roughed up by the Oregon Highway Patrol when they suspected him of being a terrorist because of his turban. Harbans Singh is an 80 year old gentleman who was pushed off his bike and taunted by kids because of his turban.

Monday 4/10 - My brother competes on Jeopardy and pulls off an incredible comeback victory, thanks in part to a category called “Hide and Sikh”. You WILL get to watch this on my site – I’ll try to post it early next month.

Saturday 4/15 - Rajinder Singh Khalsa's daughter's wedding in Richmond Hill Queens, a gorgeous occasion – I may try to post photos later. The second Sikh wedding I’ve attended (and apparently not the last – I have a bachelor camping trip to attend next weekend and a bicoastal wedding in September).

Thursday 4/20 - Submitted a major proposal for funding – a real learning experience for me that changed my perspective on my own work.

Friday 4/21 - Spoke at the 2006 Ethnic Pen Conference at Bay Shore High School in Bay Shore, Long Island. Gurpreet Singh, a hate crime victim turned activist, presented DASTAAR to an auditorium of high school students and talked about his own experiences fighting intolerance. Met filmmaker Joe Fab, producer of the extraordinary documentary PAPER CLIPS, and received a lot of inspiring feedback from him on being a filmmaker.

Saturday 4/22 – Screened Dastaar at a Sikh Immigrant History celebration at the Queens Central Library in Jamaica, sponsored by the NYC Mayor’s office. Thanks Jaskaran Singh and United Sikhs for putting together such a successful event.

And this Saturday I am looking forward to the Annual Sikh Day Parade in New York City! Starts at noon, proceeding along Broadway from 40th St down to 25th St. Free food (Langar/ Community Kitchen) will be served to all. Be there!

2006-04-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Kevin on MTV Desi

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Interviewed at the screening of DASTAAR at the 2005 IAAC Film Festival, Lincoln Center, New York

Postponed notes post-SF Festival

2006-04-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

So it's been over three weeks since the last time I checked in here on my own status. I seem to spend most of the time catching up with myself, esp. the last few weeks which have been very eventful.

The week of March 20th was a triumphant homecoming to San Francisco for the San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival. Dastaar screened in a program called "Grassroots Rising" a collection of shorts depicting social activism campaigns throughout the Asian American community.

The other films were great:

Therese Thanjan's short WHOSE CHILDREN ARE THESE? enters the world of three South Asian youth navigating a post 9/11 federal program called Special Registration. The film is a deeply moving portrayal of how these young people deal with their unfortunate circumstances with wisdom and dignity way beyond their years.

Robert C. Winn's GRASSROOTS RISING takes a close look at the lives of immigrant workers from Asia working in Los Angeles. Revealing their heart-wrenching stories of abuse and tragedy, GRASSROOTS RISING shows how these workers use their experience to fight for justice in spite of the threat of imprisonment and deportation.

All the films received a tremendous response from the audience. Here's a picture of me unfortunately blocking Leslie Ito, producer of GRASSROOTS RISING. More visible are Therese and Robert handling Q&A:

Therese and Robert's films were sponsored in part through the Center for Asian American Media, the largest Asian America media organization in the country and organizers of the SF Asian American Film Fest. I had a good time meeting some of the Center staff and learning more about the opportunities for support provided by their Media Fund. One thing that's keeping me busy these days is funding proposals -- not much that's sexy to write about there, but that's what I'm doing.

Though I was busy with work, I did get to see a few other films while I was there. I got to rewatch THE CRIMSON KIMONO, a brilliant 50s detective move by the great Sam Fuller, starring James Shigeta in a rare Asian American lead performance, a cop who goes into an Othello-esque tailspin when he finds himself in love with a white woman. My favorite film of the fest was THE BURNT THEATRE, a beguiling blend of documentary and fiction concerning a drama ensemble in Cambodia struggling to find ways to pursue their passion after their theatre has burned down. LINDA LINDA LINDA was a really fun SCHOOL OF ROCK-esque tale of three high school seniors who form a rock band and set out to give a performance to blow the school's roof off. As my brother put it, no other film quite captures the feel of what it's like during one's last weeks of high school, marking time while trying to come up with one big way to leave one's mark. Lastly, I was really impressed by the festival's closing night feature, Ham Tran's JOURNEY FROM THE FALL, a gut-wrenching saga of a family torn apart by the Vietnam War. It was as powerful and accomplished as THE DEER HUNTER, only told from the point of view of Vietnamese who suffered through so much upheaval and bloodshed.

Big thanks to Chi-hui Yang and Taro Gato for leading the festival to another stellar year -- I'm really grateful that I got to take part this time.

Catch my bro on JEOPARDY! this Friday and Monday!

2006-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

My brother William is competing on Jeopardy! this Friday (4/7) and next Monday (4/10). Check your local listings for channel (I think ABC carries it in most cities) and airtime (usually 7pm). New Yorkers can see it on WABC 7 at 7PM.

For the Monday episode (which according to my brother is one of the most exciting Jeopardy! games ever) I invite all those in NYC to join me live to watch it on a bigscreen TV and help me cheer him on (the show is pre-recorded but hey, any excuse to cheer is a good one). Apparently all my documentary work in Sikhism helps him pull off a stunning comeback when he unexpectedly lands on the category "Hide and Sikh" (I kid you not). You have to see it to believe it.

I'll be at Samplings Bar + Restaurant, at the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 48th and Broadway, next to the Hershey Store. Take the 1/9 to 50th, N/R/W to 49th or B/D/F/V to Rockefeller. I'll be there starting at 6, the show comes on at 7 - hope to see you there!

Reviews of Dastaar, Warrior Saints trailer and Langar Seva

2006-04-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I have long been a regular visitor to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Message Boards (www.imdb.com/boards). To my surprise, this week Chris 435, one of the most longstanding and well-respected contributors to the boards, posted reviews of my documentaries on Sikhism. I had forgotten that I had sent him a DVD months ago - but I knew that he had a longstanding affinity for docs so I wanted to get his feedback. Here it is:

"Dastaar: Defending Sikh Identity (2004 directed by Kevin Lee), Langer Seva (2005 directed by Kevin Lee), and Warrior Saints(2005 directed by Kevin Lee) are all concerned with Sikhism. I would imagine that few people in the United States actually know any Sikhs, but I'm not one of them. There are two Indian restaurants in the city where I live. The one I prefer serves beef, which prompted me to ask the woman who runs it if she and her family were Sikhs. It turns out that they are. They come from the Punjab region near the Golden Temple. This explains, somewhat, why an Indian friend of mine prefers the other restaurant--it's closer to the cuisine he's used to ("just like mom used to make it," he says). I preface this because my favorite of these three films, "Langer Seva," concerns itself partly with food. There is a variety of food being prepared in this film, and every so often I would spot a dish that I know. The film depicts the preparation of "blessed" food for all comers in honor of The Guru, but it's really a vehicle for Lee to question his own methods of filmmaking. He's uncomfortable with an aesthetic version of quantum mechanics: the act of observing changes the conditions of what is observed. Lee is also at the mercy of his guide, who he suggests is the REAL director of his film. He chooses to forego the food all around him, which is a shame. There were some good eats at that festival. "Dastaar" is closer to home: a depiction of the Sikh experience in New York after 9/11. It doesn't cast a favorable light on the toleration of Americans, nor of their general education, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who lives here. Ignorance, it seems, is only slightly less common in the universe than hydrogen. Alas. "Warrior Saints" makes use of a lot of the material from the other two films and tends to recap their main points--but fills it out with some background information on Sikhism. The main attraction of this film--apart from the prospect of a much longer, more in depth film down the road--is the voice it gives to Sikh women."

Thanks Chris! Hope I can send more your way in the near future.

Sikhsim: a Spike Lee joint

2006-03-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

Just got word that in Spike Lee's new film INSIDE MAN there is a Sikh actor who plays a Sikh bank hostage, and it provides a brief but potent glimpse into what Sikhs face currently. I really need to see this movie. I had heard that this was the most un-Spike Lee Spike Lee movie to come out, in that it was more about Hollywood action than social issues, but perhaps he was able to slip in a little social relevance into the mix.

Reviews of Waris Singh Ahluwalia in new film "Inside Man"

Spike_with_waris

One of the bank's hostages is Vikram (the excellent Waris Ahluwalia),
a young Sikh whom the robbers release early with a message tied
around his neck. The NYPD officers on the scene assume he's Arab and
that the message is a bomb. They rough him up, then swipe his turban.
When Frazier and Mitchell interrogate him later in a booth at a
diner, Vikram refuses to discuss the heist until his turban is
returned, then condemns his harassment. When he's done, Washington
says, ''But I bet you can still get a cab." In this single moment,
which is more vivid than almost all of ''Crash," we see the sad
modern hierarchy of American bigotry.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/03/24/inside_man_scores_big/?page=2

----------
As one might expect from the director of "25th Hour" and "Do the
Right Thing," Lee also takes time to explore the cultural landscape
of post-Sept. 11, 2001, New York. When a young Sikh - played with the
perfect level of exasperation by Waris Ahluwalia - is released from
among the hostages into the street, the cops worry less about his
safety than about the possibility he is of Arab descent.

http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/LIFESTYLE/603230309/1024

----------
And one of the hostages, tossed by his captors into the street to
deliver a message to police, immediately becomes a suspect by virtue
of the turban on his head.

"He's an Arab!" one SWAT officer yells out in fear.

"I'm a Sikh," he explains.

Finding out what's the difference -- and doing so with vibrant
dialogue and unsettling humor -- is what makes this a Spike Lee Joint
after all.GO!

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/entertainment/14166766.htm

Reviewing my first Sikh footage - Pangs for the memories

2006-03-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

As another mode of practical meditiation for this project, I am reviewing the over 100 hours of footage I have shot over the last two years related to my work with the Sikh Community. It is a way for me to do several things: transcribe footage; relive the past and revive memories of not just what I've filmed but what I learned or thought at that time; and confront and critique myself as a filmmaker while also coming to appreciate my development in that aspect over the past two years.

I've just finished watching footage from my first ever Sikh shoot -- March 6, 2004. Unity Day at Half Hollow Hills High School, Long Island New York. My job: to film the Sikh exhibition put on by the local Sikhs (including my coworker who brought me into this). Both sobering and fun to watch what I shot and how I shot it. I was so chicken about interviewing passersby -- the way I frame them I can tell I was tentative and nervous about asking them questions about a religion that even I did not understand. And there's one 20 minute stretch where I, presumably on a break, start wandering the halls with the camera running as one long take. I must have recently watched Gus Van Sant's ELEPHANT. But the camera just whizzes down the hallway gazing blankly ahead as dozens of parents and kids pass by. In a weird way it reflects my state of mind at the time: unfocused, distracted, chaotic.

The Sikh presenters are a real contrast -- the way they talk to non-Sikhs in explaining their religion is so forthright and assured. I remember being intrigued by what they said about their religion, but also impressed by how they carried themselves. A real contrast to my state of mind and how it must have projected itself externally for others.

But yes, the hallway footage intrigues me in how unintentionally revealing it may be about the person filming it. I do want to keep looking at this footage as if it were shot by someone else and see what it may say about the person -- it's not merely a sign of technical (in) competence but something more on an expressive level. This is something Werner Herzog understood about the footage that Timothy Treadwell left behind in GRIZZLY MAN, one of many great documentaries that I hope will light my path...

The last couple days' activities

2006-03-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days I've been rather depressed with the huge exception of when I've been conducting on-camera interviews. I've done one each in the last two days after work, and each time as I head towards my appointment I feel a weight being lifted. Not just a sign that filmmaking is my calling (or at least a thereapeutic outlet) but that these interviews are really one of the rare chances I have to really connect with someone and have an intense interaction.

The one on Monday was with Retu Singla, the civil attorney for Rajinder Singh Khalsa, one of my main subjects. She was very articulate about the challenges facing the South Asian immigrant community in finding and utilizing the legal resources that are available to them. Hopefully Khalsa's case will make those resources more visible and encourage South Asians to access them. More on the civil case later as the trial progresses...

Last night I had a very enjoyable evening with Varinder "Vindi" Rathore, a psychologist who has been very active in bringing social health services to the Sikh and Punjabi immigrant community in New York City. I showed him footage that I shot from a health fair that he helped organize in a gurdwara in Richmond Hill, Queens, in which free health screenings and other services were provided for community members. I also showed him footage that I shot in Amritsar, India last summer, as part of an experimental short I am working on exploring how different viewers, Sikh and non-Sikh, respond to the same footage. More on that as that project continues...

An Introduction

2006-03-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

I hate the word blog, it sounds like someone vomiting - which I guess is the connotation: mental/verbal spew. And to be honest, this is what has kept me from posting up until now: the fear that what I write here will puzzle or put off my potential visitors as they attempt to learn more about this project. In the two years that I've worked on WARRIOR SAINTS, I've learned just how many people out there have an active interest in Sikhism and making Sikh culture, identity and values understood and appreciated around the world. Sikhs have been burned so many times by the media's representation of them, that they take public representations of them very, very seriously. Thus any film or artistic project dealing with the topic has a signficant burden to shoulder. It can be very intimidating.

And at the same time, the way I'm approaching this project -- as a personal journey -- seems to run counter to the ostensible mission of presenting an expansive view of a major global religious community. As this project has become more and more personal, I fear that the personal aspect risks distracting from the subject of Sikhism and the travails of its 25+ million followers around the world. But I feel like the path I have taken is justified, if not inevitable -- for what significance does religion and spirituality have if it is not a sanctuary to discover and express one's innermost self? This is the paradox of religion which has taken me years to understand, and through a religious tradition that two years ago I knew nothing about.

The japji, the most sacred text in Sikhism, is commonly perceived as the word of God as told to Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. But one fascinating interpretation I've heard is that it is really Guru Nanak dictating to himself, while in a state of intense meditation -- it's as if he is having the most intimate and probing conversation that he's had in his life, and he's having it with himself. Imagine having the biggest heart to heart you can remember, magnify that by a hundred, and then picture yourself doing this with yourself. That is a level of self-knowledge and self-communication that I both envy and crave for. And so much of my journey with the Warrior Saints has been not just discovering an entire new world of people, culture and conflicts, but a world within myself. And the more I've learned about Sikhism, the more I've come to embrace the idea that one can discover the world through oneself as much as one discovers oneself through the world -- the two can go hand in hand in a stream of harmony.

So the purpose of this blog is to take the two halves of the WARRIOR SAINTS project, the personal and the public, and bring them to a point of daily confrontation and reconciliation. I need to do this to get to the heart of this project and bring it out as much as I can. This blog will serve as a regular meditation forum for me as I work through the project: completing production, reviewing and editing footage, community outreach and many other aspects of what it takes to get a movie made and seen. This has been an incredible learning experience for me both professionally and personally -- it has forced me to confront my fears and rise to the challenge of making what I hope will be a significant documentary on an amazing topic.

So as my first bit of news to report, I am proud to say that I am the recipient of a quadruple rejection from the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival -- four pieces I submitted (three of which were Sikh-related) were turned down for the May event. I shudder to post this here for fear of the doubts it may cast on my work for anyone reading this. But this is exactly what Sikhism has taught me -- to take those fears and externalize them instead of let them consume one from within -- to turn symbols of shame into emblems of self-acceptance, pride, and progress. There is simply too much work to be done to be bogged down in discouragement. And so, let's begin...

2006-03-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

Warrior Saints Trailer Part III: Finding Home

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2006-03-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Warrior Saints Trailer Part II: Deeper Discoveries

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2006-03-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

Warrior Saints Trailer Part I: First Encounters

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2006-03-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

Dastaar: Defending Sikh Identity

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DASTAAR: DEFENDING SIKH IDENTITY presents the struggle of the Sikh American community against discrimination and violence caused by ignorance of an essential symbol of the Sikh faith -- the dastaar , or turban. The documentary begins by observing the simple, quiet act of putting on the dastaar , a daily ritual imbued with the Sikh values of honor, discipline and faith. The solemnity of this ritual contrasts with recent incidents of violence and discrimination against Sikhs due to the wearing of the dastaar, which all Sikh men are required to wear at all times in public. Such incidents include the vicious attack on Gurcharan Singh and Rajinder Singh Khalsa by five men after being accused of being terrorists, two NYPD officers who left the force after refusing the order to remove their dastaars while on duty, and a subway operator who wore his dastaar for 20 years until being recently ordered to remove his dastaar . Even though Sikhs have no relationship with the terrorist networks of the Middle East, they are often mistaken as terrorists due to their wearing turbans. The film explores how images in the media fuel the association of the turban with terrorism, leading to the widespread discrimination against Sikhs. The film also shows the efforts made by the Sikh community to counter this discrimination through a combination of community activism, legal action, legislation and education.