SIKHOLARS 2011 ABSTRACTS:

Seva Sambhal da Dan

Tavleen Kaur, University of Michigan

The past and the present coexist in Punjab, “land of the Gurus.” Significant moments from the
past, as remembered in the collective memory of Sikhs, are matched to particular sites where
the remembered events took place. Gurdwara buildings serve as a physical and tangible
connection to history. This paper examines how history is relived and activated by the act of
visiting a gurdwara. The largest focus of this paper is on hypotheses that suggest why and how
the gurdwara form, as it is used and understood in their contemporary form, came about, and
what financial role the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 70s played in the homogenization of
the architectural and aesthetic form of the gurdwara. It also aims to explain why these
reconstructed gurdwaras are still considered ithasak since most of the ‘historic’ gurdwara
buildings are no more than sixty years old.

Community Perspectives on Gender inequality amongst Punjabi Sikhs in

California
Semran Kaur Mann, Loma Linda University

Patriarchy and devaluation of women is rampant within the Sikh populace. Although various
social and health organizations have been on high alert about the increasingly disproportionate
sex ratio in East Punjab (874:1000 in 2001), few have been able to provide any solutions.
However the problem is far from limited to Punjab. Before the problem of male-preference can
be addressed the issue must be understood from the community’s perspective. Punjabi Sikh
communities are underserved in health systems but their perspectives are seldom elicited in
program planning, or health research. This study helps fill that gap by presenting community
perspectives on male-preferential practices. In this paper I will discuss the methodology and
results of a survey designed to assess the attitudes and beliefs of male-preference amongst
Punjabi Sikhs in California. The analysis will focus on social attitudes and pressures as well as
personal values and beliefs regarding male versus female children.

Unee Saun Chaurasee Di Gal Main Sunaavaan: Violence, Performance, and

Diasporic Sikh Youth
Kamal Arora, York University

How are violence and suffering rendered intelligible, and how do they inform diasporic identity?
How is communal pain framed and understood by diasporic Sikh youth, and for what purpose? In
this paper, I will explore to what extent historical and political violence involving Sikhs in Punjab
and New Delhi in 1984, through normative assumptions and frameworks of martyrdom and
violence, serve to inform and solidify notions of community and for diasporic Sikh youth in
Vancouver, British Columbia and the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario. I would like to examine to
which extent the notion of community is solidified by performative and artistic representations
and retellings of violence, specifically the violence which occurred against Sikhs in India in 1984,
by examining When Lions Roar, and Remember ’84, memorial events organized by the Sikh
Activist Network.
Gurdwara, Sikh Youth and Identity Politics in London: A Case Study of the Sri
Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Southall and the Transmission of British Sikh
Cultural Identities
Gurbachan Singh Jandu, St. Mary’s University College

In modern day London the youth in the Sikh community are increasingly dividing along religious
and non-religious lines. In a newly aroused, post-9/11 movement, some sections are devoting
more time and resource to pursuing a traditionally organised religious Sikh way of life. In
contrast to this, there is an equally strong, albeit less structured movement in away from the
Sikh religion’s tenants and practices. Lying in between the two is a third section that favours
cultural practises and symbols, practices some religious mores but does not exhibit religiosity as
they are attracted to London s territorial cultural symbolism shown via religious markings and
displays. This paper will propose that this polarisation is due to the modern practice of an
intrinsic relationship between Sikhism as a religion and the Punjabi culture. In current day Sikh
youth a big show is made of incorporating religion into the fabric of youth culture, hence a
Khanda belt is available as well as Sikh car flags. This paper will ask why London’s Sikh youth
choose to exhibit religious symbols in this manner, is it religion, culture or just youth exuberance.

Sikh Sculpture: Myth or Reality?

Sonia Kaur Dhami, Sikh Foundation

Just 300 years into their existence, the Sikhs were the rulers of an impressive empire. This period
was the genesis of the Sikh Arts – paintings, textiles, carpets, damascened articles, manuscripts,
jewellery and sculpture. Most of these Sikh Art forms have been celebrated in exhibitions and
publications by museums, academia and the community. The story of Sikh Sculpture is still
somewhat unknown and unexplored primarily because of lack of knowledge due to inadequate
attention been paid to it. One can even go so far as to say that it is also somewhat an “ignored
art form” because of underlying personal religious beliefs, or at times dismissed en-class as
“kitsch” or unsophisticated. This paper explores its usages, meanings, and value.

Migrating Identities: The Presence and Development of Sikh Characters in

Literature of the South Asian Diaspora
Simran Kaur, Boston University

With the growth of literature by and about South Asians in the diaspora, there is an evolving
interest in discovering how Sikh characters are portrayed through this rhetoric. Literary scholar
Stephen Greenblatt states that, “if an exploration of a particular culture will lead to a heightened
understanding of a work of literature produced within that culture, so too a careful reading of a
work of literature will lead to a heightened understanding of the culture within which it was
produced.” In this paper, I will review a comprehensive list of literary texts to document the
presence and development of Sikh characters. In my discussion I will explore the growth and
development of Sikh characters in literary texts and the implications of this narrative.

Gurudwara: The Next Generation - The Re-envisioning of Sikh Institutions in

the United States through Organizational and Systems Theory
Sujot Kaur, Seattle University

The primary Sikh institutions in the United States are Gurudwaras. Though these spaces share a
historical memory of the legacy established by the Gurus, there is ample critique over how these
spaces function by youth and elders alike. This study, thus aims to provide a comparative
exploration of the organizational framework and political/management system of historical Sikh
institutions as well as the modern Sikh Gurudwara system. Using current western systems
thinking and organizational modeling, an alternative understanding of Sikh institutions can be
expanded. This systemic application to an established institution has the potential for
transformation in a weakening system. The broader aim of this research is to also examine how a
historical understanding can inform contemporary efforts in the local reorganization of Sikh
institutions within the United States.

“Each child has a right to cultural identity”: An exploration of the roles of Sikh
mothers in their child’s identity formation
Tarnjit Kaur Johal, Daresbury Laboratory

Mothering within the Sikh community has been primarily left the responsibility of formulating,
shaping and creating the space for the child’s cultural and religious identity; however, due to the
strongly patriarchal nature of the Punjabi community (and therefore the majority of Sikh
communities) the mother’s role as being responsible for religious socialization is often contested.
The general question I ask in this paper is how does one navigate the journey of cultivating a
social, cultural or religious identity in one’s children within the Sikh Diaspora. In asking this
question I then turn to specific question of maintaining kesh within Sikhi. I attempt to explore
this thesis through the thematic analysis of Sikh mothers’ narratives, academic and non-
academic literature as well as my own experiences. In addition I approached a series of Sikh men
to ask them of their experiences of maintaining kesh.

The 1984 Sikh Genocide: Investigating Political Violence and Secondary Re-
victimization in the Sikh Diaspora
Amneet Singh Bali, University of Ottawa

Since the partition of India and its liberation from Colonial rule, the Sikhs have experienced
documented cases of human rights violations at the behest of the central government of India.
These incidents have included discriminatory policies and periods of extrajudicial killings, torture
and disappearance of Sikh youth. Since these violent acts took place, the Sikh community has
been left with massive, deep-rooted trauma. The inability to access justice, the failure of the
state to implement reconciliatory processes and instead adopt a policy of impunity by ignoring
massive bodies of evidence, has contributed to this. This study thus aims to explore how this
dynamic has impacted Sikhs in the Diaspora – specifically Canada. Thus, this paper will explore
how the trauma as a result of 1984, has not been addressed, and processes of reconciliation
adopted by the Diaspora has been met with “blowback” and political violence subjecting the Sikh
community to a process of Secondary Re-victimization.

Understanding Sikh-Hindu Conflict in Punjab in the light of Nietzsche’s

Philosophy
Sandeep Singh Dhillon, Panjab University,Chandigarh

The paper tries to understand the Sikh-Hindu conflict, its origin, causes and its development over
a period of time up to the present. Using Nietzsche’s philosophy of master morality and slave
morality, superman and the herd of sheep, early history of good and evil, and cultural death of
God and one can come to know what is happening in Punjab and what the future is going to be
like if while understanding Nietzsche’s philosophy one takes Sikhs to be lions or superman and
Hindus to be sheep or herd of sheep and one can easily forecast the future possibilities of
bloodshed or peace. Massive bloodshed is going to happen because of cultural death of God and
people largely becoming immoral. Today Punjab and India stand where Europe was before the
World Wars, a Pandora’s Box is about to be opened.

Homeland and the Diaspora in Punjabi films

Ranjanpreet Kaur Nagra, University of Michigan

My analysis of Punjabi films and viewer interviews is an effort to influence the way we view
imported media from India. Indian films and television are a huge part of diaspora’s connection
with their homeland, and a careful analysis of these media sources is in order. In addition,
viewer’s response to these media is also a fruitful source for understanding diaspora lives. The
viewer’s responses help us understand the real issues of diaspora that the films do not reflect. In
my analysis I will show that Punjabi films have failed to voice diaspora concerns about living in
the West. The films depict the diaspora to be bound within the confines of the culture of the
homeland.

Relevance of Gender-Sensitive Policies and General Health Indicators to

Compare the Status of South Asian Women’s Health
Roopan Kaur Gill, University of Toronto

Through a review of four documents under the umbrella of the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the United Nations (UN), a list of 17 gender-sensitive policy and 17 general health indicators
was generated with a focus on health, education, economic and political empowerment and
violence against women. All five South Asian countries had several gender-sensitive policies that
were measurable by indicators that contribute to health. Examination of political and economic
status, birth sex ratios, human trafficking, illiteracy rates, maternal mortality rates, contraception
prevalence, fertility rates, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, access to skilled birth attendants
and microfinance show that large gender inequities still prevail despite the presence of gender-
sensitive policies. In many cases, the presence of gender-sensitive policies did not reflect the
realization of gender equity over a wide range of indicators. Although the economic, political,
social and cultural climates of the five countries may differ, the integration of women’s needs
into formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies is a universal necessity to achieve
positive outcomes.

Gender Discrimination within the Punjabi Population: A Community Case Study

Amandeep Kaur Dhillon, California State University, Northridge

Gender discrimination practices that present barriers to the healthy development of female
children son preference have been little studied outside of India, Africa, China, and other non-
Western countries. This study will explore the prevalence of gender discrimination practices
within the United States. The question to be addressed within this study is whether there has
been a change in opinion towards son preference and gender discrimination across two cohorts
of Punjabi women. Particularly, with many of the factors that lead to traditional son preferences
in India being absent in the United States, do 1.5 and 2nd generation Punjabi women still carry
the same traditional son preference values as the older immigrant 1st generation of Punjabi
women? This study is a qualitative-exploratory study and utilizes qualitative interviewing as a
method of data collection. The researcher will use the Interview Guide Approach (IGA) to collect
data from the participants. Snowball sampling in combination with the Grounded Theory Method
(GTM) will be utilized to gather participants. Interviews will be conducted one-on-one between
the subject and researcher.

Saadi Avaaz: The Construction of Sikh Identity & Issues by Popular & News
Media
Varinder Singh Johal, York University

Working from a post-colonial studies perspective, the research question being asked here is
“what discourses are at play in the media’s presentation of Canadian Sikh identity and issues
pertaining to the Sikh community?” Tied to this is the question of how the Sikh community is
conceptualized by the larger Canadian community, which is linked in part to how it is portrayed
by the media. Using a Foucauldian genealogical analysis of a series of Bollywood films and their
portrayal of Punjabi culture and the Sikh community, I then turn to a similar analysis of paper
news media coverage of a number of ‘critical’ events, labeled accordingly, as they evoked a
strong response from the Canadian Sikh community. These two events are: the 2010 Surrey
Vaisakhi festival and the threats made against Member of Parliament, Ujjal Dosanjh; and a visit
by Kamal Nath, an Indian Government official who was linked with the 1984 pogroms, to Canada.
This analysis demonstrates not only the presence of bias but also the perpetuation of racist,
xenophobic and colonialist responses from the media. A Critical examination of the impact of
such practices is conducted and areas of resistance are also identified to demonstrate the
existence of counter discourses, a push for greater accountability and promise of a more
informed awareness of the issues.

Nihangs and the Lahore Darbar

Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, Centre for Indo Canadian Studies, University of the Fraser Valley

There is no doubting that Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a great ruler who managed to unite the
entire Sikh nation, and even thwart off British interests in his land. Yet despite the obvious
immense power Ranjit Singh held, the presence of the Nihangs, thwarted somewhat, and altered
such dynamics of power. I argue that the Nihangs were able to alter the balances of power within
the Sikh court through their dual presence as players within the Sikh court, and allies of the
Maharaja, and then their opposite role as players outside of the Sikh court, and disturbers of
such powers. I argue that although on the one hand, the Nihangs were active fighters for and
protectors of Ranjit Singh, and were thus even incorporated into the ever famous darbar
portraits, there was a dual aspect of this sect which countered their loyal nature. I also argue
that the Nihangs were able to demonstrate great power within the Sikh court of the 19th century
as they also were a continual menacing and disturbing presence, often abusing European
visitors, disobeying orders, and even verbally and physically abusing the Maharaja himself.

Loyal India: Experiences and Perceptions of Sepoys and Sowars Serving on the
Western Front during the Great War
Elizabeth Weigler, University of California at Santa Barbara

Great Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914 shortly after the German invasion of
Belgium. Almost immediately thereafter, with the support of the native governing bodies and
peoples of India, Great Britain sent a significant portion of the Indian Army to strengthen the
Allied lines of defense in France. At the outbreak of the war, the allies lacked a sufficient number
of trained and mobilized troops in Europe, which necessitated the siphoning of troops from other
parts of the empire. The Meerut and Lahore divisions were the first to arrive in Marseilles in
September of 1914 after having set sail from “Loyal India” at the end of August. By the end of
that year, almost one third of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front was Indian.
They were used to fill in cracks in the lines where casualties had been particularly heavy, and to
many, performed their part with distinction, honor, and bravery. Little is remembered of the
service the men of the Indian Army rendered to the Allies during their short time in France, but
the letters written between the men and their families speaks volumes of their war experiences
in distant lands. They fought a war they had little knowledge of amidst doubts of locale and the
state of things back home. Most of their initial information came from Great Britain and their
officers, but as the war went on, they used their own framework and experiences to gain insight
into what was happening to them.
Thabla, Jazz, and then Some
Neelamjit Singh Dhillon, California Institute of the Arts

Neelamjit Dhillon talks about his artistic work as it pertains to traditional music forms and new
approaches.