Rupinder Mohan Singh |

Ravi Bhalla loses and wins

July 1, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

After coming in third in the election on June 7 in New Jersey for a state assembly seat, Ravinder Singh Bhalla, profiled here last month, has been elected as President of Hoboken, New Jersey’s city council by an 8-1 margin. Would he be the first turbaned Sikh to head a city council in the United States? UPDATE – January 11, 2012: Commenter A_itoj Singh brought to my attention that Harvinder “Harry” Singh Anand, another turbaned Sikh actually pre-dated Ravinder Singh as a […]

Categories: News Bits, Politics • Tags: Hoboken, New Jersey, Ravinder Singh Bhalla

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Kamal Nath – accused 1984 anti-Sikh massacre organizer – claims diplomatic immunity

July 1, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Kamal Nath, a minister in India’s government who is accused of being one of the organizers of the 1984 anti-Sikh progroms, has claimed diplomatic immunity from the US civil suit that is to begin in September. He also claims to not have received the summons to appear at the trial. The United States State Department has not officially determined whether diplomatic immunity would be granted to Nath. Sikhs for Justice, the group that filed the class action suit in US court (under the Alien Tort Claims […]

Categories: 1984, News Bits • Tags: Diplomatic immunity, Kamal Nath, Sikh genocide, Sikhs for Justice, United States State Department

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Shifting our approach in interfaith discussions

June 30, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“What I’ve learned is that when I say, ‘We’re the same,’ I mean, ‘You’re like me,’ not, ‘I’m like you,’” he says. “One of the things we’re trying to explore with this school is, can you bring your differences to the public realm and can everybody deal with that, instead of gently walking around them—all the time celebrating difference, but really privatizing it, shunting it off?” — Adam Seligman, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of religion at Boston […]

Categories: Interfaith • Tags: Adam Seligman, Boston University

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A Q & A with author Navjot Kaur

June 29, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

My previous post discussed the newly-published Dreams of Hope, a children’s book written by Navjot Kaur. She was good enough to spare a few moments to answer a few questions I had about her and her inspiration. Your first book, A Lion’s Mane, is well-known in Sikh circles. How has the response been from your readers? Our readers are the ones who have inspired me forward. When they take the time to write and share a special moment with me with […]

Categories: Literature, Profiles • Tags: A Lion's Mane, Children's literature, Dreams of Hope, Navjot Kaur, Vaisakhi

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Navjot Kaur, author of A Lion’s Mane, releases second title, Dreams of Hope

June 29, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Navjot Kaur (mentioned on this blog before) is the author of the acclaimed and award-winning children’s book A Lion’s Mane (2009), which, as she describes on her website, educates and engages young children in the concepts of identity and interconnectedness. It is regularly cited as a great resource to teach both Sikh and non-Sikh children about the Sikh identity. With the success of her first book, Navjot Kaur has now announced the release of her second children’s book, Dreams of Hope: In Dreams of […]

Categories: Literature, Resources • Tags: A Lion's Mane, Children's literature, Dreams of Hope, Navjot Kaur, Saffron Press

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Is there a lack of friendliness between evangelicals and other faiths?

June 28, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

It is estimated that about 25-30% of the American population are Evangelical Protestants. With this religious group being such a significant portion of America, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life‘s release of their study on the views and opinions of Evangelical Protestants from around the world is quite interesting. As a follower of the Sikh faith, one chart stood out for me: There was a striking difference in how Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Atheists were viewed by Evangelicals among those who had a preference. […]

Categories: Interfaith, Reports/Studies • Tags: Buddhism, Evangelical Protestants, Evangelicalism, Hinduism, Islam, Pew Forum of Religion and Public Life

The Sikh Presenters Course: Self-awareness to bring public awareness

June 24, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Transparency with our most vulnerable moments can lead us to the courage we need to take charge of not only our individual destinies but also collectively participate in our community’s destiny. — Meeta Kaur, a recent participant of the Sikh Coalition’s Sikh Presenters Course, reflects on her experience during the three-day workshop. I attended this very same course and had the opportunity to meet Meeta and many other enthusiastic Sikhs from a variety of backgrounds who were looking to bring awareness of Sikhs […]

Categories: Interfaith, Reflections, Resources • Tags: Meeta Kaur, Sikh Coalition, Sikh Presenter's Course

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The “burly, tough and slightly grim” Sikhs

June 23, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

They are the burliest men on the face of the planet – tough and capable and slightly grim. If human life survives the present chapter of Man’s history, the Sikhs, for sure, will still be on the map. — An excerpt from a post on SikhChic of an interesting essay from 1958 by British historian Arnold J. Toynbee in which he wrote about the partition of the Sikh homeland in 1947. The partition of Punjab was carried out by the departing British rulers […]

Categories: Picture of the Day • Tags: Arnold J. Toynbee, India, Margaret Bourke-White, Pakistan, Partition of India, Punjab

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Growing up Sikh: the lingering effects of bullying

June 21, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A recent article in the US News & World Report talks about the lifelong impact of bullying on children: “Being the target of a bully involves real suffering,” Dr. Earlene Strayhorn, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Loyola University, said in a university news release. “The constant stress of physical assaults, threats, coercion and intimidation can take a heavy toll on a child’s psyche over time. The abuse may end at some point but the psychological, developmental, social and emotional […]

Categories: News Bits, Reflections, Reports/Studies • Tags: Bay Area Civil Rights Report 2010, bullying, Global Sikh Civil & Human Rights Report, SALDEF, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sikh Coalition, United Sikhs, United States, US News & World Report

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ravi Bhalla loses and wins

Kamal Nath – accused 1984 anti-Sikh massacre organizer – claims diplomatic immunity

Shifting our approach in interfaith discussions

A Q & A with author Navjot Kaur

Navjot Kaur, author of A Lion’s Mane, releases second title, Dreams of Hope

Is there a lack of friendliness between evangelicals and other faiths?

The Sikh Presenters Course: Self-awareness to bring public awareness

The “burly, tough and slightly grim” Sikhs

Growing up Sikh: the lingering effects of bullying