Rupinder Mohan Singh |

Memorial service for Gurmej Atwal this Saturday

April 19, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

A memorial service for Gurmej Atwal is to take place this Saturday at the Sacramento Memorial Lawn in Sacramento, California: “Atwal left behind his children and grandchildren and his friends. They’ve all been very brave,” [Amar] Shergill said. “There’s no way to rationalize or explain why they’re victims of such a horrible event.” Gurmej Atwal was the second victim of the shootings in Elk Grove, California last month. His friend, Surinder Singh, was killed at the scene. The investigation is now for a […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Elk Grove, Gurmej Atwal, hate crime, memorial service, Sacramento, Surinder Singh

More Vaisakhi celebrations across the USA

April 19, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I’ve been enjoying surveying all the different Vaisakhi celebrations across the United States among various Sikh communities. It’s become apparent that many Sikh communities are using these celebrations as outreach efforts to educate non-Sikhs about the religion and the Sikh identity. Princeton, New Jersey: On his website, one Savraj Singh posted a couple of pictures of Sikhs celebrating Vaisakhi at Rockefeller College in New Jersey. The setting for their service appears to be an old college building and gives the sense of […]

Categories: Events, News Bits, Sikhism • Tags: Baisakhi, California, Connecticut, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Foundation, Lawrence, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New Jersey, New York, Norwalk, Princeton, Rockefeller College, Savraj Singh, Selma, Sikh, Stockton, Vaisakhi

Second victim in Elk Grove, CA shooting dies

April 15, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Gurmej Atwal, the surviving victim in the Elk Grove, CA shooting in March, died today. Surinder Singh passed away at the scene six weeks ago. There is no news on the investigation. It is a devastating and tragic loss for his family.

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Elk Grove, Gurmej Atwal, hate crime, Surinder Singh

Vaisakhi celebrations continue across America

April 15, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

While the official date of Vaisakhi was yesterday, Sikh communities in several cities have already had formal celebrations to commemorate the day. I attended American Sikh Day a couple of days ago in Sacramento, California. And, across America, various media outlets are covering the continuing celebrations in their communities.

Categories: Events, News Bits, Sikhism • Tags: American Sikh Day, Anderson, Baisakhi, California, Fresno, Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center, Los Angeles, Nagar Kirtan, New York, Plainview, Redding, Selma, Southern California, Stockton, Vaisakhi

The gathering at the steps of the California State capitol building, for American Sikh Day

Recap: American Sikh Day

April 14, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Yesterday, as I was driving down one of downtown Sacramento’s streets, I stopped at a traffic light and saw two older, turbanned Sikhs talking to each other on the corner, with small American flags protruding out of their front shirt pockets. I was close to California’s state capitol building in Sacramento which, on this day, was the site of American Sikh Day. I found some street parking a couple of blocks away and began walking over to the west steps where […]

Categories: Events, Reflections • Tags: American Sikh Day, California, California State Capitol, Elk Grove, Sacramento

Classroom resources for teaching children about Vaisakhi

April 13, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I was recently contacted by Navjot Kaur, who is an educator and an author of children’s books about Sikhs and Sikhism (she is the author of the well-received A Lion’s Mane). Her interest in educating about Sikhism is both a professional and personal one, as she is also a mother to a Sikh boy. With the approach of Vaisakhi, Navjot Kaur found it challenging to find suitable resources to educate and engage school-aged children on this historical event: While I maneuvered through […]

Categories: Resources, Sikhism • Tags: A Lion's Mane, Baisakhi, Children, Education, Navjot Kaur, Sikh children, Sikhism, Teaching, Vaisakhi

Picture of the Day: American Sikh Day in Sacramento, CA

April 13, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

I am among the hundreds of people attending American Sikh Day on the steps of the California state capitol building. Such a great show of support, solidarity, and patriotism by all the speakers and in the crowd.

Categories: Events, Picture of the Day • Tags: American Sikh Day, California, Capitol, Sacramento

Why Diane Fisher is attending American Sikh Day

April 12, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

We cannot remain silent because an attack on one minority is an attack on all. That exhortation goes for Sikhs as well as every other group in our society. We must remember this value as a cornerstone of American principles. — Diane Fisher, of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, explains why she is attending American Sikh Day tomorrow. Read her full opinion piece in the Mercury News.

Categories: Civil Rights, Events, Hate Crimes, Interfaith • Tags: American Sikh Day, California, Capitol, Diane Fisher, Elk Grove, hate crime, Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Sacramento

Tomorrow: American Sikh Day and International Turban Day

April 12, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As mentioned on this blog previously, tomorrow (April 13, 2011) is “American Sikh Day” in California, which is to be commemorated on the steps of the state capital building from 11 AM to 1:30. Visit the American Sikh Day website for more details. Tomorrow, in honor of Vaisakhi, is also International Turban Day: Since 2004, on Turban Day, Sikhs worldwide organise various events to give information about the turban to the general community in their locality. Turbans of every hue […]

Categories: Events • Tags: American Sikh Day, California, Capitol, International Turban Day, Sacramento, turbanizer, turbanizer.com

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Author Archives: Rupinder Mohan Singh