1984 | American Turban

"The U.S. government has moved quietly and aggressively to prevent undocumented Indians from entering the United States, many of whom are Sikhs fleeing political repression or economic collapse at home." (Source: Buzzfeed News)

The journey of Punjab’s issues to America’s front door

February 3, 2016 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

David Noriega and John Templon write in Buzzfeed News about detention of Punjabi Sikhs at US borders who are seeking asylum. This well-written and comprehensive article connects the dots to the legacy of issues plaguing Punjab and its people today.

USCIRF 2015 Annual Report addresses religious freedom of Sikhs in India

July 9, 2015 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

In its 2015 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) continued to express concern about the state of religious freedom in India, particularly after the election of current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Placing India in its “Tier 2” category (which the USCIRF defines as “countries where the violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are serious and are characterized by at least one of the elements of the ‘systematic, ongoing, and […]

Categories: 1984, Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: 1984 anti-Sikh riots, anti-Sikh genocide, anti-Sikh pogroms

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"President Obama delivers a traditional Indian greeting before he speaks on Jan. 27 in New Delhi, India. The president, who was guest of honor at India's Republic Day celebrations, wrapped up his visit by talking about the freedom to practice one's religion, the rights of women and the need to provide every child with equal opportunity." (Photo: European Pressphoto Agency. Source: USA Today.).

Obama cites Oak Creek massacre in New Delhi speech, site of 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom

February 12, 2015 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

While he didn’t visit the Sikh faith’s holiest site during his trip to India two weeks ago, President Obama did create a bit of a stir as he openly advocated for religious freedom and peaceful coexistence of faiths in India, citing in his speech the mass murder of Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in 2012: Obama said no society is immune from man’s darkest impulses, as he raised the 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin that killed six […]

Categories: 1984, Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: Ami Bera, Barack Obama, hate crimes, India, Narendra Modi, Oak Creek, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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"Mourning Chants" by cartoonist Vishavjit Singh. (Source: sikhtoons.com)

Picture of the Day: “Mourning Chants” by Vishavjit Singh

November 4, 2014 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Cartoonist (and often Captain America) Vishavjit Singh of Sikhtoons has created a cartoon documenting the timeline of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom orchestrated by Indian government officials against Sikhs in New Delhi, India, and other places across the country. This week marks the 30th anniversary of the orchestrated genocide of Sikhs in which thousands of innocent men, women and children were slaughtered in the streets of New Delhi in a matter of just days, and for whom justice has been denied since. The phrase […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: 1984, 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Sikh genocide, Sikhtoons, Vishavjit Singh

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1984 Living History Project to launch “Reclaim the Flames” campaign

October 31, 2014 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The 1984 Living History Project, a grassroots initiative that is creating a video archive of testimonials and experiences related to the events of 1984 in India, is embarking on a campaign in November called “Reclaim the Flames” (#ReclaimtheFlames): Thanks to the participation of volunteers and sangats around the world during this thirtieth anniversary year of 1984, #1984LivingHistory Project has collected powerful and diverse videos. Beyond the known facts of November 1984, what else do these accounts tell us? What else can we learn? […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: #ReclaimtheFlames, 1984, 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 1984 Living History Project, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar

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RETROSPECTIVE: “Sikhs Tortured for Religious Beliefs” by Ajit Mann (1986)

October 31, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

Sikhs Tortured for Religious Beliefs By Ajit Maan (Originally published on July 17, 1986) Cultural theorist Ajit Maan was an undergraduate student when she wrote her article for the Kansas State University newspaper, The Collegian. Nearly 30 years later, as we recognize the 30th anniversary of the anti-Sikh pogrom in India in which thousands of Sikhs were massacred in India in a matter of days, she shares that article with American Turban and reflects upon how the violence of 1984 affected […]

Categories: 1984 • Tags: 1984, Ajit Mann, anti-Sikh pogroms, anti-Sikh riots, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Reuters | DNA India)

Rajdeep Singh: address human rights during Indian PM’s US visit

September 26, 2014 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States, Rajdeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition provides some perspective on the controversial figure who until recently was even denied a travel visa to enter the country: In 2002, while Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat, over a thousand Muslims were massacred in retaliation for the deaths of 59 Hindu pilgrims, who burned to death when a train they were traveling in caught fire. Muslims were […]

Categories: 1984, Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: 2002 Gujarat violence, Narendra Modi, Rajdeep Singh

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1984 Through Indian Eyes: Part IV — Delhi: A Novel by Khushwant Singh

September 12, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part IV – Delhi: A Novel by Khushwant Singh In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way continues her series of essays discussing works of literature focusing upon these events. You can see her entire series here. “A deep depression enters my […]

Categories: 1984, Literature • Tags: "Delhi: A Novel", 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 1984 Living History Project, anti-Sikh pogroms, Balwinder Kaur, Khushwant Singh, Lori Way

1984 Through Indian Eyes: Part III — Her Name Is Kaur, edited by Meeta Kaur

August 15, 2014 by American Turban Guest Contributor

1984 through Indian Eyes: Literary Accounts of Operation Blue Star and the Anti-Sikh Pogroms By Lori Way Part III – Her Name Is Kaur, edited by Meeta Kaur In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar in Amritsar, India, in June, 1984, and the anti-Sikh pogroms that took place the following November in New Delhi, Lori Way continues her series of essays discussing works of literature focusing upon these events. See also Part I and Part II of her series […]

Categories: 1984, Literature • Tags: Gunisha Kaur, Harleen Kaur, hate crime, hate crimes, Her Name is Kaur, Lori Way, Meeta Kaur, Oak Creek, Operation Blue Star, Operation Bluestar, Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Wisconsin

American Turban

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: 1984

The journey of Punjab’s issues to America’s front door

USCIRF 2015 Annual Report addresses religious freedom of Sikhs in India

Obama cites Oak Creek massacre in New Delhi speech, site of 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom

Picture of the Day: “Mourning Chants” by Vishavjit Singh

1984 Living History Project to launch “Reclaim the Flames” campaign

RETROSPECTIVE: “Sikhs Tortured for Religious Beliefs” by Ajit Mann (1986)

Rajdeep Singh: address human rights during Indian PM’s US visit

1984 Through Indian Eyes: Part IV — Delhi: A Novel by Khushwant Singh

1984 Through Indian Eyes: Part III — Her Name Is Kaur, edited by Meeta Kaur