Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada
2980 Drew Road, Unit 125 L4T OA7 Mississauga, ON, Canada

In memory. Narinder Singh Kapany "the Father of Fiber Optics" unfortunately passed away today. He is an ‘unsung hero’ according to Fortune Magazine where he was featured in the November 22nd issue in 1999. He was a regents Professor at the University of California, Berkley and held over 100 patents. He was also considered for the Nobel Prize. The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada honours Narinder Singh Kapany for his ground-breaking work as a pioneer of Sikh Art and Heritage. His decades long commitment has been an inspiration.

In Remembrance According to a recent poll from Historica Canada, it suggests knowledge of Canadian military history is dwindling..well hopefully we can play our part in changing that..... Attached are a few documents related to some of the Sikh Soldiers who served for Canada in WW1, including a letter from Pvt. Waryam Singh CEF, Grave/Headstone Card & Design Plan Pvt. Bukam Singh CEF, ... Learn more about some of the Sikh Soldiers who served for Canada in WWI here http://shmc.ca/private-bukam-singh/ https://www.thestar.com//sikh-soldiers-final-rest-far-from Order a copy of Duty Honour & Izzat here https://renegadeartsentertainment.com/pr/duty-honour-izzat/ https://www.amazon.ca/Duty-Honour-Izzat-Brothe//1988903475 Sign up for an upcoming talk about the contributions of Sikh Soldiers in WWI here https://www.facebook.com/events/335303334569852/

Kudos to Steven Purewal from Indus Media Foundation and all the supporters and volunteers in assiting in this great project and endevour of Remembrance. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/new-film-highlights-contributions-of- https://www.facebook.com//vb.1495293795/3449269721821198/

The Red Eagles have landed! On the 75th Anniversary of the end of WW2 we are excited to reveal the look of the fighting men of the 4th Indian Infantry Division ...for our upcoming short film ‘Promises’. The film, an adaptation of the Duty, Honour & Izzat publication, is a tribute to the Indian troops that helped free the world from the brutal grip of Nazi and Imperial Japanese forces. As fellow British Citizens (Canadian nationality was enacted in 1947), these brothers-in-arms fought side by side with Canadians in the Italian campaign making the Red Eagles amongst the first Allied troops to storm the home of an AXIS power. We are proud to have Punjabis that serve in uniform today pay tribute to their forefathers by donning the uniforms of that division. ____________ Photos courtesy of Manjinder Sidhu of MS Photography : Detective Constable Suki Sunger and Constable Gary Athwal of the Vancouver Police Department together with Sukhpreet Singh Heir, Border Services Officer of the Canada Border Services Agency, attend a wardrobe fitting by International Movie Services (IMS). Production partner IMS’s significant contribution of props will ensure the historical accuracy of the production. _____________ Stay tuned for more inside looks and information on our #Remembrance Day video. #LestWeForget #WW2 #brothersinarms ______________ For the complete story of Punjab's Defenders of the Crown in #WW1, check out our award-winning publication Duty Honour & Izzat which also the short story adapted for the film Promises of a #WW2 veteran that fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino - check it out here: https://renegadeartsentertainment.com/pr/duty-honour-izzat/ _______________ We thank the Department of Canadian Heritage for financial support of the Duty Honour & Izzat project.

#OTD The Official End of #WW2 On this day, September 2, 1945, the Japanese formally sign the instrument of their surrender on board the USS Missouri, marking th...e official ending of World War II. To get there it took a lot of good people to fight the good fight and deliver victory over the forces of Nazi tyranny and Japanese brutality. 2.5 Million were volunteers from #India. A country with which we at that time shared British citizenship, a flag and a throne. We salute all the King's Men in #Remembrance of bonds of friendship and shared sacrifices. #LestWeForget a common history and a shared heritage of service. _________ Picture Credits: Top Left from Amandeep Madra "My uncle, Darshan Singh, (later Lt Col of the 1st Sikh Reg) in the jungles of Burma with a British colleague during a bit of downtime".(https://twitter.com/amanmadra/status/1301088184399519744//1 ) Top right: The National Geographic - His Britannic Majesty's Forces go sight-seeing in Cairo 1941. Bottom: Commemorative Royal Mail WW2 stamp issued in the UK 2020. ________ We look forward to paying tribute to all the King's men this coming Remembrance Day - stay tuned for some exciting announcements. #WeWillRememberThem ____________ For the complete story of Punjab's Defenders of the Crown in #WW1, check out our award-winning publication Duty Honour & Izzat which also includes a short story of a #WW2 veteran that fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino - check it out here: https://renegadeartsentertainment.com/pr/duty-honour-izzat/ _____________________ We thank the Department of Canadian Heritage for financial support of the Duty Honour & Izzat project.

Standing up for justice and accountability is both the Canadian and Sikh way. Kudos to Jagmeet Singh on standing tall.

HISTORY INFORMS THE FUTURE To mark the end of our Sikh Heritage Month video series we highlight, in Punjabi, the history of Sikhs within Colonial Police Regimen...ts and the fight to gain approval for the Turban within the RCMP in Canada. Series Overview: Visible minority identities corrupted by stereotypes served the status quo for decades and disenfranchised ethnic minorities then as they do now. Among the first non-white communities to settle in Canada, the Sikhs share a long common history with this country under the British Crown. These untold stories of Sikh-Canadian Heritage are narrated by pioneers and trailblazers from within the community. Mainstream observers also describe their experience of interactions with Canadian Sikhs and comment on Sikh identity.

Sikh Heritage Month Videos Part 3 A Matter of Tradition - Ban the Turban! This the 3rd in the series of Indus's #SikhHeritageMonth videos tells the untold stor...ies of those that paved the way for us. This 1990s webisode speaks to the racism that has confronted trailblazers from our community. The prevailing ignorance around the true heritage of the community has led to the construction of unsavoury identities that have been used to 'other' and disenfranchise in every walk of life - including government vocations. Trust us you will want to catch the ending on this one just to see how deep-set this discrimination has been! To learn more we invite you to check out: 1) Episode 1 and 2 of our HISTORY INFORMS THE FUTURE series here on this page. 2) The Royal BC Museum's Monthly Educator Webinar series: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalBCMuseum/videos/1118615341808988/ A big shout out to Annie Ohana and LA Matheson School for hosting the Vimy Centennial Event featured in today's video and retired Captain Robert MacDonald Iain Glas of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (Vancouver BC) and Baltej Singh Dhillon for bringing the heat! Thanks also to Avtar Singh Bahra, Christopher Trevelyan and Chris Rawlins for pictures and illustrations from a forthcoming special edition of our publication Duty Honour & Izzat. The current edition released last Sikh Heritage Month by the Honourable Harjit Sajjan Minister of National Defence at Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver continues to make great strides amongst educators and the Punjabi community. Check it out - the publisher is discounting the title for Sikh Heritage Month. https://renegadeartsentertainment.com/pr/duty-honour-izzat/ The title is also currently discounted on Amazon.ca and Indigo Chapters are doing free shipping along with instore displays and promotions for the month of April. This month, please make it a point to share the video and book with family, friends, neighbours and EDUCATORS because - Sikh Heritage - it's EPIC! If we speak of fear and mistrust arising from ignorance then we must recognise we have allowed others to tell the stories that promote negative stereotypes and corrupted identities. It's time then for us to tell our own stories and you can help that by simply sharing. Your help in passing this onto friends helps us to increase Sikh Heritage awareness in a big way - we now have a tad over 50k views for the last 2 videos so thank you kindly for sharing! But we must do better because we don't have massive broadcast media networks like the mainstream, so it comes down to you to keep on sharing - lets put social media to use in the fight against racism and ignorance! Hit us with a page like, or a follow to stay up to date with new content. www.facebook.com/indusmediafoundation ____________________________________________________________ We are proud to support the Federal SIKH HERITAGE MONTH initiative by MP Sukh Dhaliwal and thank the Department of Canadian Heritage for financial support for the Web series HISTORY INFORMS THE FUTURE

Today is Cheyt. This is the Indian new year and makes sense to me...because the weather is now changing. I look to the 'woke' poetry in AGGS and translate the h...ymns as my way to reflect on this change. This year, I looked at Barah Mah (the 12 months) and interpreted Guru Nanak's hymn which discusses the first month of the new year as follows: AGGS p.1017-1018. Guru Nanak My understanding: Chet, the first month of the Indian calendar is analogous to the mind that is in constant remembrance. That mind is in a state of bloom, the state of the mind is one that is absolutely amazing, it is akin to the beauty of youth. My understanding: The mind, in this state, is like a forest that is blooming with lush fawn and flowers in it. Life or the primal essence (what some would call god) also referred to as 'the intimate other' has returned to the lush forest. My understanding: If the 'intimate other' doesn’t enter its home, how can the spouse (the mind) attain ‘real’ bliss/peace. Because the mind will be longing deeply within, but contrarily, the mind cannot remain beautiful because it will wither (in separation).. My understanding: (how can that actually happen when..) The cuckoo bird is sitting in the mango tree, in the forest of my mind, and is singing beautifully..which usually precedes heavy rains making the forest more lushthis is a reference to Amrit (the state of deathlessness...usually signified as an elixir or in this case, sweet drops of rain) How can my mind possibly endure any pain (the mind saying 'when I'm in so much bliss, how can I 'Possibly' be in pain)? My understanding: The bumble bee (one's divine essence/the intimate other) is buzzing around the flowering branches (meaning that the one observes that it is their divine essence that is completely enjoying this experience); this is a reference to one’s divine essence happily buzzing in the blossoming lush mind. How can life (the atma/divine or real essence) die in ignorance ? (Obviously the mind being in a state of life that will not wither). Page 1108, Line 3 Nanak, in the non-dual state reflects, that in ‘cheyt’ one obtains happiness within, intuitively and with ease. This intuitive happiness occurs, if within that limitless blossoming forest of the mind, one is resolved in obtaining all their wealth and blessingsmeaning one looks deep within for their primal source/intimate other (aka. God).

Who is the greatest leader in world history? Courage, tolerance, ruthlessness: which factors define an inspiring, effective figurehead? BBC World Histories Magazine asked historians including Rana Mitter, Margaret MacMillan and Gus Casely-Hayford to nominate the greatest leader someone who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity and to explore their achievements and legacy. So who has topped the poll? https://www.historyextra.com//who-greatest-leader-world-h/

A tale so sorry it ends in an apology Today Canada thrives on diversity. But a different Canada confronted the 337 Sikh immigrants who sailed into Vancouver harbour on the Komagata Maru on 23rd May 1914. For two months, they were deprived of necessities and counsel. Then, when the courts ruled against them under the Continuous Passage Regulation, they were forced to return to India. 19 were killed by British authorities shortly after their arrival and 202 were imprisoned. 102... years passed before PM Trudeau formally apologized for the horrific incident in the House of Commons. Today, 1.4% of Canadians are Sikhs. Do you know our stories? The voyage of the #KomagataMaru is one: a tale so sorry it ends in an apology. Join us at the Sikh Heritage Museum Canada, as we remember our past and celebrate our presence. It’s how we ensure our future endures. See more

The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada is honoured to partner with the award winning Barrett and Welsh, a leading branding, advertising, and marketing firm. Join us as we remember our past and celebrate our presence.

(TRIGGER WARNING) Because we are girls.... This may be one of the most difficult yet most important posts to write. This week the documentary film Because We Are Girls will be screening locally at The University of Mississauga (UTM) on Jan 30, 2020 and Silvercity Brampton on Feb 2 2020 Event details can be found through event-brite.... https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/because-we-are-girls-film-scree The film follows a Punjabi Sikh family in small-town British Columbia as it must come to terms with a devastating secret: three sisters were sexually abused by an older relative beginning in their childhood years. After remaining silent for nearly two and a half decades, the sisters finally decide to come forwardnot only to protect other young relatives, but to set an example for their daughters as well. https://www.nfb.ca/film/because-we-are-girls/ It is through the courage of the sisters that we all have a responsibility to set an example in the community that not only is it wrong, but we stand in solidarity to support and believe the victims of sexual assault and seek justice. Let's do our small part as a start to support this most important topic and film for the health of our community. If you or someone you know has or is experiencing sexual abuse or assault please contact any of the following: Peel Regional Police Sexual Assault Rape Crisis Centre of Peel Punjabi Community Health Services

1917 - MUST READ - Canadian Historians Strike Back...... Dear Mr Laurence Fox, Subject: Your Privilege is showing... Apparently, private school education in the U.K. is not what it used to be - your ignorance of the role of turban-wearing soldiers in seminal moments of WW1 and WW2 is both astounding and saddening. We are astounded to discover the hallowed halls of Harrow, one of the most expensive all-boys schools in the U.K., which once produced an illustrious line of global statesmen and gentlemen officers, produced an ignoramus such as yourself. Clearly, you have no handle on the fact that in WW1 India sent more men to fight as defenders of the Crown than all of the other colonies put together, and they arrived just in time to stop Germany's last chance to win the war early by annihilating the British army in the first battle of Ypres. In WW2 India deployed the biggest volunteer army in history. In the east, turban-wearing soldiers were decisive in delivering the first defeat to the Japanese in the most significant battle of WW2 as voted by your countrymen no less (https://www.telegraph.co.uk//Second-World-War-clashes-name) . In Europe, turbaned soldiers fought the Nazis as your grandfather could attest to. It is saddening to think that a silver spoon education could leave you so utterly bereft of character that your words reek of such betrayal that your grandfather - a man that won a military cross for gallantry - would turn away from you in his grave because he once stood as a brother-in-arms with the turbaned men of the 8th Army in Italy. You speak of diversity being forced on you; your grandfather knew what volunteer diversity felt like and would have considered it an honour to see a turbaned soldier standing alongside him; in the fight against tyranny he would have welcomed it. You, on the other hand, decry seeing 1 turban - you sir are not your grandfather - shame on you now in 2020 for breaking the bond of camaraderie between men that fought and died together - from the safety of the world they secured for you. There are descendants of the great men that fought in WW2 that recognise the unity and camaraderie of all the King's men - these are people that understand how to honour the sacrifices of those that gave their lives for us - those people are not you. And when confronted your continued defence of your ignorance and being called out for your bigotry and racism is behaviour akin to a child who responds to being called an idiot, by simply retorting "no you're an idiot". Trying to call those that strive for inclusion and diversity racist is beyond petty, it is idiotic. The fact that a minute's footage of a Sikh in a WW1 story would appear so incongruent to you it necessitated a race card claiming institutionalised racism - makes us angry. We went to see Sam Mendes film precisely because he decided it was appropriate to honour the sacrifices of diverse men through representation. To be honest, it is not much fun taking your kids to see war films in which white men hog the limelight as heroes day in day out. We are used to seeing white people been placed randomly in many movies, even in places where they don't belong, yet it is so normalised that we have to eat it up day after day. But when 1 Sikh soldier is placed in war movie you lose your shit and turn into a quivering mess whinging about how everyone is now being diverted from the story through forced diversity. Well, white people have been diverting our history our whole lives, but people like you have never seemed to have an issue with that - so cry us a river,we all need to see how feeble your outrage is so it can be shown for what it is - white privilege. You want to know what real institutionalised racism is - its the lack of paying representative tribute to the duty, honour and izzat of coloured soldiers who served with courage and distinction. It's the continued lack of recognition of their sacrifices throughout the government institutions of education and heritage - our kids do not get to see their heroes in a shared history - it's as if they don't have any. Institutionalised racism is a form of oppression and marginalisation we know only too well. You saw 1 turban in a film - 1 - and got all bent out of shape. But remember you have a choice, to help you forget about the indignity of 1917 you can turn to the whitewashed Dunkirk - or any one of thousands of other books and films that have been produced over the decades that chose to exclude us. We, on the other hand, do not have that choice. In fact, its time for filmmakers to step up to the truth that it was not all white on the Western Front - Indian soldiers won over 9,000 gallantry awards in WW1 alone - its time our kids saw not just 1 turban representing but an army - are you listening Hollywood? Now that would really make your day. It's true what they say - when people like you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression - and hence we can expect more whinging bigots to join in, but remember this - while diverse people laid down their lives for freedom including freedom of speech, what these turbaned men did not fight and die for is your ignorance. Your friends from Canada, Pardeep Singh Nagra Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada www.SHMC.ca & Steven Purewal Indus Media Foundation www.IMFC.org

Some sentiments from our side of the pond...

A must see lecture by one of, if not the most, avid collector of sikh heritage in the world!