By India Madsen
In April, Canada celebrated the Sikh Heritage Month; a month dedicated to the Sikhs in Canada, in celebration of their faith, and their contribution to Canadian society.
I had the chance to sit down with two Sikhs, one who was born and raised in Canada, and the other who is a recent immigrant, and talk to them about their experience as a Sikh in Canada, and how they stayed close to their faith, even though they are poles apart from the home of their faith; Panjab.
Growing Up in Canada as a Sikh
- Gurjot Singh
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
My name is Gurjot Singh, and I am a second-year student at York, working towards a degree in Criminology, with an aim to pursue a career in criminal law. I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and now live in Brampton. I am also one of the executives of the York Sikh Students Association. While I do feel extremely lucky and grateful to belong to such a multicultural society, there were and still are some challenges I face as a visible minority.
As a teenager, while I was living in a fairly Asian/Panjabi community, I was still one of the only individuals wearing a Dastaar (Turban) in my whole school. While all families have unique ways of raising their children, my family put a great emphasis on religion, which I truly appreciate. As a teen in high school, I understood the responsibility of upholding Sikh principles and values, and how my appearance represented the Sikh Panth (Sikh Community) as a whole. Although there were many instances where I felt the pressure of fitting in and wanting to be ‘like the rest’, my devotion and respect for my religion kept me strong. I was involved in the Sikh Students Association in high school, and I am still involved in the Association here at York. This has helped me build a sense of family and be there for my Sikh brothers and sisters.
If someone were to ask me, “How can I fight the desire to fit in?”
I would ask them this: “What is the need to fit in?”
We are unique in our own ways. Remind yourself that whatever you are going through is temporary, and that staying strong in your faith and values will pay off down the road.
Once I learned how to deal with peer pressure, being raised “differently” from the majority felt rewarding. I had developed a reputation as the person anyone could go to for any type of help, which is exactly what a Sikh is, a lifelong learner who is there for anyone and everyone. This actually brings me closer to my roots as by reading my history and understanding who my ancestors were, I know how to take on every single day with a positive and undefeated attitude. Managing your religion, history, and society is extremely easy once you understand that it is all incorporated. My day never starts without gratitude and prayer, which then helps me throughout my school and social life. Reflection on my history helps me understand my job here on this Earth, which is to make the world a better place.
My love for my religion was one of the key factors that led to me to desire a career in the field of law. While the hardships which my ancestors went through do enrage me, from that anger comes the realization that I am in a position to help others and stop injustice from taking place. With the power of the Almighty with me, I know I will be successful as a lawyer, and will be able to help those who need it the most.
To my fellow Sikhs and anyone else who may be reading this, read your history, and reflect on it. We are nothing without it. A wise scholar once said that history is only doomed to repeat itself if one does not learn from it. This is something that I think about every day, and I believe everyone should too. Also, if there is anything that you want to do, just do it. As cliché as it sounds, you can plan and do anything for your community. A few of my friends and myself founded the not-for-profit organization called Seva.to, which is based on the idea of creating resources and giving back to the community. While I have faced many obstacles throughout the past 20 years of my life, the strength that my religion and history have provided me with helps me deal with whatever I have on my plate each day. I hope this helps Sikhs and other visible minorities because I understand that it can be hard to be yourself and represent your faith and community, but you got this. Have strong faith and remember where you came from.
Waheguru Ji Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
Living in Canada as a Sikh- the International Student Experience
- Suhel Singh Randhawa
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
My name is Suhel Singh Randhawa, and I am a second-year international student at York, working towards a degree in Finance. I am also the editor of LA&PS Voices. I was born and raised in Panjab, but moved to Canada in 2021 for my education. It has been a smooth transition, and I have managed to make good use of my time here, making friends and educating myself, but it also came with its own difficulties. Being away from my family and my homeland has often saddened me, and I especially missed them in the beginning. But as time has passed, I have managed to live with the separation, and carry on with my life with the memory of my home in my heart, and a desire to go back and visit soon.
As humans, we have an innate desire to be involved and fit in. Growing up in a religious household, I was always close to Sikhi. But at the age of ten, I cut my hair. My family supported my decision, but I could sense the sadness in their eyes, especially my father. Despite this, they still loved me the same. Two years later, I decided to regrow my hair, and started tying a turban; something that my ancestors had laid down their lives for. After coming to Canada, I began trimming my beard, but again, with the grace of the Akaal Purkh, I was able to stop that.
I feel that company has a lot do with how we lead our lives. I have always enjoyed the company of religious people, regardless of their faith. I also found many Sikhs at York who lead a lifestyle as per the rules of Sikhi, and that inspired me to grow closer with my faith as well. Going to the gurdwara every weekend and volunteering to cook and clean dishes in the langar (community kitchen) also fostered a great sense of humility and love towards Sikhi.
Speaking further about the desire to fit in, over time I managed to control it. Being the only turbaned Sikh might seem to some as a burden, or as a bad way of sticking out in a crowd. But to me, it represents a sovereign identity. A turban makes a Sikh easily recognizable; it represents a person who someone can go to for help. From its inception, Sikhi has represented a sense of spiritual, physical, and mental sovereignty.
The content that I consume has also helped me grow closer to my faith. My Instagram explore page has become a mixture of Sikh videos, basketball updates, and memes. I also managed to use Sound Cloud and YouTube to listen to speeches and lectures of preachers and leaders such as Sant Jarnail Singh Ji, Bhai Amritpal Singh, and Giani Sher Singh Ji.
Ultimately, we all have our own paths to tread on. Sikhi is a blessing that we receive fully at different stages of our lives. All that matters is that we live our lives according to the teachings of our Gurus, and in due course, as per the will of the Akaal Purkh, we will be blessed with Khande di Pahul, and will make this birth successful. Until then, we must continue to read gurbani (teachings of the Gurus), read and understand our history, become physically and mentally stronger, and continue to help our brother and sisters to become better Sikhs.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.