Punjabi language set to become fourth most spoken language in Canada

News presented by Gurmukh Singh, Indo-Asian News Service

Vancouver, February 11, 2008

Latest census showing a 35 percent increase in its speakers since 2001, Punjabi is set to become the fourth largest spoken language in Canada.

It is the 6th largest spoken language after English, French, Chinese, Italian and German, though it is already at the fourth position in the province of British Columbia.

But as India overtakes China as the largest source of immigration for Canada this year, Punjabi is projected to surpass Italian and German by 2011 to become the fourth largest spoken language in the country.

According to Balwant Sanghera, president of the Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) - 'Punjabi is growing by leaps and bounds in Canada, and within the next three to four years it will become Canada's fourth largest spoken language.'Citing the latest census figures, he said 367,505 people said Punjabi was their mother tongue, showing a growth of 35 percent since 2001.

'This places Punjabi as the sixth most spoken language (after English, French, Chinese, Italian and German). The difference between the number of Punjabi speakers and those of German and Italian is very small.

Sanghera, who retired as a school psychologist in British Columbia, said Punjabi is one among ten most spoken languages out of a total of 6,000 in the world.

'More than 150 million people in 150 countries speak this language. Mini Punjabs in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and Singapore are testaments to it. Here in Surrey and Abbotsford cities, Punjabi is the second most spoken language after English,' he said.

In British Columbia province, Punjabi is taught in the University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University, University College of the Fraser Valley, Kwantlen University College and many schools. Hospitals, city halls, airports and markets carry Punjabi signs. And it is common see the Punjabi sign of 'Aseen Punjabi Bolde Haan' (We speak Punjabi) at banks.
Guidelines on provincial issues - elections, health, old age and education - come out in Punjabi, as do government bills and notices.

Both Binning and Sanghera have pioneered the Punjabi movement in British Columbia province, which has the largest concentration of Punjabis outside Punjab.

Punjabi has been in Canada for over a hundred years, yet it is not recognized by the Canadian government because of its two-language policy,' said Binning.

U.S. Department of Justice puts educational video about sikhs

U.S. Department of Justice puts educational video about sikhs

"A law enforcement training video on Sikh cultural and religious sensitivity was posted Monday on the U.S. Department of Justice web site.

A year after the Sikh American video for training law enforcement officers was released on DVD, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service put it on its web site Monday, making it available to police agencies nationally and abroad.

The 17-minute video, called ‘On Common Ground: Sikh American Cultural Competency Training for Law Enforcement,’ informs police and security officers how to approach Sikhs in a respectful manner while still performing their duties effectively.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, where the video was created, every effort was made to show the DVD to community groups and police organizations, said David Baker. Now, with it available online, Baker said he would like it to be played at roll-call, at the early-morning briefings before patrol officers go on duty.“I want everyone to see it,” Baker said. “The academy should use it.”He is talking about the county’s Public Service Training Academy, which trains all officers in the various police agencies in the county.

Officers deployed in areas with larger Sikh populations around the county have seen the DVD, he said. “Law enforcement that have seen it were really quite thrilled with it,” Baker added, who also appears in the video. “They found it informative to their duties.”

‘On Common Ground’ was created by the DOJ and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group.

Since its initial release in January 2007, more than 65,000 law enforcement personnel, including all Transportation Security Administration airport screeners, have viewed it said Rajbir Singh, SALDEF national director.“It’s now online to make sure as many people as possible can view it,” Singh said.

”Law enforcement and Sikh community representatives in other countries have also asked for the video, Singh added. The DVD was sent to Ireland (that's what we need here in Ireland), the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, India, and Brazil for use in their local law enforcement agencies.

Although the laws and policies described in the video are American-based, Singh said he expects those countries to use it as a template in their own training or their own country-specific video. “There seems to be a greater need abroad for this video,” Singh said. “There is nothing like it.” It’s a very proactive approach here and abroad, he added. Word gets out and they want a copy because they need it.

Singh said the video has had an especially positive outcome in the treatment of Sikh travelers at airports. SALDEF has received hundreds of positive letters in which travelers say they don’t feel like they are targeted. And even if they have to go through extra security, the screening is handled respectfully. Ondray T Harris, DOJ-CRS acting director, could not be reached for comment, but he states on web site: "…Awareness of cultural and religious observations can help avoid misunderstanding and tension. Towards this goal, On Common Ground can assist the public in understanding the challenges and realizing the contributions of the Sikh community in the United States…”

By Anju KaurSikh News Network staff journalist anjukaur@sikhnn.com

YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO BY PRESSING ON THIS LINK

http://www.usdoj.gov/crs/video/ocg-video.htm

This article comes from SikhNNhttp://www.sikhnn.com/

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Kenneth Cole - Sikh model

"We all Walk in Different Shoes"
A few days ago, Kenneth Cole unveiled one of his new ads on a wall of Rockefeller Center in New York City. The model is, surprisingly, a sardar.
The campaign features Sandeep (aka: Sonny) Caberwal as a Sikh and in the below video he explains about being a Sikh and standing out.

Sonny Caberwal grew up in a small town in North Carolina.
He’s a practicing Sikh and an entrepreneur.
Still in his 20s, Sonny is the joint owner of Tavlon Tea Bar in New York City – a lounge that sells gourmet loose-leaf tea and tea accessories.
He graduated Duke University in 2001 and went on to graduate from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004.
He currently resides in New York.

You can see full video with Sonny at: http://www.kennethcole.com/thinkers/bio6.asp

France sikhs and turbans

France stokes a turban revolution.

News Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/

Chandigarh, January 24 - The turban controversy in France has virtually triggered a wave of awakening about its importance in this part of the country.

Schools are being set up to train Sikh youths in turban tying. Competitions are being held by various Sikh organisations to honour the youths who have perfected the art of tying turban.After 1990 Sikh youths, in big numbers, had started becoming clean-shaven and these were mainly from colleges and universities.

But, now, it appears, the turban is staging a comeback in a big way in this region.The most interesting development is turban has become theme of Punjabi folklore, especially Punjabi folk songs in recent past. A large number of folk songs have been dedicated to turban by Punjabi singers in recent months. Ravinder Grewal’s folk song “pag banani na bhul jayo, o Punjabio” has been a hit for several weeks. Babbu Mann’s recently released song “pehlan main sardar han” is topping the popularity charts in the region. It is the first time Babbu has worn the turban while singing the song in the video. A few weeks ago Hardip Gill came out with Punjabi hit on turban theme “pagan cho pag sardaran di.Earlier, Shamsher Sandhu’s song “geet hove Punjabian di pag varga” had become a hit. Pammi Bhai’s latest song “pagan cho pag Patiala shahi e” has become a hot song. Another song by Bitta from Batala topping the popularity charts is “tohar sadi jag to niari mitro, sadi pag sanu jan ton piari mitro”. A duet “har pase teri pagri the gal ve” sung by Nikku and Jaspinder Narula has also become immensely popular.Earlier, also turban used to be part of the Punjabi songs but in a different contest. “Pagri sambhal jatta” had become a theme song of the freedom movement in the farmer community all over the country.

All Punjabi folk singers such as Yamla Jat, Karamjit Dhuri, Chandi Ram, Harcharan Grewal, Didar Sandhu used to tie turban in a peculiar style while singing on stage. Gurdas Mann was perhaps the first artiste who did not wear turban but became a famed Punjabi folk singer. Abroad it was Malkiat Singh of “tutak tutak tutian” fame, who made the turban popular. Daler Mehndi also played vital role in making turban popular. “Whenever any minority community faces adverse situation with regard to its identity, it obviously reacts strongly. Apart from resorting to agitations and other modes of protest, it uses its folklore to inspire its constituents to defend the identity,” says a social scientist.

-By Sarbjit DhaliwalTribune News Service

You can find more SIKH NEWS at:

http://www.sikhnet.com

My respect to all Sikhs who are wearing turbans!

Thanks for keeping your traditions and beliefs alive!

Turbans are no threat. THE Times of India news

Turbans are no threat to secularism.

From THE TIMES OF INDIA.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong in Sikh organisations and individuals in India urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue of the ban on wearing turbans in France. The turban is merely one among many outward religious symbols that the French republic has outlawed in public institutions and photo identity. To be seen to be secular, the French government has gone to the extent of specifying even the size of religious symbols like the cross that could be displayed on a person. Secularism, however, is not about denial of individual rights; it is about keeping religion out of the state’s hair and vice versa. Understandably, Sikhs across the world are upset and anguished over the French ban on turbans in public institutions. Wearing a turban does not in any manner compromise the safety, security or health of either the wearer or those around him. Nor does it undermine the secular nature of the French republic. So is there really a case for the ban? It befits a democracy to maintain a clear separation between religion and state. However, making the distinction into a divide only leads to a secularism that is militant, even aggressive to the point of preventing people from expressing their beliefs peacefully. By making secularism a state religion, France has only given liberalism a bad name."

You can read more at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2732746.cms

What's your view?

Read new article about first new Sikh school in France.