People
Nimrata Nikki Kaur Randhawa Haley Runs for U.S. State Governor
by PHILIP RUCKER
The past few days on the campaign trail, South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley liked to joke that she went from "Nikki Who?" to a near-permanent spot on the front pages of the Palmetto State's newspapers.
If the 38-year-old state representative becomes the Republican nominee in a June 22 runoff, she would also instantly become one of the national party's most promising rising stars. She's smart and serious about policy, a charismatic campaigner who dresses stylishly and can deliver barbed attacks with a smile.
Here are a few things you may not know about Haley:
She's an accountant who started keeping the books at 13 for the clothing boutique owned by her parents, Sikhs who left India and landed in tiny Bamberg, S.C. (population 3,733).
Her husband, Bill, is an Army civilian employee who is in the National Guard. Haley made him start going by his middle name, Michael. "He didn't look like a Bill," she told a campaign adviser.
She adapted her name, too. Nimrata Kaur Randhawa Haley "wouldn't fit on a yard sign," she told the Charlotte Observer, so she became Nikki Haley when she first ran for office in 2004.
Although Haley was raised a Sikh, she married a Methodist and is raising her two children, Rena and Nalin, as Methodists. She became the first descendant of the Sikh religion elected to any state legislature in the United States.
[Courtesy: The Washington Post]
June 9, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Bal Singh (London, United Kingdom), June 09, 2010, 8:38 AM.
Why promote this woman on a Sikh site without a whisper of her being a reputed Christian convert? What sort of Sikh becomes a Republican anyway? This is just a female version of that sell-out clown, Bobby Jindal.
2: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 8:43 AM.
I am a little confused. I see this and earlier postings on Nikki Randhawa Haley and I wonder. Yes, her parents are Sikh but she is a Methodist Christian by her own choice. If we are to recognize the Sikh roots of someone who once was one but is no longer Sikh, then how is this different from the largely Hindu attitude of classifying all Sikh Gurus as Hindus? After all, many - Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amardas and Guru Ramdas certainly - were born in Hindu households. All Gurus had Hindu antecedents, so should they be forever Hindu? Many of us can trace our roots to Hindu grandparents or one or two steps further back to Hindu or even some Islamic roots. Should most Sikhs now continue to be classified as Hindus? Nikki, by her own decision, is no longer a Sikh; let's respect her choice. Sikhi is not a racial label. It is not the DNA that can be so typed. Or are you celebrating her Indian origin? Then perhaps Bobby Jindal, too, among others deserve the honor. Or is it that you admire her conservative Republican politics (or the endorsement of Sarah Palin) so much?
3: Harvind Kaur (U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 9:58 AM.
She is not the first Sikh to be elected to any state legislature. She is a self-described Methodist. Also, Dalip Singh Saund, who did not change his religion, was the first Sikh, South Asian, person of color, to be elected to the US House of Representatives.
4: Aryeh Leib (Israel), June 09, 2010, 10:30 AM.
Well, they do say, "Blood is thicker than water". Apparently, political bilge is thicker than both together! And, as they also say ... "Glad I didn't step in it"!
5: Satinder Singh (New Jersey, U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 11:51 AM.
The only mention of her being a Sikh came in the last paragraph. However, she is using her Sikh heritage for fund-raising efforts around the United States. I guess that is one positive for being a 'Sikh'.
6: Gurteg Singh (New York, U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 12:55 PM.
The religious right in this country in fact is having a problem with her and as per the Red State, her political opponents are behind these doubts. As per David Brody of the Christian Broadcast network and the famous "Brody files', Nikki Haley is not Christian enough and that because of political considerations she is hiding her Sikh roots. Brody points out that when she first ran for State representative, her website stated her Sikh heritage and the fact that she attends both the Church and the Gurdwara. However, now she has erased references to her Sikh roots and is trying to pretend which she actually is not, because of political considerations in a Southern Christian state. During the nasty Republican primary, she had to face an ugly smear campaign and was also subjected to racial slurs and called a raghead by State Senator Jake Knotts. However, she seems to have survived the mud-fest and handsomely won last night, ahead of her nearest rival. She is almost guaranteed to become the next Governor of South Carolina if she prevails in the run-off. Yes, we can point to her heritage, yes we can commend her for her achievements, but should we be celebrating her success as a Sikh?
7: Kanwar Nijjer (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), June 09, 2010, 3:31 PM.
Sikh - means student. It is one's decision as to what spiritual path one chooses to follow. As Sikhs, we are learner along the spiritual path. She chose to follow another path, we should not condemn her. Guru ji's reminder to us was that all human beings are the same. A lot of practicing Sikhs have change their names to anglican nick-names or first-names. It all points to low self-esteem. They are not comfortable with who they are. They don't want to stand out in the masses.
8: Surinder Sikand (Foster City, California, U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 6:48 PM.
It is commendable that Nikki has shone a bright light on her Sikh heritage and is moving towards the Governership of a southern redneck state. It is an uphill battle, believe me. She has adopted Christianity by choice, nothing wrong with it. We need to be cognizant of the fact that the foundation stone of Harmandar Sahib was laid by a Sufi mystic. He was not required to change his religion to Sikhism. We Sikhs should be proud of her upbringing by her Sikh parents and I am sure she practices the values she inherited from them.
9: Suki Dillon (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), June 09, 2010, 7:25 PM.
Bal Singh, why is Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal sellouts? Does that also mean that all the white, black and hispanic converts to Sikhism are sellouts? You can't have it both ways. Also, what is with all the attacks on the Christian faith here? I thought Sikhs are to be respectful of other religions.
10: Ravinder Singh Taneja (Westerville, Ohio, U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 8:42 PM.
The real question - as Dr I.J. points out - is: what exactly are we celebrating?
11: Raj (Canada), June 09, 2010, 10:38 PM.
Sorry, some of you are forgetting that Baba Jhujjhar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh were offered "young Muslim girls" and "positions" in the government of Sirhind. They declined because rulers were using pressure, coercion. This is not a whole lot different. We should progress in the world proudly with what we have.
12: Sukhdev Singh Shergill (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 10, 2010, 5:08 AM.
She is lost to the community! By giving her the honour in publishing this article on this website may only send a wrong message to our daughters: that it is alright to go down the path she went! We are not anti-Christian. Anybody, including Sikhs, can choose to be Christian, if they have such conviction and belief. But gloryfying her choice is certainly a NO-NO.
13: Kanwar (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), June 10, 2010, 11:40 AM.
For heaven's sake, if she succeeds, she will be a high level U.S politician with a sympathetic ear to Sikh (and other minority) concerns in a state not exactly known for acceptance of racial diversity or tolerance. It's a very good first step to widening the doors for ("real") Sikhs in the future within U.S politics. Besides, in Toronto we have three "real" Sikh MP's (two of them, Sardars) and yet thier voices were completely absent in the recent troubles faced by the community through our biased, racist press. That is a pattern you will see throughout their careers to date. Should we just settle with being happy that they represent the Sikh identity, even if they do nothing with their positions but guarantee themselves fat pensions? Also, let's not forget the 'Sikh' Ujjal Dossanj's tireless efforts in labeling every Canadian Sikh an extremist. That's one individual I truly wish was "lost to the community!" Let us hope instead that she is a good human being when she comes into power and if her Sikh roots help her judgement to that end, all the better! We Sikhs need allies in high places wherever we can find them. They don't necessarily have to be Sikhs. And please, let's stop heaping praise on these others for merely 'being Sikh' and demand a little more. I no longer vote for my Sikh M.P. because I prefer to judge him by his record and not just by the few meters of cloth on his head.
14: Bal Singh (London, United Kingdom), June 10, 2010, 2:55 PM.
Suki: When I said 'sell out', I was more focused on why the hell someone with any Sikh values would want to latch her wagon to the Republican ride. To my mind, this party represents unrepentant 'Angloism' from the old world, with its emphasis on other-ing non-whites, cultural and political imperialism, lack of compassion towards the less fortunate, and a general warmonger stance. Overall, a disgusting worldview. A part of me thinks that people like Bobby Jindal and this woman are only really thrust forward as some sort of politically correct reactionary measures against a black-man winning the elections to become the President. So we now have the tokens thrust upon us. Maybe they can do some good if they get into power. Maybe they will be puppets getting their strings pulled by others. One thing is for certain though; what America does impacts on the rest of the globe in various ways. Some of us out here are still thankful that the last warmongering buffoon the people of the U.S. put on the throne was removed. Any Punjabi/ Sikh joining an organization like that has sold out - their soul. If we open our eyes and look, those of this anglo-centric disposition have always adopted the position of promoting conformist sycophants. Frequently, these people are used as tools. It is hard not to see these people as a continuation of the old policy. Converts to Sikhism don't fall into this category. You are talking chalk and cheese. For a start, any convert in America, say, isn't doing it for career opportunities.
15: Jagdev (London, United Kingdom), June 10, 2010, 10:22 PM.
Why is sikhchic.com giving this woman media exposure?
16: Baljinder Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), June 11, 2010, 8:29 AM.
My only question is why are we trying to associate Sikhi with someone who has gone out of her way to erase Sikhi from her life?
17: Ritu (Texas, U.S.A.), June 13, 2010, 11:12 PM.
She changed her name and her religion. What exactly are you celebrating?
18: Khalsa Lakhvir Singh (Nairobi, Kenya), June 14, 2010, 3:07 AM.
I don't know why so many of us feel so offended that Nikki's story is being published here, but yes, I do agree that it is incorrect for sikhchic.com to continually refer to her as a Sikh, even placing a Kaur in her name that she has long dropped. Mention her, by all means, but it will only be politically correct to do so that she comes from a Sikh background. that's it. Why continue claiming her as part of the Sikh faith when she has publicly renounced it for another? Let the credit go where it is due, without us clamoring for what is no longer a Sikh pride.
19: Jas (New York, U.S.A.), June 14, 2010, 2:17 PM.
This is sikhchic.com. It's about Sikhi. We are all imperfect, so I wouldn't question this article appearing on sikhchic.com, if she was an imperfect Sikh. She is not an imperfect Sikh like all of us, she is not a Sikh. That is different. I don't despise her for switching her faith - it is her prerogative. I just wouldn't celebrate her as a Sikh.
20: Manbir Banwait (Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada), June 14, 2010, 9:24 PM.
I find it hilarious that people are complaining that "sikhchic.com" is making Nikki Haley Sikh. Nowhere does sikhchic.com say that the woman is Sikh. The title of the article is simply from the Washington Post itself. Even the Post I think finds it funny that Nikki Haley had to change her name around to run for a Republican position ... or, why did they introduce her with her original name?
21: Joe Blow (Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.), June 22, 2010, 9:59 PM.
Wow. Republican hate is pretty amazing. I clicked through to this site and was pretty surprised. I am conservative and usually vote Republican, and have a fair number of Sikh friends, and their politics run the gamut. Moreover, a lot of my conservative friends, particularly the ones with military backgrounds, have enormous respect for Sikh culture; they are aware of it because of the acclaim won by Sikh soldiers over the generations. So it seems strange to hear that there's an expectation that people of a particular religion and ethnicity must necessarily hold a particular political ideology. I'll have to ask my Sikh friends to quit being pals and I'll have to remind my conservative Republican friends that we need to be nasty to our Sikh buddies ... Or maybe not. I respect others' differences and their right to pick their own path in life. Life seems a heck of a lot better if we have fewer expectations of others, and greater tolerance for their beliefs. [Editor: Here's how you can really help - by teaching your fellow Republicans to become true Americans and better and decent human beings - and better Christians! - by not demanding their politicians to publicly proclaim allegiance to Jesus Christ or any other religion or religious leader, for that matter! It demeans you, the party and America - while encouraging the politicians to falsely declare a passion for your faith.]
22: PictureRock (United States), June 22, 2010, 10:34 PM.
I find it surprising that some here are surprised she is a Republican. This party is the most welcoming, least biased of the two American political movements. Did you know that Dr. M L King was a Republican? Bobby Jindal? Condi Rice? Colin Powell? Abe Lincoln? In fact, Republicans far more than Democrats stand for personal freedom and responsibility, something I think everyone can support. [Editor: First of all, you couldn't possibly believe what you say - you are afraid to even reveal your name. Secondly, if Republicans are what you claim they are, why - in America, of all places - they demand their politicians to publicly declare their allegiance to one religion! All you get out of the exercise is bad politicians who have nothing to do with the great ideals of Christianity or any other faith, but are willing to sell their souls at the drop of a hat and for a few pieces of silver!]
23: Manmohan Randhawa (Londa, Goa, India), June 23, 2010, 2:09 PM.
What a sell out "Nikki" turned out to be! It surely seems like she enthusiastically distanced herself from her heritage and religion. How can she have even a trace of any leadership abilities! She should be thoroughly ashamed of herself.
24: Ray (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.), June 23, 2010, 7:49 PM.
Bal Singh, why do you say such terrible things about my people? I respect Sikh and Hindu, Methodist and Catholic, Nigerian and Egyptian and Mexican, all people deserving of respect. Your comments about those of 'Anglo' heritage are insulting and inaccurate. I find your prejudice and your assumption of evil intent - where no evil intent exists - to be offensive. I also find it hypocritical for you to contend that converts to an 'Anglo' tradition are 'conforming sycophants,' but that "converts to Sikhism" don't fall into this category. Do you deny that you hold a double standard? How can you justify that beyond your own small circle of like-minded persons? I ask you - if you so despise the 'Anglo' tradition, then why do you live in London? Perhaps you too are a 'sell-out'?
25: Surjeet Singh (New York, U.S.A.), June 23, 2010, 8:06 PM.
Dear Ray: I'm going to try and answer some of the issues you've raised in your e-mail. To begin with, Bal Singh, I'm sure, and other Sikhs like him, live in London because they choose to do so; they do not need anyone's permission, Anglo or otherwise, to live in a city and country which was built with money plundered from the land of their and MY ancestors. It is THEIR country. Bal Singh also did not insult Anglo heritage. I don't think you've read his note properly. He was merely referring to historical facts - if it shames you to read about them, blame the perpetrators, not Bal Singh. And Bal Singh has already pointed out that there is no analogy between Nikki's situation and that of converts to Sikhism. Have you ever heard Sikhs anywhere demand a political candidate to declare a particular religious affiliation? More shockingly, in America - a land that claims to be the epitome of freedom and democracy - it can't get more shameful than this! What Nikki was required to do was indecent and no self-respecting Christian would have or should have done it. It is beside the point that Nikki too proved less than praiseworthy in demeaning herself in the way she did. But then, she's acknowledged that she's a Republican of the ilk of George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. I guess that explains it all. Looks like all of the people concerned in this sordid mess deserve each other!
26: Jag Dhillon (London, United Kingdom), January 26, 2014, 7:45 AM.
Wow, what a traitor and sellout. It's interesting to note that still some Sikhs defend her, even though in any other community she would have been totally ostracized for her actions. Changing her religion and kissing Christian backsides ... to get votes?