People
Sikh-Aussie Journalist & Broadcaster Honoured:
Manpreet Kaur Singh
NEWS REPORT
On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, Sikh-Aussie Punjabi Program host, Sardarni Manpreet Kaur Singh, received the prestigious Media Award for Excellence from Victoria's Premier, Hon. Ted Baillieu.
Manpreet's host television network, SBS (Special Broadcasting Service), scooped major awards at the presentation of the awards which was held at Governor's House, in Melbourne, Australia.
Manpreet Kaur was recognised for her work ranging from investigative reporting on the rash of deaths of Indian students in Australia in recent years, to inspirational stories of friendship between Sikhs and Australians.
Manpreet, whose family is in the middle of a week-long wedding celebration in India, came back to Australia only for a few hours, in order to not miss the gala night!
Manpreet moved to Australia in 1991. She has worked for newspapers, television, radio and online for 21 years, 18 of them for SBS Radio. Public interest, social justice, positive reporting and cultural cohesion have formed the bedrock of her broadcasts on the SBS Punjabi program.
In the latter part of 2009, Manpreet initiated an investigation into the suspicios deaths of international students in Australia. Her
reporting widened the scope of public debate, which until then was narrowly focussed on racist attacks against Indian students alone. This was complimented by interviews with the victims of violence in Australia.
Many of the victims were Punjabis, and Manpreet helped put their story into the public domain. To provide balance, Manpreet looked for inspirational stories of freindship and harmony between Sikhs/Punjabis and Australians, culminating in the landmark story of pioneer Sikh-Aussie Pooran Singh's ashes being taken back to his native Punjab, where he was born in 1869, more than 63 years after his death and cremation in Australia in 1947.
The Pooran Singh story has now been included as an educational resource for high school students and teachers by Education Services of Australia, and Manpreet went on to be named a finalist at the United Nations Media Peace Awards for 2010.
Manpreet is also a columnist with sikhchic.com.
Manpreet lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two sons.
December 18, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Kirpal Singh (Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A.), December 18, 2011, 2:32 PM.
Congratulations! You are an excellent role model for our youth ... and adults as well. May Waheguru bless you and your family to continue this great work with even more zeal!
2: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), December 18, 2011, 4:34 PM.
Well done, Manpreet Kaur, for showing what our women can do, no matter what they tackle! Our future leaders?
3: Satinder Gill (Khanna, Punjab), December 18, 2011, 6:39 PM.
I am thrilled beyond words. Manpreet deserves all the accolades and more. My association with her dates back to our college days. There was always a distinguishable spark in her. Congratulations, and may you continue to lead the way! Good journalism is not just 'reporting', it is a social responsibility, and you have proved just that!
4: Kirandeep Marwah (Chandigarh, Punjab), December 18, 2011, 7:48 PM.
Congratulations, Tanu! I knew this girl will do some thing big! Proud to be your classmate in college. There was always a spark of excellence in you. May you continue to lead the way And God bless you, always.
5: Baljinder Singh (Sydney, Australia), December 19, 2011, 8:42 AM.
I came in contact with Manpreet while looking for my grand-father who arrived in Australia in 1920 and never returned to Punjab. The assistance she gave me and to other Punjabis helped us to trace the journeys of our long-lost loved ones. Who can forget the Pooran Singh Story? I can't say enough to describe how much Manpreet has done. She deserve this award purely for her hard work. A true Sardarni and Punjabi, you can rely on Manpreet any time.
6: Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.), December 19, 2011, 1:24 PM.
I was privileged to spend some time with Manpreet when we visited Melbourne for the Parliament of World Religions in 2009. In addition, she interviewed me there as she interviewed several other scholars presenting at the parliament. She covered the Parliament for the local as well as the international audience. As a matter of fact she provided the most comprehensive coverage of the Sikh participation at the Parliament. It was not difficult for me to see in her a rising star in Sikh journalism; she well deserves the prestigious Media Award for Excellence from Victoria's Premier, Hon. Ted Baillieu. I am sure her talent in journalism and media reporting will bag her many more recognitions in the future. She will show the way to many other Sikh women entering in the field of journalism and reporting. We need many of them as the Sikhs have been very poorly represented in the media the world over for all these years. We are pleased Manpreet is in the news and on the news.
7: Tajinder Singh (Singapore), December 19, 2011, 9:02 PM.
We are all proud of you. You do a good job. Keep it up.
8: Kulbir Singh (Canberra, Australia), December 22, 2011, 7:51 PM.
I am thrilled to learn about this great news. She is a great role model for Sikh women and an inspiration for them to enter into the field of journalism. The day is not far when she will get more and more recognition st national and world level. My prayers to Waheguru for blessings to Manpreet and her family.
9: Manjit Gill (Coventry, United Kingdom), January 03, 2012, 4:13 AM.
Well done, Manpreet, on your fantastic achievement. We wish you more success in raising awareness of injustice and racism and building stronger community links. The world needs to hear our stories!