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Telling The Entire Story

HARLEEN KAUR

 

 

 

Honestly, I really can’t stand the LSA Theme Semester -- a semester dedicated to a specific theme at LSA (University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts) -- this term.

Even when I first heard that LSA would have the theme “India in the World” for the Winter 2014 semester, I was unsure of how I felt. I suppose I should have felt proud since the University felt inclined to focus on my “motherland,” but I was more anxious than anything. I knew from past experiences that my family’s story tended to get left out of the picture when discussing India.

Unfortunately, this time was no different.

When the theme courses were released, I remember scrolling through them, still having some hope that they would provide a diverse array of perspectives and opportunities for students to learn about India. Instead, I found class after class on the North Indian perspective -- one that is often focused on due to its adoption of elements of Western culture.

Bollywood, British India and the Himalayas may represent India to some, but I found myself looking at a carefully -- though not necessarily accurately -- constructed portrayal of India. This was created to fit into the image of India that is already present in the Western world -- not one created to challenge it.

The first newsletter the Center for South Asian Studies released claimed that “All of the Theme Semester activities are geared towards helping students, faculty, and the community at large see the ways that India -- whether through art and aesthetics or economics -- is relevant to our everyday lives.”

This is a very ambitious goal, but I would argue that the first step is at least making it relevant to those who are from India. As someone whose entire lineage is rooted in India, I cannot even bring myself to attend Theme Semester events or enroll in the classes. Does that really make it relevant?

In all of the events and courses that the Center for South Asian Studies has planned, there have been mentions of India's enormous diversity. However, a large focus on Northern India and Hinduism will overshadow any mention of other faiths and cultures.

India will continue to be painted as the “world’s largest democracy,” even though it has a history of oppressing minority groups and targeting them with acts of violence. The most upsetting omission for me is that 30 years ago, the Indian government planned and carried out a military operation ending in the deaths of approximately 20,000 Sikhs. To this day, there have been no repercussions for those involved.

“India in the World” may be exactly how the University and the Center for South Asian Studies want to portray India, but it should not be mistaken for the truth. There are several gaping holes in the picture, and I hope that they attempt to mend this mistake by creating space for more diversity in their events and programming for the rest of the term.

Thus far, the newsletter has showcased a very Northern, upper/middle-class and Hindu-centric India. Even though some of these identities are the largest in numbers, or most commonly portrayed by Western society, it would be silly to assume that they make up the majority of India’s identity as a nation.

Luckily, we have quite a few student groups on campus, and even students outside of those groups, who come from incredibly different families and backgrounds in India. By including multiple perspectives, we can create a broader lens for others to view India, even if it may not be the perfect story. Although it may seem problematic to display the negative aspects of a community or country, it is even more troublesome to pretend that these issues do not exist.

Without recognition and acceptance of problems, it is impossible to move forward and create positive social change.

There may not be anything I can do about making the Theme Semester more inclusive at this point, especially when it comes to the courses it offers. Nevertheless, at least now I can be more aware. The underrepresented stories were very clear to me this time around because some of them were my own.

In future discourse, I hope to remember that history is always written by the victors, and there will undoubtedly be perspectives left out. Just because I’m reading something out of a textbook or hearing it from the mouth of a professor doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth. It’s just one piece of it.

 

[Courtesy: Michigan Daily]

January 30, 2014

 

Conversation about this article

1: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, USA), January 30, 2014, 10:29 AM.

This is especially sad, since we have a Sikh Studies program at UMICH. What does the Sikh Studies professor / program director have to say about Harleen Kaur's observations?

2: Rajinder P. Singh (Palo Alto, California, USA), January 30, 2014, 11:11 AM.

This seems very odd to me. Not to mention Professor Arvind Pal Singh Mandair, the University of Michigan has a very strong South Asia program with many faculty who work on Islam, South India, and teach nothing about Bollywood. Including Pakistani scholars, for example. Just look ... maybe the reporter needed to dig deeper?

3: Kulbir Kaur (New York, USA), January 30, 2014, 12:00 PM.

This is a very common scenario in all university faculties that call themselves "South Asian Studies" or "Indian Studies", or similarly named 'Centers' and 'Institutes', etc. They are cheer-leaders for India, mostly regurgitate the official line or are apologists for special interests (Hindutva, BJP, RSS, etc.). Sometimes, they show token representation of minorities or the other great faiths of India, but assign none or minimal resources to them, thus creating the desired optics but having no balance or accuracy by starving the projects. Of course, there's seldom any insightful or meaningful analysis of India's pretensions to, and abuse of 'democracy' and 'secular' ideals. Harleen Kaur has been polite and understated in her analysis: it's actually far worse. Nothing short of our own Sikh Studies and Chairs in every University -- INDEPENDENT of South Asian or Indian faculties -- will put forward our stories and correctly represent our issues, needs and interests. The few Chairs that we currently have - including the one by Prof Arvind Pal Singh Mandair -- are cowed down and overwhelmed by threats, real and perceived, from the all-powerful Indian/Hindu lobby. We as a community need to empower our Sikh academics more, not nibble at their ankles the way the likes of Jasbir Singh Mann and his cohorts do to weaken them.

4: Satvir Kaur (Boston, Massachusetts, USA), January 30, 2014, 12:05 PM.

I am a bit disappointed with this story (nothing to do with the author) because of the presence of Sikh Studies Chair at University of Michigan. I'm not sure if the above is a misunderstanding or if something is amiss in this theme/offering.

5: Harjinder Sethi (Columbia, Marland, USA), January 30, 2014, 12:48 PM.

Harleen ji has not provided many specifics in her piece, so it is not entirely clear where her critique is aimed, but it should not be a reflection in any way on the Sikh Studies program at the University of Michigan. In addition to being one of just a handful of universities in North America to make Punjabi language a regular part of the curriculum, the Sikh Studies program under Professor Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair offers undergraduate and graduate courses specifically about Sikhism each and every semester. Recent offerings have included "ASIAN 219: Warrior Saints - An Introduction to Sikhism", "ASIAN 303: An Introduction to Religious Military Orders of the World", and "ASIAN 480: Sikhism and Modernity", to give a few examples. This semester, Professor Arvind Pal Singh is offering "ASIAN 430: Philosophy of the Sikh Gurus", a course designed for junior and senior undergraduates and graduate students. I would challenge anyone to find any other university in the world offering similar course content.

6: Ashveer Pal Singh (Palo Alto, California, USA), January 30, 2014, 12:54 PM.

I wonder, Kulbir Kaur, if you have spent any time at, or know any graduate student affiliated with a South Asian Studies Center? The scenario is not as bleak as you would have it. In fact, my advisors in three different institutions have ferociously encouraged me to pursue research on Punjab given that they've rarely, if ever, had students study it.

7: Jagpreet Kaur (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), January 30, 2014, 1:02 PM.

This is a great observation by Harleen Kaur and it is good to see her write about it in the school newspaper. Respect to her for critiquing the college she may well be a student of at UofM. I have done some preliminary research on the topic she writes about. It is clear that how the LSA theme semester pans out has very little to do with one professor or student's voice in the pre-launch planning, present critique, or post-semester critique of it. We have to understand that the large network of South Asia Studies professors and students at UofM, and outside faculty from the Center for South Asian Studies at UofM are all part of the broader international area studies focus of South Asia Studies. Speakers who come and speak by invite at these events are professors from that large network. It is not up to one person to decide who speaks and who doesn't. So, I think points regarding why the Michigan Sikh Studies professor didn't do anything about the under-representation of Sikhs and Sikhi in this theme semester is an invalid point to make. With that logic, you could argue over why the theme semester has a good number of non-Sikh studies talks and conferences. Does that mean the whole department/Center is ignoring the Sikh voice? You're just going around in circles with arguments like that. What this article talks about points to a much larger problem -- we see it in the media. Take the Bhai Gurbaksh Singh example as a case study -- it was highly under-represented in the media in India and abroad, to say nothing (literally!) of Bhai Iqbal Singh. This article makes me reflect on my individual responsibility to ensure the Sikh voice gets heard. Pointing fingers at one individual will not get us anywhere. Also, to those who have commented with suggestions that the Sikh professor may have been amiss in any way, please first do your research.

8: Sarbjeet Kaur (New York, USA), January 30, 2014, 1:03 PM.

I'm baffled by the comments thus far. It's a bit ridiculous that all the commentators seem to imply that the lack of a sufficiently critical or diverse course offering (or the lack of a Sikh presence) in UMich's LSA theme semester is somehow due to Professor Arvind Pal Singh Mandair. They may not all be aware of the often complex departmental politics that go into how these interdisciplinary programs are designed. Harleen Kaur's essay itself doesn't make any mention of Professor Arvind Pal Singh, and we don't know the particulars of how the theme semesters are curated. In any case, it's irresponsible to suggest that any one individual could be responsible for the problems that seem to afflict this program.

9: Samantha Kaur (France), January 30, 2014, 1:38 PM.

The research university has always worked in tandem with nation-building projects, whether in respect to European or Indians. Instead of lamenting, the question is rather how to subvert the inherent collaboration between the academy and state power. There are very few academics today who actively resist and combat the deepest foundations of Indian nationalism. One of these academics is actually at the UofM, the Sikh Studies Chair mentioned in the comments. His work and the work of many other Sikh Studies academics is becoming quite influential and they are discovering how Sikhs can re-assert their own sovereignty. Otherwise, all we will have left are Punjabi political parties which collaborate with the Indian government and the various Sikh advocacy groups which are puppets of the Western powers. We need students, including the author of this article, to become a little more perceptive and informed about the political plights and promises of our time. Only then can Sikhs find a way out.

10: Rajbir Singh (Arlington, Virginia, USA), January 30, 2014, 2:43 PM.

I would also like to direct the readers' attention to the newly launched website www.sikhstudiesforum.com, an effort spearheaded by the Michigan Sikh Studies Forum, a group organized by the graduate students in Sikh Studies at the University of Michigan. The website was designed to address advanced topics in Sikhi in a more public forum. In fact, the author of the above piece is in the epicenter of modern Sikh Studies; whether she is availing herself of that fact is another question. I would encourage her to get in touch with Professor Arvind Pal Singh Mandair and the other graduate students in Sikh Studies at the University of Michigan to find out how to get more involved. There is a lot going on at the University of Michigan.

11: Raman Singh (USA), January 30, 2014, 2:46 PM.

I completely agree with Sarbjeet Kaur. It is completely unfounded to assume that since we have a Sikh Studies Program at UM that they somehow control the offerings of a theme semester. It is also sad to see the attacks on the UM Sikh Studies program and on Dr. Arvind Pal Singh Mandair. Kulbir Kaur seems to assume that Dr. Mandair is somehow not independent or "cowed down". I'm not sure if she has read any of his work or attended any of his lectures. He is independent and has a lot to say both about the way Hindu/Brahmin dominated India as well British dominated India affected Sikhs / Sikhism / Sikhi.

12: Jeevan Singh (Ohio, USA), January 30, 2014, 3:25 PM.

Blame for India's propaganda and misinformation machine and all its tentacles cannot be laid at the door of anyone else other than the desis and their minions. Our failure to counter it should merely be a reminder to us that, despite our limited resources, we have to find intelligent and strategic ways to counter the mischief. Dr Arvind Pal Singh Mandair is one of our best "foot forward". We need to protect him, support him and those like him, empower him ... not only from India's pseudo-academic goondas but also from the coterie of 'vehla singhs' within our own community who have made it their life's mission to plague our scholars.

13: Bharamvir (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA), January 30, 2014, 3:45 PM.

Professor Arvind Pal Singh's course offerings this semester include one on the "Philosophy of the Sikh Gurus". He also teaches classes on religion and violence where he discusses the atrocities of 1984, and in past years helped organize discussions following the 25th anniversary of Operation Blue Star as well as a lecture series after the Oak Creek Gurdwara attack. Here is a link to the course offerings: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/cg/cg_results.aspx?termArray=w_14_1970&print=true&cgtype=ug&cgtype=gr&allsections=true&show=1001&reqs=Theme_Sem&review=true

14: Gurinder Singh (Stockton, California, U.S.A.), January 31, 2014, 12:34 AM.

Kulbir Kaur ji has written the truth from her heart. I second her. Her analysis on some self appointed custodians of our faith is correct as such people have hardly any knowledge about our faith. There is a video of this self-appointed 'scholar' on the net - the one she refers to at the end of her comment -- which shows his dismal knowledge about the very basics of Sikhism.

15: Harneet Singh (New Delhi, India), February 06, 2014, 6:28 AM.

Gurinder Singh and Kulbir Kaur: Have the courage to read and understand 'Religion and the Specter of the West'. Once you do, you'll find Dr. Arvind Pal Singh is not cowed down at all but is taking on, head on, the greatest power structure in the world today, the Western Academy, as well as its leading thinkers, past and present, Hegel and Zizek, not to mention, McLeod. You'll also find that he has a deep understanding of gurbani, leave aside the "basic tenets".

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