Below: first from bottom - Shonali Bose. Second from bottom - Jagdeep Singh.
Columnists
New York City Honours
The Spinning Wheel Film Festival
EK ONG KAAR KAUR
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has declared the week of September 22-28, 2007 as "Sikh Heritage Week" in New York City, in honor and support of the Spinning Wheel Film Festival, which highlights Sikh history and culture.
The proclamation this week from the mayor's office reads, in part:
"Now in its fourth year, the annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival showcases the rich diversity, history and culture of the Sikh people. In addition to documentary and feature films, the festival also offers interactive discussions with the movies' producers - helping to increase understanding of Sikh culture and strengthening the bonds of our city's Sikh community. This week, New Yorkers celebrate the talent, hard work, and dedication that Sikhs contribute to our city's social fabric".
This proclamation is especially timely, in light of recent events with the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA). Since August, the TSA has been conducting questionable searches of Sikh turbans, as part of new policies for airport security.
The U.S. is home to an estimated 500,000 Sikhs who wear a turban as an article of their faith.
Sponsored and supported by the Sikh Art and Film Foundation (headed by Teji Singh Bindra), the fourth annual Spinning Wheel Film Festival of New York - under the leadership of Inni Kaur - will feature a variety of films and short documentaries. The movies will be screened at the Asia Society & Museum on New York City's posh Park Avenue, on Sunday, September 23, 2007.
They range from short, entertaining insights into Sikh arts and culture, such as Where Not To Do Bhangra, to feature-length movies, including The Widow Colony, which is about the anti-Sikh pogroms of 1984.
The Foundation will also be hosting a special Sikh Heritage Awards Gala on September 22, the evening before the film festival, to recognize and award the following:
President and Chief Executive Officer of Infinera Corporation, Sardar Jagdeep Singh, for his leadership in providing optical telecommunications equipment to communications service providers; Thomas P. DiNapoli, for his vision as the 54th comptroller of New York; Writer, Director and Producer Shonali Bose, for her courage in making Amu, a film about the 1984 pogroms; and Executive Producer and Co-Creator Bedabrata Pain, also for his courage in making Amu.
Note: For more information on New York City's Fourth Annual Spinning Wheel Festival or the Sikh Heritage Awards Gala, visit www.sikharts.com or call 1-877-SIKHARTS.
[Article, courtesy: SikhNN.com. Image of Proclamation, courtesy: Mayor Bloomberg's Office.]
Conversation about this article
1: Pritam Singh Grewal (Canada), September 15, 2007, 3:52 PM.
Thank you, Mr Mayor, for officially honoring the film festival! Let this occasion help to dispel misunderstanding about Sikhi and its articles of faith, like the turban.
2: Gurteg Singh (U.S.A.), September 16, 2007, 1:40 AM.
I commend the achievements of all filmmakers who are participating in this Spinning Wheel Film Festival in New York. However it is sheer hypocrisy on the part of the organizers who, on the one hand, are honoring Shonali Bose - the brave woman who exposed the mass murders and criminals responsible for the 1984 Sikh pogroms, while at the same time having an Indian Member of Parliament as its honorable chief patron who socializes with a man who led the murderous mobs during that time. . Tarlochan Singh, MP, had a choice not to associate himself with a function where Sajjan Kumar would be the chief guest ... or he should have walked away from it when he came to know about it. Instead he chose to sit down with this brutal mass murderer and performed havan with him for his selfish political interests rather that stand up for what is morally right. He is totally unfit to be associated with a Sikh organization as its honorable chief patron. The organizers have also invited to this festival key Indian Government official including its Ambassador Ronen Sen and Congressman Crowley, the head of India caucus in the US Congress who acts as the chief lobbyist for the government of India. It is unfortunate that the Sikh Film Festival is being used to advance the business and political interests of organizers rather than Sikh principles, which clearly tell us that we should never degrade ourselves to the point of compromising with the oppressors.
3: Neha (New York, U.S.A.), September 24, 2007, 12:01 AM.
The festival was a wonderful event, with a series of stirring and educational films about our faith and our collective history. I would only hope that, in years to come, the festival be opened up to folks from outside the Sikh community as well. I'd love to see it educate not only our children, but our neighbors as well, about our unique identity.
4: Harvinder K. Tuteja (Shrewsbury, MA, U.S.A.), September 24, 2007, 1:33 PM.
My son went to the New York Spinning Wheel Film Festival. He loved it and highly recommends the Spinning Wheel for all.