Fearless Kaur makes it to finals of "Student of the Year" elections

 Prabhjot Kaur needs your support!

Prabhjot Kaur Gumber is a young Sikh woman living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who has made it to the finals of the Dutch Student of the Year election. I have gotten to know Prabhjot in the local sangat and since she decided to join the interfaith women's group that I also participate in. As a Dutch woman who discovered and embraced Sikhi as her spiritual path there is so much for me to learn from the life experiences of other women. I got to know Prabhjot as someone who is very focused on developing herself to serve the Sikh and the women's community and to make a real difference with her life.

When I asked her why she decided to participate in the Dutch Student of the Year election she answered: "I want to create awareness for Sikhi and develop women's rights. I hope to make big changes in the future for these two issues and winning this competition will be the first step to create more awareness. Since I was a young girl I was inspired by the Sikh Gurus and their devotion to God along with their humanity towards every religion. Sikhs are brave and shed their blood for the sake of others. I am really proud to be a Sikh and always hope that Waheguru will be proud of me too."

"When I got older I discovered that despite the sacrifices that the Gurus and their Sikhs made for their country, many Indian people didn't like Sikhs. They discriminated against them because they were a minority. They didn't have their own law in India (Sikh marriage act) and in cartoons and Bollywood movies people made fun of Sikhs. This really hurt me and I thought that India people didn't know their own history. When people in the Netherlands or in America make fun of our turbans, that hurts me too. I think it is crucial to create awareness about who we are as Sikhs, and to share our values of service, sacrifice, honesty and equality for all."

"My school presentations and research have been mostly about Sikhi. When I went to college and started studying Law I specialized in International Law in order to discover the differences between law systems. As Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught me that women have the same rights as men, it pains me to see so much discrimination and inequality towards women around the world. When I did research I saw that women are neither safe in the womb nor out of the womb in India. Unfortunately this also happens in Sikh communities because of cultural practices. Boys are still thought to be better or more valuable than girls. But this is not what the Gurus have told us and shown us."

The Student of the Year election has created a platform for Prabhjot to talk about these issues in local and national newspapers. She is brave and ambitious about fostering change.

I ask for your support in this last week of the elections. You can give her a vote everyday, through this link. Just click on the red button, it will turn green as you have voted. The next day you may vote again.

http://www.studentoftheyear.nl/contest/profile/view/587#/0

As Prabhjot says: "Sir jawe ta jawe mera Sikhi Sidhak na jawe". I may lose my head, but won't lose my Sikhi-attitude.

Thank you for your support.

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh.

Amrit Dev Kaur Khalsa

(Amrit Dev Kaur Khalsa (34) worked as a political journalist before she obtained a PhD in History at Leiden University, where she now works as a project manager to foster the 'Leiden Global' project. She is also a Level 1 and 2 Kundalini Yoga Teacher and she is devoted to spreading the technologies of yoga and Gurbani. She is studying kirtan and is an active member of the Dutch Sikh Council.)

Prabhjot Kaur

What do you do besides your studies? I'm an organizer. This year I organized the brand new festival for HvA and ASVA. I get along well with people and am very socially responsible. I like to help people and therefore I do volunteer work at many agencies in Amsterdam. What are your ambitions? After HBO Rights I want to follow a pre-masters program and then continue studying at university. I want to finish my education so that I can defend the rights of Sikhs (my people) in India. They currently do not have protective legislation in India even though the Sikh way of life originated there. I will also strive to develop women's rights for women in third world countries as I developed such rights in the Netherlands. What are your (hidden) talents? My passion for Gidha (traditional Punjabi dance) is not hidden so much any more. I perform each year at cultural events and have also been interviewed about my passion by the media (UvA newspaper and HvA) this year. Why do you want to be Student of the Year? Because I'm me! My identity gives me distinction from the rest. I get good grades and have been nominated for the ECHO Awards by HvA. I love to climb the mountain to get to the top - but not by pushing others down. I like to help people. I give everyone an equal opportunity to be successful. Why did you choose your current study? To help. Society treats many unfairly. I want to stand up for the Sikhs in India because they are discriminated against already for 1984 and have been the victims of persecution and even genocide. Not only because I am Sikh, but because I won't allow any nation to conduct a massacre. Hatred of religion, color and culture should disappear. Human Rights is the right program for people like me with the ambition to stand up for others. What would you change about the current education system if you had the power to do it? I would change the graduation policy: Better thesis guidance and teachers that focus on a student to help those graduating. Also each student should have a kind student buddy! Also I want to change the policy on reviewing the exams. Exams that disappear, forcing students to retake them, again is a common occurrence that must be stopped. These matters must be properly addressed

[The text in English is a "best effort" translation from the original text in Dutch. - ED]