Toronto is abuzz. This weekend the IIFA [International Indian Film Academy] awards are being held in Toronto to many a South Asian’s delight. We are, however, delighted about Toronto for another reason. This weekend, The Sikh Activist Network will be hosting When Lions Roar 3 – a night of hip hop, poetry, R&B and other art to remember the events of 1984.
There is much that can be said about the comparisons between the two events. The IIFA essentially celebrates bollywood – an industry that frustrates many conscious Sikhs living in both India and the diaspora. The representation of Sikhs in bollywood films has been an area of discontent with Punjabis and Sikhs being portrayed as hypermasculine and other cringe-worthy stereotypical roles [read Navdeep’s piece, Media and the Sikhs]. While many applaud the increased presence of Sikh turbans in bollywood films, others may argue that this presence has not necessarily changed the typical Indian’s perception of Sikhs in a positive way. For example, in Indian media – Sikhs continue to be portrayed with words such as terrorist, extremist and radical [read this inaccurate and uninformed article]. I’m not anti-bollywood by any means – there are definite exceptions to the bollywood trend of representing Sikhs in a one-dimensional manner. However, I think it’s important that as a community, we stay informed and expect authentic representation of Sikhs (whether in books or films or other art forms). Bollywood is a huge industry that has an enormous influence on building or breaking down perceptions of groups and communities. [Side note: it’s interesting to me that discussions about Sikhs in bollywood never revolve around Punjabi or Sikh women. This may be a good or bad thing, but perhaps it’s a discussion for another time].
It is clear that the Sikh community cannot rely upon an industry to change overnight – instead, we should focus on supporting and celebrating the immense diversity that makes up our community.
The Sikh Activist Network is one group doing just that. When Lions Roar 3 opens this weekend, it will bring together a plethora of talented young Sikhs who, perhaps unknowingly, are helping to promote non-traditional paths to success in addition to helping to change the stereotype of Sikhs in the media. When Lions Roar 3 is a night of Hip Hop, Poetry, Spoken Word, and Visual Art to remember 1984 and the continuing struggle for justice. In our community, we spend a lot of time talking about the value of discussing issues and not just brushing them under the carpet. I think this event helps to do just that – it’s important for our generation to discuss events such as 1984 in a healthy way and to build a sense of community around it. I hope SAN will invite Canadian media outlets to be present at the event to see that Sikhs can feel strongly about our identity AND feel connected to the countries we call home. In addition, the event should be written up in Panjabi newspapers to show elders in our community that the memory of 1984 will not be forgotten and to show them how we are choosing to commemorate. Be sure to check out the artists [also read For Many, Being a Sikh Means Being an Activist]. In the meantime, here’s a preview of one artist, named “Violinder”.