Students celebrate Sikhism


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Throughout this week, USC’s Sikh Student Association is hosting Sikh Awareness Week. The celebration is aimed at educating students about many facets of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion with roots in the Punjab region of South Asia.

According to SSA President Himmat Singh, the goal for this week is to raise awareness about Sikhs and their faith. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world, but Sikhs are still often victims of discrimination and violence. Since Sikhism is derived from South Asia and requires Sikhs to wear turbans, Singh said that many confuse the religion for Islam or Hinduism. He hopes that this week’s events will help to educate students across campus.

“It’s really big for us to make an appearance on campus, to show that we are USC students too,” Himmat Singh said. “We’ve had so many students coming up to us, spending those extra minutes listening to our faith and what’s important to us, and that really means a lot.”

SSA kicked off the week on Monday with Sikh artist Amandeep Singh, who goes by the name “Inkquisitive” and creates vibrant editorial and religious art. As part of his Colourfornia tour, Amandeep  Singh created a mural next to SSA’s tent on Trousdale Parkway throughout the day. On Tuesday night, Amandeep Singh presented the piece of art to students and gave a Q&A at Ground Zero Performance Café.

Also on Tuesday, SSA held a turban tying event on Trousdale. Students were able to try on turbans, which are a vital part of the Sikh faith. Sikhs are expected to keep Kesh hair — meaning that they do not cut their hair — and to cover their heads with a turban. The event was meant to relieve negative stigmas surrounding turbans in American culture.

“I think there’s a huge stigma against turbans,” Himmat Singh said. “It helped people see that the turban is respected and that you shouldn’t be afraid of it. It is a symbol that we are really wanting to share with others.”

SSA showed a screening of the classic Sikh film Chaar Sahibzaade on Wednesday night. The film doubled as both entertainment and education, as it told the story of the 10th Sikh Guru and the sacrifices of his four sons. This story is another vital part of Sikhism.

A Seva event will take place Thursday morning, as students are invited to gather on Trousdale at 11:30 a.m. to create cards for terminally ill patients. Seva, which means “work offered to God,” is charity work that makes up a main part of the Sikh practice.

The week will conclude on Friday at Fishbowl Chapel for a night of Kirtan meditation to commemorate the victims of the 1984 Sikh genocide in India. In a series of pogroms, anti-Sikh mobs led by Congress party members attacked Sikhs throughout the country, killing 2,800 people. Friday’s event will educate participants about the specifics of the genocide and end with a celebration of the Sikh culture and faith.

The SSA is hoping that this week will act as a springboard for a year-long campaign to raise Sikh awareness across campus. Himmat Singh is also coordinating with Sikh campus organizations across California, along with working to increase membership at USC. However, he says that the SSA’s focus for the year — and for the foreseeable future — will be raising awareness and stopping negative stigmas.

“You can never stop teaching people about who Sikhs are,” Himmat Singh said. “The more we teach about who we are, the less stigma there is against Sikhs and the less terrible things we’ll see happen around the world. We’re going to keep trying to get out, to educate people and hopefully, we can keep succeeding.”