Making Turbans Cool Again for Sikh Youth Slug: India turban Date: 13/12/2012 Reporter: Jasvinder Sehgal

INTRO The turban is the ost visible s! bol o" the Si#h identit!$ "ro

Si#h en %over their head &ith a long pie%e o" %loth as their religion "orbids the %utting hair$ 'ut the !oung generation is in%reasingl! shunning the turban$

In%iden%e o" dis%ri ination or violen%e li#e the re%ent gunning do&n o" Si#h in a te ple in ( eri%a is one reason !oung people don)t &ant to &ear the turbans$ Jasvinder Sehgal reports on an event that)s tr!ing to T*+T S,+ 1 - ( bien%e In the dressing roo . !oung Si#h bo!s are un"urling long strips o" %lothes to #not. pleat and "inall! tie the %are"ull! around their heads$ (ll o" the are tr!ing to &in the /Turban T!ing 0o petition1 &ith their neatl! tied turbans$ other$ a#e Turban)s %ool again$

Jarnit Singh is in si2th %lass and has %o e here &ith her

Jarnit Singh %lip 1 34ale. 5un6ab7: 8 Turban is ! identit! and is a sign o" sel" respe%t and pride$ Our tenth spiritual leader and "ounder o" Si#his 9uru 9obind Singh Ji gi"ted us &ith turban$ No Si#h is %o plete &ithout turban and it is li#e a %ro&n on his head$ ( Si#h %an be identi"ied in a %ro&d o" be%ause o" his uni:ue dress %ode$1 4an6eet ;aur is Jarnit)s other$

4an6eet ;aur %lip 1 3,e ale. 5un6ab7: The Si#h !outh is heading toda! in a &rong dire%tion as so e o" the are shunning their turban on a%%ount o" "ashion$ This t!pe o" %o petition inspires a !oung Si#h not to %ast aside his turban "or reasons o" st!le$ This is not a ne& %o petition. even in olden da!s the Si#h rulers use to organi<e the $ Onl! 9od #no&s the ti e o" death so a Si#h should never "eel unsa"e be%ause o" turban giving hi a ista#en identit!$1 S,+ 2 ( bien%e In the auditoriu the audien%e is eagerl! &aiting to see &ho &ill &in$$$$$

=hile the! &ait $$$h! ns in 5un6abi are sung$

S,+ 3- >! ns in 5un6abi The 6udges are a#ing their de%ision based on the neatness o" the pleats and overall appearan%e o" the turban$ S,+ ? ( bien%e Jarnit Singh ta#es to the stage &ith the nu ber 1@$ The %o petition is divided in to t&o age groups. 12 to 1@ and1A to 23$ Jasveer Singh is the an behind the sho&$

Jasveer Singh %lip 1 34ale. 5un6ab7: 8=e are living toda! in a &estern %ulture &here Si#h parents don)t tea%h their %hildren enough about our ri%h heritage and histor! so the! don)t adopt our %usto s$ Si#h bo!s are e2pe%ted to tie and &ear the turban b! the ti e the! rea%h adoles%en%e. but the! are not doing so$ =e need to en%ourage the to do so$ =hen the Si#hs in the Indian ilitar! %an &ear turban instead o" hel ets even in "rontline %o bat situations then &h! the !oung ones %an)t do this residing in the %o "orts o" their ho es$1 S,+ B =eeping people The assassination o" Indian 5ri e 4inister Indira 9andhi in 1CA? b! her Si#h bod!guards has triggered an anti-Si#h ove ent that le"t thousands dead$ 4an! Si#hs %ut their hair to es%ape the violen%e$ Jagir Singh lost all o" his "our brothers as the! &ere &earing turbans at the ti e o" the antiSi#h riots$ Jagir Singh %lip 1 34ale. 5un6ab7: 8In ! %olon! at least B00 Si#hs &ere #illed at that ti e$ 'oth o" ! sisters lost their husbands &hile ?0 o" ! %lose relatives &ere brutall! urdered$ I lost ! brothers. aternal and paternal un%les. all sons o" both o" ! sisters in this un"orgettable in%ident$ Nobod! in ! %olon! %an sa! that the! &ere not a""e%ted be%ause o" the turban during the riots$1 T&ent! eight !ears a"ter the assassination and things are starting to %hange$ S,+ D- >indi ,il 5opular ainstrea Song "il s no& "eature Si#h hero)s &earing turbans$$$$ arr! a an &ho &ears

So e o" the girls &at%hing the %o petition toda! sa! the! &ill onl! a turban$ Jas in (rora is one o" the $

Jas in %lip 1 3,e ale. 5un6ab7: 8Ees. I &ill arr! a turban &earing Si#h onl! as it &ill give e also a uni:ue identi"i%ation$ Turban is a gi"t "ro our asters and b! all &a!s it should be

respe%ted$ I a i pressed that no& a da!)s even Indian heroes are dressed in turbans. I a proud to be a Si#h$1 Jagir Singh didn)t &in but he is still a proud turban &earing Si#h$ Jasvinder Sehgal "or (sia 0alling in Jaipur. India$