Southall Vaisakhi Nagar Bhangra & Kirtan ?

[GurSa Singh]

http://www.panthic.org/news/124/ARTICLE/2388/2006-04-09.html

Southall Vaisakhi Nagar Bhangra & Kirtan ?

Sunday 9th of April 2006

Panthic Weekly News Bureau

London, UK (KP) - On Sunday, 9th April, 2006 took place the annual Southall Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan. The Nagar Kirtan began at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Havelock Road. The route of the Nagar Kirtan was as follows: Havelock Road, King Street, The Green, South Road, High Street, Green Drive, and ending at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Park Avenue.

In previous years, the Sangat had raised the issue of manmat [unacceptable conduct] being allowed in the Nagar Kirtan by sending letters to the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall Committee. In particular, Gursikhs were concerned with Bhangra dancers dancing in the Nagar Kirtan and singing Boliyan (song lyrics). Last year, Bhangra dancers and members from the Desi Radio station danced in the Nagar Kirtan to songs about the Shaheedi of the Sahibzaadey. It raised among many the questions, "Is Dharmik Geet to be listened and contemplated upon for its message, or to dance and jump and down to? How can this sacrilege by condoned by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Committee who organised the Nagar Kirtan?"

The Sangat’s message to the Nagar Kirtan organisers admonishing their lack of responsibility of ensuring the Nagar Kirtan is done in accordance to Gurmat done last year fell on deaf ears. Little or nothing had changed this year.

View Video of Nagar Kirtan Sewadar participating in Bhangra

http://www.panthic.org/data/images/news/categories/cat_124/2388_nagar_bhangra.3gp

Bhangra dancers dressed in their costumes can be seen in the pictures dancing to the dhol (drum) and someone singing Boliyan. The boliyan were about caste, women and drunkeness, which nowadays comprise the themes of modern Punjabi song lyrics. The Bhangra dancers disrupted the the purpose of the Nagar Kirtan, and secondly they promoted Manmat at such a joyous occasion by singing lyrics about things which are condemned in Sikhi, and thirdly it gave encouragement and acceptance to the youth that it is okay to keep your head uncovered, dance to vile lyrics promoting alcohol and caste and show little or lack of respect to the singing of Shabads and Simran being done in the Nagar Kirtan.

When the Nagar Kirtan approached Green Drive going towards Park Avenue, Gursikhs noticed a group of clean-shaven men, some who didn’t even have the courtesy of covering their heads, dancing and jumping up and down to the beat of the Dhol. In between jumping up and down and dancing, they were shouting slogans of “Raj Karega Khalsa,” and “Khalistan Zindabad.” Gursikhs noted that one need to “become Khalsa” before shouting such slogans and that secondly, by dancing and jumping down and shouting Jaikaare at the same time, ridicules the seriousness of such Sikh slogans and violates the sanctity of the Nagar Kirtan and belitles the purpose and message behind such an event. Some wondered:" What does this demonstrate to the youth?"

More shameful was the behavior of a Nagar Kirtan sewadar from Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, wearing a Sewadar jacket, who was dancing with the group of men rather than asking them to stop this disrespectful dancing and instead encouraging them to sing along Gurbani or at least show respect and solemnity to the rest of the Sangat who are singing Shabad Gurbani.

Eventually the group of men stopped doing Bhangra after Gursikhs tried to explain to them that this was not the time nor place to do Bhangra. Furthermore, members of the Sangat who were standing right behind the men dancing were annoyed that there Shabad Kirtan was being drowned out by the shouting, dhol playing and dancing of these men. Members of the Sangat also approached the men to stop. It seemed the group of young dhol players was fuelling these men to dance. So Gursikhs asked the dhol players to not play for a while, let the atmosphere calm down and restore to the intended peaceful atmosphere of singing Gurbani and doing Simran in Sangat roop.

Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org

[Singhstah]

same story every year isnt it. I havent been down to the southall nagar kirtan in a few years, but this is a problem at almost all nagar kirtans. Something has to be done, as theres been absolutley no change. I suggest that before starting each nagar kirtan, a sevadar talks to all the sangat and tellls them the significance of a nagar kirtan and wat it really means, then request them not to display any inapropriate or antigurmat behaviour. There should also be singhs (singhnees to) with the sole duty of making sure nothing like that goes on.

EDIT- oh yeah and that southall crusing bull sh*it has to be done away with to.

[ParwinderSingh]

they are propa idiots, they havent a clue about sikhi.................

[randip singh]

The boliyan were about caste, women and drunkeness,

Says it all :wub:

[_K_]

Last year, Bhangra dancers and members from the Desi Radio station danced in the Nagar Kirtan to songs about the Shaheedi of the Sahibzaadey. It raised among many the questions,  "Is Dharmik Geet to be listened and contemplated upon for its message, or to dance and jump and down to? How can this sacrilege by condoned by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Committee who organised the Nagar Kirtan?"

The boliyan were about caste, women and drunkeness,

Gursikhs noticed a group of clean-shaven men, some who didn’t even have the courtesy of covering their heads, dancing and jumping up and down to the beat of the Dhol. In between jumping up and down and dancing, they were shouting slogans of “Raj Karega Khalsa,” and “Khalistan Zindabad.” Gursikhs noted that one need to “become Khalsa” before shouting such slogans and that secondly, by dancing and jumping down and shouting Jaikaare at the same time,  ridicules the seriousness of such Sikh slogans and violates the sanctity of the Nagar Kirtan and belitles the purpose and message behind such an event. Some wondered:" What does this demonstrate to the youth?"

More shameful was the behavior of  a Nagar Kirtan sewadar from Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, wearing a Sewadar jacket, who was dancing with the group of men

Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org

159736[/snapback]

stoopid stoooooooooopid stooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopid IDIOTS!!!!! singing songs with crappy lyrics abt caste,women alcohol????!!!!!

"raj karrega khalsa"???!!!!! wat is goin on??!!!!

[sikh supreme]

That kinda crap always goes on every vaisakhi, it is better if next time those who want to do bhangra, dance around and play bolliyan have a seperate area or function so that the two dont meet and sangat get mixed up.

Vaisakhi should be a joyess occassion, a time for Sikhs to celebrate but theres a time and a place for such activties (ie after the nagar kirtan has passed).

Talking of stupidness the police in southall mucked things up last year on vaisakhi day making cordones so no one could get in broadway after 5pm. No wonder the youths got frustrated, I tried to get to Singh Sabha gurdwara and arrived at 8pm cos of polices stupid actions.... its better if they allow people to celebrate and let traffic flow freely.

[Akali_Sodhi]

i believe it would do well to remember that vaisakhi was around before the "khalsa", different people celebrate for different reasons, traditional jatts celebrate as it is the ending of the harvest etc.....

[GurSa Singh]

i believe it would do well to remember that vaisakhi was around before the "khalsa", different people celebrate for different reasons, traditional jatts celebrate as it is the ending of the harvest etc.....

159774[/snapback]

There's loads of manmat stuff that was done before the creation of the "Khalsa", don't mean we have to get involved in it.

If theses "traditional jatts" (as you put it) want a bhangra party, then why don't they organise their seperate event, with their money!. Instead why ponce off the Sangat's funds. There's Vasakhi Bhangra gigs on all week around the UK. They can go to them! They don't need to hang around Nagar Kirtan waiting for a dhol to bang so that they can bust their dance moves.

The funny thing is my 3 year old daughter went to the Nagar Kirtan and asked

"Daddy, is this the Nagar Kirtan?". To which I replied "Yes!", to which she said "But where's the Kirtan?!"

[Dhan Teri Sikhi]

"But where's the Kirtan?!"

There was amazing keertan by Bhai Sarbjeet Singh Laddie (Darbar Sahib Wale) and Bhai Davinder Singh Sodhi (Ludhiana Wale) with all the sangat joining in and singing towards the front of the Nagar Keertan near Maharaaj Jee's Palki.

It was mindblowing keertan

[randip singh]

i believe it would do well to remember that vaisakhi was around before the "khalsa", different people celebrate for different reasons, traditional jatts celebrate as it is the ending of the harvest etc.....

159774[/snapback]

You are right and wrong at the same time.

Yes Vasakhi was celebrated by ALL punjabi people....not only JAtts.

No Vasakhi did not have the significance pre-Sikhi in Punjab that it does now.