T-shirts Stir Debate At Surrey School

[2desi]

Debate about freedom of expression after several students went to school on Friday with unique t-shirts carrying a possibly controversial message.

About 20 Sikh students showed up at Surrey's Princess Margaret High School wearing black t-shirts with white lettering that reads "Khalistan" on the front.

The shirts endorse the man who once led the controversial movement in India in the 1980s, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, which ended in widespread riots and violence.

Bhindranwale was killed in 1984 in India after the country's army led an uprising to storm the Golden Temple.

"(A teacher) asked me to take off the shirt, but I wasn't wearing anything underneath I didn't have anything else at school, so they said put on a jacket so I had to put on a jacket and zip it up," said one student, who declined to give his name.

"They're saying it's politics in the school, and the school doesn't do politics, you're not allowed to wear political shirts, right. But this has nothing to do with politics."

On the back, the t-shirts read "While we live, we shall live with dignity, when we die it shall be for the faith."

But some witnesses say they also saw similar t-shirts with images of AK47s on them, although the students deny that claim.

The students who wear the shirts say they are simply expressing their religion.

Dough Strachan, communications manager for the Surrey School District, says the issue is not just black and white.

"The school is trying to work through the problem," he said. "It is asking those involved to be respectful to everyone's points of view."

Strachan would not clearly say whether the board will condone or reject the students' position.

"It's difficult, or maybe even unfair to say this is acceptable ... and this is not, at least to some extent."

But at least one student says he will probably wear the shirt again.

"I don't care," he said. "Our tenth guru said, when all means of addressing the wrongs have failed it is righteous to raise a sword."

[2desi]

people are flipping over the smallest things....I used to wear shirt with Sant Ji pic to school

[Temporary]

I first didn't want to reply to this post as many more i know won't. But the simple thing is you can't be a missionary while (as my brother says) "murgey di latt ve ni chadde". Before we go in politics, expressing our religion we MUST learn it ourself.

I have done some workshops here on east coast with other singhs and one thing was common, A BIG KHANDA in the neck of a badmash munda and what so not. If you ask me they just wore it because of the "cool factor" (aa term i use for such things).

This incident has nothing to do with religion/politics or anything else. I quite don't feel like writing much as i feel it is self explanatory to those who want to understand it.

In my views, guru ka sikh is and should always be a simple man, because those who show are not left w/ anything; while those who have everything never show it. I quite forgot the gurbani tuk in gurmukhi but'll post if i remember (other are welcome to post if you know it)

WJKK, WJKF!!

[lovekhalistan]

All the people wearing t shirts are clean shave. What religion are they trying to represent. I understand If you have turbun wearing these t shirts make sense.

[Temporary]

All the people wearing t shirts are clean shave. What religion are they trying to represent. I understand If you have turbun wearing these t shirts make sense.

Exactly my veer jio, it says, ""Our tenth guru said, when all means of addressing the wrongs have failed it is righteous to raise a sword." and my question to them would be, "Do you even know tenth guru?"

I know the working of this site so, now please don't post asking me whether i do or no...

[lovekhalistan]

Today at Malton Canada nagar kirtan. I saw these two guys in corrvet big big khanda hanging in their car. While nagar kirtan was about 15 min away from gurdwara sahib. Sangat was waiting for nagar kirtan. These two guys head not ever cover but had

yellow chuniya(feeling cool) around their neck and showing of their car.

They have no understanding about sikhi. These guys trying to show off shakti without any Naam Jaap. You have to be sant first and then solidier.

[saint-soldier]

WJKK WJKF

I feel like the comments posted thus far are very ignorant. Since when was Khalistan or the right to autonomy, freedom and justice confined to those who have a dastaar. Khalistan is a land for a free Punjab, its link to Sikhi is the basic principle of human rights for all, not just Sikhs, or those with long beards and Dastaars. Khalistan would welcome ALL and provide them with human rights. If we all believe this then why cannot a mona, gora, etc not demand Khalistan, whu must they meet the pre requisite of a flowing beard and dastaar.

I personally support these students without attempting to measure their spirituality.

props. Finally someone thought about it logically and didn't jump into conclusions.

[DashmeshForce]

Good on these lads, who are representing!

The Khalistan movement was not just for Sikhs, it was for the progress of the entire Panjabi kaum and the state of Panjab, in which many non Amritdharis sacrificed themselves.

[mandeep99]

you know why thier's so much media coverage on sikh issues, right now their ppl in bc who arn't liking what their seeing and watching sikhs become british colombia's biggest success story's, 30 years ago surrey and vancouver use to be some of the most racist places in canada, read some of the struggles the first sikhs went through up till 30 years ago, sikhs were considered animals and looked down upon and surrey was extremely redneck skin head mentality city, but look at sikhs today they are the most successfull ppl in all of british colombia in all fields, in buisness the top buisness men in british comumbia are sikhs, in sports some of the most successfull athletes are sikhs in vancouver,(i also have a thread on sikh athletes and notice most the athletes come from vancouver) sikhs dominate in politics that it leaves other community's jealous of falling so far behind, because of this success some of the racists are now feeling insecure like kim bolan of the vancouver sun and will take any oppurtunity to attack sikhs, are community has issues but its funny how the media doesn't notice the good sides of our community and the racism we had to overcome, surrey was the dirtiest city in canada, now look at surrey the areas punjabis live in is probably some of the most beautiful areas in surrey and canada and the areas were the racist rednecks use to live in and still live in look like trailer park trash, pretty much half of surrey which is beautiful is beautiful cause of the sikhs who turned those areas around and built big beautiful homes in those areas and areas taht are poor are were the rest live but you wont' find punjabis living in dirty areas. Right now their is alot of jealousy over sikh success in british comumbia and get ready to feel more heat. Racists like kim bolan will never expose success story's but just the negative we need to fix the negatives also and really piss of these ppl

But at the same time the sikh community does have some serous issues like kids joining gangs getting into drugs and dropping out of school, it would be a real shame if we went from being the biggest success story in canada who just got stronger with racism and everyother wall that was put in our way to being the biggest failures in the next 25 years. We do have issues but for what the sikhs have overcome in last 30 years to become most successfull comunity we now really need to come together to handle these challenges.

[Jhajaroo]

Here's another link to this story which was played on the CTV news network:

http://www.ctvbc.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNe...ishColumbiaHome

Click play on the video to the right of the article