Gurdas Mann Concert Cancelled Due To Kirpan

[Guest fordcapri]

Gurdass Mann is widley liked by many pujabi house-holders including elders, he dosent sing about booze/girls much most of videos dont show women of ill repute showing flesh.

He relgious antics are questionable he is very confused, always going on about muzzie sufis.

[Papi]

^^ That's not exactly what I meant, sorry for not being clear. I mean if you are wearing kirpan on the outside, you are declaring that you are a Singh, then how could you goto a Gurdaas Maan show?! Of course it applies to all amritdhari's (assuming all want to further their spirituality) but it especially applies to those who wear kirpan on the outside. If kirpan was being worn inside the shirt, this issue would not even arise.

PS. Let's not get into arguing about "should amritdhari's be going to a Gurdaas Maan show or not"

Veeray, I think it doesn't matter if the a person wears kirpan outside or inside. If you are amritdhari then you have choice either to wear 6inch kirpan or 13 inch kirpan, whether one like to wear it outside or inside.. its our ownn choice

Hanji bhaji I agree. But living in a highly democratic and culturally diverse country like Canada we have so many freedoms that people in other countries do not enjoy. Time and again I find that people still try to push law's buttons and try to bend them more and more. But this can not go on for long, after a while things will fall apart under all the tension.

Telus convention centre has a policy about weapons, even though we do not consider kirpan a weapon, they do. I guess I am trying to look at the event from an outsider's point of view. Our thinking so far has been that it's either our way or the highway and I feel that is not right. In a simple case like this the entire issue could have been avoided if kirpan was worn on the inside, from what I have bene told there are no metal detectors installed at the venue. Also, the reaction of Sikhs was completely uncalled for, they marched in downtown in a big group doing jaikarey and causing rukus, completely uncivilized. It portrays a bad image for us Sikhs. This is what I think.

[buddasingh]

nicely said!

I think there are many people who have taken amrit around the world, and the communities differ around the world. Even in the UK you would have one community of amrit dhari Gursikhs who would never even think about going to a concert, and they you have a seperate community who are a bit more "relaxed" and dont see anything wrong with it. Not saying that either group is right or wrong, but thats just how it is. So rather than clashing with other communities, we should try our best to help each other out and yes, if you believe that Guru Sahib really does not want his Singhs and Singhnia going to a Gurdas Mann concert, then we should try to educate each other alongside helping each other. Rather than say "Oh well, you were wrong for going to the concert in the first place, we are not going to support you."

The danger in our community is that if Sikhs just stick to their own, the governments, the non-Sikhs will become oblivious to Sikhi - and we will find that within a decade or two, Sikhs will have no rights, no say at all. I think the issue highlighted at the concert is a valid one and one that needs to be addressed by the WHOLE of the Sikh nation because today, they are banning us from going into concerts... tomorrow, it may be supermarkets... shops... parks... etc.

End of the day, lets stick together. By making others feel hated or inferior, we are not living Sikhi at all. We need to come together, learn to love and respect one another, and educate and inspire each other built on that love, not hate.

forgive me if i said anything wrong.

to add food for thought...maybe it could have been avoided if we ALL lived and wore the kirpan on the OUTSIDE.

^^ That's not exactly what I meant, sorry for not being clear. I mean if you are wearing kirpan on the outside, you are declaring that you are a Singh, then how could you goto a Gurdaas Maan show?! Of course it applies to all amritdhari's (assuming all want to further their spirituality) but it especially applies to those who wear kirpan on the outside. If kirpan was being worn inside the shirt, this issue would not even arise.

PS. Let's not get into arguing about "should amritdhari's be going to a Gurdaas Maan show or not"

Veeray, I think it doesn't matter if the a person wears kirpan outside or inside. If you are amritdhari then you have choice either to wear 6inch kirpan or 13 inch kirpan, whether one like to wear it outside or inside.. its our ownn choice

Hanji bhaji I agree. But living in a highly democratic and culturally diverse country like Canada we have so many freedoms that people in other countries do not enjoy. Time and again I find that people still try to push law's buttons and try to bend them more and more. But this can not go on for long, after a while things will fall apart under all the tension.

Telus convention centre has a policy about weapons, even though we do not consider kirpan a weapon, they do. I guess I am trying to look at the event from an outsider's point of view. Our thinking so far has been that it's either our way or the highway and I feel that is not right. In a simple case like this the entire issue could have been avoided if kirpan was worn on the inside, from what I have bene told there are no metal detectors installed at the venue. Also, the reaction of Sikhs was completely uncalled for, they marched in downtown in a big group doing jaikarey and causing rukus, completely uncivilized. It portrays a bad image for us Sikhs. This is what I think.

[Deletedkp]

Kphull, at no stage did I label Gurdas Mann as a non-Sikh. Incidentally, I do not know whether he professes the Sikh faith or not. My point is that if he does profess the Sikh faith, he doesn't seem to be that bothered (vocally) about events that are occuring to ticket purchasing Sikhs who attend them.

You did not name me specifically, but you quoted from my post so it is only courteous that I respond. Furthermore, i don't think it is fair to say EVERYONE on this forum loves to contradict themselves.......that's a very big generalisation....for example like saying everyone named Kphull haven't got a clue what there on about.

BiggChan, I’m just saying what I have read in your quote. I didn't say you have not labelled him as a non-Sikh, but majority of the people on this forum will call a Non-Amrithdhari a non Sikh. This statement was not pointed at you directly and I apologise for that. I shouldn't have quoted your post. I was making a point about the majority of people on this forum labelling Sikhs and non-Sikhs. If you recognise Gurdass Mann as a non-SIkh because he cuts his hair why should he help Sikh people in raising awareness about the Sikh faith.

I apologise again, for quoting your post, but I will stick with my argument about how majority of the people portray Sikhs and non-Sikhs on this forum.

[dass]

Personally looking at if from a UKers point of view, the reality is if they don't allow kirpans, you should phone up before hand and ask, I know a bibi had some issues at Wimbledon one year, other's have issue's at the EYE in London amongst many other places. Yes we should try and educate but the reality some place's went bend. So the real question is "WHY HOLD THE EVENT THER IN THE FIRST PLACE", think Gurdas maan needs to think about his "fans", maybe like any other performer, "it's all about the money" !!!!!

[Papi]

think Gurdas maan needs to think about his "fans", maybe like any other performer, "it's all about the money" !!!!!

Generally, performers do not have control over the venue, event orgainzers pick the place as they see fit.

[AvnitK]

i just read this in the newspaper today very surprising ...kirpan is allowed in the parliament but why not there in the convention??

[singh_comradz]

from http://thelangarhall.com/archives/4006#comments

For diasporic Sikhs, it seems routine and almost expected to wake up to news about an incident where a Sikh was banned access to an event because of his or her kirpan. Many times, we blame this on the ignorance of law enforcement, who often have never heard of a kirpan. We tell ourselves, Dont worry, we just have to teach them and theyll understand. However, when Kirpan wearing patrons at a Gurdas Mann concert are barred entry, then we must stop for pause.

When a kirpan wearing citizen is blocked access from exercising their civil liberties, we as a community go into uproar mode. We file lawsuits, organize protests, and launch mass public marketing campaigns in order to exercise what we believe to an unalienable right and an articulation of our personal sovereignty. When a Bollywood movie comes out with a Sikh hero sans beard, our institutional bodies outrun and out-leap each other to be the first to cry foul. When a Baba in a Dera dresses up as Guru Gobind Singh Ji, we bring the state of Punjab to a halt.

However, at the point where cultural icon and repository Gurdas Mann, goes so far as to write No Kirpans or Sharp Objects Allowed on tickets being sold at a VAISAKHI show in England, then what do we do? We let him carry forward and WE outrun and out-leap each other so we can be first in line at his next concert.

Now when his concert bans an entity which is legally allowed in the public spaces of Canada, then what do we do? Do we ignore and slowly sweep this incident under the rug, like so many of our cultural problems? Or, do we stop and say, Hey, standing next to K.P.S Gill and lambasting Sikh terrorism is not ok; banning kirpans in UK is not appreciated; and throwing out concertgoers in Alberta, is simply no longer going to work.

[Bored]

so wat if hes following some other religion or w/e. as long as he's not corupting sikhi with intent. its his own path..not urs! let him walk his life on earth and u all walk urs....simple enough? its not about who you are listening to, its about what u listen to.