Gurpreet Singh: Punjabi photographer risked his life trying to save Ravinder Kaur Bhangu

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      The Indo Canadian community came under the microscope once again following the July 28 brutal murder of a woman in Surrey. But what hasn't gotten nearly as much recognition is how a Punjabi press photographer—in a daredevil act—risked his life by trying to save the victim from the fatal stabbing.

      Narinder Nayar also got injured while attempting to overpower the assailant, who walked into the office of Sach Di Awaaz, a Punjabi news weekly, and stabbed Ravinder Kaur Bhangu to death.

      Her estranged husband, Manmeet Singh, has been charged in connection with the incident. Since the setting of the murder was inside the predominantly Punjabi community and both the victim and the suspect were of Punjabi descent, the latest act of violence has brought the community under the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

      A spate of murders of Punjabi women in the Greater Vancouver area in the past has created a sensation on several occasions. This has left many outside the Indo Canadian community wondering whether violence against women is too common in the male-dominated Punjabi society.

      However, Nayar—who received injuries while trying to grapple with an attacker reportedly armed with sharp-edged weapons—has set a good example.

      The publishers of Sach Di Awaaz have not been very forthcoming about the details of the event because of legal reasons. But they have revealed that Nayar tried to save the deceased. The photographer is not returning calls or talking to the media at this time.

      A short and an average-looking man, Nayer not only deserves appreciation for his bravery, but can also become a role model for others to stand up instead of being mute spectators.

      His action has shamed those within the Indo Canadian community who not only mistreat women, but often try to rationalize violence against females. They include a handful of Punjabi media commentators, who have tried to find fault with the women following such incidents.

      In fact, a Punjabi radio commentary following Bhangu's murder that tried to put the blame on women for provoking males stirred an angry reaction from Sach Di Awaaz.

      The mainstream should also take into consideration the positive role played by progressive and open-minded males within the Indo Canadian community, instead of painting all Indo Canadian men with one brush.

      Liberal males in Punjabi society strongly denounce violence against women and respect gender equality. Their activities generally evoke little interest in the mainstream media because bloody stories sell more than the positive stories.

      Gurpreet Singh is a Georgia Straight contributor, and the host of a program on Radio India. He's working on a book tentatively titled Canada's 9/11: Lessons from the Air India Bombings.

      Comments

      16 Comments

      kaur

      Jul 31, 2011 at 11:01am

      I'm saddened about yet another gruesome murder and another sister lost.

      I often read posts here from commenters bragging about the fighting spirit of the Sikhs and I feel that there’s too much violence ingrained and glorified within the Sikh religion. It’s hard to escape it. For example, the Sikh symbol is three swords crossed and a baptised Sikh must always wear a dagger/sword. I think there are consequences of this glorification of violence in various forms today within the Sikh community - such as gang membership of young Sikh men, Sikh terrorist group activity and domestic violence.

      Furthermore, I’m appalled with the male dominance inherent within our culture. The Sikh religion is supposed to promote gender equality, however the problems within our community that continue to persist indicate that this hasn’t been effective. Sikh religious leaders should be doing much, much more to help and protect women.

      monty/that's me

      Jul 31, 2011 at 11:04am

      Mr. Singh, the mainstream TV commentators interviewed persons praising this man's actions. However, the police felt it necessary to
      warn others not to pursue this course of action as it is too dangerous.
      The attack by that Punjabi radio station was duly reported in the mainstream media. The recent exchage of purple bracelets got good coverage,too.

      Have you read Kim Bolan's book: Loss of Faith: How The Air-India Bombers Got Away With Murder? She seems to have covered the subject very well. (She is a member of the main stream media.)

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      monty/that's me

      Jul 31, 2011 at 7:06pm

      Why did you release this man's name when no one else did?

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      GOT

      Aug 2, 2011 at 7:16am

      Mr Singh, the story IS about yet another pre-meditated murder of an Indo-Canadian woman by her husband, NOT about the heroics of a man who happened to be there and who did the right thing by trying to intercede. What I find curious in your article is the absence of the word 'Sikh'. Unless everybody in the Punjabi community is Sikh, then I think you need to be more specific about the source of the violence that is appallingly commonplace in your community. The Canadian community at large will never accept a culture which promotes and glorifies violence to the extent that the Sikh community appears to do so. Is it possible that this violence is deliberately intended to prevent members of the community, especially but not only the women, from broader assimilation with the non-Sikh community, and vice versa? In other words, is it periodic random violence against community members that has all the earmarks of a form of domestic terrorism for the purposes of community control? I think a national inquiry into Sikhism and violence might be in order, preferably sooner rather than later. I know there are Sikhs who are as appalled at the violence as most non-Sikhs are, but as long as the violent component remains in control, nothing will change - or if it appears that it might, another 'example' murder will reinforce the message to those contemplating change. And that, unfortunately, is the bigger story here.

      Jay Singh

      Aug 2, 2011 at 10:00am

      Hi Kaur

      I hope you're not saying you're getting your education about Sikhism from the comment section of a desi paper.  Anyone who boasts about Sikh fighting pride is about as educated as anyone who gets their education from TV.

      My mother was in an abusive marriage.  She was sent to Canada with a return ticket to meet a fellow and some mean people tore her ticket up and forced her to marry a jerk.  In the 70's.  She found a way to get away, divorced and remarried with no direct family in Canada.  I'm her oldest son.  I'm sure it wasn't easy but doing the right thing always isnt easy, nor is there one explanation to explain it all.

      I'm Curious.  I'm not sure if you know there is a big difference between Punjabi Culture and Sikh Teachings.  They don't agree in many, many ways.

      There are many, many things in Punjabi Culture that are not supported by Sikh teachings.  

      Punjabi culture has been dragged into glorifying violence, drinking, drug abuse, laughing about spousal abuse, greed, and more.

      If you take a moment to read the Guru Granth sahib in English you will see it all there yourself in plain writing.  Basing your belief on hearsay and what others have taught you to believe about Sikhism is no different than what happened 100 years ago, blind following based on what someone told you.  Otherwise we're no different than our pindu forefathers. When people didnt know how to read and write, they went by the word of one of the few people in the village who could read and write (the gyani at the gurdwaras).  Now that you can read and write, how are you learning differently?  

      It's up to our generation to get informed first, ourselves before we take positions blindly to spread poison and misinformation.  You're totally welcome to have your beliefs how you decide to, all I ask is you read and learn for yourself first.

      About "weapons" in Sikhism.  Sikhs are only on a path of service and compassion to all of humanity. Sikhs don't believe in violence, if you read and learn for yourself.

      If there's any mindless punjabi or anything looking for any justification, they will find it in anything, including religion.  They are  not Sikh, just a fuelled up Punjabi.

      There are no Sikh gangs, only punjabi bravado from punjabi music. There is no sikh prayers that praise being violent. It's totally the opposite.  Why don't people follow it?  Why don't people keep a diet or exercise?  Self-Discipline.  

      As I'm learning, Sikhism is about understanding myself, and punjabi culture often distracts me from myself.

      Sikhs were born in a time where a person in India was not allowed to learn to read or write.  They were not allowed to learn how to protect their families from the conquerors of India. They could not work in any trade or own land easily.  Over 90% of humanity was in slavery or untouchables.

      In this time the Sikh Gurus told everyone to learn to read and write to improve their lives, learn self defense to be caretakers of the weak and poor anywhere, and see everyone as their full equal as a brother or sister.  

      Sadly our religion and way of life in Punjabi Culture is like we do most things.  Its like exercise, only a few actually do it. All sikhism and all great religions teach is, to improve yourself. I doubt any loser who attacks a woman, or anyone has any great self-education.

      If a Sikh had been near by they might have used what you called weapons to defend someone who was defenseless.  If someone had a kirpan and used it to defend this poor woman what would you have said?

      I'm kind of sad you're using this incident to smear a religion or group of any kind. I doubt the guy who did this was religious, let alone a good man.  Maybe if he took the time to learn for himself.. Like you..  You seem well spoken enough to know better.

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      kaur

      Aug 2, 2011 at 10:51am

      Sadly there are commenters here who regularly pounce on Gurpreet whenever he writes about something troublesome within the Sikh community. This is how Sikh leaders and most Sikhs seem to deal with the varied internal problems within our community - blame the person who reports about it. Equality was one the founding tenets of the Sikh religion and it must be reinforced by Sikh religious leaders. In fact I think helping and protecting women should be their number one priority. Too much energy is spent on matters of dissension.

      I am very grateful to Gurpreet for telling us about the bravery of this man and shining a light on the fact that there are men out there who are decent, humble and compassionate. We so rarely get this message and it’s a very important part of this story that needs to be told. I’m sad that the other commenters here are trying to draw attn away from it.

      Personally, I think @GOT’s assertion/question of periodic random violence against community members being a form of domestic terrorism for the purposes of community control - is out to lunch. My father was a perpetrator of domestic violence and so I have a lifetime of experience about this. It’s a very complex cultural problem and change needs to begin within our community – especially at the leadership level. Acceptance is the first step towards change.

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      kaur

      Aug 2, 2011 at 1:20pm

      @Jay Singh, fyi I was born as a Sikh in Punjab so I’ve been immersed in the culture and the religion and I’m well aware of the difference between the two. I have also read parts of the holy scripture (Guru Granth Sahib) at the temple (Gurudwara). The many references to violence has at times been too much for me to handle. My brother feels the same way.

      You state that Sikhs don't believe in violence. Please tell the Sikh terrorist groups this. Are leaders such as Malik setting a fine example for the predominantly Sikh youth gang members? Sorry, I don’t buy your propagandist commentary.

      It's up to our generation to get informed first ourselves before we take positions blindly. I stand by my statements made above. Covering up problems and not taking accountability doesn’t lead to solutions.

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      GOT

      Aug 2, 2011 at 4:01pm

      @ kaur- I'd be quite happy to be 'out to lunch' with the idea of random violence against community members being a form of social control, but there are well-known tactics of social control in both religious and secular communities. Ostracizing and shunning those who don't toe the line are well-documented societal controls. In a community that regularly experiences domestic violence as a form of control within the family, it's quite plausible that a public version could be used as a way of 'broadcasting' fear within the female part of the society, a sort of 'ultimate shunning' of an individual for the 'education' of others. However, I am more interested in your observation that ...'change needs to begin...at the leadership level'. This has been obvious to the non-Sikh community for decades - why is it not happening, or not possible? Even if there are women, and supposedly men, in the community advocating for change, how does the very public murder of Ravinder Kaur Bhangu affect them? This needs to be discussed at a higher level than a comments page - perhaps Gurpreet Singh could follow up his recent observations with something addressing how Punjabi/Sikh women feel about this tragic incident, and the cultural climate that seems to encourage it. I have great sympathy for all Sikhs who find themselves caught between religion and culture, but those who do or say nothing in the face of this on-going violence are complicit in it by default.

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      william

      Aug 2, 2011 at 6:19pm

      The story should be about Ravinder, a victim
      of senseless violence perpetrated by a loser
      in any7 community. I knew her, she was my student in Newton. She was the sweetest,
      kindest, most peaceful woman. But she was
      also very intelligent, and determined to make a bright future for herself. Sadly, she was trapped in a bad marriage, and now the tragic victim of abuse. The world has
      been robbed of a bright star. I will miss her
      sweet smile, and her sharp wit greatly.

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      kaur

      Aug 2, 2011 at 6:50pm

      I think that one of Gurpreet’s recent wonderful columns http://www.straight.com/article-403444/vancouver/gurpreet-singh-communit... is revealing in regards to why the Sikh community has not been able to make more progress with social reforms and remains dysfunctional.

      Sikh fundamentalists are taking over with their bullying, propagandist tactics. These groups are more interested in creating dissension with issues like whether one should use tables and chairs in the temple over the overwhelming need for changes like promoting equality for women and keeping them safe from abuse. The people who follow these fundamentalists do so blindly without critical engagement (case in point @Jay Singh).

      Moderate Sikhs need to step it up if they want to salvage this religion and help their community but this is no easy task when the fundamentalists act like the mafia. Although culture and religion are deeply intertwined in shaping the Indo-Canadian community (which locally is predominately Punjabi Sikhs), religion is an enormously powerful force.

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