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Articles on Sikhs

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A Khalsa Day parade in Toronto, a celebration of Baisakhi held in April 2015. Colin McConnell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Why Sikhs celebrate the festival of Baisakhi

The spirit of Baisakhi for Sikhs is reminiscent of the ideals of their gurus, who encouraged them to work toward building a just society.
People gathered outside of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver on June 24, 2023 to protest the recent shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

The fraught history of India and the Khalistan movement

Hardeep Singh Nijjar is one of three high-profile Sikh political activists to be killed in recent months.
Muslim refugees sit on the roof of an overcrowded coach railway train near New Delhi, trying to leave India after the 1947 Partition. AP Photo

5 books and films that tell the story of the trauma of the Partition of India and its aftermath

On the 75th anniversary of India’s partition, scholars from the US, Canada, France, UK and Australia write about their favorite book or film that best explains the trauma of a violent division.
Nuns from a group of Dalit Christians, or India’s lowest caste who converted to Christianity, protest in New Delhi. AP Photo/Gurinder Osan

Caste doesn’t just exist in India or in Hinduism – it is pervasive across many religions in South Asia and the diaspora

Several US universities now recognize caste as part of nondiscrimination policies. Two scholars of South Asian studies explain how caste-based violence isn’t limited to Hinduism, or to India.
Sikh men and women during a prayer service during the Baisakhi festival. Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

What is the Sikh festival of Baisakhi and why is it so sacred?

Originally a spring harvest festival, Baisakhi acquired religious significance after the10th Sikh guru created the Khalsa, a distinctive Sikh identity, on this day.
Diwali is the most important festival for the South Asian community. Photo By Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The many stories of Diwali share a common theme of triumph of justice

Many Indian Americans will be celebrating the festival of Diwali soon. A scholar of Asian religion explains what this festival of lights means – especially in chaotic times.

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