The One with Shabd
By Shabd Singh
Listen to learn about the ideas, spirit, and people that shape the multifaceted universe known as Sikhi. What inspires a Sikh to wear a turban and grow long hair? What significance do Sikhi's symbology and ritual have to a people whose religion is skeptical of both? Why do Sikhs carry swords? What was the Sikh Empire?
Also learn about contemporary Sikh politics, historical research and people organising for a Sikh political future.
The One with ShabdSep 11, 2020
The Farmers' Protests in Context with Navyug Gill
In this episode, Shabd interviews Navyug Gill about the historic and ongoing farmers’ protests in India.
Navyug Gill is a professor in the department of history at the William Paterson University in New Jersey with a doctorate from Emory University Atlanta, GA. He specialises in Modern South Asia, Labor History, Agrarian Studies, Caste Politics, Global Capitalism, Postcolonial Theory, and Subaltern Studies.
They talk about the history of agriculture and its politics that led to this moment including the Green Revolution, Anandpur Sahib resolution and more. They talk about the bills and what they’re trying to really achieve, farmers’ strategies, Sikh ethos and its relationship with a “secular” and universal movement, and the future of this movement
Find Navyug Gill - https://twitter.com/navyuggill
Hosted by Shabd Singh (twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Queens New Deal with Jaslin Kaur
In this episode, Shabd interviews Jaslin Kaur about her campaign running for City Council District 23 of New York City.
Jaslin Kaur is an organizer, survivor advocate, and lifelong resident of Glen Oaks, running for City Council District 23. She wants to transform the public transit system, bailout gig economy workers, and foster a violence-free New York City for students, seniors, and families across Eastern Queens. They talk about her experience in the Sikh community and how her values translate to politics, her reaction to the 2020 Presidential election and the broader politics in the United States, her progressive agenda for District 23 and more.
Support the campaign - jaslinkaur.nyc
Follow Jaslin online - twitter.com/jaslinforqueens
Hosted by Shabd Singh (twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Sparks From The Same Fire with Jasdeep Singh
In this episode, Shabd interviews Jasdeep Singh, about his book 'Sparks From The Same Fire', a collection of 4 short stories. Each story explores experiences and emotions which weave us together in the tapestry of humanity.
Jasdeep Singh spent years performing poetry as a hobby. Eventually people started referring to him by the town he grew up in - Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. His writing is influenced by Sikh philosophy, through which he is learning about the concepts of compassion, selfless service, and the common source of all things. He spends his days gardening, learning to ride horses, and having interesting conversations with people around the world.
They talk about the Jasdeep’s experiences that went into the creation of the book, the theme of common origin and common struggle that tie all the stories in the book together, Jasdeep’s relationship with Sikhi and the Nihang tradition, and how all of this forms the basis of the stories in the book which by showing the commonalities amongst people, wants to unite them.
Find Jasdeep Singh - instagram.com/jasdeepsinghrh
Find the book - amazon.com/Sparks-Same-jasdeep-Singh-Richmond/dp/1777270901
Hosted by Shabd Singh (twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
1984: India's Guilty Secret with Pav Singh [Rebroadcast]
The Sikh genocide of November 1984 is one of the most important moments in recent Sikh history. 8,000 people were killed and thousands more women and girls raped by orchestrated gangs over the course of three nightmarish days in early November. Pav Singh, journalist, author, and Community Associate at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London walks us through his new book detailing the historical context, sequence of events, and subsequent coverup the '84 genocide.
Find Pav online - twitter.com/PavSingh84
Buy the book - kashihouse.com/books/1984-indias-guilty-secret
Hosted by Shabd Singh (twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Sikhi for All with Tegh Singh
In this episode, Shabd interviews Tegh Singh about his experience as a Black Sikh in the community. Tegh Singh is originally from Southern California. He enlisted in the US Army at age 18 and served for over 6 years imbedded in infantry platoons as a Fire Support Specialist - a multi-faceted occupation centred around calling in mortars, artillery, and attack aircraft. After deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, he married his long time best friend Rusveer Kaur in 2010, which is also when they began studying Sikhi together. As an interracial couple in the Sikh community, Tegh and his wife have faced many challenges before and since having their daughter (now age 4). They currently live in Calgary, Alberta; striving to make Seva the center of their lives; serving veteran and homeless communities, and speaking to youth about Sikhi, overcoming life’s challenges, and developing important life skills.
Find Tegh Singh - twitter.com/TeghSinghCA
Hosted by Shabd Singh (twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Art and Acitivism with Sonny Singh
Shabd interviews Sonny Singh who is a trumpet & dhol player, singer, songwriter and a social justice educator. He is also the original member of red baraat - a band out of Brooklyn, New York.
They talk about Sonny’s experience with racism growing up, learning to play tabla and harmonium as a young SIkh kid, finding ska music, discovering and attending social justice movements and more - all of which go into his work as a musician and an educator today. His first single as a solo artist, ‘Mitar Pyare Nu’ comes out on August 18.
Find Sonny Singh - https://sonnysingh.com/ and https://twitter.com/iamsonnysingh
Find his single - https://fanlink.to/sonnysingh-mitar
Hosted by Shabd Singh (https://twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (https://twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Pind with Hark1karan
In this episode, Shabd interviews Harkaran or Hark1karan as he’s known online, about his photo-book, ‘PIND: Portrait of a Village in Rural Punjab’ which shows a specific culture, rooted in Indian Punjab, in a village called Bir Kalan, in the district of Sangrur, Malwa. It captures brilliantly the daily life of this village, its residents and the changing rural landscape without romanticising it.
They talk about the story behind the book, the creative process and interactions with people of the village, Harkaran’s life being a creative person in the Punjabi community, and dealing with and capturing through photos, the questions of personal expression and changing ideas of normality in a community which is continuously evolving.
Order the book - https://www.hark1karan.com/
View the photos - https://www.hark1karan.com/the-one-with-shabd/
Find Hark1karan - https://www.instagram.com/hark1karan/
Hosted by Shabd Singh (https://twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (https://twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
A History of Yogi Bhajan and 3HO with Philip Deslippe [Part 2]
This is Part 2 of History of Yogi Bhajan and 3HO with Philip Deslippe. The discourse between Philip, who has dedicated years to studying this story, and Shabd who was born and raised in the community, provide a unique perspective on the oft-misunderstood community.
They finish up the history of the community and use them to talk about contemporary developments. They cover the relationship between gurus and students, 3HO’s corporate wing, ideological roots of the community, recent revelations and more.
Part 1 - https://anchor.fm/theonepodcast
Find Philip Deslippe at https://philipdeslippe.com and https://twitter.com/PhilipDeslippe
Hosted by Shabd Singh (https://twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (https://twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
A History of Yogi Bhajan and 3HO with Philip Deslippe [Part 1]
Shabd interviews historian Philip Deslippe on the history of the community known as 3HO and its founder Yogi Bhajan. The discourse between Philip, who has dedicated years to studying this story, and Shabd who was born and raised in the community, provide a unique perspective on the oft-misunderstood community.
They talk about the context of early American yoga, and gurus, Yogi Bhajan’s arrival in LA, 3HO’s teachings, the emergence of a business, exploitation and control, relationship with Sikhi and more.
Find Philip Deslippe at https://philipdeslippe.com and https://twitter.com/PhilipDeslippe
Hosted by Shabd Singh (https://twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (https://twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Episode 18 - The Court of the Tenth Master with Lou Fenech
In this episode, Shabd is joined by Lou Fenech - who’s a historian and a scholar specialising in Punjabi and Sikh Studies. His publications include three books, the most recent of which is: The Sikh Ẓafar-nāmah of Guru Gobind Singh: A Discursive Blade in the Heart of the Mughal Empire (2013). He is also co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies(2014).
They talk about the Darbar of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh master and the ideas of balancing Dharam or righteousness and realpolitik. They also talk about the political and social context of that time, and how the Sikh Guru’s philosophy interpreted and explained it. This is done by reading and understanding the vast scholarship of Guru Gobind Singh.
Find Lou’s books - Amazon link
Hosted by Shabd Singh (https://twitter.com/ShabdSingh)
Produced by Rishwajeet Singh (https://twitter.com/leftclicktv)
Support the show and get exclusive perks at www.patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Episode 17 - Understanding Mental Health with Shuranjeet Singh
mental health and the organisation he founded Taraki, which works alongside
Panjabi communities to raise awareness around mental health and create
community structures of support.
They also talk about Shuranjeet’s experience of mental health as a student,
mental health in capitalism, the current paradigm of understanding mental
health, and Taraki’s unique way of approaching it.
Mini-Episode - India's Citizenship Laws with Suchitra Vijayan
founder of the polis project, talking about CAA and NRC - India’s new
citizenship laws. These laws offer accelerated citizenship for specific
minorities from specific countries - which might end up fracturing the
“secular” nature of the Indian democracy, and open the door to the
establishment of a theocracy - an idea that that underpins the actions of
India’s ruling party - the BJP.
Episode 16 - 54 Punjabi Proverbs with Jvala Singh
work and translation of Sikh historical texts. Jvala is the creator of
Manglacharan which, in his own words, is a project dedicated to shedding
light on the treasure trove of knowledge passed down by our ancestors,
which has not yet been translated into English. For the past ten years,
Manglacharan has provided translations of passages from important
theological and historical texts within the Sikh tradition. They discuss
the Suraj Prakash Granth, one of the most important historical Sikh texts,
the context for it and how Sikh scholarship has changed through the years.
Finally, they talk about Jvala’s new book - “54 Punjabi Proverbs” which
contains 54 Punjabi proverbs transliterated and translated into English,
and the story behind it.
Episode 15 - Organizing Sikhs with Jaskaran Sandhu
World Sikh Organisation has been doing. WSO is a Sikh advocacy group in
Canada and works to protect and promote the interests of Sikh Canadians.
Episode 14 - Decolonizing Kashmir with Suchitra Vijayan
special status, communications blockade and human rights abuses in Kashmir.
Episode 13 - The Singing Guru with Kamla Kapur
first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. Her works include plays, novels, poetry,
essays and reimaging Indian spiritual writings.
Episode 12 - Combating Hate with Arjun Sethi
attorney, about his book “American Hate: Survivors Speak Out”. They discuss
the book as well as delve deeper into the thesis of his introduction - the
relationship between white supremacy and the United States’ massively
unequal economic system, and how the media portrays survivors in a way that
is often more exploitative that helpful.
Episode 11 - Queerness, Gender, and Intersecting Identities with Prabh Kehal and Smalls
Today, I speak with two fantastic guests about queerness, gender, and intersectionality as Sikhs. Queerness and gender are taboo topics among Sikhs and queer Sikhs often experience within their own communities. We discuss the nature of this repression and how we can work together to combat those stigma.
Prabhdeep Kehal is a doctoral student in sociology at Brown University. Their research interests span racial theory, racism, higher education, and organizational theory; their research falls into the tradition of DuBoisian sociology, focusing on how the color line, history, community, and context are critical dimensions for conceptualizing a racialized modernity. Their work is concerned with how prestige is constructed within higher education, and how constructs of prestige and merit serve as mechanisms for maintaining racialized inequality in higher education. Through studying higher education, Prabhdeep is interested in understanding how higher education can serve as a mechanism for structuring inequality. An additional area of personal inquiry pertains to anti-Blackness, anti-queerness, and gender conformity within the Sikh and Sikh-American diaspora and how it manifests itself in political and educational advocacy. @prabhbob on Twitter.
Smalls is an artist, advocate, and abolitionist working to improve the visibility and representation of coloreds and queers while fighting for the improved quality of life and liberation of all oppressed peoples, with a spotlight on Black mental health, OCD, chronic illness, and invisible disability. @hellaSwankky on Twitter.
Episode 10 - Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory
"Remnants of a Separation is an Oral History archive focusing on material memory. It is the first and only material study of the Partition of India, taking into consideration those objects that refugees brought with them when they migrated across the border, those objects that were left behind in houses and lastly, those objects that were lost in the midst of the journey of migration."
Aanchal Malhotra is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and oral historian living in New Delhi, India.
She received a MFA in Studio Art from Concordia University, Montréal in 2015. Her thesis project, entitled, 'Remnants of a Separation', developed and defended under the guidance of photographer, Raymonde April, is the first and only study of the material remains of the Partition of the India in 1947.
On today's episode Aanchal Malhotra walks us through some of these memories from her outstanding thesis and now book.
Follow her at aanchalmalhotra.com
Support the show at Patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Episode 8 - The Real MVP with Arish Singh
Bonus Episode - Prabodhchandrodaya with Jvala Singh
Jvala Singh joins us for a bonus episode about the philosophical play: Prabodhchandrodaya.
Jvala writes:
The Prabodhcandrodaya - The Rise of the Moon of Awakening, is a very influential Sanskrit play, written at the end of the 11th century. Rooted in Advaita Vedanta philosophy, the text took numerous forms over the centuries, including a Persian version (17th century), as well as a Braj Bhasha version (18th century) translated by Pandit Gulab Singh, a Nirmala Sikh.
You can see a video he recorded on the play here: https://youtu.be/eCMJFXW8Fhs
Follow Jvala on Twitter: @jvalaaa
Support The One with a monthly donation at Patreon.com/TheOnePodcast
Episode 7 - The Story of Sikh "Radicals": Sikh Narratives in the Media with Dr. Jasjit Singh
Episode 6 - The Material Realities of Partition with Dr. Guneeta Singh Bhalla
Episode 5 - Headless Heroics with Jvala Singh
Episode 4 - The Eyes of Asia with Charles Allen
Episode 3.5 - Sikh Resistance Movements Continued w/ Sukhraj Singh (Sikh Talk)
Episode 3 - Sikh Resistance Movements w/ Sukhraj Singh (Sikh Talk)
Episode 2 - The Quest Continues: Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan with Amardeep Singh
Not only do they show the rich cultural legacy of pre-partition Punjab, but they speak to those people's memories of a society less divided across religious boundaries. We discuss this as well as how and why these divisions were deepened and how they contributed to the fracture of these once coexisting communities.
Episode 1 - 1984: India's Guilty Secret with Pav Singh
Pav Singh, journalist, author, and Community Associate at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London walks us through his new book detailing the historical context, sequence of events, and subsequent coverup the '84 genocide.