I am proposing two topics from which to choose for this unit, and you are always welcome to select another with advanced permission.
1) The Khalistan movement seeks to form an independent Sikh state within the colonial borders of Punjab (now split between India and Pakistan). Indian opposition to the movement resulted most notably in a massacre inflicted by the Indian Army upon Sikh pilgrims (and members of the Khalistan movement who were on site) at the Golden Temple, the religion’s most sacred site. Hundreds of people died, and the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Sikh body guards murdered her in retaliation.
Explore the history (emphasizing recent events) of this movement and describe multiple perspectives of the current conflict. The movement is not new, but it came to people’s attention recently because the Indian government was accused of assassinating one of the movement’s leaders, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, last summer. It led to a rise in anti-Hindu violence in both Canada and the U.S. You’ll have to read several articles to sort out the different perspectives as Indian, American Hindu, and secular Western sources all talk about the incident and the movement in different ways.
2) Court cases around the world have decided when and where Sikhs can wear turbans and kirpans. The British Army, for example, recruited Sikhs heavily during their occupation of India and the Sikh legions grew beards and wore their turbans proudly. In the U.S. Army, Sikhs face greater barriers, not just because Americans are less familiar with Sikhism, but for safety concerns if beards prevent them from wearing gas masks. Usually, arguments revolve around the less urgent demand for visible uniformity.
The most recent case (as of August 2023) concerns the New York State Police. Your task is to investigate the topic and write a 500-700-word essay or record a video of a similar length about the issue and explain the positions made by different people. Here is an article to get you started: https://apnews.com/article/new-york-state-trooper-sikh-religious-accommodation-d12c7a0e0173e30f912e564fddb966fd. Your submission should cite at least three different reliable secular news (or academic) sources. A footnote with a link to each article is sufficient notation. If you are recording a Flip video, include the links in a text comment to your video or add them as an attachment.
