Dreadlocks, Turbans, and Rollercoaster Racism

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #10 (**permalink**) 29-Jul-2012, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joginder Singh Foley

WJKKWJKF Sat Siri Akal

Properly tied a turban will not come of in my experience i know this as i own and ride high performance motorcycles [motorcycles capable of speeds of 150 MPH plus] at speeds of 100 MPH plus and not lost a turban yet Been riding motorcycles for 38 years and a Sikh for 25 years

I have read the history of the Akali Morchas of 1920's where the British Police was extremely brutal with sikh jathas but hardly nay mention of turbans off/or allegations of police pulling kesh etc..but recent reports form Punjab..show a lot of turbans OFF and police dragging kesh..i think the modern turban is not as anchored as in the past..it comes off too easily..maybe i am wrong but a turban NOT anchored by the EARS is not stable enough to resist uprooting...remember the Sant ji of CHICAGO...with the SAME TYPE of GOL PUGGH....LOST it while FLEEING the Sangat gathered outside his Hotel Room...no one manhandled him..he was simply RUNNING..and he still LOST his turban and left it behind...i cant IMAGINE his turban intact in a 150 MPH wind on your motorbike ????

: grinningsingh:

Joginder Singh Foley · #11 (**permalink**) 31-Jul-2012, 23:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gyani Jarnail Singh

I have read the history of the Akali Morchas of 1920's where the British Police was extremely brutal with sikh jathas but hardly nay mention of turbans off/or allegations of police pulling kesh etc..but recent reports form Punjab..show a lot of turbans OFF and police dragging kesh..i think the modern turban is not as anchored as in the past..it comes off too easily..maybe i am wrong but a turban NOT anchored by the EARS is not stable enough to resist uprooting...remember the Sant ji of CHICAGO...with the SAME TYPE of GOL PUGGH....LOST it while FLEEING the Sangat gathered outside his Hotel Room...no one manhandled him..he was simply RUNNING..and he still LOST his turban and left it behind...i cant IMAGINE his turban intact in a 150 MPH wind on your motorbike ????

: grinningsingh:

Its The bugs [Keep your mouth closed and a good set of goggles over your eyes otherwise you will soon find out why]you have to worry about at high speeds not losing your turban properly tied up and the time taken to tie your turban up correcttly and the turban should not part company with the Sikh whatever you are doing

harry haller · #12 (**permalink**) 01-Aug-2012, 00:23 AM

for the sake of amusment Joginderji, I reproduce funny stories #1

So my first funny story takes me back to age 26, I was then, a fully keshdhari sardar, and a keen biker. I loved the freedom of not needing a crash helmet, although I got used to fellow bikers shaking their heads at the lack of protection a Pugh was going to offer.

A few days earlier, on one of the main roads into where I lived at the time, police had removed a rope strung across the road designed to catch an unwary biker, and it had been widely reported in the local press. Riding home that afternoon, the sunny day was suddenly replaced by very hard very fast rain. I hated rain, like my father, I starched my turban, but the trouble was, in the water, it had a tendency to turn into a soggy floury mess.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/people-and-opinion/38696-dreadlocks-turbans-and-rollercoaster-racism.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38696

The rain was getting harder, so I accelerated past a slow moving car in an effort to get home, when suddenly, as I got back into lane, my cherry red turban parted company with my head, and smashed into the windscreen of the car behind. Of course the dye ran, and stopping and walking towards the car, I noticed the windscreen was covered with red dye, with a red floury soggy mess in the middle,. The elderly occupants, on seeing a pair of legs walking towards them through the haze of cherry red dye, locked the doors and started making the sign of the cross. I could not do much else other than scrape what was left of the turban off the screen, place it on my head, (to be legal), and drive off.

Searching · #13 (**permalink**) 01-Aug-2012, 01:32 AM

Harry ji
You have a funny way of telling stories.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #14 (**permalink**) 01-Aug-2012, 05:41 AM

OH Harry Harry..I bet those oldies got the shock of their lives..seeing what must have seemed to be a HEAD stuck on their windscreen..ha ha..really made me laugh..good one ji..

: grinningsingh:

namritanevaeh · #15 (**permalink**) 21-Oct-2012, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by findingmyway

Living in Brooklyn, New York City as a turban-wearing Sikh, I attract plenty of negative attention from random strangers as well as the cops, which I’ve written about at length. Fortunately, I also get some love and respect from time to time as I walk or ride my bike in my neighborhood in central Brooklyn — especially from Rastafarian men
I hope her fight inspires many others like her — dreadlocked, turbaned, or hijabed — to challenge institutional bigotry.

http://thelangarhall.com/usa/dreadlo...oaster-racism/

Good post Findingmyway. I have found some parallels to make between my background (I'm of Scottish descent) and Sikhism. No, we don't all keep our hair (though mine personally is as long as some Sikh women's, easily, despite having cut it as recently as 3.5 yrs ago...it's almost down to my waist), and while Scottish customs these days have more to do with culture than religion, there are some lines you can draw. Male Scots typically would have worn a Kilt (many still do, at least for dressy occasions), which says nothing about covering hair ;-) but still is a specific type of dress. Moreover, most Scots dressed up for a Scottish affair have a small dirk (knife) they carry, not on their waist like a Kirpan but rather in their sock; it is called a "sgian dubh" in Scottish Gaelic (pronounced Skee-ahn-doo) and it is really for ceremonial purposes these days. There are typical games played at Scottish highland games events such as tossing the caber (a giant telephone-pole like hunk of wood ;-)) and shot-putt. I personally like to find ways where there are things in common rather than trying to find differences.