Books
A New Collection of Cartoons by Vishavjit Singh
A Book Review by I.J. SINGH
MY HEADCOVERING IS DOWNRIGHT SIKH, A Collection of Cartoons by Vishavjit Singh, U.S.A., 2011.
THE REVIEW
By day an Internet consultant, as many young Sikhs seem to be in this country today, Vishavjit Singh is a talented cartoonist. But in indulging this passion he wisely runs away from the slapstick.
This slim set of about 30 cartoons - titled "My Headcovering is Downright Sikh"
- is a serious commentary on the Sikh turban that attracts the most
attention in public space; unfortunately, the notice is often demeaning
or distasteful. Not that people on the street prefer to dislike or
suspect us but they know little or nothing of who we are, what we are
and why we are the way we are. Why do we have turbans on our heads?
Ignorance
breeds suspicion and contempt, and in the post 9/11 reality, the sight
of a turban promotes association with the late and unlamented Osama bin
Laden. This is so even though only Osama and his chief deputy,
al-Zawahiri, ever wore a turban within their movement of Al Qaeda;
certainly none of the terrorists who commandeered jets to attack the
centers of financial, political and armed might of the United States
ever wore one. In fact no terrorist arrested in this country pre- or
post-9/11 wore a turban.
There have been tragic consequences of
this ignorance and fear of the stranger - hundreds, if not thousands, of
reported cases of harassment, bullying, job discrimination, hate crimes
and even three cases of murder of Sikhs on the streets of this great
country. The answer, of course, lies in greater communication with our
non-Sikh neighbors but that's easier said than done.
That's a notable contribution of this work.
Capturing
reality in cartoons is a rare skill and Vishavjit Singh's talent shows.
He has highlighted the basics about the Sikh turban and the unshorn
intact hair that lie underneath. His drawings are neat, clean,
impressively eye-catching and unmistakable; his comments pithy, succint,
and telling.
He profiles Sikh physicians who serve the underserved across the world every year; that is their seva.
I liked the initiative where some young Sikhs attracted strangers by promising them coupons for Starbucks or other delectables if only they would wear a turban for the day.
He profiles Fauja Singh who continues to run marathons at the ripe old age of 100.
He does not neglect the lone young Sikh who, wearing a turban, braves the crowds as a working comedian, reminding me somewhat of casting Daniel to the lions.
And then, like a wise man, his sketch captures his
pretty wife who, too, wears a turban - one of the few but growing
numbers of young Sikh women who do.
Vishavjit Singh's topic is
serious, his touch light, but not comedic. The sense of the absurd is
critically important to the cartoonist. That, too, will emerge, I am
sure, for I see their seeds in his
work. I believe that the lightest matters deserve a serious undertone
and the most heavyweight issues need some levity, even comedic treatment
sometimes, lest the burden becomes too heavy to carry.
I have
known Vishavjit and enjoyed his talents for some years. Today, in this
collection, I celebrate how far he has come and where he is headed. And
it is time to bring his genius to the many that need to appreciate it.
Readers can contact Vishavjit Singh by CLICKING here.
ijsingh99@gmail.com
May 12, 2011Conversation about this article
1: Kabir Singh (New York, .U.S.A), May 12, 2011, 10:00 PM.
We need more people like Vishavjit Singh within our community to spread awareness about who and what we are.
2: Satvir Kaur (Canada), June 07, 2011, 10:49 PM.
Great job ... keep it up ... and make Sikhs proud, as always:))