Khwaish-Newsletter-12

www.ysas.org
AUGUST 2007 MITA (P) NO : 016/02/2007
Engaging Minister George Yeo
stated that, “In the coming years, like countries, cities
and companies, some ethnic and religious communities
will do better than others in a new age of globalisation.
The Punjabis will do well because they are used to living
among others all over the world. The ease with which
they network globally will give them an advantage.”
The session was also an ideal opportunity for the
participants to share their views and concerns. During the
lively and interesting session, the participants touched
on such issues as religion and politics; fundamentalism
and terrorism; communal bonding and race issues;
economic inequality and catering to the needy in our
midst; meeting the demands of globalisation; and dealing
with discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices. It was a
frank, open and candid discussion session.
More than 200 people turned up for the Second YSA
“Ministerial Dialogue” with Mr George Yeo, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, on “Bringing Everyone On Board; Taking
Singapore Forward”. The event was held at Meritus
Mandarin Singapore on 30 June 2007.
During the session, Mr Yeo spoke “about the challenges
faced by a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. While
we place great store by national efforts to promote
harmony, in reality, there are always tensions in daily
life. With globalisation, human beings are travelling as
never before. In Singapore, new Chinese and new Indians
lack some of the instincts for racial harmony which localborns
have but have other strengths. To a greater or lesser
degree, all cities are confronting similar new challenges.”
He added that, “Cities which find ways to manage the
new diversity will attract more talent and become more
international. They will be better able to seize new
opportunities. In a sense, Singapore’s multi-ethnic and
multi-religious character gives us an advantage because
we learn from young to live with diversity. We are able
to switch channels depending on whom we are dealing
with, often sub-consciously.” On the future, Mr Yeo
YSA launched the “Ministerial Dialogue” in November
2004 to enable young Singaporeans in particular and
Singaporeans at large to gain a further understanding of
local, regional and global issues and developments.
The first dialogue session was with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan,
Minister for Community
Development, Youth
and Sports, and Second
Minister for Information,
Communications and the
Arts, on “Creating Our Future:
Changing Perspectives,
Changing Mindsets”.
.... continue on page 2

2 khwaish
.... continued from page 1
Engaging
Minister George Yeo
Some Views ...
“ It was a really interesting session.
It provided an opportunity for me
to understand the concerns of
Singaporeans. All of us have concerns
and we were able to share them here
today.”
Prema
“ Wow! What an interesting session!
I really enjoyed the question and
answer session. Minister was very
sincere in his response and I think
everyone appreciated it.”
Sharanjeet
“ I missed the first dialogue session.
I am glad I attended this one. It is a
real eye-opener for me. It was very
educational for a young Singaporean
like me.”
Kiran
“ It is good to see people from
different background and ethnicity
come together to discuss issues
of mutual concerns. We not only
become aware of the issues faced
by other races but we also build a
bond as we share the same issues
and concerns.”
Mohammad Syaiful
Four Years On…
It is virtually impossible not to hear the
thunderous sound of the dhol at the Sikh Centre
every Saturday afternoon. Well, it is a combined
effort of YSA and the Sikh Centre to nurture
aspiring young talents.
Now into their fourth year, the dhol lessons
have seen the enthusiasts developing their skills to eventually perform for
professional local bands and with Bhangra troupes. Some graduates have
even progressed to recording studios.
Dhol instructor, Kuldip Singh who picked up the art of dhol playing from
Mr Gurcharan Singh Mall from the United Kingdom, states that, “I have
refined the syllabi such that it makes it easy for individuals of any gender,
age or race to learn the dhol. Students are able to play at least two basic
beats within a month”. He added that it took him almost two months to
master the first basic beat.
Currently, there are nine students in the class and they are thoroughly
enjoying the sessions. Harkrishan Singh says, “Kuldip Virji is a very
professional dhol player and teacher. He knows exactly how to teach us so
that we will have the beats at the back of our heads and at the tip of our
fingers.” Harvenjit Singh, a newcomer to the dhol states, “Before the dhol
lessons, I had never touched a dhol. I was shaky with it at first but with
Kuldip’s guidance, I have learnt to be more comfortable in using the dhol as
well as progressing further than I expected.” Jagraj Singh echoed the same
views, “The dhol class has been a very new and interesting experience
for me. I have played many musical instruments such as the harmonium,
tabla, piano and the violin but the dhol has always interested me and it is
a new and fun challenge for me.”
If you are keen to pick up the finer points of dhol playing, just call Kuldip
at 93836314.
“ I think it is great that our
ministers take the time and effort
to have dialogues with the people
on the street. It is very important
for us to understand how we fit into
the scheme of things as Singapore
pushes forward.”
Kulvinder Singh

REFLECTIONS...
Our Tradition, Our Culture, Our Roots -
The Singaporean Perspective
By Kuldip Singh
khwaish
3
All of us are always engrossed into our daily chores. It
is perhaps, sometimes, essential to take a step back to
reflect on how diverse our lifestyle is when compared to
that of our forefathers. Certainly, times have changed.
But in this new-age and world, one thing that must
remain constant is our culture. It is been eight years since
I got back from the culturally-diverse United Kingdom.
As many of you might know, there is a huge Punjabi
population residing mostly in north-west London and
around the Midlands. I was hugely surprised that many of
Punjabis in the United Kingdom had groups playing the
dhol, producing traditional Punjabi music and regularly
having tournaments such as kabadi and street displays
of ghatka.
I took the opportunity to learn the art of dhol playing
from Mr Gurcharan Singh Mall and Sukhshinder Singh
Shinda in the United Kingdom, with the hope that I
would be able to pass this hobby or art on to my fellow
Singaporeans. In this way, we too could be rooted, in a
way to, our culture and tradition in Singapore.
Soon after I returned home, I found it very disheartening
to learn that not many Sikh institutions were keen on dhol
lessons. I thought that the apathy could be due to the
fact that the Sikh community here is small in comparison
to that in the United Kingdom. The opportunity arose
when YSA was launched with a vision to nurture the
aspirations of young Sikhs. I found an immediate avenue
to promote culture. With one of YSA’s mandate being to
encourage the Sikhs to keep their tradition and culture,
I started dhol lessons with YSA. When word got around,
the response was very encouraging.
I did not stop at dhol. YSA also gave me the opportunity to
chair YSA’s maiden Punjabi play called ‘Khoj’ in 2005. It was
a ‘sold-out’ event with over 900 people. Many individuals
came together to help, in one way or another, providing
tremendous support for the play. It only goes to show that
we Singaporean Sikhs do want to and are always finding
opportunities to keep our traditions and culture alive.
Well, YSA has done much to promote our culture. What
else can YSA do in this regards? I am sure it is going to be
much, much more. I know because I have been part of that
experience and I have taken the opportunity to repay in
my own way. So ladies and gentlemen, if you would like
YSA to help you keep the tradition and culture alive, just
share your ideas with them. That’s exactly what I did!
YSA Annual Report - Another “A”
The year 2006 was a rewarding and successful one for YSA.
YSA grew its membership significantly while continuing with the expansion of its programmes and activities. It launched
several new initiatives as well as intensified its current slate of programmes and events.
YSA organised nine events whilst participating in several others organised by Sikh
institutions and other communities. The key initiatives included organising the first
inaugural Singapore Sikh Symposium in August 2006, showcasing the Sikh heritage
through the exhibition on “Nectarpool – Portraits of Love and Longing in Amritsar” and
spearheading the visit to the newly-set up Harmony Centre.
The credit for YSA success has been due to the dedication and commitment of the
Executive Committee as well as strong support from its Advisors, volunteers and wellwishers.
YSA will continue to build on the success of the last two years so that it continues to
fulfill the aspirations of young Sikhs and young Singaporeans. And, of course, to score
another “A” in its annual report card at the end of the year.

4 khwaish
Keen To Advertise In Khwaish!
Get more mileage for your products and services!
We reach out to thousands through our newsletter (hard copy and on YSA’s website). We offer highly competitive
advertising rates:-
Per Issue
Quarter page S$200
Half page S$400
Per Year (Three Issues)
Quarter page S$550
Half page S$1,100
For advertisement and enquiries, please contact:
Mr Harbhajn Singh at Tel: 9155 7558 or
Email: huggy@pacific.net.sg
what’s Happening?
Rock Climbing Day for Children
Have a safe, fun and exciting day of rock climbing.
Test your skills and endurance on the rocks!
Limited to 40 participants (6–11 years old and 12–16
years old categories) on a first-come-first-served basis.
Project Khwaish VII,
Punjab, India
To be held in December 2007, the project is opened to
Singaporeans, Sikhs and non-Sikhs, male and female,
between the ages of 17 – 35 years.
Event includes ice-breakers and interesting discussions
about rock climbing, yoga for climbers and climbing
treasure hunt.
Date : Sunday, 23 September 2007
Venue
Time
: ClimbAsia Climbing Centre
Civil Service Club
Tessensohn Road
: 10.00am – 2.00pm
Participation : Free-of-charge
For details and registration, please contact:
Mr Kulwant Singh
(Tel: 9026 5910 / Email: kul@uelines.com)
Mr Vasu Dave
(Tel: 9616 5960 / Email: vasuisnow@gmail.com)
Registration closes 8 September 2007.
The participants will be involved in
refurbishing a school, painting the
classrooms, developing a library
and interacting with the children
and the local community.
They will also visit places of cultural
interest in Punjab, including the
Golden Temple in Amritsar.
For further enquiries, please contact:
Mr Satwant Singh
(Tel: 9777 7024 / email: satwant@smtplaw.com)
or
Ms Sheetal Kaur (Tel: 9336 2904 /
email: mannkaurmaude@yahoo.com.sg)
Do contact them soonest as there are only 18 places
in the project.
5th “Racial Harmony” Football Tournament
Come participate in YSA’s 5th “Racial Harmony” 4-A-Side Football Tournament
on Sunday, 13 January 2008.
For further enquiries, please contact:
Kulwant at 9026 5910
or
Harbhajn at 9155 7558
The Executive Committee
of YSA wishes all it’s members a
Happy
National Day
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
Khwaish is a newsletter of Young Sikh Association (Singapore). Please feel
free to forward your comments and feedback to:
Mr Harbhajn Singh
Editor, Khwaish
Young Sikh Association (Singapore)
8 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 169543
Tel: 9155 7558
Fax: 6327 2009
Email: huggy@pacific.net.sg
Website: www.ysas.org
No part of this newsletter should be published without the consent of the Editor, Khwaish.