sikhchic.com
 | |
Type of site | Online magazine |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Key people | Tapishar Sher Singh (founder) |
| URL | sikhchic |
sikhchic.com is a Sikh online magazine covering Sikh culture, art, and humour.[1][2][3] It is one of the leading online magazines for Sikhs.[4]
Description
Sikhchic has been described by scholar Susan E. Prill as serving educated, diasporic Sikhs, most of whom have not been formally initiated into the Khalsa order.[1] The focus of the website is primarily on Sikhs in public culture and Sikh art.[1] sikhchic hosted a satirical cartoon called Sikh Park on its site.[1] Furthermore, the site contains column sections on various aspects of Punjabi Sikh culture.[1] Sikh history-related topics are also covered by the magazine.[1] Sikhs in films, artwork created by Sikhs, and Sikh-designed fashion, are further topics of interest.[1] The website also provided detail discussion on Punjabi cuisine, music, and humour.[1]
The mission statement of sikhchic is as follows:[1][2]
The definition of "Sikh", for the purposes of our magazine, is unabashedly a broad one, which includes any and all who are of Sikh origin and/or consider themselves Sikh. We do not attempt to judge others as to who is a good Sikh and who isn't, or who falls in or out of any particular definition.
— SikhChic editorial team, From The Editor's Desk ... (3 July 2007 )
Sikhchic attempts to avoid content that delves too deeply into politics, religion, and news as there already exists a plethora of websites covering those topics.[2] Sikhchic claims to not shy away from controversial or difficult topics, and publishes in the spirit of chardi kala, but they do avoid divisive issues.[2] The editors believe in an open and tolerant attitude towards defining who is a Sikh and that Sikh culture should be given free-reign to develop on its own, not suppressed.[2] The website therefore highlights any Sikhs who have been successful in Western and Indian pop-culture and society.[3]
History
Tapishar Sher Singh conceived of a media outlet serving Sikh interests and aspirations.[5] Whilst growing up in India, he often heard his fellow Sikhs discussing how the most dire need for the Sikh community is media that represents them.[5] He cites two newspapers: The Tribune and Hindustan Times, as being originally founded by a Sikh with the community's funds, having their vision in-mind, but are no longer controlled by Sikhs.[5] He further claimed that existing Sikh media periodicals, such as The Khalsa Samachar, The Sant-Sipahi, The Sikh Review, and Nishaan, do not have the reach needed to bring the wider Sikh community together.[5] He envisioned that with the coming of the Internet age, the low population of Sikhs and their minority status was no longer a valid reason for their voice to be looked-over, as anyone can publish on the Internet.[5]
Sikhchic was launched in 2006.[2][5] The site primarily relied on word-of-mouth for its growth.[4][5]
People involved
Internal team
- Tapishar Sher Singh – founder and volunteer[4]
- Neha Singh Gohil – lawyer and journalist[4]
- Manjyot Kaur – conservation librarian and reader[4]
- Meeta Kaur – creative writer[4]
- Nicola Mooney – researcher, instructor, and anthropology professor[4]
- The Singh Twins (Amrit Singh and Rabindra Kaur Singh) – artists, writers, and filmmakers[4]
- Dalbir Singh – adman, designer, and creator[4]
- Henna Kaur Singh – literary scholar[4]
- I. J. Singh – writer and speaker[4]
- Khushwant Singh – author[note 1][4]
- Manpreet Kaur Singh – journalist, radio host, magazine columnist, and website manager[4]
- Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh – author and scholar[4]
Patrons
- Birinder Singh Ahluwalia – entrepreneur[4]
Sponsors
- Munshi Bishan Singh Kochhar Foundation (MBSK Foundation) – located in New York, U.S.A.[4]
Notes
- ^ Khushwant Singh should not be confused with his famous namesake.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Prill, Susan Elizabeth (27 March 2014). "39: Sikhi Through Internet, Films, and Videos – Sikhi on the Internet". In Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 471–474. ISBN 9780191004117.
- ^ a b c d e f "From The Editor's Desk ..." sikhchic. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ a b VanderBeek, Conner Singh (2023). "The Sikh Internet". In Mandair, Arvind-Pal Singh; Singh, Pashaura (eds.). The Sikh World. Routledge. pp. 307, 507–512. ISBN 9781032488110.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "About Us". sikhchic. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Singh, Tapishar Sher (15 May 2013). "A Maypole Dance: The Story of sikhchic.com". sikhchic. Retrieved 9 July 2024.