November 02, 2007
Sikh-Face -- Today's Version of BlackfaceTV
This week’s episode of NBC’s My Name is Earl (thanks, anonymous tipster) features a neighbor in the trailer park who is supposed to be a Sikh. But he looks more like the usual “turbaned” convenience store clerk/taxi driver stock caricature who shows up in Hollywood movies and TV shows from time to time.
Is it offensive? Going by just the image, I would say yes, and not just to Sikhs. I think it’s offensive to all South Asians, perhaps even to all immigrants. In a sense the “Sikh” neighbor here stands in for all funny-looking/sounding foreigners in the imaginary world of My Name is Earl, just as Apu does in The Simpsons. It’s not just the wrong-looking turban and the glued on beard, it’s the accent — he’s even wearing a Sherwani suit! (While living in a trailer park!)
On the other hand, it could be pointed out that this particular episode is making fun of the anti-terrorist hysteria that swept the U.S. after 9/11 (the conceit is that the show is actually an episode of “Cops” filmed in 2002 — and the claptrap about catching terrorists is of course all the more absurd since the show is set in a small town). It shows law enforcement officers as particularly incompetent and clueless in their attempt to “profile” suspected terrorists, including the character above. But if your goal is to make fun of hysteria using silly caricatures that actually reinforce the ignorance you’re supposedly satirizing, what are you really doing?
It could also be pointed out that a show like My Name is Earl is so generally politically incorrect (and self-conscious about that political incorrectness — “Look, see, we’re being politically incorrect!”) that getting offended about this one thing seems out of place. (Look at how women are represented in the show, for instance.) I’m not sure — but one does think of the recent controversy over the reference to the Philippines in a recent episode of Desperate Housewives, which got a fair amount of media coverage; this, it seems to me, is much more offensive.
You can watch the show on NBC.com here; it’s episode 307. The “Sikh” character (he self-identifies as a Sikh) shows up briefly in the beginning, and then again in the last third of the show.
What do you think? Is it offensive? Are you planning to write NBC?
[UPDATE: One other thing — in case you’re wondering “what self-respecting Desi would take this role?” — the Sikh character is played by an actor named Alex Endeshaw, who is ethnicity isn’t entirely clear to me from Ethiopia originally.]
amardeep on November 2, 2007 11:52 AM in Identity, TV · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
ah, my guess based on his head shot was right! heez ethioian
http://www.comedysoapbox.com/comedianstemplate.cfm?RequestTimeout=5000&comedianID=3473&mailer=pre
there's no way such a kala-face could be a real scythian anyway...so it is obviously satire.
I haven't seen the episode yet, so I won't comment on whether it's actually offensive or not. My inclination is to give it the benefit of the doubt though, it's generally a pretty smart show (about not-so-smart characters) and usually they're pretty conscious of the stereotypes they're playing to and not mean spirited about it.
"... since this guy is really the only South Asian/foreign character you’re going to see on a show like My Name is Earl, and in some sense he stands in for all funny-looking/sounding foreigners in the imaginary world that is the show."
Actually they had a reoccurring character a while back who was identified as Bengali (and actually spoke Bengali!). He was, of course, a convenience store clerk.
Dev, thanks, I'll correct that in the post.
I guess we all need to lighten up a little. When you make a movie or write a story,you do want to pick an extreme character to make a point. Nobody's going to find a suited-booted, Americanized NRI interesting in such situations.
They also stereotyped people of Italian descent in "Friends" through the character Joey. Didn't see people going up in arms over that...
A sense of humor goes a long way in battling perceived racism.
"But if your goal is to make fun of hysteria using silly caricatures that actually reinforce the ignorance you’re supposedly satirizing, what are you really doing?"
That is a question that often bugs me for hours on end. On one hand I think "Well, anyone with half a brain has to realize that s/he's a caricature". On the other, I think "Well, how many people have even half a brain?"
I suppose the intelligent and worldly type will realize the ridiculousness of a small-town cop mistaking a Sikh for an Islamic terrorist (and also wonder where in America a Sikh lives in a trailer park), whereas the rest will continue associating anyone who has a beard and a turban with terrorists.
I'm interested to see what other people have to say about this, because I have not found any easy answers.
there's no way such a kala-face could be a real scythian anyway...so it is obviously satire.
He looks like a less handsome version of my dad with his hair permed -
Amardeep - The show satirizes blacks, women, italians, whites, indians....so why should sikhs be any special?
"in case you’re wondering “what self-respecting Desi would take this role?” "
Cheap shot.
Why couldn't they just hire a brown actor for the part? I think that would have made their point more clearly (and would have been funnier to me--there's nothing worse than a fake desi accent).
I don't watch the show so I can't comment on this particular instance. I'm still in therapy over Fisher Stevens' portrayal of a desi in Short Circuit II, lol.
While on the subject of acting, twenty years ago Ben Kingsley played Gandhi to acclaim. Since then, after Indian versions of classic English novels, we have had Indians or individuals of Indian origin directing mainstream movies in English. I hope the day is not far off when such an individual can play, let us say, Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford or in a comparable screen version.
I saw the show last night and honestly can't think of anything at all offensive about the Sikh character on the show. If anything--he was shown in an incredibly sympathetic light--everyone else around him, his (so-called) white trash neighbors were the idiots.
The only really funny thing about him was his accent...but really--that's the way a lot of Indian pronounce English words..and let's face it, the Indian accent can be pretty funny.
I'd be upset if anyone actually wrote to NBC complaining about this...there was a message My Name is Earl was trying to send with this episode. That post-9/11, this country went into a fanatical pro-US mode that was out to catch "terrorists" which were most likely people of color.
razib said:
Why is that? Isn't the point of being an actor to encompass the image of a character? Why does one's ethnicity necessarily negate his ability to portray a character if he looks the part?i'm just tired of fellow desis telling me that we need to have a sense of humour. you know what? we do have a sense of humour. some of the most subtle and beautiful humour that i've read and heard has been from desis (and i don't mean russell peters).
but when you are repeatedly barraged (is that a verb?) with portrayals of desis with little or no research (dress, accent, etc.) whatsoever, it just gets tiresome. i think that "having a sense of humour" in this case is a cop-out.
and, as manish pointed out some time back, making fun of blacks, jews, italians, the irish, etc. is different because all of these communities are now more-or-less accepted in mainstream society here in the u.s. indians are not.
and even if all of these communities went through the rigmarole of racial harassment, that's no justification for it to continue today.
Thank you for posting this.
This shyt is annoying when Hollywood do it... but doesn't the same shyt go on in Bollywood? The sardarji buffoon characters really annoy me... probably because I see it in the tradition of black minstrelry.
And unrelated:
The Inevitable rise and liberation of NIGGY TARDUST:
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Download the new collaboration between Saul Williams and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
When I was in college, an Indian friend of mine was making fun of me because he found a Lynyrd Skynyrd CD in my car. Apparently, I'm only supposed to listen to hip-hop.
But yeah, this shyt kicks all that lame half-assed hip-hop in the balls.
NIGGY!!
Can you believe HR told me this when I complained about a co-worker who would not stop mocking the Indian accent even after I asked nicely?
I guess it's a TV show and either you dig it or you ignore it, that's all these shows are worth. However,
This is serious $hit and bugs me more. You thought about suing the crap out of them? Protected class and all that, doesn't your HR know that?
I am with the people that find the character offensive right down to the choice of clothing. One good contrast Aseem Batra in scrubs, she has joined this season as an intern and I didn't see any references to her ethinicity and she is a regular character with a very high pitch voice, she is also the story editor and writer on some of the episodes.
Where do you think they get their ideas from to do that? Stupid TV shows with blackface Indians caricatured like minstrels. But you've got to have a sense of humor you see. That is mainstream American TV and film for you. Get ready for more when Mike Myers brings his new movie out, he's playing an Indian sex counsellor guru --- prepare for Peter Sellars part 2 and a whole new repertoire of phrases for the macacas in America to have to put up with.
The Great Ganesha wrote:
That's fair, but how is this applicable to the character from "My Name is Earl"? I saw nothing that told me they hadn't researched the Indian dress and turban, and his accent sounded like my uncles.I disagree that this is an insult to a broad swathe of people. I am not discounting an individual's right to feel uncomfortable at the characterization. It's just a guy in a turban and a fake beard. an average person might not know better, but then (the royal) we dont deal with average people. :-)
btw - myers' character pokes fun at the hippies who spend some time in india and come back 'enlightened'. he doesnt claim to be desi when playing guru pitka. plus buddy's from scarberia - he's grown up around enough desis to know better :-).
What does anyone think letter writing can do? This is an Emmy winning show which garners millions of dollars for NBC. I think you need something stronger than this to actually get something done.
Mizuho said:
I don't know...because Kal Penn was busy working on House?
*DUCKS*
"That's eNough!"
"but it's how all indians talk".
"I dont like it and that should be enough."
"O! dont be embarassed zen. I dont think you are like that. You're different."
"that is not the point. I hope I have made myself clear."
"Oooo! are you scaring me_ "
"I find your behavior hostile. It affects my productivity. I can not work like this any longer and I will talk to HR."
When representing yourself to HR, talk in context of loss of productivity. Rudeness isnt a good enough reason to have them put the brakes. It makes the case easier to represent - and write it out before plannign to go all out.
Personalities differ Zen, and I suspect you're far more articulate than I in real life - but I have worked with a true blue office psychopath and have learned the hard way that these people are emotionally untouchable.
if that doesnt work... let out the claws in real life. Pour down an egg in the stem of his chair or put a paper clip under his delete key. these are the only ones i can type in public. go wild. you got a barbed blog zen. I'm sure you can think something up.
#7 Cheap shot.
It's not a cheap shot, because one of the best ways to combat ethnic stereotypes is for actors to refuse to perpetuate them. Hollywood writers will keep coming up with this garbage, but the community of Desi actors is small and relatively approachable. (I know that Kal Penn has at least paid attention to complaints about some of the roles he's played -- it's not clear that he's going to radicaly change his approach, but at least he feels the pressure.)
#11 I saw the show last night and honestly can't think of anything at all offensive about the Sikh character on the show.
Ask anyone you know who is a Sikh to take a look at that picture and see if it's offensive to them. That's not what a Sikh turban looks like, not remotely.
#21 What does anyone think letter writing can do? This is an Emmy winning show which garners millions of dollars for NBC. I think you need something stronger than this to actually get something done.
Well, then letters to friends in the media and through them, advertisers. ABC came out with an apology at least for the "Medical school in the Philippines" comment immediately after it got complaints. You have to let them know you're watching, and you don't like it. Otherwise nothing changes.
As someone who has defended Apu on the Simpsons and even Fisher Stevens on Short Circuit(I knew someone like that in real life), I gotta say, the Sikh caricature was ridiculous, especially considering one of the main writers is Indian(Valli Chandrasekharan? I think that;s his name, he appeared in the Diwali wepisode of The Office). THat makes it worse for me. At least get the freaking caricature right. There is one scene where the Sikh makes a reference to seeing Joy's elbows and finding that sexy. Well, Sikhs are not exactly anywhere close to some of the religious nuts in Saudi Arabia for that kind of "elbows" reference.
It was more GUnga Dinish to me than Apu.
Second Razib - that's an Ethiopian name and an Ethiopian face. Also found, by googling, other Ethiopian Endeshaws.
Khoofia, thanks for all that. It was actually in a less enlightened time (1995) at a British company (go figure). I now work in a technology company where no one would dare say such a thing (in public)...
I think it's great!
Absolutely, if you wanna go into details, the turban used there is actually 180 degrees from anything near reality.
It is like showing a Jewish immigrant with a opposite Jewish head-gear (dunno what it is called Kippah I guess) & think about that happening in a NBC show.
HA What about 2007's Transformers. The one scene where they're on the Qatar field battling the evil Decepticon, all the while trying to get thru the Pentagon - and the call is picked up by the desi in India where all the outsourcing call centres are! Well, this Desi is blooding picking his nose, while talking to Josh Dushamel's character. Two seconds! That's all it took for everyone to laugh at the Indian person. And no one was laughing at the accent! And all I could think of was, What self respecting desi would take up THIS role? Why oh why! I still cringe everytime I see that scene. Come on! there's more to us than that...
Does anyone know if there is evidence of African in Mallu blood? Ethiopians generally look very Mallu to me. Punjabi, not so much.
"his (so-called) white trash neighbors were the idiots."
they're the only ones you can get away with trashing nowadays.
Ethiopian. Sikh
Kurma, we'd like you to put that forth as a rumor and we'll make it a legend. There may be some links via the Orthodox nature of Churches in Kerala and Ethiopia but nobody has claimed Ethiopian thus far. After all being called a Kala-Kaloota Jadugar all through out my childhood must have its basis in some legend no?
I am a Sikh. Saw the video and am not offended. I can learn to laugh at myself and my community. Let's stop whining. The representation, while taken to a different level than I would have liked, is representative of the larger South Asian community - folks that self-segregate themselves, barely speak english, and who don't want to assimilate. If it takes these satirical shows to push ourselves to think about what WE need to do to change ourselves, so be it.
Hey Kurma,
It seems that all Indians are amateur geneaologists. It seems that Chechnyans, Russians, Pakis, Afghanis, Middle Easterners, and even Germans are all Gujurati.
Here's something that I found on the internet about the achievements of Gujuratis:
From: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php?Number=297106
They believe that:
1. The Province Chechenya in Russia was named after "chehce" gotra.
2. Iranians, Afghanis, Pakis, North West Indians, central Asians,
Russians are Gujjus!
3. Germans are known as the Best Race of this Universe.
------------------------
About the Most Royal Community of INDIA
Arond 6 villages of Royal Gurjar Community are located here.They came
here many years ago than the Mughals.They have their Kings like The
Great Mihir Bhoj. They ruled over India, Mid-east, Europe, Russia....
About words about Gurjars:
The Gurjars of Kashmir, Gujrat, Himachal, Rajshtan, UP, Delhi,
Haryana, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran adn Mid-Asia speak the similar
Language that is called Gujari, Gurjari, Gojari or Gurzi.
when Alexander came and resided in Taxila over two millennia ago he
encountered the original Gujar inhabitants
ChhatraPati Veer ShivaJI Bhonsle (Derived Surname in Gurjars is
Bainsle)was also a Gurjar
and His Senapati was Prataprao Gujar.
The famous places like Gujrat, Gujranwala, Gujrat(Pakistan),
Gujarkhani(kashmir), Gurzistan(Afghanistan) etc. took their name after
this caste name 'Gurjar' only (Even some historians claim that the
country named "Georgia" was "Gurjiya" originally, and the natives
pronounce it as "Gurjiya" but that is a different argument), The
Province Chechenya in Russia was named after "chehce" gotra.
There are, by common accounting, 30 million Gujars in Pakistan. Gujars
claim common
quaum status with Checheniyans (the break away former Soviet
republic).
Georgia was traditionally called Gujaristan, and all Georgians are
really Gujars.
Some Scholars also argue that Gujars went as far as Germany and many
Germans are really Gujars. Germans are known as the Best Race of this
Universe.
The Word "GURZ"(An Award in wrsteling) is derived after "Gurjar".
In the Haryana region the Tomara a feudatory of the Gurjara-Pratihars
originally founded the city of Dhillika (Delhi) in 736.
Other examples are The City Ambala (Ambate), Lahore (Lohmod), Gwaliar
(Gujargarh ) Khaariyaan (Khaari), The Famous Mehrauli (Mihirawali),
Bhopal (Mihir Bhojpal) etc.
The Leva Patidaar community of Gujrat and northern Maharashtra are
originally Gurjars (Sardar Patel was from the same community).
In Gurjars Lohiya (Lohmor) and Khari Do not intermarry.
Because of some misunderstanding between them while fighting against
the Shakas in 2nd century BC.
Same in Gujrat The Lehva(originally Lohmor) and Khadhwas(Originally
Kharis) do not intermarry.
Gurjars are included among "Kunbis" in Nortern Maharshtra and Gujrat.
Pt. Jawahar Lal in his book "Discovery Of India" has mentioned Gurjars
as a very Loyal caste, He called them the real patriots.
The Holy Cave of Amarnath is believed to be found by a Gujjar.
The same is believed about the Naina Devi Temples in Himachal
Pratihaars, The Imperial Gurjars
Dadda, the founder of Pratihara dynasty, established the Gurjar rule
at Nandipur (Nandol). Dadda III wrestled Broach from the Maitraks
whose citadel had started shaking. After Him Yashpal(1024-1036)
were the famous Gurjar-Pratihaar kings of India.
'Gurjeshwar' BheemDev-2 Solanki(1036-1064), Who attacked & almost
destroyed Mahmood of Gazni when Gazni was on his way back after
looting the holy "Somnath Temple" (made by "Gurjars"),
Geographically, during the period of Muslim conquest the Rajputs were
the pratiharas, or doorkeepers of India Also known as Parrhiar. Like
the Solankis and Chauhans the Parihar clan is held by some to have
originated from the Gurjar invaders who came with the Huns in the 5th
and 6th centuries, and if so they were the first of these Gujar Rajput
clans to emerge into prominence. Mundawar or Mundodri was the capital
of the Parihara, which owned the sway of this tribe before the
invasion and settlement of the Rathor clan. They were dominant in
Bundelkhand before the Chandels, their last chieftain having been
overthrown by a Chandel prince in AD 831. A parihar-Gujar chieftain,
whose capital was in Bhinmal in Rajputana, conquered the dominions of
the great Harsha Vardhana, and established himself there about AD 816.
Kannaj was then held by Gujar-Parihar kings till 1090, when it was
seized by Chandradeva of the Gaharwar Rajput clan. The Parihar rulers
were thus subverted by the Gaharwars and Chandels, both of whom are
thought to be derived from the Bhars or other aboriginal tribes. After
this period the Parihar are of little importance. They appear to have
retired to Rajputana, as col. Tod states that Mundore, 5 miles north
of Jodhpur, was their headquarter until it was taken by the Rathors.
The walls of the ruined fortress of Mundore are built of enormous
square masses of stone without cement.
After 7th century A.D. the Gujjar rulers established their full
authority over the entire Northern India. Thereafter the Gujjar
rulers, named several provinces, cities, grand buildings, temples and
fortresses after the name of Gujjars. The Gujjar kings felt proud of
their being called Gujjars. Several edicts found so far bear testimony
to this fact. An edict of 1139 AD which was found in Dohar, Jai Singh
Barh Raj, has been stated to be the king of Gujjar Mandal.
The King Prithvi Raj Chouhan United the Kingdoms of Ajmer and Delhi,
when he ascended the throne. He established a federation by the name
of "Gujjar Mandal".
During the Gurjar rule, the Gujari language was made as an official
language and all official work used to be carried out in it. The Arab
historians recognised the Gurjar rule as the most stable and
powerful.
After ruling for centuries together over India, their down fall began
during the reign of Muslim rulers.
In 1697 Al-ud-Din Khilji over ran Analwada Gujrat resulting in the end
of Gujjar rule in India. All the territories that belonged to Gurjar
rulers, were taken away from them and they were once again subjugated
by others. They left their territories and took shelter in mountains
and deserts. Gurjars were ruthlessly suppressed and presecuted. They
were even deprived of the jobs. Numerous plots began to be hatched
against Gujjars. Under these bad and hostile conditions some Gurjars
ran away for safety while others disliked to be called "Gujjars" and
in a way they converted themselves into communities, other than
Gurjars, Like Baniyas and Punjabis. Some went into hiding in mountains
and forests, and began to call themselves as Rajputs and not Gurjars.
Later on, some persian historian recognised them as Rajputs as they
failed to under their identity. Even the English rulers recognised
there as Rajputs. The name Rajput became so popular among the
historians that the names of Gurjars disappeared from the history.
VERY RECENT KINGDOMS
SaharanPur was called Gujarat till 1857 as it was the last kingdom of
Gurjars.
The last Nagpur Prince was a Gurjar.
In 1823 there were 5 Gurjar Kingdoms called Daadri "Surname
Bhaati" (Greater NOIDA), Teemli (Surname Chhokar), Parikshit Garh
"Surname Naagadi or Naagar", Behsuma( Near Roorkee ) and Landhora
"Surname Panwar" (Near SaharanPur) in UP
Vijay Singh Gurjar(1816-1836) was the first King who started the fight
against the British in 1823(34 years before Mangal Pandey).
His Army Head kalyan Sigh Haamda or "Kalua gujar", was like a
nightmare for the british as he vanished and looted british Arms from
the british Army many times.
Speaking of bigotry, here is Michael Savage at his best.
Click the audio link on this page.
Maybe the Indian accent is funny according to you, I don't think people from India sound "funny". It has become "funny" only because of idiots like Peter Sellers and Hank Azaria and now Russell Peters and all the other lazy desi comedians (Dan Nainan, Mark Saldana) who get laughs just by making fun of their hapless parents' speech. Hey, if a desi does it, why, it must be OK to make fun of all those brown people! I have an annoying colleague who used to attempt a fake desi accent with me, and a fake Spanish-speaker's accent with my Hispanic co-workers, until we let her know that it was not funny at all.
I have an annoying colleague who used to attempt a fake desi accent with me, and a fake Spanish-speaker's accent with my Hispanic co-workers, until we let her know that it was not funny at all.
Sigh! Who hasnt met that clown.
If it takes these satirical shows to push ourselves to think about what WE need to do to change ourselves, so be it.
Arguably, what "we" need to do to "change ourselves" is show some backbone when racist caricatures of ourselves appear in the mass-media.
An image can be satirical AND still offensive. This is one of those cases.
I think getting offended by something as small as this only makes desis look insecure. Its not a big deal and letting (non-desi)people laugh at us once is necessary to show that we are comfortable with ourselves. Also, not all desis in America are as suave and assimilated as those on SP, I think sometimes people forget that there is a wide variety of desis that exist.
Especially when there was at least an attempt by the producers to combat the post 9/11 hysteria.
meh. we stereotype and ridicule "foreign looking" people all the time in Bollywood, it's all good :P
#32 Kurma wrote:
Read "Before the Dawn" by Nicholas Wade. Ethiopia was the "Garden of Eden" for Homo sapiens. All modern people descended from a small group of people in what is now modern day Ethiopia. The first migrations of people was into South India.
There have been many more subsequent migrations of people from Africa to India. Are you aware of the 14000 present day African Indians (Habshis/Siddis) in Karnataka?
Just to add to my comment (#44) the existence of the Habshis/Siddis in Karnataka has been traced to the 14th century.
I dont know if anyone mentioned this, but one of the writers for this show is Indian.
I know he most likely didnt want an Ethopian to play a Indian, but the "suits" on the show are most likely responsible for that.
For me , the irony of the episode is, that it was the most preachy episode and the point of the cop tackling the Sikh was how he confused him with a terrorist, yet the stereotype attributed to the Sikh was actually confused with the stereotype of the terrorist where he talks about seeing Joy's elbows. So the humor kind of backfires for anyone who knows the type of people stereotyped. Plus let's not forget the main writer is Indian.
By the way, Peter Sellers in the Party reminded me of this one graduate student in my college.
How can anybody say that this man does not look like a sikh. Maybe he was a convert to sikhism. Not all sikh's are punjabi's.
But there are much bigger issues for the sikh community to deal with. In Vancouver which has the biggest sikh community in North America. There have been like 8 or 9 sikh[I have lost count] men who have killed there wifes the past year, which is an issue that should get much more attention from the sikh community.
i think it is ok for an ethiopian to play a sikh. an eritrean, on the other hand...
Word. I haven't seen this show (and I'm not on an internet connection that allows me to), so I'll refrain from commenting on it, specifically, but I must say that I find depictions of Sikhs in Bollywood pretty offensive for the most part.
As a satirist myself, I know very well that satire is very easily misread--think of the contemporary response to Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." I don't think that artists should dumb down their work because of audiences' tendency to "misread" satire, but the artist should make a deliberate effort to make her intent clear to all. Judging from comments by people who did watch the show, it seems that the producers were sloppy and inconsistent in their depiction of this character.
I don't take issue with his skin color. I know some Sikh kids who are 1/2 African American, and in response to an earlier comment, yes, there are Sikhs who live in trailer parks. That turban is a disgrace, though. It's sloppy and it's tied backwards. I should stop commenting on this show I haven't seen, though.
Remember Punjab from "Annie" ? I just thought it was ridiculous - though I think the turban was on properly (though no hair underneath and I'm def not a turban expert)
the kala scythian crack was a joke people ;-)
re: kerala and ethiopia,
1) there is some genetic (weak) signature of a "fast" coastal route out of africa which swept along the arabian and bengal coasts all the way to southeast asia. this an old lineage, on the order of 50,000 years.
2) there is some possible "back-migration" from asia to africa. this might explain some of the similarities, as ethiopians seem to be a primary recipient of exogenous genes from west asia.
3) and yes, there have long been slaves of africa origin in southern india.
4) but the physical similarities are convergences or parallelisms, not due to descent. a typical dark-skinned keralan is much closer genetically to a fair-skinned punjabi than to an ethiopian (as i've noted before, punjabis are actually somewhat closer to keralans than they are to iranians, so this shouldn't surprise).
I personally thought Naveen Andrews was miscast as a Sikh in "English Patient". The bro is making out with the gorgeous Juliette Binoche and all I can think is "Enna da ithi ? Looks like his amma had some side action with a Lemurian doodh wallah"
I do take issue with the casting....he's not playing an American convert to Sikhism, he is playing a Punjabi Sikh.
Razib: Interesting note about the Africa connection. It was my gut instinct as a kid that we South Indians would have a relatively recent (i.e. 6,000 years ago) and strong connection to Ethiopia/Horn of Africa. I was surprised to see in a recent Natl Geo documentary that the trace was ancient and weak.
Lets advocate for banning offensive satire from the right of freedom of speech. Lets define what is acceptable behaviour and the limits in the various forms of expression between different communities and creed. Media is trash.lets trash it :)
I didn't see the show so I cannot comment.
priya, you're comment is either satire, or you're european so you only "respect" freedom of speech rather than "worshipping" it :-) (i would say kanadian, but same diff)
Yes, it is offensive as it stands now. I'm a fan of My Name is Earl so I was a bit surprised to see that depiction on the show. They're usually smarter than that. It's so out of tune with the rest of the episode that I can't believe that they're that ignorant. I kept thinking that they'd go something like 'Well it's a guy pretending to be a Sikh'. (He even pronounced it 'seek' though he had that fake accent). The stereotype is so bad that maybe it would turn out to be a fake. Maybe that'll come up in a future episode. If the writer (head writer?) is a desi, it could be possible. But why is there all this totally unrelated race/ethnicity "stuff" in the comments? Anyways, I'd suggest holding off on the letter writing campaign until we see where this goes. (Although, even if it turned out the character was, say, a Muslim pretending to be a Sikh, wouldn't it still be offensive to Muslims?). Just out of curiosity, are there any major American desi actors/actresses apart from Kal Penn who don't have to put on a fake accent if they want to work? I remember an interview with a desi guy who wanted a role in Law & Order who had to play a taxi driver with an accent and a turban and he kept telling them about inconsistencies but they wouldn't listen. Anyone read that interview?
Regarding free speech. Isn't there a saying: "your rights end where your neighbour's nose begins".
yes, this is why you have greater freedom of speech when swinging at asians, who are known to have snub-noses.
So it's OK for non-desi people to laugh at the desis who are not as "suave and assimilated", but they should lay off the suave desi, I assume? Hysterical.
I didn't see the show so commenting on the specifics would be not possible. But for a general discussion on freedom of expression in media how is this particular show's satire different from the frequent controversy related to religious cartoons, Hussain's paintings etc.
Or lets say what about this book's cover
Where do you draw the ine between offensive satire and freedom of press/media etc. ?
Did anyone watch "the Office" episode where the main character was hiding from the Sikh computer fixerman? I though The Office's handling of their "Sikh terrorist" was actual witty and inoffensive compared to Earls, which I did watch and found to be offensive.
On the issue of freedom of rights... those of us who were offended have the right to protest this kind of crapola!
"In a sense the “Sikh” neighbor here stands in for all funny-looking/sounding foreigners in the imaginary world of My Name is Earl, just as Apu does in The Simpsons."
I don't watch the earl show, but the apu analogy is just wrong. perhaps you've never seen the show. Lots of foreigners in simpsons, lots of funny accents (thank god for hank azaria and dan castenella!) both domestic foreigners (from somewhere certainly not this springfield) and foreign foreigners including mayor quimby, rainer wolfcastle's arnold, grundskeeper wullie, cletus,rev lovejoy, the gangsters, dr nick, even barney who's an irish tenor. Apu stands in for nothing, is his own character, plays with stereotype and messes with it like all the rest of the characters.
--
"Just out of curiosity, are there any major American desi actors/actresses apart from Kal Penn who don't have to put on a fake accent if they want to work?"
Are there any actors, period, who dont have to put on a fake accent if they want work? When they're at their best, they make up the accent, create a voice for a character that isn't a mere caricature: alpacino as scarface, carlito, smeller of women, etc.
the difference is that people don't look at pacino and think he can only play italian characters's with italian accents. but even for lesser actors they don't go Leonardo DiCaprio has an italian name so he can only play first generation italians.
A few rambling thoughts:
Someone noted earlier that this depiction contrasts with certain female doctor characters present on television.
I suppose it would be opening up another can of worms if we talked about the role gender plays in creating these stereotypes.
Hmmm... why is it that South Asian females are never portrayed in a negative light? Why would it be unbelievable for us to see a South Asian female character in a trailer-trash type setting?
... because she would look funny in a turban?
... Walk into Blockbuster today, I guarantee you that you will find a least 3-4 'straight to DVD'... "smart, sophisticated, beautiful Indian female finding liberation from oppressive culture by teaching gora the intracicies and finer points of ordering naan, chicken tikka masala, and mango lhassi" ;)
And then we wonder we have airheads on this forum talking about how her white boyfriend/fiance ensures her gorgeous looking offspring.
This
I watched this episode and did find it to be offensive. This kind offensive material still shows up in Hindi Movies also and its quite sad that nothing has been done about that yet.
I seem to have killed the conversation... that's not the effect I was hoping for...
I just wanted to point out that the South Asian female is the exotic flavor of the month...
I can't wait for the Ramayana starring Tom Cruise and Aishwarya Rai.
I have to agree with Krish****. They emasculate East-Asian-American men too, but treat East-Asian-American women like fetish objects. These types of depictions really bother me.
I'm not sure where the Scythian regular on SM has been lately, but to a desi who's lived in Ethiopia, the comment (even if meant ironically) simply makes no sense.
Look around a bit, and you'll find many a desi Sikh who's darker-skinned than many an Ethiopian.
If anyone actually watches this show, you will find that they are making fun of stupid white rednecks more than indian's. I don't here white's crying and whining.
Satire is meant to be offensive. Thankfully in AMERICA we have the RIGHT to offend others.
Amardeep, you seem to want to show backbone - what do you propose you do with an Emmy winning multi-million dollar show? Write a letter?
Reader, making fun of white Americans (even if you call them 'rednecks') is not the same as making fun of brown immigrants -- one group is in a position of power, the other isn't. Racism in America is not 'symmetrical'.
I made the comment about backbone because it pains me when Desis say, "the problem isn't their racism and xenophobia, it's our failure to assimilate." That's a form of self-hatred, and it's utter nonsense.
That said, I'm fine with letting this matter rest at this point. Life goes on; there are bigger fish to fry.
are fry bigger to fish there?
there are bigger fry to fish?
sounds more like Dr Khoofia Seuss
Don't agree.
Also don't agree.
The onus is on a tourist or immigrant to make some endeavor to assimilate into the wider cultural scene of a country one is visiting or moving to, especially in regards to language and sometimes even other things such as dress.
I guess as both a female tourist and ex-patriot I might be more sensitive to such things than a man?
Maybe more is expected of me than of you?
I also think the old "you can't be racist against whites cause whites have power" line is completely off base generally and especially when considering south asians. again, I don't know the silly show, but the majority of poor white people hold less economic power per capita than south asians, hold little political power, and work THE most dangerous jobs in america (mines) for shit wages. The idea that somehow "but I'm white and so is George W" actually means they have some sort of power is ridiculous.
Agree completely with these points Amardeep. I'm also sick of the self-haters and the people who pretend to be desi on these boards but have never experienced life as one.
Good point.
The haves and the have-nots come in all shades, everywhere.
However, having been both a "have" and "have not" of more than one country, the sooner I learn the language, general mannerisms and clothing norms of anyplace, without losing my own unique identity of course, the easier and faster it is for me to make valuable friends and connections that can be useful to me later. And in a few middle eastern countries, it has been mandatory, sometimes by law, for me as a woman, to adopt the local attire, no matter how physically uncomfortable (and sometimes dangerous) that may be in high temperatures. Having had that experience has made me that much more appreciative of places where I can wear just about anything I want. However, I still think it best to adapt to local customs and cultures as much as comfortably possible. Most places do not demand much, if anything, of their tourists or immigrants in that regard, so I really don't see what the big deal is.
I don't really know why we're talking about adaptation and assimilation. The topic at issue is really quite simple: whether to tolerate a racist caricature or not.
Noblekinsman, I never said that it's not possible to be racist against whites, I said the dynamic was asymmetrical. There is a distinction there. The mainstream is still defined by whiteness (with a dollop of blackness), and people with accents or religious attire are still readily marked as "other" -- which means they are more likely to suffer various kinds of harassment.
Krish****, one must ask how this stereotype got created in the first place.
Have Indian women who have felt oppressed by any aspect of their culture been vocal about such and has someone somewhere ran with that theme all the way to Holly/Bollywood?
Is there a tree corresponding with the fruit? Or was it something just completely pulled out of the air?
UAE Intern:
You're right that there is a tree that corresponds to the fruit. Indian society is still behind the times, when compared to the western world. But one of the reasons for this is European colonialism. European colonialism allowed Europe to gain a great deal of wealth and resources, which in turn led to Europe and the Western world becoming more women-friendly and more egalitarian. I do not think that egalitarianism and feminism prospers in an environment where there is a great deal of poverty. And let us remember that Europe colonialized India for a long time and caused India's poverty--this colonialism kept India from becoming as modern as other Western countries.
I find that too many times Westerners choose to ignore the effects/consequences of their own actions.
I've always felt that once India catches up to the rest of the world, there will be more egalitarianism. In the meantime, it is unfair for Westerners to pander to stereotypes.
I just realized that there is a desi writer Vali Chandrasekaran, on this show as well, actually executive story editor. He seems to be Tamil. Here is his blog. Interesting how many South Asian writers NBC and CW are hiring in comedy shows.
I am Ethiopian. Where I live, there aren't that many good Ethiopian restaurants. But I have found my perfect substitute in Indian food. Between Passage to India to Tiffin to all those places in Edison, NJ- I am always dying to get spicy indian food.
Other than that I am not aware of any ethnic connections.......
37 · Boston Mahesh said
i am quite happy that u have provided lot many informative & interesting information regarding gurjar community. i am interested 2 share with u further information in this regard on my email id pramod_kumar04@hotmail.com
Gujar Places In Pakistan
The thousands of places were named after the Gujjars and their sub-tribes in the Sub-Continent during the period they ruled over the South and some part of Central Asia. In these days an interesting discussion is going on as to who the Gujjars or Gurjars are? I am mentioning the name of some places situated in all the four provinces of Pakistan. This do not include the villages named after the Gujjars situated in Jammu & Kashmir, Northern Areas and the Tribal Areas. I will updating the visitors of this site after I complete the data in respect of these areas. I will also try my best some time later to provide the name of villages after the sub-tribes of Gujjars. The following data will help the analysts and historians to draw some befitting and logical conclusion.
I will be highly obliged if any brethren may add to my knowledge by mentioning such places named after the word Gujar, Gujjar or Gurjar, situated in India or any other part of the world. Kindly forward this despatch to other sites discussing the Gujjar’s dilema.
Regards
Ch. Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar,
Advocate High Court,
Islamabad (Pakistan)
m_ashraf777@hotmail.com
P U N J A B PROVINCE:
DERA GHAZI KHAN DISTRICT
THOKH GUJRI
LAYYAH DISTRICT
GUJRAT
MUZAFFARGARH DISTRICT
GUJARWALA
RAJANPUR DISTRICT
KOTLA GOJAR
GUJAR WALI
FAISALABAD DISTRICT
CHAK 217/GB GUJJAR PIND
CHAK 176/GB PALA GOJRA
JHANG DISTRICT
JAT GUJJAR
TOBA TEK SINGH DISTRICT
GOJRA TEHSIL
GUJRANWALA DISTRICT
KOTLI GUJRAN
GUJRAT DISTRICT
GUJARPUR
DHOK GUJRAN
GUJJAR KOTLA
KULEWAL GUJRAN
KHANPUR GUJRAN
HAFIZABAD DISTRICT
GUJRANWALI
GUJAR KE
MANDI BAHAUDDIN DISTRICT
GOJRA
NAROWAL DISTRICT
GUJAR WALI
BHABRA GUJRAN
BERA GUJRAN
KHANPUR GUJRAN
CHHANI GUJRAN
DEHLA GUJRAN
PAILA GUJRAN
GUJAR TOOR
HAJI PUR GUJRAN
DARYA GUJRAN
KOTLI GUJRAN
BADALA GUJRAN
NIKI GUJRAN
JHOMIAN GUJRAN
GUJRAT
NADALA GUJRAN
BALA GUJRAN
BHERON CHAK GUJRAN
TEHRA GUJRAN
SIALKOT DISTRICT
GUJARKE
GOJRA
GUJAR KALLA
GUJAR GORAYA
GUJRAL
GUJRAN WALA
KASUR DISTRICT
GURJKE
LAHORE DISTRICT
NAWAN PIND GUJRAN
HANDU GUJAR
QILA GUJAR SINGH
WARRA GUJARAN
OKARA DISTRICT
GHOUS PUR GUJJRAN
SHEIKHUPURA DISTRICT
GUJAR PURA
MAHMOON GUJAR
KALA GUJAR
KOTLI GUJRAN
RATTA GUJRAN
VEHARI DISTRICT
GUJAR
ATTOCK DISTRICT
THATTI GUJRAN
DHOK GUJAR
CHAKWAL DISTRICT
BHATTI GUJAR
MOHRA GUJRAN
PINDI GUJRAN
JHELUM DISTRICT
WARA GUJRAN
GUJER PUR
KALA GUJRAN
THATHI GUJRAN
GUJJAR
GUJAR KATARIAN
RAWALPINDI DISTRICT
GUJAR KHAN TEHSIL
GOJRA
MATUA GUJAR
DHANGDEW GUJAR MAL
JAND GUJAR
GURAH GUJARAN
PHAMRA GUJRAN
KALA GUJRAN
BHANGALI GUJAR
ARAZI GUJRAL
DHOK GUJRI
BHADANA GUJRAN
DANDI GUJRAN
KHURAM GUJAR
MIANWALI DISTRICT
GUJRAN WALA
GUJRAT
KHUSHAB DISTRICT
GUJRANWALA
North Western Frontier Province(N. W. F. P.)
D. I. KHAN DISTRICT
GUJRAT
ABBOTTABAD DISTRICT
MASAH GUJRI
GUJRI
BAIN GUJRI
HARIPUR DISTRICT
PIND GUJRAN
MOHRRA GUJAR
KOHISTAN DISTRICT
GUJJAR BANDA
GUJARYBAKE
GUJAR KHEL
GUJAR BANDA
GUJAR BANDA
MANSEHRA DISTRICT
GUJRAN
GUJRA
GUJRAN DE GAL
LOWER DIR DISTRICT
GUJAR KALAI
GUJAR ABAD
UPPER DIR DISTRICT
GUJARA KILI
GUJAR LALA
MALA-GUJAR
MARDAN DISTRICT
GUJRAT
GUJAR GARHI
Mohalla GUJARAN
Bakhshali
PESHAWAR DISTRICT
CHOUHA GUJAR
MIAN GUJAR
S I N D PROVINCE
KARACHI DISTRICT GUJAR CHOWK,
Manzoor Colony
Gujjar Nallah
BADIN DISTRICT
GUJRI
LARKANA DISTRICT
GUJHAR
SANGHAR DISTRICT
GUJRO
GUJHERAN
GUJHRO
SUKKUR DISTRICT
GUJRO
B A L U C H I S T A N PROVINCE
AWARAN DISTRICT
GUJARO
KHUZDAR DISTRICT
GUJAAR
BOLAN DISTRICT
GUJAR
PISHIN DISTRICT
GUJIR
DERA BUGTI DISTRICT
GUJRO
ZHOB DISTRICT
GURJE ZAI
ISLAMABAD CAPITAL TERRITORY (I.C.T.)
KANGOTA GUJRAN
DERA GUJARAN (SECTOR G-10)
GOHRRA GUJARAN
MARRI GUJAR, TALHARR.
GUJJARS : A Warrior Tribe Who Inflicted Collosol Loss To The USSR
GUJARS : The 2nd Largest Ethinic & Linguistic Entity Of Afghanistan
By: Ch. M. Ashraf Gujjar,
Islamabad, Pakistan.
The U.S.A. and her allied countries had propounded the idea of a broad-based Government in Afghanistan, comprising of all the ethnic and linguastic groups. The western countries had false perception about the exact ethnic and linguastic division of Afghanistan. It was mistakenly believed that the Afghnistan is ethnically devided into Pushtoons and Persian speaking Northern alliance. The U.S.A. and its allies, while forming the present Karzai Government in Afghanistan, absolutely ignored the second largest and major ethnic Gujjar community. The Gujjars constitutes to be the 35% of Afghanistan’s total population.
2. The Gujjar is the largest tribe of the World, which is admittedly recognized to be the major ethnic group in Pakistan, India, Indo-Pak held Jammu & Kashmir, Xing Xiang(China), Tibet, Nepal, Bhuttan, Sakkum, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Georgia and other Central Asian States. The Gujjars can rightly be termed as an International tribe, who are not restricted and confined by the frontiers or borders.
3. There is much known about the Gujjars dwelling in almost all parts of India and Pakistan. There population in India and Pakistan is 20 & 03-billion respectively. The Sub-Continent and Central Asia was ruled for centuries by the Gujjars, also known as Gurjars. It was during their rule that thousands of places were named after them or their sub-tribes in India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian States. In Central and South Asia there are also numerous places named after the sub-clans of Gujjars, e.g. Chechania, Chechian, Jhanda Chechi, Kharian, New-Katarian, Panjan Kasana, Noon, Bhadana, Jhand Meelu, etc. etc. I am sure a list of such places, given at the end of this article, will be of great interest to realise that to what extent the Gujjars enjoyed power and influence in the Central & South Asia in the ancient times.
4. The Gujjars of Afghanistan have always played a very important and significant role in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan is broadly divided into four major ethnic groups, i.e. (1)-Pushtoons 40%, (2)-Gujjars, speaking Gujari and other languages 35%, (3)-Persian speaking 10% and (4)-others 15% approximately. The over whelming and majority population of 14 Provinces of Afghanistan consists of Gujjar tribe, who generally speak Gujjari langauage. In some areas they also speak Pushto or Persian in addition to Gujjari langauage. This language is also spoken by the Gujjars of India and Pakistan. The Gujjarati, Daccani, Rajasthani, Mewati and mewarri, according to some scholars, are the regional names and dialects of Gujjari language. A brief and approximate account of Gujjar population in some of the Afghan-Provinces is given hereunder:-
i) Kunnarr : This province is situated in the south of Afghanistan and
in the North of Pakistan. The Gujjar tribe is living with over-whelming majority in this Province. The famous towns and villages of the Gujjars are Narrai, Asmar, Hari Kot, Tashagul, Konigul, Gorin, Inchagal, Samsagal, Karchigal, Bazagal, Batash, Hegal and Asoom, etc.
ii) Lughman : Its more than 50% population consists of Gujjar tribe.
There are approximately 45-villages having hundred percent Gujjar population.
iii) Panjsher : The Gujjars constitutes 40% population of this Province.
Perkhar and Wersak towns are the famous strong-holds of the Gujjars.
iv) Badakhshan : The Gujjars constitutes half of the population of this
Province. The Bajjarr, Chauhan, Bherwal, Jangle, Bhaddana, Kohli, Doei and Bokarra are the famous sub-tribes/clans of Gujjars living in this Province.
v) Kondos : The ¾ population of this Province consists of Gujjar tribe.
vi) Farkhar : More than 90% population of this Province belongs to the
Gujjar community. The Dashtiachi, Namakao, Khestazi and Khefdar, etc. are the famous towns & villages of the Gujjar tribe.
vii) Mazar Sharif : In this Province over 30% population consists of
Gujjar community.
viii) Baglan : In this Province over 40% population belongs to the Gujjar
caste.
ix) Aneshkamesh : The 70% population of this Province is consisted of
Gujjar tribe.
x) Palol : The Gujjar is a majority tribe of this Province. The Gujjar
commanders Mr. Ghulam Sakhi Khattana and Mr.Fardol Khatana, the militant leaders of Harkat-e-Islamia Afghanistan also belonged to this Province. They inflicted collosal loss to the enemy during the cold-war.
xi) Andraf : The Gujjars constitues ¾ population of this Province. The
Gujjar Generals Moman Bherwal and Mr. Arbab Therwal Malang, the militant Gujjar Commanders of Hizb-e-Islami belonged to this province. These Generals earned lot of name and recognition during the cold-war.
xii) Taloqan : The Gujjars forms half of the population of the Province.
Mr. Arbab Hakeem Chechi, the Supreme Gujjar Commander of Hizb-e-Islami also belonged to this Province. He also earned world wide recognition during the cold war.
xiii) Shabargan : The Gujjars are 1/3 of the total population of this
Province.
5. The Gujjars are also living with a prominent sizeable minority in the following Provinces of Afghanistan : -
i Nangarhar,
ii Kabul,
iii Logar,
iv Qandhar,
v Gazni,
vi Kapisa,
vii Gardez,
viii Tamroze, and
ix Harat.
6. The Gujjars played a leading role in war (Jehad) against the U.S.S.R. since beginning in the year 1979. Mir Afzal Chechi of Kunnarr Province was one of the leading founders to organise and start the war(Jehad) to liberate Afghanistan from the clutches of U.S.S.R., who also sacrificed his life for the sacred cause. Malik Sher Afzal and Malik Qabeel of Kunnarr Province also significantly contributed towards organizing the war and Jehad against the U.S.S.R.
7. The following militant leaders of various Jahadi organizations, who fought against the U.S.S.R., also belonged to the Gujjar tribe of Afghanistan:-
i) Dr.M.Abdul Qayyum, Founder, Hizb-e-Islami
ii) Maulana M.Younas Khalis Quaid, Hizb-e-Islami
iii) Muhammad Ayub, Amir, Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
iv) Ghulam Chechi, Commander Hizb-e-Islami
v) Mauland Akhawandzada Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vi) Nadir Khan Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vii) Arbab Mian Gul Chechi Commander Jamaat-e-Islami
viii) Haji Zardali Commander Hizb-e-Islami
ix) Haji Daim Khan Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
x) Musafar Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xi) Maulana Umra Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xii) Haji Badam Khan Commander Mahaz-e-Milli
xiii) Mir Alam Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xiv) Malik Sadbar Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xv) Maulana Kaduaali Amir Islami Hizb
xvi) Mirza Lal Doei Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xvii) Madir Gujjarwal Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xviii) Malik Jabeen Chechi Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xix) Malik Shireen Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xx) Malik Maasal Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xxi) Hazrat Bilal Sher Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xxii) Malik Gul Sharif Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
8. The thousands of Gujjar Mujahideens sacrificed their lives while fighting against USSR during the period of cold war. A large number of Gujjars had to migrate to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries during and after the cold-war. The majority of Gujjar migratees were living in Bhai Cheena Camps, Anayat Kaley Camps in Bajorr Agency, Dodaba Camps and Ranrri Camps in Dir district of Pakistan.
9. The culture, language, customs and traditions of the Gujjars are entirely different than the pushtoon ethnic stock. The Gujjars of Afghanistan speaks Gujjari language, the language that also spoken in most of the areas of India & Pakistan and enjoys representation on a number of state owned Radio and Television channels in both the countries.
10. It will be worth mentioning that the Pushto speaking population do not belong to one community, tribal or racial group rather they are devided into Shanwaris, Afridis, Safis, Khattaks, Mashwanis and Yousafzais, etc. etc., who are foes and not friends as they keeps fighting with each other, whereas, on the contrary the Gujjars of Afghanistan belongs to one racial and tribal group unlike Pushtoons, who are just a linguistic group.
11. The over 30-Million Gujjars in Pakistan and 20-Billion Gujjars in India had extended their implied and unconditional support to the notion of forming the broad based Afghan-Government comprising of all the ethnic groups and communities in Afghanistan so to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan.
12. It was expected that the Gujjars being the second largest ethnic and linguistic community certainly was to be considered as a significant constitutent in broad-based government as by ignoring the Gujjars neither any government can function as a representative establishment nor that could be a workable or perpetual solution to the growing problems of Afghanistan. The U.S.A., U.K. and Pakistan Governments should have derived an acceptable formula giving due representation to the Gujjars of Afghanistan.
13. The worrior & majority Gujjar tribe has not been given any representation while forming the present Afghan Government, the result is obvious, the writ of present Afghan-Government could hardly be established within the radious of only two Kilo meter area and more specifically speaking within the Presidential Compound under the guard and security of Allied forces. They are the brave Gujjars only who can restrict and confine the war-lords into their cloths and can bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan. These Gujjars of Afghanistan also enjoys the unshaken support of 23-billion Gujjars of Pakistan and India in special and millions of Gujjars settled all over the world in common. Its in the larger interest that Allied Forces, in order to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan, may even now draw a strategy to form a true representative Aghan-Government.
The royal-Gujjars have ruled the South-Central Asia for centuries and it was during their kingdoms that they had named thousands of places. No other tribe can compete the Gujjars on this account. In the wake of recent unrest amongst the Gujjars of Rajisthan in India, which has been termed as the ‘Desert Storm By The Gujjars, an interesting discussion is going on these days as to who the Gujars, Gujjars or Gurjars are? I am mentioning a few name of some places, which will help the historians, anthrapologist and anaylst to ascertain the major and important role played by them in present and past history and the politics of these regions. The visitors of this site are allowed to forward this article to the other web-sites for befitting conclusion about the Gujjars’ history and their role in the present-age :-
I N D I A :
P U N J A B PROVINCE :
AMRITSAR DISTRICT :
LODHI GUJJAR
KOTLA GUJARAN
GUJARPURA
GUJAR PURA
FARIDKOT DISTRICT :
GUJJAR
FATEHGARH SAHIB DISTRICT :
RAIPUR GUJJARAN,
BUD GUJJARAN,
FIROZPUR DISTRICT :
BEHAK GUJJARAN,
BUH GUJJARAN,
THEH GUJJAR,
THEH GUJJAR (BEGU),
GURDASPUR DISTRICT :
TALWARA GUJJARAN,
SIMBLI GUJJARAN,
LAHRI GUJJARAN,
KOTLI GUJJARAN,
JHANDA GUJJARAN,
GUJARAT,
GUJJAR PUR,
CHANNI GUJJARAN,
BHURIAN GUJJARAN,
AIMAN GUJJARAN,
HOSHIARPUR DISTRICT :
GUJJAR PUR,
GUJJAR,
GUJAR KATRALA,
GUJAR BASOYA,
RAIPUR GUJJARAN,
JIWANPUR GUJJARAN,
CHAK GUJJARAN-1,
CHAK GUJJARAN-2,
BHULEWAL GUJJARAN,
BAGEWAL GUJJARAN,
JALANDHAR DISTRICT :
RAIPUR GUJJARAN,
KAPURTHALA DISTRICT :
MAND GUJJAR PUR,
GUJJARATTAN,
LUDHIANA DISTRICT :
AGWAR GUJJARAN,
BAUNKAR GUJJARAN,
BHAINI GUJJARAN,
FATEHGARH GUJJARAN,
GUJJARWAL,
GUJJARWAL BET,
QUTABEWAL GUJJARAN,
NAWANSHAHR DISTRICT :
GUJJAR PUR KHURD,
GUJJAR PUR KALAN,
ROPARR DISTRICT :
BASI GUJJARAN,
SANGPUR DISTRICT :
RAMPUR GUJJARAN,
RAMGARH GUJJARAN,
GUJJARAN,
PATIALA DISTRICT :
BADHOLI GUJJARAN,
BIR KHERI GUJJARAN,
DUDHAN GUJJARAN,
FARID PUR GUJJARAN,
GUJARHERI,
KHERI GUJJARAN,
SASA GUJJARAN,
MUKTASAR DISTRICT :
BURA GUJJAR,
G U J A R A T PROVINCE :
SURAT DISTRICT :
GUJJAR PUR,
MEHSANA DISTRICT :
GUJJARVADA,
HIMACHAL PRADESH (H.P.) PROVINCE :
UNA DISTRICT :
DHAR GUJJARAN,
HARYANA PROVINCE :
AMBALA DISTRICT :
TALHERI GUJJARAN,
BHIWANI DISTRICT :
GUJARANI,
FARIDABAD DISTRICT :
KHERI GUJJARAN,
NAGLA GUJJARAN,
TIKRI GUJJARAN,
GURGAON DISTRICT :
BAR GUJJARAN,
GUJAR NAGLA,
MUHAMMADPUR GUJJARAN,
KAITHAL DISTRICT :
BUDHANPUR GUJJARAN,
GARHI GUJJARAN,
KURUKSHETRA DISTRICT :
KAKRALA GUJJARAN,
MAHENDRAGARH DISTRICT :
GUJJARWAS,
PANI PAT DISTRICT :
NUR PUR GUJJARAN,
SIMLA GUJJARAN,
BAWANA GUJJARAN,
REWARI DISTRICT :
BAWANA GUJJAR,
GUJAR MAJRI,
GUJARIWAS,
LADHUWAS GUJJARAN,
ROHTAK DISTRICT :
KHERKA GUJJARAN,
SONI PAT DISTRICT :
KHERI GUJJARAN,
PANCHI GUJJARAN,
YAMUNA NAGAR DISTRICT :
GARHI GUJJARAN,
HAL DARI GUJJARAN,
P A K I S T A N :
P U N J A B PROVINCE:
DERA GAZI KHAN DISTRICT :
THOKH GUJRI,
LAYYAH DISTRICT :
GUJRAT,
MUZAFARGARH DISTRICT :
GUJARWALA,
RAJANPUR DISTRICT :
KOTLA GUJAR,
GUJAR WALI,
FAISALABAD DISTRICT :
CHAK 217/GB GUJJAR PIND,
CHAK 176/GB PALA GOJRA,
JHANG DISTRICT
JAT GUJJAR,
TOBA TEK SINGH DISTRICT :
GUJRA TEHSIL,
GUJARANWALA DISTRICT :
GUJARANWALA,
KOTLI GUJRAN,
GUJARAT DISTRICT :
GUJARAT,
GUJARPUR,
DHOK GUJRAN,
GUJJAR KOTLA,
KULEWAL GUJRAN,
KHANPUR GUJRAN,
HAFIZABAD DISTRICT :
GUJRANWALI,
GUJAR KE,
MANDI BAHA UD DIN DISTRICT :
GUJRA,
NAROWAL DISTRICT :
GUJAR WALI,
BHABRA GUJRAN,
BERA GUJRAN,
KHANPUR GUJRAN,
CHHANI GUJRAN,
DEHLA GUJRAN,
PAILA GUJRAN,
GUJAR TOOR,
HAJI PUR GUJRAN,
DARYA GUJRAN,
KOTLI GUJRAN,
BADALA GUJRAN,
NIKI GUJRAN,
JHOMIAN GUJRAN,
GUJRAT,
NADALA GUJRAN,
BALA GUJRAN,
BHERON CHAK GUJRAN,
TEHRA GUJRAN,
SIALKOT DISTRICT :
GUJARKE,
GOJRA,
GUJAR KALLA,
GUJAR GORAYA,
GUJRAL,
GUJRAN WALA,
KASUR DISTRICT :
GUJARKE,
LAHORE DISTRICT :
NAWAN PIND GUJRAN,
HANDU GUJAR,
QILA GUJAR SINGH,
WARRA GUJARAN,
OKARRA DISTRICT :
GHOUS PUR GUJJRAN,
SHEIKHUPURA DISTRICT :
GUJAR PURA,
MAHMOON GUJAR,
KALA GUJAR,
KOTLI GUJRAN,
RATTA GUJRAN,
VEHARRI DISTRICT :
GUJAR,
ATTOCK DISTRICT :
THATTI GUJRAN,
DHOK GUJAR,
CHAKWAL DISTRICT :
BHATTI GUJAR,
MOHRA GUJRAN,
PINDI GUJRAN,
JHELUM DISTRICT :
WARA GUJRAN,
GUJAR PUR,
KALA GUJRAN,
THATHI GUJRAN,
GUJJAR,
GUJAR KATARIAN,
RAWALPINDI DISTRICT :
GUJAR KHAN TEHSIL,
GUJRA,
MATUA GUJAR,
DHANGDEW GUJAR MAL,
JAND GUJAR,
GURAH GUJARAN,
PHAMRA GUJRAN,
KALA GUJRAN,
BHANGALI GUJAR,
ARAZI GUJRAL,
DHOK GUJRI,
BHADANA GUJRAN,
DANDI GUJRAN,
KHURAM GUJAR,
MIANWALI DISTRICT :
GUJRAN WALA,
GUJRAT,
KHUSHAB DISTRICT :
GUJRANWALA,
North Western Frontier Province (N. W. F. P.)
D. I. KHAN DISTRICT :
GUJRAT,
ABBOTTABAD DISTRICT :
MASAH GUJRI,
GUJRI,
BAIN GUJRI,
HARIPUR DISTRICT :
PIND GUJRAN,
MOHRRA GUJAR,
KOHISTAN DISTRICT :
GUJJAR BANDA,
GUJARYBAKE,
GUJAR KHEL,
GUJAR BANDA,
GUJAR BANDA,
MANSEHRA DISTRICT :
GUJRAN,
GUJRA,
GUJRAN DE GAL,
LOWER DIR DISTRICT :
GUJAR KALAI,
GUJAR ABAD,
UPPER DIR DISTRICT :
GUJARA KILI,
GUJAR LALA,
MALA-GUJAR,
MARDAN DISTRICT :
GUJRAT,
GUJAR GARHI,
Mohalla GUJARAN
Bakhshali,
PESHAWAR DISTRICT :
CHOUHA GUJAR
MIAN GUJAR,
S I N D PROVINCE :
KARACHI DISTRICT :
GUJAR CHOWK-
Manzoor Colony,
GUJJAR Nullah,
BADIN DISTRICT :
GUJRI,
LARRKANA DISTRICT :
GUJHAR,
SANGHARR DISTRICT :
GUJRO,
GUJHERAN,
GUJHRO,
SUKKUR DISTRICT :
GUJRO,
B A L U C H I S T A N PROVINCE :
AWARAN DISTRICT :
GUJARO,
KHUZDAR DISTRICT :
GUJAAR,
BOLAN DISTRICT :
GUJAR,
PISHIN DISTRICT :
GUJIR,
DERA BUGTI DISTRICT :
GUJRO,
ZHOB DISTRICT :
GURJE ZAI,
ISLAMABAD CAPITAL TERRITORY (I.C.T.) :
KANGOTA GUJRAN,
DERA GUJARAN(SECTOR G-10),
GOHRRA GUJARAN,
MARRI GUJAR,TALHARR,
HADWALA GUJJARAN,
GUJJARAN NA MOHRRA.
I R A N
GUJAR This place is situated in Esfahan, Iran, its geographical
coordinates are 33° 48' 0" North, 51° 20' 0" East.
A F G H A N I S T A N
Gujarabad,
Gujaristan,
Gujar pul (Kunnarr)
Gujar (Fariab), etc.
G E O R G I A (Central Asia)
Gurjistan } Persian names ]The place where from the Gujars,
Gurjiya } of Georgia ]Gurjis or Gurjars migrated to South
} ]Asia in the ancient times.
C H E C H A N Y A (Central Asia)
CHECHANYA This country is named after the Chechi sub-clan or gotra
of Gujjar/Gurjar Tribe. The following places are also
named after the Chechi sub-clan in Pakistan and Azad
Jammu & Kashmir :
Jhandi Chechi, District Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Chechian, District Mirpur, A. J & K.