SACRAMENTO (Onkar S. Bindra, Ph. D.) – In America, there is widespread ignorance about the Sikhs. Because of their turban and beard, Sikh men are often called Osama bin Laden. Sikh children have to face   bullying and harassment. Recently, the Patka of a Sikh boy was set on fire in New York, while another Sikh boy was beaten badly. We need education, education and education.  For educating the masses about Sikh identity, it is very important to include information about Sikhs in the textbooks and Supplemental Instructional Materials (SIM).

Last June, it was pointed out to the California Department of Education (CDE) the need for inclusion of The Boy with Long Hair in the SIM, and advised the publisher, to submit it for approval. The CDE has approved the coloring book for grades K-3.

The Boy with Long Hair is a true story of a California-born Sikh boy. He was quite happy in San Jose. His family moved to a small town where they had not seen a boy with long hair. Here, no one wanted to play with him, or talk to him. His isolation saddened him and ignorance of kids around him angered him. This book tells the story of courage and triumph of this young boy, how he dealt with the situation and finally became happy as the boy with long hair. His unique identity was no longer a problem. Everyone in his school knew him as an intelligent fun-loving boy.

According to the author Pushpinder Kaur, it is a story for all those children who have felt left out and lonely because their heritage has given them customs that seem strange to some people. It is the story of a boy who knows that although people may look or behave differently, there is much that they share.

She states, “This coloring book teaches children to be proactive, finding solutions to problems. Children and teachers alike realize that we have many similarities despite our differences, as the boy with long hair points them out.  This book sends a powerful message about respect for diversity of our nation (America).”

It may be noted that earlier, the following two items have been approved for use in California’s public schools: (1) Meet the Sikhs, a short DVD produced by PBS/KVIE, Sacramento (www.kvie.org ), now viewable on “You Tube”, and (2) The Sikh Next Door of Lohgarh Sikh Educational Foundation (www.sikhnextdoor.org ). With the approval of The Boy with Long Hair of the Sikh Foundation (www.sikhfoundation.org ), we will now have three items on the SIM.

It is extremely important that Sikh parents request the teachers of their school children to make use of these Supplemental Instructional Materials. Gifting one or all of these to the teachers and the Principal concerned will definitely encourage them to use these CDE-approved instructional materials, for education of the staff and the students.

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