Another week, another feature!
This Author 2020 blog series is for fiction and nonfiction indie authors who have either already published, or are due to publish, a book in 2020!
Source: Author 2020 Series: Ritu Bhathal – Penning and Planning
The Day Facebook and Instagram Erased #Sikh People
04 Jun 2020 61 Comments
in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: 1984, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Erased, Facebook, instagram, Opertaion Blue Star, Sikh, Sikhism, Social media
I try not to be political on my blog, but the events of the last few days have made me think about staying quiet, when it is our voices that will help, not our silence.
So the two previous posts have been in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that is in full flow.
During this time of unease for many in the Black community, and the extended #BAME community , as well as those not of colour, horrified by the events that took place with the murder of George Floyd, I remembered there was something else of huge importance, to me, as a Sikh, to recall.
1984.
Ten days of Terror for the Sikhs.
This was when the Indian Government launched Operations Blue Star, and there, thirty six years ago, tthebeginnings of the biggest Sikh genocide took place.
Soldiers marched into the holy shrine in Amritsar, the Golden Temple, desecrating the buildings, grounds, religious artefacts, and murdering hundreds of innocent pilgrims, man, woman, child. There was no respite.
They were there to apparently flush out Sikh Separatists after there were calls for a separate state of Khalistan for Sikhs, as there was a Pakistan for the Muslims.
It was a time filled with terror, and resulted in hundreds, if not thousands of deaths of innocent Sikh people. The Indian Government were trying to erase us, the Sikhs.
To read more about the awful happenings of those ten days, click here.
Every year, there is a peaceful remembrance, filled with emotion, remembering those who died in this mindless act, which sparked the assassination of the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, by two of her Sikh bodyguards. That act then set off a domino effect of riots, rape and murder of thousands of Sikhs in Delhi, and the Punjab.
To this day, there are Sikh people who don’t know what happened to members of their families during this time.
Then, to top it off, on 3rd June of this year, amidst the Black Lives Matter uprising, the hashtags #sikh and #sikhism, which were being used to remember and highlight a key time in our community’s background, disappeared from both Facebook and Instagram.
If you tried to search it, it was blocked.
Sure, there were others, but the main hashtags for us, #sikh, and #sikhism was unsearchable.
So the Indian Goverment tried to erase us then, thirty six years ago, and now, in 2020, we have social media doing the same.
It’s back up now, but why?
Why was it deemed ‘unsuitable content’ for us to remember this injustice?
Were there too many big other movements going on?
We, as Sikhs, are right there, too, but come on social media, give us our chance to speak too!
Chai And A Chat #86 #ChaiAndAChat #CoronaDiaries Week 10
01 Jun 2020 43 Comments
in Chai and a Chat, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat, Corona Diaries
TEN WHOLE LOCKDOWN WEEKS!
That’s how long this #NewNormal has existed for us… how are you holding up?
And… can you believe it’s JUNE already?! We will be celebrating Lil Man’s 15th Birthday at the end of the month… who knows what the situation will be then…?
Grab your drinkn. I’m supping mine as I type!
- It was a bank holiday on Monday and officially, half term, in our school. My head teacher (who is an angel) was more than conscious of the stresses and strains of the last few months on everyone. After speaking to the parents of keyworker children, she confirmed that the school would be shut for the week, to allow for full recuperation, in readiness for the madness that June 1st was sure to bring. We were all, in our own ways, ready, but extremely nervous. Thing is, the government feels the right time to release pertinent information, relating to the reopening of Early Years settings is a week before, during a bank holiday weekend on a SUNDAY, at the start of HALF TERM, when some schools, like ours, were closed! There were so many ‘interesting issues’ brought up in this thing, that the relative calmness I had been beginning to feel, disappeared. We were so not ready, in the way the Govt seemed we should be, anyway. Then on Tuesday, a much appreciated message came from my angel boss. School would not be reopening to the fist lot of classes until the 15th June at the earliest. The powers that be, including my head, who was in dire need of a break, spent Sunday aand Monday rehashing plans, and decided that there were still too many risk factors to consider. So we have now got two weeks more to get prepared. Thank goodness! I just hope this next level of relaxing the lockdown hasn’t come too soon, and a second waaave isn’t imminent, because this could throw our reopening plans anyway. Still, I miss my class. I miss reading them stories, and talking to them. I miss seeing their expressions the moment something ‘clicks’. In honour of my love of my job, I got myself a new T-Shirt!
- Knowing we weren’t headed back to school officially, on Monday gave me a chance to really relax over the week. I spent a LOT of time reading, and bumping up my Goodreads challenge number. Surpassed my goal a few weeks back, and I am at around 64 books read for this year now!
- I have managed to write a short story every day, as part of the Story A Day In May Challenge that I signed up for. All in all, nearly 30,000 words were written! I’ve even earmarked one of the stories, that I started, as a possible reader magnet for the new Newsletter that I have set up… Oh, didn’t you know? Yes, I, Ritu Bhathal, have now got a mailing list, and a landing page, and the option to do a newsletter! I am so ridiculously proud of myself, as I have wanted to do this for a long time, but was scared. If you are interested, click this link to sign up! https://www.subscribepage.com/ritubhathal
In other news, we’ve still been cooking, though a little less imaginatively, this week… standards have included the usual pancakes, pastas, Indian meals, Lasagne, crisp sandwiches, (yes, I did sink that low!) but, Lil Princess and I did make bread rolls on Saturday!
- I don’t know if you are the same, but we have found that our electronic devices have been our saviours during this lockcown period. More than before. A way to communicate with friends and family you can’t see, watch programmes and take silly videos. But they can also be responsible for allowing some to withdraw more than is good for them. With this in mind we decided that we need to make sure a mealtime Electronics Amnesty was adhered to. Not easy when one wants to watch something different to the other. (Can’t eat in the dining room at the moment, it’s been commandeered by Hubby Dearest and his work stuff!) And I am guilty of sinking into a book as I eat. So Sonu Singh has been guard of our devices for mealtimes. He takes his duty most seriously. It’s worked for a day, at least!
- In other news, Lil Man has decided he wants to run, daily. My knees are not up to running, so we have devised a plan where we start off together, and he runs as I walk in the opposite direction, around the same block. We meet up, then he walks an extra block with me! That has been lovely, especially with this lovely weather we are experiencing. I even got my hat out!
- I completed my traditional introduction to Calligraphy course last week, and my new one is a brush lettering one, which I am really enjoying! I love how brush letters are formed, so bring on my ability to write pretty things!
And there you have it… my week in lockdown at half term!
This week, there is no rush to get back into the physical classroom, and I am not on any rota until the next week, but I am sure that I’ll be in at some point to change things up that need altering in the classroom.
Other than that, I’ll be sorting out online learning, and now that I have finished Story A Day in May, I can get back to trying to write more words on Book Two!!
What have you been up to?
Stay safe, my dear friends!
Please Welcome Ritu Bhathal and her Debut Novel “Marriage Unarranged!” @lisaorchard1
24 May 2020 Leave a comment
in My Writing, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Author Interview, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Lisa Orchard, Marriage Unarranged
I have been featured on Lisa Orchard’s blog today. Do pop over and have a read!
#SoCS May 23/2020 – Cheyynah
23 May 2020 37 Comments
in #SoCS, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #SoCS, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, China, Linda G Hill, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday
Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ch.” Find a word that starts with “ch” and use it as your prompt word. Bonus points if you start your post with that word. Enjoy!
China.
Go on, say it.
Can you actually say it without morphing into a grotesque version of Donald Trump – ‘Cheyynah’?
I know I can’t.
Chinese food.
I miss a good old Chinese takeaway, but since this virus spread, here in this area, we have no places open, even for delivery, because the owners were subjected to such abuse. And one had even put a note up to say that she was born and bred here in the UK, had never been to China, and bought all her ingredients at local wholesalers, but still, her business got grief.
That really makes me sad. Some people are childish.
But I Smile Anyway... 