Sikh exhibition in Seattle museum

New York, Mar 28 (UNI) An exhibition displaying different caricatures drawn by a New York based Sikh, who is a software developer, is being held in Seattle.

The exhibition at the Wing Luke Asian Museum displays the works of Mr Vishavjit Singh -- who focuses on frustration, sorrow and aspirations of Sikhs -- and other Sikhism-related artifacts will run through April 16, according to the museum.

He was of the opinion that the Sikhs have a negative image in the US news media. ''You'll see a lot of things you don't like in this world, and it's OK to voice your opinion, but if you really want to make a difference, you've got to create things yourself (such as cartoons, films and photographs)'' he told The Seattle Times. '' The subjects of Vishavjit's cartoons include the Sikh situation in the post September 11, 2001 terror attacks, widespread female foeticide in his native state of Punjab and Operation Bluestar in 1984 against the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Mr Vishavjit vividly remembered the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi. He said a mob had come to kill his family members, but they were saved by the goodwill of Hindu neighbours.

''It was our 9/11,'' the newspaper quoted Mr Vishavjit as saying.

The cartoon display of Vishavjit, who is from White Plains, a town near New York City, is part of the exhibition titled ''The Sikh Community: Over 100 Years in the Pacific Northwest.'' The exhibition seeks to educate the general public about the Sikh religion and the Sikh community heritage in the Northwest.

About half a million Sikhs live in the US and almost an equal number of them live in neighbouring Canada. Around 20,000 Sikhs live in the greater Seattle area, according to US Census.

The first Sikh immigrants arrived in the region in the late 1800s. They worked in lumber mills and built railway lines. Since the mid-1960s, Sikh immigrants have mainly been professionals, businesspersons and entrepreneurs.

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