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“In particular, we want to show people that Sikhism’s message of selfless service, compassion, and love for all can be beneficial to anyone, regardless of their religious or cultural background. Although the program is fairly new, it is gotten a lot of positive responses form viewers, and is the first youth run television show based on Sikhism in Canada.”

The duo sees the show, which is in English, as bridging a language gap of sorts.

“The majority of the religious teachings are taught in Punjabi and so second-and third- generation Sikh Canadians tend to have a harder time relating to their religion,” says Bhupinder Singh. “I think it can cause a real disconnect, not only with their religion but with their culture as well. We noticed that a lot of Sikh youth are not aware of the beautiful message of Sikhism.”

Through analogies and examples, as well as the use of visuals on-screen, the co-hosts hope to keep their audience engaged and entertained.

“We try to keep a positive and upbeat vibe throughout the show, and occasionally like to crack jokes or make quirky comments in order to keep the mood upbeat and fun,” says Bhupinder Singh. “Just because a show is about spirituality or religion, does not mean it has to be totally serious and boring”

“We use modern-day analogies and stories to make the point, so that young people can relate to what we are saying”, adds Harkeerat Singh. “We want to attract the youth of today so they can reconnect with their spirituality”.

Harkeerat Singh (Left), Bhupinder Singh

Harkeerat Singh hopes that by identifying himself proudly as a Sikh, and being out and about on the streets of Vancouver daily, he can demonstrate to people that one can strive to follow his or her religion, learn more about spirituality, and spread the meaning of love all while “talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk”.

When not working on Seeking Sikhism, Harkeerat Singh is a student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. “The universal messages and philosophies of Sikhism have always played a huge role in my work and this new opportunity of broadcasting the teachings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji weekly on television has given me a chance to do this seva (service), contribute to my education and gain the experience to further develop a few aspects of my art practice.”

On top of their priority list, say both, is to raise enough funds to continue broadcasting Seeking Sikhism.

“And for our more long-term goals, we’re hoping to broaden our audience and take the episodes online on a website we still have yet to create,” says Harkeerat Singh. “I’m sure that once the website is up and running, getting there will be a breeze. Just punch ‘Seeking Sikhism’ into Google and you’ll probably be directed there in a jiffy!”

Seeking Sikhism airs on JoyTV every Saturday at 7p.m.

In order to relay its message in the allotted 30-minute timeframe, the show airs commercial-free. The nonprofit programming is made possible by the generosity and financial support of the Lower Mainland’s Sikh community. For more information, call Bhupinder Singh at 778-838-7454, or e-mail seekingsikhism@gmail.com

(Courtesy of Mehfil Magazine: Vaisakhi Edition)