The winner is… Tara Kaur Kodial (15) from Buffalo, New York!

Hello, my name is Tara Kaur Kodial. I am 15 years old and I live in Buffalo, New York. 

My submission for this years Creativity contest is based on the efforts and artifacts made by Sikhs, representing them keeping their minds strong by continuously practicing the mindset, Chardi Kala. In this art piece, you can observe in the top left corner one of the most recent examples of Sikhs keeping their minds strong and their spirits high during a time of adversity. This depicts the efforts Sikhs made to aid citizens in Punjab during the 2023 Monsoon season. As the majority of Punjab was experiencing flooding, many Sikhs came together and kept high spirits as they went around providing aid to other locals in need. 

The next image is of a young Sikh boy, learning Gatka, a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of Punjab. Gatka is a great example of strength within the Sikh community, not only representing physical strength, but mental strength as well. This is the case because it represents the Sikhs ability so stand up for themselves and others throughout history. Yes, it may take a lot of physical training to stand up and fight for the rights of others, but it also takes a strong mindset to be able to acknowledge a need for change and justice for those being oppressed. 

The third image is of a Sikh preparing meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, with the spread of the virus, it was a lot more difficult for homeless people to receive aid from soup kitchens or homeless shelters due to the extra precautions taking place at this time. In a strong effort to help out, Sikhs in Queens Villiage, New York invited those in need to their Gurudwara, and within 10 weeks, they served more than 145,000 free meals. This is such an amazing effort because even though the extremely difficult circumstances throughout the entire world, Sikhs still were still able to put a helping hand out and care for these people in need as a community, representing their chardi kala. 

The fourth image I decided to add to this art piece is of the Harmandir Sahib. I believe the Harmandir Sahib is a prime example of chardi kala, as Sikhs are fighting for what is right and keeping their mindsets strong throughout history. The Harmandir Sahib throughout its time has been attacked, captured, trashed, and destroyed. Yet it has always been rebuilt and has served as an icon of Sikh resilience. 

My 5th, and final, depiction is of a Sikh man, protesting injustice towards Punjabi farmers in 2020 as unfair laws were set as an attempt to reshape farming in India. Many farmers sat for these protests for months as they defended the state of Punjab’s rights to its own agriculture. As soon as this injustice was revealed, they stood up for what was right while remaining in a calm mindset as they peacefully protested to the government officials of India.

Going though all these events in recent Sikh history, it becomes apparent to a person how remaining in a calm, structured, and strong mindset known as chardi kala can set people up to spark changes in the world and take affirmative actions during times of misfortune and hardship in the well-being of others. This goes on to proving that chardi kala is a mindset that we all should strive to maintain.