WHO WE ARE
We are a group of passionate high school students that are a part of the first-ever, youth-run, online TV channel Nishkam TV. Our latest documentary project Baywatana: Without a Country, under the guidance of Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Harbaldeep Singh in collaboration with the Sikh Coalition had its premiere at Parliament of The World Religions Film Festival in Chicago on August 15th.
As we shared the film, we were approached by numerous human rights organizations, institutes, and universities with invitations to screen "Baywatana". This outpouring of interest reinforces the relevance and significance of the narrative we have woven through the documentary.
This fundraiser is for a film being created entirely by the students of Nishkam TV. All funds raised through this page will go directly to NishkamTV for the development of this project; the Sikh Coalition is solely providing support, at the request of Nishkam TV.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
BAYWATANA, focuses on the journeys of religious minorities who have fled Afghanistan due to recent violence and political upheaval. Drawn from 175 hours of interview footage shot in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India, Baywatana follows the stories of multiple families that are attempting to build new lives for themselves after experiencing discrimination, persecution, and violence in their home country. The response to the documentary at the film festival was genuinely humbling, as it shed light on the challenges faced by Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, who were compelled to leave their homeland and start anew in India, the UK, the USA, and Canada. After watching the documentary, there wasn't a single eye in the theater that remained untouched, as the plight of the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus community, once significant contributors to their countries' economies, moved every heart to tears.
Our next steps involve raising the remaining funds needed to enhance the production quality of the documentary. Currently, we are limited to digital rights usage due to our current funding. To fully release the film, we need to secure broadcast rights for the copyrighted material, hire a background music composer, and complete color grading for a polished, professional finish.
Please click the link to watch: Preview of the Baywatana documentary
Thank you for your support, and let's make a difference together!
WHY WE HAVE PICKED THIS TOPIC:
To tell the Untold Stories of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus
Afghanistan has a long history of persecution and discrimination against religious minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and Jews.
Attacks on minority places of worship in Afghanistan include the bombing of a Hindu temple in Kabul in 2010, which killed at least one person and injured several others.
This situation reached a tragic climax on March 25, 2020, when ISIS attacked a Sikh place of worship, Gurudwara Guru Har Rai Sahib, in Kabul, killing 25 people.
The recent attack on June 18, 2022, on the Karteparwan Gurudwara - a Sikh temple in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, left several people dead and others wounded.
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