Karanjee Gaba, the first Afghan-Sikh model has become the first Sikh to be signed with a modelling agency in Paris. The model announced this news on Twitter last week.
Reacting to this news, Karanjee Gaba exclusively told Asian Voice, “As I am from Afghanistan, this is a huge deal for me. Being on one of the biggest campaigns means breaking barriers! As many of us believe we have to modify ourselves for us to be accepted, but really just be ourselves and represent our true self. It is a huge opportunity for us to teach others about who Sikhs are, what we believe and as I am from Afghanistan,
“I tend to teach people about my religious and cultural identity which many people are not aware of. Like Guru Nanak Dev Ji has travelled around the world, this is a similar part which I have followed in fashion to teach the world about Sikhism and my identity.”
In an earlier interview with Asian Voice, Gaba had categorically mentioned what it means for him to be a British Afghan Sikh. “To begin with, I was closer to British Culture but during my journey, I wanted to explore more about my identity. As an Afghan, I then went to speak with the elderly about our community and from there I have become more attached to our culture as we need to carry on the legacy. We need to keep it for the future and may it never be forgotten. We cannot lose our history because if we do, it’ll mean we have lost our identity,” he had told Asian Voice.
