Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa is an American Sikh who is Chief of Protocol for the American Sikh group called Sikh Dharma.[1] In 2000 he was convicted on fraud charges, receiving the nickname "Toner Bandit." He is a member of the Grammy award-winning New-Age musical group White Sun.
Stephen J. Oxenhandler (Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa) | |
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 Khalsa at Governor's Prayer Breakfast in 2012 | |
| Born | |
Early years
editKhalsa (born Stephen Oxenhandler[2]) was born September 29, 1942, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a well-to-do real estate development family. He was raised in a reformed Jewish community with whom he spent his youth between St. Louis and Palm Springs, California.[3]
Career
editIn connection with one enterprise, Sweet Song Corporation, Khalsa and his associates were sued by the FTC for a telemarketing scam in which they falsely representing the value of gemstone investments, and in 1998 were barred from engaging in any business related to collectibles investments.[4]
In 2000 Harijiwan was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his involvement in a different telemarketing scam. The scam involved sending companies fraudulent invoices for toner,[5] as a result of the crime Khalsa received the nickname "Toner Bandit."[6]
Harijiwan has defended Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan against multiple allegations of rape and child abuse that emerged following his death.[7][8] A 52-minute video titled “The Futile Flow of Fate” released on his website, and shared by Guru Jagat, begins, “Someone, I think, needs to speak on behalf of Yogi Bhajan.”[9] In the video, Harijiwan claims that the accusations were made for financial gain.[10]
Khalsa is a member of the musical group White Sun, they make New Age music inspired by the Sikh tradition. Their 2016 album White Sun II won a 2017 Grammy award in the New Age category.[11][12] In 2018 they released another album, White Sun III.[13] In 2023 their album Mystic Mirror won a grammy in the same New Age category.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Stephen J Oxenhandler (Hari Jiwan Khalsa)". Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "FTC v. Sweet Song Corporation". 18 August 1998. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ Meyer, Nancy (March 1984). "Meet the Sikhs". Los Angeles Magazine: 174–180.
- ^ "Last Defendant Named in a Gemstone Telemarketing Case Banned from Telemarketing Activities" (Press release). Federal Trade Commission. 1 February 2000. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011.
- ^ "Colorado News and Denver News: The Denver Post". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ PHELAN, HAYLEY. "The Second Coming of Guru Jagat". vanityfair.com. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Master of Deceit: How Yogi Bhajan Used Kundalini Yoga for Money, Sex and Power". The Guru Magazine. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Stuart, Gwynedd (2020-07-15). "Yogi Bhajan Turned an L.A. Yoga Studio into a Juggernaut, and Left Two Generations of Followers Reeling from Alleged Abuse". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "The Legacy of Guru Jagat on Instagram: "This tale is no truer than any other tale — the Truth as always lies in the eye of the Beholder . . . A Film by #mandev . . #linkinbio #ageofaquarius #harijiwan #yogibhajan #teacherstudent"". Instagram. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. "Before the sudden death of its leader, Ra Ma Yoga Institute was accused by some former members of being a cult. What happens now?". Insider. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Kainth, Shamsher. "Group wins Grammy award for Sikh Gurbani album". sbs.com.au. SBS. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ Singh, IP. "White Sun's Grammy Win Puts Glow on Sikh Faith". indiatimes.com. Times of India. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "WHITE SUN RELEASE NEW LP 'WHITE SUN III'". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ Singh, Harmeet Shah. "The journey of Sikh spiritual music – from rabab to Grammys". indiatoday.in. India Today. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/1998/08/final_or.010.htm