Embodiment of sacrifice & enterprise
NEW DELHI: "In a country full of beggars, you would never see a Sikh begging," says Khushwant Singh with more than a trace of pride in his voice. A statement that says it all about the enterprising, hard-working nature of the community.
"That's the reason it is said that potatoes and Sikhs are the two entities found all over the world! Today, the Sikhs are everywhere — from guarding our borders to the PM himself and even Mandira Bedi," says Harpreet Kaur, an MNC executive.
The younger generation may be moving away from the badges of faith with many of them not adopting the five Ks, but community members feel that the "adjusting" nature of the religion will see it through. "Modernisation has had its effect on our community too, but despite that, my two sons tell me that they will come home late because they will be doing sewa at the langar. So both kinds of people exist," says Delhi education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.
"There is no fanaticism in the religion. When the practice of the five Ks was introduced, it was to ensure that the Sikhs got a distinct identity in their battle against the Mughals. The practice was relevant then. Today, most of us may not keep kirpans with us, but in our heart and soul, we are proud Sikhs," says Dr Mahipal Sachdeva, an eye specialist.
And there is a lot that non-Sikhs can pick up from it. "The sacrifice of the community for the cause of the country has been phenomenal," says Indian Olympic Association secretary general Raja Randhir Singh. "Respecting women is important in our religion. Our Gurbani questions why she who gives birth to kings and saints is ill-treated. Also, the way Guru Gobind Singh's sons opted for shahadat (martyrdom) instead of the prosperity that the Mughals had promised them, are the kind of role models that the community offers," says Paramjeet Singh Sarna, president of the Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.
For Dr Sachdeva, the Das-wanth or the practice of giving out one-tenth of what you earn to the underprivileged, is what is most important. "The idea is to do better and at the same time, help out the poor," he says.
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