As the first words of the opening remarks were uttered, “Welcome to the White House…” my mind began to wander. I thought to myself, how did we make it to this historic event?
Caste is one of those dark secrets in our community. Some defend it as “culture”, others downplay its discriminatory effects, and some go even as far as to blame the victims of the violence itself.
Here we are, almost thirty years after 1984. There will be no messiah. There will be no reckoning from heaven. We will not be made free and delivered to salvation as passive agents in the hands of some omnipotent force. Our pain will not be erased or numbed, our trauma will not be healed through some miracle.
It is a matter of proud for the all Amritsarites that Eco Sikh, a UN based organization, is launching an international campaign for a ‘Green Amritsar’ this week.
Shanti Kaur Khalsa says that, during the Guru's times, women were equal on all levels of life, including leadership. But discriminatory practices against women came into the Sikh life later on when different groups were in charge of places like the Harimandir Sahib.
No words will ever strike the right note for such unjust suffering. A silent bow to the pain and this superhuman strength? This also will not suffice. And in addition there is a sorrow that will never cease, for Bhāī Matī Dās Jī's death at the Cāndnī Cauṅk on November 8, 1675 put an end to his suffering, but Sikhs will never cease to feel the resulting pain.
As is quite common with religion and its many different incarnations, to the unaccustomed, practices seem odd, foreign and well... just different.
By Monday (June 4, 2012), the world was awash with the story of a blue turban on the Queen’s Boat during her Jubilee celebrations and the flotilla sailing along the Thames. By Tuesday, e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e was talking about it.
Sikhs in the UK will serve langar along the route of the Olympic Torch Relay on July 21, informed United Sikhs Project Director Langar, 2012 Mejindarpal Kaur on Wednesday.
All through his career as an army officer, General J.J. Singh kept his faith and religion personal. He said when he became army chief, he was described as the first Sikh to head the army.