Kashmiris meeting Guru Tegh Bahadurji to ask for help against forced conversions by the Islamic Mughal emperor

(CHAKRA) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur is a religious observance for the Sikhism followers. Sikhism followers remember the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur on November 24. He was beheaded as he refused to be forced to accept Islam as his religion and now stands as an example of freedom of choosing each one’s religion. Guru Tegh Bahdur Martyrdom Day is one of the ten most important festivals observed by all Sikhs. Like in the other festivals it is custom for all Sikhs in a community to organize a procession, a Prabhat Pherys, where the Panj Pyares lead the procession and are followed by musicians, dancers and gatka teams performing martial arts.

Guru Tegh Bahadur became the 9th Guru of Sikhi on 20 March 1665 ,  following in the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan. Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Islamic Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi

In 1675, some Kashmiris  sought Guru Tegh Bahadur’s help. The Mughal emperor was forcibly converting them to Islam under the threat of torturous death. Even though the Guru followed a different faith than many other Kashmiris, he believed in everyone’s right to practice one’s own religion freely, a core principle of his Sikh faith. The same principle is now espoused in the First Amendment (1791) to the U. S. Constitution, allowing free exercise of religion.

The Guru advised theKashmiris to tell the emperor that they would embrace Islam if the Guru did so. He also encouraged people of all faiths to stand up to oppression and practice their faiths freely without fear. One of the Guru’s hymns says: Neither frighten anyone, nor be frightened (translated from Siri Guru Granth Sahib).

As anticipated, the Guru was arrested. When lavish incentives and extreme threats failed to sway the Guru and his companion Sikhs, the Sikhs were burnt alive, boiled alive and sawed alive in front of the Guru by Muslims. On still refusing to waver from his principle, the Guru himself was martyred.

Top 5 Sikh Blogs

(CHAKRA) There are dozens of blogs related to Sikhism and Sikh issues on the internet, but most are not updated. To assist you in your search in finding knowledgeable, insightful and educational Sikhism blogs, we have put this top 5 list together. These blogs have have a variety of focuses, from daily experiences as a practicing Sikh to Gatka, the martial arts of Sikhism. The top 5 Sikhism blogs (in no specific order) are:

1. The Langar Hall

The Langar Hall is a space dedicated to the experiences, reflections, and interests of a diverse group of young individuals tied together by our common and varied identities as Sikhs in the diaspora.

2. Mr Sikh Net

Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa is a Sikh of non-Asian origin and Mr Sikh Net is an online journal that shares his and his families experiences, thoughts, local sangat and how they live as Sikhs.

3. Sikhi Wiki

A web based encyclopedia of the Sikh Way of Life written collaboratively by many of its readers.  Many people are constantly improving SikhiWIKI, by constantly making changes. Although this is more of a wiki than a blog, we thought this should be included in any list regarding Sikhism.

4. SikhsIndia

The SikhsIndia blog is a great resource for news and updates on the worldwide Sikh communities. It also has a great number of photo galleries from various Sikh community events, adding some bright and joyous color.

5.  Spirit of the Sikh

Every Sikh has their story to tell and Spirit of Sikh shares this blogger’s experience in a very poetic and spiritual way. It is a collection of thoughts and reflections as the blogger journey’s on this path with the Guru. In these essays, poems, and random thoughts – the Spirit of Sikh blogger hopes to learn more about them-self, learn more about their Guru, and strengthen the bond between the two.

Other blogs we found insightful and interesting are:
American Turban
Martial Art Gatka

Sikhs Praying by the Golden Temple

We can wrangle and preach for religion, fight for it, die for it; do anything but live it. I had heard these lines long and always related it to the situations happening in real life. We turn the pages of newspapers or click any TV channels; we find examples of people doing so. We see the people fighting, killing and dying in the name of religion. Then there are celebrity preachers doing spreading all good things with Pomp and Show. We also see debates on the subject but there are very few examples of people practising it.

Our Sikh religion is like a huge structure made with foundation stone of sacrifices of our Gurus; especially of our Tenth master Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji and further followed by Lakhs of men, women and children sacrificing their lives to save self-respect, religion, country and society as a whole. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the final authority that gives shelter and assurance that binds Sikhs under one roofs. Gurbani teaches us to how live but most of us seem to be interested in reading it only.

I would like to share a personal experience with all my brothers and sisters and hope it explains what I want to say or put across in above lines;

It was on 28-09-02, I left for Punjab in Shane Punjab in the morning. At around 12.15 PM the train stopped at Phillour railway station. It was declared that the train might not leave for a long time as some political party workers had started “Raasta Roko Andolan” As the coach, I was travelling stationed near a tea stall on platform; I could see lot of people discussing the grievances meted to commoners due to such Andolans of political parties. I enjoyed company of a group of 4 sikhs of my age who were discussing religious issues and also seemed to have very good knowledge of Gurbani.

At around 2.30 PM, I noticed a disturbed lady, whom I had seen earlier travelling in my coach, with a weeping child of around one year enquiring here and there and also from the group of Sikhs, I had met earlier. On enquiry, I came to know that she urgently required some hot-milk for her hungry child as no pantry car was attached.  She said that the Tea stall owner was doing brisk business and was not interested in her woes and even the utensils may not be hygienic.  I took the bottle from her and asked her to care for my briefcase. Though it was in air that the train would leave anytime but my internal strength and faith propelled me to do something for little innocent soul.

I jogged out of station and at a tea stall; encountered the same problem of unhygienic utensil. I sighted an emptied steel Tiffin-box of the owner and washed it with available ash in Tandoor. I offered Tea-stall owner, also a Trim-Bearded Sikh, money for the milk but he refused to take. I rushed toward the train after crossing over-bridge.  As I reached my compartment, so many people who had noticed me leaving with milk-bottle came nearby and the lady was so thankful that she could not utter words in anxiety. I too recalled that “One should not expect thanks for the things one should be doing”. She went in the coach and I joined my religious brothers in discussions.

Suddenly a Sikh with trimmed beard passed and one of them commented that such Sikhs have tarnished image of our community. I said I agreed with him but was it enough to condemn him as what they as a bearded Sikhs were doing when they saw a lady with a weeping child in distress as she approached them. This is not what our religion teaches. How can we talk of reaching “PARMATMA” when we are not in a position to interact or listen to woes of an innocent “ATMA” weeping in front of us ? Let those tarnishing image do what they have to but we so called “PURAN-SIKHS” must also do good deeds to improve image of our community and tell the world true meaning of SIKHI. We must not merely condemn a wrong but we must act as the situation demand to make others aware of true meaning of Sikhism. Who would the lady have found to be true Sikh if the trimmed bearded Sikh had helped her and in what grade should I put the Tea-stall owner outside; who refused to take money seeing it was for a child? Discussing Gurbani is good thing but if we are not acting as per teachings to tell the world what it means, it may not help to community.

Finally, as the train had given its signal, they people invited me to join them in their coach but I took it as it was signal of Waheguru to end talks. I was sure that I would be no match for them in discussions; being aware of lack of my lack of knowledge of Gurbani to their status, I feared of uttering something, I should not have.

The train left Phillour at 3 PM. I could see the lovely child playing with its mother. “I did not know to which religion she belonged but I was sure that whatever I had done was what my religion taught me.” I was going to Punjab for a purpose and was in stress lest it was not fulfilled but this incident had smoothened my soul so as I had already fulfilled the purpose of my visit.

I always love listening to Gurbani & Kathaas but for one thing I am more than sure that if the revered preaching is not to be implemented in day to day life, we may become good humans but will never be in a position to convey the world what Sikhism stands for. The community members who pray for SARBAT DA BHALA daily in the morning must do some good acts so the society as a whole come to know for what we stand and the misconceptions about our Sikh religion, spread by vested interests (Anti-Panthic Forces), are also removed.

This experience is the first writing of the author.

Source: The Sikh Review (India)

By Jagmit Singh

forced marriages are rejected by Sikh and Hindu communities and is a dying trend in India

Canada (CHAKRA) – Thousands and thousands of women are forced into arranged marriages which go “quickly awry”—however, this is not limited to the Sikh Punjabi population of India.  Arranged marriages were and still are a common practice in many places around the world.  The fact that the case of Indians and Punjabis in particular keep being brought into light in the media, does not merit believing that this is the only community facing such problems.  In fact, many of the marriages that are set in the Indian Punjabi (Sikh and Hindu) community, have the full consent from both sides—the bride and groom to be. 

There have been a number of front page stories of women in India being forced to marry into a family from Canada to obtain Canadian citizenship.  What we must notice is that this is true for all communities living in countries outside of the west.  However, only stories related to India are publicized in the media because there is not a major backlash against such topics. Contrary to this, many journalists fear writing a story based on the oppression of young Muslim girls who are taken to Pakistan “for a family trip to visit”, and once they are there, they realize a boy was already chosen for them long beforehand, without them ever having the slightest idea.  Such news is rarely brought to attention by Muslim minorities themselves, because they refuse to shed a negative light to issues in their community.

Original Story: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/726066–lost-brides-when-arranged-marriages-go-quickly-awry?bn=1