11 September 2008

Should Gurprakash Tie A Turban?

On facebook now there is a group that has formed trying to convince a young man, Gurprakash, to regrow his shorn kesh. The group says, if 10,000 Sikhs join this group, he will tie a turban. At first, I thought, what a horrible idea. Being a visible, keshdhari Sikh is not a contest, it is an act of love, courage and commitment. The group can be found here: If 10,000 Sikhs join the group, GURPRAKASH will become a Turbaned Sikh

However, I have a lot of respect for the person who sent me the invitation, so I checked it out. After reading everything there, I went ahead and joined the group, leaving this comment on his wall:




Gurprakash Ji,
Please read this and think deeply about it.

On 1 November 1984 in Delhi, we faced a choice. Sikhs were being murdered everywhere around us. Surely you have heard the stories of this. We had a choice. Hindu friends were willing to shelter us, but only if we did not look like Sikhs.

Who could blame them for being afraid?

Most of our group at a family reunion, chose to shear. When all the hairs was cut, all the beards shaved, the karas, kanghas, kecheras and kirpans shed, there were eight of us left.

The ones who did the cut-and-run lived. Of the eight of us, the two women remaining survived, the six men - my husband, my son, two of my brothers, two cousins and my preborn twin daughters - all achieved shaheedi.

If there is something inside you somewhere that whispers to you, "If I had been there, I could have been the ninth," then please, tie your turban, wear your crown and regrow your kesh.

(continued in next wallpost)



(continued from previous post. Please read that before reading this.)

And if there is no answering resonance in your soul, to tie a turban would be a sham. That turban would be only an inconvenient length of cloth, not a crown, not an expression of love for Guru Ji.

To be a visible Sikh is to be committed, strong, courageous - and free. Never easy.

Please think very deeply about us.

And know we love you.






Please go and take a look. Whether you choose to join or not, it will make you think about the meaning of being a Sikh.

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