It is a pity that ignorance usually finds a way to create problems where none should exist. Just because some one wears a turban, to be equated to the Al Quaida saddens me. In India, the Sikhs are a highly visible and successful minority who command tremendous respect. Our Prime Minister today, Mr. Manmohan Singh is one, just to give you an example. They are gregarious, fun loving and with great sense of humour. They crack jokes on themselves with abandon and there are many jokes that are created on them, which they cheerfully accept as their own.
I have personally known some remarkable Sikhs and was fortunate to count one among my closest friends. He unfortunately is no more among us, but when he was alive, he was a regular house guest at our home and was treated like a member of the family by Urmeela and Ranjan. He ran a restaurant in Mumbai and whenever we went there, we were treated like royalty.
News like this, therefore disturbs us. Despite the fact that the local community have gone to great lengths to protect and assuage the hurt, it cannot be easy to live under such threats from ignorant hate mongers.
While I was mulling over a post on this subject, synchronicity once again played its hand and gave me access to this wonderful tidbit.
“A bunch of boys hired a taxi driven by a Sardar driver for one full day.During the entire ride the boys kept cracking sardar jokes.At the end of the ride when the boys paid the fare,the Sardar driver gave Rs 10 to each of the boys saying ” I forgive you for all your jokes because you are all young,yet to understand life.Meanwhile,take this ten rupees and give it to the first Sikh beggar you may come across”.
Years later,each of the boys still had the ten Rupees,as they could not find a single Sikh beggar.
Silkhs contribute :
33% income Tax
45% of the Indian Army
67% of the total charities
59000 Gurdwaras serve langar free of charge to 60 lakh people every day.
All of this when Sikhs form only 1.4% of the Indian population.”
Source : Article by Khushwant Singh,Hindustan Times,dated March 18,2012.
Comments are closed.