A Confused Punjabi-Sikh Girl

[Mai Harinder Kaur]

This is getting way too complicated. Please allow me to simply it. From my point of view, and this is just my point of view, I need only one thing from a man - or from anyone else, for that matter - RESPECT.

Everything else can be negotiated.

 

[Harry Haller]

What are you men afraid of, anyway? Is it a power thing? Is your self-esteem (ego) so tied up in controlling women that you would rather she be half a person than the person she was created to be? Surely her Creator wouldn't give her all these talents if she wasn't meant to use them. Or is it that you don't want to give up having a cook, maid, governess, housekeeper, chauffeur, sex partner and, nowadays, wage earner at your beck and call?

I have to agree with this, I have always lauded sikhism to my wife as one of the worlds more equal religions in so far as women are concerned, in fact Maiji is quite correct, Women can do anything that men can do, you only have to look at sikh history to see the likes of sharan kaur, that they indeed do have lions hearts.

Unfortunately, what we are talking about here is culture, not god. It is our culture that dictates womens role in sikhism. I can relate to that, I have always wanted a little wife to be at home and do the cooking and the cleaning etc.Unfortunately, my wife, a welsh lady, is a big fan of equality, and as she works longer hours than me, I do most of the cooking and cleaning!. Maiji is quite correct, yes, compared to my last partner, I have lost a maid, cook, etc, but I have gained an equal life partner, whom I consider my equal both mentally and physically. Moving onto sikhi, I would suggest that even the most devout and full haired sikh man would find his devotion misplaced if he were unable to treat his wife with the utmost respect, love and devotion. Surely it is in this very union between man and woman that the love and respect that grows will light up the path to enlightenment.

To impose ones will on another is wrong, to do so because of gender is not, (in my humble opinion) in the spirit of sikhism

 

[lionprinceuk]

I see sikh girls now more and more dressing immodestly; whereas sikh men still dress decently?

So any double standards here?

 

[jananavan]

There is a huge difirence between indian/panjabi culture and Sikhi. I belive since the british annaxed the sikh empire slowly but surely the collective consciousness of the panjabi sikhs has been degraded and continues to degrade. The only thing that can be done about this is if the lovers of sikhi and guru truly live the life style of a sikh and lead the weaker sikhs/panjabis by example. Yes there is a lot sexism and non sence in panjabi culture similar in many ways to general indian culture.

As far as hollywood,bollywood and the music industry ALL young artist need to know that "the industry" is a very dangerous realm full of all sorts shady,wicked and dark people. You will find that hidden behind the veil of "hollywood" or "bollywood" lies corruption,wickedness and much evil. It is very clear to see what happens to the young musicions/actors. Look at artist such as christinay aguilary, britney spears, lindsey lohan etc etc(list goes on and on). You will see a slow degradeation were a innocent teen with a love for music gets seduced by "the industry" or "the forces in that rule the industry" and end up lost in all sorts of darkness and later on as adults do not resemble there original selves what so ever.

My advice to you penji is continue to keep youre religion close to youre heart and become AWARE of the dangers that the industry can bring and do not let anybody "guide" or "influence" youre talent. I also love music and am a westerner. I used to think hip hop was the greatest music ever until i got wiser and older and saw the damage that it has caused my generation and the ones before. I am glad to say that now i have discovered indian classical music and Gurmat Sangeet. I suggest penji you look into gurus sacred music and possibly look into using youre voice and talents to serve gurus court japposatnamwaheguru:

 

[findingmyway]

I see sikh girls now more and more dressing immodestly; whereas sikh men still dress decently?

So any double standards here?

Define decent for males!! I see more and more Sikh boys fooling around with non-Indian girls then dumping them to marry whoever mummy ji says (often from India) and treating the wife with disdain. This line of argument will lead nowhere!

 

[kds1980]

Define decent for males!! I see more and more Sikh boys fooling around with non-Indian girls then dumping them to marry whoever mummy ji says (often from India) and treating the wife with disdain. This line of argument will lead nowhere!

I think the question of Jatinder is about dressing and not about character.That is totally a different topic.

 

[spnadmin]

If we go off in the direction of immodest dress, again this is off topic. It takes on a life of its own. Comments by Jananavan are on topic. Comments by Lion_Prince_Jathedar ji can stay for now. However if there is a detour into who is not covering up, all will be deleted. Thanks, spnadmin_Jatinder

 

[lionprinceuk]

ok, erm, let me try and stay on topic as best I can...

Let's just say the dress sense of males is still acceptable in punjabi/indian culture, but I see more females dressing in a way which does not fit into the culture of dressing in a way that shows sanskar perhaps? Of course I am not talking about having to wear salwar/kameez and suit lengha, kurta pyjama?!

Also some other things; it was culturally normal for indian women to keep uncut hair. But now, many sikh girls are getting pretty short hairstyles whereas men will normally keep kesh for respect to khalsa reasons, although turban is pretty cultural in my eyes.

I know sikh men here used to fool around with goris, but now they fool around with sikh girls as well. Also many sikh girls in London are hateful of turbans, so not showing much cultural respect in that context.

otherwise I don't seem to see much different, most people in kaliyuga are messed up, selfish etc.

Define decent for males!! I see more and more Sikh boys fooling around with non-Indian girls then dumping them to marry whoever mummy ji says (often from India) and treating the wife with disdain. This line of argument will lead nowhere!

I was chatting about dress sense, around London I have see most sikh men dressed appropriately, but I see significant numbers of sikh girls not dressed in a traditionally acceptable manner.

 

[spnadmin]

Oh dear! We are going to explore manner of dress and hair-styles. Letting this one go because Lion_Prince_Jatinder is being so polite. Let's not mine these topics too too much. Thanks.

 

[Mai Harinder Kaur]

Dress is not far off-topic, imo, as it is an integral part of professional dancing.

Even classical ballet has the tutu.

Many forms of hip-hop dancing expose more skin than I would be comfortable with my daughter showing in public. Maybe I am being hypocritical again. I doubt I would object to my daughter being a ballerina. This topic gets more and more complicated.

I wonder if our Punjabi girl is any less confused than she was? I know I'm much more confused than I was.

 

[spnadmin]

Based on the video she gave us to look at, she will be covered pretty well. I am more concerned that the thread becomes the village square where we gather round and damn this and damn that, with a lot of damning rather than exchange of ideas going on.

The topic pertains to a career choice. Let's try to keep close to it.

 

[findingmyway]

Spnadmin ji,
I don't want to continue an inflammatory war and there are so many things I can say to Lion Prince Jatinder ji but I have only 1 comment to make then I will keep quiet. I am sick of so much hypocricy and females always being maligned so have to share 1 thing I have experienced and seen so many times in relation to looks:

A sabat surat Sikh guy expecting his wife to remove her kesh (shave legs, shape eyebrows etc) so that she will look pretty in dresses and match the popular notion of beauty.

If that is not double standards then I do not know what is!

 

[Mai Harinder Kaur]

Spnadmin ji,
I don't want to continue an inflammatory war and there are so many things I can say to Lion Prince Jatinder ji but I have only 1 comment to make then I will keep quiet. I am sick of so much hypocricy and females always being maligned so have to share 1 thing I have experienced and seen so many times in relation to looks:

A sabat surat Sikh guy expecting his wife to remove her kesh (shave legs, shape eyebrows etc) so that she will look pretty in dresses and match the popular notion of beauty.

If that is not double standards then I do not know what is!

That is a consideration. Dancers, in general, are expected to be devoid of body hair and have "groomed" faces.

Personally, I always thought my hairy legs and slightly bushy (when I was younger) eyebrows were quite attractively fetching in a primate sort of way.

 

[spnadmin]

findingmyway ji

Spnadmin ji,
I am sick of so much hypocricy and females always being maligned

You are not the only one who is sick of it. So am I. It is like a reflex. Hit the "Punjabi Girl Bone" with a hammer, and out come the fingers, shaming and blaming, and claiming they cannot be trusted to make sound decisions or use cell phones.

A sabat surat Sikh guy expecting his wife to remove her kesh (shave legs, shape eyebrows etc) so that she will look pretty in dresses and match the popular notion of beauty.

It is a double standard. And the exact example you give is the subject of NUMEROUS Sikhtoons, and other cartoons. Quite a few. The sardar on a motorcycle with a babe in a side-car is the one that comes to mind.

 

[Ishna]

Here here, Findingmyway ji. Very well said.

It's almost in the same caterogy as turban-wearing sardarjis who say turbans don't look attractive on women.

 

[Navdeep88]

this thread's still in progress? :interestedkudi:boy, things do take on a life of their own on spn :grinningkudi:

 

[seeker3k]

No woman found equality in religion. Sikhism is no different. Men in Sikhism will hold on to their control by any means. Women all over got their rights by joining other women out side of religion. Men here on this site are very arrogant they will not support any woman who wants to peruse her own mind.
<!--?"urn:
Any way this is my last post on this site.

 

[Kanwaljit.Singh]

Sikhism is no different. Men in Sikhism will hold on to their control by any means.

Do men control Gurbani? Can men change a woman's fate if Guru has destined her for Union?

 

[davinderdhanjal]

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Control is necessary for guidance.
A mother takes control of the children to make sure no harm comes to them, teach and educate them to look after themselves.
The control she will have over the children will depend on how well she has control over herself.
Her control is tailored to the environment and facilities available to her, provision of those facilities is the domain of the father usually, but if the mother is educated well she contributes more to that.
If father is educated well his ability to provide is enhanced – if he squanders by drinking, gambling, womanising etc. then the ‘provision’ for the family is reduced – the direction and influence on the family will dilute from what mother is attempting to instil.
In my experience the woman usually has a better control on herself than a man – when the man has the same or better control of himself – that is the time for him to share or take control of the boys and girls and mother if necessary – otherwise it is the woman who guides the ship as best as she can – the direction will come from the structure of the family not idle talk.
If in doubt revert to being a Gursikh![/FONT]

 

[Original]

Sat Sri Akaal everyone,

I'm a young Punjabi-Sikh girl from Australia and I would like to ask your opinions on these topics raised.


First of all, I hold my religion very close to my heart... however I am very critical of Punjabi culture, and I do notice the bad things like:

• double-standard in men and women, heavy patriarchy/sexism - boys can go out, girls can't and if they do, they are deemed to be 'bad'.

• racism towards other cultures - seeing white/black people as being different to us and saying they have bad morals

• upholding of caste system - you often hear 'jatts' refer to other castes as 'choodas' and even when they say they don't believe in caste.. they continue to do so

• extreme pride in having a 'good' family - it's so important for many parents to marry their kids into a good family and often don't let their children be happy and have the freedom they want because other people will think it's 'bad' - e.g. going out

and many more beliefs which contradict Sikhism.
This is all generally speaking on my experience but I'm sure many of you can relate.

I would like to know, what is your opinion on the fact that Punjabi culture is being held higher than Sikhism by many Punjabis? How could we change this? Do you disagree with me? I would just like your opinions because I feel so lost and so insecure in my culture.

I see a lot of young Sikh men who go out and get drunk, get Sikhi tattoos, call themselves "jatts" and get angry when they see young Sikh girls going out and I think it's disgusting that parents are telling their kids this is right.. personally I have taught my little brother that this is completely wrong. He was putting "jatt" on his Facebook before and I got upset at him for doing that... but lots of parents aren't teaching their kids about Sikhi, they are just instilling their racist and sexist beliefs in their kids.

Older people are saying Punjabi culture is becoming 'Westernized' but I just believe it is evolving. What do you think? Do you think Punjabi culture is changing for the good or the bad?

Secondly, I am a singer and dancer, I write english music and dance to english songs and I have recently got some interest for a major recording company in America.

However, many Punjabi people say that I am departing from my beliefs and morals and I am wrong. This makes me deeply sad because I absolutely love music and these people are telling me I'm wrong and too provocative and Punjabi girls don't do this. What do you think? Do you think it's wrong that I am becoming a singer/dancer? Their are many young women in Bollywood but none are Punjabi and British singer Jay Sean who is also Punjabi-Sikh is a representative of Western Desi's but he is a male and I know that people think different of male and female in Punjabi culture and I'm scared people will think I'm wrong and hate me. Would you honestly feel uncomfortable with a young Punjabi-Sikh female singer/dancer? Do you think many Punjabi people will get angry and not respect me?

I would really appreciate any answers as I am very lost and confused and this is the only place I can turn to for help. Thank you in advance for your answers.

Dear Seeker<?"urn:fficeffice" />​

​

Forgive me for the long delay in responding to your concerns, dictates of daily life and preoccupation with other things had the better of me, not to say I didn’t try. I did indeed, several times, but one thing or the other proved increasingly persuasive in resulting otherwise. And now, determined am I to a point where nothing but an onslaught of vigorous and critical analysis of selected disciplines to find plausible explanations to your enquiries seems to be the only ultimatum available.

I begin therefore with a preliminary inquiry to find at first sight that your concerns are of the genre, which, have engaged the mind and soul of mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Don’t be alarmed or become apprehensive by this because, there are no set criteria or formulae with which readymade solutions can be found. Nor am I in a position to grant you a magic wand to ward off such encroaching predicaments with which you are surrounded. At best perhaps all I can do is tell you the story of the human being and its place in this world from a Sikh perspective.

We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world in which we live; give little or no thought to the machinery that generates the sunlight which makes life possible or to the molecules that regulate our conscience with which we make everyday choices. Except for children, few of us spend much time wondering why everything is in the way it is. Global emphasis on education is growing by the day because it makes the world a better place, transpires human curiosity, and evokes yearning to learn which in turn gives birth to various academic disciplines. These disciplines, when carefully evaluated and critically analysed of their significance and influence, will yield important results with which you can make an informed choice about your future. The disciplines I have at my disposal with which to furnish plausible explanations is history, sociology, philosophy and a bit of anthropology*. I have deliberately chosen not to respond to your concerns in the manner prescribed by convention, but rather in an unconventional mode so that the affect and the vivacity with which your concerns strike my mind may be preserved and reciprocated. For ease of reference and clarity of subject matter I have divided the entire text under sub-headings.

Religion, Society and Culture

Throughout history and beyond the dark recesses of men’s earliest cultures, religion has been a vital and pervasive feature of human life. To understand human history and human life it is necessary to understand religion; especially in the contemporary world one must understand other nations’ ideologies and faiths in order to grasp the meaning of life as seen from perspectives often very different from our own.

Religion, a medium by which mankind found fusion of the inner with the outer and in so doing established faiths compatible to a particular social group notwithstanding the rest of creation. Sikhism however, is different. It is not a religion and was never intended to be. It is a philosophy, a way of life capable of coexisting in a complex society. Nanak the first Guru and founder of Sikhism were greatly at loss to find how Islam had forcefully invaded and occupied the sanctity of a civilised nation of the Hindus. He was distressed by those external displays of ritual and worship on the back of religion, which kept humans apart. He himself was a Hindu by birth and condemned the institutions of both Islam and Hinduism in the name of God. His poems and hymns express this thought in a forcible way. He set out to provide some sort of synthesis between the two religions. A man of considerable piety and energy who travelled widely through the subcontinent preaching his new doctrine of reconciliation between the two faiths and stressing the importance of a true monotheism, that is, one god – Ek On Kar.

No doubt you will appreciate and understand the peculiar feature of our modern day society, which is constantly changing and evolving. We are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end, to which all-human history points, the realisation of the unity of mankind. Not a unity which breaks down the limits and levels of different faiths of the earth, but rather a unity of the diversity found in mankind’s quest for a better life. That is precisely what Baba Nanak set out to achieve. And in my opinion Sikhism reflects that vision albeit in spirit rather than form. Of course, the competing and differing views of socialisation in a complex society do have significant implications on one’s religious life, but not to the extent that one loses freedom of thought and expression and is reduced to a mere vegetative state on account of religion. Far from it, Sikhism promotes and advocates socialisation to the brim, examples of which can be found in all Sikh establishments, namely the Gurdwara’s. This form of social engagement is based on Sikh Society and is different from the type you mention in relation to going out and drinking. For the record, I must point out to you that Baba Nanak came to show us the way to god realisation and not to be drawn into dilemmas concerning drinking and going out to nightclubs. These are social rather than religious concerns.

What we are as individuals is decided by the particular society in which we live, and by the particular social group to which we belong. This is so because the world around us channels our actions, constraining us on the one hand whilst inviting us on the other to act in particular ways. For example, if I want to leave a room I must do so by the limited number of means available to me, which will be by the door or the windows; if they are locked, I cannot leave. I have a strictly limited choice of action. There are other aspects of my world, which exercise similar constraints over my behaviour, such as, the belief that it is right and normal for one man to marry one woman. In other societies however, it is considered normal for one man to marry many women. Both are rules, which are believed to be right by those following them; however, one is not right and the other not wrong, they are simply different rules found in different societies. Similarly, drinking and going out to nightclubs by girls is considered to be wrong in Sikh society, whereas Western societies considers it to be the norm of a harmonious culture, a process acquired by way of socialisation. Punjabi culture is not so rigid and is susceptible to modern innovations within reasonable parameters. It is rich and flexible to accommodate a number of denominations at once and can still flourish harmoniously. Classic period was pre-partition of 1947 when the Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs all lived together. The big question now is, is it compatible with modern day Christianity? Perhaps not, the right balance needs to be struck to achieve on the one hand a harmonious* society whilst on the other, preserving Sikh ideals. This sort of learned behaviour in any particular society includes those ideas, techniques and habits that are passed on by one generation to another, in a sense, a social heritage. These are virtually a set of solutions to problems that in the course of time, others have met and solved before. Our Guru’s must have had valid reasons for instruction and prescription when laying out ethical principles. Humans are humans because they share with others a common culture, a culture that includes not only the artefacts of its living members but also those members of past generations. This is the heritage awaiting those as yet unborn. We are now living in a homogonous society, that is to say, what you possess today, as a set of moral and social values may not necessarily be around for your children because of social homogenisations. As Indians, we are inherently vegetarian and teetotallers, but because of our social intercourse with those that were accustomed to various pleasures of delight, we were you could say socially engineered to adopt their way of life through socialisation. Where does that leave you? Well, there is nothing wrong in you going out to nightclubs provided the motive from which you are so inclined to do so is morally acceptable and is in conformance with your religious beliefs. Sikhism does not promote and advance this type of culture for various reasons that is not to say, you cannot fully participate in music and dance, of course you can as long as your conscience regulates religious principles diligently. It is not impossible, but could prove to be rather difficult in most circumstances to refrain from a number of social factors prevalent in our modern day society. From a Sociologist’s perspective then, it is unfair to have two sets of rules for one gender, that is, Caucasian and Asian women under the same umbrella in a democratic society. It must indeed leave the one rather disadvantaged over the other when it comes to exercising social equalities and freedoms of choice in an environment that is predominantly liberal in its political organisation. I wish to depart from my present train of thought and venture out to what my learned friend Baljeet of Sikh Philosophy Network had said regarding ‘natural selection and the survival of the fittest’. This was said in relation to ‘what will become of the future of Sikhi’? The only answer that I can draft to that particular remark is based on Charles Darwin’s Principle of natural selection. The idea is that in any sizeable population of self – reproducing organisms, there will be variations in the genetic material and upbringing that different individuals have. These differences will mean that some individuals are better able than others to draw the right conclusions about the world around them and to act accordingly. These individuals will be more likely to survive and reproduce and so their pattern of behaviour and thought will eventually come to dominate. Might I not equally infer this be to be the reasoning behind the setting up of the “Khalsa Panth” by Gobind Rai. However, provided the universe has evolved in a regular way, we might expect that the reasoning abilities which natural selection has given us would be sufficient in determining the eternity of Sikhism. The fact that we live in a Western society will have significant connotations in the way we behave, but not to the extent that we lose our identity.

First and foremost, we are human beings, rational, autonomous individuals, capable of discerning the Moral Law by reasoning carefully, man neva mat uchi. It is the exercise of the will, hukam that enables us to apply it on a day-to-day basis. We must be treated as ends, not means and must never be sacrificed to someone else’s ends because they are ends in themselves. This means that relatively speaking some actions are wrong and some are right in themselves; bearing in mind of course this is to be in part a large extent of learnt behaviour, which we do not inherit but is the direct result of social engineering. Their rightness and wrongness cannot be dependent upon the consequences, but purely on the action itself. In this imperfect world it may be difficult to comply with the Moral Law. Sikhism teaches us that the best way to articulate this type of uniqueness and tackle those challenges lies within ourselves, which we must strive for.
It is difficult to associate some of life’s wonderful activities with the proud civilisations that created “just civil societies”. For the world of good men, which God had created in his own image lived by unshakeable principles; those very principles became the foundation upon which the fabric of social network was woven. Forging the will in the fire of determination, man had stood the test of time in finding a civil society that is just, fair and representational. We know what delicate wonders perished and what sacrifices made by mankind in pursuit of this divine virtue for the want of a just civil society to flourish. Consider yourself fortunate therefore, for these are neither acquired tastes nor choices of birth rights, but borne out karmic rewards of past lives that you are a Sikh girl and that too of a Jatt household. This is a perfect opportunity to flourish to the maximum and fulfil the potential of your nature.


Historical Perspective: Caste System and the Jatts


In the middle of the Second Millennium B.C a group of tribes invaded India from the Northwest and gradually succeeded in establishing their dominance over northern and central parts, almost annihilating the Indus Valley Civilisation. They spoke an Indo-European language of which the developed form is Sanskrit. They referred to themselves as the “Aryans”- literally meaning, Noble Folk. Their earliest literary records are contained in the sacred books of knowledge, known as the Vedas. The Vedas are considered to be the pillars of their religion, Hinduism.

India’s caste system is perhaps the world’s longest surviving social hierarchy encompassing a complex social order of groups of people on the basis of ritual purity, that is, some castes are deemed to be less pure than others. It is hereditary in nature and the law of karmatraditionally justifies the differences in social status, a religious doctrine, which purports that one’s place in life is determined by one’s deeds in a previous life. Dependent upon one’s karmic performance in their previous life and in accordance with the law of dharma, path of righteousness, one is judged and dispensed with just deserts – divine retribution. Liberation from the cycle of birth, growth, decay and death, more commonly referred to as the wheel of eighty-four lakh, is attained through the acceptance of one’s decent and to perform one’s duty within the caste into which one is born. Although, all humans are potentially equal in their divine nature, there is an inborn inequality regarding their spiritual and intellectual evolution, professes Hinduism. And, places lot of emphasis on spiritual qualities and divides society into four castes to preserve the spiritual ideal. The four castes are Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Brahmans are the custodians of spiritual culture, kshatriyas, more commonly known as warriors preserve the social laws; vaishyas engage themselves in agriculture, trade and industry whilst the duties of shudras consist of services. The Vedas compare the four castes with the four important parts of the body of the ‘cosmic person’. The Brahman represents the head, the kshatriyas the arms, the vaishyas the thighs and the shudras the feet. The social ranks and their respective duties ordained by God for humanity were intended to remain permanently fixed. Like the limbs of the body they cannot properly exchange their place or their function. Working in harmony the four castes ensure the equilibrium and the perpetuation of the Hindu social order. Unfortunately for those who survived the onslaught of the Aryan invasion there was no corresponding limb on the body of the cosmic person and as a result they were relegated to the outcastes of the social fabric of Indian society. These casteless orphans, more commonly known as the untouchables remain destitute and vulnerable throughout India. Despite the existence of significant constitutional protections and progressive legislation the reality for many remains unchanged. The real triumph of the caste system lies not in up holing the supremacy of the Brahmin, but in controlling the consciousness of lower castes in accepting their inferior status as part of the natural order of things.

After the great battle of Mahabharata at Kuruksetra, India had entered a new era. There was law and order, religious conformance had reached new heights and commerce was by the abundance. Warriors retreated to their native habitats and engaged themselves with commerce and industry. The King had allotted agricultural land with which they were to complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission, that is, multiply. Entering into marriages with other castes was neither a concession to weakness nor a confession of sin. The householder’s life is the bedrock of society. Any society that ignores the sanctity of marriage ultimately undermines its entire moral foundation. So much so, a new breed of Jatts had emerged as a result of these mix caste marriages within Hindu society. Some commentators put their decent to Lord Shiva whilst a more recent survey, link them to the notorious clan of the ancient Greeks.

Although Sikhism embraced itself with the concept of a casteless society the remnants of a glorious past of the warrior caste remained very much pivotal in shaping modern day society. So please, don’t go blaming the Jatts for certain behavioural improprieties it is intrinsically beyond their temperament. Generations of magnificent cultures with its hardcore values and practices engrained into their biological build can only come to an end with the passage of time. As a matter of course time will obliterate their ancient past to give way to new ideologies, younger generations will spring forth, but for the moment rejoice and witness a living spectacle. Here today gone tomorrow, history will no doubt bear out their true identity and purpose. Rest assure, they are the true solider saints of the Khalsa Panth.

Conclusion

Family set ups are equally important because marriages are to be guided rather strongly within very definite channels of class, income, education, racial and religious background. Falling in love is regulated and constrained by very powerful social factors, which in turn determine long-term relationship. For example, how likely is it for the future King of England, Prince Charles to fall in love with a check out girl at Tesco? Very unlikely; doesn’t it make sense then, to have parental approval in most cases rather than abandoning family and social values? Besides, love of this kind is regarded as perishable by our Guru’s, for true love is imperishable, which is,“nam”.

Finally, I include as a matter of choice should you want to exercise, that you are what you eat and drink, what you watch, read and listen and who you so cite with. Whatever life places before you will be a useful experience which will make you stronger, wiser and more tolerant. The purpose and the meaning of Sikh way of life is to navigate around all social ills and live harmoniously in meditation on the one nam of God, Waheguru.