Jangal Da

Excellent point! You know those normograms for height and weight that are used to detect 'failure to thrive' in kids...There was a move a few years ago by paediatricians in ethnicly dense areas (eg Coventry) to create ones to account specifically for the Subcontinental population. Well the project failed because you rightly point out that the Subcontinent is ethnically very diverse and you cannot compare a South Indian Dravidian to a North Indian Aryan etc. The obesity problem does however affect many Asian people in the UK and this includes Punjabis. I am certain that within the last year I have read in 'The Tribune Online' that Punjabi towns and cities now have an obesity epidemic. It is not surprising when you consider that our forefathers toiled hard all day in the fields, ate simple home-made and grown food, went through cycles of natural 'fasting' during droughts, walked/ran/rode on horses to go anywhere. The UK is a temperate climate, where food produce is relatively plenty despite climatic fluctuations. The place is cooler and naturally the indigenous people tolerate higher levels of fat as a protection against this. p.s Our foremothers also worked hard - grinding grain, spinning wheels, walking to bazaar to buy bangles and cloth, climbing up stairs numerous times to gossip to neighbours (JOKE...JOKE!). Recently I suggested something to our local gurudwara committee - needless to say it never manifested and so I am determined to one day fork out of my own pocket for this....Our gurudwara has no permanant granthi. The commitee accept Bhais on a 4-6 monthly basis. These guys are in a nutshell 'fresh.' They do their sewa dutifully, eat langar...but when do they get a break? They are not accustomed to the culture of the city and thus rarely go beyond the confines of the gurudwara. So what do you get...A fat Bhai! I suggested installing a good quality running / rowing machine for their use - now what's wrong with that? pps. My own BMI (body mass index) is 28 which puts me in the overweight and not far off obese category! I know that BMI can exaggerate your risk if you are very muscular (and I work out a lot), but that aside, the latest evidence says that Asians need to aim for normal wight BMIs and basically I'm just going to have to cut right down on caloric intake and increase cardio-exercise.

Well pointed out - I've yet to meet a gora who can out drink me bruuuuuuhaaa! p.s Congratulations to Malkit Singh (of Golden Star fame) for being awarded an MBE.

This is wrong - a bunch of jogis fooling uneducated villagers and mixing their minds up. True parchar is needed - like the type that Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale used to do - Standard Taksali katha and explaination of belief and gurbani - no mixed messages!

I voted 'totally diasgree.' Sikhi does not contain bhangra. It just so happens that the majority of Sikhs are from a Punjabi background and that bhangra is part of the colourful Punjabi lifestyle. I am personally proud that out of all the Punjabi communities and groups, it is the Sikhs who have taken bhangra onto a new level, maintaining the Punjabiyat traditions. Its just one of things that we are good at naturally (ie part of our cultural-ethnic inheritance) - its a very matcho dance with lots of bravado and full of association with maya and drinking. But categorically and absolutely is nothing to do with Sikhi, the religion. Do I dance the bhangra? Well, it takes a few whiskeys at a wedding and then off I go like a bhangra-bandara (or do people say bhangra-bahadura???)!!! Seriously I hope that in my life I will find the path to taking Amrit. Now I know a lot of amritdharis who at wedding celebrations do not go into the halls afterwards due to the conflict with their ethos. I cannot say what I would do at that stage, but would probably want to minimise mingling within such a place and certainly will not be dancing the bhangra...I am not totally sure how it conflicts with spiritual aspects, but it is certainly in conflict with one who is supposed to remain tyaar-bar-tyaar.

GURBAR AKAAL! (Wahe)gur(u) Bar(ra) Akaal 'The Great Waheguru, Timeless Lord' or 'Almighty God' as has been stated before.

Interesting website - just the other day on another post here, I mentioned that I was unaware of any such organisation with regards to medics in the UK. Personally I cannot see much evidence of what they have actually achieved in the way of medical camps etc that they are striving for. From the events and pictures it looks like the society is mainly a punjabiyat social group who use their Sikh backgrounds to form the group. From the pictures, I do not see much evidence of young Sikh doctors being the dynamic force here - more like from-the-des middle-old aged guys and their families using the organisation as a social networking function. I agree that the promotion of Sikhi values on the webpages is at odds with the content on the site. Most bizarre! Basically I am not interested in joining such a group - just does not appeal and the promotion of our Guru's values are not evident -especially when they propose such promotion. ps Do not get me wrong - I am not judging because of the alcohol issue. My own first thoughts were "I bet I could drink any of these guys under the table!" Mahamurakh, Jangal Da

The tingling and heaviness in the feet is due to pressure on the nerve that wraps around the outside of the leg just below the knee and pressure here will cause a temporary stunning of that nerve ('common fibular nerve paraesthesia' - just google it if you are really interested). The other problems are general aches and discomfort due to pressure on parts of the body. if you were to remain still for 2h you would develop pressure sores on dependant areas - naturally we shift and shuffle about a bit. Therefore avoid sitting crossed legs for too long, otherwise you'll get the pins & needles sensation. Secondly use common sense and alter your position without causing inconvenience to your neighbour and without causing offence to Maharaj ie do not point feet in that direction. Poor circulation only comes into play in those with dire health ie heavy smokers for 20y with peripheral vascular disease (hopefully no one here then! - but can also affect those who have had diabetes for an number of years). The other top tip would be to loose weight if overweight - again common sense. Finally if you are really uncomfortable, then do matha tek, go out of the durbar and stretch your legs for five minutes before returning.

Dear Rimmel, I do not think there is any organisation specifically representing Sikh medics. As I said earlier, I personally used to remove my kara for theatre work and pocket it in the scrubs. However I agree that it poses no infection risk and that under the gown after appropriate scrubbing it should be okay. Have you discussed this with the surgeon? That would be my first port of call and get him/her to sign you off instead of some ignorant scrub nurse. Secondly inform the medical school director of undergraduate education for that Trust that you feel that you were treated unfairly due to a lack of knowledge of what a kara means to a Sikh and that this needs to be brought to the attention of the theatre staff as it is a good training point in diversity (NHS buzz-word). I am sure you will get signed off (competancy based training - what a pain in the *&&). ps Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there are very few Sikh doctors -all levels, I mean from med students to consultants and GPs. pps An interesting saki from a Gyani that I was told soon after qualifying: In the days of Dasmesh Pita Guru Gobind Singh, a doctor who was a devout Sikh lived just outside Anandpur Sahib. One day Guru Gobind Singh visited him, as he heard that he was an honest and truthful man, firm in his faith. On departing Guru Gobind Singh asked him that if a farman (instruction) was delivered for the doctor to attend the Guru's durbar, would the doctor come at once. Without hesitation or thought, the doctor replied, "yes my King, I'd be there straight away." One day a horseman arrived at the doctor's house. He was a Singh of the Guru's guard. He dimounted and read out a farman that the doctor was required to attend Guru's durbar at once. However the doctor was not at home. He was in a nearby house seeing a patient that he daily attended to. The doctor's servant came running to find him and told him that he must leave straight away. The doctor replied that he could not as he was with a sick patient and would come as soon as he was done. The servant persisted on petitioning his master, but the doctor told him to wait with the messenger and he would come when he was done. When the doctor was finished he made his way back to his house, where a very annoyed messenger was awaiting him. The doctor got on the back of the messenger's horse and they rode off to the fort where Guruji had his durbar. At the durbar the doctor was led towards the Guru and as he approached the King of Kings, the messenger out of fustration 'helped' him along by giving him a hard push on the back, almost making the doctor stumble before the Guru. When the doctor came near Guru Gobind Singh, he bowed down and they exchanged Fatehs. The messenger sat at some distance, still fuming that the doctor dared to be late for the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh said to the doctor that he had taken his time getting here. The doctor simply apologised and kept silent. The Guru then reminded him of his promise and asked why he had broken it. The doctor told the Guru that he was at a patient's house when the order had arrived and the man he attended to was very sick and needed his attention. He calmly replied that he acknowledged that he had broken his duty of faith by not coming straight away, but pleaded that he had other duties to. The messenger was listening some distance away and this time could not contain himself. He barked that there was no duty greater than that of attending towards the Guru! Before the doctor could retort, Guru Gobind Singh spoke up and replied back to the messenger, "do you not think that by him healing a patient dillegently and not neglecting that seva which is his calling, he is thus not healing me?" This shut the messenger up. Guru Gobind Singh embraced the doctor and said that he was a true Sikh of the Guru, as he put the worthy ethics of a physician unto his patient, before the maya of being a big-shot or egoist who would walk away from those in need simply to look good infront of the Guru.

Bibi ji, Moorakhs like me are severly humbled by the strength of people like you. We all need to be on a path towards Amrit and for some of us it is more difficult than for others. I am certain that the Gurbhais and Gurbhens here will be able to help you with specifics.

I believe that the actual site may be Sri Kesgarh Sahib itself. The problem with modern Anandpur Sahib is that the historic hills and ravines which in themselves were formidible fortifications against an enemy not holding the high ground have been levelled by land developers. Furthermore the replica of the fort itself is a pathetic representation of what the original must have been like, both in size and style. The original fort was a series of forts along the hills connected by corridors, tunnels and protected by double walls and the rivers. It is just another sad reflection on how people there value their heritage. I was shocked when I went and my driver with utmost glee insisted that this was the original fort - innocent ignorance. I know that there are books going into more details about the building of the Gurudwaras there (most were built at the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and upto the 1930s) and modern evolution of Anandpur Sahib. As far as I am aware, one of the original wells (although in ruins) from the fort existed until 1950s-60s when again property development swiped it away, which was the last shred of evidence of what once stood as a Bastion of courage and qurbani against the combined forces of the Mughal (then probably the most formidible army in the world) and the hill rajas.

Hi. I''m in A&E NTGH and have never had a problem in the West Midlands or Northumbria Trusts. Here we have a bare-below-elbows-policy, but under the Trust policies there are exceptions for what they term as 'culturally sensetive.' I am not amrit-cchak, but even so I always wear my kara. When I did theatre work it would always go into my pocket, in my scrubs, under the gown. I would in the first instance go and speak to the Clinical Director (assuming you are a doctor) and explain what you can forsee, becoming an issue. Also write a letter to Infection Control. Explain that the kara is steel (no need to go into details ie iron, sarabloh etc) and that when you wash hands, you also gel or wash your kara. Explain its religious significance (details not neccessary) and the need for you to wear it. Wedding bands are worn for cultural-superstitious reasons ie some English people think its a curse to remove them and these harbour more bugs than anywhere else because of the engravings and tight fit. The kara is smooth and not snug against the skin ie it does not trap bacteria. They will have to let you wear it. As a last resort get a petition from all the Sikhs working in the Trust from tea ladies to porters to docs and nurses and admin staff. I never wear gloves all the time between patients as it is impractical, and lacks evidence base as an effective barrier against the bugs that they are tring to be rid off. Further more a human touch is a humane touch and part of the doctor-patient interaction. If a patient is socially clean there is no need for such barrier when doing simple examinations or taking bloods. All the best and please post the outcome.

I voted for more autonomy, as that is what I'd like to see now. Given the intrinsic hard work of Punjabis and the NRI input, the state is being held back by India, from reaching its full potential. Besides our cultural identity is being eroded by the saffronisation from the Hindu state, including altering primary school history books, sanskritising the Punjabi language, promoting 'dera baba' culture I believe that Khalistan will one day become a reality, but I do not know when or where the initial focus will be ie within Punjab or outside.

Happy Vaisakhi to all the Sikh Sangat. Dhan Dhan Dasmesh Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj, Shahenshah e Shahenshah, Sacha Patishah, jo Panth Khalsa nun peda kita niyara!!!!! Singho Singhnian! Shastara kaddo te Gurbani parh-ke (ya tape la-ke je parh nahin sakde ya je bani nu chit nahin ohnde!), ohs shastar de sewa zara karo saaf karo te polish karo! Also... Je tere ghar wich cchotte bache he, ohnu sachi kahani daso, ki Dasmesh pita quaum nu ki bakshaiya ohs din Kesgarh Sahib te. - Makes a good bedtime story! Also for my Punjabiat brothers and sisters... Do not forget the reasons why you have Kaur and Singh in your names and use Vaisakhi as a time for reflection. Chakde...and stay safe at those sesonal gigs.... Das saal agge mein vi student si Leicester wich, mein chitte disco shoes paake, yaran de nal clab nu janda si Vaisakhi mega bash laee, nachda tapda bandar wang....oiye, mein vi young man si!!! I am sure that I'll see many of you all soon at the Handsworth mela!!!!

Contact dermatitis is a relatively common problem and I know many Sikhs who have had problems with their karas. As far as I can see the only solution is to try out different karas in between eczematous flare ups. As someone pointed out Nickel and chromium are common allergens to hypersensetive individuals. I once had this problem with previous karas in my childhood. I would reccommend that you try all sorts of iron (whether technically iron or steel karas) and I am certain that you will settle upon one that agrees with your skin. The carbon iron karas that are available on sikh websites (known as sarabloh karas) may be appropriate as impurity in them seems less than other karas (I am a doctor and not an engineer / mineral expert!). Do not let them rust - clean with an abrasive cloth (ie a very fine iron wool from a hardware shop or specialist jewellers workshop) and then coat them in wax by rubbing ordinary non coloured or perfumed candle wax over them (laborious but helps keep rust away - but omit may be overkill - just an additional tip to bear in mind). Do this regularly, as rusty metal can irritate the skin and you want to avoid this. Also consider when first wearing a new kara, to use 1% hydrocortisone ointment around the wrist / forearm for the first 5 days to help de-sensetise your skin to the new contact (one tube application the length of your fingertip equates to an adult palm sized area of skin to be covered - use no more than twice a day). At night wear the kara over a sleeve or even place it near you within arms reach eg on a bedside table. If you are amrit -chhak then discuss this with Panj first to get their permission as removing a kakkar from the body is not reccommended (but Sikhi is practical and sensible and that is why we have Panj for such issues). How old are you (no need to answer this). Most people with contact dermatitis as children (in the UK it can affect up to 20% of children) will grow out of it by adulthood as we naturally get exposed to allergens and the body de-sensetises itself to these and an immune-tolerance is built up. Great courage for airing this personal problem, as I am certain many out there will empathise. Hope the above helps. If it remains a problem down the line then consult with a dematologist who may identify the specific allergen by conducting a RAST test (in the UK referral is via the GP).