Flappingwings

This will be defined as a negative post, but I hope it stays up, because at the moment it's the only way i can express myself. Recently, just everything about Sikhs, not Sikhi, Sikhs, has been getting me down. We are a disgrace to our Gurus - that's the truth, that's the reality - if our generation is this messed up, what's going to become of our kids? What is the future? Is there a shining light? If there is, I can't see one. Singhs and Singhnis cutting their hair and talking about it like it's normal and not a betrayal of their Gurus every time they do so - "went to get my hair cut today, it got so long, it was so annoying". I wear my pag and my dhari with pride - yet so many Singhs see their bana as a burden - i don't understand why - people keep repeating Singh is King lately, but Guru Gobind Singh Ji effectively gave us that title 300 years ago, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji 500 years ago empowered every single human being with his message. I've seen with my own eyes a Singh, who as soon as he cut his hair, become more confident and he just generally changed completely. I don't understand why we lack pride in ourselves. I have a friend, who used to keep his hair - and recently, he cut it all - what should i feel? What should i do? I feel disappointment and maybe even anger that he could betray his Gurus, the Chaar Sahibzade, the Shaheeds etc etc, like that. He is a good person, I know he is, but I just don't understand at what point someone thinks, "yeah it's ok for me to do this". I'm not saying every Sikh should be perfect, i'm not expecting that - every person, every community has its problems - people say, "if you're a bad person/do bad things you shouldn't wear a pag" - i've never understood that - should we only wear a pag once we decide that we're good? At what point are we good? I know a lot of you will disagree, but a lot of people cut their hair because they think if they drink/smoke, they are disgracing Sikhi - maybe, but the sad reality of the situation is that people are weighing it up, and thinking, "either i keep my pag, or i cut my hair and i'll drink/smoke" or whatever it is. But, they key thing for me is, keep your identity - preserve your identity - we all have our vices, no-one is perfect, but our identity makes us who we are, it reminds us every morning where we come from, why we're here, what the point of all of it is. For me, if you stray from the path but keep your bana, you're more likely to come back onto the path than someone who has given up their identity. This isn't just a rant about bana - it's everything else - the mindless supersticions which still dwell in the minds of so many Sikhs, the residence of idols in the homes of Sikhs - just nothing - at times I wonder whether people have actually ever recited/read/translated/understood Asa Di Vaar - read that once, and for me, you've got the basics of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's revolution - yet we've learnt nothing, still partaking in empty, pointless rituals and supersticions. The first time i read it, i felt the power of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's words, I felt like he was telling me off personally. Do we feel no shame, that we're still doing the things he specifically fought against? And what is it with the obsession of leaving Punjab to go abroad, where all your dreams and fantasies will be fulfilled, a myth perpetuated by the movies - it's rubbish - we're selling our lands in Punjab to outsiders, and soon it'll be Sikhs in the minority, working for others. Where do we call home then? There's no pride anymore - no concept that we are Sikhs, we have a duty, a responsibility, and we shouldn't show weakness to anyone. We've lost our fighting spirit, our discipline, no sense of unity and it pains me. The truth is, we're a mess. I don't know how we even try and sort it out, I don't know what needs to be done, but something has to happen. If we carry on like this, we're sleep walking our way to extinction. I apologise if i offended anyone - this is what i feel in my heart and in my head - i'm no saint, i have plenty of vices, made plenty of mistakes - maybe i'm wrong, maybe i've misunderstood, and if i'm wrong i'd like to be corrected, but the basic point i'm trying to make is the same; we Sikhs are ruining Sikhi, and the beautiful legacy that our Gurus left behind.

For me, i keep my hair and my beard (i tie it up, which some people might object to, but oh well), for identity, and out of respect for my ancestors - i include in that, the chaar sahibzade, the thousands of Sikhs that died protecting our faith against the Mughals, every single Sikh that did their best to save and protect the honour of Sikhi. What I don't understand is Sikhs who call themselves Sikhs, but cut their hair - you cannot call yourself a Sikh male if you do not look like one, simple as. It just doesn't work - because every time you cut your hair, you're kicking the teeth, so to speak, of all those who died to protect their hair. I'm not sure who it was, I think it was Bhai Taru, but didn't he say, "cut off my scalp; don't cut my hair"? And to just see "Singhs" cutting their hair off willy nilly, it's a disgrace. It's not just them - it's Singhs that keep their hair, but don't respect it - walking round in pony tails, caps, hats, etc etc - we've got an identity, do your best to keep it, by your ancestors, by your gurus most importantly. For me, the worst thing is non-Sikhs who now think it is acceptable for Sikhs to cut their hair - especially white people, of all classes - i was looking at the story of the Singh who wanted a helmet to fit over his pagh for the anti terrorism branch or whatever, on the daily mail website - and underneath, one of the comments was, "my mate doesn't feel the need to wear a turban, we should other Sikhs feel the need to wear it?". It's that which hurts me even more - i'm the one who wakes up every day, combs my hair, ties my beard up; i look different, get looks from strangers, comments sometimes - i can put up with that, i have all my life - but, to see other Sikhs say to their mates, "yeah you can be Sikh but still cut your hair", please, it's offensive. Say, "I was born into a Sikh family, but I myself am not", or, "i'm a non-practising Sikh". In Germany, the Nazis used to shave off the beards and hair of the Jews to humiliate them - identity has always been the one way used to destroy a people - or to try at least - if they lose their identity, they lose who they are - and sadly, these "Sikhs" who are cutting their hair, and worse, their kids hair - well eventually, we'll lose our identity, our beautiful and unique identity, and become like everyone else.