Scars

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

(Taken from DiscoverSikhi.com, originally posted by Jasleen Kaur.)

A man limps into the main hall of the Fremont Gurdwara. His walk is that peculiar shuffle of someone who has had both legs broken and learned to walk again. his beard is full and black, eyes strong, head high. He is not old enough to be suffering so much pain from the simple act of walking. When he bows his matha tek, his feet tell a horror story of pain. blackened stripes scar the soles of his feet. the hallmark of the Punjab Police- red hot iron bars used to beat the soles... as if by beating the sole they can break the soul.

He walks to the side of the Palki Sahib, stopping at the side to gently smooth the pure white sheet and again bow his respect to his Guru. at the back, he touches his head to the ground and straightens the small rug, then on to the next side to smooth and bow.

Slowly, he walks to the large container of water at the far side of the hall, sees that it is half empty, and hoists it to his shoulder. Then ever more slowly, he limps out of the room. after a while, he reappears, a full jug on his shoulder, and places it back on it's stand. A heavy job for a man without his pain, yet that smile never leaves his face.

Once again he bows his respect, then sits for a bit in meditation.

When he rises, it's slowly, bending from the waist rather than the knees. He never quite bends his knees, perhaps they no longer function as they should. He bows one last time, then walks slowly out of the hall. Head high, eyes strong.

This Gurdwara, this town, this country has many such men and women. Broken in walk but not in spirit. Devoted, kind, silent and strong. they came alone or in small groups, most of them in the last 25 years. They left homes, jobs, friends and often families behind. They gently and quietly continue their seva, their devotion never fails. their scars are both visible and invisible. You can see them if you look, if you know the horrors they survived. Maybe you just think he is old or perhaps had a bad accident. But this was no accident.

When you see him, gently bending to smooth the sheet under the palki sahib, ask yourself one thing. Is this what a terrorist looks like?

salok kabeer ||

Salok, Kabeer:

gagan dhamaamaa baajiou pariou neesaanai ghaao ||

The battle-drum beats in the sky of the mind; aim is taken, and the wound is inflicted.

khaeth j maa(n)ddiou sooramaa ab joojhan ko dhaao ||1||

The spiritual warriors enter the field of battle; now is the time to fight! ||1||

sooraa so pehichaaneeai j larai dheen kae haeth ||

He alone is known as a spiritual hero, who fights in defense of religion.

purajaa purajaa katt marai kabehoo n shhaaddai khaeth ||2||2||

He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle. ||2||2||

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

[_anon_]

vaheguru.

[AvnitK]

I read this in discover sikhi and true this is not what a terrorist looks like

WAHEGURU!!

this country has so many people who have come just to save their lives and family from the things that have happened in punjab this is not one of the first singhs I have heard about but it hurts to see these people

[Laadli Fauj]

nah, it doesnt hurt

it makes me proud

proud that our panth still has singhs who have sacrificed so much of their own life for the chardi kala of the panth

maharaj said that so long as our panth has such ppl, it will remain strong and unbreakable

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

them we salute.

the men in khaaki, we don't.

the concept of khalistan isn't dead, its buried alive.

peace.

[AvnitK]

waheguru

[SonyNeech]

indra said 1984..eh sikhray tan aantakwadi ne

and rajiv said..ehna nu maar makao

if we ask our rights so we are terrorist

SURA SO PEH-CHANIYE

JO LARE DEEN KE HAET

PURJA PURJA KAT MARE

KABHOO NA CHHADE KHET

[rimmel]

I find alot of the people older than me do alot more for 1984. Most people my age don't care. I find it really sad because some of them even say it wasn't as bad but then I know stuff which happened to my family in Punjab. It just shocks you. I watched widow colony on google videos which was equally haunting.

[lowest of the low singhni]

^ That's interesting rimmel Bhenji because from what I've seen I thought it was the opposite! I guess it just depends where you live/who you meet or know. Personally it feels like the older generation where I live has forgotten about 1984. They discourage the youth from talking or learning more about it. But I think the discouragement (is that a word?) sometimes spurs the youth on to find out more via the internet/their friends.

Perhaps it's different everywhere.

[saint-soldier]

waheguru.....so much chardi kala these sikhs have :BOW: