Bbc Asian Network Debate - Kirpan At The Olympics

[Gurdaspuria E12]

that prakash has got a point. think about it. it is a health and safety risk. we need to play this carefully. use our brains.

[Azaad]

I was contacted by the BBC Asian Network Team and asked to join in the discussion which I agreed to. They said they would ring me back at 1.30pm and take me on Live on Nihals phone in show. They soon after rang again saying that it maybe just after at 1.30pm and to just keep ready. They rang back at 1.42pm and put me on hold. By this time the programme was coming to an end and there was still a number of people who had phoned in who wished to go on air. At 1.56pm the woman who had put me on hold apologised for not being able to bring me into the show and promised to contact me again for a debate in the very near future regarding the Kirpan. I asked her to keep me updated with debates which revolved around the Sikh Faith which she said she would do.

[Azaad]

They also had a gentleman from some UK-based Sikh organisation. I can't remember exactly what the name of the organisation he was representing but it had something like "awareness" in the title. This guy comes on the radio and completely misjudges the situation and puts himself in opposition to the poor Gursikh girl who was doing really well up until that point. It was a total 'D'oh!' moment.

the guy was from an organisation called SWAT (Sikh Welfare Awareness Team).

He in my opinion turned the whole tide against us. Fair enough, he was making his opinions known, but all that created was that it was, how Nihal described it, a Sikh vs Sikh argument. The guest on the show representing the SIkh point of view was a lady called by Baldeep Kaur who was very good. She held her own and was able to communicate effectively. She did get stuck in a few tight corners but she overall represented well.

And if you listen back to the programme which I'm sure will be on BBC iplayer soon, there was 2 Muslim guys who phoned in to. One called Immy who said if Sikhs wish to wear the Kirpan then they should be allowed. The other muslim caller argued that it was all a simple matter as all a Sikh had to do was take the Kirpan off, put it in a safety locker and collect it on the way back. Baldeep corrected this viewpoint and said that the Kirpan is to be never taken off by a Baptised Sikh.

[S1ngh]

Wow.. A guy from Sikh organization came up against Sikhs on a live program.. That's pretty strange stand for a sikh to take a stand against Sikhs.

[VanHelsingh]

the guy was from an organisation called SWAT (Sikh Welfare Awareness Team).

He in my opinion turned the whole tide against us. Fair enough, he was making his opinions known, but all that created was that it was, how Nihal described it, a Sikh vs Sikh argument. The guest on the show representing the SIkh point of view was a lady called by Baldeep Kaur who was very good. She held her own and was able to communicate effectively. She did get stuck in a few tight corners but she overall represented well.

And if you listen back to the programme which I'm sure will be on BBC iplayer soon, there was 2 Muslim guys who phoned in to. One called Immy who said if Sikhs wish to wear the Kirpan then they should be allowed. The other muslim caller argued that it was all a simple matter as all a Sikh had to do was take the Kirpan off, put it in a safety locker and collect it on the way back. Baldeep corrected this viewpoint and said that the Kirpan is to be never taken off by a Baptised Sikh.

The problem is that I don't feel comfortable condemning the Singh from SWAT, although I do think his approach to the debate left a lot to be desired.

Firstly, he was asserting our right to wear the kirpan and it not be diluted in terms of being a blunted blade, etc., because that's not what Dasme Patshah intended the kirpan to be. Which, if you consider Sikhi to be the paramount priority above anything else, is absolutely the right approach.

But then he also came across as a bit of hero, a hard-man who felt like he was some kind of Sikh vigilante running around protecting people with his kirpan. Again I can't quite reconcile myself with this attitude as well.

So its a bit of a 'rock and a hard place' situation IF you take into consideration the law of the land. In an ideal world we should be able to wear a kirpan of any length and of any sharpness because that is what you do if you're an amritdhari. No questions.

But then you have to factor in the issue of us living in a foreign land and the needs and rights of the rest of non-Sikh society, particularly in this Olympic situation where the security forces are afraid of someone running amok with a sharp instrument.

My head is beginning to hurt...

[GurSa Singh]

Out of curiousity, any amritdhari's on this forum actually attending the Olympics or are any rehatwaan Gursikhs participating as contestents...?

It would be shame if no one actually attends after all this hoo haa in the media..

[Hammertime007]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onsole/b017j3l8

Listen to what the narrow minded scum bags have to say.

Ps that Naresh Puri is the biggiest scum on the air waves

We are not part of the Asian community , WE ARE BRITISH SIKHS.

[SinghWarrior]

There's one Amritdhari GurSikh participating I understand.

[Jaggaa]

This guy. He seriously needs to give a rest. If there is people out there who want to cause 'havoc' there are a million other ways they can. Stop bashing our principles and faith and go and focus on something else.

Personally I think he's going to slip up and say something really wrong one of these days and get what's coming to him. I mean credit where it is deserved he does put a lot of dumb statements to the floor from some of the callers but why are you causing these debates on OUR faith in the first place? What is your agenda? What do you want to achieve with this. You arn't going to achieve anything, we arn't going to change - never have and never will.

Edit :

Okay I was listening to this 1 guy "These baptised sikhs they are bullies". "It's not blunted it's a SHARP blade". These are the intellectuals that are being allowed onto a national radio station.

Edit :

Alright, final edit. I promise. So I think people should be aware that the kirpan HAS to be sharp. It's not a symbol, it's not there just for the sake of it. If it isn't practcal then it shouldn't be there at all. Guru Gobind Singh Jee's Hukam wasn't for us to equip ourselves with BLUNT Kirpans but Kirpans and I think it is dishonorable act to make a shastar blunt. It's beadbi to me, the Kirpan has got to be sharpened by the Singh. You don't own the kirpan it's given to you by Guru Gobind Singh Jee, if you can't make sure it's sharpened and make sure proper sewa is maintained of the shaster then take it off. Don't wear it, we don't need you to go around wearing blunt Kirpans. Hand em over.

Also Singhs don't need to go to places/events where their faith and there house isn't honored. You don't HAVE to go to the olympics.

Gurfateh

[Hammertime007]

The BBC is communist and pro Islam its and anti other the same as bogus Unite against Fascism.

They don’t have many debates on RSS types on this show.