What Topics Are Affecting Sikhs In The U.K.?

[SikhSpectrum]

Vaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh

What topics are affecting the Sikh Youth in UK?

Such as, youngsters on alcohol, pre-martial relations etc.

Vaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh

[PAL 07]

The community distancing itself from Sikhism

corrupt Gurdwara committees

freshies running Gurdwaras

lack of maryada in Gurdwaras

Lack of services provided by Gurdwaras

Alcohol/drug abuse in our community

The general lack of morals and values in Sikh community

[VanHelsingh]

I think a certain degree of poverty and certainly a life spent living on the breadline is an often overlooked issue, especially in Sikh families who have hit tough times through no conscious decision of their own. Most people (including Sikhs themselves) are under the impression that Sikhs "have it made", and they all send their kids to university and in turn they find well-paid jobs in the I.T. industry or other white-collar professions.

You'll often get people who possibly have not experienced tough times (or forgotten them) saying to - or behind the backs of - those who do find themselves in unfortunate circumstances "Well you obviously didn't work hard enough" or "You must have done something wrong". Which is a valid argument in cases where such a response is applicable, but in other cases it does serve to illustrate what a heartless and thoughtless group of people we can sometimes be.

[chatanga]

gurdwaras run by imbeciles is the main problem.

[pedrorizzo]

I think a certain degree of poverty and certainly a life spent living on the breadline is an often overlooked issue, especially in Sikh families who have hit tough times through no conscious decision of their own. Most people (including Sikhs themselves) are under the impression that Sikhs "have it made", and they all send their kids to university and in turn they find well-paid jobs in the I.T. industry or other white-collar professions.

You'll often get people who possibly have not experienced tough times (or forgotten them) saying to - or behind the backs of - those who do find themselves in unfortunate circumstances "Well you obviously didn't work hard enough" or "You must have done something wrong". Which is a valid argument in cases where such a response is applicable, but in other cases it does serve to illustrate what a heartless and thoughtless group of people we can sometimes be.

What more can you expect from a community of maya driven migrants? Money, work, money, work, money work. It is the only language they understand. Completely robot like if you ask me, hence the total disregard for human emotions!

[ladli-fauj]

im not from uk but...going bald, skin head type...ew i seen my cousin use razors on his head

[Sikh4romUK]

@PAL 07...I totally agree with you...too many hypocrites running/representing Sikhs when they haven't got a clue.

More and more Gurudwaras are being run as businesses, spending charava on buying buildings and creating bigger gurudwara's and empires when the sangat is getting less and less. There is a massive lack of support and encouragement for younger generations to follow sikhi....

[West London Singh]

I think a certain degree of poverty and certainly a life spent living on the breadline is an often overlooked issue,

So true kaljugi. So true. When I was a kid I used to feel pride in reminding people how Sikhs don't live in council flats (the projects) etc but now.....if you visit any of the council estates (projects) around Southall and Hounslow you'll be amazed to find how so so many Sikh families are bringing their kids up in these god forsaken places. There are thousands and thousands of Sikhs living in poverty in these places. How did it come to this ? especially without us even knowing it was happening ?

[VanHelsingh]

So true kaljugi. So true. When I was a kid I used to feel pride in reminding people how Sikhs don't live in council flats (the projects) etc but now.....if you visit any of the council estates (projects) around Southall and Hounslow you'll be amazed to find how so so many Sikh families are bringing their kids up in these god forsaken places. There are thousands and thousands of Sikhs living in poverty in these places. How did it come to this ? especially without us even knowing it was happening ?

I can see things getting much worse in years to come in this respect, whereby we'll have the nouveau-riche amongst the Sikh community who - fair-play to them - have through their own efforts elevated themselves out of that working-class / migrant bracket and whose children are mingling with the middle-to-upper classes of the indigenous population of Britain. Yet these very same people will turn their nose up at their fellow Sikh (which isn't too hard to imagine as it happens a lot amongst our people) who perhaps has been left behind when it comes to education and employment opportunities, and thus there will be a class divide amongst the Sikhs of Britain at least.

Wait until a certain generation of elders in this country have sadly left their earthly confines and those of us who have been raised exclusively overseas will have the reins to our families and complete control in terms of the direction our community (from a non-religious perspective) will take. I guarantee you we'll see that same kind of snobbery exhibited by certain sections of the white middle-to-upper class population who feel no guilt in mocking the "chav" underclass of this country. Expect to see such issues in the Sikh community in the next 25 years or so.

We'll end up in a situation with the community split down education and employment groups, with nobody daring to marry their son (who has been privately educated and in-line for a highly-paid, professional position) to a girl of humble origins who went to state school and only manages to work shifts in a food-packing factory. Whilst situations such as these are par for the course amongst the indigenous population, its a trend that has gradually begun to emerge in our own community as well.

[Into the Light]

I will focus of non Kesadhari Sikh issues that come up time and time again in youth discussions

- Non-Kesadhari's have Sikh pride but don't know what place they have in Sikh Society...are they even Sikh - worthy to wear even a Kara

- They feel they can't contribute on Sikh issues

- Their opinion is lesser

- They're only good for donations to Gurdwara's

- They are lesser Sikhs and sinful - some said not even worthy to recite Gurbani let alone pick up a Gutka

- That Sikhi should be followed to the 'T' or not at all ie if you go to the Gurdwara be fully religous or don't bother to go and be a hypocrite by going and acting religous

- confusion about what Sikhi is - mixture of Islam/Hinduism. Guru Nanak was half Hindu/Muslim etc

The scariest thing for me is that Non-Kesadhari Sikhs don't know what place they have in Sikhi or Sikh Society - they are confused about this the most.