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Bbc World Service Programme - Last Sikh Warrior


sandhu123

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The Last Sikh Warrior

Don’t miss this extraordinary documentary, to be broadcast as part of the Heart & Soul series on the BBC World Service at 1230 (GMT) on Saturday October 29th 2011 (Repeated on Sunday 30th and Monday 31st).

In this programme, Hardeep Singh Kohli tells the extraordinary story of one Sikh master keeping an ancient martial tradition alive.

It ranks alongside Kung Fu or the Samurai Bushido, yet the ancient Indian martial art of Shastar Vidiya is naearly forgotten – not least because the British swiftly banned it after the Anglo-Sikh wars. After centuries of practising its fearsome techniques, Sikh fighters in Punjab were shot on sight for simply carrying a sword.

Now the last known master of the art, Nidar Singh Nihang, is searching for a successor to carry the tradition forward. Ironically, he grew up in Britain, in the English Midlands town of Wolverhampton. As a teenager, he went to Punjab, where a chance meeting with an ageing warrior changed his life. The Sikh warrior could trace his lineage back to the time of the Sikh Gurus. He introduced young Nidar to the secrets of Shastar Vidiya, or the science of weapons, thus passing on the tradition to the next generation.

After broadcast, the programme will be made available to listen to here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsn4

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What can Hardeep Singh Kohli tell us about Sikhi. This guy wears a pagh and thats about it.

How can Niddar Singh be the last Sikh warrior?

Kohli quote - "I find it hard to justify knives being allowed in schools – be they Sikh ceremonial symbols or otherwise" yet Niddar singh is going to an interview woth a guy that questions the kirpan?

More quotes from same article in the Guradian: - "Sir Mota believes that it is wrong to stop schoolkids wearing the secreted, ceremonial dagger into school and believe that it is an infringement of a child's right to practise their religion. Let me repeat that: he thinks it's OK for kids to take knives to class."

"But I'm simply not comfortable with knives being allowed into school."

Strange person to be doing a story on Sikh warriors when he himself questions the Kirpan. This guy has no background in terms of rehat, knowledge on sikhism and sikh history. Is it worth doing a story just for the sake of publicity?

In the article he also suggests that Kirpan was neccessary because of the situation with the Mughals.

It frustrates me when members of our own community question our Kakars, this is due to ignorance.

Only Rehitvaan Sikh can appreciate the true value of Kakars like Kirpan. Outsiders just see a knife and thats it. Kirpan has practical and spiritual significance, it is used to prepare panch amrit Karah Parshad and also Amrit for Amrit Sanchar. Only Guru Sahib know the full value of our Kakars.

Rabb Rakhe

Edited by osingh1
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