Plight of SIKH WOMEN ...

[Ideal Singh]

Sat Sri Akal

Today while coming to office, I saw a woman met with an accident while overtaking a jeep at a considerable speed. She was hurled some 15 meters on the concrete road before she and her scooter came to a halt. Fortunately she was wearing a helmet though it was not strapped in her head. The helmet took all the impact of her head banging into road at great speed and it was totally shattered (two pieces) and hurled some 20 further to the site.

Now, with the Grace of God she was able to standup in no time though she was visibly shaken and crying. You must be thinking thank God she was wearing a Helmet that surely saved her life. Now, the fact is that she was a Sikh woman wearing a Helmet. Do you think she committed a sin by putting on the helmet ?

I am asking this question because 2-3 years back our administration made it compulsory for both the rider as well as the pillion rider to wear helmets whether the person is a woman or a man. Do you know what was the outcome of the ruling: Our Sikh Woman Organizations in the town made such a big hue & cry over it because they claimed that it was against the Sikh Religion to put on anything which resembled a cap or something. Their agitation was so much UNITED that the ruling had to be amended and the Sikh women were "relaxed" from wearing helmets. Now, Do you consider this a victory of Sikhism? I consider this a big defeat of the essence of Sikhism because do you think our religion is so narrow minded and blunt that we can not take, a change for good, into our strides.

A study reveals that in 80% of accidents women are involved and most of them fatally. Had they put on the helmets they would have survived these mishaps.

I think the cause for which these Sikh Women Organizations agitated was totally ridiculous. I have never seen these organizations coming forward and agitating against the Sikh women following worst of Western Culture like trimming their hair, against making up eye brows/lashes, against using facial makeups, against waxing/shaving hair from entire body, against going to discotheques etc. etc. etc. The issues are endless.

Indulgence in such acts is no modernity... rather a total ignorance of Sikhism, where simplicity is the way of life. This is no modernity rather a indication of spiritually weak. This is no modernity rather a "PAED CHAAL". Our Sikh Women should have been leading the way rather they are lagging far behind. My head bows with shame when I see the state of a Modern Sikh Woman, who is going to be a future Sikh mother. Be aware! my friends!! Loosing our identity is no modernity... its simple foolishness. I wonder what sort of teachings we are going to impart to our next generations at the hands of these Sikh mothers. Future is quite bleak indeed... I am not unduly pessimistic but reality bites... I know some of my friends would argue that even Sikh men also indulge in such activities but remember my friends! the burden of sharing such a debacle is much more with the mother, who could not teach them how to differentiate between the truth and the false. The new generation is going to be shaped upon what sort of upbringing/ lifestyle, the mother imparts upon them. This seems highly improbable as today's Modern Sikh Woman, herself, is following the path of self destruction. Where are these organizations sleeping?

Its time to act now or never...

What do you think ?

Aman

[SinghMunda]

It's difficult to say, things are not always so straightforward...the woman was lucky she was wearing a helmet, but what about someone wearing a dustaar? Sikhi is all about common sense and sacrifices-so i say it was fine for that woman to wear helmet, and say its up to ppl whether they want to wear helmet, but is it harder for men? and yes, there are more important issues in Sikhi then wearing helmet, like ppl cutting hair, and not doing paat etc

[Guest]

It's difficult to say, things are not always so straightforward...the woman was lucky she was wearing a helmet, but what about someone wearing a dustaar? Sikhi is all about common sense and sacrifices-so i say it was fine for that woman to wear helmet, and say its up to ppl whether they want to wear helmet, but is it harder for men? and yes, there are more important issues in Sikhi then wearing helmet, like ppl cutting hair, and not doing paat etc

People always think of death as painful or scary but did people ever think what if she dies ??? Wouldnt you know thats good for her lookin at the suffering of the life an human has to go through??

Who knows??

If she died in this life. She probably born again as human with more good karmic impact on her life.

just an thought..

No hard feelings please.

Dying is good and fruitful only if your remember your death & god all the time. so why be afraid?? If she didnt remember those two things. She is an lucky git to be alive and to have second chance in her life.

I dont wanna want people to think that i wanted her dead but wanted to get the point across that dying is not bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its good only if you remember death and god because there is beautiful life after death which is complete peace of mind compare to this world we know where desires get to you!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ideal Singh]

I think you have the missed plot in the story. That woman is not what I am talking about. Please read the whole story deligently. And then put forward your views.

Regards :roll:

[Aman Singh]

Intrestion topic... not much to say. but thanks god to save her life. I really don't get one thing. Was it helmet who saved her life or God, who did some thing. Cuz i have a freind who come out of accident all clean , not even a single scartch. and his car was totally damaged. anyone can say that , some one must have died in this accident. So who gets the credit for saving her life. A helmet or God. or its just our fate.. kismat.

[Ideal Singh]

I have changed the Topic Heading. I think now you get the message!!

[Ideal Singh]

Today more and more sikh woman wear this stuff. Why ? :x

[Ideal Singh]

Oh God no body wants to point a fingure to the Gals... God I am left all alone in my mission to raise women issues :roll: :shock: :? :bling:

[Ideal Singh]

Taken from http://www.voicesforfreedom.org

Press ReleaseSGPC goes for woman power or is subduing Sikh women ?New York, August 06 2003: Former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, before his resignation from the SGPC, had resorted to strong-arm-tactics when he installed a woman preacher to "tackle Sikh women" who "breach Sikh religious traditions". According to a Times of India report last week, Gurdashan Kaur Khalsa, president of Istri Akali Dal from ward number 24, who was appointed two month's ago, sits at the Akal Takht armed with a sword to "tackle adamant women devotees who violate the traditional religious practices". VOICES FOR FREEDOM hails the appointment of a woman sewadar at Akal Takht, however we hope that the SGPC under the leadership of newly elected Gurcharan Singh Tohra, will ensure that Gurdarshan Kaur's role will be to ensure that Sikh women have equal access to the Akal Takht and not to "tackle" women who are exercising their rights at the Akal Takht. According to Times of India, this appointment was made

in response to the incident in May when London based Mejindarpal Kaur and others were forcefully evicted from the Akal Takht for reciting Sukhmani Sahib prayers aloud and they were prevented from performing Ardas with an unsheathed Kirpan.The Sevadars at Akal Takht had argued then that Mejindarpal Kaur had violated religious traditions (Maryada) by reading prayers aloud, when the Akand Paath prayers were in progress and that it was the prerogative of the Head Granthi of the Akal Takht to do Ardas with an unsheathed kirpan. In an interview with VOICES FOR FREEDOM, Mejindarpal Kaur said that she had acted in good faith when she had done Sukhmani Sahib prayers at the Akal Takht since February and had faced no objections until the incident in May. She pointed out that, Asa Ki Vaar and Rehras Sahib is sung aloud daily at the Akal Takht whilst the Akhand Paath goes on. "These double standards show that I was being made a scapegoat in order to scupper the seva campaign," Mejindarpal Kaur

said. "If the Maryada is cast in stone, why were we allowed to perform the Sukhmani Sahib prayers aloud, after the intervention of an SGPC official?" she queried"This inconsistent approach to the Maryada raises the spectre of injustice which a Sikh woman sevadar is being asked to mete out to punish her fellow sikh women who exercise their rights at the Akal Takht." she added. She further stated that "It is a shame that at the Akal Takht Sikhs, other than the Head Granthi, are beng disallowed the right to do Ardas with an unsheathed sword. The founder of the Akal Takht, Guru Hargobind Sahib, in his first Hukamnamah, had asked Sikhs to come to the Akal Takth fully armed. It is antithetical to Sikh practices to accord the privilege to a Head Granthi as the Sikh religion allows equal access to Sikh practices and it does not recognise a clergy class."VOICES FOR FREEDOM's activist Gurmit Kaur said that "All eyes are now on the veteran Akali leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra who was

unanimously elected as the SGPC chief last month".Gurmit Kaur a Human Rights Activist said that VOICES FOR FREEDOM hopes to meet Gurcharan Singh Tohra to apprise him of the seva campaign so that he is able to assess the campaign first hand.It is regrettable that the 5-member seva committee, which was specially constituted under the leadership of former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Bandungar, has to date not presented its report which was due on May 15."We are hopeful that Gurcharan Singh Tohra will give priority to resolving this issue without further delay,''Gurmit Kaur said.VOICES FOR FREEDOM has been in the forefront of the campaign led by Mejindarpal Kaur, for ensuring Sikh women's right to undertake all types of seva at Darbar Sahib. On April 25th, VOICES FOR FREEDOM had presented SGPC a global petition by more than 300 Sikh organizations to support Sikh women's right to undertake seva at Darbar sahib and all Gurdwaras.