Is our generation really growing towards Sikhi?

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

This last decade has seen the great rise of Parchaar within our Panth, with organisations like Basics of Sikhi coming to the forefront of Sikhi, through media. With Guru Maharaj’s kirpa, Bhai Jagraj Singh was able to spread the message of Sikhi to people who, without his Parchaar, would never have thought they’d be on Guru Ji’s path. I myself was touched by his videos to the extent that, with Maharaj’s kirpa, I decided I wanted to keep my kesh. Since then, Parchaar has entered a new revolution, with more and more organisations rising to spread the concept of Ekta. With this revolution there has been a drastic increase in youth turning to Sikhi, and thanks to camps, such as those held during school holidays, our younger brothers and sisters have been kept of the streets and away from danger. Instead they’ve been welcomed into a safe environment where they can learn about Sikhi in a fun and friendly way. 

However, there is still a large population of our youth who are disconnected from Sikhi. How can that be, in this day and age, with this much exposure available? Why is it that instead of spending our evenings in the Darbar of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our brothers and sisters, who even at young ages of 14 or 15, attend parties, consume alcohol, smoke illegal drugs and engage in acts which we would be ashamed to speak about with our own parents? The purpose of this blog isn't to criticise those who choose this sort of lifestyle, but it is a reminder that this world that we live in is false, and when death comes knocking, the worldly lifestyle won't save you.

With anything in life, not just religion, one’s upbringing and childhood is key in how that person ends up growing into an adult. Some of the experiences they engage in will depend entirely on what they’ve learnt in their younger years. Those who have been exposed to Sikhi from a young age, attended Sikhi classes, and learnt Paath, are more likely to stay on the path of righteousness. Those who haven’t, aren’t aware of the power of Sikhi, the strength of believing in the teachings of our Gurus, and because of this they are less likely to understand the meaning of our human life. So instead of striving to achieve Mukti, they fall into the trap of Maya and are gradually entangled into a false world. Families who pray together, stay together. Whether it’s 10 minutes a day or 1 hour a week, everything makes a difference.

Coming back to the question, is our generation really growing towards Sikhi? Personally I think that it depends on how 'growing towards Sikhi' is defined. Do we define it as having a Khanda in our Instagram bio, or doing our Nitnem? If it’s the latter, I’d have to go with no, because whilst there are a lot of Sikh naujawan growing closer to Guru Ji, there are also a lot of Sikh naujawan going to the Gurdwara on a Sunday and learning absolutely nothing.

What more can we do? We’ve already got these amazing Parchaar outlets, we’ve already got these amazing awareness groups who speak up about taboo issues. If you are close to Sikhi and you see a brother or sister falling off the path, help them, pick them back up and nudge them towards these Parchaar outlets, these awareness groups, and most importantly towards Guru Ji. If you’re at college, sixth form or university, set up a Sikh society or Sikhi Stall, if there isn’t one already. If there is, then get involved, tell your friends about it and make sure they attend. The only way that we can make more of a difference than we already have, is through Ekta, coming together and looking out for each other. No one is perfect, but with each other's support we can grow towards being better people because we are all brothers and sisters, we are all part of the same family, the same Gursikh parivaar.

Bhul chuk maaf karni (forgive me for my many mistakes).

- Daas