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Dya Singh's Diary - August 2006 | ||||||||
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1. Cancellation of UK/Kenya tour (21Aug. to 7Oct.) |
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Due mainly to financial non-viability of this tour we reluctantly decided to cancel it. Normally a tour hangs on
the budgets provided by three or four western festivals or a mix of such festivals and one or two auspicious Sikh
events like the Sikh Exhibition of the Smithsonian Institute and 400th. Anniversary celebrations last year. This
tour had only two big programs and those too not financially sound. Unfortunately gurdwaras and gurdwara
committees do not operate on 'budgets' and we cannot take that chance with paid professional musicians. |
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2.Australian census - Sikh vs. Panjabi. Are we Punjabis or does Sikhism now qualify as Ancestory for us diaspora Sikhs? (10 August) |
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We have long known that in the quagmire of statistics and census, we, Sikhs normally lose out because we either call
ourselves 'Indians' or Punjabi's and in the midst of all that, we forget that primarily, as diaspora Sikhs, we are
now first and foremost - SIKHS! Older brother, Cnclr. Baldev Singh Dhaliwal started a debate on internet about 3 months ago heading towards the Australian census to be done on 10 August. It took a fair deal of debate before it was generally accepted within the Australian Sikh internet fraternity that we are now of 'Sikh' background as a lobby group and we state Punjabi only as our language at home. For example there is very little Punjabi about me except my mother tongue. I even go to Punjab only because I still have some ancestral links and my family is very Punjab orientated. O yes, also to buy my vajays and tablas and the occasional kudta/pajama. I find it stressful having to go to Punjab. I do not like the bad manners, the falsehood, the lying and cheating and swindling on the street, generally in India. I hate the bad road manners, the sycophancy, the haughtiness of the rich and well-to-do over the poor, the attitude of our faith custodians in our holy shrines, the pickpocketing and the last straw - the beggars. Nothing internally 'Indian' about me either except that my parents came from India. BUT, I am certainly Sikh. Hopefully enough of the debate filtered down from the internet to the voting 'sangat' in gurdwaras and in Australia we can hold ourselves out exclusively as a Sikh community for representation purposes and for lobby purposes - Sikhs by conversion fully welcome to join us! We would not expect our Punjabi Hindu, Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters to fight for our rights to introduce the teaching of Punjabi in Gurmukhi scrip, or turban issues, or kirpan issues, or kara issues etc. etc. !!! |
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3.Adelaide concerts - 18-20 August. |
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The group travelled to Adelaide for the weekend for two concerts - one at our old haunts - the Lion Theatre and
the other at the former IMAX theatre. Both concerts were well attended. On board were: Dheeraj, Harsel, Parvyn,
Keith Preston, Joshua Bennett, Lucy Langham and Quentin Eyers. Andrew Clermont is away in Germany. |
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4. Naam Simran 'services' |
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A few interested friends and I have started Naam Simran services for those interested in present home-town
Melbourne. I have the honour of using my humble abode for the purposes. Two functions - Akhand Paths and Asa Di Var
have been held recently and now we are holding regular services. The emphasis is on Naam Simran and instructions and dialogue in English and Punjabi. Very few rituals or protocol, no Sri Guru Granth Sahib, no granthi, no elaborate langgars - mainly Naam Simran. The motto is 'Amrit vela, sach nau,veday-yayi, vichar'. So for the weekly service, 'amrit vela' - we have settled for a 5.00am start, Nitname is the devotees' personal choice - so one comes after doing ones own Nitname OR at the premises, recorded Nitname is provided if one just wants to sit and listen from 5am to 5.50am of JapJi, Jaap and Savayiyay, or pick up a gutka and do your own - some of our devotees insist that they have to do five banis and they do that themselves. 6am. Kirtan of a few stanzas of Asa Di Var leading into 'Aukhi qedi n daykhan day-yeen...' shabad. 7am (sach nau) Then Naam Simran of Mool Mantr by all. 7.30 - one shabad of 'vedeyayi'. Ardaas, HukmNama (we have Baba Ji's parkash in one room), explained in English/Punjabi) leading into 'vichar' of half an hour over a cup of tea and some savouries. This weekly service is proving very invigorating and of interest to youth. We shall have to look for bigger premises!!! This has been a relatively relaxed month because of cancellation of the tour to UK/Kenya. I take this opportunity to wishing all on the auspicious occasion of the Compilation and First Parakash of SGGS on September 1. Remember, 'naam simran' is Guru Ji's and Satguru Ji's requirement, Nitname is a Panthic requirement. If you have to decide between the two which do 'YOU' think is more important? of course for a Khalsa, both are equally important. Cherdhi Kala Dya Singh |
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