Dya Singh writes a regular column about his travels and his Sikh music group's travels worldwide. His views on Sikhs and practice of Sikhism by Sikhs as he observes them, are blunt. He invites criticism and views from readers in a spirit of attempting to improve our faith and eliminating practices which are not relevant or are detriment to our faith.The column is also inserted in www.sikhpoint.com/community/dyasingh/default.php. All past columns are collected within his website with sikhpoint.

Itinerary for this month involves a three day tour of Tasmania - last full weekend of the month, and a huge multicultural festival in Brisbane organised by the Premier's Department of Queensland at the end of the month and first weekend in October, in which we feature prominently. Time to earn some brownie points in Australia!

So, after two very busy and fun months in USA, Canada, UK, Kenya and northern Australia, it is a bit of a damper being back in wintry - cold, dark, wet and miserable - Melbourne. Daily temperatures in the 10 degrees (C) and nights in single digit temperatures! Give me the sunshine anyday!

House rest, settling into our new home in Melbourne, and one week (w/e 11Sept.) in Adelaide working on the Asa Dhi Var which gets closer to completion. So, I shall turn my attention to 'news and views'.

Sikh vegetarianism - debate in Nairobi, Kenya.

First let me turn my attention to (once again!) vegetarianism within Sikhism. The practice of vegetarianism influenced by the 'Sant' fraternity has become so rampant in Kenya, that Sikhs who do want to eat meat have been driven out of their homes to eat meat clandestinely ! I know of friends whose wives do not allow them meat in the house so much so that they have become great cooks of meat and do so in secret hide-outs of their own, where they enjoy their meat with relish, and without knowledge of their 'home ministries'!

This became evident when we were invited for food in a Sikh home. The elder Sikh in the household made a remark along the lines that those 'granthis, percharaks and raagis who drink alcohol and eat meat' etc. etc. in a very derogatory manner. This was repeated a number of times before I was forced to speak up (as my daughters were present and waiting for my reaction!) with the words that 'I eat meat'. It had the desired effect! A debate ensued and ended with the 'elder' apologising that he is in no position to make such derogatory remarks about other Sikhs in this fashion. If he wants to be vegetarian, that is good. In fact 'excellent'. But if he then starts passing judgement on others and casting adverse aspersions on others, then, he is not gaining anything for himself. In fact he is adversing affecting himself, spiritually. First of all, we should not be judgemental of others and secondly we should know our facts before making rash statements about others' practices. For the record, the Akal Takhat Rehat Maryadha allows the consumption of meat, except that which is killed in a sacrificial manner, for example halaal and kosher. I shall not go any further into the debate. I am sure I have espoused my views elsewhere.

I joined the secret 'meat eating group' on two occasions and we had a great time. I advised them on cutting out their alcohol, which is forbidden, but freely enjoy their meat until such a time when they feel that they want to give it up. It is also a medical fact that one should lower or cut out the consumption of meat anyway ... BUT SIKHISM (MAINSTREAM) ALLOWS THE CONSUMPTION OF MEAT.

One got the impression in Kenya, that the stress on vegetarianism seemd more important than the keeping of unshorn hair! In fact one gentlemen at the debate promised to keep his hair and beard unshorn if his wife would cook meat for him at home!

Katrina

Hurricane Katrina has wreaked havoc in New Orleans. The 50 or so Sikh families have been badly hit. The Gurdwara, which had apparently not been insured was, at one stage, under ten feet of water. But the Guru Granth Sahib was miraculously saved as the palki with Guru Ji intact, was found floating on the water within the gurdwara and a special rescue team mounted by United Sikhs found it intact. United Sikhs are also doing langgar sewa amongst the thousands of refugees there. Our good friends Raj and Noni Pannu have been devastated. They have left New Orleans like refugees, business in ruins, to stay in Houston with relatives. May Waheguru show his mercy upon his humble servants.

Batting for United Sikhs

I have been informed by 'United Sikhs' sewadhars of the mistrust some Sikh organisations have on them and refuse to send collected monies to help them in their sewa. Is this not typical of some gurdwara committees and those who have collected funds including my own Adelaide Sikhs, and Parklea (Sydney) Sikhs in Australia, amongst others, who would much rather, and prefer, to send collected monies to organisations like the Red Cross and Community Aid Abroad - SO THAT THEIR DONATIONS GAIN SOME (MAYBE) 'RECOGNITION', rather than give donations to 'United Sikhs' or 'Global Sikhs' who are doing such great sewa and spending every cent received on sewa? Furthermore, these Sikh organisations and gurdwara committees of ours want every cent given to United Sikhs to be accounted for - do they ask the same sort of accountability from the Red Cross or Community Aid Abroad? 'NO' they do not. Obviously, because they would be laughed at. Yet from United Sikhs they want full accountability for the miserly donations they give them.

It is a well known fact that over 60% of monies donated to these 'western' charities go towards administration. United Sikhs is run by selfless sewadhars who do not take a dime for themselves. WHEN WILL OUR SIKH ORGANISATIONS START TRUSTING OUR OWN 'SEWA' ORGANISATIONS? The fact that we have our own organisations doing relief work on disaster fronts means that we, as Sikhs, should be supporting them. Why then should funds be diverted to 'other' organisations?

*******************************************************

One lovely email I want to share with everyone ...

GF < > wrote:

Do you recall the Hillside Festival in Ontario, Canada? (We performed at the Hillside Folk Festival near Guelph, about 80km. outside Toronto, Ontario in July this year)

Your workshop with the Quebec band and, especially, the reggae band were the highlights of a beloved festival that has gotten too big too fast.You did what Hillside used to do: community, contact, a sum that shines far greater than the parts (come to think of it, that last bit is almost religious, and my soul stirs itself secular)...

The Quebec band's saxaphone was wailing... the inter-play with the bopping singer of the reggage band... it was AMAZING. Everyone was amazed, touched, vibrant. I read in the website that the aim is to demystify Sikh devotional music. Clearly, and joyously, you do that.

For example, to read about "Sikh devotional music" invokes a hallowed and distant otherness, and there's this imposing guy with a beard and turban...and than it shines through, band, the music....humanity and more. What could be mistaken (mystified) for a profane disrespect -- the reggae singer teasing Dya Singh to exchange riffs with him-- blossoms into contact, communication....human, human, human. Human(e) and more. And maybe that is where divinity really is. I'm not explaining myself well, and am gettin' shy here. You burst through every expectation, limit and cliche to connect with and inspire other musicians and the audience. Rapture.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for a precious Hillside moment.

Friends dubbed you the Blue Guru, later to become the Cool Blue Guru. You riffed the universe up and down my spine... know Hugh Marsh? Who sends chills up your spine? (No, I do not know Hugh Marsh but know what you mean - Dya Singh)

Thousand thanks...

George Fogarasi

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

******************************************************************

Middle daughter Harsel is taking up a 'graduate intake' job offer in Singapore from mid-October. Waheguru guide her and keep her well.

Friday 23rd. Eldest daughter and I fly to Hobart, Tasmania to be joined by group members Keith, Dheeraj and Andrew for two concerts this weekend in Tasmania.

Friday night - Cygnet Town Hall. The Tasmania Folk festival takes place here annually and we have been especially invited back for a special "Bollywood Week". All townsfolk have been learning Indian dances, dressing like "Bollywood" and showing Bollywood movies. We were invited to do a special concert as part of the celebrations. Shabads in Bollywood? - maybe one day. Right now we shall do them in Cygnet!

Youngest daughter Parvyn is singing in a R&B evening which features the UK star 'Raghav'. Parvyn is singing her own song she has written accompanied by older sister Harsel.

Saturday. We head back to Hobart for a concert. Parvyn and Harsel fly in from Melbourne to join us. A memorable concert at the Moona Arts Centre in Hobart to a sell-out audience. Good to have all three daughters on stage. (A good concert is normally reflected in good cd sales and enquiries about Sikhism afterwards.)

Hobart is a lovely city built at the mouth of the Wellington River. A sharp escarpment of Mount Wellington overhangs the city at about 4500 feet. For lovers of this planet, Hobart is a very pretty city, tucked away safely, far from the madding crowd. Reminds me of Victoria on Vancouver Island. Rumours are rife, of rich Americans, Jews and British buying up real estate to come and stay here, far away from terrorism threats!There are imposing British colonial buildings and it is a well planned city. The Saturday market at Salamanca, near the main piers of Hobart is one of the best markets I have been to, with plenty of local crafts and something which caught my eye - fossilised rocks and gemstones, like amber. There is apparently a beach here appropriately called Fossil Beach on which you can go and find your own fossilised stones and shells.

We spent Sunday sight-seeing with a 'snowball fight' up Mount Wellington and a two hour harbour cruize, and flew back to Melbourne at night - one hour flight. One can also travel by overnight ferry, if one desires a slow cruise, which has great facilities including great food.

Kirtan Karaoke

A Sikh gentleman in Toronto is working on a karaoke type DVD of our renditions on 'Dyasinghalong' cd. This will be great for youngsters to sing along to and even do their own recordings using our back-up music.

Sikhpoint.com's staff in Mohali (Chandigarh) are working on a similar project for our Asa Dhi Var rendition but just as a means of singing along to the Asa Dhi Var.

If both these projects prove successful, we shall consider putting all of our Nitnam on a DVD along similar lines and perhaps on-line on internet... Waheguru-willing.

The Asa Dhi Var will be launched for Vesakhi 2006. This is building up to be a great project. My daughters are my 'bench-mark' to decide if an album would be heard by youngsters - my prime objective. This rendition of Asa Dhi Var is rather traditional sounding - as I used to hear and participate in, in my younger days. It is accompanied with tabla, dholki and 'telian' and with numerous voices so that it gives the impression of a 'sangat' recording. Nevertheless, my daughters have given it the thumbs up. So hopefully all who hear it will like it. I find the Asa Dhi Var done these days by professional raagis rather 'sterile' (laid back, no big bangs from the tabla, no dholki) whereas the Asa Dhi Var I know is more uplifting and more a 'get-up-and-go' type of rendition in line with the sentiments of the gurbani in it. For example 'Nanak phikai boliay, tan man phika hoe' (Nanak, speak foul, negative language and your whole being turns foul and negative ... my translation). I cannot put this across in a mellow, classical sounding melody. I prefer an upfront folk style straight melody which knocks the words straight into ones being! (Oi, foul mouth! Then you become a foul being, @#$%*&%# !) Well, you will have to hear it to know what I mean!

I shall close here for this month as we leave for Brisbane tomorrow (29th.) I shall write about Brisbane in next month's instalment.

Guru Fateh and Cherdhi Kala,
Dya Singh
September 28.