Gyani Jarnail Singh ji said:
Quote:
YES hundreds of thousands of such were DRAGGED to theri DEATHS - a simple act of Cutting their Hair would have SAVED their lives/bestowed Honours on them..BUT they REFUSED POINT BLANK to cut their KESH. Thats their CHOICE..we must all respect THAT CHOICE.
I am all for live and let live..let the amritdharees live their lives..let the cut hairs live their lives...both have a choice and they made it.
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As one whose beloved family members made that choice and achieved shaheedi in 1984 and also in the years following - most were Amritdhari, some were not - I personally feel that every time I see a keshdhari Sikh, especially a turbaned one, male or female, their sacrifice is being honoured, they are being remembered in the way that would mean the most to them. These Sikhs, in the uniform of the devout Sikh - Amritdhari or not - honour our Gurus, our shaheeds and - to me - what being a Sikh means. I understand that it is socially difficult, even dangerous, and those who are not called upon to do this - we are all where we are on this path - might even be hypocritical to affect something they don't really embrace.
Still, I think those who do choose to adopt the Khalsa roop deserve a certain respect. Beyond that, don't most of us just feel good when we see a Sikh in bana walking down the street? I know I do.
Chardi kala!
Mai