Unfortunately, Dr. Yogi Kaur's article was abbreviated on that particular website. She concludes her writing by detailing a suggested plan of action. The conclusion is below:
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In summary, the main obstacles members of the Sikh religion worldwide must overcome are: i. Excuses for rudeness and ignoring the curious, guests, and seekers.
ii. Believing or behaving as if the
Sikh religion belongs only to and is exclusively for those who are of a particular caste and/or culturally and ethnically Indian and from Punjab.
iii. Not opening their doors and homes to non-Indian and non-Punjabi seekers and Sikhs.
iv. Telling non-Punjabi speakers that the only way to understand, learn, research, discuss, absorb, and receive God's blessings, guidance, and enlightenment in the
Sikh religion is through reading the Sri
Guru Granth Sahib and Bani prayers in their original languages. God enlightens, blesses, guides, and transforms people as God sees fit.
v. Having their non-Punjabi speaking guests, seekers, and
Sikh members sit through 1-3 h of a worship service not understanding what is said, prayed, and sung; thereby, preventing learning and participation in worshipping God.
vi. Ignoring seekers and new Sikhs requests and concerns by taking months, years, or decades to handle solvable issues and problems that are easily resolved within a week or month, because the guidelines for
Sikhism were clearly written by the Gurus centuries ago.
vii. Showing lack of joy and happiness when seekers of the
Sikh religion move forward towards behaving as true Sikhs and receiving amrit baptism.
viii. Not establishing, by just asking for volunteers to sign-up and join, rotational sewa subcommittees in the gurudwaras of:
* Volunteer translators made up of teens, youth, and/or adults.
* Volunteer welcomers (ushers) to greet guests and seekers.
* Volunteer information attendants to assist guests, seekers, and new Sikhs.
* Adult Punjabi school for only seekers and new Sikhs unfamiliar with the verbal and written language.
* Children Punjabi school for only children of seekers and new Sikhs unfamiliar with the verbal and written language, because Punjabi is not spoken in their households and among their family friends and members.
* Sri
Guru Granth Sahib (translated and transliterated) study groups with study guidebooks for non-Punjabi speaking seekers and new Sikhs conducted in their own language.
* Volunteers of amritdhari Sikhs willing to administer amrit baptism, as well as the preparation and maintenance involved in doing so.
* Volunteers of teens and youth to oversee technical, audio, and visual matters relating to the gurudwara services. One example would consist of downloading onto a large viewing screen translated and transliterated raags/songs with page numbers, lectures by the granthic, prayers,
Guru Granth Sabib readings with page and section numbers, and announcements for everyone in the congregation.
* Volunteers that oversee all types of matters that may arise in the gurudwara; thereby, freeing the gurudwara committee to focus on other important matters.
ix. Making the
Sikh religion inaccessible, invisible, and hidden by not:
* Providing major and other bookstores with books about
Sikhism and the translated Sri
Guru Granth Sahib (which can easily be placed on shelves behind glass).
* Posting
Sikhism with gurdwara information and locations on boards in alternative bookstores, on campuses, and other locations.
* Setting up information tables on campuses as other secular and religious student groups.
* Just being friendly, saying hello to non-Indian and non-Punjabi people (seekers and the curious), and allowing them to ask questions.
* Just saying hello to other Sikhs, especially the new, non-Indian, and non-Punjabi Sikhs, and providing them with assistance and guidance.
* Inviting and/or finding a ride for interested persons and seekers of the
Sikh religion.
* Publicly appearing as a
Sikh with both the men and women wearing their 5 Ks and turbans (men and women).
In conclusion, I am an African-American married to a Euro-American and we have a young son who is biracial. This is important to share because the journey leading to my family and I becoming Amritdhari Sikhs could have been less bumpy, but God has kept us on the path. We truly believe our race, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds have contributed to our bumpy ride towards becoming accepted members of the Sikh religion. I look forward to presenting more in my next article. In the meantime, look around and see if there are any exclusionary practices and obstacles that can be easily changed on behalf of God. SikhSpectrum.com Monthly. Overcoming Exclusionary Practices and Obstacle in the Sikh Religion </font>
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