Sardar-a-Phobia

Symptoms

Making jokes, films, songs and other medium that portray Sardar, Sikhs in a negative, insulting, ridiculing manner in order to compensate for ones own inadequacies’.

Suffers normally go into severe denial when they are told they suffer from this phobia.

Causes

Causes vary according to personal circumstances:

1) Jealousy – Jealous of the fact that Sardars due to their never say die attitude excel in whatever profession they chose. Be this physical, mental or spiritual. This coupled with the fact that Sardars are often tall, athletic, with a distinctive regal appearance leads some to be jealous rather than be inspired and wanting to be the same.
2) Low Self Esteem– The person feels inferior deep inside when he comes face to face with Sardars. This could affect the sufferer be mentaly, physicaly, or spiritually (or all three). When confronted with the Sardars high self esteem he feels inadequate.
3) Bad Past Experience – The sufferer may have been beaten up either physically, mentally or spiritually (or all three by a Sardar). Rather than reflecting on the cause of this “Bad Past Experience”, the sufferer resorts to character assassination through the “Syptoms”.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/essays-on-sikhism/28788-sardar-a-phobia.html

Cure

A short sharp dose of humility, repentance and service at a Sikh Temple for at least a year should cure it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28788

You are probably all wondering what is Randip Singh going on about, and what prompted me to write the above is watching a film yesterday called Salam-e-Ishq directed by Nikhil Advani. On two occasions’ Sardars are portrayed as buffoons. On one occasion, the surname of the Sardar is “Makkhad” (like an insect), and on another occasion he is punched by a Mona Delhi Taxi driver in Delhi and the Sardar goes flying. Both are attacks on Sardars and both show the Sardar-a-phobia that the writers and directors have on this film.

The latter incident with the taxi driver made me think because 1) A vast amount of taxi drivers in Delhi are Sardars, 2) I have witnessed many disputes with Taxi drivers in Delhi, and I have yet to see a Sardar come worse off. 3) Why Govinda (Ahuja) agreed to do this scene is beyond me, because his paternal side are Punjabi and Sardars too, so he should know better.

Anyway enough of my rant.

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

__________________
Randip Singh

Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitting near it, devour men at night.
They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, but they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji Page 1289
Fools Who Wrangle Over Flesh

Randip ji

Unfortunately The buffoon image of many sardars in Urban India is true.Sardars have turned themselves into a Bania community rather than a martial fearless community.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28788
You can see Sardars with big bungalows ,cars,bikes etc but when you look at their physique it surprises you so much that they can spend so much on these but they can't go to gym to control their weight.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28788

Then many sardar even one with Girls/wives roam with patka which is not even properly tied .again they don't look good in that.

No wonder bollywood is showing them as jokers in scenes of films.I think instead of blaming others we should look at ourself.

Hi Kanwardeep.

I would have normally agreed, but I recently visited Dehli, and the image of the Sardars I got was far from this.

You always get a few Buffoons in every community, but the image I got in Delhi, was of smart, self confident, and usually well built young Sardars.

Randip singh ji

Which area you visited in Delhi? Delhi university and college going sardars are smartest.on the other hand there are plenty who look like buffoons

I think the image or Sardara Phobia as described by Randeep Ji is a gradual updrive from the lows of post 1984 terrorist to the era of buffoons to the present slick & smart Ranvir Kapoor in Rocket Singh . It is actually the way we conduct ourselves the way we present ourselves . Each of us should take this responsibility to act as a representative of whole Sikh community . Yesterday I was in Hong Kong , a stranger Indian looking man came to me asking for directions irrespective of the fact that I was a visitor too , with my family & might not be knowing the routes at all . There were about four five Bangladeshis around at the same time , yet that man chose to come to me to ask . He might have this impression that a SARDAR will surely help him out IMHO . Also we should dress smartly , talk smartly , talk politely & not act out of haste while making a point or not draw Kirpans while demonstrations/ protests as it gives a very wrong impression to anyone not fimiliar with our customs , culture , at the same time gives a chance to our enemies to present us in wrong light .

I was mostly around the shopping centre around Greater Kailash.

I also went to the big massive newly built Mall (not Ansal Plaza).

I saw elderly and young Sardars that looked really smart.

On my last visit I sat in a Coffee Shop in Defence Colony and there was an eldery Sikh gent sat there, who looked ex-Army. He looked really smart in his beautifully tied turban and regal appearance.

You know in the UK, many elderly Goray tell children, that if they get lost and they cannot find a Policeman, then find a man in a turban and tell him you are lost.

Such is the respect for Sardars, but you are corrrect, each of us needs to follow the Guru's teachings and keep ourselves smart and kempt.

Randip SIngh ji I don't think "Sardar-a-phobia" is the only reason for such characters in bollywood. In fact, the role may only be a trigger, the continuation of the typical roles is because they appeal to the prejudiced people of India and beyond.
A friend from south India (Mumbai I think) told me that after Indira Gandhi got assassinated, everyone around him started makinig jokes on Sardars. Now I don't know if those jokes only progated more or were actually created at that point, but i think this is what triggered the Sikh "clown" character in Bollywood. But what's keeping the characters alive and well is the image of Sikhs that was created at the time that Sikhs themselves have failed to change.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28788
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28788
I agree that we were respected before. But the higher you are in peoples minds, the more you are going to fall if you do something undesirable. And I think we are simply victims of this fall, and not some sort of conspiracy (like some will suggest) or some sort of phobia.
Changing that image is the necesssary action!

Was Indira Gandhi the trigger or was it the excuse Sardar-a-phobes needed?

does a sardar with sardar-a-phobia scream when he looks in the mirror?