Against Ignorance and Hatred: Balmeet Singh's Journey

Balmeet Singh confronted ignorance, hatred and more. He was on a journey to learn be educated. And he learned about ignorance and hatred, perhaps more than he bargained for. Read his story. I am told that Balmeet may join the forum to answer questions of members who would like to know more.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/24628-against-ignorance-hatred-balmeet-singhs-journey.html

Courtesy of our forum member and mentor VaheguruSeekr ji

Vaisakhi 2009 Reflection

As Vaisakhi 2009 celebrations come to an end, I reflect on the incident that helped me realize the importance of Sikh Saroop (physical embodiment of values).

Location: Liviv, Ukraine
11/03/2007 9:00pm

My Story:

I am a visible Sikh who is an American Citizen who traveled abroad on a student exchange program to Budapest, Hungary from August to December 2007. While taking a weekend trip to Liviv, Ukraine I was attached from behind by a group of 6-8 skinheads while walking to a concert. They knocked me to the ground from behind and repeatedly kicked my head, chest, and back. My Dastaar was knocked off and lost. After about 2-3 minutes of the beating, they ran away. My wallet, camera, passport, etc. were all untouched. At this point I passed out and woke up at the hospital. The details in between were recounted to me by a friend. I was found by some people within the club and brought inside. My friend & others called an ambulance and waited for about 20 minutes for it to arrive. After it did not, they took me in a cab to a hospital where i was treated. I was then taken to our hotel to give a statement to the police in which they basically told me Ukraine is a dangerous place for non-Caucasian looking people and that unless I could identify the skinheads, there wasn't anything they could do. Afterward, I was taken back to the hospital for rest. I stayed for a day and checked myself out the next day to travel back to Budapest. I contacted the US embassy while in the hospital and they told me that Ukraine is a dangerous place, they sympathize with me, but could offer no other support. After I returned to Budapest by train, I contacted the US embassy there and received the same response. They provided me with a list of treatment centers which they recommended. I spent the rest of my exchange program dealing with doctor's appointments on a weekly basis.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24628

I suffered severe trauma to my head, nose, and right ear, and bruising to the rest of my body. My nose & right ear were stitched up. My right ear is deformed. My eyes were filled with blood for about a month afterward. Attached are some pictures taken at the hospital in Ukraine.

I make this story public for the first time in the hope that it helps me to:

1) Acknowledge my past and move beyond victim mentality.

2) Inspire myself and others to continue to fight against ignorance and hatred.

In the year and a half since my memorable trip to Ukraine, I have achieved many of my personal goals. I now hope to continue that progress to Vaisakhi 2010 and beyond.

 
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!

Aman Singh ji

Thank you for copying in the pictures. I used the email text from Tejwant ji and there were no pictures. Very effective illustration of what hatred can create: pain, suffering, maiming, lost days of a life, the list is endless.

Just trying to keep up the Spirit of a Sikh from being undermined...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24628

Note: if the images are disturbing please remove them. Regards

I have been a member of this website for about a year or so. I get the emails and sometimes decide to stop by the website and check things out. Mostly I find the articles are dry, boring, and lacking of intellectually stimulating content. This is a very moving piece. If the only thing that I ever had a chance to read on this site was this article, then joining this site would have been worth it.

This sort of thing needs to be heard and confronted and discussed by all of us Sikhs.

This kind of hate, on a much larger scale , was what happened in the Bluestar Massacre and, even more, in the Delhi Pogrom of 1984. On a large or small scale, this can happen to any or all of us, as individuals or as a group.

Since I have begun writing and sharing publicly about the murder of my family in Delhi, I have been encouraging my sister and brother Sikhs, especially the Khalsa, to be prepared. "Anything can happen to anyone at any time."

We need to be able to defend ourselves. We need to learn gatka. I know this is controversial, but I believe the kirpans we carry should be sharp and able to be used effectively, if necessary, in self-defence. Each of the kakkars has a miri meaning as well as a piri meaning. I believe that Guru Gobind Singh Ji expects his children to be armed. This calls for training - so that our kirpans cannot be used against us - and tremendous self-control and self-discipline, not to misuse them. These are supposed to be traits of each Khalsa; we really need to work on these.

Ultimately, I believe that the only way we will ever achieve anything like personal and collective security is when we have realised the dream of our own country, usually referred to as the Republic of Khalistan.

A word of caution, however, while we need to be prepared and willing and able to act, we must act without hatred, without anger as well as without fear. In the words of Stephan Stills, in a context not really all that different:

Must have been a really scary incident, when traveling to countries like these, its always a good idea to carry something handy like a kirpan

Whew! Thanks, aad0002 Ji. You had me worried there for a minute. All for the best, though. It gave me a chance to make one of my impassioned pleas!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24628

I must go check out Undermining Sikhism before it disappears, too.

Dear jaysangh ji

Welcome back!

well, a forum is what a avid member shapes it to be like... if we would not participate actively and share our ideas then how are we going to enhance the general standard of the forum.

You joined around two and half years back and things might have improved... find yourself sometime to explore the network... i an sure the network has something nice to learn from you,

Warm Regards

Aman singh

Aman Ji,

You said
The images are disturbing, of course, and that is why they should, must stay. We are Sikhs and adults and need to look the truth straight in the face, or the ear, as in this case.

And his thumbs up in the first picture is strong and beautiful.

My opinion, for what it's worth.