Sign Up |  Live StatsLive Stats    Articles 35,351| Comments 159,837| Members 17,822, Newest sakinazahraa| Online 252
Home Contact
 (Forgotten?): 
    Sikhism

   
                                                                     Your Banner Here!    

Sikh Philosophy Network » Sikh Philosophy Network » Sikh Sikhi Sikhism » Arranged Marriages 'Re-think' Call

Arranged Marriages 'Re-think' Call

Our Donation Goal : Why Donate? : Donate Today! : Donate Anonymously (ਗੁਪਤ) : Our Family of Supporters
Goal this month: 400 USD, Received: 35 USD (9%)
Please Donate...
Related Topics...
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Arranged marriages risk immigration scrutiny Soul_jyot Hard Talk 1 04-May-2010 05:05 AM
Arranged Marriages? Caveat Emptor! kds1980 General 1 22-Nov-2009 01:08 AM
Marriage Satisfaction and Wellness in India and the United States: A Preliminary Comparison of Arranged Marriages and (RedNova) Sikh News Reporter Love & Marriage 0 06-Jun-2005 15:02 PM
Arranged quite nicely Neutral Singh Sikh News 0 14-Feb-2005 18:46 PM


Tags
arranged, call, marriages, rethink
Reply Post New Topic In This Forum Stay Connected to Sikhism, Click Here to Register Now!
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 15-Aug-2009, 02:46 AM
Aman Singh's Avatar Aman Singh Aman Singh is offline
 
Enrolled: Jun 1st, 2004
Location: Sikh Philosophy Network
Age: 36
Posts: 4,979
Aman Singh has disabled reputation
   
Adherent: Sikhi
Blog Entries: 4
Liked 3,648 Times in 1,728 Posts
   
Arranged Marriages 'Re-think' Call

  Donate Today!   Email to Friend  Tell a Friend   Show Printable Version  Print   Contact sikhphilosophy.net Administraion for any Suggestions, Ideas, Feedback.  Feedback  
 
Arranged Marriages 'Re-think' Call

Register to Remove Advertisements
Arranged marriage has been a part of life for Sikhs in Edinburgh since the community arrived in the city in the 1950's.

But a rise in the number of traditional arranged marriages has led to calls for emergency action from community leaders and parents alike.


Edinburgh has a Sikh community of about 400 people who all worship at a single Gurdwara, or Sikh Temple, in Leith.


Traditionally, parents have chosen a suitable partner for their children, with the family arranging the resultant wedding.


And, until now, not meeting your bride until the wedding day itself has been the norm.


However, community elders have told the BBC Asian Network these marriages have increasingly been breaking down, with an unprecedented two splits in a single month.


It has led some to question whether old-fashioned values may not be working for a new generation of young Sikhs.


"We've been having meetings trying to solve it, trying to find out why marriages are breaking down so quickly," said Ragbir Singh, vice president of Edinburgh Gurdwara.


"Some marriages are breaking down within the first five or six weeks."
The Sikh community in Edinburgh is very proud of its traditional values and prides itself on the fact that strict arranged marriages have lasted so long in the city.


Elders admit other cities in the UK have not had the same success in keeping tradition alive, with families adapting more quickly to western ways.
Father-of-three Gary Singh did not meet his wife until his wedding day.
The 39-year-old said recent breakups in the community meant his sons may have to do things differently.


"A lot of people in England do that now, they're starting to move on," he said.


"They're taking their children with them, they'll go to their family and meet up and go for a coffee. Let the boy and girl talk.


"We don't do that in Edinburgh. Edinburgh's probably still in the dark ages. We're not moving fast that's the thing, but we're starting to see all these problems happening."


This difference in Edinburgh's community is something that 21-year-old Sonny Singh is all too aware of.


He was born and brought up in the city and is now a student. He said, during visits to England, he noticed more modern practices.
"You could say it's pretty old-school here," he said.


"I would really say it's more Westernised down south. When I went down to London or Manchester, the Sikh community there, they don't intrude on your personal lives and they're more open than what it is in Edinburgh."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/26269-arranged-marriages-re-think-call.html


'Must modernise'


Despite being only 21, Sonny values the traditionalism he has grown up with. He said it had kept families and communities close.


Ragbir, Gary and Sonny all talk very fondly of the huge Sikh family gatherings they have experienced in Edinburgh, and said it was tradition which has served to bind the community.


However, Sonny said bringing some aspects of these traditions more in line with Western culture was key to their survival.


He said he was not opposed to an arranged marriage, but not one so strict that he could not get to know his bride.


"I still believe the parents should be happy as well," he said, adding: "I would prefer to still get married to a Sikh because I was brought up that way.


This, it appears, is the solution the whole community has been coming to - adapting marriages without losing heritage.


Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26269
Edinburgh's Sikh's are proud of their tight-knit, hand-picked community, but most understand it must modernise if it wants to stay that way.


Gary said: "Children are now standing up to their parents saying, 'I'm not happy with this, I want to do what I want to do in life'.


"This is where all the friction's coming in. Sometimes the boy's maybe fallen out with his parents because of it. Things are just starting to change."




 
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!
Reply With Quote
The following members appreciate Aman Singh Ji for the above message.
Sponsored Links
   Click Here to Donate Now!

Support Us!
Become a Promoter!
Gurfateh ji, you can become a SPN Promoter by Donating as little as $10 each month. With limited resources & high operational costs, your donations make it possible for us to deliver a quality website and spread the teachings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, to serve & uplift humanity. Every contribution counts. Donate Generously. Gurfateh!
ReplyPost New Topic In This Forum Stay Connected to Sikhism, Click Here to Register Now!

Bookmarks


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Tools Search
Search:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

» Gurbani Jukebox
Listen to Gurbani while surfing SPN!
» Active Discussions
sikhism Who is "Mohan"?
Today 08:48 AM
25 Replies, 453 Views
sikhism need urgent advice.......
Today 08:39 AM
18 Replies, 256 Views
sikhism Sant Siphahi -...
Today 08:35 AM
4 Replies, 61 Views
sikhism Women's rights in Islam
Today 08:26 AM
2 Replies, 20 Views
sikhism Description of the...
By naben
Today 07:01 AM
43 Replies, 783 Views
sikhism Why is Guru Granth sahib...
Yesterday 22:33 PM
1 Replies, 54 Views
sikhism Considering Cutting My...
Yesterday 22:18 PM
125 Replies, 4,000 Views
sikhism Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi...
Yesterday 22:13 PM
0 Replies, 30 Views
sikhism Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi...
Yesterday 21:50 PM
0 Replies, 28 Views
sikhism ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ
Yesterday 19:31 PM
0 Replies, 43 Views
sikhism How important is Matha...
Yesterday 15:22 PM
66 Replies, 1,164 Views
sikhism On a Scale of Most...
Yesterday 13:10 PM
31 Replies, 1,306 Views
sikhism Sikh Diamonds Video...
Yesterday 13:06 PM
7 Replies, 146 Views
sikhism Herman Hesse,...
Yesterday 12:40 PM
14 Replies, 251 Views
sikhism ਨਾਮਾ
Yesterday 06:37 AM
2 Replies, 72 Views
» Books You Should Read...
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.2

All times are GMT +6.5. The time now is 10:14 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.5.2 Copyright © 2004-12, All Rights Reserved. Sikh Philosophy Network


Page generated in 0.38309 seconds with 30 queries