This is a very important topic of discussion. I live outside India and have a son and a daughter. They both will go to middle school in next few years. I have nephews and nieces who lived in other countries outside India for most of their lives. One thing that I have learned living outside India is that the school system puts lots of efforts in imparting a lot of self confidence in the students. The teachers and the school system works towards letting kids grow into what they believe in rather than what others (parents/friends) tell them. I agree 100% with this approach.
Having said this, I come across situations where
Sikh students (both boys and girls) are troubled by what they go through in school. Their "friends" taunt them for having long hair, not making eye brows, not shaving legs, etc. The young
Sikh kids them come home and cry in front of their parents that their friends taunt them, or they can not go swimming because their legs are not shaved, or they can not play basket ball because they have to wear shorts and shave their legs. Their confusion is further aggravated if any of their cousins or
Sikh family friends' kids make eye brows, trim beard, etc. The parents then bow to the pressure and let their kids cut their hair, make eye brows, etc.
I just want to say this to the parents and their kids...
#1. You define what you want to be. If you do not want to cut your hair, make eye brows, etc. then no matter what your friends say or do, you should not bow to the pressure.
#2. If you cut your hair because of what your friends, then I would say.....Kudos to you...You are sacrificing your religion for your friends....I wonder if your friends would reciprocate the gesture.
#3. If your friends do not support you in what you believe in then they are not worthy to be your friends.
#4. If you think you are left alone in your peer circle, then I would say, look around....you will definitely find someone who will respect you because of what you believe in.
poKru nIru ivrolIAY mwKnu nhI rIsY ]7]
pokhur neer viroleeai maakhun nehee reesai
Churning the water in the pond, no butter is produced. ||7||
I have been living in the states for the last 11 years now and I have been to various professional and personal meetings where alcohol is served. I do not drink and always ask the waitress if I can get a non alcoholic drink - which I always get (eg. Virgin colada, sherly temple, etc..). There has been many instances when I was asked by my peers to start drinking, and I always politely say - No Thanks. Then one day this guy started arguing with me why I do not drink. My answer was simple - Because I do not want to. He said why don't I start drinking? There is nothing wrong in drinking, Many
Sikhs drink ...and so on....I am backward, etc. etc. - To all his arguments, I gave one simple reply. I told him "If you will not stop drinking because I ask you to then there is no reason why I should start drinking because you are asking me to".
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