By Surjit Singh Flora
‘Brampton Kirpan Case” the public perception of the kirpan was that it was a potentially dangerous ‘weapon’. Sikhs do not perceive the kirpan as a weapon, and the translation into ‘dagger’ is inappropriate, given the pejorative association between a dagger and violence. However, no English term captures the true cultural meaning of the kirpan.
The kirpan has both a physical function, as a defensive weapon, as well as a symbolic function. Physically it is an instrument of "Ahimsa" or non-violence. The principle of ahimsa is to actively prevent violence, not to simply stand by idly whilst violence is being done. To that end, the kirpan is a tool to be used to prevent violence from being done to a defenseless person when all other means to do so have failed. Symbolically, the kirpan represents the power of truth to cut through untruth. It is the cutting edge of the enlightened mind. "
In the next few weeks, Sikhs would organize the Khalsa day parade, when Panj Pyare (five Sikhs) will hold unshielded and shining big kirpans in hands and lead the Sikh parade from CNE to the City hall. Just before that, Kirpan issue has been highlighted by GTA newspaper following a fight at the Sikh Lehar temple in Brampton where kirpan was alleged to have been used in the attack on a Sikh guy.
Undoubtedly, that was wrong. With this particular incident, Sikh community’s image is not better than a pond. A very few people are out to spoil our image like one rotten fish spoils the whole pond. They never follow what Tenth master told us to do. Yes, it’s a known fact that kirpan is a weapon but when Sikhs were baptised by the tenth master, He made some rules for them to follow.
After the fight at Sikh temple where kirpan was used in the attack and subsequent reports in the mainstream newspapers, the image of Sikh community has been dented in the eyes of Canadians. Sikh community should learn a lesson from this unfortunate happening. In every country, the Sikhs fight for five “k”s for practical and symbolic purposes.
Sikhism, baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks, or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, ordered these Five Ks to be worn. The five items are: kes (uncut hair), kangha (small comb), kara (circular iron bracelet), kirpan (dagger), and kaccherra (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.
But these five iterms, due to every countries different laws and regulations, Sikhs can not carry with then all the times, so they fight for there rights, but on other hand, They use the Kirpan, prove that it’s still a weapon, if any media, or the repoter try to highlight the issue, they are blamed for targeting the Sikh, Punjabi community, but they never relizing they giving them chance to write chance to target Sikh community and spolied the Image of there own community. like one rotten fish spoils the whole pond , same one anger person , make the whole community to pay the price, now time will tell if Kirpan gets banned in Canada or not ?
http://www.{censored}/news.php?news=9281
‘Brampton Kirpan Case” the public perception of the kirpan was that it was a potentially dangerous ‘weapon’. Sikhs do not perceive the kirpan as a weapon, and the translation into ‘dagger’ is inappropriate, given the pejorative association between a dagger and violence. However, no English term captures the true cultural meaning of the kirpan.
The kirpan has both a physical function, as a defensive weapon, as well as a symbolic function. Physically it is an instrument of "Ahimsa" or non-violence. The principle of ahimsa is to actively prevent violence, not to simply stand by idly whilst violence is being done. To that end, the kirpan is a tool to be used to prevent violence from being done to a defenseless person when all other means to do so have failed. Symbolically, the kirpan represents the power of truth to cut through untruth. It is the cutting edge of the enlightened mind. "
In the next few weeks, Sikhs would organize the Khalsa day parade, when Panj Pyare (five Sikhs) will hold unshielded and shining big kirpans in hands and lead the Sikh parade from CNE to the City hall. Just before that, Kirpan issue has been highlighted by GTA newspaper following a fight at the Sikh Lehar temple in Brampton where kirpan was alleged to have been used in the attack on a Sikh guy.
Undoubtedly, that was wrong. With this particular incident, Sikh community’s image is not better than a pond. A very few people are out to spoil our image like one rotten fish spoils the whole pond. They never follow what Tenth master told us to do. Yes, it’s a known fact that kirpan is a weapon but when Sikhs were baptised by the tenth master, He made some rules for them to follow.
After the fight at Sikh temple where kirpan was used in the attack and subsequent reports in the mainstream newspapers, the image of Sikh community has been dented in the eyes of Canadians. Sikh community should learn a lesson from this unfortunate happening. In every country, the Sikhs fight for five “k”s for practical and symbolic purposes.
Sikhism, baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks, or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, ordered these Five Ks to be worn. The five items are: kes (uncut hair), kangha (small comb), kara (circular iron bracelet), kirpan (dagger), and kaccherra (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.
But these five iterms, due to every countries different laws and regulations, Sikhs can not carry with then all the times, so they fight for there rights, but on other hand, They use the Kirpan, prove that it’s still a weapon, if any media, or the repoter try to highlight the issue, they are blamed for targeting the Sikh, Punjabi community, but they never relizing they giving them chance to write chance to target Sikh community and spolied the Image of there own community. like one rotten fish spoils the whole pond , same one anger person , make the whole community to pay the price, now time will tell if Kirpan gets banned in Canada or not ?
http://www.{censored}/news.php?news=9281