Halimi Raj through Love, Compassion & Empathy

VaheguruJiKaKhalsa VaheguruJiKiFateh

Last Saturday (02/12/2023), I spent 8hrs outside the Houses of Parliament with just a sleeping bag, to follow in the footsteps of Guru Nanak and put his message of Love, Compassion & Empathy in to action.

Historically, December is a month of great Sikh Sacrifices for humanity, including the ultimate sacrifices made by Mata Gujri Ji (the wife of the 9th Sikh Guru) and the Chote Sahibzade (Guru Gobind Singh's youngest sons) Baba Zorawar Singh (7yrs) & Baba Fateh Singh (5yrs), who were bricked alive on the 26th December 1704 on the orders of the mughal ruler wazir khan, for their refusal to renounce their Sikh faith.

Just one generation back, many Sikh used to sleep on the floor or out in the elements during the month of December to empathise with the hardship that Mata Ji & the Chote Sahibzade must have endured, locked in the tower of Thanda Burj (Cold Tower). Unfortunately, the adoption of western customs like Christmas by many in the diaspora during the month of December has meant that these Sikh customs are slowly being replaced in some households and taking with them core Sikh principles like Daya (Compassion), Dharam (Righteousness) & Himmat (Courage).

That said, many Sikh in Panjab still choose to follow in the foot steps of our ancestors and continue to make great sacrifices, but often end up paying a very heavy price for having the Himmat to stand on the side of Dharam. Many end up in indian jails without trial or sentencing for years (#BandiSinghRehoKaro), something that British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal, a blogger & activist had to learn the hard way, when he went to India to get married in 2017 and has been arbitrarily detained without sentencing or charge since (#FreeJaggiNow).

So, in honor of the great Sikhs that have come before us & those that still face oppression today, I will continue to sleep outside parliament for additional Saturdays in December and raise money to buy supplies (hats, gloves, scarfs, sleeping bags etc.) for the homeless around that area.

Lesson learnt - Out of the hundreds of people that passed me on the street, 99% either didn't notice me or refused to acknowledge me - but the 1% that did choose to have that age old human to human experience of sharing a smile, really made my night. So, if there's 86,400 seconds in a day and it takes just a seconds to smile at someone and that smile makes someone's whole day... Then what is the true value of a smile!?

Please only give what your circumstances allow and if you cannot afford to share financially, it's OK, just give this message a little share to your friends & family - that'll be more than enough. However, if you also fancy taking it a step further & pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, then feel free to come join me one Saturday.

Thank you for your continued love & support.

ਦੇਗਤੇਗਫਤਹ, (Freedom for Hungry & Oppressed), ਬਿਰਦਕੀਪੈਜ (Support for Old & Helpless), ਪੰਥਕੀਜੀਤ (Through these deeds the Panth shall Fourish)

Quam da Sevadar (Servant of the commUNITY)

VaheguruJiKaKhalsa VaheguruJiKiFateh