Why is our struggle limited to ourselves? Why are we overall so self-centered?

Over twenty years ago one of the worst calamities in modern times to befall the Sikh nation occurred as a two part miniseries of bloodshed and violence. Our fathers were beaten, our sons were murdered, our mothers and sisters were raped. Our Gurdwaras were invaded, our history was burnt and an attempt was made to annihilate.

For over two long decades we’ve been speaking with zeal and passion about those days and the need to recognize our responsibility towards our nation. But, what are we doing about our responsibility here? What about the cause of disenfranchised African American youth trapped in urban ghettos?

Why don’t we see Sikhs standing in solidarity in droves with similar causes for others who have been raped and beaten? Why aren’t we standing with the cause of the Palestinians?

When Banda Bahadur led his charge through Punjab and handed the land back to those who tilled the soil was his concern only the Sikhs or was it the populace in general that needed to be re-invigorated?

We’ve all listened to albums like shaheedi; how many of us have heard Meen Erhabe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShRR7sInsc)? Don’t worry it has subtitles.

When the Guru walked this earth, people from all sorts of communities came to fight for his cause and back then we seemed more than willing to return the favor. Pir Budhoo Shah volunteered his life, those of his 4 sons and those of 400 of his followers to fight in Guru Gobind Singh’s fauj. Gur Nanak in Babbar Bani addresses the plight of Muslim and Hindu women upon the advent of Babbar’s raiding forces in Punjab. We picked up arms to fight against the kidnapping of Hindu women from their homes. When Guru Arjan Patshah was about to be executed a Muslim Pir, his friend, attempted to intervene. When the chotte Sahibzade were about to be martyred, the Nawab of Maler Kotla tried to step in. For this reason, when Banda Bahadur went through Punjab exacting a toll for the crimes of the state against its own people, Maler Kotla was spared.

So what happened to us since? Why is our struggle limited to ourselves? Why are we overall so self-centered?

-Surat Yaar