LETTERS

Find More

10

So kind of you

Your special volume on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak was a very thoughtful gesture. My congratulations to your team. All the articles were informative; some of them were an eye-opener for readers down south, who may not know much about one of the simplest religions in the world, bereft of rituals and dogmas (‘Living a legacy’, November 10).

 

The concept of langar, devoid of caste and religious differences, is the icing on the cake at the holy Golden Temple.

 

On Gurpurab, let me offer my greetings to all Sikh brothers and sisters. It is a moment to reflect on the Guru’s simple and noble teachings that we need to uphold today.

 

Narayanan,

On email.

 

Your cover story, celebrating the spirit of the Sikh community, was interesting. In the letter by editor Philip Mathew, he remembered his Sikh friend Jaspal Singh. I, too, remembered my dear friend and colleague from Delhi University—Bhupinder Singh Arora. A man with a golden voice, Arora had a flair for writing. He used to share his writings with me. Arora also used to recite hymns in a nearby gurdwara. Alas, he left us at the age of 59.

 

Guru Nanak’s teachings are like guiding stars in modern times. It was 50 years ago, in 1969, that the movie Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai was released to commemorate the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

 

Surinder Pal,

On email.

 

Kudos to THE WEEK for the wonderful issue marking the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Various eminent personalities have beautifully explained how the Sikh faith moved mountains and became a force to reckon with.

 

What Sikhism is today can be solely attributed to the unique teachings of Guru Nanak. The tradition of community kitchen and social services rendered by Sikhs has no parallel. This, despite the community getting deeply hurt by Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.

 

Let us sincerely hope that Sikhs live their legacy gracefully in the centuries to come.

 

Manjeet Singh Ishar,

Mohali, Punjab.

 

Your cover story was an honest tribute to the Sikh community’s contributions to every conceivable branch of human endeavour.

 

Thanks for providing us with a wealth of knowledge on Sikhism. In fact, Guru Nanak’s contributions to humanity were remarkable. He was the harbinger of peace, universal brotherhood, and worked selflessly for the poor and the downtrodden. He taught that there is only God and one can connect to God directly.

 

Vijay Singh Adhikari,

On email.

 

I am indebted to you for coming out with the wonderful issue on Sikhs—titled The Splendid Sikhs. THE WEEK’s efforts are commendable, and I pray for your magazine’s long life.

 

I, especially, loved the articles by Harinder Sidhu, Navtej Sarna, Vijaya Pushkarna, Mandira Nayar and Captain Amarinder Singh. If possible, please convey to Singh that I found his article very informative. I literally noted down the main points for future reference.

Gurjas Chahal,

On email.

 

Your special issue is a worthy tribute to the Sikh community as a whole. Unlike other religions, what is unique about Sikhism is that it is a practical religion, and the Sikhs are pragmatic people. Sikhism emphasises on leading a worldly, successful life as a householder and a contributing member of society, but with a mind attuned to God.

 

Sikhism recognises the universal truths that underline all human endeavours, religions and belief systems.

 

One special feature of Sikhism is that it asks a non-Sikh to discover and live the essential message and meaning of his or her own religion, so that a Christian can become a better Christian, a Jew a better Jew, and a Hindu a better Hindu.

S.R. Gadicherla,

Bengaluru.

 

Your cover story brought out salient features of Sikhs and Sikhism. The story was very well organised and researched. It was a great tribute to a great community by a magazine published from the deep south, largely unknown to most Sikhs! Kudos!

 

As a former defence personnel, I knew many Sikhs, in uniform and civilians. They are large-hearted, very helpful, and jovial.

 

India sleeps at night peacefully largely because of the valiant Sikhs of Punjab.

V.H. Subramoney,

Bengaluru.

 

The special issue on the splendid Sikhs covered well the life and teachings of Guru Nanak and the sacrifices and contributions of the Sikh community.

 

One area of interest that you missed was the mouthwatering Punjabi food.

 

Bentley Verghese,

On email.

 

Ignore bhakts

Swara Bhasker’s column on how hope dispels darkness was superb (November 10). It enumerates everything that the festival of light—Diwali—stands for.

 

Swara is a great addition to the galaxy of guest columnists that THE WEEK has. Please carry on Swara. Never mind what the bhakts have to say about what you write.

 

Sudhakar Nair,

On email.

 

Error

Andhra Pradesh’s former IT minister N. Lokesh was wrongly mentioned as Telangana’s former IT minister (‘Party snacks’, November 17). The error is regretted.

 

Editor