“Sikh History – Then & Now- Poem by Kamalpreet Kaur

A man who lacks knowledge of history is as good to the world as the dead. History, that since the beginning of time, has been there to offer many lessons. The Sikhs too have a rich history bustling with passion for freedom, truth and humanity. With that, the Sikh culture in terms of domestic lifestyles, is largely influenced by the Indian culture, reason being that the majority of Sikhs reside there. However, the two are not to be mistaken as parallel or as two branches of the same tree.

Sadly, despite the fact that the Sikhs’ treasure of history loaded with thousands of gems of martyrdoms, today’s youth grows detached from the Guru, the congregation, and hence the Sikh way of life. This is mainly owing to the continuous portrayal of Sikhs as followers of Indian culture through manipulation of ancient historical reference books, the distribution of misleading literature under the label of “Sikh history” and the widely accepted concept being Sikh means you can practice the Punjabi culture. The poem weeps such loss.

Tragic
The history of aeons and pre, lost.
Leaving but a speck…

Today her children run
Night clubs, bars and vice-deeds,
They seek peace.

Alas! Life is hectic!
A race! A competition!
Live they, as though
They know
best still.

Contentment
A game of balance
Of acceptance and of
Thankfulness

Reconnecting to roots
One learns.
Useless, vicious and mundane
Desires
every man yearns.

Learn from Ancestors.

Grasp tightly ’till
your knuckles turn white
The lessons from history

Of the wrath of
wretched intentions- innocent blood spilled,
Entire countries at
Destruction.

Of self-centred mindsets
Hinder which
any
ripples of evolution.

Of the plethora of martyrdoms
For YOUR betterment,
For YOUR freedom.

God bless our nation,
Our generation.

by Kamalpreet Kaur Sabrah