AdminSikh community is a unique community, which has always spread the message of oneness; influenced from which, wherein, on one hand several foreigners are joining the community by taking up ‘Amrit’ to become a Sikh, therein a Gujarati Diamond merchant also recently took up ‘Amrit’ from Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, Amritsar to become a Sikh and is now at the pious land of Amritsar of Guru Ram Das Ji.
When Jagbani’s reporter came to know about this episode, he then inquired about the same to find the details about the story from the Gujrati Diamond Merchant, Praveen Bhai, who now after taking up ‘Amrit’ is Praveen Singh, told that he lives in Bham Nagar of Gujrat & is into Diamond Business. He told that in year 2008, his business had faced some turbulence and the debts increased so much that his creditors started troubling & bothering him; during the same time, his daughter also fell ill and he had no money for her treatment as well.
Plagued with the situation, when on one day he was heading to the railway line to commit suicide, then a Gujarat Sikh stopped him from doing & asked him about the reason for his trouble, upon which he narrated the entire problem to the Sikh. Praveen revealed, that “ the Sikh told me about Punjab’s Amritsar located Harimandar Sahib(Golden Temple) – that its one such pious place where all wishes are granted & suggested me to visit the place once with the intent of getting rid of all his troubles & difficulties ; I went there and was so much influenced with the experience of the pious place that I stayed into meditative state for 24 hours.”
“After that, I went to Sri Akal Takhat Sahib’s Jathedar Sri Gurbachan Singh Ji and shared my ordeal with him, upon which, he facilitated for the treatment of my daughter & also for my return to my home, which saved my daughter’s life”.
Parveen told that “After treatment of my daughter, I again came back to city of Amritsar in the year 2009 and requested for ‘Amrit’ (baptism) from Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, upon which Mr. Singh instructed me to first keep unshorn hair & to tie a turban; I, for next & months kept unshorn hair & tied a turban, after which I received the blessing if ‘Amrit’ and I became an ‘Amrit-Dhari’ (Baptized) Sikh.”
Praveen shared, “After taking ‘Amrit’, when I returned back to Gujarat, then my brotherhood denied my acceptance and showed intense disagreement over me taking up Sikhism, and also decided boycott me from business; but now I have decided to never turn my face away from Sikhism and no matter what happens, I will never give up upon it.”
Praveen also said that “I am facing a lot of difficulties & troubles from my brotherhood, so much so that my relatives have also gave up upon me because of which I’ve started to feel isolated in the society and am going through financial crisis; and with another hope, today I am meeting Singh ‘Saab’, Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat, again. “
Regarding this, when Sri Akal Takhat Sahib’s Jathedar Singh Sahib Gurbachan Singh Khalsa was approached for talks, he informed that both before and after this Gujarati became a Sikh, he was financially assisted though Sangat and a Muscat Sikh Resident Parampal Singh Khalsa’s efforts; and now again the Siromani Committee’s President Avtar Singh Makkar will be approached for talks so that this Gujarati Singh can be assisted both financially & Socially.
~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 20th Feb ’14