Sikhs focus on poor, youth

Sikhs celebrated the 540th Guru Nanak Jayanti with pomp in the city. While the biggest celebrations were held in Ghatkopar, kirtans were conducted at Guru Dashmesh Darbar in Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar where there is a sizeable Sikh population.

“We held kirtans from 6am onwards and they went on till the evening. Special translation of the wanis of Sant Namdeo in Marathi was done to help people understand what he said is included in our Guru Granth,” said Kulwant Singh, general secretary of Shree Guru Singh Sabha, which held the biggest celebrations in Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar.

The celebrations also saw the announcement made to support the Satnami and Vanjara communities among the Sikhs. It was decided that help would be provided to them on the education front.

“They became Sikhs during the time of our Gurus, but they are extremely poor. They come under the de-notified tribes. We sincerely feel that they should not take to criminal activities,” said Singh. It is said that their numbers are over a lakh in Maharashtra and are spread across Pune and the Naxal-infested belt. “We will try to send their children to school and ensure that they do not drop out,” he said.

Health and eye check-up camps, competitive programmes and poetry competitions for the youth in the communities were amongst other things that were organised. “We want to encourage the youth in the city,” said Singh.

Kirtans were also held at the Guru Dashmesh Darbar. Bhai Ranjit Singh of the darbar said, “We had kirtans by the youngsters. High priests had come from the Golden Temple to deliver kirtans and tell stories about the Guru’s life. Langar was arranged during the night.”