Current Events
Sikh-Aussies Join Multi-Faith Celebration on Australia Day
by GURMUKH SINGH [United Kingdom]
According to the event brochure, “The Australia Day Multifaith Celebration is an act of recognition.”
Well, you can only be recognised if you show your own Sikh identity at such occasions.
It was a spiritually exhilarating experience for me, to attend the Australia Day Multifaith celebration organised by The Order of Australia Association at Adelaide University in South Australia, on Australia Day - 26 January, 2012.
Three Sikh-Australians stood out on the stage, amongst other faith representatives, as Government and civic representatives, including His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, the Governor of South Australia, looked on from the front rows with appreciation.
The theme, “Together in Peace”, was introduced by the Governor following an introductory “Act of Reconciliation” whereby an Elder of the Kaurna people (aboriginal South Australians) offered eucalyptus leaves, a traditional symbol of healing. These people have suffered persecution to the point of near extinction, following the arrival of the British and Europeans who pursued racist policies, now in the process of being reversed.
The national anthem, “Australians all let us rejoice …” was sung and then followed a most moving presentation of faith “symbols” portraying the essence of “religion” in its spirit of bringing people together.
Each faith representative walked the length of the hall with his or her own religious “symbol” to soft background music associated with that religion, while a narrator read out the message signified by the symbol.
The Sikh presentation of the Khanda was perhaps most prominent due to the visible Sikh identity and the temporal-spiritual (miri-piri) symbolism of the khanda.
Giani Kuldeep Singh (Granthi Sahib, Adelaide Gurdwara), S. Balwant Singh, President of Sikh Society, South Australia, and S. Harpal Singh Sandhu took part.
To Giani ji’s melodious singing in the background in praise of the khanda, S. Balwant Singh walked gracefully up to the stage carrying the Khanda, and handed it to Branch Chairperson, Mrs. Elaine Brussenschutt, OAM, to be placed alongside other faith symbols.
From the stage, young S. Harpal Singh Sandhu spoke eloquently about the spiritual significance of the double-edged sword, the chakkar and the two kirpans, all of which, collectively, constitute the Khalsa symbol.
The Khanda is the Sikh insignia which appears on the Sikh flag as well. It constitutes three symbols in one. The name is derived from the central symbol, also called a khanda, a double-edged sword, signifying Sikh belief in One Creator of all, who is all powerful in this and the next world.
Next the chakkar, a circular shape which signifies that the Creator has no beginning and no end. On the outside are the
two kirpans signifying the temporal and spiritual (miri-miri) aspects of Sikh life in active service of the Creator.
A most impressive teamwork organised by S. Baldev Singh Dhaliwal, J.P., of the Sikh Education, Welfare & Advancement (SEWA) network, who has extensive work experience with diverse communities in the famous Riverland fruit growing district of South Australia. He was unable to attend personally but had left a message with the organiser that I would be attending, adding jokingly, “as a representative from the mother country”!
A risky thing to say, seeing that “pommies” are not very popular with some Australians.
Each faith had about one minute to make its presentation! The occasion showed how much can be achieved in that time in communicating the essence of a religion - symbolically and in a few words! (Something for our gurdwara parbandhaks and
presenters to learn from.)
Mrs. Elaine Brussenschutt OAM, Chairperson of The Order of Australia Association, South Australia Branch, led the recitation for recipients of Australian and Imperial Awards. To quote the part which captured the mood:
“Inspire all of us and give us the strength to continue this service to our communities and our care for the needs of those less fortunate than us. Give us the strength and the will to work for a better world and to provide opportunities for people of the world to achieve and enjoy freedom of spirit, security and the right to worship and live as their beliefs and cultures direct.”
The remote Sikh communities here have opportunities to show their visible identity presence at national events, which we missed in the earlier days of our arrival in the United Kingdom and other countries. Today we are paying a heavy price as a result, as we face increasing challenges to Sikh identity in the West.
As I heard the short, precisely worded messages of “unity in diversity”, and formal “recognition” of diverse religio-cultural identities at this graceful interfaith event, I felt that, surely, the "world citizen" ideal is at work here in this beautiful and wonderful country, Australia.
[Edited for sikhchic.com]
January 31, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Swaran Ludher (Perth, Australia), February 03, 2012, 4:06 AM.
Gurmukh ji: I'm impressed you traveled all the way from the U.K. to Oz to witness the event. Sikhs in the U.K. appear to have reached pretty high in the professions while in Oz the same quality would probably still be in the mid-levels. Those in the U.K. certainly don't need to envy us Sikh-Ozzies except perhaps for our more relaxed life-styles here. I studied in London 1967-71 and loved it then. But my last trip there in the early 2000s left me dismayed as to how the country appears to have decayed since then.
2: Gurmukh Singh (London, United Kingdom), February 03, 2012, 7:06 PM.
Swaran ji: Actually, I am a regular visitor to South Australia. An ageing mother, two brothers and their families prefer to live here instead of London. When I was last here in Adelaide, I wrote about the elegant historical gurdwara building which rests on a massive rock. That a small community of mostly professional Sikhs have bought this building and converted it into a well-managed gurdwara says much for the co-operation they enjoy amongst themselves. Amongst the Sikh professionals are doctors, medical consultants, a neoru-surgeon and one gursikh Assistant Vice-Chancellor of a local university. This is a wonderfully beautiful open country and I assure you, we Sikh-Pommies have every reason to envy you Sikh-Ozzies! England is crowded, public service standards are falling, and the economy is struggling.
3: Prabhjot Kaur (Adelaide, Australia), February 04, 2012, 2:30 AM.
I liked this coverage of the event by S. Gurmukh Singh ji ... We were lucky to have him present during this event.