Daily Fix
Vigilance
T. SHER SINGH
DAILY FIX
Saturday, October 13. 2012
Bad things happen.
There are about 30 million Sikhs around the world. Life, enigmatic that it is, gives us our fair share of bad things. We are not immune from them. No one is immune from them, no matter what.
Every day, some of us die … some through the ‘normal’ course of things, some through tragic circumstances. A few through evil acts of others.
Just like it happens to all people, of every ilk, every where.
Every day, there are fires, and a building here, a house there, is razed to the ground … some through the ‘normal’ course of things, some through tragic circumstances. A few through evil acts of others.
Just like it happens to all people, of every ilk, every where.
Just like what happened yesterday.
A new gurdwara - a massive rebuilding of an old structure to modernize it and meet the growing needs of the community -- was nearing completion in a Portland neighbourhood in the US state of Oregon, when the dream was engulfed in flames. At 2:30 am yesterday -- Friday, October 12, 2012.
Nothing but ashes remain … and the resolve of the sangat, ever in chardi kalaa, that they will begin immediately to build again!
It is too early to tell the cause of the fire.
Sadly, there have been too many fires in recent years, even in North America. Too many places of worship have been burnt down.
Right here! Not in a land marauded by fundamentalist Hindus or the fanatic Taliban, but right here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Why? Because bad things happen everywhere. No one has a monopoly. No one is better, no one is worse.
Even before the facts on this latest tragedy emerge, we as a community need to get our act together in terms of how we run our places of worship.
It is time to come to terms with the fact that we are a minority, and being a minority entails being ever vigilant … not in an alarmist way, merely alert.
We cannot afford to be lackadaisical or careless or negligent.
We need to always be on top of things, no matter where we are, if we are to be able to enjoy our rights and freedoms. That’s how it is: freedoms don’t come easy. They don’t stay easy, either. They need to be constantly watched over every day, jealously and zealously.
Here are a few thoughts, hurriedly jotted down. Please feel free to alter, or add, or subtract. I know you will only improve them.
1 We are an affluent community and we have grand places of worship, of which we are deservedly proud. We need to take a small portion of the budget for running these institutions -- gurdwaras, et al -- to keep them secure and safe.
2 We need to invest in state-of-the-art security technology to monitor our gurdwaras and their precincts.
3 We need to have 24-hour security -- a human presence -- guarding each property and congregation.
4 Yes, all of this will cost money. But it will be a mere fraction of the total budget, trust me. Our gurdwaras, if managed sensibly, are never wanting for money. And think of the cost when things go wrong.
5 The idea is to pre-empt bad things from happening, or catching them and nipping them in the bud. If there is a short-circuited fire due to faulty wiring, for example, there is a high probability it can be caught in time before heavy damage is done. If there are miscreants in the neighbourhood, the local police forces can be alerted in a timely manner.
6 While constructing new gurdwaras, or refurbishing or expanding existing ones, we need to design our buildings in such a way that they are secure and easily securable. Advance planning and strategic design will make securing the place easier and cheaper, on the long run.
7 Each building and property must be fully insured, with no short-cuts or cutting corners. And the coverage should be updated annually to ensure full coverage of all changes, including inflation.
8 All services purchased -- whether it involves technology, personnel or insurance coverage -- must be from professional sources, at arm’s length and with no nepotism involved. Getting things done through friends and relatives is never cheaper (short term or long), never up to standards, and is never accompanied by accountability.
* * * * *
No, I’m not advocating a bunker mentality.
When we lock our doors at home every night, we are not hunkering down or turning our house into a bunker. We are merely being careful.
The same needs to be done with our gurdwaras. Being community centres that are dependent on seva, we have failed in giving them our very best -- the very same standards we so liberally accord to our personal assets and properties.
That doesn’t jive well with our claim that our gurdwaras are, for us, “Houses of God”, does it?
All of the above applies, I would suggest, no matter what the facts emerge in the coming days and weeks about the Oregon fire. The steps I have outlined -- and those that you may envisage in your infinite wisdom -- need to be implemented, like so many things in our community today, ASAP.
Time is of the essence.
Conversation about this article
1: Hardeep Kaur (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), October 14, 2012, 5:47 PM.
I agree with the need for us, the Sikh community, to step up vigilance in our gurdwaras. They are in need of much change and the security of the buildings is just one aspect to look at ... especially after the Wisconsin tragedy and the one-too-many fires in the places of worship in these countries.