Kids Corner

Above: Papa ji. [Photos, courtesy - Gurbux Singh.]

Papa ji

Papa
ji

People

Passing The Torch

by T. SHER SINGH

 

 

Wisdom, true wisdom, they say, comes only from the school of hard knocks.

No amount of bookish knowledge necessarily helps. Neither age nor silver hairs guarantee it. Worldly wealth is, if anything, a hurdle and distraction.

And it is only to be found, like the Great Bard Vir Singh's banafsha flower, deeply hidden away, a closely-guarded secret.

In my own perennial search for those who are heir to this Philosopher's Stone  -  I have this notion that proximity to them will rub off on me a bit  -  I am delighted to report that I've had two recent sightings.

In both instances, the doyen was spotted  -  not surprisingly  -  in the company of children. That's a sure giveaway: the truly wise one is, by definition, also a teacher. He or she imparts knowledge, real knowledge, through osmosis  -  freely, effortlessly, selflessly.

The first one, I've already introduced to you at length in an earlier column, in the context of his music and spiritual discourse.

So, I won't dwell too long on Prof. Darshan Singh, since you already know him well.

This time around, I saw him  -  again, at his Guru Granth Sahib Academy (GGSA) in Brampton, Ontario, Canada  -  in the milieu of his annual children's camp.

He invites twenty-five children from far and wide and, with the help of able counsellors  -  such as Rajivpal Singh, Harpreet Kaur, Bakhsish Singh and many others  -  immerses them for a week each summer into music and kirtan, bani and gurmat, history and tradition, and ... last, but not least ... the day-to-day practice of living in accordance with Sikhi.

I had gone with some skepticism: I must confess I have not been too taken by some of the other camps I have seen in the past. But, after two brief visits to the GGSA, I walked away more than a bit impressed by the sharpness of the children, the skill and dedication of the teachers, and by the ever-hovering presence of Prof Darshan Singh, as he guided both the young and the older ones through the process of learning, that is, of being Sikhs!

My visit with the second philosopher  -  and I use the word in the highest sense of the term  -  I approached with an acute degree of trepidation. Because, this time around, I did not have the option of withdrawing into the creature comforts I have surrounded myself with at home, which is but a short distance away from the GGSA.

I flew to the Ontario airport, which stands at the fringe of the much-dreaded Los Angeles sprawl in southern California, and was whisked away eastwards into the San Bernardino Mountains, to a spot minutes from the magical Lake Arrowhead.

Camp Seely is ensconced deep in the lush growth around the town of Crestline, but far enough from the latter to be free of cellular-phone and internet wave-flows.

This was a welcome change from what I had left behind on the automobile-plagued plains that I could easily see, stretching precipitously into the hazy horizon. But what I was worried about was being surrounded by, and unable to escape from, a hundred and thirty boys and girls, and scores of camp counselors, parents and sevadars, all converging here from every part of the continent, and some even from across the seas.

I needn't have worried.

My apprehensions were laid to rest the moment I met the grand patriarch of the high-energy scene that unfolded before my very eyes.

Capt. Kanwar Harbhajan Singh is no ordinary man.

A stint with the Indian military, in a distant past, has given his large frame a tall and erect posture. Add to it a gentle face, piercing eyes, a warm and infectious smile, a snowy-white and flowing beard, and hands that easily pat children on the head or the shoulder or the back, as he talks or listens to them ... as if in blessing ... and you'll get a feel for why all, young and old, call him Papa.  

This particular children's and youth camp, popularly known throughout the Sikh world by the letters IIGS  -  International Institute of Gurmat Studies  -  is the 67th manifestation of a movement which began well over half-a-century ago.

Since then, and particularly in the last thirty-five years, they've been held on an average of two per year, at different locales around the world, with the sole purpose of teaching children the values of the Sikh Gurus, the discipline of Sikhi, leadership, self-confidence and self-esteem.

The last one was held in Dehradun, India. Earlier ones have included locations in Australia, Thailand, England, Canada and Nepal. The next one is scheduled for June 2008, in the Himalayan resort of Mussoorie.

I arrive at Camp Seely approximately half-way through its week-long sojourn.

It's 7.00 am. I can see from a few stragglers, as they scurry towards and converge on a large log-cabin type structure, that it is the focal point of whatever is happening in the camp at this time of the morning.

I walk towards it, and recognize the wisps of music that float out of it: it is the Durbar Hall and time for the morning service.

I am impressed by the neat rows of sandals, slippers and shoes neatly aligned outside the main door. Irresistibly drawn in by the shabad kirtan I can hear clearly now, sung in chorus by the congregation, I skip the lure of tea from the langar cabins beyond, and enter.

The morning divan is in full swing. Young ones, ranging from ages five to eighteen, are sitting, surprisingly alert and attentive, in smart-straight lines. A girl, not much into her teens, is seated behind the Guru Granth Sahib, with the chaur in her hand.

I plunk myself amongst the counsellors and parents seated in the back.

It takes me mere seconds to tune into the environment: it requires no effort, because the kirtan is divinely beautiful. The only distraction is the thought: who is leading the singing? Has she recorded? Where can I get the CDs?

I find out later, that the camp is blessed with a wonderful team of kirtan teachers, including the one I had been mesmerized by that morning: Sardarni Gurpreet Kaur.   

Over the course of the next three days, I witness the multiple goings-on at the camp.

Depending on the activity, the kids get divided into age-groups at different times, and re-assemble for the plenary sessions. There are gurmat classes ... and history, kirtan, music, public-speaking, turban-tying, ethics, language ...

Gatka and sports, parades and physical exercises, and even sessions such as "How to Deal with a Bully".        

I sat through the latter  ...  run jointly by Dr Gurpreet Singh Ahuja and Jagjot (JJ) Singh. And was privately moved to tears, listening to some of the questions from the little ones, I was reminded of my own schooldays ... and to laughter, hearing the common-sense advice from the brilliant duo, and recalling my own escapes and escapades.

I must confess I felt like a voyeur who has been given a flight back in time,  Dickensian "Christmas Carol" like, into my own childhood and my boarding-school days. The only difference was that these kids were all Sikhs ... and I had been the lone one.

But, it's an absolute delight.

I love watching them during their free time as they group and scatter in new-found friendships and alliances. I see them gambol on the grass, and prance about in the ball-courts. Giggles and frowns, and free, full-throated laughter, hesitations and aggressions, shyness and oh-so-American bluster! I soak it all in and feel this is a dream.

I am quite taken by a slew of little, special moments that pop up from unexpected quarters.

The morning hukam in the Durbar Hall, received by one of the teenagers, and then extemporaneously and lovingly translated into English by Jessi Kaur (who, incidentally, is also a columnist for sikhchic.com). The divan, conducted by the children themselves, under the gentle mentorship of Kavi Raj Singh.

The P.T. (physical training) parades that use to advantage Papa's skills from his former life, to the max.

The names on the tags! I love the way Sikhs grab names out of the blue, inventing with total abandon. Jaitsiri Kaur. Jujhar Singh. Gurbani Kaur. Anhad Singh. Zoravar Singh ... and each with the Sardar/Sardarni honorific!

The bee-hive busy-ness of the langar area, under the keen eye of Ranjit Singh (also, a talented music teacher) and the loving hand of Manjit Kaur: the labour of love produces gourmet meals over and over again, spiced by the relentless seva of the kids in serving and cleaning up ... and the sight of photographer and master-of-all-trades Gurbux Singh, perennially stirring the dal pot, will forever remain etched in my mind's eye as an icon of langar seva.

The kesh-darshan one morning, when the entire camp lets its hair down. Literally. Each attendee  -  camper, counselor, parent and Papa himself  -  has a hair-wash and leaves it open to dry ... and for others to admire, all day. They gather on the grass, boys and girls, men and women, surrounded by the cabins and dwarfed by the giant trees circling them, admiring each other's hair. Rapunzels and lions' manes abound. What a natural and inevitable idea! After all, this is a SIKH camp, isn't it!    

And then, the camp fire! The Talent Night. Skits and jokes, mimicry, songs and ... of course, bhangra. [I recall, we used to call it the "No-Talent Night" in law school!]

A good time was had by all, thanks to an entire team of volunteers (Daljit Singh, Karan Singh, and nameless others) that puts in countless hours before, during, and long after this fun-filled week is over.

I had a ball at the camp, and, I could see, so did the kids. And the counsellors, parents and sevadars, too.

The cherry on the cake, however, was not provided until a couple of weeks later.

Let me explain:

Both my father and my uncle  -  his elder brother  -  once told me, separately, when I went to them for advice, that the true test of a job well-done is when you rankle those who hang around the fringe ... the handful who forever wallow in ignorance and narrow-mindedness, in bigotry and shortsightedness. Why? Well, because  -  they said  -  because it takes all kinds to make a world; they, too, have a role to play.

And the Elders also taught me, at that crucial time in my life, if you haven't rankled them, if you haven't thrown them off-balance enough to get them to whine and whimper, maybe you haven't done anything useful, or measurably meaningful.

An endorsement for Papa's dedication at this wonderful camp came slowly but surely ... albeit from an unexpected quarter.

Some chappie has written an article in some "paper" and referred to Papa as being rude and displaying "Don like behaviour": the latter had refused to change the camp program to suit the objections of a specific parent.

The article goes further: it analyzes the talks I had been asked to give to the children and labels me as "anti-Panth", "against core Sikh religious values", and as actively practicing and preaching "a non-Sikh way of living".

The evidence?

I had been asked to speak to the children about life-style choices. I warned them against use and abuse of alcohol, and pointed out that I had dealt with the issue by staying away from drinking completely, all my life.

Mysteriously, the author of the article quotes me as saying that "it is healthy to take a glass of wine".

I am sure he is an honourable man. I'm sure (with apologies to Will Shakespeare and Mark Anthony) they're all honourable men ... those who printed the piece, and those who are circulating it on the internet amongst their private coterie of honourable men. (I was forwarded a copy by one good soul.)

I had also been asked to speak to the youth, and answer their questions on dating, relationships and marriage. I did, one with some parents present, one without.

One fellow went up to Papa and objected. The former was unhappy (as are a few in every gathering) that such topics are even discussed in public. It corrupts our young, they feel.

I've wondered over the motivation behind the distortions and tirades in the article. The answer I found in the piece itself. It goes on to deride me for having honoured (in the past) such "anti-Sikh scholars" as "Mr. Hew McLeod, Mr. Pashaura Singh, Mr. Jeevan Deol and the famous atheist Mr. Khushwasnt Singh" (the misspelling is his). Each of those named has been a recipient, amongst hundreds of others during the last two decades, of an award from The Centennial Foundation in Toronto, Canada, for specific achievements. 

Well, what can I say?

Other than hark back to my father and uncle and their wisdom, and thank the One for yet another gift ... this belated recognition that maybe, just maybe, what I said may have had at least a kernel of truth. 

And, for Papa's benefit, all I want to do is cite Bhagat Kabir:

 

Slander me. Slander me,

Let the people slander me;

Slander, I relish.

The slander is my father and mother,

I cherish thee.

 

If slandered, one goes to paradise,

With Name as the mental exercise,

The heart is cleansed by slander.

My clothes the slander launders.

 

He who slanders me is my friend;

I long for him and him I would always tend.

He is a slanderer who discourages slander;

The slanderer does, in fact, to my life pander.

 

The slanderer I endear, he has my love and affection,

The slanderer ensures my ultimate liberation.

To the humble Kabir it was no loss -

While the slanderer drowned, he ferried across.

 

GGS, Kabir, 339:2   (translation by Kartar Singh Duggal)

 

 

September 4, 2007

Conversation about this article

1: Harinder (Pune, India), September 04, 2007, 11:32 AM.

This is a beautiful verse from GGS ji. So often have I been slandered, and brought down from the Chardi Kalaa spirit. Next time I'm slandered, I shall remember these verses.

2: Jagdeep Singh (London , England), September 04, 2007, 12:01 PM.

Beautiful verse from Bhagat Kabir. Guru Granth Sahib contains so much sustenance for the soul, it truly does.

3: Bicky Singh (Orange, California, U.S.A.), September 04, 2007, 12:32 PM.

In her childhood, my wife was part of their camp in Nepal: she still savours wonderful memories from it. Papa ji is doing a great job worldwide and the dedication he has to keep on moving and helping Sikh children is amazing. My children were part of the camp at Seely this year and they thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. They have already started asking to be registered for next year's camp. We all look forward to it.

4: Gurbux Singh (Chatsworth, California, U.S.A.), September 04, 2007, 1:46 PM.

Papaji tirelessly works for the good of the Panth and I and many, many others have nothing but the highest praise for his selfless service for the Guru. We should be proud that he is with us and is able to help kids and parents alike without sugarcoating answers for consumption.

5: Tejwant (U.S.A.), September 04, 2007, 4:18 PM.

I enjoyed this essay a lot ... till it came to the unpleasant incident of the mischievous "news report". Wish you'd stuck to the core story of the camp.

6: Anhad Singh (Westwood, California), September 04, 2007, 6:52 PM.

This piece captures the essence of the IIGS camp very accurately. I found Papa's enthusiastic spirit to be contagious and T. Sher Singh's perspectives and talks to be refreshing and stimulating. When I came home, I missed the energy of the 180 other campers. I'm looking forward to going to the camp in India next year.

7: Sahib Singh (Visalia, California, U.S.A.), September 05, 2007, 12:56 AM.

I liked the essay. Camp Seely was fun. Hope they have it next year. May Waheguru bless us all with Chardi Kalaa.

8: Harmala Kaur Uberai (U.S.A.), September 05, 2007, 1:05 AM.

This article captures the spirit of the IIGS beautifully. It has worked tirelessly for decades to spread the Guru's word and teachings to Sikh youth all over the world. Just as in any other endeavor, for any good/positive effort made by someone, there is somebody else waiting on the sidelines to find fault with the effort. For Mr. Singh to even refer to these people and their criticism is to give them the credence and importance I do not think they deserve. People are entitled to their opinions, erroneous as they may be. Papa's lifelong seva of the Sikh panth needs neither any introduction, nor any defence.

9: Maninder Singh (New Delhi, India), September 05, 2007, 3:07 AM.

I went to the camp in India last year, and I found it really inspirational. One of my roommates was an atheist and told me that he is attending this camp only because his parents wished so and he doesn't believe that God existed. After eleven days, when we were leaving, he promised me that he will have Dastarbandhi ceremony in a couple of months and will take up amrit afterwards. This was an amazing transformation ... in less than two weeks! This is a great article: it has reminded me of last year's camp. I missed this year's in India due to prior commitments at work. I am looking forward to the next one, though.

10: Harbani Singh (New Delhi, India), September 05, 2007, 4:19 AM.

Very well written article. Enjoyed reading it. I have attended four IIGS camps so far, and already look forward to the next one. I'm proud to be associated with IIGS. We love you, Papa!

11: Gurpreet Kaur (Chino Hills, C.A.), September 05, 2007, 4:40 PM.

Very beautifully written article! IIGS has changed and inspired our lives for so many years ... every camp is yet another beautiful experience. One has to be there to fully appreciate and understand it, as T. Sher Singh has! The best part is that we, who were young campers at one time, now come back with our kids so that they too can be part of this beautiful movement. God willing, this will continue for many generations to come! "Once a camper, always a camper" has been the IIGS slogan, and it is so true. Thank you, Papa, for being there for us and always inspiring us.

12: Prabhu Singh Khalsa (Española, New Mexico, U.S.A.), September 05, 2007, 5:50 PM.

I also think this article would be better without the ending bit. However, at the same time, I think it's worth making the point. Perhaps a separate article would have been appropriate. I don't feel that mentioning the slanderers and their article gives them legitimacy. The fact that it got published is enough for it to be addressed. I long for the days when I was innocent and thought that all Sikhs were the greatest people in the world. Now I have a hard time going anywhere and am always wondering who's associated with what and whether I will be accused or accosted. I love my hometown sangat and their innocence and naivette. A combination of my inquisitiveness and my desire to share (via my blog, etc.) has caused me to learn maybe too much about the slanderers out there. The fact that the majority of narrow-minded fanatics come from the same few 'jethas' makes it harder to see people as equals and ignore people's associations.

13: Bakhsish Singh (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), September 06, 2007, 12:58 AM.

Very well written. I can feel it, as I attended the camp at Dehradun, India, twice. Its nice to see young Sikhs coming to the camp and learning their religion and traditions. Kudos to Papaji, whom I admire. His relentless work, his presence, makes everyone proud. Especially his lectures, which are really interesting: even small kids are gripped by them. Long live Gursikhs like him.

14: Payal Kaur (U.S.A.), September 06, 2007, 6:16 PM.

This well-written article paints a beautiful and accurate picture of the 67th IIGS youth camp. One must attend an IGS camp to truly understand what it is all about. Papa continues to put others onto the Guru's path and never seems to tire of the seva that he's been bestowed. We will forever be thankful that God has put such people in our lives. Perhaps a line from Gurbani says it best: "Har kay sant bataavhu maarag ham peechhai laag chalee." (O Saints of the Lord, show me the Way, and I shall follow ... GGS,M4,527:8). As for all the negativity, I turn again to our Scriptures: "Moorakh hovai so sunai moorakh kaa kahna" (Only a fool listens to the words of the fool ... GGS,M3,953:9).

15: Alaa Eissa (Windsor, Canada), September 08, 2007, 1:03 AM.

Very interesting article. Tells me a lot of fascinating stuff about Sikh culture. I like it.

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