Columnists
What Would You Do?
T. SHER SINGH
“What would you do?” asked a caller, after reading my piece critiquing the notice mass-emailed by the United Sikhs last week, reporting the attendance of one of its members as a Sikh spokesperson at the opening prayer session of the United Nations General Assembly two weeks earlier.
“What would you have done if you had received the invitation, asking your organization to represent Sikhs at the event?”
A good question.
In trying to give it an honest answer today, I have delineated a few of the parameters in order to attempt a meaningful result.
For example, as often happens, I have assumed that the invitation is at short notice and there isn’t much time to plan or strategize.
Then, I’ve assumed that, being the United Nations, both my organization and I are located in New York or within a reasonable distance.
Then, that we are to bring only two delegates.
And, finally, that we’ve been allotted a maximum of two minutes on the podium.
So, the first thing I would do is ask a few questions of the organizer at the UN.
Who will be in the audience?
How many?
Are we limited to the use of English or will the usual translation services be in operation?
What’s the exact nature of the exercise? Is it purely spiritual, meant to inspire the nations and their representatives in their deliberations during the weeks that follow, or is it merely a PR exercise, albeit a useful one, meant to reflect and celebrate the multi-faith nature of the world, and to show that the institution is eager and willing to include and honour peoples of all faiths?
The latter questions, no doubt, will not be answered forthrightly, but I’ll be able to assess, within a few minutes of conversation, I’m sure, what I need to know to do my job.
If I conclude that it is indeed a spiritual event, I’ll turn to the likes of Dya Singh of Australia, Manika Kaur of Dubai, or Snatam Kaur of the US.
Depending on the financial resources I will have at my disposal, the IOUs I could lean on, the availability of each, and as to who is closest and most easily accessible in the general vicinity, we’ll get one of them to sing a shabad.
I am quite confident none of them will demand a fee. Some may even be willing to fly in on their own steam.
Thus, we will have put our best foot forward, at no great cost or expense, and it would be guaranteed to wow the world … including ourselves.
Now, let’s turn to the possibility that it’s a PR exercise, for the UN. Therefore, for us as a community.
Again, our challenge is, a) to put our best foot forward; b) do it at minimal expense, given our limited resources; and, c) to borrow a crass but realistic term, get the biggest bang for our buck.
My first choice to do the honours on the podium would be Waris Singh Ahluwalia. Hands down! He’s from New York. He is generous with his time for community causes. And you couldn’t find a better ambassador -- compare him with any other full-time national ambassador to the UN, if you will!
He understands Sikhi. He speaks English impeccably. He dresses superbly. He is a charmer. And, with him there, you won’t need to send out press releases: the media will turn up on its own and give you front-page coverage in the journals, magazines and shows that really matter.
Not only will people learn a bit more about Sikhs, but they’ll learn the right things.
No problem if he’s not available: he’s often out of the country: I can think of a dozen names off the top of my head, male and female, young and old -- all in 30 seconds -- all within hailing distance in this abbreviated world, each I’m sure perfect for the job.
Valarie Kaur. I J Singh. Inni Kaur. Simran Jeet Singh. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh. Balbinder Singh Bhogal. Manjyot Kaur. Harinder Singh. Neha Singh Gohil. Ravinder Singh Taneja. Gurmeet Kaur. Inder Singh Banga. The Singh Twins …
Hey, give me an hour, and I’ll come up with a hundred top-notch candidates.
No, I won’t need to draw on my buddies or relatives, or have to convince someone to take the day off from work with the lure that he will get his photo in the papers.
Each of these names will feel honoured to do the job, and in turn will do honour to the community.
We won’t need to tell them what to wear. Each has inherent class. No neon-bright turbans. No ill-fitting suits. No 18th century banas. No I’m-sorry-I-haven’t-had-time-to-change-because-I’ve-been-so-busy outfits.
None of them will need to be coached what to do. Or what to say.
Each, I’m sure, will simply reach for his/her copy of Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh’s exquisite gurbani translations, “The Name of My Beloved”. Or Khushwant Singh’s “Hymns of the Gurus”. Or UNESCO’s “Selections from the Sacred Writings of The Sikhs.“
It’ll take them five minutes to find a passage on their own, to fit in perfectly into the event.
And they’ll know what to say before and after. With the right pronunciation. And diction. Grammar. Composition. The right pauses at the right places. Without mumbling. And without letting their voice drown in the background music.
I would also make arrangements with one of the official UN photographers, and pay his fee in advance, to ensure he/she will e-mail me a set of choice high-resolution photos taken of the Sikh delivery. Within minutes of the conclusion of the event -- I’m sure it’ll be done promptly from an iPhone or Blackberry.
And, ah yes, one more thing.
Before the event, long before it has begun, I will sit down and prepare a short press release. With all the pertinent facts. Which need not list every person who also attends the function.
Just who is attending on our behalf. Who is presiding over the event, who’s the chief guest, etc. And the exact text of what will be read and said on our behalf. [I will, of course, know all of this by this time.]
I will wait for a text message from our guy(s) the moment he/she is back in her seat. Having received confirmation that the event has indeed been successful, I’ll wait for the photos.
Once they come in, which will be within minutes of the completion of the event, I’ll select one, maximum two of them. The perfect ones capturing the grandeur of the event, but making sure they don’t show our guy looking as if caught like a deer in the headlights! I’ll attach them to my press-release. Make sure all the facts are still correct.
And then … I’ll click the button on the key-board and the e-mail will be off to the media around the world, to our friends, members, well-wishers, contributors. All of them.
Within minutes after the event is over. Not the next day, not the next week, not when I find time to get to it after I’ve done everything else under the sun, not after I’ve come back from vacation … but NOW, T-O-D-A-Y while the after-party of the event is still smoking.
That’s what I would do.
And, you know, if I had a mere 48 hours to do all of this, I might even aim for doing it at zero financial cost to my organization or the community.
It’s actually as easy as that.
March 4, 2013
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), March 04, 2013, 10:28 AM.
Sher ji, the mention of Dya Singh was most appropriate. He would have had the whole house on their feet. Dya speaks exceedingly well, just as he sings. They would have spent the allotted 2 minutes in clapping. A missed opportunity. Remember him for the next time -- the roving good-sized laughing Buddha of Sikhi.