Roundtable
To Swim Or Not To Swim:
The Roundtable Open Forum # 63
THE MAN IN BLUE
This 'swimming or not swimming' article is not about Sikh boys, it is the girls who are in the picture.
Most Sikh
parents will allow their daughters to take part in school
swimming during their primary school days.
If however, like here in the Flanders region of Belgium,
school swimming is continued in secondary school, many Sikh
parents will not allow their daughters to take part.
As a general principle, I agree that Sikhs, male and female,
should dress modestly. That means to me that all that should
be covered must be covered, not just about, but well
covered. I think that this also means that we should not use
our clothes to show off our wealth.
I also think that there is no absolute modesty rule that
governs people of all times, cultures and climates.
Traditional groups who live in the rain forests around the
equator tend to wear the absolute minimum. That does not
mean that these people are in any way indecent or immodest.
In the Punjab, I have never indulged in sun-bathing. In
spring and autumn we would sit on the roof of our house,
enjoying the sunshine. But even then the sun is too strong
to expose your skin to it. During the short Punjabi winter,
it is too cold to uncover, and during the summer it is too
hot and the sun is way too strong.
It is not just the culture, influenced by Islam, that
promotes full body cover like salwar-kameez and kurta-pyjama; these types of clothes do make good sense because of
the climate.
Here in the West, in the days of Queen Victoria, men used to
get very excited when they saw a bit of a lady's ankle;
things have changed quite a bit since then.
I would not want to encourage women and girls of any
background to be forerunners in wearing the most daring and
provocative outfits. But Belgian Limburg, the West Midlands
(UK) or Surrey (British Columbia), areas with substantial
Sikh populations, are not Punjab. We live in different
cultures and different climates. In this context, a decent
swimsuit is not immodest.
Another aspect that strikes me is that we are very keen to
treat our wives, daughters and sisters as if we own them. If
I had a daughter, I would not hesitate to give my opinion,
but I would also listen to her. My hypothetical daughter
would be part of a society where swimming girls or women are
not an issue at all.
Lastly, sisters and brothers, please realise that we are not
a conservative movement. Our Gurus were both social and
religious revolutionaries.
Why is it that Sikhs often seem to compete with Muslims and
the most ‘old-fashioned' Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc., in a competition to see
who is the most conservative?
POINTS TO PONDER
In this well-written piece, the author has laid out the dilemma many often face today.
What are your views on this topic?
How have you dealt with this issue - a) if you are a girl or woman; b) if you are a husband and/or father; c) if you are a wife and/or mother?
Please share your thoughts below.
March 30, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: H.S. Vachoa (U.S.A.), March 30, 2011, 11:08 AM.
Sikhs compete with others because they follow a culture and not their own individuality. As individuals, we should encourage our children to wear what feels comfortable to them, regardless of what others wish to dictate. Modesty is self-determined. This is an issue of personal choice.
2: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), March 30, 2011, 11:36 AM.
The Man in Blue has said it well. We can be liberal and open, yet modest ... in appearance, dress and behavior.
3: Raj Singh (Ottawa, Canada ), March 30, 2011, 1:02 PM.
One word: Swim!
4: Mandeep Singh (Jammu & Kashmir), March 30, 2011, 2:44 PM.
Swimming is one of the greatest of the simple pleasures that life offers. Anyone and everyone who wishes to, should be able to enjoy it. I can't imagine why any human being in his right mind would want to deprive a loved one from enjoying it. To expect anyone to be fully clothed or covered while swimming is asinine. If any man thinks he has the right to enforce such absurdity, he must first shower everyday fully clothed, and then see for himself how ridiculous the idea is. No parent should be allowed to prevent his or her child from swimming.
5: Amardeep (U.S.A.), March 30, 2011, 3:02 PM.
It's the shaving of legs and armpits, etc. that becomes an issue when wearing a swim-suit. How is one to deal with that?
6: Dr. Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), March 31, 2011, 2:02 AM.
My daughters swim heartily and enjoy the sport, we all enjoy watching them swim like fish in water - that is all to it for us! Should there be anything else in this matter that we as parents should be looking for?
7: Mai Harinder Kaur (U.S.A.), March 31, 2011, 8:51 AM.
I see nothing wrong with a one piece swimsuit not too low cut in front, perhaps with a bit of a skirt. Bikinis are out. So are burqinis. We don't treat our daughters like Muslims. We should encourage our daughters to swim. Not only is it great exercise, it is also a lifesaving skill. It's fun, too.
8: V.S. Mann (Canada), March 31, 2011, 2:50 PM.
I agree with Amardeep. For many Sikh girls and young women, it's not so much the issue of covering up conservatively, but as of exposure of body hair. Many amritdhari girls and women are stigmatized because the protocol of their faith (unshorn hair) conflicts with western ideas of female attractiveness. For centuries, we (as have people of other racial/ ethnic backgrounds) have subjugated ourselves by complying with euro-centric notions of beauty and attractiveness. We have to address issues such as the historical dominance of the "beauty sector" by the West whenever we discuss issues related to body presentation, body-image, and body-confidence of our girls and women.
9: Satvir Kaur (Boston, MA, U.S.A.), April 01, 2011, 9:35 AM.
I am about to start swimming lessons with my 1-year old daughter (Parent & Child). She is too young, so this is only about me. I am worried about what to wear and where to find it. I am an amritdhari and usually I could care less. But I'm still hesitant ... I will find out what happens tomorrow at the class.
10: Jagmeet Kaur (Bhopal, India), April 01, 2011, 10:21 AM.
I fully agree with the 'man in blue' and also endorse Mandeep's view. I love swimming and I do it on a regular basis. A small confession: this is the one and only constraint which is not letting me become an amritdhari and believe me it is tearing me. Sometimes I really wonder whether our Gurus would be happy to see us feeling deprived of something which is healthy and fun at the same time.
11: Satvir Kaur (Boston, MA, U.S.A.), April 06, 2011, 9:29 AM.
Jagmeet Kaur ji: I don't know why swimming stops you from being amritdhari. There's nothing wrong in it. As long as you are comfortable and enjoy swimming, it should not stop you from being an amritdhari. My hesitation comes from culture more than religion. And I found some clothes that will not restrict me during my swimming lessons and will not make me hesitant.