By Gurnam Singh | Opinion |
In recent years, there has been a remarkable resurgence of faith and spirituality among young Sikhs around the world. From the UK to Canada, the United States, Australia, and beyond, many young, educated Sikhs are turning to their faith as a source of identity, resilience, and purpose. This trend is often driven by a rejection of materialism, a desire to reclaim Sikh heritage, and a determination to assert a distinct Punjabi Sikh cultural identity in the face of racism and cultural homogenization. For many, Sikhi offers not just spiritual guidance but also a framework for pride and resistance against societal erasure. This is to be welcomed, but there are also dangers which we need to be aware of.
What has changed?
Unlike previous generations where bonds of solidarity were rooted in kinship and extended family hierarchies, for the youth of today, social media has become a profound influence, offering both opportunities and challenges in shaping their identity. On one hand, it provides a global platform for connection, enabling young people to explore and celebrate their cultural roots. Through forums, pages, and influencers dedicated to cultural heritage, they gain access to a wealth of information and find a sense of belonging. Young Sikhs today much more likely to get their information about Sikhi from a multitude of platforms, most significantly, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube rather than the Gurdwara, their parents and even books and their teachers. There is no doubt that digital interaction fosters pride and awareness, making cultural identity more accessible and dynamic.
However, social media can also create pressures that can dilute, destabilise or distort cultural identity. The emphasis on curated, idealized representations of culture can lead young people to feel inadequate or disconnected if their experiences don’t align with the dominant and often shifting narratives they see online. Additionally, the globalized nature of social media encourages assimilation into mainstream trends, often sidelining traditional cultural practices in favour of what is popular or “in style.” This tension can result in a fragmented sense of self, where young people struggle to reconcile their cultural heritage with the demands of modern, digital life.
Moreover, social media’s role in shaping cultural identity is highly dependent on the platforms’ algorithms, which can either promote diversity or deepen echo chambers. When exposed to only one perspective, young people may develop a narrow understanding of Sikhi, or even internalize negative stereotypes about their community.
Vulnerability and Exploitation
Every generation of young people grows up having to face the real threat of exploitation and abuse and it is the parents’ primary duty to protect them from such dangers, though we must accept social media is posing unprecedented challenges. Yet we must also accept it is precisely because of social media that we have seen a surge in interest ion Sikhi by young people who were increasingly alienated from Gurdwara’s and the ‘mainstream’.
But this global spiritual awakening is not without risks. The Sikh youth of today, particularly those who lack strong family bonds or are caught in cycles of violence and dysfunction, are at heightened risk of exploitation by social media savvy preachers, who through social media can subvert the protection that parents and other family members may provide. These figures, often masquerading as noble and educated spiritual guides, exploit the anxieties of young individuals, fostering emotional dependence for their personal gain. While they may preach unity and empowerment, their motives often include financial exploitation, social control, or other ulterior ends.
Alarmingly, some young Sikhs are also being drawn into harmful behaviours, including drug culture and criminality, under the influence of such leaders. Social media has amplified this vulnerability, allowing manipulative figures to spread curated messages blending Sikh principles with pseudo-psychology, self-help rhetoric, and cherry-picked spiritual practices. The allure lies in promises of belonging, purpose, and control, but these are often hollow or lead to destructive outcomes.
Extremist Ideologies and Global Trends
This vulnerability is not unique to Sikhs. Around the world, young people from various faith traditions, and even those without faith, are being drawn to dangerous extremist ideologies. While this trend was once primarily associated with Islamic extremism, it has now expanded to include new articulations of white supremacy, ultranationalism, and faith-based hate. Extremist leaders often craft narratives of “helping”, “protecting” or “championing” their communities, subtly preaching division and hatred under the guise of loyalty and self-defence.
Young Sikhs are not immune to these influences. In some cases, the saint-soldier tradition of Sikhi is romanticized and weaponized in ways that stray far from its original intent of protecting the oppressed and upholding justice. Globally, young people may find themselves drawn to a distorted version of faith that emphasizes such things as external symbols, martial imagery, and tribalism, rather than the inner transformation and universal values emphasized by Sikh teachings.
The Importance of Critical Distance
In this complex global social media landscape, it is crucial for young Sikhs to approach spirituality with a critical mindset. Maintaining a healthy distance from individual preachers, however noble or learned they may appear, is essential. Gurbani itself cautions against blind faith in human intermediaries, instead urging Sikhs to cultivate a direct relationship with the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib. This requires critical reasoning and emotional balance, avoiding the traps of emotional entanglement and dependency.
Gurbani emphasizes the development of wisdom (bibek budh) and self-realization as the ultimate goals of spirituality. It warns against becoming overly attached to the symbols or rituals of faith, which are secondary to cultivating virtues such as humility, compassion, and integrity. For young Sikhs worldwide, this will mean prioritising inner growth and personal accountability over performative displays of devotion. There is no harm in holding large public processions, in celebrating all the religious festivals with pomp and ceremony. However, we must not be restricted to this; Sikhi must not be seen as a performance, but a way of being and a way of life.
Conclusion
In a world where faith, identity, and extremism intersect in complex ways, young Sikhs have an opportunity to reclaim the true essence of Sikhi as a path of liberation and universal justice. By grounding themselves in Gurbani, engaging critically with spiritual teachings, and fostering bonds that transcend divisive narratives, they can resist the allure of manipulative leaders and extremist ideologies.
This journey requires effort and discernment. It involves navigating the modern spiritual landscape with wisdom and ensuring that faith serves as a bridge to global solidarity, not a tool for exclusion or hatred. By focusing on self-realization and applying Sikh principles to daily life, young Sikhs can rise above the noise of social media and the manipulations of extremist narratives, embodying the timeless values of their faith in a rapidly changing world.
The global resurgence of spirituality among young Sikhs reflects a longing for connection, meaning, and empowerment. It holds immense potential for positive transformation, if approached with discernment, critical thinking, and a commitment to the universal teachings of Sikhi.
Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
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Brilliant image that represents the various voices of social media pulling young people to their views, and the inevitable overwhelming contradictions and fake news.
Important article that advises against the need to follow self-styling preachers or cults with hidden agendas, and build on the resource of the family unit for support. The maternal family in even some studies has shown a source of support for Sikh victims so agree, in the main the family unit can be empowered and educated to support youth – non judgementally and expose risks of violence and consequences. The communication between girls and their fathers was difficult and sometimes culturally frowned on in first generation communities, but this is changing and so arming parents with information to help talk to youth would be an important step to enabling conversation and making them feel they can help. Family therapy can also help to build these relationships and help mobilise good family relations where abuse is not present, to be youth allies. It puts responsibility of family units to resolve issues, and is a more longitudinal model because when state actors step away, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
This would also reduce reliance on state funds, services that are exhausted by lack of funding and cannot cope with the demand of broken families- often a postcode lottery, and interventions reserved for most serious of cases. Prevention and support models, and ensuring therapy is only delivered by accredited providers is the way forward.
Whilst functionalists have argued that the family unit works, Marxists have traditionally rejected that view- the family has been seen as exploitative, and religion too. These black and white theories do not bode well with extended families in South Asian cultures who still pride themselves on family unity and want ‘togetherness’ – if only they could. That some still believe in religiosity, and want to be connected therefore faith spaces and others don’t – the one size fits all models have failed.
Sadly, the evidence for victims has shown that the in-laws – male and/ or female, can be a source of abuse, and therefore the picture may change as the youth female enters marital home. That said, the eldest brother in-law often has a lot of power in these family relations, and influence, so could be influential in abuse situations if only they would.
Gurdwara infra-structure need to work with Sikh academics locally to offer external scrutiny and an evidence based approach but to their committee structure through a setting up of a CRM. Sikh families would probably welcome such a move, if only Gurdware would consult these recommendations with their congregation https://sikhsinlaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Current-Summit-Report-amended.pdf
The gurdware community then can help to signpost women to accredited psychological providers and such like, should abuse be identified which is well within their remit.
https://theconversation.com/domestic-abuse-and-mental-health-remain-taboo-subjects-for-many-sikhs-with-deadly-consequences-189911
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