By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
Does the Sikh faith play a role in the day to day lives of the Sikh youth? Do they consider their faith when making decisions?
Apparently, Sikhi does play a role in the lives of the Sikh youth, according to a recent survey.
At least seven in ten consider Sikhi to be either ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ in their daily lives. Only 1% of the survey respondents stated that Sikhi was not at all important when it came to their daily lives.
The survey, conducted in June 2024, involved 254 respondents. It was a truly youth-driven survey, with 91% of the respondents aged between 18-35.
READ ALSO: KL seminar to discuss Sikh youth challenges and prospects
Gender-wise, females made up 58% of the respondents. Close to half of the respondents (48%) were employed while 38% were students.
On the level of education, the breakdown was undergraduate (33%), graduate (33%), secondary education (15%) and post graduate (15%).
The survey was undertaken by the organising team the one-day seminar – ‘Sikhi & Sikh Youth in the 21st Century: Challenges and Prospects’ – which will be held on June 30 (Sunday), from 9am to 3.30pm, at the Asia Pacific University (APU) in Kuala Lumpur. The group, individuals comprising university students, lecturers, and Sikh parcharaks, are working independently without any organisational affiliation.
The seminar will discuss challenges and prospects faced by the Sikh youth, and at the same time provide them space to share their thoughts and get answers to their burning questions. [To register for the seminar, click here].
Results of the survey were made available to Asia Samachar.
TO JOIN THE ABOVE SEMINAR, REGISTER HERE
Less than one in ten (9%) described themselves as having a ‘very good’ level of Sikhi knowledge, with 31% giving themselves a ‘good’ score. Almost half of the respondents (48%) marked their Sikhi knowledge as ‘average’.
The survey seemed to have captured a decently Gurdwara-going crowd, with seven out of ten respondents connect to the Gurdwara.
When asked how much does the Gurdwara contribute towards their understanding of Sikhi, seven out of ten respondents collectively marked either significantly (26%) or moderately (44%). The rest 30% described it as either not much or not at all.
How often do they feel connected to your Sikh community? Only 42% answered ‘always’ or ‘often’, with the rest marking sometimes, rarely or never.
But when asked if they feel supported by family and the community in overcoming social challenges, 61% answered in the affirmative, with 17% saying they do not feel so.
SOME RESULTS OF THE SURVEY
How do you rate your level of Sikhism knowledge?
Average (48%)
Good (31%)
Very Good (9%)
Poor (9%)
How important is Sikhism in your daily life?
Extremely important (39%)
Very important (32%)
Moderately important (19%)
Slightly important (9%)
Not at all important (1%)
How much does Gurdwara contribute to your understanding of Sikhi?
Moderately (44%)
Significantly (26%)
Not much (25%)
Not at all (5%)
To what extent does Sikhism practices influence your decisions in life (e.g career, relationships, lifestyle choices)?
To a great extent (34%)
To some extent (41%)
Neutral (18%)
Do you participate in any Sikh community activities or organizations?
Yes (61%)
No (39%)
RELATED STORY:
Gurdwara of the future. What do Singaporeans think? (Asia Samachar, 27 Dec 2021)
Who controls gurdwaras in the US? Check out results of a recent survey (Asia Samachar, 16 Sept 2023)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
