By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
The Sikh youth have a lot of questions about their faith and direction. That was one of the immediate observations that sprang from a Kuala Lumpur seminar organised on Sunday.
More than 100 participants took part in the ‘Sikhi & Sikh Youth in the 21st Century: Challenges and Prospects’ held at the Asia Pacific University (APU) in the Malaysian capital city on June 30.
There young Sikh women, who are presidents of their respective universities’ Sikh associations, were among the nine speakers at the one-day seminar.
“The key takeaway from this event for me was understanding the various challenges faced by Sikh youths in the 21st Century and the reasons why many are avoiding coming to the Gurdwara and participating in community activities,” Pravinderjeet Kaur Mahel, the Subang Sikh Youth vice president, told Asia Samachar.
The 22-year-old law graduate who is currently pursuing MBA while working in a corporate sector added: “This experience has truly opened my eyes to the importance of bridging the gap between tradition and modernity to ensure the active involvement of Sikh youth in our community. It’s a call to action for all of us to create a welcoming space that resonates with the younger generation and inspires them to stay connected to their roots.”
TO VIEW SEMINAR PROCEEDINGS, CLICK HERE (Recording courtesy of LiveSikhs)
Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon, a retired civil servant and Sikh author who was one of the spearkers, had this to say: “Our youth have a lot to say. There is a lot bottled up inside of them. The questions posed by them surpassed both time and the ability of a 10 member team of experts to respond to effectively.
Dr Karminder, author of 10 books on Sikhi, including The Hijacking of Sikh, spoke on the topic ‘Sikhi in the 21stCentury: Relevant?’
“There were 12-15 questions directed at just me alone based on my presentation. I lumped them into four categories and attempted to answer them. At the end of the day – the achievement was not in our answers but in their questions.”
He added: “All said and done – it was a great seminar. One of the best in my parchaar life.”
The one-day seminar, organised by an independent group of Sikhs, was designed to 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.
In his welcoming address, veteran education entrepreneur Dr Parmjit Singh explored key denominators or personality traits in successful students.
“I find that students who extend themselves in college/university are those who go on to do really well in their careers,” Parmjit, the co-founder and CEO of the APIIT Education Group which includes the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), told the audience. (For more, click here).
Jasswant Singh, an active Sikh volunteer and a lawyer, presented a paper on ‘Living As a Sikh in the 21st Century’.
Two academics, Prof Dr Sarjit Singh and Associate Professor Hardev Kaur, both from University Putra Malaysia (UPM), added depth to the seminar.
Dr Sarjit discussed on the ‘Promoting Positive Value Development: The Role of Gurdwaras and NGOs’ while Hardev talked about ‘Dealing With Anxiety and Stress in the 21st Century Living: My Life in the University and How I Coped’.
“Gurdwaras and NGOs must work collectively to address social issues among the Sikh youth,” Dr Sarjit told Asia Samachar. “We need a Malaysian Sikh youth blueprint, which highlights youth intervention programs based on positive youth development framework.”
The three young speakers were Amanpreet Kaur from UPM, Sharveen Kaur from APU and Jessjeet Kaur from UPM.
How did the seminar go? Exciting, according to one of the participants.
A first-year law student appreciated the ‘interactive Q&A sessions’ as it allowed for meaningful exchanges between the speakers and attendees, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
“The one thing that I had picked up was the evolving roles of gurdwaras and NGOs in supporting youth. While I had always viewed gurdwaras primarily as places of spirituality, I learned that they also play a significant role in addressing the challenges faced by the youth,” said Harsimren Kaur Gill from the Universiti Malaya.
She added that the seminar highlighted the importance of youth involvement in various organisations. In the run-up to the seminar, the organising team had also conducted a survey, the results of which can be viewed here.
RELATED STORY:
Do the youth care about Sikhi? New survey has some answers (Asia Samachar, 27 June 2024)
KL seminar to discuss Sikh youth challenges and prospects (Asia Samachar, 17 June 2024)
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