Dance my life...

No offense to Sikhs. I just got this cartoon joke from my friend and I think it reflect part of Sikhs' image in Indian society.

Sikhs, or Hindi people call “Sardarji”, is a religious minority in India. When I met my first Sikh friend, our conversation is like the following:

A: I'm Sikh.
Me:Oh, you are sick? Why?
A: No, no. I'm not sick. I'm Sikh.
Me: (confused) Are you sick or not?
B: No, no. He is Sikh. It's a religion.
Me:Oh, ok. So…. you are Sikh….

It's very easy to tell the Sikh people because of their special dress. Sikh man would wear 5 scared symbols which called Five Ks' because they start with letter K representing Kakka in the Punjabi language.

1. Kesh or unshorn hair, regarded as a symbol of saintliness. 2. Kangha or the comb is necessary to keep the hair clean and tidy. 3. Kara or the steel bracelet symbolizes restrain from evil deeds. 4. Kachh or the soldiers’ shorts must be worn at all times. It reminds the Sikh of the need for self-restrain over passions and desires. 5. Kirpan or the sword is the emblem of courage and self-defense.

There are a lot to tell about Sikhs history but all the questions I asked to my Sikh friend are skin-deep.

Me: Do you wash your hair?
Sikh: No.
Me: What? You never wash your hair?!
Sikh: Only 3 times.
Me: 3 times a week?
Sikh: only 3 times in my life.
Me: Do you cut your hair?
Sikh: We can't cut our hair.
Me: so you have long hair?
Sikh: Yes.
Me: Can I see your picture with your hair shown?
Sikh:…

I have seen his picture displaying his hair, a very impressive picture. He told me that 300 years ago, Sikhs were a group of warriors protecting Hindi people from the enemy. Sikhs didn't shave their beard so they would have their look like lions. Ever since that time, Sikhs started their own religion. “This is not an easy religion. You have lots of rules to follow,”he said. “Only 2% of population in India is Sikhs but because of our special dress, many foreigners tend to think most Indians are like that,“he added. I couldn't agree with him more. The image of Sikhs was how I picture Indians before.

Though Sikhs were warriors, Hindi people now like to make fun of their look and tend to think they are not smart. They use the word “Sardaji” to mock at Sikhs. “Sikhs know that, but they have good sense of humor so they aren't really bothered,” said my Indian friend.