Added April 08, 2008

Bhagat Puran Singh

Among the many contemporary Sikhs who have spent their lives in doing selfless service, Bhagat Puran Singh stands out like a star. He cared tremendously for the poor and the infirm, both people and animals. He is mostly known for Pingalwara, an institution where all living things, be it animals or people can stay and heal – all free of charge. Bhagat Puran Singh devoted his life to helping and healing people and worked all his life to help others. He was so devoted to helping others that he did not even invest in a pair of shoes for himself.

Bhagat Puran Singh was born in June of 1904 in the village of Rajewal in Punjab. His father was Chibu Mal, a moneylender in the village. His mother's name was Mehtab Kaur. At birth, Bhagat Puran Singh's name was Ramji Lal. He was born in a Hindu family. He converted to Sikhism after an experience he had when traveling from his boarding school to his mother's place. Along the trip he stopped at a Hindu Temple and did lot of sewa to clean up the temple. However, even though he worked hard - when the Brahmins finished eating, they did not even leave him any leftovers. He then walked on, disappointed, and came across a Gurdwara. He was offered Langar with a lot of devotion and ate until he was full. It was that day that he decided to follow the teachings of the Guru and become a Sikh.

During his life, he was influenced by many people as well as experiences. His mother taught him to care for all living things both human and animal. He used to pick up all harmful things from the road because his mother had explained that these objects come under the wheels of carts and make the animals who have to pull the carts work harder and they get hurt.

Another turning point came in his life, when he was doing sewa at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, now in Pakistan. The sewadars found an abandoned child in front of the Gurdwara. Bhagat Puran Singh volunteered to take care of the child and named him Piara. This boy was dumb, mentally impaired and physically disabled. Bhagat Puran Singh literally carried him on his shoulders wherever he went for twelve years. Bhagat Puran Singh referred to Piara as the "Garland around his neck." From that point onwards, he made it his main goal to make a place where all living things could rest and heal. He said that we say that god helps those who help themselves. But what about those people who are disabled or handicapped, who cannot help themselves? He wanted to help those who could not help themselves.

Before Pingalwara was built, Bhagat Puran Singh occupied an unused cabin and used it to take care of people and nurse them back to health. The government evicted him from the cabin and so then he moved into an abandoned half-built theatre and took care of the poor and the sick there. He used all the donations people offered him to help the sick people. He did not care to keep even one cent for himself. He ate only one small simple meal a day. When he had enough resources, he built Pingalwara on land very close to Darbar Sahib. He eventually built branches to Pingalwara, some that took care of animals that were abandoned by people. He knew the importance of education and always stressed it with all people around him. He started a printing press where he would print different articles that spoke of social issues facing humanity and the Sikhs.

He resented any comparisons of Pingalwara to hospitals, because hospitals charged money and limited the stay of sick people and he did not. All his life he picked up ailing people from the streets and carried them on foot, or transported them in his wheelbarrow to Pingalwara where he then nursed them back to health.

Bhagat Puran Singh died August 5, 1992 at the age of 88. Even though he is no more, his work and commitment to the sick and the ailing did not die with him. Many people still remember this man of great heart who helped so many people and they carry on his great work. Pingalwara still exists today helping those who cannot help themselves.

- Harmanas Singh

Health Care Tips

I was glad to read the wonderful cover story, "Healthcare" in your April issue. I just thought to share some of the information on the over-the-counter medicines that I came across.
When we buy medicines over-the-counter (OTC), we sometimes forget that they are drugs without a prescription. But they are, and the misuse of OTC drugs causes 178,000 hospitalizations a year.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the best way to take your OTC medicine is seriously.

Here are some tips:

• Read and follow directions on the OTC drug facts label.
• Choose an OTC medicine that treats only the problem you have.
• Don’t use expired medicines.
• If your OTC is causing a side effect, or if you have any other questions or concerns about your OTC medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
• For children’s medicines, keep in mind that children are not small adults. Ask your pharmacist or doctor what is best for your child.

For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov

- Yudhjit Khalsa, Seattle

Heritage Festival, Kent School District, Panther Lake

In today's world parents have very little time for their children. A child spends a lot of time at school. Education must, and should teach about diversity. Kudos to the Kent School District Panther Lake which successfully celebrated the 5th year of the "Heritage Festival". Suzie Newberry and Amy Abrams said, "We feel children will be better able to see where they’re going by knowing where they’ve been (come from). It’s a time to celebrate diversity and grow to understand that even though we’ve come from very different places, we are all the same."

Surely it took a lot of effort both on the part of the staff and the students. I, as a parent could see the involvement and pride. My daughter, Rania H. Kaur, who studies in the 5th grade was feeling very proud to be a part of this festival. The slides that she prepared on the computer were awesome. I must admit even I had to research my personal library to find answers for her questions. Each teacher had their students study their own heritage after a unit on explorers. As a result, the students studied their heritage with a focus on cultural and family traditions. When their projects were completed, the parents were also invited to share in their celebration and to share a piece of their heritage through food. The parents and other family members were requested to wear the traditional clothes. We had 5 different continents represented at the festival and over 20 countries. Every 5th grade student provided food from their heritage country and each 6th grade student brought a dish from the country they were assigned to study. The library with books and computer slides on diversity was remarkable. And I can't forget the sight of the cafeteria, as the traditional clothes and the tasty dishes from various countries leaves a lasting impression.

Six classroom teachers helped organize and implement the festival. Miss Newbury and Miss Abrams said, "We started planning at the beginning of the year, and then began to meet and discuss plans more regularly, about a month before the festival. On the day of the festival we were aided by a multitude of kind-hearted volunteers from the school. This is a huge festival and takes a lot of people to make it work. We are thankful we have such a supportive community. Everybody loved it! It was well received! Parents, students, teachers, community members all love it. The students often come back and say this is one of the most powerful things they’ve done all year. It makes a huge impact on their lives both now and in the future. It’s a great time to come together to celebrate our lives and our cultures!"

- Sarab Singh

Legal Issues Surrounding Kirpan In The Workplace

"If I have been given a choice of choosing between my Kirpan and my job, I choose my Kirpan."
- Kawaljeet Kaur, IRS employee

The Sikh Coalition is currently litigating a case on behalf of a Sikh woman who was ordered to remove her Kirpan by her employer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Sikh employee was ultimately terminated from her job because of her refusal to remove or modify her Kirpan. This article provides an overview of that case and information for Sikhs who may have questions about their rights regarding wearing a Kirpan in the workplace.

A Kirpan, the Sikh article of faith at issue here, commonly resembles a sword but varies in length, and the portion representative of a "blade" is often dulled. The word "Kirpan" comes from two Punjabi words: 'kirpa' means an act of kindness or a favor; 'aan' means honor, respect, or self-respect. The Kirpan acts as a constant reminder to its bearer of a Sikh's solemn duty to protect the weak and promote justice for all. Thus, contrary to the IRS' characterization of the Kirpan as a sword or weapon in this case, the Kirpan is an article of faith and functions quite differently than a weapon or sword.

Kawaljeet Kaur is a Sikh woman who came to the U.S. from India at the age of 16 with her parents. She became an accountant and eventually secured a position with the IRS in Houston in July, 2004. In April, 2005, Ms. Kaur took Amrit and began wearing a Kirpan. She informed her supervisor of this development, and her supervisor had some concerns about her wearing a Kirpan at work. He asked if she had any difficulty getting through security when she entered the building, and she informed him that she had not. She was able to pass throug the metal detector without incident. The day after Ms. Kaur returned to work after taking Amrit, her supervisor requested written information regarding her Kirpan, which was provided to him by the Sikh Coalition. The letter also requested that the IRS provide religious accommodation to Ms. Kaur so that she could wear her Kirpan at work. Soon after receiving the letter, Ms. Kaur's supervisor told her to leave work because wearing the Kirpan violated IRS Rules of Conduct and federal law.

Ms. Kaur was required to work from home. She continued to work from home, and was not allowed to return to work wearing her Kirpan for over nine months. In January, 2006, Ms. Kaur was informed that she must report to work with a modified Kirpan by January 30, 2006. Ms. Kaur returned to work as directed but was not allowed to enter the building because she was wearing her Kirpan. She was sent home and the IRS determined that she was absent without leave (AWOL) and stopped paying her. Ms. Kaur was directed by her supervisor to return some files on March 9, 2006, which she did. She entered the building by passing through security and the metal detector without incident. She was wearing her Kirpan, but it was not detected.

Ms. Kaur was ultimately terminated by the IRS in a letter dated July 11, 2006. The IRS said that she 'failed to observe designated duty hours because she was AWOL for 12 weeks; and that she willfully possessed a weapon in a federal building without authorization as a result of entering the Leland Building with her Kirpan on March 9, 2006. The case is currently being reviewed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

There are several examples of legal cases in which the wearing of the Kirpan has been misunderstood. Since 2001, the Sikh Coalition has assisted Sikhs in 17 separate criminal cases in which Sikhs were being charged with crimes related to carrying a "weapon". The criminal charges were dropped or dismissed in all 17 cases because the prosecutors in the cases determined that the Kirpan was not a weapon but was an article of faith. In Ms. Kaur's case, it is most unusual that the IRS determined that her Kirpan was a "weapon", as no one at the IRS has ever inspected her Kirpan or asked her to see it in order to make that determination.

It is against the law to "discriminate against any individual because of...religion." In Ms. Kaur's case, she was discriminated against based on her religion. The IRS never inspected Ms. Kaur's Kirpan to determine whether it should be classified as a "weapon". The IRS discriminated against Ms. Kaur by terminating her for carrying an article of faith.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of Ms. Kaur's case as it may have implications for many other Sikhs in similar situations. A Kirpan is an article of faith, not a weapon, and it is important that employers recognize this and do not punish or discriminate against Sikhs for practicing their religion by wearing a Kirpan. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against for being a Sikh, or carrying a Kirpan or any other article of the Sikh faith, it is important that the matter is addressed. You can contact The Rekhi Law Firm or the Sikh Coalition if you have any questions or concerns.

- Heather Rekhi