Kesh (Sikhism)

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Poster issued by US Department Of Justice showing various head coverings that Sikhs use to cover their Kesh
Poster issued by US Department Of Justice showing various head coverings that Sikhs use to cover their Kesh

In Sikhism, Kesh (sometimes Kes) is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith. The hair is combed twice daily with a Kanga, another of the Five Ks, and tied into a simple knot known as a Joora, or Rishi knot. This knot of hair is usually held in place with the Kanga and covered by a turban.

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[edit] Significance

Kesh is considered the most important of the Five Ks.[1] At the Amrit Sanchar in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh explained the reason for this :

My Sikh shall not use the razor. For him the use of razor or shaving the chin shall be as sinful as incest. For the Khalsa such a symbol is prescribed so that a Sikh cannot remain undistinguishable from among a hundred thousand Hindus or Muslims; because how can he hide himself with hair and turban on his head and with a flowing beard?

So important is Kesh that during the persecution of Sikhs under the Mughal Empire, followers were willing to face death rather than shave or cut their hair to disguise themselves or appease the Khan.[2] Bhai Taru Singh was executed for refusing to cut his hair as an offering to Zakaria Khan, the governor of Punjab, in 1745. He became a martyr and a symbol of the importance of Kesh.

[edit] Modern trends

In modern times the trend of short hair has encroached upon this tradition; in some parts of Punjab, it is estimated that 80% of Sikh youths have cut their hair. Reasons include simple convenience—avoiding the daily combing and tying—as well as social pressures from the mainstream culture to look like everyone else, one of the main reasons given in western countries by sikh youth is; widespread discrimination in employment and academia. Some simply wish to fit in with others in their peer group who are less traditional.[1]

[edit] Harassment

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sikhs in the West have been mistaken for Muslims and subjected to hate crimes. Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh living in Mesa, Arizona, was shot to death on September 16, 2001 when he was mistaken for an Arab.[1] [3] Other cases of violence have been widespread, among both adults and children. In one case, a Sikh boy in Scotland was reported to have been attacked by white racists who cut his hair. The story created worldwide controversy until he admitted that he had lied and had, in fact, cut his own hair out of a desire to fit in.[4]

In 2007, an 18-year old Pakistani teenager Umair Ahmed forcibly cut hair of a 15-year-old Sikh boy Harpal Vacher in a US School. In 2008, he was convicted by the jury of "second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree coercion as a hate crime, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and third-degree harassment".[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Gobind's Shorn Flock. The Sikh Times.
  2. ^ Sikh Martyrs – Bhai Taru Singh Ji. Search Sikhism.
  3. ^ Jonathan Darman. Please Don’t Blow Up This Building. Newsweek.
  4. ^ BBC Scotland-Sikh teen lied about hair attack.
  5. ^ Pakistani faces 4 years in jail for cutting Sikh's hair

[edit] External links

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