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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Kesh is a symbol of devotion to god, reminding sikhs that they should obey the will of God. Kesh is considered the most important of the Five Ks. 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 his Sikhs can classified as pure
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.[1] 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.
"ਬਚਨ ਹੈ ਸ੍ਰ੍ਰ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਕਿ ਜੋ ਕੋਈ ਸਿਖ ਦਾ ਬੇਟਾ ਹੋਏੇ ਔੌਰ ਮੋਨਾ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ
This is the command of the Guru, that if the son of a Sikh shaves their head,
ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸ ਕੀ, ਔੌਰ ਜੋ ਮੋਨਾ ਸਿਖ ਹੋਇ ਜਾਵੈ ਤਸਿ ਕੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਹਰੀ ॥
His posterity will be ruined, and if a shaven one becomes Sikh, his descendants will flourish." Bhai Nand Lal Goya Tankahnama words of Guru Gobind Singh [2]
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.[3][4]
In December 2006, a Sikh boy in Scotland was reported to have been attacked by white racists who cut his hair. The story created widespread controversy until he admitted that he had lied and had, in fact, cut his own hair out of a desire to fit in.[5]
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 a Muslim.[6]
In 2007, an 18-year old Pakistani teenager, Umair Ahmed, forcibly cut the 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".[7]
In 2009, Resham Singh, a Punjabi student in Melbourne, Australia, was attacked by a group of teenagers who tried to remove his turban and cut his hair.[8]
In 2010, Basant Singh, a Sikh youth in Penang, Malaysia woke up discovering his hair was cut by 50cm when he was asleep in his dormitory while serving the Malaysian National Service Training Programme. The incident traumatised the youth and is under probe ordered by the Defence Ministry.[9]
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