Transcripts
We used to go clubbing with friends and because I obviously got a dara quite young
Speaker:I was like 12, 13 year old and all of a sudden this beard appeared on my face and
Speaker:What's wrong with you? What's this all about? But it was like and for me was
Speaker:I've always been into kind of hip-hop and R&B music growing up
Speaker:So I kind of that was where my energy was it wasn't about the drinking or nothing
Speaker:Chatting anybody up. You were dancing on a music video? Yeah, so you want to be in
Speaker:So we danced on Arthur's Seat, so we danced on the hills and the video done
Speaker:Yeah, it was a part of my journey, you know, I learned a lot from it
Speaker:It was a bit weird part of journey, but it's still there and it's in terms of
Speaker:You know, I'll put my hands up and isn't very important to be transparent on this
Speaker:I would say so I have drank but it was more like peer pressure
Speaker:So when we used to go to the club is what you know
Speaker:You know your friends or cousins and drinking so I've been maybe have one
Speaker:But it'd be like a like a juice kind of alcopop
Speaker:Try to get that flavor of juice because it wasn't me
Speaker:It was just because I'll try to go with the flow and fit in because I've seen in
Speaker:It was like my dad was a drinker. My three big brothers used to drink
Speaker:So I've seen a lot of Larai Jhagre like happening in the house and it kind of put
Speaker:Although he was in a Gursikh and really not into the Gurmukh way of life
Speaker:He was so principled and he taught us even touching a cigarette packet was like wrong
Speaker:You know, that's like complete baby even doing that
Speaker:So I've been offered like, you know
Speaker:We didn't Cigarettes like tobacco and all that and just because of that was in my
Speaker:We wouldn't want to touch that cigarette pack. I used to cry at the Gurdwara
Speaker:That's how hardcore meat eater I was. So I came home and I says to my wife because
Speaker:Meat anymore. So just make me like whatever's my vegetarian. She's like, are
Speaker:I'm looking in the mirror and I see the dastar, like it was a normal, you know,
Speaker:And I used to tie my dar up as well. I see this robe like I'm thinking I'm a Sikh
Speaker:What am I doing in this kind of impure place?
Speaker:You know where there's like half naked women
Speaker:There's smoking and the time that was still, you know smoking then and so and
Speaker:I said this is this can't be right like so again something inner vibro telling me
Speaker:September 2020 boom sitting at my desk feeling this weird sensation
Speaker:Had a heart attack what's going on?
Speaker:I don't know what's going on because you're having a heart attack and you get
Speaker:But we're confident what's gonna happen. You probably got a stent put in this and
Speaker:Gurus give you another chance. Take it
Speaker:Welcome back to another episode of
Speaker:The Fire N Sikhi series here on Boss TV
Speaker:Very blessed to be back for the next episode and today we've got the main man
Speaker:Flying in or getting the train in. Train. Train in from Scotland
Speaker:To come here to West Midlands for this episode Tharun Veer Singh. Thank you so
Speaker:We've been talking about this for a long time, I think when the Fire N Sikhi
Speaker:Project was launched VG reached out and I think it's really beautiful
Speaker:Because um, you know a lot of times people can be quite shy
Speaker:and that side is
Speaker:beautiful in itself, but it's also beautiful to see somebody who is so
Speaker:That has his passion to want to share Sikhi with the world and and talk about
Speaker:Embracing their Guru of the Guru found me
Speaker:So thank you so much for you know, reaching out to us on a few occasions and
Speaker:You know back in March 2025 and VG there was like let's make this happen
Speaker:So we're here now. We're here in the studio VG and
Speaker:Baisa, anything to say before we start? No, it's just a pleasure to have you know
Speaker:And Yes, it's nice to have our Scottish brothers with us as well
Speaker:And like Baisa said honestly, you know, Sikhi is like a fragrant flower
Speaker:And it's you know, it's so beautiful to see people are willing to share that story
Speaker:Some people are like not so cool. Not so I don't want to keep their Sikhi journey
Speaker:I just want to share it and I think it's nice to hear that and I think collectively
Speaker:Today so yeah, thank you. Thank you for taking the time out and welcome
Speaker:Thanks things and you definitely take a long time to process applications
Speaker:Well, we've got them at the end
Speaker:I Should say with the hair, with the accent
Speaker:slowly, slowly VG got that. That's why the process took so long. We're trying to
Speaker:Don't worry, I will do. I'll make sure I speak a bit slower
Speaker:Edinburgh, right? You're from Edinburgh, aren't you?
Speaker:So are you born and bred Scotland? Yeah, yeah born and bred so born in
Speaker:Leith Edinburgh and actually hospital was nearby as well. So I've never left that
Speaker:area until I moved out a couple of years or a year and a half ago
Speaker:Moved to the east side now a little bit. So still in Edinburgh. So still in
Speaker:And is what we thought we did you grew up drinking iron brew and
Speaker:But your daughter being there, her kids might have a little milk and stuff and
Speaker:Yeah, I mean if you don't drink iron brew there's something wrong with you, you live
Speaker:But it's a great drink. I don't know if you guys have tasted it
Speaker:I'm sure VG has but it's a really nice drink as we call it the divide of
Speaker:They took care of us when we came to
Speaker:Scotland in it was in 2019. I think it was around the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Speaker:But of 550 years we went to do a tour and these guys took us out
Speaker:He took us to a nice restaurant as all like a vegan very nice place
Speaker:So and the iron brew was obviously the main the main attraction in it over
Speaker:Did you get decent weather?
Speaker:The weather was okay. It was it was it was in the it was in August time
Speaker:I think it was we have a kids camp and some other stuff. So the weather was
Speaker:Great Sunday. Great Sunday. I like the idea of Scotland. This isn't about
Speaker:I like the idea of Scotland, but just it's the coldness and the rain that puts me off
Speaker:Yeah, it can get quite cold there, right?
Speaker:Yeah, I mean this is about Scotland because I'm so glad to be here because
Speaker:I think doing the podcast or things really important that but yeah, no, it's it's a
Speaker:It's got a lot of nice people there. They're quite laid-back. I would say
Speaker:I see Scottish people are quite laid-back and
Speaker:Friendly, but the weather does let you down, but go, you know, it's okay. It's
Speaker:I'm just living style my life. I never left. I haven't in Scotland. Just not that
Speaker:Look after you as well. Yeah, take you to the spots that you went to
Speaker:But if I say born and bred in Scotland to talk us through like, you know, what was
Speaker:But what was it like growing up in Scotland and being a sick by name
Speaker:You know, what does that mean to you? Yeah, so yeah born Edinburgh and born into
Speaker:but I've got four big brothers and no sisters and
Speaker:mum and dad
Speaker:Typical Punjabi's obviously taking us to the Gurdwara as every Punjabi parents do
Speaker:If I'm honest with you, we've had one Gurdwara in Edinburgh for a long time
Speaker:I think over 40 years now, so it was local to us as well again in Leith still there
Speaker:used to be St. Thomas's Church going to that Gurdwara not really learning much
Speaker:One of those typical Sunday seat Gurdwaras you just went there listen to the you know
Speaker:Kirtanis, the Ragi Kirtan, the Giani
Speaker:Not had a clue what they were talking about what they were saying
Speaker:It was just there because we got forced and we got up used to get a slap from my
Speaker:we were brought up is what it is and
Speaker:Yeah, and in terms of Sangat wise as well, not really like Gursikh Sangat there
Speaker:just mostly like Punjabi cultured so
Speaker:Brought up around a lot of families a lot of party and that kind of thing as well
Speaker:So that's all I've ever seen
Speaker:Gurdwara was more of a side thing that we went to because we were told and that was
Speaker:I think so many young Sikhs or Sikhs of our generation will resonate with that
Speaker:Growing up going to Gurdwara on a Sunday and rest is eating, drinking and having
Speaker:On Sunday, it's just you go to the Gurdwara and just sit through a Diwan not
Speaker:So and then so you talk us through that so that you've gone through that for how many
Speaker:up to probably the age of
Speaker:So if you're looking at the age of change, I would say in terms of founding Guru
Speaker:That was age up to 22, 23 year old. Yeah, so before that I've you know, let's say
Speaker:Edinburgh is quite a small city, but quite lively as well being a capital of
Speaker:So my lifestyle was on the other side of it like used to go clubbing with friends
Speaker:young at school as well
Speaker:I was like 12, 13 year old and all of a sudden this beard appeared in my face and
Speaker:Gauri was like what's wrong with you? What's this all about? But it was like,
Speaker:Even my case, I'm a Sardar, like going right down to my back still. So
Speaker:And so yeah, obviously had a beard so I used to go into clubs at the age of 15, 16
Speaker:Even though I was quite small in height
Speaker:The you know, the bouncers would let me in so used to go to these places and it was
Speaker:Lot of dancing for me was about the music though
Speaker:I've always been into kind of hip-hop and R&B music growing up
Speaker:So I kind of that was where my energy was
Speaker:It wasn't about the drinking or nothing like that or you know chatting anybody up.
Speaker:It was more about just the music and I used to like dancing as well. I used to be
Speaker:So I grew up and you're gonna give us a video to put on why I grew up
Speaker:No, don't put a link to that because it's still there and done very well
Speaker:It was number one for about 12 weeks and that's not because of my dancing, that's
Speaker:Lovely very good, isn't it?
Speaker:Oh I grew up and see Sukhdeep sing
Speaker:So what is this, so we can change the focus. You were dancing on a music video?
Speaker:Yeah, so dancing on a music video and it was
Speaker:Not Bhangra? Bhangra, yeah, yeah. So you might have heard them, they're quite big,
Speaker:He's passed away now sadly, but it was his one of his
Speaker:Like colleagues Ryan Singh. So what we did guys, you know, Kesari and stuff, not
Speaker:Got a passion for the tol and things like that
Speaker:So he made a track of his own, like edited it with the main DJ of being DJ Vip and
Speaker:Had a lot of friendship with me. So he said you want to be in the video?
Speaker:I know you like dancing VG, so we danced on After Seat, which I'm not sure, I think
Speaker:Maybe it's on the hills basically. So we danced on the hills and the video done
Speaker:Yeah, it was a part of my journey and I learned a lot from it
Speaker:It was a bit weird part of journey, but it's still there
Speaker:It helps to do experiences that define you and put you where you are now
Speaker:100% yeah So you never drank or did drugs or anything like that, it was just more
Speaker:Like the party, the dancing, amusing side of it
Speaker:Yeah, it was about that. Yeah, I've never like smoked or nothing
Speaker:I've been offered all these kind of things and
Speaker:In terms of drink, you know, I'll put my hands up and this is very important to be
Speaker:I would say, so I have drank but it was more like peer pressure
Speaker:So when we used to go to the club, it's what you know, your friends or cousins and
Speaker:So I would maybe have one bottle of something, but it'd be like a like a juice
Speaker:Try to get that flavor of juice because it wasn't me
Speaker:It was just because I was trying to go with the flow and fit in
Speaker:After that one drink that I'd put that to the side and I'd just be on water or
Speaker:So I've never experienced being drunk in my life
Speaker:And then because I've seen
Speaker:Again growing up in our culture in the Punjabi field, it was like my dad was a
Speaker:My three big brothers used to drink
Speaker:So I've seen a lot of Larai Jhagre like happening in the house and it kind of put
Speaker:So I've got my brother above me and we both never drank because we just seen them
Speaker:So it kind of put us off completely
Speaker:But Guru's Kirpa, my dad stopped drinking now for 20 years
Speaker:Again that was through Sikhi, I'll touch on that in a bit
Speaker:And my big brother, he took Amrit and I took Amrit and my brother above me took
Speaker:There's only two brothers left that who haven't taken Amrit and they're into Sikhi
Speaker:But they're still in sort of Punjabi
Speaker:Coming soon Tusi bhi bande ban jao
Speaker:I've tried, I always still do like
Speaker:You don't obviously WhatsApp family groups and always trying to just, you know with
Speaker:Good morning, good morning, take Amrit today
Speaker:Oh aye Guru, I've done that in meth, it doesn't work
Speaker:There's no way, there's no way
Speaker:You sure? It's fascinating to hear why you never went down the drugs and alcohol
Speaker:Sorry, what I should really ask is
Speaker:It's fascinating to hear that you didn't go down the alcohol route because the
Speaker:You know, I really resonate because that was my story as well
Speaker:I don't want that lifestyle
Speaker:I don't want to be puking in my kitchen
Speaker:I don't want that lifestyle, I don't want to be coming home causing Kadesh
Speaker:But with the same principle for drugs and weed and everything else and other Nashi
Speaker:What kept you, what was keeping you safe from that or keeping you not going down
Speaker:It's a good question, I haven't even thought about it
Speaker:But now that you're asking me as my dad
Speaker:My dad was a very strict Punjabi dad
Speaker:And you know If anybody's listening to this podcast
Speaker:This is so important to listen to
Speaker:Because my dad Although he was in a Gursikh
Speaker:And really not into the Gurmukh way of life
Speaker:But he was so principled
Speaker:And he taught us
Speaker:Even touching a cigarette packet was wrong
Speaker:You know, that's like
Speaker:Completely bad to be even doing that
Speaker:So at school if someone went
Speaker:Can you hold this for me?
Speaker:I'd be like, no, no, I'm not allowed
Speaker:And that was programmed into my mind
Speaker:Brainwashed but in a very good way
Speaker:So I wouldn't even touch a cigarette packet
Speaker:So I've been offered weed and cigarettes
Speaker:Like tobacco and all that
Speaker:And just because of that was in my head
Speaker:If I hadn't engaged from my dad
Speaker:We wouldn't want to touch that cigarette packet
Speaker:And I'm so grateful for that
Speaker:Sometimes when I'm feeling emotional
Speaker:I'll send a message to my dad on WhatsApp
Speaker:And say, Dad, I've got a lot for you to thank for
Speaker:Because I'm here today the way I am
Speaker:Because of your principles growing up
Speaker:What's his response? I think the love heart
Speaker:That's cute My dad's quite old school
Speaker:And he's not really that emotional person
Speaker:But he does understand
Speaker:What are you doing? Get the thumbs off
Speaker:No, that's the worst
Speaker:That's my worst emoji by the way
Speaker:Anyone listen to this, don't give me the thumbs up
Speaker:I hate it Just imagine if he gave me the finger or something
Speaker:I don't mind the hands up
Speaker:But don't give me the thumbs up
Speaker:I don't know what it means
Speaker:So it sounds like you were born into a sick family
Speaker:Where you kept your keys then
Speaker:So you had your beard
Speaker:And your long hair
Speaker:And you wore the stard I'm guessing
Speaker:But you just kind of did what
Speaker:You see in today's world
Speaker:The average Punjabi Sikh would do
Speaker:They have the Roop of Sikhi
Speaker:But they're still engaging in
Speaker:Drinking and worldly kind of things as well
Speaker:So yeah, I had my keys
Speaker:And again, back to that point
Speaker:My dad being really strict
Speaker:So it was like, cut my keys or have my head cut off
Speaker:It was like, you have to pick which one
Speaker:So for me, I didn't want my head cut off
Speaker:So I kept my keys
Speaker:And as parents, there's peer pressure
Speaker:So I've got quite a big moustache
Speaker:And this comes from two reasons
Speaker:I've got a big moustache in general
Speaker:Because I've got a lot of hair on my face
Speaker:But same, I used to trim my moustache
Speaker:But I used to do it with my teeth
Speaker:And it was like a force of habit
Speaker:So I have been on that side
Speaker:You can say, where I have done case-cutting
Speaker:So I used to do this and bite away
Speaker:And one day I was sitting in my house
Speaker:And my dad was sitting there
Speaker:And I was having my dal prasad
Speaker:And you could see it was quite sharp
Speaker:I just didn't want my moustache
Speaker:Into my mouth But nothing else, I never touched anything else
Speaker:Just my moustache And my dad says to me
Speaker:Are you trimming? And I was like
Speaker:He said that to me in Punjabi
Speaker:He goes And I actually said
Speaker:I'm not, so I told a white lie
Speaker:Because I wasn't, I never had no razors
Speaker:Or scissors, it was my teeth
Speaker:And I told a white lie
Speaker:I said, no I'm not dad
Speaker:And then my mum, she's sharp
Speaker:And my mum's very sharp
Speaker:She goes, no I know what he's doing
Speaker:He's biting away his moustache
Speaker:Because she must have seen me
Speaker:Because I'm probably doing it without even realising
Speaker:And then, obviously I did that
Speaker:And I continued to do that until I found the path
Speaker:And again we'll cover that
Speaker:So I have done a bit of case-cutting
Speaker:Because I'm not going to excuse that
Speaker:That's okay to do, 100%
Speaker:I'm going to have to add that
Speaker:Unconventional ways of not accepting
Speaker:And that's why I've obviously got a wee bit bigger moustache
Speaker:But I love my moustache now, so I'm very proud of it
Speaker:And your dad gives you a full robe
Speaker:Yeah, my brothers get jealous of my dad
Speaker:But he's our guru
Speaker:And then from that
Speaker:You went from a household
Speaker:Which had Basic Sikhi principles
Speaker:And your dad and that kept your case
Speaker:And then you went to the Gurdwara
Speaker:What changed you? Just to give you
Speaker:The listeners Bhai Sahib only wears Bana full time
Speaker:He wears the Guru's Bana full time
Speaker:He does work, in a job
Speaker:He goes to work physically
Speaker:Not just behind a screen
Speaker:And he goes out and about, up and down the country
Speaker:Visits schools So Bhai Sahib is very active and he's not hiding away
Speaker:How did that happen?
Speaker:Yeah, so That's part of the story
Speaker:One day I was walking down the street
Speaker:And this was maybe
Speaker:A week ago, I was clubbing
Speaker:I met one of my cousins
Speaker:And he's a Mourner by the way
Speaker:I'm telling you that because it was weird
Speaker:He comes up to me and says
Speaker:Why do you not come to Rehraas Sahib class?
Speaker:I says, what's Rehraas Sahib?
Speaker:What are you talking about?
Speaker:He says, oh the Ghanian does a class on Wednesday
Speaker:And he teaches everyone Rehraas Sahib
Speaker:He'll recite and you recite along with him
Speaker:I said, I don't know what you're talking about bro
Speaker:That's not my scene
Speaker:But I was looking at him thinking, wow that's good on you
Speaker:He's going Gurdwara Because he's quite a rebel cousin
Speaker:He's ok now, I'm not going to give the name
Speaker:I think these protocols are going to destroy families
Speaker:Everyone's spreading family secrets
Speaker:He knows the story
Speaker:So he'll be ok with it
Speaker:He'll be fine I seen him again the week after
Speaker:He says, you never came
Speaker:I said, what do you want me to do?
Speaker:What's this guy doing?
Speaker:I wonder what it's all about
Speaker:I decided I'll go along
Speaker:I went along to this class
Speaker:Gianiaji was sitting there
Speaker:He was reading from the Gutka
Speaker:He was giving everybody else Gutka
Speaker:But they weren't Romanised
Speaker:I couldn't read Gurmukhi then at all
Speaker:I was just sitting there and he was reciting Rehraas Sahib
Speaker:What got me was the sounds
Speaker:It was the sounds
Speaker:Because I've always been into
Speaker:Rhythm, Blues, Music, R&B
Speaker:It was the way he was reciting it
Speaker:I don't know, something just hit me
Speaker:I never thought much of it
Speaker:But if I'm looking back, it was something
Speaker:The way he was reciting Rehraas Sahib
Speaker:So when that's fine, anyway
Speaker:Done that class, walked out
Speaker:Even my Singhni said to me
Speaker:Where have you been?
Speaker:I said, I went to that Rehraas Sahib class on Wednesday
Speaker:She said, what's wrong with you?
Speaker:I said, I don't know, I just went because
Speaker:My cousin told me to go
Speaker:I never changed at all there
Speaker:My auntie passed away
Speaker:My Singhni's Jatji ji passed away
Speaker:With cancer Really really sad story
Speaker:She got aggressive cancer
Speaker:We went round the house
Speaker:When she passed, we all went round to
Speaker:Blah and see everyone
Speaker:Pay our respects Through that time, it was quite a sombre moment
Speaker:Sad, but they all knew it was coming
Speaker:They were also Not celebrating her life
Speaker:It was really hard, but at the same time
Speaker:They were aware it was coming
Speaker:It was a different atmosphere
Speaker:There was a lot of seva going on
Speaker:A lot of langar getting vartar
Speaker:I used to be a hardcore meat eater
Speaker:I could not go on a date
Speaker:Without eating some Chicken or lamb or pork
Speaker:I could not, even when I came home
Speaker:And my mum says
Speaker:I'm going to the chip shop
Speaker:And get a fish supper or something
Speaker:But during this time
Speaker:I'll touch on this again
Speaker:In our background In my culture, I've come from
Speaker:I'm not Scared to admit, but I come from the Bhatt Sangat background
Speaker:What happens is When someone passes away
Speaker:They tend to, for 6 weeks
Speaker:They do a chaliya, and they won't have any meat
Speaker:I'm not sure who else
Speaker:Does that, but that's what happens in our background
Speaker:There was no meat getting vartar
Speaker:It was all vegetarian food
Speaker:I was eating it as you do, out of respect
Speaker:And I never thought much of it, I was just enjoying it
Speaker:And through this time
Speaker:The class was still on
Speaker:We were going round for a few weeks
Speaker:Because it was a tough time for the whole family
Speaker:Went to the Rehraas Sahib class
Speaker:Come back to the house
Speaker:Then we did a Rehraas Sahib class at the house
Speaker:As well, to bring a bit of Sukh and Shanti
Speaker:To the house So we had the Modavar class, the Wednesday class
Speaker:At the residence house
Speaker:And then we were just sitting there
Speaker:I think those two combos
Speaker:Of what was going on
Speaker:I all of a sudden
Speaker:anymore and I'm not going to go into controversy of meat and vegetarian but
Speaker:was sending me a sign that I don't need this. Which was quite scary for me because
Speaker:a lion, I used to cry at the Gurdwara because I didn't want to eat the langar.
Speaker:hardcore meat-eater I was. So I came home and I said to my wife, I'm not having meat
Speaker:anymore so just make me whatever is vegetarian. She's like, are you daft? Are
Speaker:can't live without that. I said, no, I'm fine. I just want to continue to see where
Speaker:So six weeks is up now. Jali is up. I'm on the 7th of every week. I'm still eating
Speaker:food. I'm going to this Rehraas Sahib class. Then I came home from work and my
Speaker:chicken casserole made. I said, why have you made chicken casserole? I'm a
Speaker:I've been eating meat for like 10 weeks now. She's like, stop being daft. Why are
Speaker:kidding yourself? I said, oh, okay, just give me it then. Just like buckled under
Speaker:So sat down with the plate and I started tucking into this chicken casserole. When
Speaker:chicken, I could taste blood, but really strong. I said, oh, you haven't cooked
Speaker:She goes, no, it is cooked properly. I said, it's definitely not. I can taste
Speaker:She goes, oh, stop being daft. Just eat it. And I think I ended up eating it. Then
Speaker:house and they had made again meat. And my brother's all start starting to like rip
Speaker:what are you doing? I thought you're a vegetarian. I thought you were going to be
Speaker:that was just a little phase. So I started eating the pork chops, one of my favourite
Speaker:I started eating that. So I had those two slip days, but something like this inner
Speaker:I would say Waheguru was telling me you're doing something wrong because this has
Speaker:somewhere. And I know it's came from the vibrations of Rehra's class, or even just
Speaker:sad moment as well, when my wife Chachi ji passed away. So I done two days slip up
Speaker:casserole and the pork chops. After that, I decided that I don't want to eat this
Speaker:completely put like zero, just went like a hundred to zero. And that was it. I
Speaker:completely from that day, just after those two slip ups. And my dad found it really
Speaker:like arguing with me, what are you doing? And we eat meat and it's like, Guru Sahib
Speaker:meat, this and that. It's not written anywhere and all that. I says, but I don't
Speaker:quite content. I feel kush. It's making me, you know, and I think I'm quite like a
Speaker:person. So I done a doctor's test, blood test. And my mum and dad are worried about
Speaker:deficiency and all this and that. So I went and got this blood test and it came
Speaker:vitamins, like it was all high levels. And I was like, Guru Sahib smashing it here,
Speaker:that. And I show my mum and dad and says, if that's what you want to do, then
Speaker:it. I just kept just continuing that path. So for me, that moment, it was just
Speaker:vegetarian. That's all I knew. But I knew something was happening.
Speaker:And with the Rehraas Sahib classes that you started, what was that like for you in
Speaker:obviously, the sounds and stuff and the vibrations. That was having an effect. But
Speaker:actually being said? How was that affecting you in terms of, had you ever
Speaker:Sikhi before? Because one of on episode three, that we did with Dilvir Singh, he
Speaker:never sat in a Gurdwara before in his life until he was about 32 and said Waheguru in
Speaker:just saying for you, was you already exposed to Sikhi Vichar before or going on
Speaker:like, wow, this is amazing. I never knew this stuff about Sikhi in your Rehraas
Speaker:It's a good question. Because yeah, we're going to Gurdwara. Yes, we're here in
Speaker:as you know, a Sunday typical set up is the Jnani does his bit, then he goes on
Speaker:sitting there, they do their bit and that's it. I think this was because it was
Speaker:was sitting in a very small group of maybe six, seven of us, with the Jnani Ji
Speaker:it was like direct connection with the part, like with them reciting and we were,
Speaker:because we were also reciting along, where again, on a Sunday, I don't feel that
Speaker:And I think that's obviously a big thing that Bhai Jagrasingh was trying to change,
Speaker:Maharaj Kripal. I've seen a lot of good change. But I think, yeah, on those days,
Speaker:as a dummy almost. And you weren't taking the Laha really, because you were just
Speaker:understanding a thing. So I think it was a direct connection with the Jnani that made
Speaker:vibrations come to life, I would say. Because yeah, so Rehraas Sahib was in the
Speaker:Sahib was played in the morning. But it was just there in the background on a tape
Speaker:It wasn't direct. It wasn't direct.
Speaker:Like this. Yeah. Bhai, do you mind, I know you said you're from the Bhatt community.
Speaker:background is of the Bhatt Sikhs? Because one thing we're very keen to do is, we see
Speaker:path of Sikhi as a common path for everyone, regardless of your background.
Speaker:African Arabian, you can be Jata, you can be from Belgium, you know, whatever it is.
Speaker:that one thing that unites us and brings us together. And we want everyone from all
Speaker:backgrounds to come on this common platform of the Guru's house and spread
Speaker:Gursikhi and, you know, take away nasheed, ger and poison from our houses. So, long
Speaker:you mind explaining what the background is and what the contributions are of Bhatt
Speaker:Sikh history, please?
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, we're very, very passionate people, like very strong. Like when we do
Speaker:it like full, like delicate, you know, help someone out. And that has been
Speaker:the Gurdwara that's in Edinburgh is ran by a lot of Bhatt Sangat. And the PR that we
Speaker:regardless of your background, it's overwhelming. And even when I sat and took
Speaker:seen it myself, it's amazing. And it's good to be a part of that. We were like
Speaker:to door salesmen, always tried to like help people who couldn't get like, let's
Speaker:because even my dad in his young days with his dad and friends of his used to go out
Speaker:people couldn't get kapri anyway, because they lived too far somewhere and there was
Speaker:transportation. We would like take bags up and help them and sell clothes to them so
Speaker:know, have some kapri or whatever they needed. We'd even make lists, like, do you
Speaker:else? And there was that beautiful seva aspect there as well, because I remember
Speaker:some of the stories that he met so many, like, a lot of times it was like older
Speaker:they couldn't travel and things are getting too old. And they just used to
Speaker:well. So my dad, we'd sit there, we'd do vichar with them, like speaking to them
Speaker:of tea and make them feel like, like a part of something. So yeah, we've got, we
Speaker:in that in terms of compassionately helping people. And I think that's where I
Speaker:we are, like from my ancestors, how we are quite compassionate people. We do want to
Speaker:like doing seva and we're strong minded as well, I would say from that perspective.
Speaker:history, I don't know the full thing, I should really know this, but I have heard
Speaker:lot of, like, gursikhs from our sangat back in India, back in Guru's times.
Speaker:Which region would you say?
Speaker:I think more in the Punjab, in Punjab region. Yeah, there's a few things I know
Speaker:worth doing a podcast on that, they could go right back and know a lot of kind of
Speaker:that, I would say. But I never looked into it, because if I'm very honest, as much as
Speaker:touching on it, I think it's important as well. When I came into Sikhi, it's almost,
Speaker:because I'm the youngest in my family, from a young generation, I kind of like
Speaker:lot from any, that kind of caste system. Never thought about it too much. When I
Speaker:I never, I never like says, oh, I'm from the sangat or nothing like that. I'd only
Speaker:in conversation. But because I'm kind of open book person, if I met VG, I would
Speaker:because I've got no shame of it either.
Speaker:Yeah, for heritage, why should you?
Speaker:100% Yeah, yeah, not ashamed of it. But I'm also so grateful that Guru Sahib has
Speaker:path. And I feel universal amongst all the gursikhs.
Speaker:So, I mean, I should just state here, the part of contribution within the Guru
Speaker:got over 10 parts. So, you know, we all hear these words every day.
Speaker:Tal was a part, a part of typical, in English, you call them bhaats. And they
Speaker:the Guru. And every morning, in the Darbar of Guru Ram Das, you see people standing
Speaker:Granth Sahib Ji enters, and people will stand up and sing shabads. All those
Speaker:bhaats of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. So, the contribution just starts from Guru Kaar,
Speaker:Guru, that Sangat has served the Guru, and naturally has continued to serve the Guru
Speaker:day, in the form of yourself and everyone else. So, and it's beautiful how Sikhi is
Speaker:together, regardless of what our backgrounds and heritages are. Because
Speaker:kind of trying to simplify Punjab, but it's not. I mean, I say Dod, you might say
Speaker:Actually, yeah. We've all got a slight dialect difference in Punjab. But sorry, I
Speaker:want to not mention that.
Speaker:No, so I knew that a little bit. I didn't want to mention it because it became a bit
Speaker:because I've heard people talking against that as well. But this person I'm talking
Speaker:Manchester. He's done some intensive, like, you know, background, like history
Speaker:up with all that information as well. And it's quite interesting. I just didn't want
Speaker:that's fantastic. So thanks Guru Ji for bringing it to light.
Speaker:So at what point Bhaji did you go from doing a bit of Darshan, listening to it,
Speaker:personal touch and engaging with the Granthi Singh, and then stop eating meat?
Speaker:you say, I want to just explore this path, I'm just going to do a deep dive into what
Speaker:does it mean to be a Sikh? What does it mean to take Amrita? How did that happen?
Speaker:Yeah, so after a few classes, feeling that change, feeling that vibration, that vibe,
Speaker:one day, and I started listening to Kirtan Soheela, because I couldn't recite it. And
Speaker:next to me on the phone. And this is a true story, honestly. And people laugh. I
Speaker:this thing, and he says, you sure it wasn't your dad? Because I was doing
Speaker:on to my window. And all I see in this silhouette of like, what I thought was
Speaker:the windowsill. He said, it's your dad.
Speaker:I told him, he's quite a comical person. And he says, you sure that wasn't your
Speaker:bubble. I said, it could be because my dad was like, always checking up on us. But
Speaker:was, I seen this silhouette. And honestly, in my head, it was Guru Gobind Singh. And
Speaker:sign. But Jalloh, it is what it is. I could have been dreaming. I could have
Speaker:Maharaj, who knows. That went away. So now by this point, I'm still clubbing, by the
Speaker:went clubbing. Got, you know, Bum, Phub, Kich, JRCR, went to the club. And I was
Speaker:mirror. And it was about half past nine. So I'm not sure if you guys have been,
Speaker:being in a club. And in terms of not started yet. I'm looking in the mirror.
Speaker:could see myself. And I could see the Roop of Guru Gobind Singh.
Speaker:So you could see your dad again?
Speaker:Oh, I know. I could have been. He would have been following me. My dad hated us
Speaker:the way. He used to follow us and phone us all the time. So you're nearly there, BG.
Speaker:the, and I look in the mirror and I seen, and I looked at my Roop and I says, I've
Speaker:Okay, my moustache was still probably, I would say, maybe short then in terms of
Speaker:because my dand. I'm looking in the mirror and I seen the dastar. Like it was a
Speaker:samosa style dastar, right. And I used to tie my dar up as well. But I seen this
Speaker:thinking, I'm a sick. What am I doing in this kind of this impure place, you know, where
Speaker:naked women, there's smoking, and the time that was still, you know, smoking then and
Speaker:dharu and this and that. And I said, this can't be right. Like, so again, something,
Speaker:telling me something. So I just ditched my friends and cousins and I just got, I
Speaker:just walked home. I remember it was about half an hour walk. I just kept walking
Speaker:reflecting on what was going on. Like, I couldn't understand it. Just kept walking
Speaker:came home, and my singing is like, how come you're home? Because you knew the
Speaker:be home at like 12, 1. I wasn't that late because I never used to drink. It got to a
Speaker:couldn't handle being around people. Because for me, again, it was, it was
Speaker:So I got home about 10 o'clock. And you're married as well. And I was married. Yeah,
Speaker:So I got married very young. I should have mentioned that. I got married at 20 year
Speaker:So I was still clubbing up to the age, like up to this point. But it was like
Speaker:It'd be more like work night outs or something like that. And after you would
Speaker:you know, the meal or something like that. It was always kind of night outs. I was
Speaker:continuing to do. And I come home, it's like 10 o'clock. And she's like, how come
Speaker:Like, this is really early. I says, I don't know. I just couldn't be bothered
Speaker:Something was telling me just to come home. Well, let's just put a movie on.
Speaker:have some takeaway or something. She was like, obviously, kush. She was happy that
Speaker:come home and it's early. She was like, that's fine by me. Sat up in the bed and
Speaker:It's so weird. She was finding it more weird than me, but I was like, kush. I was
Speaker:home. That was my last day of clubbing. Never went after that. I decided I'm not
Speaker:And this is interesting. So I think the family could see something was happening
Speaker:because I started sitting on the floor and doing reras in the house, even though I
Speaker:read it properly. I was just sitting there with this Gutka, reading it in romanized.
Speaker:And they were like, what's wrong with this guy? But then they started respecting me
Speaker:quite consistent with it. I was consistently sitting there. I would always
Speaker:on the floor and just read Rehraas Sahib and do a bit of Simran. And then I added
Speaker:and then I added in Mool Mantar, just adding little snippets, trying to add in
Speaker:And even though I couldn't read it, I just kept just adding little bits in just
Speaker:feeling these vibrations. I continued to do that for a while on the floor. And then
Speaker:I don't know. And then I started feeling this thing like, I want to take Amrit.
Speaker:And then my dad's like, no, we don't do stuff like that. You don't take Amrit. And
Speaker:see, I was quite a curious person. So I was finding that weird. Why am I getting
Speaker:that doesn't make sense? And at this point, all I had in my Zakhara in terms of
Speaker:Then my brother-in-law, you all know, I'll mention him. It was okay, Gulam Singh. He
Speaker:and he came back with a Kirpan, like a small, like the small Kirpan and, you
Speaker:And he come back and he, I don't know, he gifted it to me. And I went around the
Speaker:went to go see them and they came up from India. And he gave me this Kirpan. I was
Speaker:So I put the Kirpan over my suit jacket because I had a suit, like a suit jacket
Speaker:I just stuck it over there and like smiling like a Cheshire cat, you know, I
Speaker:stop smiling. I've come home, my dad just went crazy. He's like, hey, why have you
Speaker:I said, but Guru Sahib was smashing it. I always say, I always say, Tan Guru Nanak,
Speaker:think about these kind of answers. And I was like, that's the same thing we're in
Speaker:That's like a Karkar as well. I'd have seen the Kirpan is the same. I know
Speaker:but that's what my answer came to me. I said, it's the same. He said, no, no, it's
Speaker:I said, it doesn't make sense to me. So I started like trying to understand why is
Speaker:And I was speaking to my wife and she's saying, you know what it is, it's because
Speaker:when you do this, no one will speak to you. And there was a lot of these negative
Speaker:things coming in. I was like, it just does not make sense. But for me, the way I'm
Speaker:not giving this up. Like I was feeling like, honestly, Chardi Kala, like that's
Speaker:word because I always say it because that's the way I was feeling at that
Speaker:the Kirpan off because I remember I took Amrit and I put it away. But then there
Speaker:programme came up and all of a sudden I wanted to wear it and I put the Kirpan on
Speaker:my dad went crazy and he goes, get upstairs, take this Kirpan off, what are
Speaker:We're going to the Gurdwara. And I was thinking, this doesn't make, this wasn't
Speaker:I just couldn't understand why he was getting so angry and upset. And you know
Speaker:come from a generation where I wouldn't question my dad. I never really said
Speaker:him too much. I just made that one point and that was it. But I kept it on and I
Speaker:and people coming up to me, are you wearing Amrit? And I said, no, he goes,
Speaker:wearing that then. I started getting all this, but I thought, why not? I felt like,
Speaker:with you, I felt like I was worthy to have it on at this point. I know I'm not doing
Speaker:way, but I just felt like Guru Sahib has given me this for some reason and I feel
Speaker:wearing it. And that was your journey or your direction of travel. Exactly. You're
Speaker:people wearing Kirpan. No, exactly. It was that. And obviously my moustache started
Speaker:because I stopped cutting it. Biting it. I stopped biting it. Yeah, I stopped biting
Speaker:like, oh, you've got a right set of bull bars on you. And I was like, she's
Speaker:I was so happy. I don't care. It's so nice. And that was it. So a lot of
Speaker:and I felt like I was getting beaten down by it. Why are you vegetarian? Why are you
Speaker:Kirpan? Why are you doing this? And I think the straw that brought the camels
Speaker:a Magadha Bana from India. I just went online and it was like, I don't know what
Speaker:could have been so dodgy, but it came. It came in this parcel. The only order from
Speaker:up in all this masking tape. I couldn't even get into it. I used the Kirpan to
Speaker:It was like crazy. One Chola and then it was like suffocated in all this masking
Speaker:And I had a Hazoori. I bought a white Hazoori with it. Oh, nice. So it was
Speaker:and I wore the Chola. I put the Hazoori on and my dad goes, what on earth are you
Speaker:They were like, the guy has gone mad. And I had my Lata out. He goes, what are you
Speaker:I said, dad, people walk about with kilts on, man. And he was like, you cannot
Speaker:wear that to the Gurdwara. Put your suit on and your tie.
Speaker:You know, one thing I would say, the Parthsangat, they love dressing up for the
Speaker:It's beautiful. They'll come really with the best shirt and tie on and nice tight
Speaker:nice and fresh and tight. And I just went with the Chola on, Dara Prakash, Garbhan
Speaker:I don't know if I had the Malla on. I'd never had my Sidha Dastar on.
Speaker:And my wife said, you better take that off. Dad's going to kill you.
Speaker:And I said, but I don't understand. How can I not wear Bana to the Gurdwara? It
Speaker:And again, I just wore it and I went to Gurdwara and I got so many bad looks.
Speaker:Like all my Phua Ji's and my Chaachis, they were like looking at me and said,
Speaker:what are you doing? You've become a Nihang Singh.
Speaker:And I said, I don't even know what a Nihang Singh was. I just knew
Speaker:Singhs wore Bana. So I was like, pure innocent love for the Guru.
Speaker:A hundred percent. That's all it was. And I just wore it.
Speaker:And yeah, I got a lot of backlash for it and everybody staring at me.
Speaker:But I never let it affect me because I just felt good.
Speaker:I felt too good to say like, I'm giving up on this. I'm not giving up.
Speaker:You know, just one thing from your story that I just want to go back to,
Speaker:when you spoke about the clubbing and how you was in the club and you looked in the
Speaker:and you thought to yourself, what am I doing here?
Speaker:Again, I think everybody knows that we're bases of Sikhi.
Speaker:We don't ever try to judge anybody in their own journeys and their way of life.
Speaker:And you know, in today's world, we do see a lot of our Sikh brothers and sisters
Speaker:going to clubs. So we would never promote this.
Speaker:But at the same time, we would encourage it,
Speaker:or support people that are going there, but we wouldn't judge them.
Speaker:And I feel like these examples are great examples because again,
Speaker:the way I look at when people ask me, you know, should I go to a club?
Speaker:Or should I, you know, listen to this type of music or dance to this music?
Speaker:My simple answer is that, would you see Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Sikhs doing
Speaker:I don't say to them, no. I don't say to them, yes.
Speaker:I just say, could you see a Guru doing that?
Speaker:And they say, no.
Speaker:I go, so that's, that's your answer, right?
Speaker:But the reason I'm saying this now is that, because you've been in that
Speaker:Where you were even waiting at the start.
Speaker:Like, I've only been clubbing once or twice when I was a Munna, before I came
Speaker:But, you know, especially, and it's the same, same thing applies to them.
Speaker:But in this case, especially our brothers and sisters that have
Speaker:more of the Roop of the Guru, the Star, Bir, you know, Dara and so on.
Speaker:What would be your message to those people?
Speaker:I feel like you already kind of touched upon it indirectly, but, you know,
Speaker:because we don't want to judge them.
Speaker:But at the same time, you know, we want to promote these places, right?
Speaker:So what would be your message to those people?
Speaker:I think you've summed it up well.
Speaker:I think definitely no judgment.
Speaker:I think it's all about PR.
Speaker:I think a lot of Gursikhs have lost that element of PR.
Speaker:Don't get me wrong, I'm very fortunate.
Speaker:I've met so amazing Gursikhs.
Speaker:They've got so much PR.
Speaker:I'm very fortunate. And that's, you know, being part of my journey.
Speaker:But I think as soon as you come in hard, you are just putting them on.
Speaker:I think it's just trying to,
Speaker:like, try to lead them in another direction,
Speaker:but let them continue doing what they're doing.
Speaker:But say, OK, you're doing that.
Speaker:And I get why you're doing it and get to the bottom.
Speaker:And I get why you're doing it.
Speaker:And get to the bottom of it.
Speaker:So I know a cousin who used to love clubbing,
Speaker:and I was speaking to him, and he goes, oh, I love the music.
Speaker:I goes, I used to be a bit like that as well.
Speaker:He goes, you ever listen to AKJ Kirtan?
Speaker:It might change your thought process.
Speaker:So it's just, I think, giving them snippets of pyaar
Speaker:and just leading them to something that they can maybe
Speaker:get a hold of.
Speaker:So there's things that I listen to,
Speaker:like a wee bit of hardcore AKJ Kirtan,
Speaker:you know, the Sharnai, the Tabla, the Kartaal,
Speaker:and things in it.
Speaker:Not judgment, keeping the pyaar, and having those.
Speaker:For example, I say, if you've got a karan,
Speaker:why are you standing in a club with a drink in your hand?
Speaker:To me, that kills me.
Speaker:When I see someone, even in my own families,
Speaker:and they've got a bottle of beer,
Speaker:and I see the karan on their wrist,
Speaker:that kills me under, I feel like crying.
Speaker:It really rips me up inside.
Speaker:I tried to use some of those things,
Speaker:but you know, it's all, whatever you do,
Speaker:if you do it with a smile, you can get away with it.
Speaker:I think that's so important.
Speaker:That is key. I think if you do that, you can break anybody
Speaker:and bring them into the right direction.
Speaker:Because it's tough, because clubbing,
Speaker:in terms of the Kalyug,
Speaker:it's a very good scene to be in.
Speaker:That's the truth. So it's trying to bring them to a scene
Speaker:where this is better, but try it.
Speaker:You need to let them try it.
Speaker:Try to get them there, it's just about pyaar.
Speaker:Bring them, even say, I'll pick you up one day.
Speaker:How many Singhs say, I'll pick you up
Speaker:and I'll bring you to the Gurdwara?
Speaker:We're all so busy in our lives.
Speaker:Even that's a massive seva that we tend not to do.
Speaker:There's something you mentioned there, Bhaji,
Speaker:which I think is really important,
Speaker:that we talk to Sangat about,
Speaker:is the idea of Sikhi is a journey,
Speaker:and you can't run before you can walk.
Speaker:You walk on this journey,
Speaker:and Gurbani says, jo sahaj pakke so meetha,
Speaker:wherever it ripens in its natural course,
Speaker:through Kudrat, you can't pick one,
Speaker:a quilla has to have ripened overnight, right?
Speaker:It sits on the banana plant for weeks
Speaker:and sometimes months, and when it's ripe, it falls off
Speaker:and you have a good old banana.
Speaker:And a quilla, it's the same thing,
Speaker:it's a sahaj pakke so meetha,
Speaker:so as we ripen in our Sikhi and mature,
Speaker:and we always talk about having mature guests on here,
Speaker:not people who are just full of positive energy,
Speaker:but have got no foundation.
Speaker:It's about having that foundation,
Speaker:ripening, let experiences ripen
Speaker:and strengthen your Sikhi,
Speaker:and test your Sikhi,
Speaker:and then you can flourish as well,
Speaker:and you can share that as well.
Speaker:And it's interesting, because you mentioned the Rara Sahib classes as well,
Speaker:so it's almost like, like you said,
Speaker:you were still doing the Rara Sahib classes,
Speaker:and you were still going clubbing,
Speaker:and to me, that's amazing in the respect that,
Speaker:like for people that are watching this,
Speaker:if you feel like you're doing something that's not right,
Speaker:like whether that's some sort of addiction,
Speaker:now focus on what you can do,
Speaker:so don't focus on things that you can't do.
Speaker:So if you can't stop cutting your hair,
Speaker:if you can't stop eating certain types of food
Speaker:or taking certain types of intoxicants,
Speaker:then start doing the right things,
Speaker:and then like, I'll be like Guru Sahib Ji's Kirpada now,
Speaker:you will stop doing those things anyway.
Speaker:Like you said, you had that moment,
Speaker:we looked in the mirror,
Speaker:I keep thinking about the dad comment.
Speaker:I was like, he killed it.
Speaker:Yeah, that was true, bro, that was true.
Speaker:That's gonna stick for a long time.
Speaker:But jokes aside, you know,
Speaker:you looked in the mirror and it was like,
Speaker:it was like, you probably looked in the mirror
Speaker:every single day, but that day it hit you,
Speaker:because slowly you're being cleaned.
Speaker:Do you get what I mean?
Speaker:So you're going through those classes,
Speaker:and I think that's really important,
Speaker:focus on what you can do,
Speaker:and then aapahi Guru Sahib Ji will do Kirpada.
Speaker:That is beautiful, definitely.
Speaker:Like rather than giving up,
Speaker:you might go to clubs and do Japji Sahib in the morning,
Speaker:rather than giving up the Japji Sahib,
Speaker:try and give up the clubbing.
Speaker:All right, Guru. You get me?
Speaker:Or just keep them both going.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, aapahi will change, exactly.
Speaker:You know, it's really funny,
Speaker:it makes me think, and this isn't about us,
Speaker:but you know the Peterborough Gurdwara,
Speaker:one that's made in a nightclub?
Speaker:Oh, that's right, yeah, that's right.
Speaker:I've been to that Gurdwara.
Speaker:Hardeep Singh and that Gurdwara.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, that one, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:It used to be a nightclub.
Speaker:Oh, really? Yeah. Long mirrors.
Speaker:You can still see the bar area, kind of thing.
Speaker:It's a really weird vibe, so.
Speaker:Wow. Yeah, it's true.
Speaker:But yeah, respect to the Peterborough Sangat
Speaker:is all for everything they're doing,
Speaker:it's all Guru Sahib Ji Kirpada.
Speaker:I think it's beautiful what you're saying,
Speaker:because it is about that.
Speaker:It's about, okay, if you are still attached to that clubbing,
Speaker:because let's be honest,
Speaker:those pleasures in life, they're dangerous,
Speaker:and they do make people attracted to it more.
Speaker:And I think it's just,
Speaker:if you're doing Japji Sahib, keep up,
Speaker:because the change will come.
Speaker:And I am witness to that,
Speaker:because I was doing both at the same time.
Speaker:But you will change.
Speaker:And then all of a sudden, things just start making sense.
Speaker:I remember, this is part of Rehraas Sahib,
Speaker:I was just reading this line,
Speaker:Dukh Daroo Sukh Rog Bhaia, Ji Sukh Taam Na Hoi,
Speaker:you know, and I read it.
Speaker:And I don't know, it's like,
Speaker:sometimes you get these nuggets.
Speaker:I end up seeing the meaning,
Speaker:it just hit me, the meaning.
Speaker:And I was like, wow, okay,
Speaker:so these pleasures, these disease,
Speaker:and the Sukh is a disease, basically,
Speaker:because people want all this pleasure.
Speaker:And I just got shocked by it,
Speaker:and I ran to the Gyan,
Speaker:and I go, I can't believe that Dukh, that's amazing.
Speaker:Like, I never knew about that.
Speaker:But I think, until you start reading and understanding,
Speaker:and if you don't, then you won't have a clue.
Speaker:So it's just continuing to read,
Speaker:and these then, I suppose it's almost like
Speaker:a light comes out of Gurbani,
Speaker:because you start seeing what it means.
Speaker:You know, that the Dukh is actually the medicine,
Speaker:because I think we have so many pleasures in life
Speaker:that we just forget about that.
Speaker:But Dukh brings us,
Speaker:gives us a humility level a little bit.
Speaker:Not in a Dukhan sense, you're crying,
Speaker:you're always upset. We all know what it means,
Speaker:but it's like, we do have too much,
Speaker:like, it's almost too much fun
Speaker:that we forget everything.
Speaker:Nothing's important. Too many pleasures.
Speaker:Too many pleasures. Yeah.
Speaker:And before we move on to the questions
Speaker:and the more about yourself and the journey,
Speaker:again, just to give the disclaimer,
Speaker:because this is Kaljug,
Speaker:and people like to twist things,
Speaker:we're not promoting Japji Sahib and clubbing,
Speaker:just in case people,
Speaker:because unfortunately we don't.
Speaker:Or Japji Sahib in the club.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Speaker:We're not promoting any of that.
Speaker:We're just saying that
Speaker:if there's something that you're doing,
Speaker:like clubbing or drinking,
Speaker:we're saying take the medicine,
Speaker:and then Guru Kirpa,
Speaker:hopefully those things will stop themselves,
Speaker:and we feel like we could never stop doing, basically.
Speaker:Well, I'm just saying that I used to do,
Speaker:for some reason, I used to do Sukhmani Sahib,
Speaker:and I remember going to parties,
Speaker:and the Jap Tap Kia,
Speaker:and coming home, singing,
Speaker:and doing Sukhmani Sahib,
Speaker:and going to sleep.
Speaker:Really weird, and I've come from a completely,
Speaker:like even, you used to have a bit of Sikhi,
Speaker:I had no Sikhi in my background.
Speaker:So it's just really weird,
Speaker:and I look back thinking,
Speaker:something, Guru Ji dea ya.
Speaker:Consistency, consistency. Definitely.
Speaker:Just kind of moving the conversation forward by,
Speaker:loving hearing you speak,
Speaker:and, so you've then taken Amrit,
Speaker:sorry, you haven't taken Amrit.
Speaker:Tell us about how you took Amrit.
Speaker:Yeah, so, practiced a couple of years,
Speaker:and then, really wanted to take Amrit,
Speaker:and I was getting knocked back,
Speaker:from a lot of Singhs,
Speaker:so one of my introductions to Sikhi,
Speaker:in terms of like,
Speaker:Sangat bhai, was Bhai Bhuta Singh Ji,
Speaker:from Oldbury, Bhai Amritdeep Singh,
Speaker:Darvi, you know, amazing Singhs,
Speaker:and, they were saying to me,
Speaker:you can't take Amrit on your own,
Speaker:because I obviously married,
Speaker:and I was like,
Speaker:alright, okay, so that's a bit strange,
Speaker:my Singh is not interested in,
Speaker:like Amrit or Sikhi,
Speaker:what am I going to do here?
Speaker:So, that was like a wee bit of setback,
Speaker:and I think hearing that,
Speaker:about two, three times,
Speaker:from Panj Pyare,
Speaker:that you can't take Amrit on your own,
Speaker:it kind of almost,
Speaker:I felt this slight,
Speaker:like decline, like, in the way I was feeling,
Speaker:because, I felt like,
Speaker:is that it? Because that's what I felt like,
Speaker:I was aiming towards,
Speaker:well, because let's be honest,
Speaker:Amrit is registration, you know,
Speaker:it's like nursery, you're just registering to the school,
Speaker:and, if you're not registered,
Speaker:you're not getting accounted for,
Speaker:so for me, I wanted to register,
Speaker:but I wasn't allowed to register on my own,
Speaker:so I was like,
Speaker:this doesn't make sense,
Speaker:and then I met a Singh,
Speaker:and, I started speaking to him about it,
Speaker:and he says, he was totally against that theory,
Speaker:he was like, you're giving your sir,
Speaker:you're giving your head to Guru Sahib,
Speaker:so, you should be allowed to give it,
Speaker:I know Singhs that won't give you it,
Speaker:because it's your journey,
Speaker:and if you don't give it now,
Speaker:you don't know what's going to happen down the line,
Speaker:and it's true, like,
Speaker:I've heard some horror stories of Singh saying,
Speaker:I'm going to take Amrit and Vaisakhi,
Speaker:and he had a motorbike accident,
Speaker:and died, and never made it to the Gurdwara,
Speaker:so it was like,
Speaker:these things were going through my head,
Speaker:and I was like,
Speaker:I appreciated that advice,
Speaker:so, he says to me,
Speaker:you know, Soho Road Gurdwara,
Speaker:Nishkam Singh, speak to them,
Speaker:I think they do offer it,
Speaker:but you've got to have a conversation with them,
Speaker:to be fair, they did vet me and stuff,
Speaker:and they spoke to me,
Speaker:and, they said, are you sure you want to do it,
Speaker:and, is your, like,
Speaker:Singhni, is she backing you,
Speaker:is she okay with it,
Speaker:it's really, so it was really nice questions that were asked,
Speaker:and you know,
Speaker:that they were like,
Speaker:asking me these questions,
Speaker:and I said, yeah,
Speaker:no, everything's fine, she's actually here with me,
Speaker:but she's, and they asked,
Speaker:will she come in,
Speaker:I said, no, she won't,
Speaker:she's away shopping, and I said,
Speaker:but I really want to take it,
Speaker:and they said, no problem,
Speaker:come back tomorrow, so,
Speaker:this was in Soho Road,
Speaker:went home, got, you know,
Speaker:prepared, woke up, and I went to the Gurdwara,
Speaker:and took Amrit in Soho Road,
Speaker:in 2009, like, on my own,
Speaker:and never looked back,
Speaker:yeah, there were some challenges,
Speaker:but challenges overcome, because,
Speaker:to respect Bota Singh,
Speaker:Amritdeep Singh, I could see where they were coming from,
Speaker:there were challenges with my home life,
Speaker:and I could understand why they were saying that,
Speaker:but at the same time,
Speaker:I wanted to be strong enough,
Speaker:to be able to overcome those challenges,
Speaker:by, again, with Piaar,
Speaker:like, saying to, you know,
Speaker:Jagdeep, my wife, saying that,
Speaker:okay, like, I've taken Amrit,
Speaker:but I'm still the same person,
Speaker:I think that's a really important thing,
Speaker:as well, I think,
Speaker:we lose ourselves, don't get me wrong,
Speaker:Sikhi does make you lose yourself,
Speaker:but Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj,
Speaker:to make sure we're still focused on what we're doing,
Speaker:and not become this,
Speaker:big Mahapurakh, that I can't talk to you,
Speaker:or I can't have a relationship with you,
Speaker:I think that does destroy a lot of things,
Speaker:and again, I don't want to go into that in this podcast,
Speaker:but I've seen a lot of things,
Speaker:lives being destroyed through this,
Speaker:because, they lose focus of,
Speaker:they are part of the Duniya,
Speaker:and Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
Speaker:put us in this Duniya,
Speaker:but it says, Jap Naam,
Speaker:while you're in this Gandh,
Speaker:and that's what Guru Sahib did to us,
Speaker:so, keep the Naam strong,
Speaker:and you'll be fine,
Speaker:you'll be floating like that lotus flower,
Speaker:on the Gandhapani, you know,
Speaker:I managed to overcome a lot of those challenges,
Speaker:so, I felt I'd done the right thing,
Speaker:and then 2014, Jagdeep took Amrit as well,
Speaker:so I took it the second time,
Speaker:which was another wee bonus,
Speaker:but wee means small by the way,
Speaker:in Scottish, in case no one knows he's listening,
Speaker:hi,
Speaker:that means yes, hi,
Speaker:okay, nice, that's beautiful,
Speaker:and it's nice to hear Benji's found her path as well,
Speaker:you know, it's taken her a little bit longer,
Speaker:and it's beautiful that you were able to inspire her,
Speaker:but she's able to see the light,
Speaker:I can say, take inspiration,
Speaker:take inspiration,
Speaker:what would you say that,
Speaker:what in Sikhi resonates with you the most,
Speaker:which allows you to be so passionate,
Speaker:and so,
Speaker:I think I just,
Speaker:I've had the right Sangat,
Speaker:I think that's a big thing for me,
Speaker:it's like, the Pyaar that's been shown to me,
Speaker:like compared to even my own family members,
Speaker:I'm definitely gonna get killed by that after this,
Speaker:but it's like no,
Speaker:the Pyaar has been like overwhelming,
Speaker:and seeing that, like meeting things that just like,
Speaker:they would give up their own bed for you,
Speaker:and you're just like,
Speaker:wow, like where's this coming from,
Speaker:and I think obviously they're the virtues,
Speaker:and the values that came from Gurbani,
Speaker:it's come from Sangat,
Speaker:it's come from, you know,
Speaker:Arre, all that just made me feel like,
Speaker:this is the ultimate path,
Speaker:this is amazing, seeing people just give up their own lives for you,
Speaker:I've seen it, you know,
Speaker:the way they'll just say,
Speaker:anything you need, and I was like,
Speaker:that was overwhelming, I've never ever seen that before,
Speaker:that kind of keeps me in Chardi Kala,
Speaker:and then, I love Kirtan,
Speaker:so I do Kirtan,
Speaker:and I'm not the best there,
Speaker:but I love doing Kirtan,
Speaker:and that really keeps me strong as well,
Speaker:I love Bana, that keeps me strong,
Speaker:because I feel it gives me a purpose,
Speaker:and because I've, like I would say,
Speaker:when I wear Bana,
Speaker:I've never, I would say I can count in one hand,
Speaker:the negative moments that I've had,
Speaker:but you'll keep hearing me saying about Pyaar,
Speaker:and smiling, because another Singh taught me this,
Speaker:a Singh from London,
Speaker:he says, no matter what happens,
Speaker:just always smile, and I'll tell you the truth.
Speaker:From London? From London,
Speaker:yeah, I know, very strange.
Speaker:I know, you're right about that,
Speaker:but honestly, I'll tell you after the podcast,
Speaker:so, so anyway, one day I was coming to my house,
Speaker:I had Bana on,
Speaker:and I'll come back to your point,
Speaker:this is part of it though,
Speaker:I come in my house,
Speaker:and I lived in,
Speaker:VG's been to my house,
Speaker:I think, and it's a wee bit of rough area,
Speaker:and there was some like,
Speaker:lads downstairs, like some sort of nerdy lads,
Speaker:and there was about three,
Speaker:four of them, and I'll come out,
Speaker:and I never feel nervous,
Speaker:because I'm quite confident as well,
Speaker:like I don't care,
Speaker:like I know I look different,
Speaker:I might look weird to them,
Speaker:but I just came out of my house,
Speaker:and he says, hey Aladdin,
Speaker:where's your magic carpet?
Speaker:And I just thought,
Speaker:okay, let's think, I could react badly here,
Speaker:I'm gonna just smile,
Speaker:and keep that, what the London Singh says to me,
Speaker:I says, oh it's in the garage,
Speaker:getting an MOT, so I'm just walking today,
Speaker:and when they heard my accent,
Speaker:they just started smiling,
Speaker:and sort of laughing,
Speaker:but not on a negative way,
Speaker:and they said, oh you from here?
Speaker:I goes yeah, I'm born and bred in Scotland mate,
Speaker:I live in Leith,
Speaker:and they were like,
Speaker:oh wow, your accent's amazing,
Speaker:I just can't match the two with you,
Speaker:what you've got on,
Speaker:I says well, that's it,
Speaker:and he goes, you know what,
Speaker:you do look amazing,
Speaker:we love the blue colour,
Speaker:and like we're sorry for saying anything,
Speaker:and that was it,
Speaker:it flipped round, these nuggets I would say,
Speaker:these moments, is what's kept me in that,
Speaker:kind of, thinking I'm not bothered,
Speaker:by anybody things, if you get a negative,
Speaker:spin it on his head,
Speaker:and just turn it into,
Speaker:like a positive, and I've tried to do that,
Speaker:with everything, I've done that with the worst,
Speaker:of worst people, and I've just turned them round,
Speaker:and says, like what's wrong with you,
Speaker:why are you being so negative,
Speaker:and then, I've heard like people who are,
Speaker:I mean over there,
Speaker:I mean VG, Harman Singh,
Speaker:we met this guy,
Speaker:he was drunk, because one of the videos,
Speaker:on the YouTube channel,
Speaker:and we sat next to him,
Speaker:and even Harman Singh,
Speaker:so much PR, and the way he changed it,
Speaker:and the lads started jumping on,
Speaker:I think we've forgotten some of that,
Speaker:some of us, and Jagraj Singh,
Speaker:Bhai Jagraj Singh, smashed it with that,
Speaker:and I think, I've got inspiration for him,
Speaker:that go on the streets,
Speaker:speak to anybody, because Guru Nanak Dev Ji's path,
Speaker:is for everyone, and that's what keeps me,
Speaker:chardi kala, I don't think about anything else,
Speaker:the politics, the jata bandis,
Speaker:I just think about,
Speaker:stay chardi kala, stay truthful,
Speaker:just keep jumping that nam,
Speaker:keep that PR, keep smiling,
Speaker:and you can change the world,
Speaker:and that's what Jagraj Singh was doing,
Speaker:and we need to do the same thing,
Speaker:kill them with love,
Speaker:kill them with love,
Speaker:my Guru, 100%,
Speaker:it's a pretty good one,
Speaker:yeah, I feel like going on to Birmingham streets,
Speaker:and I don't know,
Speaker:maybe I'm in the head,
Speaker:not Birmingham, I don't want to be in Birmingham,
Speaker:I don't think you can kill anybody with love there,
Speaker:after the social experiments,
Speaker:well I agree, that'll be Singh Bhattasar Road,
Speaker:oh yeah, see how it does,
Speaker:yes it does, my Guru,
Speaker:my Guru, just in case we keep this,
Speaker:just to give context,
Speaker:first of all, I've been on the road a long time,
Speaker:and it's a different world,
Speaker:it is a different world,
Speaker:you know, well done,
Speaker:Kirpa, Kaur Singh, you're a big man,
Speaker:oh I agree, I was there earlier on,
Speaker:and that looked a bit rough,
Speaker:so come on Singhs,
Speaker:thank you, I thank you for your honesty,
Speaker:and I think it's really,
Speaker:really fascinating, going just a little bit back on your journey Bhaji,
Speaker:did you face any,
Speaker:I know you spoke about challenges,
Speaker:from your father, and from your dad,
Speaker:and you know, how his kind of own misconceptions,
Speaker:about what it means to be a Murtari,
Speaker:and all of that coming in,
Speaker:but did you face any other challenges,
Speaker:from other people in your wider,
Speaker:within the Bhatt community,
Speaker:or within the wider community,
Speaker:your friend circle, your work circle,
Speaker:what were the challenges you faced,
Speaker:when becoming a Singh,
Speaker:and how did you overcome them?
Speaker:So many Bhaji, so many,
Speaker:I've been chucked off stage,
Speaker:I've been sworn it,
Speaker:and again, just kept smiling,
Speaker:and my mom's been,
Speaker:that you know, and like,
Speaker:they have like a Bibi's,
Speaker:kind of like, Sukhmani Sahib day,
Speaker:and she's been in,
Speaker:with the Bibi, after Jha Pani,
Speaker:and they've all attacked my mom,
Speaker:like. Because you've become a Singh?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah. Because I was like,
Speaker:going on stage, and saying single,
Speaker:Naam Japo, Ae Karo,
Speaker:Bani Paro, and I was,
Speaker:obviously I was bringing,
Speaker:some controversial subjects, on stage as well,
Speaker:which I wouldn't do anymore,
Speaker:because I don't think it's worth it,
Speaker:it's too much, takes too much of my energy,
Speaker:whether it's a meat subject,
Speaker:or whatever.
Speaker:I've bought alcohol, on stage,
Speaker:in terms of spoke about it,
Speaker:not bought on stage,
Speaker:spoke about it, but obviously,
Speaker:that can be backed up,
Speaker:you know, in the day,
Speaker:in Bani, and just beat them,
Speaker:with the door away,
Speaker:so I'm always like,
Speaker:I've bought those lines up,
Speaker:and I've been attacked,
Speaker:from that because, you know,
Speaker:Punjabis love a drink,
Speaker:let's be honest, so I've been pulled off stage,
Speaker:for saying those lines,
Speaker:and talking about alcohol,
Speaker:so I've had a lot of challenges,
Speaker:we're seeing now, if you spoke to those same people,
Speaker:who pulled me off stage,
Speaker:or shouted at me,
Speaker:or swore at me,
Speaker:they probably apologise, because they,
Speaker:you know, with Maharaj Kirpa,
Speaker:and you know, I thank Guru Sahib,
Speaker:for this, that they have that ultimate,
Speaker:love and respect for me,
Speaker:I think they do anyway,
Speaker:and hopefully, if they listen to this podcast,
Speaker:tell me otherwise, but yeah.
Speaker:No, but I think,
Speaker:you're absolutely right, I mean,
Speaker:the question to ask is,
Speaker:what, and I've heard this,
Speaker:said this loads, so sorry,
Speaker:if you've had this before,
Speaker:in what household, has been,
Speaker:has nashay, and alcohol,
Speaker:improved the household? Kere karchi,
Speaker:kere Punjabi karchi, nashay,
Speaker:patte, pangan, sharaban, all of this,
Speaker:who's benefited? Zero. Have our spouses benefited,
Speaker:have our kids benefited,
Speaker:from this? No, so,
Speaker:I'm sure as people,
Speaker:have matured in life,
Speaker:they've realised that, you know what,
Speaker:like, he's right. Jit peete matt door hoye,
Speaker:jine cheez peete hoi,
Speaker:the thing you drink,
Speaker:you lose your mind,
Speaker:apna paraya na pehchaane,
Speaker:you don't even, jab takke khaye,
Speaker:you don't even recognise,
Speaker:who's your sakha, you don't even know,
Speaker:if that's your sister,
Speaker:that you're looking at,
Speaker:with a bad light,
Speaker:with a bad eye,
Speaker:and you'll be looking,
Speaker:at your own sister,
Speaker:in that dirty eye,
Speaker:So I think, you know,
Speaker:hopefully, as a community,
Speaker:and I'm really passionate,
Speaker:about this, you know,
Speaker:and as Sangat Nair,
Speaker:was saying, nasheed shardo,
Speaker:sharaab ban shardo, we need that movement,
Speaker:back into our households,
Speaker:because no one's benefiting,
Speaker:no one. Yeah, I've been sharing a lot,
Speaker:that on my feed,
Speaker:because it's, sober for October,
Speaker:months, I've been sharing a lot,
Speaker:with family members, and things,
Speaker:and, you know, and if you don't mind,
Speaker:I'm going to say this,
Speaker:one more time, I'm going to say this,
Speaker:I'm going to say this,
Speaker:I'm going to say this,
Speaker:you know, and if you don't mind,
Speaker:I'm going to say this,
Speaker:one thing, that might help my brother,
Speaker:because my brother, one of my brothers,
Speaker:kind of drinks a lot,
Speaker:and I'm sure, he won't mind me saying this,
Speaker:but he went, to like a occasion,
Speaker:and he never had one drink,
Speaker:and that's very unusual,
Speaker:and my dad, because he's becoming sloppy,
Speaker:in his old age,
Speaker:he kind of mentioned it,
Speaker:on our like, WhatsApp family group,
Speaker:and I jumped in,
Speaker:straight away, because I was so proud,
Speaker:you know, and so like,
Speaker:anybody watching this, we've all got the power,
Speaker:to do it, and like you say,
Speaker:happiness, it brings no benefit,
Speaker:to anyone's household, so,
Speaker:if I get sober for October,
Speaker:go sober for life,
Speaker:I would say. And it just takes,
Speaker:one function at a time,
Speaker:man, one function at a time,
Speaker:one event at a time.
Speaker:That's it. We can change our families,
Speaker:we can change our community,
Speaker:and, we can save a little bit of money,
Speaker:as well. Right, right.
Speaker:It's not cheap anymore,
Speaker:either. So true.
Speaker:Just with the Bana,
Speaker:as well, because VG mentioned earlier,
Speaker:that you wear it to work,
Speaker:as well, so just a bit about,
Speaker:where do you work,
Speaker:and where you wear the Bana,
Speaker:basically. Because it's quite,
Speaker:it's a very big thing,
Speaker:and it's a very beautiful thing,
Speaker:as well, that you're doing,
Speaker:in terms of wearing Bana,
Speaker:24-7. So, you know,
Speaker:it's funny, I've got two stories in there,
Speaker:and I love telling stories,
Speaker:but I think they're really important,
Speaker:and they hopefully inspire someone,
Speaker:who's watching this podcast,
Speaker:but, like, for me, wearing Bana,
Speaker:is almost like, disciplining myself,
Speaker:like, it's giving me a purpose,
Speaker:because I'll tell you something,
Speaker:one time, someone says to me,
Speaker:so, I went to like a family occasion,
Speaker:and I was standing outside,
Speaker:I got forced to go,
Speaker:and I stood outside the whole time,
Speaker:and I entered, it was,
Speaker:but you know what,
Speaker:I've got something on that point,
Speaker:and it was, a thing who says to me,
Speaker:when I stand outside,
Speaker:like I'm talking about in the hallway,
Speaker:like maybe, like where those chairs are,
Speaker:and, and if I've grabbed somebody,
Speaker:because that's next to me,
Speaker:I could change their mindset,
Speaker:and I've maybe pulled them out
Speaker:some sort of gun,
Speaker:so, I actually find that as very like,
Speaker:like a benefit sometimes,
Speaker:but I don't make a habit of it,
Speaker:but I was standing outside one day,
Speaker:this was years ago,
Speaker:I would say a good 10 years ago,
Speaker:and I was standing in the hallway,
Speaker:and I had my Bana on,
Speaker:and this is all,
Speaker:you shouldn't wear this to like a party,
Speaker:which is not wrong,
Speaker:let's be fair, but then I thought,
Speaker:then are you in disguise?
Speaker:Because he's Amritdhari, and he had like a suit and all that,
Speaker:again, I'm not judging him,
Speaker:but I says, are you in disguise then?
Speaker:I felt like he was in disguise,
Speaker:because if I'm not in disguise,
Speaker:I goes, this must be not right then.
Speaker:Neither I should be here.
Speaker:Exactly, that's what came to my mind,
Speaker:I said, this is weird,
Speaker:he's made me think about that,
Speaker:so I went home,
Speaker:I just walked out,
Speaker:because I felt like now he's in disguise,
Speaker:and I'm not, so this is one thing that kept inspiring me
Speaker:to wear the Bana,
Speaker:and then all the positive from it,
Speaker:but yeah, it works,
Speaker:so I worked for the government,
Speaker:and I was working for HMRC for 17 years,
Speaker:and I started there,
Speaker:obviously I'm a Jawaani age,
Speaker:and wearing normal kapri,
Speaker:which nothing wrong with that,
Speaker:obviously, but I used to have jeans,
Speaker:and shirt, and all that stuff,
Speaker:and I applied for a job here,
Speaker:and I got past the SIF stage,
Speaker:and then I got asked to come for an interview,
Speaker:and I'm on Bana at this point now,
Speaker:so I'm like, what am I gonna do?
Speaker:Because I never knew,
Speaker:like I never knew what were the rules
Speaker:for working in the government,
Speaker:I didn't know I had to wear a certain uniform,
Speaker:so I started panicking a little bit,
Speaker:and then I started convincing myself,
Speaker:you know, I might go out and buy a bandage shirt or something,
Speaker:just for this interview,
Speaker:because I wanted, to be honest with you,
Speaker:I wanted to get out of HMRC,
Speaker:like I was fed up,
Speaker:So I was like, right, what shall I do?
Speaker:so I was like,
Speaker:I said, I'll just go to Gurdwar, do Ardaas.
Speaker:So I sat with the Gianiaji, done Ardaas, he done a Sukhmani Sahib as well.
Speaker:Our old Gianiaji was amazing.
Speaker:I used to love this thing about him.
Speaker:This is the first time I've seen this from this Gianiaji.
Speaker:I think you've met him VG, and he says to me,
Speaker:no point, like, me doing Ardaas, let's both do the Ardaas.
Speaker:So I said, I've never heard that from a Gianiaji.
Speaker:Normally just taking the money kind of thing, and I know it's bad.
Speaker:I'm not going to go into that.
Speaker:But anyway, stood up with him, done Ardaas,
Speaker:and he's done this really scary, heavy Ardaas to Shaheed Singh's in this Sangat.
Speaker:I was like, right, okay.
Speaker:Chalo, that's done. You know what I'm going to do?
Speaker:I'm going to wear full Neela Bana,
Speaker:I'm going to wear Chand Tara,
Speaker:I'm going to wear Mala,
Speaker:I'm just going to go and Viki Jaigi, leave up to Guru Sahib.
Speaker:So, this is to people who think they can't have a daara and have a job, by the way.
Speaker:So please, you listened up to this.
Speaker:So I walked up to the building,
Speaker:blue, royal blue Bana,
Speaker:and I knocked on the door, got into the first part of the reception area.
Speaker:And one of the ladies who was taking people for interview into the rooms,
Speaker:I says to her, I don't even know who she was,
Speaker:she just come and picked me up from the reception area.
Speaker:I says, this is me, by the way.
Speaker:And I actually dressed like this.
Speaker:Is this going to be an issue?
Speaker:Because I don't wear normal clothes.
Speaker:And then she was like, you look amazing.
Speaker:How can I say no?
Speaker:And I was like, okay.
Speaker:And I was like, okay.
Speaker:So, walked in, done the interview, Guru Sahib's Kirpa and got the job.
Speaker:Got a phone call the next day.
Speaker:So, I never buckled under that pressure.
Speaker:I just done the daas and I got the job in full Bana.
Speaker:And I was the first Singh to have a job in there in terms of Amritdhari.
Speaker:And I even got the whole of my directorate that I worked in,
Speaker:which is health workforce.
Speaker:I got to go on the media stage,
Speaker:which is the stage that the first minister will do announcements from.
Speaker:And I've done like a Sikhi talk to my whole, basically, workforce,
Speaker:which is about over 40 staff.
Speaker:And I tied my dastar on stage.
Speaker:My Singhni came in.
Speaker:My Jaapagauri got to do that to win them over as well.
Speaker:And overwhelming. They were never seen, like, you know,
Speaker:in case dastar getting tied and had my Bana on.
Speaker:And that was like the inroads into like something special.
Speaker:And now Guru Sahib's Kirpa, in 2020, just in COVID time,
Speaker:we now have a seat network, first seat network in Scottish government.
Speaker:Wow. And your colleagues, when they see you,
Speaker:you said that lady who let you in, she said you looked amazing.
Speaker:The people that you work with,
Speaker:did they ever say anything to you about your Bana?
Speaker:Nothing. So me and my, like, I love talking.
Speaker:I've also done a speech, told everybody.
Speaker:Then I've done a little, like, email explaining,
Speaker:I've got a Kirpaan on and things like that.
Speaker:Because there was one incident,
Speaker:I was walking to the canteen and my shastar must have been hanging out.
Speaker:Because I do put under my, you know, clothes.
Speaker:And it was hanging about a little bit.
Speaker:The point as it does sometimes.
Speaker:And someone told security.
Speaker:And I knew security really well.
Speaker:And they know me really well.
Speaker:But he ran up to me, out of breath and goes like,
Speaker:Have you got a knife, pal?
Speaker:I says, it's not a knife, but I have got like a dagger on.
Speaker:But it's for religious purposes and we're allowed to wear it
Speaker:under the Criminal Justice Act and this.
Speaker:And I started quoting all that.
Speaker:He's like, what are you doing wearing it at work?
Speaker:So then I had to always explain myself, send a few emails.
Speaker:Once I got all that tied off.
Speaker:And because I've had these talks and I've done a blog and a vlog
Speaker:on the internal government websites.
Speaker:So very fortunate to do that and grateful for Guru Sahib
Speaker:allowing me to help.
Speaker:And then that's obviously highlighted to the wider government.
Speaker:There's a Singh works here.
Speaker:He's got shastar on.
Speaker:And now everybody knows me and I can walk with shastar on top now.
Speaker:Morning. The shield on the back.
Speaker:Honestly, no one will say a thing.
Speaker:Good morning, Tarunveer. Good morning, that's it.
Speaker:Amazing form of Parchaar, isn't it?
Speaker:Just having the loop of the Khalsa.
Speaker:And now for those Sikhs in future that are in those circles
Speaker:or those people that work at that high level of government
Speaker:in day-to-day cases that happen in Scotland.
Speaker:You know, hopefully Sikhs will not have to face, you know,
Speaker:just ignorance. Discrimination. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:100%. What really worries me is the security guard, Parchaar,
Speaker:is out of breath.
Speaker:He's a motaja, you see.
Speaker:He's a bit overweight.
Speaker:You know what? It's funny.
Speaker:You mentioned that because one of my friends who was standing
Speaker:in the queue with me was getting a coffee.
Speaker:And he's like, if that's the guy looking after his building,
Speaker:we're finished. He's retired now, have you see.
Speaker:But yeah, no, it was interesting.
Speaker:Retired him after that.
Speaker:Oh, I grew up to the footsteps.
Speaker:That's true. He didn't die.
Speaker:Oh, I grew up.
Speaker:So basically what I want to say in terms of message from that,
Speaker:there's no excuse. You can't say I can't have a job with the distaar or, you know,
Speaker:with the daara and stuff like that.
Speaker:And can I add one thing that's so important?
Speaker:Because I'm telling you now, and this is like in this generation,
Speaker:my dad and my taiaji, they used to work on the buses and they said,
Speaker:you can't wear the distaar as a bus conductor because you've got to
Speaker:wear a hat with the pin badge and all that.
Speaker:And my dad and my taiaji, very proud Sikh in terms of like daara
Speaker:and, you know, no case cut or no drugs or nothing.
Speaker:Okay. They used to drink a lot, but very proud of their, you know,
Speaker:the roop. And they said, we're not, we're not doing that.
Speaker:This is discrimination. And we're talking about in the late seventies,
Speaker:that would have been and my taiaji,
Speaker:my dad and I fought through court and so much kirpa,
Speaker:the bus company, which is a Lothian regional bus company,
Speaker:they issued distaara to match the colour of the distaara for the,
Speaker:match the colour of the uniform and pin badges for the distaara,
Speaker:especially because they won it through court.
Speaker:So obviously gurus kirpa,
Speaker:people have been battling these kinds of things a long time ago.
Speaker:Maybe that's came from my dad that kind of like,
Speaker:I'm going to continue to battle as well.
Speaker:I think it's worth saying here that we're not knocking our previous,
Speaker:and I think I said this before, we're not knocking our previous generation.
Speaker:They did what they could.
Speaker:Thing is the baton's been passed on to us now.
Speaker:We're better educated in those many cases.
Speaker:We speak the language.
Speaker:We've got more money potentially.
Speaker:What are we going to do for our community?
Speaker:And are we going to move our community forward?
Speaker:Or are we going to be going for the bad habits and ills our parents fell for
Speaker:and just continuing those?
Speaker:Or are we going to give our kids a better opportunity,
Speaker:give them Sikhi, give them their roots and culture and heritage?
Speaker:No, that's so true.
Speaker:That's why I have the ultimate satkaar for our elders, our ancestors.
Speaker:Without them, we wouldn't have these gurdwaras as well.
Speaker:They survived. A rough time.
Speaker:A rough time. But we need to thrive as a community now.
Speaker:And we need our community to be thriving.
Speaker:Just move the conversation forward.
Speaker:So getting into Sikhi, how has that impacted your personal life,
Speaker:your relationships, your family life compared to your pre-Sikhi life?
Speaker:What's changed? I think it's been better than anything.
Speaker:I think because everybody has that respect for, not for me,
Speaker:but for the Sikhi side of it.
Speaker:They've watched me grow as well.
Speaker:Because there were a few people who were doubting me,
Speaker:thinking, oh, it must be a phase or something like that.
Speaker:And then when they see me doing it,
Speaker:because I do obviously gurdwara tours as well with schools or scouts
Speaker:or universities even. Thakur will come to the gurdwara.
Speaker:A few Sangat members have been there at the time when these visits have turned up.
Speaker:And they've kind of seen me in action.
Speaker:They've went, you know, this guy is serious.
Speaker:You know, he's taking this very serious.
Speaker:And I do, you know, just to add to that, I do a lot of school visits
Speaker:and I go to universities, colleges, police stations, fire stations.
Speaker:I've been to all places of works.
Speaker:I've even been to Shetland Islands, which is right up north of Scotland.
Speaker:I took a flight there.
Speaker:Who'd never seen a Sikh in their life?
Speaker:Which has taken me. I want to go there.
Speaker:Beautiful, beautiful place. It's windy as well, isn't it?
Speaker:Yeah, very windy. I had my chola on and I regretted that now.
Speaker:I had my jammie on or, you know, long socks.
Speaker:I had to go and run to Artesco, which is in the middle of nowhere
Speaker:and managed to get some leggings to cover my legs because it was freezing.
Speaker:But the point I'm making, yeah, so I think family members have seen that PR
Speaker:and thought, you know, this thing, he's serious about his path
Speaker:and he loves it.
Speaker:And I think that's how...
Speaker:Sorry. No, go for it.
Speaker:I don't want to interrupt you.
Speaker:And how about the way you treat them?
Speaker:Or like, have they seen the experience there?
Speaker:Have you become... I can't spell.
Speaker:But have you become, basically, have you become better?
Speaker:Have you become a better version of yourself?
Speaker:That's what I'm trying to get at.
Speaker:Have they experienced a better version of you?
Speaker:Have you become more angrier?
Speaker:Like, like. More angry?
Speaker:No, not at all.
Speaker:It's not at all.
Speaker:I'll repeat that again.
Speaker:So, have your family experienced a different version of you
Speaker:compared to your previous, pre-Sikhi version?
Speaker:What's the difference? They have because I think I was a lot more uptight then.
Speaker:I think because, you know, in Sikhi, you make these, like, indirect qurbania.
Speaker:Like, you give up so much.
Speaker:And I think because I've gave up so much, I don't, I'm not as intense as I was.
Speaker:Like, I was quite a tense person.
Speaker:Like, I loved my dara, as you mentioned at the start, right?
Speaker:The whole moustache thing, right?
Speaker:I used to tie it up really tight.
Speaker:A lot of gel.
Speaker:Clip it up with, like, a pin here.
Speaker:And, like, I'll tell you this true story.
Speaker:One day I was at work and I had flicked out, like, my beard from the clip I had
Speaker:And I went to the, and I was feeling good that day.
Speaker:I wasn't, like, a gursikh.
Speaker:And I was washing my hands in the bathroom.
Speaker:I looked at the mirror and I seen my dara was hanging out.
Speaker:I went home sick.
Speaker:Because I was that, like, I suppose vain in some ways.
Speaker:Like, so intensely vain.
Speaker:I came home sick.
Speaker:And, like, my dad said, why have you come home sick?
Speaker:And I was, oh, I don't feel very well.
Speaker:But the reality was it was because of my dara.
Speaker:So giving up all those things and not having those attachments.
Speaker:I used to love designer clothes.
Speaker:The D&G belts and the Ralph Lauren tops.
Speaker:Nothing wrong with that.
Speaker:I'm just saying, but I was, like, all about that.
Speaker:Oh, I grew, I grew.
Speaker:I actually never seen that offer in.
Speaker:But, yeah, I used to love designer clothes.
Speaker:And I had the persa for it, but not anymore because I've got a family.
Speaker:But, yeah, I used to buy really stupid things.
Speaker:Like Versace ties and all that.
Speaker:And because I gave up all that,
Speaker:I felt I put more energy into actually spreading, like, love.
Speaker:Like, talking to people.
Speaker:Interacting. Because I never had all those things that were holding on to me.
Speaker:Because I used to love my designer clothes.
Speaker:Looking sharp. Looking, obviously, the best.
Speaker:Dastaar had to be on point.
Speaker:Although I love my dastaar and I'm very proud of our cotton crown.
Speaker:I still, you know, we should have respect for our dastaar.
Speaker:We should have it on point.
Speaker:But I used to be, like, if one lor was, like, squinting, that was me.
Speaker:I'm not going out.
Speaker:You know, it was like that.
Speaker:I wouldn't even leave the house if my dastaar wasn't done properly.
Speaker:So giving up all that, it gave me all this energy, then,
Speaker:that I was able to give to family and to friends and to sangat.
Speaker:Beautiful. I'd love to spend more time talking about your journey.
Speaker:Because I think it's, you've got so much to offer.
Speaker:I know you do a lot of talks and prachar as well.
Speaker:But just thinking a little bit about reflecting on your journey.
Speaker:And then giving advice.
Speaker:I mean, what advice would you give to someone who's in a similar place to you 20
Speaker:You know, clubbing, doing a little bit of bhaat.
Speaker:Or, in fact, feels forced by their parents to keep their bhagwadari.
Speaker:What advice would you give to them?
Speaker:I would just say, like, give yourself a chance.
Speaker:Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Speaker:Like, it'll come to you.
Speaker:Seji, seji, you know.
Speaker:Just keep that pyaar.
Speaker:Keep consistency, I would say.
Speaker:Because this path is beautiful.
Speaker:And we all know it wouldn't be set any otherwise.
Speaker:It is beautiful. I think what's happened, like, again, this is my own reflection.
Speaker:Because you've asked me that.
Speaker:I feel somewhere down the line, there has been some sort of disconnect.
Speaker:Like where I think things have become so kattar.
Speaker:They've actually forgot about these guys who are looking for a bit of help.
Speaker:And that's all it is.
Speaker:They're looking for help.
Speaker:But we're like, one of the Singhs says to me,
Speaker:Taramveer Singh, when you're in the Gurdwara,
Speaker:he used to say to me,
Speaker:never sit there looking like a saree leh allu.
Speaker:That's what he says to me.
Speaker:Because if you're looking like that, no one's going to approach you.
Speaker:No one's going to ask you a question.
Speaker:No one's going to ask you for help.
Speaker:The Khalsa, we should be smiling.
Speaker:We should be, like, ready to help anybody.
Speaker:Ready to give our own chola up.
Speaker:Like, Bhai Foja Singh would give to the Singhs,
Speaker:and his Singh would say,
Speaker:where's all your brand new chola that I've sewn for you?
Speaker:And he goes, I've given them all to the Singhs.
Speaker:That's what we should be thinking.
Speaker:We're, like, walking past people and thinking,
Speaker:well, Kapre Paateinai, but we're not even interested.
Speaker:We should be saying, can I do anything for you, Singh?
Speaker:Because that, like, killed them with love.
Speaker:That is the key.
Speaker:We just hashtag that, killing them with love,
Speaker:because I think we've lost that.
Speaker:So I would say just,
Speaker:to anybody who's been in this position where they are,
Speaker:and they've got the star,
Speaker:and they're coming to the Gurdwaras,
Speaker:give it a chance.
Speaker:Add a little bit on to what you're doing just now.
Speaker:Just snippets of it.
Speaker:That's what I did, I would say.
Speaker:I think it really helped me just to add on more mantra,
Speaker:add on a choppy seb, add on chepori, non-seb,
Speaker:and holy-holy start progressing from there.
Speaker:Don't put pressure on yourself.
Speaker:I think that's the biggest thing,
Speaker:because what happens is,
Speaker:you start running so fast,
Speaker:and you fall flat on your face and smack,
Speaker:and then you give up.
Speaker:And this is what I think a lot of Singhs do.
Speaker:And I've seen Singhs,
Speaker:you've probably seen them more than me,
Speaker:heavy Singhs, you're like, wow, what's happened there?
Speaker:But it's because they ran too fast,
Speaker:and they put themselves to a pedestal,
Speaker:and then boom, come back to reality.
Speaker:We're living in the duniya.
Speaker:We need to think about it.
Speaker:Guru Nanak Dev Ji put us in this gandh.
Speaker:We are a part of the gandh,
Speaker:but let's keep floating,
Speaker:and keep like that lotus flower,
Speaker:but we're going to have to face all these challenges.
Speaker:We're not above that gandh.
Speaker:We have to accept we're a part of that.
Speaker:But if we can help someone out
Speaker:and pull their baa from the gandh,
Speaker:then that's a bonus,
Speaker:and that's all we need to do,
Speaker:is show that pyaar.
Speaker:Right, Guru. I love this idea
Speaker:of not being as sorry as you are looking to go.
Speaker:I used to be one of those guys.
Speaker:Actually, he said it to me,
Speaker:but so did my Singh.
Speaker:He says to me,
Speaker:you always look so serious.
Speaker:But I think because I was trying to absorb
Speaker:what was going on,
Speaker:but then I started reflecting.
Speaker:I said, you know what?
Speaker:She's right. So I started making an effort,
Speaker:trying to smile a lot more,
Speaker:and it helps. Lots of times they'll come to me for help,
Speaker:and they'll phone me like a counsellor sometimes,
Speaker:and even though I can't counsel myself,
Speaker:I'm struggling myself mentally.
Speaker:I have struggled in the past.
Speaker:I had a heart attack in 2020.
Speaker:That was like a real low point for me.
Speaker:I was only a full-on heart attack,
Speaker:38-year-old. I was going to give you some chocolates.
Speaker:Waheguru, Waheguru. That's why,
Speaker:I've only met VG in a recent time,
Speaker:but I would have been quite chubby then
Speaker:because that was 2019,
Speaker:so I would have been a lot barter.
Speaker:The heart attack happened in 2020.
Speaker:It was during COVID, right?
Speaker:It was during COVID, yeah.
Speaker:Can I touch on that?
Speaker:I was actually going to ask you about that.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah. No, because this is important.
Speaker:This is all connected
Speaker:because mentally I struggled
Speaker:because I lost Sangat.
Speaker:The Gurdwara was closed.
Speaker:This is COVID. This is COVID.
Speaker:And I said, what's happened here?
Speaker:Where's the Sikhi gone?
Speaker:Then I started thinking,
Speaker:all this advice I've given everybody that,
Speaker:you know, Guru's with me all the time.
Speaker:Why am I telling everybody that?
Speaker:And what's happened now?
Speaker:I'm struggling. So I started reaching out to a lot of close,
Speaker:close things that, you know,
Speaker:that I'm only speaking to on a regular basis.
Speaker:I spoke to Baljeet Singh.
Speaker:He really helped me a lot.
Speaker:VG Singh from Luton.
Speaker:I said, like, what's the Gurdwara closed?
Speaker:I can't do Kirtan.
Speaker:And he's like, just do it in the house.
Speaker:Get the kids, get the tabla,
Speaker:get the tolki. Kavinder plays the tolki.
Speaker:My middle daughter plays the tolki.
Speaker:Amazing, by the way.
Speaker:He's like, just do stuff in the house.
Speaker:And I was like,
Speaker:never thought about it
Speaker:because mentally I was struggling
Speaker:because I thought Sikhi had finished for me
Speaker:because everything was closed.
Speaker:You know, you guys were smashing it online
Speaker:and, you know, we started doing the basics
Speaker:for keeping things running.
Speaker:And I think that gave us inspiration
Speaker:to start doing some online Sangat.
Speaker:We started doing that.
Speaker:I think we got inspired from the basics.
Speaker:Quizzes, okay, man. Yeah, we started doing quizzes.
Speaker:We started doing, so every parvaar had to do something.
Speaker:It didn't have to be Sikhi-oriented.
Speaker:It could have been making a daal.
Speaker:So someone made daal,
Speaker:someone made deg. I'd done Kirtan
Speaker:because I love doing Kirtan.
Speaker:So I'd done, like, a Kirtan.
Speaker:So all my kids sat with me.
Speaker:Holy-holy, we started getting the cyber Sangat.
Speaker:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker:It wasn't as good as doing this,
Speaker:what I'm doing now.
Speaker:This is what makes me thrive in life.
Speaker:Without this, it's like cutting my throat.
Speaker:But I struggled. It was really hard.
Speaker:So then down September 2020,
Speaker:boom, sitting at my desk
Speaker:feeling this weird sensation.
Speaker:I had a heart attack.
Speaker:How old were you by then?
Speaker:Thirty-eight. Thirty-year-old. And I was like,
Speaker:what's happened here? It really, like, threw me.
Speaker:And I remember sitting on the bed
Speaker:and I just said,
Speaker:one thing, the mantra that I used that day was
Speaker:Waheguru, I'm going nowhere.
Speaker:I just kept saying it.
Speaker:Waheguru, I'm going nowhere.
Speaker:Wait, wait, wait. Waheguru,
Speaker:I'm going nowhere. I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker:Yeah, sorry. I don't know if it's Scottish there.
Speaker:So Waheguru, I'll say it in English, lads.
Speaker:Waheguru, I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker:But I said, I'm going nowhere.
Speaker:Yeah. So I was like,
Speaker:I was just like,
Speaker:Exactly. And then, I started doing Chaupai Sahib.
Speaker:And the pan medic goes,
Speaker:what's wrong with him?
Speaker:She says to my wife.
Speaker:She goes, no, he's just doing some,
Speaker:I just started doing Chaupai Sahib.
Speaker:I was talking at the same time.
Speaker:And I says, yeah,
Speaker:what's going on? I don't know what's going on.
Speaker:She goes, you're having a heart attack.
Speaker:You need to get to the hospital ASAP.
Speaker:But we're confident. What's going to happen?
Speaker:You probably got a stent
Speaker:put in this and that.
Speaker:And I was like,
Speaker:wow. So I got rushed to the hospital.
Speaker:And then, yeah, that's what I was.
Speaker:I knew exactly what was going on.
Speaker:And sat there and I just,
Speaker:you know what? I feel like so blessed saying this.
Speaker:I never ever blamed Sikhi or God or nothing.
Speaker:I never had any kind of like,
Speaker:I wasn't feeling negative in that way.
Speaker:I just felt I got another chance.
Speaker:And I just, I thank Guru Sahib for that.
Speaker:And a Singh doctor,
Speaker:who's a high, he's actually from Malaysia,
Speaker:beautiful Singh, deep Singh.
Speaker:He comes to the Gurdwara.
Speaker:He was at my bedside when I woke up.
Speaker:And he goes, Singh,
Speaker:Guru's give you another chance.
Speaker:And he says, take it.
Speaker:He goes, what you've had is bad,
Speaker:but obviously what you've done has helped.
Speaker:So take it. And I said,
Speaker:you know what? When he said that,
Speaker:I was like, I'm a little nervous.
Speaker:So two and a half stone lighter.
Speaker:You know, I tell them,
Speaker:I'm telling them this podcast,
Speaker:I've done a podcast with Habir Singh,
Speaker:talked a bit because I don't know,
Speaker:like, you know, we have this taboo subject.
Speaker:No one talks about it.
Speaker:And our Sangat feel like,
Speaker:Oh, we don't wanna talk about it and all that.
Speaker:But I want to tell everybody and through my journey.
Speaker:And hopefully through this podcast,
Speaker:as Guru Sahib's Kirpa,
Speaker:you know, massive following for basics,
Speaker:I think it's so important to talk about these things.
Speaker:You know, that's, that whole Gora phrase that a problem shares a problem half.
Speaker:There's only half when you talk about it,
Speaker:that's why it's half because you're helping someone educate someone.
Speaker:So through that, a lot of my family members have all lost weight.
Speaker:They changed their diets that,
Speaker:you know, going to the gym.
Speaker:And because they say they've done your thing,
Speaker:you know, fit young guy.
Speaker:I was quite, I was quite active,
Speaker:but my diet wasn't very good.
Speaker:If I'm honest with you,
Speaker:hand on heart, excuse the pun.
Speaker:And, but through, through that journey,
Speaker:a lot of things have changed.
Speaker:So what did they say was the cause of the heart attack?
Speaker:High cholesterol, high cholesterol,
Speaker:VG. Okay. Too much pizza.
Speaker:That's a big problem in our community.
Speaker:High cholesterol. Take that back.
Speaker:No, but look, I'm not taking it back.
Speaker:But what it is,
Speaker:you bang on, we're,
Speaker:we're, we're overdoing it.
Speaker:So we've, we've, we've basically abused the word and moderation.
Speaker:And that's what we've done.
Speaker:So go Mr. Sings,
Speaker:enjoy it. Like I'm here now.
Speaker:I'll go Mr. Sings because I'm only getting it.
Speaker:So I'll go. So one off,
Speaker:no, you're absolutely right.
Speaker:I think one of the things in our local area,
Speaker:um, he's come from,
Speaker:uh, you should get on the podcast and be fair.
Speaker:He's come from a really like,
Speaker:uh, oh, and if you listen to him,
Speaker:no, it's, I don't know who I'm talking about.
Speaker:He come from a very kind of middle class.
Speaker:Both parents are born here.
Speaker:Very well educated parents.
Speaker:Uh, doesn't speak much Punjabi,
Speaker:reads Gurbani really well.
Speaker:He has no idea what's being said because he's in Santia,
Speaker:but there's no understanding of,
Speaker:of, of the language.
Speaker:Like just parents never really taught him much Punjabi.
Speaker:Um, and I was talking to him once and he became a Singh.
Speaker:He went to uni and he can't be of,
Speaker:you know, and that's,
Speaker:went down the wrong path.
Speaker:But somehow, he turned his life around.
Speaker:And he's doing really well.
Speaker:And he goes, he goes for like so many years,
Speaker:I just thought being a Singh meant just eating out.
Speaker:Like eating Mr. Singh.
Speaker:So every, every other day,
Speaker:just going to your place and munching.
Speaker:That's all the social scene it became.
Speaker:I'm like, like, and we need to get in our little communities,
Speaker:in our circles, where I've introduced sports and MMA and that kind of stuff.
Speaker:100%. Our socials should not just be eating out.
Speaker:And not just the Singh circles,
Speaker:everyone's circles, because that food isn't good.
Speaker:We all know that.
Speaker:And you're, you're a living example.
Speaker:That food is not doing anyone any favours.
Speaker:Definitely. And I like Benji started that course,
Speaker:San, Santeria, Preet Charan Singh,
Speaker:Singhani. Like she started this movement of getting course together.
Speaker:I think it's so important because we are like,
Speaker:even go to Gurukars,
Speaker:like we're actually, it's,
Speaker:it's a, it's a place of obviously spirituality,
Speaker:but it's also a space of health and we're making it unhealthy.
Speaker:And, okay, spirituality, even that's like a,
Speaker:you know, like a borderline.
Speaker:It should be better.
Speaker:And we obviously, Guru Sahib's Kirpa,
Speaker:a lot of things,
Speaker:we are trying to make them better.
Speaker:But if those both things,
Speaker:they come hand in hand.
Speaker:You go to Gurdwara,
Speaker:it's like jalebi, samosa,
Speaker:and spring rolls, and it's all like fried stuff.
Speaker:And we're not thinking about,
Speaker:you know, Sangat's health.
Speaker:We're thinking we're doing a good thing by giving all this stuff.
Speaker:Yeah. But we should be refocusing and changing this habits and making healthier
Speaker:Yeah, exactly what you guys are saying.
Speaker:Instead of just doing more physical activity.
Speaker:And what is actual motivation and a balance?
Speaker:And again, not to do it again,
Speaker:sorry, but again, another disclaimer that we're not saying don't go to Mr. Singh's.
Speaker:Yes, please do. I respect Mr. Singh's.
Speaker:Because it's an amazing place.
Speaker:And I'm going there after this,
Speaker:by the way. There you go.
Speaker:So, and to all the other veggie places out there,
Speaker:not to get caught up in names,
Speaker:because otherwise, we might miss a name out.
Speaker:I like to do my darshan at each place.
Speaker:Guru Sahib's Kirpa. And have darshan.
Speaker:Not the one.
Speaker:We're just saying that, like we said, you shouldn't be going there every day, right?
Speaker:You know, eat food at home as well and treat yourself.
Speaker:Do go to these places because if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be able to have that
Speaker:time to go. Social spaces as well.
Speaker:Social spaces as well, which are great.
Speaker:I know I have to go to places where there's alcohol, bars and smoking and
Speaker:that we don't eat.
Speaker:So, you know, big up to Mr. Singh's and the rest of the places.
Speaker:But again, we're just saying maybe don't go every day.
Speaker:That's it. Every other day, maybe.
Speaker:Don't take my Scottish discount away because sometimes you get discount from
Speaker:because, yeah, yeah, we get the Scottish discount.
Speaker:Don't take that away.
Speaker:Now everyone's going to ask for that.
Speaker:That's it. That's it.
Speaker:That's it. That's it.
Speaker:That's it. That's it.
Speaker:Cut that out. So, as we kind of come towards the end of the podcast, I really
Speaker:if anything. But if there's one message or teaching from Sikhi that you'd want
Speaker:and share with the world, what would it be?
Speaker:Stay Chardi Kala. I would say that.
Speaker:Stay in high spirits.
Speaker:Don't let anything affect you and just keep smiling.
Speaker:You know, it's funny because when you asked the question, I thought in my head,
Speaker:what I've taken away from this podcast.
Speaker:So you've done a great job of doing that, literally.
Speaker:So thank you so much.
Speaker:And definitely WEF coming on turns all the times it's spoken about.
Speaker:It's been a beautiful journey.
Speaker:It's been a really, really fun, insightful conversation.
Speaker:And I keep smiling to myself in my head because especially when we talk about some
Speaker:serious topics, I keep thinking about the club and the mirror and my dad.
Speaker:Make sure that stays in by the way.
Speaker:I'll leave a picture of your dad.
Speaker:I'll get that. You can bring it in and do PIP over there.
Speaker:That's just like the highlight of today.
Speaker:Because I was like, bro, he's taking madness.
Speaker:He's about to say this such powerful thing.
Speaker:I looked in the mirror.
Speaker:I'm like, I know what he's going to say.
Speaker:I thought he was going to say, obviously he saw Guru Gobind Singh Ji or he saw
Speaker:in Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Speaker:So he tapped. Well, you know what?
Speaker:You're laughing because I was young and I was so like mesmerized of Sikhi and all
Speaker:kind of, I suppose what Guru said was, show me all these kind of nuggets, right?
Speaker:And I was telling this story with so much compassion to this thing in Birmingham.
Speaker:And before I could finish, he goes, you sure it wasn't your dad?
Speaker:And I was like, he just killed me.
Speaker:And I'm like, speaking so serious.
Speaker:It wasn't like, I was actually saying it because I was, I was shocked by it.
Speaker:Somebody was on my window sill and it was Guru Gobind Singh Ji as far as I'm
Speaker:He just killed me.
Speaker:So it's always been a part of the story that you thought it was my dad.
Speaker:Everyone likes a bit of comedy in it.
Speaker:A hundred percent. We're human beings at the end of the day.
Speaker:We've got to make our character.
Speaker:Bring yourself to work as they say.
Speaker:I think we're going to the quickfire right now.
Speaker:Yeah, he'll show the same thing.
Speaker:I just want to ask, is there anything else that you wanted to mention?
Speaker:Obviously the heart attack stuff, you were going to bring up, but you brought up
Speaker:That was very important.
Speaker:Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker:Because at the end of the day, like I'm starting to realize it now.
Speaker:Like I was saying to VG, when I was saying that like, no, when I was young, I
Speaker:when I was a bit younger, like, I like, you know, I put my shoes and socks on.
Speaker:I do it standing.
Speaker:Now I've got to sit down, man.
Speaker:I've got to sit down with my shoes and socks on.
Speaker:Maybe it's because I've got a bit of a beard now, innit?
Speaker:Well, I'm going to show you how we exercise and see if you can't do that at
Speaker:you're like 10 years older or something.
Speaker:I'm going to show you after this podcast.
Speaker:Please do. But yes, but the thing about taking our diets seriously, because it's
Speaker:our early twenties, like I could go, I could play football every day and I was
Speaker:Now like if I play football one day, I'm eight, I don't play football anymore.
Speaker:But you know, you don't recover the same, like, you know, you can't do the
Speaker:that we could pull off when we was 19, 20, you know, go to sleep at two o'clock, get
Speaker:up at six o'clock or whatever, you know, seven, eight o'clock and carry on with
Speaker:Like, you know, things have changed when you get older.
Speaker:So we've got to take our health seriously.
Speaker:Now we're getting to our late thirties, forties and stuff, because if we don't,
Speaker:reality is that your body might just give you a sign and it might not be a sign that
Speaker:you're healthy. Like we might be as fortunate as a good kid like you were to
Speaker:chance at life. So you know, we should take health very seriously, basically.
Speaker:But is there anything else, Sauri, that you felt like you would touch upon before
Speaker:to the quick fire round, which is really fun and there's a lot in that anyway.
Speaker:I think that's, I think I've covered everything I wanted to cover, but I will
Speaker:thing on the heart attack story, the fact your surreer is also your bana as well.
Speaker:So it has to be come hand in hand.
Speaker:We can only serve if our body's able, right?
Speaker:And if we're struggling to get up because of health reasons and Guru Kirpa, you
Speaker:no one has to go and has those health issues, nobody goes to any health issues,
Speaker:let our discipline go, where we've, you know, excess weight, cholesterol, whatever
Speaker:be, we can't serve, we can't do our part, we can't do anything, we can't do, we
Speaker:sink, eat and rance by, you know, so it's just, you know, going back to simpler
Speaker:and you know, our focus at home is big about freshly cooked food, minimal
Speaker:stuff like that. And it's nice to have a treat every so often, but it's all kind
Speaker:the diets our parents had man, fresh, simple, you know, grown things, things
Speaker:going off the point now, but we look at the back of the packet over here, no idea
Speaker:half of that is.
Speaker:I know exactly. What is it?
Speaker:I thought you know it's got chocolate in it.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Literally, you could, you know, what every single individual ingredient is.
Speaker:Oh, you're going to bust up there.
Speaker:Quick fire round then buddy, you'll keep it in there, but so it's, you know, multi
Speaker:sikhians, it's organising your health.
Speaker:So just whatever comes to you straight away.
Speaker:So favourite Eidunni? Could be your thing.
Speaker:Tarun Tarun? Tarun Tarun, yeah.
Speaker:I know he's off the scene, but yeah.
Speaker:He's good. Yeah. Eidunni's amazing.
Speaker:It's a lovely shawl.
Speaker:It's a lovely Persian shawl, isn't it?
Speaker:Oh yeah, I've heard that shawl.
Speaker:It's beautiful. Favourite barchaar katha bhajik?
Speaker:Bhajik Ram Singh. Favourite food?
Speaker:Baneer. Drink? Could be iron brew.
Speaker:Actually, Coke Zero. Yeah, I like a Coke Zero.
Speaker:That's terrible. Yeah, I'm going to get shunned by the Scottish now.
Speaker:I like iron brew, but you know what it is?
Speaker:You have to have the full sugar one to get the full impact and I don't like full
Speaker:So the diet version of it, I don't like it.
Speaker:I don't like it.
Speaker:I don't like it.
Speaker:I don't like it.
Speaker:I don't like it.
Speaker:No, I don't like it.
Speaker:Best piece of advice you've ever received, it could be as amritaariy as a
Speaker:It's a tough one actually, I think the best advice I would say I've been given is
Speaker:stay truthful, like don't lie.
Speaker:My dad taught me that actually.
Speaker:Just, no matter what the circumstances, just tell the truth.
Speaker:So what's your most embarrassing public moment?
Speaker:No, I'll tell you my most embarrassed thing, this is before I took amrit.
Speaker:Obviously I had quite, I've been told by the teacher I've got quite big eyes,
Speaker:quite big brown eyes, big eyelashes.
Speaker:And when I was young, I must have looked a bit more feminine,
Speaker:and always had my guti at the top, and I used to have a dastar,
Speaker:I particularly used to put a little handkerchief on, that's how my mum used to
Speaker:And I went to this fun fair park, and I went to the toilet,
Speaker:and it was of the male toilet, and this guy came up to me and goes
Speaker:mate, you're in the wrong toilet, the female ones are next door.
Speaker:And I was like, what's this guy on about?
Speaker:So that was quite embarrassing, I got really embarrassed by that,
Speaker:that I had to leave the toilet, but I never went next door obviously,
Speaker:but that was quite embarrassing.
Speaker:We went to Darbar Sahib at night, it was like for the Amrit Vela time and all that.
Speaker:And you know what, it's funny, I never, I only took amrit at that point,
Speaker:that was 2008 actually, but I was in Sikhi.
Speaker:And we all split up, and we started, it was too early,
Speaker:so we started doing Parikrama, we all started walking round all the Singhs.
Speaker:And I'm at one end of the Darbar Sahib, and the other Singhs are at the other
Speaker:I could see them from a distance, and all of a sudden I started getting this really
Speaker:And I just seen the Singhs, and I just saluted them from a distance.
Speaker:And I think they got the picture, and I ran home,
Speaker:but we're back to the hotel.
Speaker:Thank God, not Darbar Sahib.
Speaker:No, I ran home, and I was running down the street where the Nishkam hotel is.
Speaker:And dogs were chasing me around, and I was not scared,
Speaker:because I needed to get back to the hotel.
Speaker:And the security guard inside the Nishkam hotel started speaking to me,
Speaker:Bhaji, what are you doing, what are you doing?
Speaker:Is the journey going well?
Speaker:I said, VG, give me the key, I need the key.
Speaker:404. And he just kept talking to me.
Speaker:I said, VG, please, Benti.
Speaker:404. And he still just chatted to me, he was a very friendly guy,
Speaker:and he just kept chatting to me.
Speaker:He goes, VG, please, I need my key, I'm going to the toilet.
Speaker:Then he gave me the key and let me in, and I ran.
Speaker:I couldn't even make it upstairs, I had to go downstairs to the main bathroom.
Speaker:So that was really embarrassing, I would say,
Speaker:because it took me away from Amrita Vela.
Speaker:But I felt that I'd done something.
Speaker:I'll tell you what happened that day, and this is why you should always be truthful.
Speaker:I sneaked in the fast queue at Darbar Sahib to get in that day and afternoon.
Speaker:So Guru Sahib gave me that lesson, I would say.
Speaker:So karma can bite you back really fast.
Speaker:Listen, you went VIP.
Speaker:I went VIP. We cut lines at Darbar Sahib.
Speaker:And then I got...
Speaker:But now when you go, you'll be okay, you'll be VIP.
Speaker:Oh, I don't know about that.
Speaker:I've tried, I've tried to do that.
Speaker:I'm an old guy, but they don't let you in, they're very strict.
Speaker:If you could meet someone, anyone, dead or alive, who would you meet?
Speaker:That's a tough one as well.
Speaker:From a Singh perspective, I would honestly say...
Speaker:I know it sounds... I'm not saying this because it's a podcast.
Speaker:I miss Bhai Jagraj Singh a lot.
Speaker:I've never ever felt that connection with someone the way...
Speaker:Because he stayed with me two, three times as well, at my house.
Speaker:And the PR he showed me and my wife, it was what a Singh should be.
Speaker:She took Amrit after speaking to him.
Speaker:So I would love to meet him.
Speaker:I really feel I've got messages on my phone.
Speaker:I still look at them maybe every three, four months, maybe every once a year.
Speaker:I'll just open those messages up and see the love heart he sent me
Speaker:when I was going to join the team and this and that.
Speaker:It's like, I'd love to have him back.
Speaker:I think it's so unfair. I don't know how it works, but it kills me inside every
Speaker:That's genuine. I'm not just saying that because of basic Sikhi.
Speaker:So I would say them for that reason.
Speaker:And I'd love my gran, my gran back.
Speaker:She was amazing. She was like solid sevdar.
Speaker:Like I would love to have her.
Speaker:So I could speak to her now on this level.
Speaker:I miss her so much as well.
Speaker:We have a tradition on this podcast where the previous guest leaves a word
Speaker:for you to share your thoughts and reflections on.
Speaker:Bibi Randhawa left a word.
Speaker:Shanti. Shanti, I forgot the word for a minute.
Speaker:She left the word Shanti.
Speaker:So what does Shanti mean to you?
Speaker:I actually remember the word.
Speaker:So yeah, Shanti, for me, that sums everything up.
Speaker:For me, it's like, keep Shanti in your life.
Speaker:Don't try to run about like a headless chicken, like a blue-bottle fly.
Speaker:Keep that Shanti in your life because it's that what's going to carry you over.
Speaker:It's keeping calm. Keep calm and carry on as a Gauri say.
Speaker:So yeah, that's what it means to me.
Speaker:And what word would you like to leave for the next guest?
Speaker:Chardi Kala.
Speaker:That's beautiful. That really is.
Speaker:I think it's a wrap in terms of I've asked everything I wanted to ask.
Speaker:And I think I've gained so much from this.
Speaker:And I'm definitely sure the Sangat would have gained so much.
Speaker:Any final thoughts before I say a few words?
Speaker:I'll wrap you up.
Speaker:Any final words for yourself?
Speaker:Not so much. Just really grateful for the opportunity.
Speaker:Thanks to the Singhs and BASICS team for having me.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Thank you. And thank you for coming all the way down from Scotland.
Speaker:So again, Guru Girpa, guests travel from up and down the country.
Speaker:But for you to come all the way from Scotland because you're so passionate
Speaker:that you've got, that's not just going to inspire the people that watch this,
Speaker:but it's going to inspire us as well.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:And I'm going to put the picture on the video of Asad Darbar Sahib where I met
Speaker:It was literally like 9 o'clock, 9.30 at night.
Speaker:And I just come out of my room as I need to quickly go to one of the shops
Speaker:to grab like a little Bana for my little one.
Speaker:And I'm just walking.
Speaker:I'm like, oh my gosh, look who it is.
Speaker:It was by Taranveer Singh.
Speaker:He was one of your friends with you as well, right?
Speaker:My brother, Charan Singh.
Speaker:Oh, your brother, Charan Singh.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah. So you're both together.
Speaker:His accent is hard to understand, right?
Speaker:He's very difficult. Even my mamajis from Leeds, they struggle with his accent.
Speaker:Yeah. So I remember just meeting you guys then.
Speaker:And you mentioned it.
Speaker:There's a lot where we need to get this happening.
Speaker:So I'm just thinking in my mind, I've got the picture and it looks so beautiful,
Speaker:the way it's all lit up.
Speaker:And there's that. And now we're here today.
Speaker:We've made it happen.
Speaker:So a couple of pictures we need.
Speaker:So one of your dad.
Speaker:Happy to share that.
Speaker:You'll love it. One of you before.
Speaker:Yes. It's the end of the podcast.
Speaker:I could do that, yeah.
Speaker:I could do that.
Speaker:I've got one like that.
Speaker:I've got a beard.
Speaker:I've got one. Yeah, and a couple of those kind of pictures.
Speaker:And we'd love to see pictures of your journey, even the first time you wore a
Speaker:I've got that as well.
Speaker:I've got that. I look ridiculous, but I'll send it.
Speaker:And it's funny because I believe anything that's said in Darbar Sahib,
Speaker:then it's going to happen.
Speaker:And I'm just glad we got around to getting this date booked in and being here.
Speaker:Jibbo. But thank you so much again.
Speaker:Thank you to all the Sangat for watching.
Speaker:Like we always say, please share this video with your friends and your family.
Speaker:You don't know whose life it will change.
Speaker:A lot of the things that we just spoke about, we can all relate to,
Speaker:whether it's health, whether it's looking in the mirror.
Speaker:Sorry to get that in.
Speaker:The families, when it comes to alcohol, drinking, food, the foods that we eat,
Speaker:and just the kind of Punjabi mentality, right?
Speaker:And there's a lot of things that we can relate to in VG's journey.
Speaker:So please share it.
Speaker:If you've got any questions for VG, please leave in the comments section.
Speaker:We'll leave VG's. I'm sure you've got like social media pages and stuff.
Speaker:So we'll link those in as well.
Speaker:So if you want to ask him directly, you can message him on Instagram.
Speaker:And as we always say, if you have somebody in mind going forward,
Speaker:that you'd love to see on the Finding Sikhi podcast,
Speaker:then leave a message in the comments or just actually in the description.
Speaker:We have an email.
Speaker:We have a number.
Speaker:You can contact us and let us know.
Speaker:But otherwise, we're finished for today.
Speaker:Thank you so much, bro.
Speaker:Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Speaker:Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh