Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Official Report
772KB pdf
Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection, for which our leader is Ms Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, who is from the Scottish Sikh Council and is chair of Religions for Peace—European Women of Faith Network.
Ms Ravinder Kaur Nijjar (Scottish Sikh Council and Chair of Religions for Peace—European Women of Faith Network)
Members of the Scottish Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, I begin with the Sikh greeting Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh, which means the “Pure Ones” belong to the Lord and all victory to the Lord.
Last week, the presidential election in America was world news. World peace and justice ultimately rest in the hands of political and world leaders. World leaders have to show by example the way forward for humanity.
Today, as I celebrate Diwali, I am reminded of a leader who was not known throughout the world—a spiritual leader who, through his actions, treated all mortals as one, regardless of their religion, race, wealth or gender. That spiritual leader was Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth prophet of the Sikhs, who lived in the 17th century.
Today is Diwali, the festival of light. Sikhs, Hindus and Jains celebrate the festival. Sikhs call it Bandi Chhor Diwas, or liberation day. For Sikhs, Diwali is a reminder of standing against injustice, upholding righteousness and regarding the whole human race as one family.
Guru Hargobind Ji was imprisoned by the Mogul Emperor Jahangir on religious grounds and false charges. After considerable pressure from influential Muslim religious leaders, Jahangir decided to release the Guru, but the Guru refused to leave until he had secured the freedom of 52 Hindu princes who were imprisoned as well.
The emperor agreed to release the princes on the condition that those who could hold on to the Guru’s cloak would be freed. The emperor thought that only four or five princes would be freed in that manner. However, Guru Hargobind Ji had a cloak made that had 52 long tassels of varying lengths, so all 52 princes could hold on to one tassel each and leave the prison.
Guru Hargobind Ji became known as the Bandi Chhor—the deliverer. To celebrate his release, Sikhs lit small clay lamps called Diwas at the golden temple. The light signified the triumph of good over evil.
The altruistic act of the Guru is what is required in the world today. In an ideal world, leaders should sacrifice their own needs and their countries’ needs for the greater good—for the good of humanity. In reality, we hope that there will be at least a balance between the two sometimes conflicting demands. The light from the Diwali lamp reminds us to kindle the divine light in ourselves and see it in others and, in that way, truly recognise that we all belong to the one human race.