People, Power and Politics

A SIKH VIEW ON VALUES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

I grew up in England, going to school in Sutton Coldfield with my three brothers. We were Sikhs by religion and very British in other respects. Unfortunately, I have always had a questioning mind and a sense of humour that frequently gets me into trouble. This happened in an English lesson when the teacher was going on about John O’Gaunt’s speech in Shakespeare’s Richard the Second. I felt it was a bit over the top in its description of Britain as:

This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or a moat defensive to a house
Against the envy of less happier lands

Tongue in cheek, I said ‘perhaps other countries might have different explanations for God trying to keep the British isolated’. My teacher however, was not amused.

In most countries, a similar superior attitude to others was commonly reflected in the language used. Here in Britain, those of the non-Abrahamic faiths were, until recently, referred to as ‘heathens’; Indians were ‘natives’, and the children of mixed marriages were known as ‘half breeds’. A negative attitude to foreigners perversely helped foster social cohesion the world over. A common dislike or distrust of others is a powerful unifying force!

Today we are being forced to think anew with the exponential growth in travel, globalisation leading to sizeable migration, and the growth of the internet and other means of near instant communication. The once distant stranger has now become our next door neighbour.

Change in the social composition of populations inevitably leads to an instinctive reaction to try to hold onto the status quo. Today’s concern for defining British values has a nostalgic appeal:: ‘if only we could get back to the values and way of life of the past, we would ensure social harmony and contentment’! The reality is that social and political norms have never been constant, and we constantly have to look at the relevance of past norms in meeting present day challenges. As the lines of an English hymn remind us:

New occasions teach new duties; time makes ancient good uncouth
They must upward still and onward, that keep abreast with truth

The challenge for all of us today, is how to preserve identity and community cohesion at a time when the very ingredients that define a community are themselves changing. This brings us back to the quest for distinctly British values to underpin today’s society. The question is what are these values?

In the past, British values were based largely on Christian ethics; but how do these fit in with changes in society over time, or the presence in Britain today of large numbers of people of different faiths and cultures.?

Similar concerns over erosion of values and loss of identity were expressed in India at the time of Guru Nanak some 500 years ago. The largely Hindu population had been rapidly over-run by Islamic incursion from the North. Hindus felt that their values were being destroyed. The more devout Muslims were equally concerned about what they saw as the idolatrous ways of those about them. How could the differences of belief, culture and practice be bridged or reconciled with claims and counter claims of superiority and special relationships with the one God of all humanity?

It was against this difficult background that Guru Nanak set out his vision for a just and enlightened society that went beyond race, religion or national boundary. In his very first sermon he declared:

Na koi Hindu; na koi Mussalman

That is, in God’s eyes there was neither Hindu nor Muslim, and by today’s extension, neither Christian Sikh nor Jew. He declared that God was not in the least bit interested in our different religious labels, but in what we did, and how we behaved particularly to the weak and oppressed and others around us. It is important to realize that right from the outset. Guru Nanak was looking well beyond national values to common global ethical guidance that should underpin all societies everywhere at all times.

Respect for other ways of life, and other paths to God, follows naturally from Sikh belief in a common humanity and our common responsibility to care for one another and the Creation of the one same God. Respect for other religions goes well beyond the common meaning of the word’ tolerance’ to an obligation that, following the brave example of Guru Teg Bahadhur our ninth Guru, we should be prepared to give our life in standing up for another’s right to worship in the manner of their choice, even though we may not agree with such beliefs.

I found this spirit of inclusiveness prevalent in meetings of the Lambeth Group of religious representatives from the major faiths that met regularly at Lambeth Palace to plan celebrations of the new millennium. We were reminded, how in the 20th century, more people had died in war and violent conflict than in the rest of recorded history. We were asked to suggest ethical values that would guide us into a more peaceful new millennium. We drew on the teachings of our different faiths and came up with the following:

• Showing concern for others
• Putting rights before responsibilities
• Considering the implications of our actions on future generations
• Putting principles before expediency or mere pragmatism
• Celebrating diversity, encouraging mutual respect and tolerance

These values are similar to the Sikh teachings described above and are reflected in the teachings of all our major faiths. The stress on tolerance and respect reminds us of the important role that Britain has traditionally played in giving refuge and welcome to those fleeing persecution in other lands. Rather than look nostalgically back to what was an ever changing past in a world of rigid boundaries and superior attitudes to others, we in Britain should give a lead to the rest of the world in embracing and promoting the universal values described above; guidance that has now become a necessity for harmonious living in the complex and interdependent world of the 21st century.

Dr Indarjit Singh is the Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations (UK) and editor of the Sikh Messenger.