Video: Shaheedi Week commemorated at Oakland Gurudwara

Sikhs across New Jersey gathered in solemn prayer and devotion at houses of worship such as the Guru Nanak Mission Gurudwara in Oakland in late December to commemorate Shaheedi Week. The somber occasion marks the martyrdom of the four sons of the Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh as well as his mother. They are all revered for making the ultimate sacrifice for the principles of justice, faith, and righteousness.

To learn more about what the commemoration means to young generations of Sikh Americans, I visited the Guru Nanak Mission Gurudwara and spoke to congregants:

Video transcript

Livleen Singh, organizer: This is when the Guru's sons were sacrificed, and this is a very poignant part of our history. Where, young five and seven-year-old kids were tortured. Not just killed — They were tortured before they were killed — before they were bricked alive. And the other two elder ones went into battle and fought for all Sikhs. And Guru Gobind Singh Ji, our tenth master, didn't say, “Okay, keep my kids to the side and all you guys go and fight.” He treated all of his Singhs and Kaurs as his kids.

Barninder Singh, Sikh parent: So Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh were the older ones, and they gave their life in battle. Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were asked to give up their Sikhi. And they said, “We're not gonna give up our Sikhi,” so they were bricked alive.

Japnaam Singh, Sikh child: They were all really brave and did a lot for us.

Amolak Singh, Sikh child: They didn't for once think “I don't know about this.” They were all the way.

Ajaivir Singh, Sikh child: And it feels very empowering to be associated with them.

Pashi Malik, Sikh parent: We wanted to make a point to bring our kids to gurudwara today to also show them we also have a holiday. We are remembering the Char Sahibzade.

Divia Malik, Sikh parent: And our kids, we encouraged them today to do keertan for one of the first times with the sangat. It was a special moment for them. Our kids are not that much younger than some of the shaheedis that we're talking about right? And so, I think having them understand that even though you're small you're mighty, you have a lot of power in you.

Amrita Kaur, Sikh parent: On a larger scale of humanity, every faith gets to practice because Guru Sahib put a kibosh on it then. Like no more. No more suppression of any kind to any faith. So really it's not just us who should be celebrating, but anyone in humanity who knows the story should be celebrating because the freedom was given for every faith.

Livleen Singh, organizer: We do not claim that we are the only way to God. We accept the presence of other religions. We accept that other prophets came to this land. We're not looking to convert anybody, but we want to basically be allowed to practice our religion. And our religion is a beautiful religion. The last line in every prayer is, “Nanak naam chardi kala Tere bhane sarbat da bhalla.” We're asking for blessings and coverage and safety for all of the entire universe, not just us.

Joti Rekhi, Central Desi fellow: And I'm going to be creating much more content like this in the months to come as a video fellow. So make sure to give me and Central Desi a follow to stay in the know. And I'm always open to suggestions about what the Desi experience is like for you in New Jersey, so feel free to drop me a line with any suggestions on what I should cover next.

Joti Kaur Rekhi is the inaugural video reporting fellow at Central Desi. She is a veteran local news anchor and reporter who recently launched her own production company, Harjan.

Upcoming events this week

January 9 - An Open Discussion on Domestic Violence
6:30-8:30 PM
Central Jersey Community Center
80 Cottontail Lane (2nd Floor)
Somerset, NJ 08873
This meeting is for women 18+ who want to learn more about how domestic violence affects our communities. Can you spot the signs? What do you say if someone needs help? What resources are available? Find answers and support at this talk hosted by Central Jersey Community Center and Give Her SPACE in collaboration with Wafa House. Register here.

January 10 - Music Night at Chashni
7 PM
Chashni Cafe
349 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
Grab a cup of chai and enjoy live music featuring Harleen Kaur, with Himmat Singh on tabla, and Pranav Shikarpur on flute. Due to limited capacity, RSVP is required.

January 10th & 11th - Buttercream Basics Class
10 AM
Bridgewater
NJ baker Mehru Khan of @mk_cake_decor is hosting a cake decorating class. Hindi, English, and multilingual speakers are welcome to practice buttercream foundations and advanced techniques. Ages 14+. The class costs $150. Contact Mehru directly to register at 732-841-0927. See the flyer here.

January 11th - Muslim Heritage Month Cultural Expo
12:00-8:00 PM
Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe
100 Frank W Burr Blvd. Teaneck, NJ 07666
Stop by to browse a bazaar, enjoy food, local vendors, cultural performances, panel discussions, and more.

Have an event you’d like us to share? Complete this form.

Reply to this email to chat with us, or join the conversation on Instagram.

Support our efforts by becoming a member or inviting a friend to subscribe. Let's make this a place for all Desis regardless of background, class or creed. ❤️