Looking for 351 Volunteers to take the first step

When a mountaineer looks at the peak in the distance, making it to the top must seem an impossible task.  The cold, the biting winds, the knowledge of aching muscles and joints that the immediate future holds are things that each mountaineer knows await him or her.  But then he (or she) takes the first step and instead of debating the merits of the expedition, the attention turns to meeting the intermediate goals and landmarks.  And this approach helps the mountaineer scale the tallest of the peaks.

Fighting poverty and making a change in a community/society is no different.  By working to ensure that the young children have access to good health and education, we can break the vicious circle of  poverty and under achievement. 

In  India among the 500 million people estimated to be subsisting on a dollar a day or less, the Sikligar Sikhs form a very small proportion.  Sikligar Sikhs adopted the Sikh religion during the time of 6^th Guru, Guru Hargobind Singh Ji and took Khande di Pahul during the time of Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.  These Sikhs are descendants of Bhai Ram Singh (Marwari Lohar) who would manufacture weapons for war and then polish them (Sikli means to polish).

For the services and sacrifices rendered by them during the times of 6^th, and 10^th, Guru Sahib, they deserved better care at the hands of Sikh mainstream. However that was not to be and these hard working and brave Sikhs are scattered and sparsely settled in many states of India.

The majority of these Sikligar Sikhs live in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. However they live in almost all states of India in relatively small numbers.  These Sikhs still work in metal related jobs. They manufacture knives, taslas, angithies, and a variety of other items depending upon the usage of these items in the areas concerned. Most of them are poor, live in huts (jhuggies) in unhygienic environments even today. They do not speak Punjabi and cannot read or write in Gurmukhi script. Inspite of all these impediments all members of these Sikligar Sikh Families  have maintained their perfect Sikh appearance without exception which is nothing short of miracle.

During the year 2001, Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council (Registered), India, in co-ordination with Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society, Bangalore, started a comprehensive program for the rehabilitation of nearly 350 Sikligar Sikh families living in 18 jhuggies (huts) bastis in and around 10 towns of the state of Karnataka, India. This program includes providing them permanent (Pucca) houses, sending their children to schools, opening stitching centers for women folks and providing opportunity to young male adults to acquire better and varied skills while at the same time making arrangements for them to learn Gurmkhi script and acquire knowledge of Gurbani, Gur-itihas and Sikh History. Assistance is also provided in cases of serious ailments.

Nihskam Sikh Organization Canada (Charity Number 863589651RR0001), through Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council Delhi (a charity established in 1985) has agreed to sponsor young children of Sikligar  Sikh families  to enable them go to schools and meet their educational requirements.  At present there are 351 school-going children that belong to Sikligar Sikh families from 10 towns of Karnataka.  The number of school going children of these Sikligar Sikh families is expected to go up by an incremental 50 children every year for the next 5 years. 

 The capital of Karnataka is Bangalore, India’s silicon valley.  While the rest of the children of the state are probably aiming for great rewarding careers at some of the best known multinationals, it is imperative that we provide the basic education to these young Sikligar children so that they stand a chance in their later life of doing something else other than making knives and other metal objects out of scrap metal.

 For C$ 15 a month, donors will be able to sponsor a Sikligar Sikh child to meet the  basic educational needs of the child that will  cover cost of books, items of stationery, school bag, school uniform including socks and shoes etc.  These children  are going to  government schools or Govt.-aided schools where either there are no fees or the fees are nominal.

A pledge of C$15 per month will yield the satisfaction of meeting the educational needs of a needy Sikligar Sikh child who when educated will enable his or her family to come out of poverty and educate the next generation without outside help. Please note that like World Vision and other charities the money will go to help the children as a group and not only that individual child.

Nishkam Canada urges individuals to spare a part of their Daswandh and organizations including Gurdwara Management Committees to spare part of their incomes for this noble cause.

May Akal Purakh shower blessing on all those who rise to the occasion and help  Nishkam, Canada   achieve the target of getting 351 Sikligar Sikh children sponsored for education.

 Those interested in making a donation (towards sponsorship of Sikligar children or otherwise) have the following choices: 

1.  Mail donation cheques payable to “Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organization, Canada” to Nishkam Canada’s mailing address providing your mailing address so that a tax deduction receipt can be mailed back to you.  Nishkam Canada’s mailing address is Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organization Canada, 2025 Dundas Street East, Unit 10, Mississauga, L4X 1M2.  Nishkam Canada can be contacted at nishkamcanada.org@nishkamcanada.org or at (416)-830-1313.   

2.   Donate online at www.nishkamcanada.org via your credit card where a tax donation receipt will be e-mailed to you instantly.

NOTE: Every body is welcome to visit the websites of Nishkam Sikh Welfare Organization, Canada www.nishkamcanada.org and that of Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council (Regd.), India www.nishkam.org and communicate with the organizations using their e-mail addresses nishkamcanada.org@nishkamcanada.org    and   nishkamsewa@eth.net respectively.

 “Mohan Singh” (one of the founder members of Nishkam, India) who is on a fund-raising mission to Canada (Toronto Area) can be contacted at 646-338-0380, his cell phone. Mohan Singh can also be contacted at Narinderpal Singh ji’s address, his host’s address of 1371 Whitewater Lane, Mississauga, ON, L5V 1L7 (Phone.905-858-4740). Thereafter he will be moving back to USA and could be contacted using his cell-phone no. quoted above or his e-mail address msinghnishkam@yahoo.com.  Nishkam Canada can be contacted at 905-487-2436.

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