Have we failed? Our political leaders have betrayed the youth. Look around yourself! See the dirt and squalor that has spread around us in the shape of Gurdwara fights, the ritualism in places of worship, the anger, greed and jealousies prevalent amongst the Sikh masses in general. One is dismayed how our youth are becoming patit by cutting off their hair; look at the outdated system of prachar done by our Gurdwara granthis and katha vachaks, or the marriages our Sikh girls are contracting with non-Sikhs, and, most importantly, the discard of the Sikh way of life by the Sikh parents and elders.

Who shall clean this dirt and squalor? Will our leaders do it? Or, will the members and president of the S.G.P.C. do it? They have become so much attached to their seats of power that it is beyond their capacities to take such drastic measures which shall either end in their outsers or they be finished by those having vested powers!

What is needed today is an inquilab! A revolution, that too by the youth. Nothing short of an overhaul will do. Older generation talk a lot, but do little. Talking is of no use unless - and until one starts implementing the ideas and precepts taught to us by the great Gurus and their 500 years of moral tradition.

To start with, immediate steps will have to be taken to transform our gurdwaras into centres of dynamic activities. How can it be done? With the present set-up of the Gurdwara working committees which comprises of uneducated Sikhs and the office bearers having dubious characters, it is impossible to bring in any drastic changes!

This means that we have to change the present set-up, or else nothing can be done! To change the present set-up new rules and guidelines have to be made and implemented. Let us start with the committiees formation. Minimum qualifications have to be set up.

Let every committee member be within 25 to 50 years, at least a graduate. The president and vice-president should be 40 to 60 years, preferably with post-graduate degree in Sikh history and religion. The Gurdwara secretary may as far as possible be 35 to 50 years, possibly a commerce graduate or management graduate, with a diploma in secretarial practice. Likewise ,the treasurer too should be a commerce graduate with experience in accountancy. Other members, if older, should be wellversed in Sikh history and of clean reputation. The general eligibility criteria for all the above posts shall be an Amritdhari practising Sikh.

The eligibility criteria for life membership shall be a "saabat surat" Sikh. The patit may be given provisional membership without enjoying voting rights.

Elections to the Gurdwara Committees should be held every two years and the life members of the Gurdwaras be eligible to vote, with the criteria of minimum educational qualification of higher secondary level.

All the Gurdwaras, say in Kolkata, or any particular city or town, shall be allotted the areas from which the Sikhs can take up membership. Let us take the example of the city of Kolkata which has the following main gurdwaras:

Gurudwara Behala: Alipore, New Alipore, Behala, Parnasree, Joka, Tollygunge, Garden Reach, Hastings and Kidderpore

Gurudwara Jagat Sudhar, Kalighat: Kalighat, Chetla, Lake Market, Southern Avenue.

Gurudwara Garcha: Ballygunge, Gol Park, Jadavpur, Kasba and Garia.

Gurudwara Dunlop: Shyambazar, B.T. Road upto Titagarh, Belghoria and Cossipore.

Gurudwara Bada Sikh Sangat: Burrabazar: Burra Bazar, Dharamtolla, Central Avenue, College Street, Bow Bazar and Sealdah.

Gurudwara Sant Kutia: Bhowanipore, Theatre Road, Park Street, Elgin Road, Lansdowne, Lower Circular Road from Moulali to Chowringhee, Ashuthosh Mukherjee Road and Free School street.

Gurudwara Dum Dum: Dum Dum, SaltLake, Lake Town, V.I.P. Road and Eastern Bypass.

The advantage of having primary memberships shall be many. One, that a ready mailing list shall be prepared to send literature, CDs, etc to all the members. Along with that, in times of emergency the Gurudwara shall be extend any help required like in the case of the 1984 tragedy. The attendance and involvement of the Sikhs shall be increase tremendously provided programs are devised and executed to suit youth needs.

Gurudwaras have to become centers of activities in all spheres. In order to create interest and invilvement of the Sikhs, libraries, reading rooms, gymnasium, indoor games, cyber cafe, etc. have to be made so that the youth can be attracted. Along with this whatever shabads be read in the Gurudwara, a print-out of the same with an English translation be given to the attending Sangat so that our Guru’s message be made clear to all.

Moreover, Kirtan, Panjabi language classes, Sikh history and music classes be made mandatory for all Sikh children and certificates or diplomas be awarded to the successful participants. For this, proper courses have to be made and chalked out. Singing of shabads in their proper raags at the proper times should be taught which is very much laking in today’s times.

The Gurudwaras have to look after the cultural aspects of the Sikhs too. Bhangra and Gidda classes should be held along with the Gatka classes which shall help the Sikhs to learn the traditional martial arts of the Khalsa!

All Sikhs read daily in the Ardas, "Sarbat da Bhala", yet unfortunately this sewa is limited to extend support to the present day Gurudwara activities. Our attitudes have to change. Sewa has to be extended to humanity at large through the setting up of free clinics in all the gurdwaras, extending monetary help to the needy Sikhs, in particular for education, taking up community service projects in orphanges and similar charities and extending vocational help to the women in particular so that they also adopt the teachings of Guru Nanak, i.e. Kirat Karna and Wand Chhakna. If Sikhism is only applicable to the males then women need not work and give charity. If Sikhism is applicable to the women then they have to come out of the clutches of economic slavery of their husbands and fathers! Until and unless Sikh women uplift themselves economically, the general upliftment of the Sikh community shall not be possible.