Down Memory Lane (ਅਭੁੱਲ ਯਾਦਾਂ 1) You Sikhs Are Different
A living spirit possesses the whole Sikh people, and the impress of Gobind has not only elevated and altered the constitution of their minds, but has operated materially and added amplitude to their physical frames. The features and external form of a whole people have been modified&hellip He effectually roused the dormant energies of a vanquished people&hellipHe filled them with a desire for social freedom and national ascendancy.
(J D Cunningham History of The Sikhs 1985 ed., p 75)
On arrival in the UK in August 1960, I started a correspondence course to qualify as a Chartered Secretary, a company law professional. The choice was due to personal circumstances. Otherwise, I was a student of science at school in Malaysia and pre-university science student at Khalsa College, Amritsar.
Accordingly, when I joined the UK Civil Service in December 1962, I opted for work as a case clerk in the Insolvency Service Division of the then Board of Trade and later transferred to the Solicitor&rsquos Department as a prosecution clerk. Legal civil service experience of 5 years was accepted towards Chartered status which I received in 1968. Led by destiny, I continued in different departments of the service until retirement in June 1996.
On the first day when I joined the Insolvency Service in December 1962, I received a call to see Mr Ernest Sherwood, Official Receiver for the High Court of Justice. I knocked on his office door and heard a loud Come in which sounded more like a command by an officer on the parade ground. I opened the door and saw Mr Sherwood sitting behind a large table. From his upright appearance it was clear that he had served in the army.
He smiled on seeing a full identity tallish Sikh in grey suit and white turban. He walked over to shake my hand. I did not expect such a warm reception nor did he expect to see a turban-wearing Sikh those days. (There were hardly 5 turban-wearing Sikhs in Slough, the town I first came to.)
Mr Sherwood had served as an army officer in World War II, commanding Sikh and Gurkha units. He asked me to sit down. What was meant to be a few minutes introductory meeting prolonged into over half an hour and he told me of some interesting experiences with the Sikh soldiers to show why Sikhs were different from other Indians.
World War II Veterans Would often say: You Sikhs Are Different! That is a view I have heard many times over the years. Upright Sikh character has been appreciated. Sikhs never beg but share with others and contribute to the economies wherever they live.
Apparently, Mr Sherwood knew quite a lot about Sikh history and Anglo-Sikh relations. No matter what rank or position, a Sikh would not allow himself to be pushed around. On one occasion, Sikh soldiers under his command refused to be treated like coolies when asked to carry luggage for white soldiers. The response from the Subedar in own English was: Sahib, we carry own things they carry their own things! We not coolies! Apparently, other Indian units had no such qualms. Mr Sherwood showed much interest in my plans for the future and approved the course of studies I had undertaken.
Even during those challenging times for identity Sikhs, we received appreciation. We owe much to Sikh identity and heritage, a gift of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Gurmukh Singh OBE
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurmukh_Singh_OBE