Don't be scared, he's a Sikh । ਡਰੋ ਨਾ, ਉਹ ਸਿੱਖ ਹੈ...

I was going for an evening walk a week ago, wearing my usual Gurmukhi Bana (traditional Sikh attire). When I got to one road, I was walking and on the side was a house where young children were playing in the front yard. I was wearing my large Kirpan without it being covered with a jacket or cardigan. The children, who seemed aged 4 and 6 years old, saw me and got scared. One of them while pointing at my Kirpan said, "Look, what that man's got!" The other said, "he's got a knife!" 

I stopped, so I could respond to the children. However, the children's elder brother, aged about 10 years, looked at me and then looked at his brother and sister with a smile, and said, "Don't be scared, he's a Sikh." I was shocked to hear this. He went on to say, "He's not got a knife, it's part of his religion and is part of his special uniform... Sikhs are nice people." I said, "how do you know this?" He replied, "You came to our school and gave a talk early this month... I go to Dashwood School..." I then recognized the child. 

The younger children stopped being scared and started to smile and said, "Can you please get it out and show us? Please!" I assume to silence his now excited siblings, the eldest boy told them, "It's not a real dagger, it's just a cover and handle. There's nothing to see. It looks cool though." His response calmed the children down, and I said I had to go now. They all said bye and waved at me. 

I was amazed at how effective a simple school visit could be. I would urge all Sikh brothers and sisters to visit schools and engage with the local community, so barriers of ignorance that lead to fear can be removed.