Are you a Bob, Mickey, Dolly, George and Wally?

Pyare jio, are you a Bob, Mickey, Dolly, George and Wally?

You may think it is a strange question. So let me explain.

What is it with the nickname culture in Sikhs? We may expect it in punjabi youth, and non-punjabi youth, but not Gursikhs. Today Kamaljit singh becomes kam, bhupinder singh becomes puppy or bob, Amandeep singh becomes wally, darshan kaur becomes dolly, sukhvinder singh becomes sukhi, etc. Infact the sangat is full of Steven, Goerge, Phulloo, Geeta, Sukhi, Deepa, kamli, and so forth.

It may be hypoctical of me, because in my mona days, I also was regularly referred to as Jag. But the day I took Amrit, my father specifically said to all my friends and relatives, that I am now Amritdhari and only my Gursikhi name is to be used. So since it has always been Jagjit Singh.

Sometimes I feel I am the only one in the UK sangat who always trys to call every Gursikh by there full name. Some youth have even tried and make a nickname for me. But I will never respond to any name other than Jagjit Singh. Sometimes if in the mood, then I will also give them a roasting for even trying to give me a nickname.

We go to so much effort when a child is born to give them a Gurmat name from the Sahib Siri Guru Granth sahib. There is a deep reason for this. The name of a Gursikh is very reflective of thier personality and jeevan. Think about it, does not Bhai Jeevan Singh have a Jeevan, did not Bhai Rama Singh become one with Rama, or even lets look back at the names that Sahib Siri Guru Gobind Singh ji gave his Pavittar Panj Pyares, or his Sahibzades. Just go through them in your mind, and they will bring a smile to your face, lalli to your cheeks, a warmth inside and a cool calm to your mind. Their names bring their jeevans to your mind.

Sir William Shakespear wrote - "What is in a Name?" There is so much in a name. Your personality begins with your name. When we hear the name darshan kaur, she should so amazing in her jeevan that all wish to do her darshan, when we hear the Gurdip Singh, he should have the light of Waheguru shining from his face.

Youth today, put so much emphasis on rehit and bana. This is because it sets your personality as a Gursikh. Your dumalla is high and has the pride of royalty. But then if you ask his name, the veer says, my name is bob, dave, george, puppy, sukhi, or Wally. Then it all falls apart. Instead if he says my name is Bhupinder Singh, Dalvir Singh, Gurmit Singh, Sukhjit kaur, or Amandeep Singh, then it fits.

At a old Khalsa camp, I met a Gursikh called Khaniya Singh. During the camp, I witnessed him doing seva, and my heart just said, the name fits.

It takes just as much effort to say the full name as it does the nickname. It is just our lazy minds, or the fact we think we may be "cool" that we use these. This is completely wrong. There is nothing "cool" about it. In fact it is highly disrespectful. What will happen in 20 years, what will our kids says.

Singh says "Veer ji, who did seva in the Panj Payes at the samgam?"
Bibi ji replies, "I think it was "Dick singh, Dally Singh, Tip Top Singh, Wally and puppy".
Singh ji, "Did Satta do keertan or was Mini, bhini, vinny, and ruby?"
Bibi ji replies, "no, we should listen to bani not the keertani, but the keertani was dolly kaur."

Pyare jio, we talk about assols. But these are real basics. Every Amritdahri should only use their full Gurmat name, and more than that build a jeevan reflective of that name blessed by Guru Ji.

In Gurmat, there are no shortcuts, and in our Gurmat names we should not start the bad habit of shortcuts. It all starts here, one shortcut leads to another , to another, to another, then we wonder why do I have nothing?

For all the Gursikhs, who I may have offended by using thier names in this post. You may be upset with me, but please, it is me who has offended you, or it you who answer to that name when others call you it. If so then it is you who has disrespected yourself. Or maybe you have not figured out that when someone gave you that name, they were actually taking the mickey out you

For an amritdhari, disrespecting your Gurmat name, should be like someone trying to knock your datsaar off. In the old days, people had so much respect for Singhs and Singhnia, that they always put Sardar and Sardani before their name, and always used their full name. Now them very names have become Satta and batta, Rinku and Tinku.

If you use a nickname, then do ardas today, that Guru Maharaj bless me that never again may I answer when my full name is not used, and let me build a jeevan reflective of my name.

Jagjit Singh