�鶹��

Available for over a year

Today is Chabeel Day, an important day in the Sikh Calendar, which marks the martyrdom of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev. The message of today’s commemoration is to focus on a negative in a positive way. In current times, we could certainly do with a dose of positivity. Consequences of climate change, trade wars between powerful nations and fractured politics make many people understandably pessimistic. Guru Arjan was born in 1563, and he lived through a period of religious bigotry and persecution. The Guru made it his life mission to replace suspicion and hatred between faiths with respect and understanding. His popular message of religious pluralism and diversity of opinions conflicted with the rulers of that time and led to his subsequent torture and death. Despite the cruel acts put upon him, he never once showed anger towards his tormentors. Instead, accepting his situation he uttered the words: “Sweet is your will, O God; the gift of your name alone I seek”. Sikhs have taken their Gurus command and turned his suffering into something positive. Today, this act of supreme sacrifice and calmness in the face of adversity is commemorated by the serving of a cool, sweet drink made up of rose-water syrup, milk and ice – called ‘Chabeel.’ This is served freely to all people, irrespective of race and religion. A number of events are taking place today across the UK to raise awareness of the Sikh faith and you may see Sikhs distributing Chabeel and other free soft drinks in your town or city centre. The overall mood will be one of positivity and optimism, or to use a Sikh phrase, of ‘Chardi Kala’. The point of Chabeel Day is to try and seek positives from all situations. For example, take climate change, we are starting to see a collaborative approach across countries and disciplines, to re-think how we produce energy and capture carbon emissions, which will have benefits both environmentally and economically. When it comes to Brexit, the public mood about the future has been clouded by uncertainty and more than ever people seem more polarized in their views. To look for the positive in this situation, people are far more engaged and aware of the political process and political parties will ultimately be forced to work together to arrive at a solution. Brexit has also made more visible the previously ignored fissures that exist in UK society that we can focus resources on in the future. So maybe a simple gesture like the sharing of a cold drink between friend and foe alike can be more than symbolic – it can be the start of channelling some positivity.