Things got worse. The bravery of the girl was outstanding as she ran to the side of the fallen gentleman and tried to raise his head. Blood then smothered her hand. She was wearing a sky white woollen coat staining it was the last thing on her mind, her focus along with the others was to help. The police searched the man’s trousers for any sign identity, for example a wallet or medical card. An identity chain/ bracelet was also not located. There was a thought at one time that he maybe epileptic but no information was found to lead anyone to this conclusion. The gentleman continue to shake and would occasionally let out a burst of blood and air from his mouth. His head was kept by the girl and I raised slightly. For a moment I wondered how much people knew about first aid.

The guard then reappeared with a full size first aid kit that appeared to have never been opened before. The situation then worsened. Although the fallen man’s jumper, shirt and tie was loosened he was gurgling and his face turned purple. He occasionally made a groaning noise and gasped for air. After five minutes it appeared that his pulse stopped together with visible signs of not breathing.. Collectively he was pulled into the resuscitation position and given CPR. He didn’t make it…

As he lay there motionless, somebody placed a newspaper over his face, although one could argue there was nothing else available.

Passengers were asked to leave, the train was going no where for a while. The only thing that had gone anywhere was the dead man’s soul. I hope to a place of peace.

Imagine, he had got ready to go the office/wherever in the morning and knew nothing of his fate or as one of the policemen put it, ‘when your time is up, it is up’. During the day the event started to sink in. Life is precious and in our day to day interaction with its bustle we can forget that it can be over in an instance. We may occasionally remember the importance of life but this thought has the potential to be superseded / clouded by distractions of materialism and selfish actions.

When you get this close to seeing a death it makes you wonder that all you take with you is what you did in life. One of my favourite films is Phenomenon. The movie is atmospheric but more importantly at the end of the movie John Travolta suggests that after he has eaten an apple he will take the energy with him when he dies. What this implies to me is life experiences, knowledge gained and the good that you do enhances your soul – it is these items that will travel with you.

It is not too late to do good and be good.

I thought we all paid our taxes not to watch reality TV but to be educated with commentary based on real life events. History tells us that during World War II and the bombing of selective cities in the UK by the Germans the UK media was extensively controlling (by the Government of the day) the release of information to ensure that sprits would be kept high, panic low and a spirit of defiance to the enemy (this was in a way a ‘spin’).

On another note, recently, the BBC were accused of disrespecting the importance of religion and although they produce a wide a varied set of programmes, it is the content of programmes that are not labelled as religious that need to be monitored. For example, who is checking what is being said about religious groups or mis-guided storylines in plays?

In recent years programmes such as ‘Heaven and Earth’ are shown to feature different religions and occasionally their customs. This is a move in the right direction but mainstream scheduling is not allowed to be interfered with. The BBC appears to slot religious programmes in the early Sunday morning or early Sunday evening broadcast slots. You are lucky if you get to see any religious programmes during the week, unless there is a late night daily broadcast to coincide with a religious period for example Ramadan for the Muslims.

In summary, although some ethnicity has entered the broadcasting world, for example you only have to look at the excellent presenters on CNN (from Atlanta USA) or both the BBC and ITV channels, the broadcasting agenda has not changed for either general entertainment or religious observance. A lot may also be connected to who is in power in terms of the ‘heads’ of media corporations, links to marketing and political positioning.

Unfortunately, I also fear for the Blogging world – Recent articles reveal to me that it is also about to become commercialised – with organisations establishing themselves as outlets of so called independence or independent thought!

One way to help get a ‘clearer picture’ (sorry about the pun) is to use the mechanisms that exist at media corporations. They need to know that many are not happy about the way some aspects of license fee are used. If we want value we need to ‘keep the faith’, work hard to write and fight for a greater presence of true reality not ratings.

However, I have difficulty in coming to terms with the report that the general public (what does that mean?) stood outside the venue in the freezing cold for several hours to spot the stars or celebrities. This is a topic that I have written about before but it is something I feel very strongly about. Just because certain people have musical talent does this make them role models? The answer has to be no. It is almost as if society has moulded itself into a hierarchical existence. The 5% at the top appear to be chosen through inconsistent, contradictory and glamorous criteria.

Interestingly, the BBCTV (UK) has been broadcasting a terrific series on the developing city of Dubai called Dubai Dreams. Dubai is now a leading tourist resort and has had a major infrastructure and construction development for the last 20-30 years. Their shiny skyline shows years of investment and new settlement. When I visited Dubai a few years back the roads were clean with drivers seriously adhering to traffic disciplines. The sand was white, the people were friendly, the hotels and shopping centres were plush and the tours are extremely fun. With regard to the latter, if you ever visit do take the sand safari trip (NB only if you love 4 wheel drive jostling). Last nights episode featured an American lady originally from Seattle who had married an Arab and had spent the last 20 years in Dubai. She is also passionate about helping children and many women that may have been caught-up in the unfortunate net of trafficking humans and abuse.

The pace of the programme was fast as it attempted to keep-up with this lady’s support activities: rescuing children, setting-up a shelter and meeting-up with the Body Shop founder to collaborate to support its charity. In my mind this is an example of commerce coming together with Charity. It shows us that there is another way to help people. Clearly, government support is also essential but many selfless volunteers are not appreciated. One of the questions asked by the Body Shop founder to this lady was, ‘Do you have a web site’? The answer was no. Hey! Clearly a web site could help but the situation on the ground is the true reality.

It is the same with the Pakistan relief fund. Only $120M of the overall pledged amount has been received.

We are in a society of contractions. A night out at the theatre or rushing out to watch the latest Harry Potter is a sense of escapism from the reality of life. I’m certainly not suggesting guilt or the removal of personal pleasure. I would like a society where true heroes are acknowledged and the theme of equality rises high in our minds, motivating us to help others and support those that challenge evil.

Last week I was shocked to hear that one of the founders and producers of ‘Have I got news for you (UK BBC1 TV) died of passive smoking at the age of only 45. Statistics, facts and preventative approaches through numerous anti-smoking campaigns are continuing to fail.

Interesting, although commercial advertisements have now been banned for both smoking and alcohol, the use of these substances continue to be featured and glamorised in plays, movies, situation comedies and during chat show banter. For example American comedies often depict the smoking of cigars as a way of showing opulence or a decedent lifestyle. Clean and ethical living is positioned as boring and the domain of the weak. Could it be that the very same writers that depict such negativity themselves lack confidence and are insecure about their own addictions?

The statistics speak for themselves:

Non-lethal illness
Smokers face a higher risk than non-smokers for a wide variety of illnesses, many of which may be fatal (see “Deaths caused by smoking” below). However, many medical conditions associated with smoking, while they may not be fatal, may cause years of debilitating illness or other problems. These include:

Increased risk for smokers
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (gum disease)
Muscle injuries
Angina (20 x risk) Neck pain
Back pain Nystagmus (abnormal eye movements)
Buerger’s Disease (severe circulatory disease)
Ocular Histoplasmosis (fungal eye infection)
Duodenal ulcer Osteoporosis (in both sexes)
Cataract (2 x risk) Osteoarthritis
Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel)
Pneumonia
Depression Psoriasis (2 x risk)
Diabetes (Type 2, non-insulin dependent)
Skin wrinkling (2 x risk)
Hearing loss Stomach ulcer
Influenza Rheumatoid arthritis (for heavy smokers)
Impotence (2 x risk) Tendon injuries
Optic Neuropathy (loss of vision, 16 x risk)
Tobacco Amblyopia (loss of vision)
Ligament injuries Tooth loss
Macular degeneration (eyes, 2 x risk)
Tuberculosis

Symptoms worse in smokers
Asthma Graves’ disease (over-active thyroid gland)
Chronic rhinitis (chronic inflammation of the nose)
Multiple Sclerosis
Diabetic retinopathy (eyes) Optic Neuritis (eyes)
Disease more severe or persistent in smokers
Common cold Pneumonia
Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel)
Tuberculosis
Influenza

Deaths caused by smoking
One in two long-term smokers will die prematurely as a result of smoking – half of these in middle age. The most recent estimates show that around 114,000 people in the UK are killed by smoking every year, accounting for one fifth of all UK deaths. Most die from one of the three main diseases associated with cigarette smoking: lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease (bronchitis and emphysema) and coronary heart disease.

Maybe in a world of reality TV we need programmes to cover the life of a cancer victim. It certainly won’t be glamorous or form part of one’s drone like ‘entertain me’ attitude. However, it will publicise the seriousness of the issue.

Many countries have been serious enough to ban smoking in public places in a number of Capital cities. In the UK we need a stronger commitment instead of going for pleasing voters through fudge tactics.

2005 is quite interesting as so many festivities are co-inciding: Bon Fire night, Eid for Muslims, Festival of Lights for Hindus and also a time when Sikhs celebrate a special event.

There was a time when our sixth Guru, Guru Har Gobind and Emperor Jahangir (son of Akbar) were friends. Over time, Jahangir became dictatorial. These emotions were combined with opportunist ministers who wished to protect their own positions and interests. Amongst them was Chandu who gave false information and unfounded accusations against our Guru. The Emperor ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Guru Har Gobind at the fort of Gwalior.

The Sikhs in Delhi and Amritsar protested at the foul play. Chandu wrote to Har Das, the commander of the Gwalior fort, ordering him to poison or murder the Guru; he was promised a large reward. Har Das had become a devotee to the Guru and placed all Chandu’s letters before the Guru.

There were many Rajahs and princes in the same prison. Queen Noor Jahan felt the unfair imprisonment of the Guru and convinced him to release the Guru. The Guru refused to leave the fort unless all the princes were released as well. The Emperor agreed and the Guru was hailed as ‘Bandi Chhor’. The news spread all over India.

After the release, the Guru went straight to Amritsar. On the way people sprinkled water on dusty roads, started Langars (free kitchens) and placed earthen lamps on their housetops at night. When he reached Amritsar, thousands of Sikhs thronged to see the Guru, and on the night of his arrival, placed lamps in the streets and on housetops and distributed sweets. This day is still celebrated every year, which coincides with Diwali.

Another event took place in 1737 and is also known as Bandi Chhorh Diwas (Diwali) . Bhai Mani Singh transcribed the final version of Guru Granth Sahib upon dictation from Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1704 at Damdamma Sahib. After heavenly abode of Guru Sahib in 1708, he took charge of Harmandir Sahib’s management. In 1737, invitations were sent to the Sikhs all over India to join Bandi Chhorh Diwas celebrations at Harmandir Sahib. A large tax of rupees had to be paid to the Mogul governor of Punjab, Zakariya Khan. Bhai Mani Singh Ji later discovered the secret plan of Zakariya Khan to kill the Sikhs during the gathering. Bhai Mani Singh Ji immediately sent message to all the Sikhs not to turn up for celebrations. Zakariya Khan was not happy about the situation and he ordered Bhai Mani Singh’s assassination at Lahore by ruthlessly cutting him limb-by-limb to death. Ever since, the great sacrifice & devotion of Bhai Mani Singh Ji is remembered on the Bandi Chhorh Diwas (Diwali).

I was asked to present by Mr Tirath Singh of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Bedford. Mr Tirath Singh, Norman, Kamaljit and many volunteers (sorry for not remembering all the names) had worked hard the previous weekend to set-up a fantastic series of displays. Included amongst the exhibits one can find, musical instruments, original painting, artefacts and rare coins. The team have been successful in getting private collectors and other museums to lend their items for this exhibition.

During my preparation for the presentation I wondered what gave me any right to talk about the theme. After some thought I concluded that the best I could do was to offer a short insight into our religion, discuss openly the effects of 9/11 (I call it the ripple effect against those that are unaware of who we are. I mentioned the unfortunate and ignorant killing of Sodhi Singh in the USA) and some personal life episodes. The latter focused on how as a child I had faced issues – local neighbourhood kids throwing stones or institutionalised educational bias. Although much has changed I suggested that until the media and story writers could place realistic characters into the mainstream – greater awareness would be constrained. There is a need for us to be accepted as British Sikhs. I ended on a positive outlining how many Sikhs in the UK are involved in charity work.

When Mr Triath Singh kindly picked me up from Bedford Station, during our conversation he mentioned that he is also involved in chaplaincy work with some prisons – sitting, talking, praying and having langar with Sikhs that may have unfortunately committed crimes. There are so many unsung heroes that do perform such work; they in my view are the true givers of good to humanity. The same applies to many volunteers that give their time up to work in hospitals, giving confidence and hope to patients.

The audience I presented to were school teachers and this is a great place to start to promote greater understanding between communities. Children can enjoy a hands on experience with playing instruments and making badges.

The Sikh awareness exhibition is free admission event and is being held at the Bedford Museum, Castle Lane, Bedford, MK40 3XD www.bedfordmuseum.org, bmuseum@bedford.org – for more information contact: 01234 353323- The event will run until 12th January 2006 and is strongly recommended. If you have time you can do what I did – pop along to the Bedford Gurdwara and view the development of the new Gurdwara right next door. I’m sure you will be impressed with the dedication of everyone there.

It would have been great if the story ended there. However, to my amazement the van driver decided to halt his van in the middle of the proceeding roundabout resulting in a hold-up of at least 3-4 cars behind him, including mine, still stuck at the junction. Having parked, he decided to jump out of his van and walk aggressively toward mine. His manner was threatening and a countless number of explicatives did not hesitate to spawn from his mouth. After a few remarks, he retreated to his van. Maybe I should not have horned at him but I manage to suggest that he demonstrate something called courtesy – an unwritten rule of the road. In a defensive manner I shouted back at him, ‘there is something called courtesy of the road’. His explicatives and self-righteousness continued.

It was quite ironic that I noticed that this week Lynn Truss of ‘Eats shoots and leaves’ (the importance of essential punctuation) has published a new book called, ‘Talk to the hand’. The full phrase or saying is ‘Talk to the hand ’cause the face ain’t listening’. She asks the question, when did the world get to be so rude? When did society become so inconsiderate? Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Its context is slightly different to my episode. For example, what makes your builder think he can treat you like dirt in your own home? When you phone a utility with a complaint its amazing that the supervisor is never there! Why is it mostly impossible to ever speak to a person who is authorised to apologise?

As an afterthought I wondered how easy it is to get into a fight based on our own pride and unfortunate self-righteousness. No body likes to be criticised and if one is following the rules its only one’s temper that needs to be controlled. Maybe the world is too serious, defensive of its own space, impatient and unwilling to give way to others. In the same way those that emerge from a junction need to appreciate the rules but in life there is always an opportunity for understanding and give and take – I guess that is what I mean by simple courtesy!

• Global warming (Nearly all observers agree that the last century witnessed a surface-level warming of the earth by approximately one degree Fahrenheit. Current projections suggest a range of warming over the next century between 2.5 degrees and 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. ) – start to recycle and consider conservation in all aspects of your daily life. It only takes a few seconds to not throw a cola can or flatten an empty cereal pack. Divert its path to your council provided recycling box.
• Fair trade – understand the difference it makes and change your buying habits / shopping lists to include these items.
• Free world debt (Every single day, 30,000 children are dying as a result of extreme poverty – Hey! Reader – you must consider this as unacceptable!) – lobby your MP for justice by emailing or writing a letter to them about how this issue really needs their (MPs) support. Follow the activities of campaigns such as ‘make poverty history’ www.makepovertyhistory.com – a white band can help (!) but demanding change is a stronger route.
• Be kind to each other (Its about strength through diversity not alienation!) – Seek out and learning about our differences and respect each other for who we are.
• Protecting human rights (A visit to http://www.amnesty.org will surely open your eyes)– Read and write to your MP about reported cases of human rights abuses.

To borrow a line from a song lyric, ‘I’m looking for the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to make a change… If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change’.

I believe that we have a chance to make a difference everyday of our lives.

The show starts with the wonderful title track of Indi Kaur’s delightful CD: ‘Keep on Walking’ (released in 2005). Indeed all of the music throughout the show features such great artists including Grammy nominated Snatam Kaur. In parallel to the music we are presented with photographic progress of the fun times of a young Sikh boy. We sit and watch him playing with his sister, parents and relatives until he morphs into the Paul, a flat-capped faithless chap who has unfortunately lost the path to any sense of enlightenment. We see Paul interacting with his spiritual wife, his prejudiced boss and dealing with the public face of material success. Although the origins of his frustrations of a Sikh identity in a western society are less explored, it does mirror a situation that many British Sikhs find themselves in.

Paul works for Ingram Norten Information Technology (INIT), as a computer sales representative. He is ambitious but his glass ceiling is obvious and tiresome. It forms the framework for Sody to play a host of new characters all exploiting his ability to make us laugh through understanding their extreme patterns of behaviour. Many of us will associate them with people we have met or even seen in character traits of our own selves.

When Paul is presented with an assignment to fix an off-shore outsourcing problem, he reluctantly heads East. However his journey East is interceded by Divine Intervention which causes a car accident resulting in Paul’s eastern experiences all occurring in his head as he lies in a coma moments before he takes his last breath. Paul’s eastern voyage of self-discovery is further supported by more of Sody’s cheeky characters that guide Paul back to the Sikh path.

We are also treated to some essential Sikh history. I have to admit that a scene that sent the most tingles down my back was the way that Sody presented us images of how Sikhs sacrificed their lives for the liberty and freedoms of the people by fighting against ethnic cleansing. He also reminds us of a carnage episode from 1919 – another chilling holocaustic moment of history for us all.

Sody’s show is a great experience to realise through the medium of humour the importance of knowing one’s self and the need to not be deterred away from our religious heritage but most of all to keep it in tact as it is timeless.

At the end of the show, and just like Sody’s previous solo show, ‘Sikhs in the City’, he met the audience – an act that reveals him to be a warm and gracious person. I spoke to him and he admitted stretching the boundaries of the multi-media tool he was using. We have a great Sikh talent here and giving him more support will I’m certain result in him climbing to even greater international acclaim. I wish him all the best in this must see show of a mast Sikh! Make sure you catch it at Watermans, Brentford, Middlesex: (box office: 020 8232 1010) from 6th to 9th October 2005 or visit Sody’s cool site at www.sody.co.uk for further tour dates.