“Why you Sikhs don’t Cut Hair?”- Asks Dr. Melissa 

As far as open and frank discussions are concerned, travelling is best time when the co- passengers don’t know each other and secondly they have enough time to talk. Me, a taxi driver was carrying a lady doctor Melissa who had returned from a seminar and was in a mood to talk. Our dialogue started from her comment on good weather.  I told her how Brisbane is the paradise of Australia in view of its climate and topography etc. though rainy season this year was some what prolonged.

Slowly she started enquiring about me. When did I come to Australia and from where? Incidentally she had the basic knowledge about Sikhism.  I told her I was a small-time writer. She was all praise for the Sikhs who did voluntary work during natural disasters in Australia. 

Hesitatingly she asks, “Why you keep the hair intact. Why don’t you shave?”

I told her Sikh’s keeping of hair intact is a symbol of dignity and human rights.  She smiled to hear it. But fortunately, she was a good listener. And I began the history behind it:-

India as you know, in the medieval times was ruled for a long time by the Muslim invaders from West.  Emperor Aurangzeb (ruled: 1658-1707) was a fanatic who always wanted to impress Muslim clergy. He and his successor son Bahadur Shah issued firmans (promulgations) on 3-4 occasions that all Hindus should shave and have hair cut. (Source: Akhbarat e Darbar e Maula the Mughal Court diaries)

It must be clearly understood that among Hindus cutting of hair was considered as a disgrace. And no Hindu would cut hair not even from the private parts. (See- Kitab ul Hind – Al Beruni. 10th Century)

Interesting the Hindus would have a hair cut when some tragedy would befall in their family i.e death of a member. By hair cut he would convey the message that I have virtually died. By hair cut they meant death. Thus at a pilgrimage of a holy place he would have a hair cut symbolising that he has severed the worldly attachments. In some criminal cases where the punishment was death and when any Brahmin the head of Hindu society committed the same crime, his hair was publicly cut.( See: Mannu Simriti)

Thus Emperor’s promulgation hit the very root of Hindu society. The Muslim clergy would see this firman of hair cut as Sunnat the conversion to Islam.

Sikhs have Ten Gurus (teachers or prophets). And these were the days of Tenth Guru the Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru defied the firman and advised that nobody will have hair cut and the emperor has no right  to interfere in citizens personal matters and that the emperor should instead focus on the affairs of state.

As a result of which the emperor treated Guru’s advice as rebellion. The Tenth Master was thus killed in 1708 AD. 

Before that the Ninth Master Guru Teg Bahadur was assassinated in 1675 when he opposed  the forcible conversion of Hindus. 

Dr. Melissa, immediately reacted, “I thought the Sikhs were different from Hindus.”

I explained to her that Sikhism is very different from Hinduism.  It was rather a question of human dignity and human right before the Guru. The Gurus thus sacrificed for the cause of another faith, not their own. Their sacrifice was a lesson to the ruler to be tolerant.

These are thus unique cases where a person lays down his life for the protection of human rights of another religion.

Dr. Melissa said she enjoyed the festival of Diwali which her Sikh and Hindu neighbours celebrated jointly.

I explained to her that on social front Sikhs are very tolerant and respectful of the Hindu festivals. Their eating habits are almost similar. Both burn their dead. This is like some similarity between Christianity and Islam.

 But on spiritual front Sikhs are firm that there is only but one God instead of Hindu belief of plurality of gods and goddesses. Sikhs reject Hindu philosophy of classification of society into upper and low castes. Sikhs salutation, religious books, place of worship (Hindu- Temple, Sikh – Gurdwara) symbols, etc. are all different.

“Then why do the Hindus have hair cut today?” asked Dr. Melissa.

I explained to her that those who surrendered to the firmans are continuing the practice till today and have forgotten the originality. But faith adherents like sadhus the hermits don’t cut hair at all.

Today there is an interesting case of continuity of ‘mundan’ the bald cut head shave at the death of some dear one and on pilgrimage. Since the Hindu has already had hair cut he would have deep shave .

Some years ago a Brahmin President of India Dr. Shankar Dyal Sharma when had pilgrimage at Tirupati temple got a bald cut  which the press reported with curiosity.

Doctor Melissa was amused to know this all. She said, “Then why do today  the Sikhs have unshorn hair?”

I explained to her that persecution of the Sikhs continued from 1700 AD to roughly 1770. So much so prize was fixed the Sikh head. Keeping the hair thus became a strict rule which will continue. Unlike Hindu hermits, the Sikh is strictly commanded to cover the head with turban.

Melissa was impressed when I explained to her that in Sikhism woman enjoys the status equal to man. I told her that the Founder Guru questioned the religionists of the day, “How can you say woman is inferior when she gave birth to your prophet?”- Bhabishan Singh Goraya