BU Sikh Association promotes selfless service for Gurpurab

 According to Daily Free Express “ The Sikh Student Association at Boston University brought a slice of Sikh life to the BU community Wednesday afternoon with its celebration of Gurpurab at the George Sherman Union. 

Gurpurab celebrates Guru Nanak, the first of the 10 Sikh gurus and founder of the Sikh tradition. A day of ritual and reflection, Gurpurab is one of the most sacred festivals celebrated by Sikhs.

Members of SABU spent the afternoon handing out complimentary samosas, mango lassi, pakoras and homemade chai to alleviate the stress of midterms season among BU students, Secretary Birinder Bachhal said.

One of the principal tenets of the holiday is seva, a form of selfless service for the betterment of humanity, which SABU members said they wanted to bring to the BU community. 

“You’re supposed to serve your community through your heart,” SABU President Sharleen Kaur  Sandhu said. “[Seva] means a lot to me, because I feel like we don’t see a lot of that nowadays, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to do this for [Guru Nanak’s] birthday today.”

SABU concluded the holiday with a trip to the gurdwara, or Sikh place of worship, where members shared langar — a communal meal — and sat together in prayer. 

“[Gurpurab] holds a nostalgic tone for me because growing up in America as a Sikh, it’s kind of hard to find your community,” Bachhal said. “But I think it’s a cool perspective as a college student, and I think I’m doing a great job employing [my religious practices] as best as I can.” 

Bachhal is from Long Island, New York, which he said has a dense Sikh population. The closest Sikh temples to BU are in Everett and Medford, which he said can pose challenges to his religious practices. 

Bachhal said although practicing Sikhism at BU is a “huge change” from the way he practiced back home, he tries to emulate his home practices to maintain his connection to Sikhism. 

Sandhu said she has only learned and grown into her faith more since coming to BU.

“I think it’s because we are so many people who are away from home trying to find ourselves and how we fit into this world,” she said. 

Bachhal said he believes BU can do a better job of being more inclusive toward more religious holidays. 

The BU Policy on Student Absence Due to Religious Observances protects students who are absent from class and exams and provides accommodations upon request. This is true of “all religious observances, within all religious traditions,” according to the policy. 

However, Bachhal said, in his experience, BU does not recognize Sikh holidays like Gurpurab on the same scale as other religions. He said SABU saw a large increase in turnout during their celebration Wednesday, so he hopes Gurpurab receives more recognition from the University.

“I think one of the more important things for BU [to do] is to recognize all these holidays from their student body and religions that they follow.” Bachhal said. “One step that BU could take forward is recognizing Gurpurab and giving resources to Sikh students across campus.”

Bachhal said he is looking forward to future Sikh celebrations as SABU’s turnout continues to grow. He emphasized the value of practicing seva on campus and getting more students involved.

“As college students, we tend to just be very individualized, and it’s nicer to give back to the community whenever you have the chance,” he said.