VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH
Not an expert - from what little experience I have. This is worldly advice...Gursikhs with high avasthas are blessed with many powers to deal with such situations that people such as myself are not. Not saying that I myself can live up to my own advice either. I DO NOT make ANY claims to the legality of the below - read it and make your own decision:
1) Be aware of your surroundings. I do not want to stereotype any group or individuals, but use your own judgement when you see a group of people in a distance. Observe their behavior and their general attitude. If they are already harassing passer-bys, drunk, loud, boisterous or otherwise belligerent, it is best to take another route or keep your distance. Keeping to more public places, crowded places or stores/shops will be a deterrent to an assailant(s) - witnesses. Late night walks in dark, lonely streets or bad areas of towns/cities are a no-no. When going somewhere, know your route and know how to navigate to alternative paths. Not possible in all cases, but try your best. If you spot police, security personnel etc. nearby, keep them in your frame of reference at all times. This will help to prevent most problems.
2) Avoidance of the group/individual if possible. Keeping appropriate distance if possible. Quckening of your pace, eye contact and returning insults/attempting to engage the group conversation (if there are many and they seem to be teetering on the aggressive) may incite violence. Trust your instincts - if you feel something is not right with a certain route, take another one if possible or be hyper-vigilant of your surroundings. If you see individuals that are walking and being belligerent from a distance, if you can, stall your travel so that you can let them pass and then proceed. When driving, lock your doors. Some people believe that attempting to educate such belligerent people is good - teach them about Sikhs. Such a situation is NOT the time to do it. They are already targeting you and have some ideas in their minds that do not favor your well-being.
3) Backing out - If confronted, attempt to get out of the situation ("I don't want to fight you" etc.). But understand that you are already in a situation that the aggressors are looking to engage you in, especially if they are in numbers. Try to make it towards a public place if possible.
4) "When all other methods fail, it is proper to hold the sword in hand" - laws actually support this belief. Weapons can ONLY be used in situations where a person is "afraid/concerned" that his/her life is in danger. DO NOT take out a Kirpan and attack unless you are VERY sure that you were worried that either Sachkhand or another incarnation was in your near future. This question WILL be asked by police/lawyers and will affect the outcome of a court case that may proceed. Guru Sahib has already advised his Sikhs well and serious thought to that pangti is required for any Shastardhari individual, never mind a Sikh. AGAIN, understand that use of any weapon in an encounter may very well have you facing jail time, so decide quite carefully whether the situation is really that far gone. Training in use of a Kirpan or whatever Shastar would be a good idea. Having something in hands reach in the car is also a good idea (baseball bats, The Club, etc.). You should be playing when to use the Shastar by instinct and the situation. You will see when the situation is critical enough to warrant its use. If backing out is not going well, you should be preparing your defense while attempting to back out. Having a gupt Shastar may be illegal in your area. But a gupt Shastar can serve as a back-up in cases where the primary Shastar is lost. A gupt Shastar also affords a surprise attack opportunity in a dire case. REMEMBER that whether you used excessive force in a situation can also get you into trouble. Mace or strong pepper spray can also be a wonderful way to incapacitate an individual if necessary. Research must be done as to which are effective. Such devices will deter and incapicate and attacker in a non permanent means and get you out of the situation with less legal consequences.
In terms of your belongings, give the robber/mugger the stuff. Your human life is quite precious per Gurbani and not worth the 100 dollars the mugger is after. If you are really worried about losing valuables, don't carry many on your person.
Ignore as much as you can, unless you are to meet these individuals on a daily basis for some reason. If so, plan alternative routes or alternative modes of transportation. Walking and public transportation expose you to a large number of people, so alternates may be needed.
Also, some concepts:
A) Travel in groups. An individual is a much easier target than two or more. More than two are recommended.
NEVER expect to enter a fight and come out wound free. You are going to get hurt in a fight. Having some martial arts training would be advisable for every human being on this Earth.
C) NEVER initiate the fight. Defend yourself if necessary. Don't go looking for trouble or pick a fight. You are asking for a fight and you will get it. A Sikh does not initiate a fight, but rather defends himself/herself.
D) Not every country/state/province supports the wearing of a Shastar on the outside, but it can serve as a deterrent. However, anyone who wears a Shastar on the outside should understand that any aggressor who chooses to attack you anyways may have already formulated a plan to disarm you from it. A gupt Shastar may be advisable. Again, this is not taking into account the legality of its posession.
I assure you that Bhai Mehtab Singh's feelings have gone through me plenty of times. There are times I wish I could just silence my problems with violence, but again, Guru Sahib has provided the appropriate advice. I will temper his sentiment with the above. If it comes to blows, then handle your business, but understand that there are legal consequences to your actions. Prevention will avoid MOST situations. Being aware of your surroundings and avoidance combined are a HUGE asset to any individual. As a Panth, we have to continue a peaceful route. Granted, if the situation warrants use of force as a last resort, then so be it. A Sikh is not a Jaini - we will defend ourselves IF the situation calls for it. But killing your neighbors will not grant understanding. It will foster fear and resentment, which if enough builds up, may end up with backlash against the community. So far, the Western legal systems in the U.S., U.K., Canada have supported the Sikhs and prosecuted the guilty (more or less). It means that the system is still working and Sikh organizations do push the government when needed to prosecute the guilty. I am sorry that Bhai Mehtab Singh's case was taken nowhere. There are cases where the police wanted to do nothing and Sikh organizations intervened and had the assailant charged for the crime.
So far, the single most effective technique for securing the rights (and something that the Sikh organizations need to engage in more) is suing for every incident where it is allowable. This wakes up companies and governments very quickly into action. Advocating violence at the Panthic level is not a good idea. Isolated incidents of violence are tragic - they do happen and make every Sikh unsettled because it was their brother/sister that was attacked. The push should be for prosecution and jail of the assialant. If there is a community problem - recurrent violence and attacks in a given area - legal action should be pursued along with community level protests expressing outrage at the repeated occurences. You pay taxes for protection of your area and have a RIGHT to that service. National level discrimination should be fought as hard as possible at the international scene - but understand that you are going up against a government with infinite more resources than yourself and the Sikh community. It will be tough, but a Sikh fights the fight nevertheless.
Work within the system if you can and get justice. Involve your Sikh orgs and local community to get justice.
Will stop writing for now.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
