Is it okay to accept Award or honor from Govt?

Padma Shri for Baba Sewa Singh
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 25
Of 130 Padma awards announced on the eve of Republic Day, Punjab has ended with just two coveted awards - one Padma Bhushan and one Padma Shri each. While the Padma Bhushan has gone to Ludhiana industrialist SP Oswal, Baba Sewa Singh of Rampur Khera has been chosen for the Padma Shri in recognition of his social service.

Baba Sewa Singh, who came into limelight for the manner in which he along with Canada-based Raghbir Singh Bains and a retired IGP of Police, Sukhdyal Singh Bhullar, worked tirelessly to ensure that 500th birth anniversary of Guru Angad Dev was celebrated with traditional fervour in accordance with Sikh tenets and rituals. And the meticulously celebrations were held without any glitches.

It is not only his role as “Kar Seva walle Baba,” but also the pioneer work he had done in rural Punjab as an environmentalist, social empowerment of rural girls and also for overall human development in the border belt.

Baba Sewa Singh had not only played a pivotal role in the upkeep and maintenance of historic gurdwaras at Khadoor Sahib in time for the Guru Angad Dev 500th birth anniversary celebrations in 2004, but also took upon himself the onerous task of making that town in the border belt green by not only planting but also with subsequent personal supervision of thousands of traditional trees, including Neem, in the area.

Not many are aware of the work on social empowerment of girls Baba Sewa Singh has done in the recent years. It was because of him that about 75 girls from the rural belt of Khadoor Sahib have joined the all-women battalion of the BSF, besides joining the Chandigarh Police after preparatory training at the Sri Guru Angad Dev Institute of Careers and Courses set up by him. Besides, 31 girls from the institute have become eligible for recruitment in the Punjab Police. He has associated a retired Brigadier with the task of training the girls for recruitment in various security forces. He is also rightly credited with the setting up of a multi-media Sikh museum, the first of its kind in the world. It is located next to Gurdwara Angitha Sahib in Khadoor Sahib.

Besides, a senior secondary school, run under the guidance of Baba Sewa Singh, is perhaps the only rural school in the country that has eight ‘smart’ rooms equipped with computers and other visual aids. Also a Gian Sewa Kendra had been set up to prepare students for entrance tests for admission in medical, engineering and other courses. The most visionary act of Baba Sewa Singh has been setting up of an eight-storied Nishan-e-Sikhi Tower that is almost complete now.

I dont think its wrong to accept the award as long as the award is not given by any individuals responsible for 84 atrocities.

I think in the past Baba Puran Singh Ji ( Pingalwara) accepted this award. Its good to see another Singh being recognized as a philanthropist. In the past the media has tried to portray Singhs as terrorists. This way people in India who are unfamiliar with Sikhs or have negative stereotypes of Gursikhs will begin to understand how good they are. If many Hindus were not sympathetic to Sikhs during Delhi genocide then many more Sikhs would have been innocently killed.

I may be wrong, but I'm very sure Bhagat Pooran Singh Jee returned his Padam Shri to protest Operation Bluestar.

you're right, veerji, he returned it.


Bhai Nirmal SIngh Khalsa (hazoori raagi) won it last year... he seems to be a pious gursikh, and he accepted it.

i guess we have to decide... is today's indian government the same as the one who attacked sikhs 25 years ago? is today's government responsible for the crimes of the past? surely there are individuals alive who are responsible for past crimes, but should the whole government be colored by these few people?

personally, i think it's great to see them giving such a prestigious award to gursikhs who are promoting gurmat. i think the benefit of "good press" for sikhi principals far outweighs any gain from refusing the award (today).

It is said that Pratap Singh Kairon the chief minister of Punjab during the time of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh, came to see Bhai Sahib and wanted to honour him. Bhai Sahib refused. Bhai Sahib had already received the highest robe of honour from Guru Sahib and why would he accept a lower ranking honour from a worldly government.

When Bhai Vir Singh was offered Padam Shri or something like that, he too did not agree to go to the govt. to receive it. First he did not agree to receiving it but at the insistence of sangat, he agreed but on the condition that he would not go anywhere to receive it. It was given to him at his home, in Guru Sahib's room.

I can't recall ever in history any Mahapurakh accepting honours and awards from the worldly governments. At one time, Sant Kartar Singh was participating in some samagam in which Indira Gandhi was to come. When she arrived, all Sikh leaders rushed to receive her. They did not realize that to stand in honour of someone in the hazoori of Guru Sahib is disrespectful to Guru Sahib. When it was Sant jee's turn to give lecture, he chided the Sikh leaders for their shameless behaviour. All of them turned their heads downwards.

Some Singhs give the argument that Khalsa belongs to King of Kings - Vaheguru. Khalsa is the most senior representative of Vaheguru. Khalsa accepts only Siropa that Sangat bestows on him, in the hazoori of Guru Sahib. Any other award is not worthy of Khalsa. It would only reduce his honour and not increase. What can the world give to a Bhagat who has been accepted in the house of Vaheguru? Khalsa then becomes a giver and not a taker.

The above is true for true Bhagats of Vaheguru who have been accepted at His Darbar and who have received the divine robe of honour from Him. Rest of us who are still walking on the path and have not yet reached the ultimate destination, can do as per our Bibek Budh available to us, at a given time.

Kulbir Singh

I think it would be a good step to accept this award as gesture of peace amongst people who strive to help out society. Sri Akal Takht is supposedly suppose to represent the Court of WaaheGuru yet previous and current admin at Akal Takht does and did not give recoginizion to great social beings like Bhagat Puran Singh Ji, Baba Seva Singh Ji etc. Intead they are to busy giving siropas to RSS agents, and other mischievious characters.The affluent SGPC did not to much to help Pingalwara which is not far from Harmandir Sahib. Much respect belongs to Baba Seva Singh Ji whom has done noble deeds. His efforts should be acknowledged so more Sikh youth have a ideal role model to look up too. I doubt Baba Ji is going to accept the award but if he does its not wrong.

All honor belongs to Guru Sahib. When someone honors a Gursikh they are honoring Guru Sahib. If some social organization wants to honor Guru Sahib through his Gursikh I see no harm in a Gursikh accepting this Honor in behalf of Guru Sahib.

I just wanted to clear something. I fully agree with Bhai Sahib that Khalsa doesnt take gifts from anybody except from Guru Sahib whatever we have and well get will be from Guru Jis kirpa, but from a parchar perspective I think its good to have a Miri Piri Singh to represent Guru Ji.