Sikhs stand guard outside the Gurdwara in Southall (photo: indiatvnews.com)

With the whole world watching the violence occuring in London, Sikhs in the United Kingdom and beyond have taken interest and inspiration by the actions of our brothers and sisters who, in the midst of that chaos, have banded together to protect their Gurdwaras and communities from the vandals and looters that have been running rampant across London’s streets.

“Naujawani Sardar” offered his account of what has been happening on blog, The Langar Hall, and sees the promise for Sikhs in the future:

But we have proved that irrespective of our backgrounds, jathebandiyan [aligned groups of Sikhs] and affiliations, we can work together for a common purpose; we can put to one side our petty differences and be the people that we have been waiting for.

For a faith group that too often finds itself mired in politics, division and rancour within its communities, the actions of the Sikhs of Southall are an inspiration for Sikhs all across the world.