Bhai Gurmeet Singh of Ranchi shares a powerful personal experience of traveling to Madagascar, possibly becoming one of the first Sikhs to ever set foot on the island. Over 99% of the local people mistook him for a Muslim, simply because they had never encountered Sikh identity before. Through sincere acts of community service, Seva, and ration distribution, he introduced them to the core Sikh principles of Sangat, Pangat, and Langar, which left a deep impression on the local communities.
He also introduces Sardar Makhan Singh, a key revolutionary of the Ghadar Movement, who not only worked for the freedom of Punjab but also played a significant role in the struggle connected to Kenya’s independence movement. He endured one of the longest periods of political imprisonment among freedom fighters of that era.
This journey raises a deeper and important question:
Who is a Sikh in the modern world?
The answer lies not merely in outward identity, but in living and practicing the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji — working for Sarbat da Bhala (welfare of all) and striving toward the vision of Begampura and Halimi Raj, a world free of fear, inequality, injustice, and oppression.
Sikh identity is not limited by borders. It is a universal message of equality, unity, Seva, human rights, and social justice.
