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Spirituality and being true to one’s faith have become lost somewhere in the world today. Regardless of what faith or religion a person belongs to, it is hard to discern it as the basic rules of every religion are no longer followed. The reason behind this can be partially given to poor or controversial actions of a religious leader. In the past, followers of a specific religion could be spotted from afar due to their distinct nature and ways of life. However, nowadays, religious teachings are being suppressed by the increasing pressure of modernizing society. But there are still faithful believers trying to bring religion back into people’s lives. One great example of such an individual is the Sikh faith consultant, Bhai Manvir Singh.
The perception of society for religion has become greatly distorted because of the lack of expert consultation and guidance. People nowadays consider religion to be akin to a constant drill sergeant that dictates their every move. Religion is considered to be a set of shackles that inhibit a person’s ability to live life to its fullest. Religion is thought to be of a backward time and cannot be incorporated into today’s society. This train of thought has become so mainstream because there were no real efforts by religious authorities to correct them. Religious authorities are greatly lacking in their endeavors of spreading their religion and making it more understandable for today’s youth. The only thing many religious authorities are busy doing today is spreading hate and creating controversy. It is because of this act of theirs that people are distancing themselves from their religion. People themselves are turning their backs on their religious beliefs and incorrectly consider anyone faithfully following to be an extremist. Bhai Manvir Singh is a person who understands the hurdles that stand in the way of a religion becoming mainstream again and is gearing all efforts to combat and prevail over them.
Bhai Manvir Singh is an Oxfordshire native and was born in 1985. As a child, he was no different from other children in grew up in school. He was a non-vegetarian and cut short hair. However, his religious roots that stemmed from the Sikh faith were something that later influenced him to follow his religion. As he grew up, Bhai Manvir Singh became more engrossed in his faith and got more exposed to the issues affecting the Sikh community in the UK at the time, particularly among youngsters belonging to the Sikh community. Due to these conditions, he began self-learning about Sikhism and sharing knowledge of his faith with other youngsters in his local community.
In order to help others, within and outside the Sikh community, to be educated about the Sikh faith, he decided to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Philosophy from King’s College London, after which he went on to secure his MPhil in Sikh studies at the University of Birmingham. His studies helped him become confident and grounded in his own faith and be able to also communicate the teachings of the Sikh faith to others on an academic level.
He started his academic journey with the publishing of his thesis on An ethnographic study of the concept and development of the Gurdwara in the UK. This thesis brought to light the importance of the roles and activities of Gurdwaras in the UK for the Sikh communities it serves and wider society. This thesis was met with great recognition and was able to promote the important contributions of the Sikh community in Britain and also highlight how Gurdwaras can be utilized further for the betterment of communities and society in the future. Knut A. Jacobson, who is a renowned scholar of religious history and professor at the University of Bergen, recognized and appreciated his thesis for the plethora of information provided by it.
Bhai Manvir Singh is a chaplain by profession while devoting his efforts to educating and guiding young Sikh minds. Rather than blaming others for not doing enough, he and a team of other young professional Sikhs dedicated to promoting Sikhism within the new generation of Sikhs have been proactive in reaching out to youngsters through camps, workshops, classes and talks at Gurdwaras, universities and beyond, under the platform of Khalsa Foundation. Khalsa Foundation seeks to create an environment where Sikh children can openly come and discuss the troubles they experience in practicing the Sikh faith and find support and guidance within the community.
