VANCOUVER – The upcoming Ross Gurdwara membership deadline is two weeks away and things are starting to heat up.
The opposition, Sikh Sangat Seva Society of BC, held their first public meeting at South Hall last Friday night with support from various community leaders and past executive members of the society. The united voice, of the young and old, echoed the same frustration that more needed to be done at the historic Gurdwara.
Attention was brought to the lack of religious programs and youth involvement. “There is an alienation of the youth. What enticement is there for young people to attend? There has to be programs that cater to the young. There has to be something special for them that they get excited about coming to the Gurdwara and being actively involved. Even the adult programs are ritualistically presented”. Speaker after speaker outlined the need for a “positive change,” said one speaker.
Some of the younger university educated and professional speakers; Bhavraj S. Ghatura and Parneet Singh also stressed the importance of getting the youth involved.
“If we fail today we will lose another generation. If we don’t do something, then who will? Someone had to stand up and offer another choice. A Gurdwara is not just a meeting place but the centre of spirituality, guidance and counseling. We must address the problems of today and the only way to do it is to get rid of the petty politics of the previous generations. It’s time to move on and deal with today’s issues,” Ghatura said.
They all agreed that this society “the once spiritual hub of our community” was now by name only and things had to be done to restore the glory. The biggest change needed is to better the programming so that more people start attending services.
Deadline for membership is Sept. 7. Registration times are Mon-Thurs 4-8 pm and Fri-Sun 11-3
