How a Sardar's Response to Jokes Taught Me a Lesson in Respect and Prosperity

This message was forwarded to me by a friend. An excellent response by a true Sardar:

In the Diwali vacation, a couple of his friends had gone to Delhi. They rented a taxi for local sightseeing. The driver was an old Sardar, and boys being boys, the pals began cracking Sardarji jokes, just to insinuate the old man.

But to their surprise, the fellow remained unperturbed.

At the end of the sightseeing, they paid up the hire charges. The Sardar returned the change. Moreover, he gave each one of them one rupee extra and said (in Hindi of course), "Son, since morning you have been telling Sardarji jokes. I listened to them all and let me tell you, some of them were in very bad taste. Still, I don't mind because I know that you are young blood and are yet to see the world. But I have just one request. Here I am giving you one rupee each. Give it to the first Sardar beggar that you come across in this city."

That one rupee coin is still with me. I couldn't find a single Sardar begging on the streets of Delhi.

We all love Sardar jokes. But the fact of the matter is that Sikhs are one of the most prosperous and diversified communities in the world. The secret behind their universal success, according to me, is their willingness to do any job with utmost dedication. A Sardar will drive a truck or set up a roadside garage or a dhaba, but he will never beg on the streets.

Hi Rajmore,

Really nice one. I also feel somewhat bad when we see or hear jokes being cracked on Sardarjis. That community has not done anything bad to anyone, but why are those people targeted for some useless jokes? Just for one laugh, people are insulting them in a way that we want.

Really good effort - an eye-opener and a hard, true fact you have presented to all of us. Thanks a lot.

Jai ho, Sardarji. Most of them are in the army, navy, and air force and serve the country. They are courageous and trustworthy.

Raju. G

The jokes could be funny, but even funnier is the "FACT" jokes are being cracked ON "Sardars".

Jokes on "Sardars" are made/cracked mostly by those who do not know Indian history (500 years old).

Here are a few facts from Indian history:

a) Sikhs were popularly called Sardars (means Leader in English) because they volunteered as Leaders (during the difficult times of Mughal oppression) -- Leaders who first lead themselves to be universally "empathetic" human beings & then lead groups to defend against tyranny.

b) The Holy Book of Sikhs (which they regard as a Living Guru) contains Holy Hymns by Sikh Gurus & by Enlightened Saints of different Sects including Hindus & Muslims.

c) 1st Sikh Guru (Guru Nanak) advocated that Hindus & Muslims should live in peace. Guru Nanak advocated that -- just by calling a flower by different names does not change its fragrance -- similarly, calling God with different names/ideas/ideologies does not change God's roles or properties or laws!

d) Two Sikh Gurus suffered tortures & sacrificed their lives to prevent Hindus from being forcibly converted by some tyrant rulers. Gurus saw it as the suppression of "freedom to practice one's own religion".

e) The Sikhs took up to dress in unique "attires" (Hair, Beard, Bangle, Kirpan, Turban...) so that they could be distinguished as defenders of humanity -- just as police "uniforms" today are meant to distinguish persons who are defenders of law.