Reflections on Bhujangi 2011
Guest-blogged by Mewa Singh. Mewa Singh is a sevadar with the Jakara Movement.
The term ‘bhujang’ has a Sanskritic base and is used to refer to a small snake. The Mughals and Afghans of the 18th century employed the term as a pejorative to refer to the Sikhs as ‘bhujangs.’ Try as they might, they could never completely ‘eradicate’ from the garden these ‘bhujangs.’ In the eternal optimism that defines the spirit of chardikala, the Singhs and Kaurs of the period appropriated the term and endorsed it to give it a new connotation. Their young were in fact ‘bhujangs’ that would bite the feet of Mughals, Afghans, and other imperial powers. Today the term is still widely used by Nihang Sikhs in reference to their offspring. A young Sikh boy is called a ‘bhujangi’ and a young Sikh girl a ‘bhujangan’.
Reviving and reinterpreting our historic terminology were part of the naming process of this unique camp.
With the Guru’s Grace, from August 1-10, I had the opportunity to be a sevadar for the Jakara Movement’s first annual Bhujangi Youth Academy. Unlike anything else in our community before, the academy specifically served the needs of at-risk young Punjabi Sikh males.
10 Responses to “Reflections on Bhujangi 2011”
There is another word called"Bhuchangi & Bhuchangan" to refer to Sikh children instead of "Bhujang & Bhujangan."Could anyone explain the difference please?Thank you!
@Kirpal Singh – you are probably referring to the same word – the difference is in the transliteration. The word in Gurmukhi is spelled – ??????
[…] about some general reflections and questions that I hope spark up conversations in our community. http://thelangarhall.com/activism/re…bhujangi-2011/ What are your immediate thoughts or reactions to this issue? Why not share your views with our […]
Thank you for this article and for this initiative! May Waheguru bless you all, we need more Sikhs like these.
Excellent initiative… hope to see this expand in the coming years.
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