Reflections on Working with Sikh Parent Generation

[The following was written by a Jakara Movement member that coordinated our inaugural project of the Remember 1984 Campaign.  These were their personal reflections and they are being published in hope that other Sikh activists may make use of their notes.  They also may be notable because the coordinator engaged directly with Sikh women – editor]

Learning to interact with the parent generation and how to persuade their involvement was one of the key skills obtained through being the project coordinator for this particular project. I gained patience and persistence with my audience, while ensuring that they were committed to the project.

Lessons that may be helpful in increasing participation is to start a lot earlier. It is a tricky balance, I cannot call too early because the parent generation doesn’t exactly carry around calendars. They tend to do things by memory, so asking them 2 months in advance may not work. At the same time, asking them one month in advance was not efficient either. In the future, I would have started calling 6 weeks before the start of the project, send out materials 4 weeks before the project and call them to ensure that they are advertising it to the entire sangat. Sending out the materials really helped them understand what they are supposed to be doing.

One problem I faced was that some of the parents did not consider doing the paath a big deal, as Sukhmani Sahib is part of their regular routine and the event did not always have an impact.

Calling and speaking to the parent generation in Punjabi was a huge asset, as many did not feel comfortable speaking English.  I did make a lot of contacts that I feel will be extremely valuable in the future.