Last Week of June: Time for Annual Panthic Self-Accountability
Every year at the beginning of June, we experience the traumatic memories of 1984, but in the subsequent weeks no constructive outlets are offered to turn our trauma into Sewa for internal growth of the Panth. Unfortunately, this is how we fail to respond to destruction with construction.
The Problem
Every year when the month of June begins, our global Sikh community goes back to the traumatic memories of 1984. First week is the most intense when we remember the days of attack on Harmandir Sahib. The subsequent ones leave us without a clear pathway towards healing and building a sense of safety in the community. This is a problem because we not only end up neglecting our Panthic Trauma but also miss out on healing by contributing constructively to our community.
Why constructive?
A community that has been through so much destruction and extreme persecutions needs hope for the future. That is why constructive efforts are paramount to heal our trauma and increase Sewa productivity.
When we relive the emotional damage of 1984 every year in June, our traumatic response creates a deep sense of helplessness. This can lead to a downward spiral of mental health issues that block our development if we don’t channel it properly. The experience of trauma makes us feel a strong lack of control over our reality. That is why experiencing positive outcomes that make us experience actual tangible progress is essential.
Most opportunities that offer the chance to do so are internal to the Panth. That is why focusing on Sewa opportunities that are within the decision making of the Panth is paramount. If we operate within this perspective, we can not only make massive progress in serving the Panth but also do healing at the same time.
While this alone would not be enough, it certainly is a core prerequisite that sets up towards healing the community. A relief from trauma by envisioning a hopeful future can go a long way.
Why should it be June?
June represents the year of 1984 when our community went through a lot of loss. All traumatic events in the 80s are also cumulatively represented by the month of June. That is why our time for constructive response should be the exact same month that represents destruction. Having this context as a reference for accountability gives us a shared understanding that our commitments to the Panth need to be serious.
Why last week?
In the first week of June, almost everyone talks about 1984 on social media and most of the time the content is usually not much different from previous years. After the first week or two, everyone moves on to the next topic while dismissing issues like trauma and constructive work in the Panth.
The goal of having the last week be the one for Panthic Self-Accountability is to let the social media period of high engagement pass on purpose. This approach can allow us to dissect our underlying dynamics. Are we committed to help our community heal and grow? Or are we merely taking part in social media with no willingness to heal or add something constructive back to the community?
Internal Panth
The primary perspective of this Panthic Self-Accountability proposal is within the Internal Panth. That includes mostly what falls under the sphere of our internal resource capacity and decision-making. This means that we should keep anything that involves external dynamics separate.
Practical separation along these lines means that most of what is constructive will be internal to the Panth and in the non-political arena. That means that is important that Sikhs who do not agree should not take away freedom from those who want to do constructive work in the community.
Build and Heal
When you experience growth and forward movement in your local community with optimism, the trauma experiences a moment of relief. It’s then that healing work can start. If we do not open up opportunities for a hopeful future that is internal to the Panth, we will continue to struggle in healing our traumatic wounds.
Taking part in the Panthic Self-Accountability Week will boost our community productivity. Sikh organizations should share their annual reports from the past year. This would provide a moment of reflection on what has strengthened our community and what goals to set for the next year.
On the other side, individual Sikhs should take this week to analyze what progress they made on a personal level to make themself more valuable to the Panth. For those starting out, make a list of priorities you want to set for yourself. While some may choose to prioritize their healing, others may pick a skill to develop to do a specific sewa. Regardless of how sure you are about it, do Ardaas asking your Guru Sahib Ji to guide you forward.
We need to move away from recycling “annual reports” that are done for fundraising or tax related deadlines. It’s time to make Panth a priority and make June our official Panthic Self-Accountability Week.
