​A Father's Day Tribute - June Newsletter

As I make my way through a COVID-19 altered world, I am comforted by the acts of kindness and care that I see every day. Whenever someone offers to pick up groceries for a sick person or mow the lawn for an elderly neighbour, I am reminded of the good in people.

My father was a true believer of Seva, selfless giving. In Sikhism, Seva refers to service for altruistic purposes on behalf of, and for the betterment, of a community. Over the course of his life, my father generously served those around him at every opportunity.

For the June newsletter, I wanted to pay tribute to my father, so I interviewed Sukhvinder Singh, one of the many beneficiaries of my father's charitable work, about how my father had helped shape his life journey.

Suki's father had served as the priest at the temple in Singapore where Suki was born. However, when Suki's dad’s visa was not renewed, the family returned to India. Sadly, Suki's mother passed away in 1987 followed by his father in 1989. As an orphan, Suki returned to Singapore at the age of 16. He arrived at the temple and was determined to find a job and build a new life.

While he was looking for work, he stayed at the temple meeting fellow Sikhs that could assist him in his mission. He met my brother, who introduced him to my father. Having a timeline of 14 days to find work, Suki was grateful for the assistance.

When Suki first met my father, he arrived without his turban and was immediately sent away. The next day my dad requested that Suki meet him at the high courts (with the proper attire). Though he thought it was an odd request, when Suki arrived at the court he soon realized that the Lee Kuan Yew and J.B. Jeyaretnam case was in session. After the court case, Suki joined my dad for dumplings for lunch and my father designed a plan for Suki. They proceeded to get his visa extended successfully.

The next stage of the plan was to establish where Suki's interests lay and find him suitable work. My dad advised him that working at a young age without any qualification would be hard and recommended that Suki return to school. My father also determined that going to school would require a stable home. Suki's parents had been friends with a couple who had offered him lodging, my dad proceeded to meet with them and ensure a safe and happy living situation for Suki while he went to school.

My father assisted with Suki's application and even wrote to MPs and the Sikh Community requesting donations to help pay for his education.

After 9 months of meetings, applications, visa extensions and appeals, Suki was finally allowed to start secondary school at the age of 16. Today, Suki is an accountant and is happily married with a 3 year boy of his own.

My father kept in touch with Suki throughout his education. Suki eventually became part of our family and still often expresses his gratitude to my dad. I had requested Suki to send me a picture of his family and in his reply, there was a quote:

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

- Martin Luther King

Kindness prevails. Practice Seva and pass it on.