Costs of Multi-Culti

Power belongs to multi-faceted, for whom multi-tasking comes naturally, writes Varupi Jain in Berlin Diary.

In the past few years, Europe has been heating up off and on to the discussion on banning display of religious symbols in public - an unresolved debate affecting, among others, thousands of Sikhs and Muslims from the Indian subcontinent.

While such discussions are obvious and expected as Europe tries to come to terms with an increasingly multi-cultural society, let me first tell you about my exasperation with the word 'multi'.

It is almost as though the fabric of international conferences even remotely related to the social-sciences would fall apart without the fashionable prefix "multi". How indelibly engrained is this prefix in the dense discourse typical of such sessions!

First, it is in vogue to nod in agreement to platitudes like globalisation has made our societies - especially the European and North-American ones - multiethnic and multiracial - which is to say - wonderful multicultural entities. This, by corollary, has helped spread multilingualism.

Moreover, a multi-pronged, multi-functional approach is required to address the complexities of emerging societies - after all, global realities were never before so multi-dimensional. Don't wonder why the world is still far away from being multi-polar. Power in the 21st century belongs to the multi-faceted - those to whom multi-tasking comes naturally.

Yes, this is the kind of jargon ones hears when a handful of multi-lateral organisations come together at an elegant multi-storeyed, multi-starred hotel. The multi-cuisine buffet is partly sponsored by a well-known multinational. (There's free-flowing multi-vitamin juice to be had - a must for harried experts whizzing across multiple time-zones). Now don't be surprised if the recommendation of the workshop is diversion of more funds towards diversity and multiplicity management. Uhh - enough!

Ban on Religious Symbols

Now over to the serious stuff. In December 2003, French President Jacques Chirac passed a law banning Muslim head scarves in schools. The ban extended to all faiths and all religious symbols. Despite appeals from Sikhs around the world and from political and religious leaders from India to French officials, a clear exemption to the ban has not been presented to the French Sikhs by their government. In January 2004, the French cabinet adopted the headscarf ban.

If France has done it, can Germany be far behind? Last year, the Berlin city-state came precariously close to banning the wearing of Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish kippas and Christian crosses by public servants, school teachers, fire-fighters, police officers, court officers and municipal workers. Prior to that, five other states banned the Muslim headscarf but not the turban, kippa or cross. These are the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Hessen, Saarland and Lower Saxony.

When passing the Law, the Berlin legislators maintained that they had included the Sikh turban, Christian cross and the Jewish kippa in order not to single out the Muslim community. However, the Berlin law could not be implemented because of opposition from over 140,000 Turks living in Berlin.

According to a granthi serving at the Gurudwara in Leipzig, there are over 15,000 Sikhs in Germany, the largest population being in Frankfurt, followed by Cologne. The Central Gurudwara Committee, which represents the twenty Gurudwaras in Germany has been rather proactive in creating awareness about the Sikh community in Germany. In the hope of initiating a dialogue of understanding between German Sikhs and the mainstream German community, meetings were arranged with leaders of political parties, trade unions, minority commissions, town hall Mayors and other community representatives in Gurudwaras throughout Germany.

Waheguru in Leipzig

The city of Leipzig - the Paris of former East Germany, as it is fondly called - boasts of the fine Gurudwara Gurmat Parchar, established in March 2004. The Gurudwara organised a three day akhand-paath on the occasion of Baisakhi. In Cologne, Nagar keertan was planned for the same day when the holy book, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, was driven through the town followed by a procession of followers. In Leipzig, the Nagar keertan had to be called off because of last-minute organisational complications. However, this did not affect the kadhi-chawal, jalebis, laddoos and pakoras - and a host of other heavenly Baisakhi specials.

Bhookhe pet bhajan na hoye Gopala - whoever said this was not kidding.