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Sara Cox sits in

Sara holds the fort on Early Breakfast and will feature more of her Shift Stars, another Happy Birthday call and more stories of your Last...

1 hour, 27 minutes

Last on

Tue 30 Apr 2013 05:00

Music Played

  • Steve Winwood

    Higher Love

    • Music Of The Year: 1986 (Various Artists).
    • Universal-Island Records.
  • Alison Moyet

    When I Was Your Girl

    • (CD Single).
    • Cooking Vinyl.
    • 1.
  • The Pointer Sisters

    Automatic

    • Choose 80's Dance (Various Artists).
    • Telstar TV.
  • Aerosmith

    I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

    • Armageddon Film S/Track.
    • Columbia.
  • The Beach Boys

    Do It Again

    • Fifty Number Ones Of The 60's (Variou.
    • Global Television.
  • Roy Orbison

    I Drove All Night

    • Now That's What I Call Music Vol.22.
    • Now.
  • Natalie Cole

    This Will Be

    • Women In Love (Various Artists).
    • MFP.
  • Stereophonics

    Graffiti on the Train

    • (CD Single).
    • Stylus Records.
    • 1.
  • The Beautiful South

    Let Love Speak Up Itself

    • Beautiful South - Carry On Up The Cha.
    • Go! Discs.
  • Noah and the Whale

    There Will Come A Time

    • (CD Single).
    • Mercury.
    • 1.
  • The Beatles

    Do You Want To Know A Secret?

    • Please Please Me.
    • Parlophone.
    • 11.
  • Sister Sledge

    He's The Greatest Dancer

    • The Last Days Of Disco (Film Soundtra.
    • Columbia.
  • Michael Bublé

    It's A Beautiful Day

    • (CD Single).
    • Reprise.
    • 1.
  • Kate Bush

    Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

    • Remastered Part I.
    • Fish People.
  • Oasis

    Some Might Say

    • (CD Single).
    • Creation Records.
  • Savage Garden

    Truly Madly Deeply

    • The 1999 Brit Awards (Various Artist.
    • Sony.

Pause For Thought with Harwinder Singh, a project coordinator in the Sikh community

Pause For Thought with Harwinder Singh, a project coordinator in the Sikh community

One of the first stories that Sikh children are told is how the ninth Guru was martyred.Ìý I was about seven years old when I was first told this story.Ìý Guru Tegh Bahadur was approached by Pandits from Kashmir who were forcibly being prevented from their form of worship by the Mughal Emperor.Ìý Although he was not of the Hindu faith, the Guru was asked to speak on their behalf for as a leader of great repute he had the best chance of convincing the Emperor to reconsider, and coming from a lineage that unequivocally supported free speech his credibility was beyond doubt.

Ìý

From that time onward, I wanted to be a lawyer.Ìý I watched confident orators in films and came across dazzling characters in books, all who had mastered the art of verbal reasoning and formal debate.Ìý I latched on to the example set by my Sikh Guru and considered this to be a noble profession where I could also put to good use my growing habit of talking a lot!Ìý Of course as I grew older and learnt more about practising law, it became apparent that this was a complex world home to a variety of disciplines.

By my late teens I knew that I no longer wanted to practise as a barrister or solicitor, but there was no doubt in my mind that I still wanted to study law.Ìý I wanted to acquire the skills and techniques to express myself in a manner that is clear and concise.Ìý I wanted to learn how to dissect an issue and know what not to say which is just as important as what is said.Ìý I wanted to become like my Guru – a person who has the courage to speak freely, on behalf of others if need be.

Ìý

The ninth Guru was unsuccessful in convincing the Emperor, but was asked why he was speaking out on behalf of those who were not his followers.Ìý In reply, the Guru said that although he may not believe as others do, he would die defending their right to believe it.Ìý When I heard that story aged seven, I didn’t quite understand what an important sacrifice Guru Tegh Bahadur had made, but today, I am grateful to him and others who have won the freedoms we take for granted.

Broadcast

  • Tue 30 Apr 2013 05:00