Day laborers, street musicians and beggars; this doesn't sound like a very meaningful choice of vocations! These are the vocations that most Dom people have. Dom tradition says they were cursed by their gods to a life of poverty for killing a cow. Most are still Hindus like their ancestors, but a small number are Sikhs.
Though the Hindu Doms are scattered all over India the Sikhs among them are either in Punjab or Jammu & Kashmir.
Dom women are definitely subordinate to the men in society, most often working in the home or supplementing the husband's income by begging. Education is encouraged for boys, but not for girls.
A welcome relief from the realities of daily poverty for the Dom people is their artistic expression through music, poetry and dance. With a rich oral tradition, and a desire to recount the history of their people, there is never a lack of stories to tell.
Most Dom people are either Muslim or Hindu, but some are Sikhs. Sikhism originated from a 15th century teacher named Guru Nanak Dev as a reform movement. He rejected the Hindu caste system, taught that all people were equal and that all have equal access to God. The Sikh God is formless, without gender and is to be found in everyone. One gets closer to God by living a good life and by practicing charity. Like Hindus, Sikhs believe in reincarnation and the law of karma; you reap what you sow in your previous life. Like Muslims, the Sikhs worship only one God.
One may recognize a Sikh man by his distinctive turban. All the 10 great Sikh gurus wore turbans. Sikh teaching mandates that a person not cut his or her hair. They worship their holy book, the Granth Sahib, which is a collection of hymns.
There are roughly the same number of Sikhs as there are Jews in the world, but Sikhs are most concentrated in Punjab, their homeland. However, you will find smaller numbers of Sikhs all over the world. Many of the best Indian restaurants in the West are owned and operated by Sikhs.
Whether they are Hindu or Sikh, Dom people need to have the chance to put their trust in the One who created the heavens and the earth and gives us life to the full.
Pray for the Dom culture to be renewed and enhanced by a work of the Holy Spirit and shaped into a God-centered and God-honoring mold.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among Sikh Dom family and community leaders to seek His face and enjoy His blessings.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers who will be compelled to nurture a disciple making movement among the Dom people.
Pray that soon the Dom people will have faith that will lead them to live honorable lives that will draw others to the Savior.
Scripture Prayers for the Dom (Sikh traditions) in India.
| Profile Source: Keith Carey |
