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42 The <strong>Sikh</strong>, July 2012<br />
guidance has been instrumental in<br />
bringing me to my present station<br />
in life.<br />
As I write this, nearly all of<br />
those childhood friends have<br />
moved on. Some in life, most in<br />
death.<br />
On a recent law awareness visit<br />
to a Cure and Care Centre, all<br />
those at that time in the<br />
rehabilitation programme agreed<br />
that their long and winding road to<br />
chemical addiction and substance<br />
abuse began with the first cigarette<br />
proffered by ‘friends’.<br />
When I look through the<br />
partition either of glass or steel<br />
bars separating me from the<br />
detainees, I pause and reflect on<br />
the face of despair and pain that<br />
look at me. Many of them are<br />
regular visitors to remand<br />
processing centres. Many have<br />
long rap sheets of incarceration<br />
and multiple stints at rehabilitation<br />
‘pusats’.<br />
Our parents made the time and<br />
took the trouble to inculcate <strong>Sikh</strong>i<br />
values in us that have in no small<br />
way helped many us become what<br />
we are today. We have to pass the<br />
torch. Individually and<br />
collectively.<br />
Drug addiction and substance<br />
abuse are the unseen destroyers of<br />
society as we know it. All of us<br />
must do our part like our parents<br />
before us to educate our young on<br />
the need to stay on the Guru’s path<br />
and the importance of ‘Paath’ in<br />
our lives. Also show them through<br />
practical examples how our form<br />
helps us stay on the straight and<br />
narrow.<br />
bwbwxIAw khwxIAw puq spuq kryin ]<br />
babaaniaan kahaniaan put seput<br />
kerayn<br />
(Sukhinderpal Singh, who resides<br />
in Penang and now a practicing<br />
lawyer, is a long-serving volunteer<br />
of the <strong>Sabha</strong>)<br />
A Mountain to Endure<br />
By Karamveer ‘Warhawk’ Singh<br />
During the last Chinese New Year<br />
celebrations, I decided to gear up<br />
and join the <strong>Sikh</strong> Camping<br />
Troopers (S.CA.T) in their<br />
expedition to Gunung Tahan. Three<br />
weeks befpre the hike, out grouo of<br />
10 people began out training by<br />
jogging at Bukit Komanwel<br />
located at Bukit Jalil. This pre-hike<br />
training was to build and boost our<br />
fitness apart from monitoring the<br />
other members’ fitness as well.<br />
We began our journey from<br />
Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Jalan<br />
Kampung Pandan on the 22nd of<br />
February at 2000hrs after segregating<br />
our ration, equipment check by<br />
Wajinder “Batman” Singh and<br />
ardaas by Giani Lakhbir “Coyote”<br />
Singh. We reached our destination<br />
Sg. Relau Camp at Merapoh (one<br />
of the 3 gate-ways to Taman<br />
Negara at Kelantan) at 0100hrs.<br />
After washing up, we slept off.<br />
The next morning, after Japji<br />
Sahib and ardaas, we did the<br />
SCAT ‘secret leaf’ ballot. It’s a<br />
unique tradition practice over 10<br />
years to select 6 commanders for<br />
the entire 6 day expedition. Only<br />
those who have hiked at least 1<br />
mountain qualify to become<br />
commander. The commanders<br />
duty is to select Anchorman, plan<br />
re-group stops, water re-loading,<br />
keep to time and itenary.<br />
Sarabjit Singh (Rambo) was<br />
the 1st commander selected and<br />
received the golden SCAT badge.<br />
He will then pass on to the next<br />
commander and henceforth. Once<br />
we got ready our gears, we
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