The editor of WSN writes an open letter to JJ Singh Kapur congratulating him on his remarkable speech reminiscent of the impromptu skills of former US President Barack Obama.

Dear J. J. Singh Kapur
Sat Sri Akal!
Oh yes, we all love Bollywood as it takes us away from truth and reality. For three hours, it transports us to a netherworld of falsehood, falsehood and falsehood. You achieved exactly the opposite. In sixteen minutes, you mesmerised the audience in the auditorium and have caught the imagination of the Sikhs worldwide with your original oratory skills shared worldwide through social media. The ease with which you quoted authorities in the course of your speech at the Original Oratory Concert organised by the National Speech and Debate Association, indicate you have a great future in politics should you choose it. Your extempore skills are of a leader determined to change the way the world thinks and acts. I am sure that administrators and teachers of your school -West Des Moines Valley High School, Iowa and your coach David McGinnis are proud of your achievement and so are your parents and relatives. I bet your speech is reverberating on smartphones and laptops around the world.

Sometimes it takes only one speech to undo the damage of a century -a damage which has not been recognised or understood even by the United Nations, which eulogises Gandhi at India’s behest.  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi -a British-trained Indian lawyer, who was politically elevated to the status of “Father of the Indian nation” by the Congress leaders at the dawn of the formation of India, was wonderfully debunked by you in your speech at the all-US school oratory competition. You busted Gandhi’s untruths and half-truths which have dominated the Indian political scene for the more than a century.

This was not the only thing that you corrected, but you did much more. In your typical youth performer-style, you laid bare universal truths about storytelling and the human yearning for a happy-ending in personal and social matters, even when there is none.  How Bollywood takes us away from reality was portrayed in a classic way. It also reminded me of the emphasis on undoing the “story” by Landmark Education.

Delivered on the eve of Gandhi-worshipper Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landing in the US, there could not have been a more befitting protest and caution from the Sikh community to Indians and Americans. To me, your speech is an eloquent indictment of the bogus façade that India and Indian leaders manage to build around itself -of peace, equality and a booming economy.

“Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was “a Chatur baniya”-a cunning merchant -Amit Shah, President, Bharatiya Janata Party”

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi called the Tenth Master -Guru Gobind Singh, “a misguided philosopher”. Except for some die-hard stupid people, Sikhs have never accepted or recognised his leadership. Unfortunately, Sikhs realised a little too late his chicanery and dubious character, which was so aptly summed up by Mr Amit Shah -the current president of the Bharatiya Janata Party -the party that rules India, when he called Gandhi “a chatur baniya” -a cunning merchant. As far as his frugal lifestyle is concerned, his benefactor Ganshyamdas Birla said, “it takes a fortune to keep Gandhi poor.”

Not limiting yourself to Bollywood and Gandhi, you have successfully brought some home-truth to the Americans as well by talking so clearly about stereotyping that is resulting in hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs in the United States.

“The ease with which you quoted authorities in the course of your speech indicate you have a great future in politics should you choose it. Your extempore skills are of a leader determined to change the way the world thinks and acts.”

The exemplary manner in which you talked about the science and art of palliative care showed your deep humanism.  You touched the raw nerve of each listener when you said dying and surviving are both possibilities and we should maintain an equilibrium of thoughts and actions regarding both situations.

I wish you all the best for your future and hope that your speech will continue to enliven the seekers of truth and reality and one day Gandhi will no longer be revered the way he is today. I endorse that humankind be more sane and be more concerned about life and happiness, not just the “happily ever after” ending all the time.

I would like to close the letter with your concluding remarks for humankind for which you won the Patrick Henry National Trophy, “Finally, it’s time to close the book, what we need is a new story, a story that recognises life’s complexities, a story where to paraphrase Dickens, we call all be the heroes of our own lives despite our struggles, economic status, religion or race, a story where death does not have to mean failure, a story where heroes do not have to fight villains, what all good Bollywood films, we have to learn to share the music and revise that we all are in this dance together.”

Yours truly

Jagmohan Singh
Editor, WSN