I think, it is a very good oratory but rather too lengthy. It takes the shape of a preacher rather than sending a message. A clear succinct message highlighting five key points should be enough to challenge the graduating students. It sounds so much like the speeches in Gurudawara, which the youth resent. Why can’t our elders get the message to be concise, succinct and to the point. One cannot translate the whole Guru Granth Sahib for the youth in a speach.

Please just observe how people send email messages these days. One liners.

Kuldip

Responce to this comment:

Thanks for your excellent suggestions.
We are not yet using young peoples “language.”
Over the last 10 days I have attended THREE Graduation ceremonies, Plus read President’s Address to Class of 2010 (Published in PARADE) and Surgeon General’s Address to UTMB-Galveston Class of 2010 (Medical Doctors). Even speeches by Valedictorians (Students themselves) are in this pattern. I find the whole ceremony, FORMAL TOO (With Pledge of Honor, Bands, Flags, National Anthem, Invocation and all). May be completely FREE style of the present day youth and MSM culture has not yet penetrated this highly landmark sober , family and national ceremonies.

Your points are however, gratefully acknowledged, for use wherever possible and appropriate.
Loving regards,
Jasbir Singh Sethi

The article is very useful and appropriate for any graduate, and not just for a Sikh graduate. I can understand the emphasis on promoting Sikhism especially when the article is written by a Sikh scholar and is being published in the Sikh Review Journal which is primarily read by the followers of Sikhism. But, I think, by stressing the idea that the graduates should be “Sikh first” and then they will become a good human being, as a result of being a Sikh only, the writer shows a bias against other equally authentic religions.

In my view, basically, all religions, if properly understood and followed, teach the same good values. As such, what we should stress is that one can be a good person while “religiously” following one’s own faith.

In this instance, I would like to cite an example given by Mahatma Gandhi when he was asked to become a Christian. He said he respected Christianity but he was comfortable in continuing to follow his own religion—Hinduism.

Lachhman Das (A follower of Hindu and Sikh Religions)

I hope you will not be offended by my candid views.

Best Regards and thanks.
Lachhman Das

Responce to this comment:

Thanks indeed.
I fully respect your excellent observations.
You did not offend me at all. I did not mean any offence to any other belief either.
You have rightly acknowledged that the targeted audience is Sikhs.
Yeaterday’s Houston Chronicle had a Commencement Speech by Surgeon General at UTMB-Galveston. It was slanted to Doctors, she did not mean any offence to other Professionals, like Engineers.

Keep up good work with Indian Community.
My good wishes are with you, though at this stage I cannot spare more time for other worthwhile activities.

Most loving regards,
Jasbir Singh Sethi