The overwhelming response of swelling pride in the 4 Sikh soldiers who died in the confrontation w/Chinese troops in Ladakh seems to confirm that martial valor is still well and alive in Punjab - contrary to "Udta Punjab" fans and perceptions of diaspora Sikhs alike.

I just saw this on my newsfeed. I'm sure many will be upset about the video content, while many will be upset about the profile picture

I think diaspora Sikhs tend to rely too heavily on binaries and heuristics to understand Sikhs in India, and Indian Sikhs do the same.

That non-Sikhs will stereotype and itemize Sikhs into categories to fit their liking is their own prerogative (like I said, "Udta Punjab" fans) - but I think Sikhs, who herald the belief in a strong community dynamic, need to put more effort into understanding and engaging.

Note that this doesn't mean total agreement with foreign policy concerns or a unitarian way of thinking - but it does mean that we should be able to "cross the bridge" to try and understand other Sikhs' thought processes, and find common ground while recognizing diversity.

For example, I am an American and personally would scoff at nationalistic fervor of any flavor (be it American or Indian).

But I do recognize that for many Indian Sikhs, the army can present a symbolic tie to the martial past, a genuine avenue of employment, a vestige of honor

This question comes up frequently in the West now, for example British Sikhs questioning whether service in the colonial army was truly something to celebrate given it was done for a *colonizer*. It's def something I think about a lot and find myself having mixed views on

Hope to elaborate on these mixed views using a particularly fascinating example in history - the Saragarhi Conundrum.

Above all though, I hope such polarizing incidents and the variance on their perceptions in different Sikh social media pockets can aid by helping to bridge the gap of understandings between them; instead of only further solidifying those echo chambers.