Two Sikh men break religious protocol by removing their turbans to save four from drowning
According to the religious tenets of Sikhism, the turban should not be removed in public
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two Sikh men broke strict religious rules by removing their turbans to save four teenagers from drowning in a canal in Punjab, India.
Inderpal Singh unravelled his turban and threw it into the water as a lifeline to the teenagers, who had entered the canal as part of a religious ceremony in which idols of the god Ganesh are immersed in water, when a gush of water made them lose their balance and fall in.
"I had no time to think and quickly removed my turban and threw at the drowning boys and pulled them in," Mr Singh told NDTV.
On the other bank of the canal to Mr Singh, Kanwaljit Singh also took off his turban to help the boys.
"My immediate reaction was to jump into the canal and try to save them. But I cannot swim. So I removed my turban and used it to save the boys," he said.
The rescued men, who were later identified as Inderpal Singh, Jiwan Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Inder Tiwari, praised their rescuers for their bravery, India Today reports.
The turban is one of five articles of faith worn by Sikhs, representing spirituality, honour and piety. According to the religious tenets of Sikhism, it should not be removed in public and can only be taken off in the privacy of the home.
Earlier this year, another Sikh man was praised after he helped treat an injured six-year-old by taking off his turban and laying it beneath the child's bleeding head.
The man, Harman Singh, was later given new furniture from a local furniture shop as a gift to repay his kindness.
At the time, Mr Singh said: "I wasn't thinking about the turban. I was thinking about the accident and I just thought, 'He needs something on his head because he's bleeding.' That's my job -- to help."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments