Serene Singh, Graduate President-Elect of the Oxford Sikh Society and a St Peter’s Welfare Officer recited the Mool Mantar, a Sikh prayer, with participation from all in the hall, as a blessing on the meal. Mool Mantar translates to ‘root chant’ and includes the opening line to the Sikh holy text, the Guru Granth Sahibi, which is ‘Ek Onkar’ (‘One Shared Light’).
Although St Peter’s has regularly included prayers from different faiths and languages at the formal hall, the Oxford University Sikh Society has noted that this may be the first time a Sikh prayer has been used. Serene said, ‘It was a big moment for me to help share a fraction of my identity and faith with others who might not have ever known about it otherwise. It opens doors for questions to be asked, for conversations to be started, and for humanity to be bridged in important ways for years to come.’
Speaking to Asian Voice, Serene further added, “It is easy to come to a place like Oxford and to fall into a complete acceptance of “tradition.” But, that is not enough for me. Doing things for the sake of “tradition” only means so much when only one “tradition” prevails and has the chance to be shared. So, this was a big moment for me to help share a fraction of my identity and faith with others who might not have ever known about it otherwise. It opens doors for questions to be asked, for conversations to be started, and for humanity to be bridged in important ways for years to come. Mool Mantar translates to “root chant” in Sikhi, the 5th largest religion in the world. The opening line to the Sikh holy text, the Guru Granth Sahib which is “Ek Onkar.” The translation of “Ek Onkar,” is “One Shared Light.” This guiding philosophy has transformed my life – not just my faith but how my way of leadership, as well. From the communities I work with to the ways I work towards challenging biases I have, I strongly believe in the power “Ek Onkar” has to connect and unite our human race.”
The 26-year-old is a proud Sikh American passionate about educating people on the Sikh tenets and way of life. She has published research on her Sikh community titled “Tracking and Reflecting on Hate and Discrimination: A Meta-Analysis and Survey Experiment Depicting Perceptions of Sikh Americans and the Sikh Faith in the United States” and also spearheaded the initiation of the inaugural “Colorado Sikh Day” which was supported by Colorado’s State Legislature in her home state.
At Oxford University, Singh brought the first turbaned Sikh speaker who would speak specifically on the Sikh faith to the Oxford Union in its 200+ year history last June. Singh also wrote a children’s book in 2021 called The Queen Machine. In the book, the main character is “Amrita” who, as a Sikh girl, goes through a journey of developing self-confidence among Amrita’s friends in the book, Brooke and Michaela.
