Last night prayers ("kirtan darbar") were held at a Barking Gurdwara to commemorate one of it's congregation - Sukhwinder Singh whose life was bought to an untimely end earlier this month.

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Many of us are now aware of the story behind the murder of Sukhwinder. A death bought about by a selfless act - coming to the aid of a lady who'd been robbed. Sukhwinder gave chase and was set upon and eventually murdered by the perpetrators.

I have witnessed a reassuringly common reaction to those who I've spoken to about this. The majority of people both on the street and in the media have responded with shock and sadness and also, admiration. Shock at the manner in which he was heartlessly murdered; saddened at how something so bad could happen to somebody so good; and admiration for the selfless act that ultimately led to Sukhwinder's death. Let’s be honest, not many of us would have the courage to have done what he did.

Of course, this resonated in an acutely strong way with me given that I too, like Sukhwinder, am from a Sikh background. Regardless of his background however, the reaction was common from all parts of the community. The general principle behind his action and the fact that he met his fate whilst engaging in a very brave act has led most to feel a very strong empathy with his story.

Sukhwinder was described by those who knew him as an honest, clean-living gentleman. He was immigrant -originally from the Panjab region of India. It had been bought to light recently that there is in fact, no record of him in Home Office records and therefore, there is a possibility his residence here was illegal. Nevertheless, he still managed to obtain a National Insurance number and a Tax Reference (much to the embarrassment of more than one governmental department) and as such, paid his taxes and contributed to the economy and welfare of this country just like the rest of us.

As a Sikh, he would regularly pray and help out at his local Gurdwara. As a husband, he would send money home on a regular basis for the upkeep of his family. This in itself came with much sacrifice - he hadn't seen his wife in 10 years, he hadn't witnessed the birth or growth of his son nor was he able to attend the funeral of his daughter when she died in an accident aged only 3. It is clear that this was a principled man who knew the meaning of self-sacrifice. In both his life and death he is a strong role model to all (Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike).

I wanted to write about Sukhwinder to pay tribute and to also raise awareness around the plight of his family. Our society needs more people like Sukhwinder who are willing to help strangers and selflessly contribute to the community. I have faith that in the same way he was willing to help a stranger; strangers to him will be willing to help his family. It was bought to my attention that a charity called Khalsa Aid is collecting money on behalf of his wife and son -you can view their website here. [*EDIT FROM WEBMASTER: at the request of Sukhwinder's family, Khalsa Aid are no longer collecting for his family in Panjab]

Gurcharan