Shoes off. (Shoo off.)

by Dr Navneet Bhullar

One APAARite has been grasping hands of strangers on streets to join us. That is Luv, my brother. He and I in were in Gulmarg, Kashmir last month where Luv took a passing man’s hand to join our hike more than once. On an APAAR outing this past Saturday, we were walking in Kapurthala on the way to the gate of the Moorish Mosque. Luv and special educator Priya were missing for a few minutes. Priya later explained that Luv had been indicating to a man who stood by a car, to join him by leading him by his hand.

Luv needs major persuasion to doff shoes outside gurdwaras. He removes shoes to ease my life when we are in a group of APAARites, or when I plead. I have left Luv outside gurdwara precincts sometimes for this reason, or missed darshan myself, although that is rare. Yesterday a light went on for me during our APAAR outing. We had just arrived at the pleasant Sant Seechewal dera in Sultanpur Lodhi. It is a fine shaded complex with trees aplenty and pottery piles decorating the path by the river Bein where Guru Nanak Dev ji is said to have meditated for three days and then recited the Mool Mantra, the core of the Sikh ideology. 

 Luv came out of the van at the dera first and entered the first door he saw. It was a large office. Air-conditioned and well-furnished. There were five or six men seated on nice sofas. One lady, who seemed to be an official there, asked if Luv was with me. She said shoes off were necessary. I had no idea why so in an office. Luv refused. He sat on a sofa in a corner for perhaps four minutes as I came and went to persuade him to leave, while directing other APAARites to go to the museum next door.I later admired Luv’s persistence opposing this ridiculous idea. I said ,” Luv they don’t like shoes here. Please lets leave and go elsewhere.” I did not say sorry Luv. When Luv rose and was closing the door stepping out, I said a loud ” thank you Luv.” as much for Luv as for the occupants of the office. 

We walked to the museum next door which had shoes lying outside. Oh no. This one I will oppose I said to myself, entering barefoot. The same lady said that as there was Gurus’ related material, shoes off were required ( weak reason). Luv refused. He sat on the carpet inside, sandals on, beside the circle of APAARites, all barefoot, waiting for the museum film to begin. Eventually he left with me and we sat outside in the shade to wait.

Museums need to be inclusive places for all. Shoes off are to respect the Guru Granth Sahib, not to keep office carpets and museum carpets spotless. Singh Brothers is a major publishing house in Amritsar adjacent to the Golden Temple. There, only a small area where Gurbani books are displayed, has a white sheet and a shoes off sign for browsers. 

The autistic are marginalised and this shoe -off insistence amounts to discrimination against the voiceless. Luv most likely hates to take shoes off for sensory integration reasons- (that was my lightbulb movement after yesterday’s travails). Same reason Luv never covers his head, and sits outside the inner sanctum of gurdwaras. He is prohibited from the Golden Temple. We accept that. 

 Just this past June, an angry Nihang refused to let Luv enjoy a music class on the veranda of Khadoor Sahib’s Mal Akhaara gurdwara. Luv had started to touch the harmonium keys. He loves music. Others in the gurdwara, including the serene music teacher, had no problem when Luv entered the complex with shoes on, then took them off below the veranda, stayed several minutes with the students learning kirtan, till this Nihang came charging towards us across the courtyard of the old building. 

Inclusion is not just about caste/ religion/gender— my new slogan is “Inclusion across the Neurodiversity Spectrum.” Structural oppression of the neurodivergent has to stop. Can we begin to call a spade a spade? Imagine the frustration of the autistic- missing experiences when your life is so limited anyway. Then we drug them for maladaptive behaviours.

I will be sending this blog link to the nice lady at the Seechewal dera. Gurvinder Kaur  had exuberantly supported APAAR’s work. She might just take the first step in stopping unnecessary shoe removal. 

And since I began this piece with Luv’s desire to make people join him, I will conjecture that Luv wants more people to join him so more would understand him. He is a bright fellow. I thank him for my lesson.

PS: I, a neurotypical person, dislikes taking shoes off inside gurdwara complexes as well. On a cold day last December, we were at the Fatehgarh sahib Jor mela. I flinched as I learnt shoes needed to come off in the wet muddy area outside the gate of the Sis Ganj gurdwara. Luv was not with me then. I almost did not enter this small historic gurdwara which honours Sikhs beheaded by tyrannical rulers after the time of Banda Singh Bahadur. Cartloads of Sikh heads were cremated at this spot. Awe-inspiring, breathtaking moments jarred by walking barefoot on wet mud.  

I vote that shoes be removed just outside the inner sanctum in gurdwara complexes, where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed. Lets make worship and awe pleasant sensory experiences.