SMS:
Sikhi Message Sewa
Jagmohan Singh
While advertising networks are still experimenting with this new
medium, Harjinder Singh, a net-savvy and progressive management
student, has hit upon this new medium to stay in touch. "This is my
way of celebrating the Tercentenary of Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib
 In
this Tercentenary year of Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, WSN will
continue to provide a platform to explore newer ways of
commemorating the uniqueness of its teachings. Jagmohan Singh
presents the Sikhi Message Sewa initiated by young entrepreneur
Harjinder Singh, using a new medium, hitherto misused by mobile
companies and marketing giants.
You are a Sikh
living in
India and you
have a cell-phone -then get set for SMS downpour. They are not the
regular irritating messages, but the sewa-oriented social service of
an energetic young and devout Sikh.
While
advertising networks are still experimenting with this new medium,
Harjinder Singh- a net-savvy and progressive management student has
hit upon this new medium to stay in touch. "This is my way of
celebrating the Tercentenary of Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib.
Within 30 seconds, a message from the SikhNetwork set up through the
website
www.sikhismonphone.com reaches 30,000 viewers across
India"
says the humble smart-looking Ludhiana lad. Powered by the team of
smsgupshup.com, it takes mobile messaging to a new spiritual level.
Over a period of
six months, the membership of this SMS group has grown from a modest
500 to a whopping 81,000. Harjinder is working hard to touch the
target of 200,000 to coincide with the celebrations of the
Gurtagaddi Diwas of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, in October 2008.
Using the medium
of cellular phones, this website simply asks you to provide a cell
number. The rest follows on our phone, once a day and sometimes
more. Prefixed or suffixed with the official slogan, "300 Saal Guru
de Naal (1708-2008)", all messages are simple and direct, - from
Shabads with their explanations to the Guru's teachings about female
foeticide, dowry, kindness, piety- covering a wide range of
religious and social aspects.
From
Jhansi
to Amritsar, from Rudrapur to Panjim, every Sikh whose mobile number
is registered with the site gets the messages free of cost. There is
a small unobtrusive ad message which follows, but it does not
detract from the substance of the Sikhi messages that implore you to
help fellow Sikhs, not to seek and give dowry, feel proud of good
deeds of Sikhs worldwide and of course to vote for Ishmeet Singh!
Whilst this
Sikhi Message Sewa was intended to do Parchar through this new
medium, the SikhNetwork rendered a significant service in generating
Sikh fervour in favour of Ishmeet Singh. Every Saturday evening,
this network flashed messages urging members to vote for Ishmeet
Singh. This direct message galvanized new viewers all over the
country –as far as
Cochin and the
Lakshadweep islands to watch the programme and to vote en masse
for Ishmeet Singh. "Vote for Ishmeet Singh as he is a Sikh and he is
talented too." "Be proud of a sabat-soorat Sikh singer" and
so on. The message tones never stopped on Saturdays and Sundays. "I
wanted to put this message across. If you are good in your deeds and
you are a good Sikh, the Sikh on the street will support you,
everybody will support you" says Harjinder. There is no doubt that
he has conveyed and pretty successfully.
Undoubtedly, it
is the world's largest Sikhi Messaging Sewa. The author of this new
script on the canvass of Sewa is exploring prospects of starting
such service in various parts of the world. Spelling out his plans,
Harjinder Singh said that this year he would be concentrating on
spreading the Guru's word and thence would build a network to enable
Sikhs worldwide to stay in touch.
With such a
connecting service in place, no Sikh with a cell phone will be taken
off guard. Keeping abreast of current events and happenings will
alert every receiver. "I have many other plans in the years to come,
making
www.sikhismonphone.com an interactive platform for
exchange of information on Sikhi a reality.
From supporting
a reality contest to becoming a real-time Sikh source of valuable
information is the mission, which surely seems possible at the
present rate of growth.
So, pick up the
phone, write an email and just ask your friends and relatives in
India to
join this unique service. All they have to do is to send an SMS
-Join Sikhnetwork to 567678 or put in their name and mobile number
at the site.
The Guru's
message will start reaching you -mobile te.
Jagmohan Singh
is a commentator based in Ludhiana, Panjab. He may be
contacted at
jsbigideas@gmail.com
2
January, 2008
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