Sikh Man Defies Religious Protocol By Removing Turban To Save Drowning Dog
When Sarwan Singh, a non-swimmer, came across a drowning dog he had to think and act quickly to save it.
Unable to dive in, the 28-year-old sikh man decided remove his turban and use it lower himself to the edge of the water.
Sarwan was walking by an irrigation canal in Punjab, India when he spotted the stricken dog.
The heartwarming moment was captured on video, above, and shows him heroically climbing down the waterway’s steep banks.
Sarwan said: “I was travelling when I saw a group of men pointing towards the canal.
“I stopped my car and went over to check what was happening. I was shocked to see that there was a dog drowning but no was actually helping.”
Sarwan Singh (Credit: Caters)
“The moment I started taking off my turban, people watching around were shocked.
“They thought I was disrespecting my faith,” said Sarwan.
“But what was important at that point was to save the animal’s life.”
Practising sikhs are expected to wear turbans at all times when in public, partly to cover their long, uncut hair, grown for religious reasons.
It is generally considered against protocol to remove the turban, unless it is done so for a good cause.
“The dog wasn’t comfortable. He was not coming to me at all. We had to follow him for around 200 metres before I was able to wrap my turban around his neck and pull him to safety,” Sarwan added.
“The dog was frightened, so I fed him some biscuits and let him go on his own.”
