The Statistics of Love

Lately, there has been a fascinating discussion in the comments section on the application of statistical methods to the age old question of finding a wife for Hairy Harries of this world. While some of the mathematical theories that have propounded appear simplistic, the message is clear and grim. Some people have proposed that other attributes like intellect and handsomeness might be able to compensate for the turban and put people like me at par with their non-hairy peers. Others have drawn comparisons with other religions like Islam to justify the fascination of Sikh women with the non-hairy subspecies of Sikhs.

I do agree with some of the statements while differing with others. First of all, the non-turbaned Sikhs are not a sect of Sikhism like Shias and Sunnis are of Islam. They believe in the same fundamental beliefs of Sikhism but for their own special reasons have chosen to ignore a few rules. Most Sikhs would look upon them as renegade Sikhs if nothing else. I do agree with "Givelove"( a very interesting moniker) that the percentage of Sikh women who dig turban is astonishingly small.

All these statistical mambo-jambo was at work in a desi party this weekend in downtown Houston. It was a bhangra party and needless to say, a lot of people who boast of being Punjabis showed up in full force. Of course, they were sans the turban and other outward signs of their religion. Yours truly, on the other hand, was the solo turbaned person in the crowd. This is a not a matter of pride or embarrassment but just a statement. I am not afraid of standing out even though I am not outstanding (Well, C says I am). Anyways, it was a dark smoky atmosphere with the smoke emanating from all the cigarettes that were smoldering at the luscious lips of the bevy of Sikh ladies. Don't get me wrong. A lot of young Sikh lads were partaking in sucking the joystick as well. There was loud music and there were people gyrating to the tunes of bhangra and hip-hop.

Unfortunately, C did not accompany me to the party because of other stuff. I was in the company of my male friends who went in the hope of meeting somebody. The edifice of their hopes has crumbled several times in the past and this time was no different. A friend of mine wears a stubble of a beard and wears a baseball hat. The poor guy tried but failed. As did other of my friends. Most of them carried the burden of atleast one of the lethal trinity: fobs, bearded or partly bearded Sikhs and nice guys. The party was a window into changing times and the future Sikh generations. There was perhaps sampling bias but I would still confer some degree of validity to it.

To cut the long story short, I think turbaned Sikh men are an endangered species. Peer pressure and other things are just not in favor of the perpetuation of this species. I don't mean to sound nihilistic but I think I can read the writing on the wall. This, only reminds me of the Dodo bird. An indigenous species of Mauritius, the Dodo bird was wiped to extinction by the swift blow of changing times because the stupid bird just would not run away at seeing the hunter approach.

I might be a member of an endangered species but I don't want to be another Dodo.