Dear Editor:
I have been a subscriber to the World Sikh News from the very beginning and congratulate you that it has come a long way from its modest origin. However, 1 must caution you that there is a very long, tedious and difficult path ahead before we can truly call WSN ‘a community newspaper and ‘a united voice of the Sikhs’.
Your coverage of events concerning Sikhs has been excellent and improving steadily, however. More progress needs to be made regarding coverage of our community in the USA and Canada. There is a lot happening right here in our own backyard and WSN needs to expand its efforts to bring it to the attention of our community. 1 must admit that many times the so called ‘antiSikh Indian media’ gives more detailed information about Sikhs than the WSN.
Let WSN provide a lead in creating up a positive image of Sikh religion and community in North America (no meager task by any means). Let us refrain from building personality cults. Let us give credit and criticism when and where due. Let us remember our common goal:
Regaining Sikh respect and freedom through establishing Sikh Homeland. Let us also not forget that we have to work through various means to reach our destination. We should not expect all of us to work on the same project at the same time.
Let us remember what we are fighting for and who we are fighting against. We all have one common enemy who is very cunning and powerful. Let us join together to defeat our real enemy and not one another among us. Shamsher Singh Kang San Francisco
Dear Editor:
Apropos, “Gurdwara Elections: A success Story” by Dr. Hardam Singh Azad, in your issue of January 29, 1988.
The whole story concerns a local issue, though important, but with a concerted effort not to recognize the reality. However, I am not commenting on the theme of the story. I leave that to Dr. Azad to give a follow up more truthful or for some other blessed soul from Houston. My main concern is a national malady of Sikhs; Disunity. It is always a mature approach to accept our faults and conscious of our weaknesses and try to take corrective actions. If we do not do that, the malady can spread in the whole body and can leave us fully emaciated. Vulnerable and cause of defeat.
In the second paragraph, Dr. Azad mentions prominent Houstanian Sikhs, who held national/international offices. The way he has named the offices, organizations, and the office holders in checkered board fashion, creates doubts. Some organizations committed are: World Sikh Organization, United Sikh Appeal, and Association of Sikh Professionals. Some offices here and there omitted V. P. Sona (included once), V.P. Naad, Gen. Secy. Naad. If we consider the omitted offices and Organizations, we come up with names of S. Inder Pal Singh Gumer, S. Baljit Singh, Dr. Jagmeet Singh Soin, and Jasbir Singh Sethi. If it was one commission, it could be a mistake; but to go in a checker board fashion and side step here and side step there to avoid all names that do not fit in a special ‘frame’ is most undesirable. He has even gone beyond and used the theory of “guilt by association”; and omitted the name of S. Gurdarshan Singh Brat as an associate of Sethi.
Let me assure your readers that none of those omitted is offended or his panthic zeal any less. But, i am our Panthic duty to be aware. such a misleading write up: we should stand up to identify, expose. Isolate and if possible quarantine such virus so that Panthi: Unity is not affected.
J.S.Sethi Houston.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 11, 1988
