Mixed in carefully calculated proportion in an ample measure, hypocrisy, duplicity, double-think and double standards and what have you compose the amalgam that constitute the national canvas on which the ruling classes/majority have painted in most lurid colors of personal greed and lewd hues of lack of patriotism, honesty of purpose and lack of scruples in blaming the darkest crimes committed by themselves on their opponents. George Menzes, writing recently in the Indian Express magazine, advised a young friend of his to hurry back home after dumping his thesis in the Hudson river, because the jamboree enjoyed by the National Students Union of India, meeting in Nagpur, has shown that George Menzes friend would be able to enjoy all sorts of pleasures from leaking of examination papers, beating the invigilators in the examination hall, tearing the shirts of school girls, chasing old women and storming the red light districts to satisfy your lust, with complete immunity to yourself because all this will be blamed on the opposition. This is India’s National Canvas and it is truly nightmarish, George Menze’s satire is timely and well-aimed. It is no doubt, wellintended, even though it will cut no ice. “A nightmare”, says the Indian Express editorial (9.10.84), recounting incidents of violence with many deaths at the hands of police and due to mob violence in eight of the twenty two state of the Indian Union, in just one week-end. In most of these places, according to the editorial note, Curfew had to be imposed in Madhya Pradesh, J and K, UP., Gujrat, Andhara. Kamatak. Orissa and Assam. The Editor regrets the persistence of communal disharmony and called it a sad commentary on Indian secularism, The fact that incidents of violence in the Punjab do not find a mention in the editorial is itself the more regrettable proof of double-think at the level of intellectuals who carry on with a blind spot wherever and whenever they have to do with Sikhs and Sikhism.
The Shiromani Akali Dal has perfected its “Birprin Ki Reet’ technique of Stage-managing its affairs, not allowing inconvenient opinions to be voiced at their meetings by using strong-arm methods. Handpicked Jathedars/party faithful’s then propose and get resolutions passed and vest the party leaders with dictatorial powers over the affairs of the Panth. The general body and working committee meetings thus become tame affairs and the general rung of Akali workers have, over the years, become tongue tied political raw material.
They are available with equal ease and in abundance to the Congress, the communist, and the Bhartya Kisan Union etc. The reason being the lack of political education which has converted them into unquestioning followers, always ready to fight even against their Panthic interests provided their political exploiters used the necessary guise. Thus the Sikhs made maximum sacrifices despite their small number in India’s freedom struggle and themselves ended up as the so-called second class citizens, more appropriately, persona non-grata. That is why no Sikh was allowed to travel on the G.T. Road to attend Asaid-82. According to double-speak, the message was that Sikhs were not Indian and hence could not travel without a visa. The reason, in retrospect, is the Alkalis’ decision to join India in 1947 A.D. in preference to the other alternatives like a separate state or some such arrangement in which the Sikhs, in the words of the English leaders of the time of the “Great Divide”, could walk into the mainstream of world history on feet of their own. Master Tara Singh and Sardar Baldevr Singh, who presided over the destiny of the Panth failed it. The former had divided] loyalties and was still suffering from the cultural hang-over of the Hindu past and, therefore, could not decide whether to leave the Hindus in order to go with the Sikhs or vice versa, and the latter was just a young untried gullible novice, Because of this leadership-deficit the Akali leaders bungled and missed the bus, All the present troubles of the Sikhs in independent India have resulted from this fatal mistake and biting the Congress bait of assurances and thus Sarbat Khalsa concept of the Sikh raj. It had been agreed that Maharaja Ranjit Singh always rule in the name of and under the Seal of Sarbat Khalsa.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 26, 1991
