Dear Editor

This is in reference to Dr.Gurbax Singh Gill’s letter titled “Sikh Chairs Tur Sour.” I completely agree with him and feel strongly that the time has come for Sikhs who collect money for Sikh chairs should show their responsibility accountability and answer the donors about the progress made by the chairs in enhancement of Sikh religion and history. Donors also in return should verify the results of their investment made in the past. Enough literature expressing the issues has been published in community newspapers and contributed papers from various International Sikh conferences held in the past have been published in book form and are available for review.

Everybody knows in detail about the controversy of Dr.Pashaura Singh’s doctorate thesis. Nobody is stopping any research either bad or faulty but the question is Honest Research verses Unethical Motivated or Spurious work. Various unethical academic issues have come into view and reported. Now it becomes the moral responsibility ‘of the Sikhs collecting money for these chairs to review the issues seriously and express their opinion in writing to the donors and Sikh community in general.  

 At U.B.C. Vancouver the Sikh chair was established about seven years ago by Sikh donations. Activities of that chair have been rather ” derogatory and misrepresenting the Sikh identity which has been contrary to the contact between the university and the Federation of  Sikh Societies of Canada who said  contract Recently Singh  strutting to of Religious Bound already was printed and appeared in 1993 catalog of the Oxford University Press has been canceled. The issue is why this book been canceled? Was it part of a conspiracy to diffuse independent Sikh identity and revelatory nature of   Sikh faith? It is the most urgent responsibility of the Federation of Sikh Societies of Canada to investigate this issue in detail and bring the truth before the Sikh community. Otherwise Sikh intellects and community newspapers will stan to express their opinion about this issue The contract with UBC clearly shows the provision to make a committee with representatives from the Sikh community if there’s some reservation about the work produced by the chair. What is holding up to enforce this clause? The time has come for the Federation of the Sikh Societies not to sleep over this issue anymore. If they feel helpless or incompetent to handle this issue they should hand over this issue to the committee of Sikh intellectuals selected by different Gurdwaras and Sikh Societies in Vancouver who can further take this issue with the UBC.

At Columbia University New York Gurinder Singh Mann did his PhD by getting financial support from Sikh Gurdwara The management thought that” ‘s was a noble cause and the would promote Guru Grees Sahib the living Guru of the Sikhs in return. But unfortunately he joined in hands with Dr.W.H.McLeod (who has born completely exposed for his intentional effort to demolish Sikh revelation and Sikh doctrines). Gurinder wrote and edited the book “Studying the Sikhs” which apart from writing some generalizations is broadly written to support McLeod and his associates. This book includes some self-justification by the former in the field of Sikh Studies.

 it makes two statements namely that personal attacks ave been indulged in and that there only one group that is taking what they consider a conformational view Dr.McLeod and his associates have made blasphemous attacks against the Sikhs and their scripture the Guru Granth Sahib. It   indeed unfortunate and passes news comprehension that responsible persons should suggest that in attack on the Sikh Guru and the entire Sikh community without any on   or tangible basis is considered academic activity but to point    its faults and to rebut the same awfully and academically is an in academic personal attack it reminds us of an old dictum that when aman kills a lion it is a sport but when a lion kills a man it is ferocity. Guru Nanak is still being classified as Quietist Sant and the strange part is that never has McLeod or anyone sought to sup~ port the formulation by any academic work beyond ritual repetition which has been made also in the work “Studying the Sikhs  .A more credible view the one most clearly articulated by W.H.McLeod is that the Sikh tradition emerged from medieval Hinduism.”

Religious history of Judaism Christianity and Islam clearly shows that whereas quietist mystics have always followed activity or prophetic mystics never has the vice versa happened. Yet without any academic evidence or study of the Guru Granth Sahib we find regular ritual repetition of the unexamined statement that Sikhism is a development of the Sant tradition an assertion contrary both to the facts on the ground and the lesson ‘of the religious history of man For neither any of the Sants in India or mystics of Sufis elsewhere organized a society much less did they accept social responsibilities as did the Gurus.

The Sikh community would like some academic answers from Dr.Gurinder Mann if he wishes as follows is he in possession of microfilm of manuscript #1245? When and how did he receive this microfilm? What is history of MS #1245 before 19872 Is it an earlier bir before 1604 or part of Minas literature? What is his opinion about Sikh Doctrine of Pakki Bani vs. Kachi Bani by Guru Arjun when he compiled the Adi Granth? Textual analysis can only be applied to Judo Christian studies as their canon was written after the death of the prophet. How does Gurinder support the use of this of this methodology to the Sikh canon which was written by the living prophet? Why has he locked his thesis for two years if his research has been honest and truthful? Why is he seeking donations from Sikh Gurdwaras where Guru Granth Sahib is believed to be the product of revelation and not the response of sociopolitical pressure? What does he think about Nash doctrine by Guru Gobind Singh which denunciated the caste system when the Khalsa was created? What is his opinion about sanctification of Guru Granth as living Guru by Guru Gobind Singh before his death? He has to answer these questions to Tri-State Sikh Sangat who has supported him in the past. Management of Richmond Hill Gurdwara should not sleep on this issue anymore otherwise they will also be the part of international conspiracy which is trying to demolish revelatory nature of the Sikh Faith.

Nobody is objecting to any. research on Sikhism as its roots are strong like a rock as established by the Sikh Gurus Only motivated and unethical work needs attention The time has come for the Sikhs who are collecting money for these chairs to be accountable and give their written opinion on the specific issues as outlined above The experience of these chairs in the past has shown that prejudices have to be shed and caustic observation avoided and incised the only useful path would be that of dialogues and discussion preceded by a detailed study of Sikh scripture which is prominently missing from the academic equipment of these scholars claiming use of atheist methodology. For no understanding of Sikh religion and its history can be rational or authentic until the study both of the Guru Granth Sahib and the history of the Guru is combined. Otherwise un-dimensional studies cannot obviously be objective or valid much less profound If the future generation of Sikhs in North America read the wrong books they will get wrong answers. Hence they will start doubting the authenticity and integrity of our living Guru (Guru Granth Sahib Ji) and the great heritage given to us by the Gurus. The Sikh media should also play their independent role to investigate these serious Sikh Study issues. Why did Oxford University Press cancel the book “Construction of Religious Boundaries”? Why did Dr.Gurinder Mann lock his thesis for two years? Why did a prestigious University like Columbia become a part of the conspiracy rather being proud of their research done at their facility?

Surjit Singh

Anaheim CA

Article extracted from this publication >> February 4, 1994