Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter in response to the letter of Mr, Sewa Singh (Sangha) of Jalandhar, which appeared in your widely circulated International Newspaper of April 15,1994. Published under the heading “Guru’s Relies still in Nabah.”

As descendants of Pir Budhu Shah Lam disappointed (o learn that after only 50 years of partition of India the descendants of the Pir Sahib will be considered as cheats even by some of the Sikhs who perhaps are ignorant of the orders of the Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj about any of the descendants of Pir Sahib. Guru Maharaj ordered that“Any of our Sikh Panth who meets Pir Budhu Shah or any of his descendants should think as if he has met me, Any of our Sikh Panth offers any amount to the Pir Sahib or his descendants should consider as if he has paid the amount to me and who physically helps and serves the descendants of Pir Budhu Shah should consider as if he has served me.”

The holy relics were bestowed upon Pir Budhu Shah by Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj and they are still in our custody, At the time of partition of India in 1947 these relics were an the custody of my Grandmother (widow of Haider Hassan) and after her death have been passed to the neatened and are still with us. Till the time of parathion these holy relies were constantly offered for darshan at the house of my grandfather Mr. Haider Hassan in Mohalla Sawanian. Sadhora, District Ambala, India. Sikh States including Nabah used to pay annually to the family of Pir Sahib and written documents are available with us that these payments were made after the Dastar of Guru Maharaj (The holy relics) have been put for Darshan for Sikh Community.

At the time of migration to Pakistan my grandmother was contacted by several Sikh leaders to donate these relics to some Gurdwara and they assured that not only all the family members will reach Pakistan safely but will also be given property of our choice in Pakistan, In addition to this my grandmother was offered to take whatever she wanted to, (Gold, Money, even the bricks of her house) and due arrangements were assured to shift these items safely to Pakistan, My grandmother decided not to part with these relics as she regarded herself as mere custodian of the holy relics.

My sister-in-law (wife of my real elder brother Mr. Nacem Haider) is living in America for the last four years, Two of her children Miss Fatima and Mr. Haider have impaired hearing. My Uncle Dr. Sultan Ahmed Tremazi (settled in California, U.S.A.) helped the children to gel proper treatment. Even now these relics have not reached America had my uncle not mentioned about these relics to his Sikh friend Mr. Kartar Singh Lohara. Mr. Lohara insisted that these relics should be offered for Darshan for the benefit of the Sikh community in America as these are lying uselessly in Pakistan for the last 50 years.

The story that my friend Mr. Sewa Singh has narrated in his letter must have mislead the Sikh community. I am sure that Sikhs like Mr. Sewa Singh must not be aware of the facts which are given above, the fake relics are being offered for Darshan in India. Mr. Sewa Singh in his letter has also mentioned that these relics had been purchased by Maharaja Bharpur Singh of Nabah. As matter of common sense some documents should have been executed at the time of purchase, I urge my Sikh friends to demand these documents as a proof and authenticity of these documents may be checked, The fraud has already been committed upon Sikh’s community and it is the duty of my Sikh friends to find the facts for the benefit of their own community. In this regard [ will suggest not to take things for granted and to take little pain and explore the facts, They may have the orders of the Guru Maharaj checked by writing experts, have the relics checked if they are really 300 years old. And perhaps there is no place better than America where authenticity of these documents and holy relics may be checked as best expertise are available there, I will suggest to my Sikh friends to contact some of the Sikhs in Sadhora (India). There must be some Sikhs alive who will stand as witness to the facts reported above, Although approximately 50 years have passed but it is still not too late. If one wants to find out the truth it can certainly be extracted from the information, documents and facts available with us or elsewhere, it will not be out of place to make reference to the book “The Sikh Gurus” written by Amrik Singh, M.A. (English, Urdu, History) and Published by $. Rajinder Singh, Singh Book Company, Amritsar which also supports the above stated facts that the holy relics bestowed by Guru are still kept in reverence by the descendants of Pir Budhu Shah, I am sure that similar more references can be traced from Sikh history books.

Sikh Community in general would like to know about the writer of this letter and present custodian of the holy relics, Mr. Saleem Haider Zaidi was born in Pakistan in 1949. Got a Degree in Agricultural Engineering from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. I obtained a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, U.S.A. in 1974, [have widely travelled and have worked in America Canada and Nigeria, I am presently working as Joint Director in the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan. I am holding a reasonable position in the society and there is no need to mislead the Sikh community. My Sikh friends especially Mr, Sewa Singh should not expect it from the descendants of Pir Budhu Shah, Our sincerely is clear from the fact that we have no financial motives whatsoever. These holy relics belong to Sikh community and we are the mere custodians.

 

Saleem Halder Zaidi

Lahore, Pakistan

Article extracted from this publication >> July 29, 1994