Participation in the political process is an essential prerequisite for developing a meaningful clout with the rulers of the land. Individuals do it to realize their ambitions. Business houses do it to in flat their financial gains. Communities do it to promote and protect their religion economic interests.
Jews in America form a negligible minority but have developed an amazingly formidable influence in every important corridor of ‘power. They have accomplished this incredible feat through an arduous but carefully planned course of action. Saluting, flattering or entertaining those who hold reins of power are generally dismissed as only a tribute to power. But sharing and supporting individuals and political parties in the difficult task of gaining power is the key to ‘establish permanent and effective relationship with them. Normally, this is done either by contributing handsomely to the election funds of an aspirant or by arranging a sizeable number of votes for him.
Sikhs as a community have criminally neglected all such materially important aspects of public relations. By temperament, they are not at all a political people. They have no patience with subtitles, ‘mechanizations, maneuvers and hypocritical postures. They like to play with all their cards prominently displayed on the table. They either want a thing and want it desperately or just don’t care about it. ‘Long term planning is alien to their character. Living intensely, draining each moment to the dregs is central, the legit motif to their existence. Consequently, in their dire need, they now find themselves friendless. They are victims of worse persecution than suffered by Jews, yet the U.S. Director of Human Rights, Mr. Robert Rack males goes on record to state that “We have seen no evidence that the government of India has violated the human rights of the Sikhs.” His statement has nothing to do with the tragic fate of the Sikhs but is consistent with the postures of the State Department. ‘State Departments of all governments, the U.S. State department is no exception, are no saints and hence follow no principles. Their ‘watchword is expediency and they have a price. Rajiv Gandhi knows how and when to pay the price.
Not that Mr. Rackmales is unaware of the truth. Expediency makes him pretend otherwise. He knows that after the split in the Akali Party Barnala government in Punjab has only as much legitimacy as the communist regime in Kabul. Yet, Mr. Rackmales feels outraged and world looks topsy turby to him because the human rights of the Afghans are being violated. The same man refuses to see that Sikhs are also being systematically exterminated. Rackmales can afford the luxury of such double standards because he knows that no Senator or Congressman is going to put him in the dock and tear his duplicity to pieces. He knows Sikhs have no clout in these corridors.
Sikhs desperately need to develop some kind of clout in the U.S. corridors of powers to offset the price offered by Rajiv and to make Mr, Rackmales speak the truth as he perceives it and not as is sold to him. They can do it by actively participating in the November elections. All Sikh citizens must become voters. Local chapters of Sikh organizations should prepare lists of Sikh voters and invite ‘candidates for the Senate and the Congress over dinners. The dinner should be utilized to acquaint the candidates with the Sikh predicament. All information must be fully supported with documents. The course of events in a chronological order highlighting the role of Sikhs in India and the betrayal by the majority community must be brought to their notice. They must contribute to their lection funds and associate with the campaign programs. Sikhs ‘must also develop personal equations with them on the social level. Friendships often weigh more than passing considerations.
In the checkered course of their history, Sikhs have registered unparalleled triumphs only to be checkmated by their own follies, personality clashes and internal contradictions. They have not cared to learn from the bitter lessons of history. They can’t afford to continue with their usual habit of neglecting the dangers that loom large over their very existence as a separate identity. To meet the challenge, they must move with the time and emulate Jews. Otherwise the prospects for them appear rather dismal.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 3, 1986
