By Sukhbir Singh

Wanted some Good books: The eighty-four debacle of Sikhs created a demand for books to resolve two conflicting philosophies: (1) Sacrifice minority interests in favor of a “secular monarchy”: and (2) establish autonomous states to satisfy historical and cultural forces. Others wanted answers to some basic questions; Who and what are Sikhs? Why are they uncomfortable in their own land? What is Sikh quam and nation? How are Sikhs true inheritors of Punjabi nationalism? How the Brahmin’s need for “monarchy” conflicts with Punjabi passion for independence?

Books Aplenty: There has been a flurry of books; some very good, some trashy and many genuinely fraudulent. Most have equated the Sikh politics with the antics of Akali and Congrussia Sikhs. All have ignored the role of Hindus and Sikh like sects in the whole tragedy. None has attempted to restore the Punjab to Punjabis; or presented the Sikhs as the sum total of Sikhism, International and Punjabi environment historical, political, cultural and social. Worst of these books have a medley of unrelated essays by “titled Indian functionaries,” which are laced with reminiscences and digressions, 18491947 Sikh politics,” and “it is very clear” type of assertions. They leave you with the feeling of that chief guest who arrives expecting a formal dinner but, finds instead a “pot luck” buffet of “munchies”.

  1. False Packaging: Those who brought the History of Culture of Punjab, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi, 1988, edited by Mohinder Singh will very quickly see the truth of “a fool and his money part soon”. The editor should be charged with “false packaging” The title is remotely related to its contents, does not justify as to why his selections constitute history and culture; many of the 31 “essays” describe the same events and topics: some have no more information than can be picked from a “Punjabi tea party”, and he is unsure of the subject land keeps interchanging “Punjab” and “Panjab”! With printing paper of restroom quality, enumerable typos, and 38 dollars per copy, the editor, publishers and sellers must be laughing all the way to the bank! Some notable examples:
  2. History and Culture of Punjab is actually the title of an introductory article by Dr. Ganda Singh, in Mohinder’s book. The good Doctor gives us a bad “Sikh joke”; the remainder (Indian Punjab) of 1947 partition of Punjab is still a “land of five rivers” Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Sarswati and Jamuna! Ha!

Images of Sikhism in writings of Early Orientalists by James Lewis is thought provoking, and to Mohinder’s credit: Theory of Guru Gobind’s militarism as a departure from Nanak’s message of peace was, in fact, a Justification of the split personality of the British: They preached the peace of Jesus but practiced brutal imperialism.

  1. Guru Gobind Singh in Bengali Writings of H. ‘Banerjee gives an historical anecdote: Most Bengali ‘writers projected Guru Gobind Singh as a savior of Hindus; but Tagore “squarely blamed the Guru for creating the Khalsa which perpetuated sectarian politics at the point of bayonet”!
  2. Position of Women in Punjabi Society by K. Devendra, and Role of women in freedom struggle by MM. Kaur, take cursory note of female infanticide, Savi, and Mai Bhago; and give a litany of names in the freedom struggle. They do not address the enigma of Punjabi women, and their treatment as the darkest chapter of Punjabi society; It treats the girl child as “begana dhan” and “Qaraz”. Not very long ago the ones who survived being smothered at birth, were raised as secondclass members, and then banished from their ancestral homes as “give aways.” Their in laws still treat them as chattel! All this was perpetuated through the connivance of their own kind! Yet every Punjabi son and husband knows that no decision of any consequence is ever made without the blessings of mothers and wives!
  3. Art and Architecture of Punjab by Kanwarjit

Singh Kang has the same worn out and obligatory descriptions of brick lined baths of Mohenjodaro, Chariots of Aryans followed by 3,000 years of blank nothingness, and Afghan and Mughal tombs and forts; What is so Punjabi about these buildings?

  1. Political Dynamics and Crisis in Punjab, Guru Nanak DeV University, Amritsar, 1988, edited by Paul Wallace and Surrendra Chopra is the revised ‘81 edition; the revisions are quite slipshod and insignificant, though, it has 25 essays by all and sundry. Some examples:
  2. Political Origins of a Punjabi Lower Caste Religion by Mark Juergensmeyer is the only redeeming feature of this book: Transformation of Mangoo Ram from a leather worker, to a Gadharite in USA, and then to the founding president of the Ad Dharam is an extraordinary reading.
  3. Ethinicity, revivalism and Politics in Punjab of Surrendra Chopra is a strong indictment of the Sikhs: He claims that CIA in the form of Gora Sikhs has penetrated the Gurdwaras; defends the role of Dewan Lakpat Rai in Ghallughara; hates the reformation of Gurdwaras because, “The Brahminical practices were wiped out … images of Hindu gods and goddesses were removed This created some sort of uneasiness among the Hindus”; rephrases the old Brahminical “curse” reserved for the detested Punjabi Jat: “the leaders who have advocated secessionism are of rural background and are Jats (peasant caste), namely Kapoor Singh … Jagjit Singh Chauhan, however is a Rajput. “Most extremists belong to the same caste.” (Good for Chauhan, but “Jatpeasant” in urban PunjabiBrahmin idiom packs a tremendous contempt!) Chopra brings to mind that Indianoperator in the “Soft Target” of Zuhair Kashmeri: Our hero is now employed as professor of political science in Guru Nanak University, Amritsar! Credulous Sikhs; Charaag tale andheraa! Surrendra Chopra is a Soft Target!
  4. Sikh Tradition, Siddharth Publications, Patiala, 1986, edited by Gurdev Singh is purportedly a rebuttal of Hew Mcloed’s thesis of influx of JatSikhs as the cause of rising militancy of Sikhs. Gurdev gathered some big name contributors; and even reproduced 3 chapters from old works of Hari Ram Gupta, and Professors Ganda Singh and Harbans Singh; but to no avail. His champion prosecutor Jagjit Singh rejects Mcleod’s model because (1) Remember when Bhai Buddha (a Randhawa Jat) mildly rebuked Guru Hargobind for bearing arms; thus the Jats actually opposed Sikh militancy! (2) the 8 identifiable Jats among the 200 prominent Sikhs in Var #11 of Bhai Gurdas, were too few to be affective instigators! and (3) there was only one Jat among the “Panj Piaras”! Two examples:
  5. Orientalism, Critical Scholarship and the Sikh Religion, by their star witness Dr. Noel Q. King is a tortuous and rambling narrative. He provides Mcloed’s cTitics a beach head but, not much to fight with!
  6. Militarization of Sikh Movement by Jagjit Singh, the nemesis of Jat—Sikhs, states: “Sikh movement was not only an egalitarian social revolution but a plebian Political revolution as well.” Really; Historians have always said that Jats are the main contributors to the Sikh tradition!
  7. Guru Gobind Singh’s creation of the Khalsa in 1699 by Hari Ram Gupta has quite a mischievous hypothesis: Khalsa is an acronym of five Persian letters! He does not tell us his sources, and how long the Guru Gobind Rai (Gupta calls him Gobind Das) labored to coin it if in fact there was a tradition of Persian acronyms?
  8. Sikh Revolution, Humanities Press, Atlanta, 1982, by Jagjit Singh is a good “rah rah” if you ignore his poisonpen belittling the role of Jatsin Sikh tradition, His narrative interwoven with “reference quotations” is as cluttered and confused as maare jut daa gaah.
  9. Punjab in Indian Politics, Issues and Trends, Ajanta Publications, Delhi, 1985, edited by Amrik Singh is a potpourri of 30 essays of varying caliber. It is a good exposition of the current situation and seems to favor the Sikh viewpoint. However, close to half the book is devoted to the horrid events of 8485. The Longowal Gandhi accord section does not even decently describe the terms and conditions of the accord! Some examples:

A, What It’s All About by Rajinder Puri bewails: “After partition Punjabis disappeared. In West Punjab they became Pakistanis. In East Pakistan they became Hindus and Sikhs … Punjab had its own history, its own freedom struggle … In correspondence with the British Viceroy, Gandhi opined that Bhagat ‘Singh’s execution would not create law and order disturbance … British, assured thus … went ahead with the execution.” (Now they tell us!) Puri voluntarily might they be described as a nation,”

  1. Akalis and Violence by P.N. Mukerjee describes an unsung facet of the Sikhs; Akalis perfected the technique of nonviolent Shahidi Jathas to reform the Gurdwaras; it provided Gandhi a ready made experiment to test the workability of Satyagrah. Akalishad a few lessons for Gandhi: “In your suggestion about the limitation of Satyagrah to “one or at the most two” you have not taken into account the significance of the institution of Sangat … Sikhs (always) in large numbers have been proceeding to Gurdwaras and congregating… The freedom of temples would mean nothing without the free and unfettered exercise of this right … “Gandhi of course, gave the Akalis “regional and religious movement” a national coloring and exploited its successes.
  2. Politics of Sikhs, National Book Organization, New Delhi, 1986, by Jatinder Kaur is a refreshing and well written effort. Jatinder’s description of Sikh political events is engrossing. She finds: Delhi Sikhs have emerged as a powercenter with a focus different from that of Punjab Sikhs. She reasons it on their closeness to the Indian Capitol, and different interests of Jat peasants of rural Punjab, and urbanized Bhapas, professionals and businessmen.

Jatinder tends to repeat her conclusions, generalize, preach and “mislead” the reader into unwanted choices! For instance, “the DGMC would carve out a line of action different from that of its parent body (SGPC) Provided its interests so dictate. The interests of Sikhs in general lie in remaining in the national stream … Punjab Sikhs may deviate from this line … it is absolutely necessary for the Delhi Sikhs to follow a policy of cooperation with the Indian Government …” (Her university funded research, hyperactivity of media over her “discovery” and her recommended course of action is quite intriguing: Cultivate Delhi Sikhs as counterweight to Punjabi Sikhs!)

  1. Only crisis in Punjab Crisis, Ajanta Publications, New Delhi, 1989 by Jatinder Kaur is for the constitutional purists; because, her survey of 1985 elections in a group of Punjabi villages, finds that they voted mainly on communal lines! After the first few pages the book gets lost in the interpretation of election statistics, she launches into occasional pontification: Voting trend ‘bodes a crisis for the “Indian democracy”!
  2. Sikh History and Religion in the Twentieth Century edited by O’Connell et al, University of Toronto, 1988 is by far the best collection of essays on contemporary Sikhs. The editors have included an excellent overview of the book. Some observations on the evolution of Modern Standard Punjabi by Christopher Shackle are excellent essay. From Ritual to Counterritual of Harjot S. Oberoi provides ample material for the fans of HinduSikh bhai bhai pakhand. For those who see the Akali movement as religious the Fox and the Lion : The Akali Movement Revisted of Tan J. Kerr is a must. He reasons: Socioeconomic changes in Punjab of early Twentieth Century brought about an intensified communal identity among the Sikhs; which expressed itself through vigorous Political activity in the form of Akali Movement.
  3. Prasaraprasna, Guru Nanak DeV University, Amritsar, 1988, of Sardar Kapoor Singh enlivens the perennial debate on the HinduSikh differences. He explains that Sikh is a Buddhist term in Pali language for the seeker of truth; the Sanskrit grammarian Panini later polished it into the word Shishya. The name Singh given the Sikhs is not because, “lion is the vehicle of goddess Chandi,” but in Buddhist scriptures it means the one who has attained the goal. He contrasts the differences between the Hindu Yajna sacrifice, Puja homage, and the Sikh congregational prayer Ardas communion of the devotee with God. He describes that the Khalsa misls were rooted in the age old republican tradition of Punjabi Jats. He seems to justify the Akhandpath recitation as the Buddhist equivalent of “worship in speech.”
  4. Evolution of The Sikh Faith by Hormise Nirmal Raj has outdone all others: His total contribution to whole “book” amounts to no more than one page, the Test page after page of sympathetic passages, some irrelevant, other versions of different authors, and many out of sequence, are cevied from other books. (Raj does give an extensive bibliography). Thrust of his thesis: Christianity in Punjab is as old as Hinduism; and Christians should respect the Sikhs!

Honest Efforts Make Good Books: It will be unfair to brand some of these books as underwritten by the detractors of Sikhs; but temptation is overwhelming! We pray that Mohinder writes no more books. If he must, the proceeds go to a Gurdwara! Messers Bhutani, Shourie or Chopra though uncomplimentary towards the Sikhs, have the courage of conviction to write their versions of “History”! India Abroad, the press and our Hindu friends all believe and parrot their views. Whereas, I can’t make out what Mohinder stands for? Some degree of moral and intellectual honesty is expected from Sikh writers as well! If it takes two to make a fight, why then only the Sikhs get blamed? If“where there is smoke there is fire,” then surely, a decade of so called “extremism” is not a “mere smoke”?.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 22, 1989