This is in reference to Dr.O’Connell’s article in WSN. No one objects to academic research, genuine or even faulty, only libel and blasphemy are Criticized, Detailed and specific objections have been raised by writers against Pashaura Singh’s work. But inexplicably, Dr.O’Connell, who should have known better has avoided defining the issues. Instead, he writes only in vague and general terms. The January issue, Abstracts of Sikh Studies, of the Center of Sikh Studies, Santa Ana (CA) gives the entire background and the real issue. Let O’Connell reply to them instead of abusing the crities we shall give only one example of the Shady work of Pashaura Singh.
He concludes that MS#1245, on which his entire thesis is based, is the first draft of the Adi Granth by Guni Arjun, even though the date of demise of the guru is written on pg.1255 of the MS in the same hand and shade of ink as the rest of the text before and after it. If elsewhere a schoolboy were to answer that a book was authorized by a person whose date of death is mentioned in the text, his sanity would be questioned and he would be asked to rethink his answer. Such is the modem scholarship of which Dr.O’ Connell is so proud that he has not only supervised, supported and approved of his thesis, but the examiners have awarded the author a Ph.d degree. On the basis of the ridiculous dating. Pashaura Singh has indulged in many blasphemous statements including that Guru Arjun made theological changing sin hymns of Guru Nanak and passed his own words on as those of Guru Nanak.
With all due respect, Dr.O” Connell is blaming “elderly Indian educated men” as responsible for criticizing unethical academic work of Pashaura Singh, while he is completely aware of the fact that a research project supervised by him has evoked widespread criticism from several universities in India as well as North America. The following Authors have reviewed his thesis and we request Dr.O’Connell to publish all these articles in his publications of the Center for the Study of Religion, in Toronto. By doing so, such a center Can be regarded as an unbiased, literary endeavor, rather than an apparent hot bed of calumny against the Sikhs, by a medium of research.
- Dr.Surinder Singh Kohli (former Prof and Head Dept. of Punjabi, Punjab University, Chandigarh)
2, Dr.Balkar Singh (Prof and Head Dept. of Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Punjabi Univ. Patiala, India
- Dr, Darshan Singh (Prof. & Chairman Dept. of Guni Nanak Sikh Studies, Punjab Univ. Chandigarh. India)
- Dr. Gumam Kaur (Reader Dept. of Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Punjabi Univ. Patiala. India) 5.Dr.Devinder Singh Chahil (Prof. Univ. du Quebec Laval. Quebec, Canada)
- Dr, Sukhminder Singh (Prof. Cal State Santa Clara, CA)
7,Dr.Ranbir Singh Sandhu (Prof.& Head Civil Eng. Dept., Ohio State Univ, Columbus, OH) 8.Dr.Piar Singh (Dept. of Guru Nanak Studies, Guru Nanak Dev Univ., Amritsar, India) 9.Dr.Kharak Singh (Ph.d Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH, Editor Abstracts of Sikh Studies) 10,Dr.Gurbaksh Singh Gill (Ph.d Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH Former Dean Agriculture Univ. Ludhiana, India)
- Gurtej Singh (Nat’l Prof. of Sikhism, India)
- Daljit Singh (Retired IAS, author of several books on Sikhism, India}
- Dr.Gurmail Singh Sidhu (Ph.d Simon Frasier Univ., Vancouver, Canada, presently Prof, at Cal State Fresno)
- Iqbal Singh Sara (Bamister and Solicitor, Vancouver, Canada, President All Canada Sikh Federation)
- Dr.Jasbir Singh Mann (Diplomat American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and fellow Internet’! College of Surgeons, Anaheim, CA)
- Dr.Harjinder Singh Dilgeer {Director Guru Nanak Institute of Sikh Studies, Norway) 18.Manohar Singh Marco (Director Marco Research Foundation, New Delhi, Authority on old manuscripts of Sikh Religion).
It is beyond the scope of his Letter to give detailed bio data of the above authors, all are well known in the field Sikh Studies and have published hundreds of books, contributed thousands of articles, and Supervised many Ph.d thesis in Sikh Studies. 1 humbly request Dr.O’Connell to respond to the Academic issues rose in their ‘articles.
The Sn Gurdwara Parbandak Committee, the apex body looking after Sikh shrines and religious affairs, took serious notice of the allegations, and in order to examine the matters closely, appointed a committee consisting of eight members including scholars: Prof Jagjit Singh, Principal Gurmukh Singh (Head Sikh Reference Library and former Principal Gurmai College Patiala), Dr. Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon (Punjab Univ,, Chandigarh), Dr Jagjit Singh (Principal Gurmat College, Patiala, Director Guru Nanak Foundation, New Delhi), Shamsher Singh (Principal Sikh Missionary College), Principal Harbhajan Singh (Former Principal Sikh Missionary College, Amritsar) and Waryam Singh (Editor, Gurmat Prakash), Gurej Singh (Natl, Prof. of Sikhism). The committee unanimously indicted Pashaura Singh of gross blasphemy, holding that he had attacked the authenticity of Gurbani, Guru Granth Sahib, and attenuated motives to the Gurus in the selection of bani, and making changes in the Mul Mantra. * The findings of the committee wore unanimously. endorsed .on Jan,28,1993 in a largely attended gathering of/practically all the representative organizations of the Panth, including inter alia, Delhi Gurdwara Managing Committee, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Damdami Taksal (both branches), Taran Dal (Harian Belanwale), Guru Nanak Chair Punjab University Pauala, Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, Guru Nanak Foundation, Kendri Singh Sabha, Institute of Sikh Studies Chandigarh, U.P, Sikh Pratinidhi Board, Guru Granth Sahib Studies Dept. Punjabi University Patiala, Giant Amolak Singh U.K. Singh Sabha, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Arjun Singh Ghuman (representing the Canadian Sikhs) Mahant Tirath Singh of Sewa Panthi Organization, etc., besides senior scholars like Principal Satbir Singh. The meeting was presided over by Sardar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the Sharomini Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, himself, and lasted over four hours. Member after member who has studied the research supervised by Dr.O’ Connell expressed their surprise that such blatantly blasphemous observations could be made by Sikhs. Over 70 scholars were present. They unanimously endorsed the recommendation of the committee for referring Dr.Pashaura Singh’s case to the Akal Takhat Sahib for decision according to Gurmat tradition, set up by the Seventh Master, Dr.O’Connell must know that SGPC did not make any decision hastily or under any pressure group. Somebody at Toronto Univ. must investigate how this Ph.d has been awarded as the physical evidence used in this research is unauthentic and conclusions drawn directly attacks the Sikh Guru, Guru Granth Sahib, which is revered daily in all Sikh homes and Sikh Gurdwaras and thus, is a calculated blasphemy.
The fundamental fact is that so as to avoid any confusion about authenticity, Guru Arjun himself compiled an authenticated Sikh Scripture which is the only scrip*true in the world so compiled by the prophet, Accordingly, the system of textual or redaction analysis is inapplicable to it. It is to avoid such exercise that the Guru compiled the Scripture himself, Hence, methodologies only relevant to manmade scrip lure a§ is the case in all other High Religions, are inapplicable and irrelevant in the case of Sikh scripture. In fact, the very concept is a contradiction in terms. For our part we are ready to prove before any academic forum that Pashaura Singh has called a MS having date of demise of Guru Arjun to be draft by the same Guru and the other statements mentioned above. May we ask the Western academic world if it is wrong to criticize such poor and ethically unsound work?
Dr Jasbir Singh Mann
Article extracted from this publication >> July 16, 1993
