Douglas Todd’s article in the Vancouver June 16, 1994 and the Vancouver Sun’s editorial June 18,1994 paint an incomplete picture of the events surrounding Prof, Oberoi and the Sikh community, and particularly the World Sikh Organization. In 1985, the Sikh community of British Columbia, On the initiatives of a few well Meaning Sikhs, donated $350,000 dollars for the establishment of a Chair of Sikh Studies at the University of British Columbia, The purpose was to promote academic and Scholarly research and instruction to foster better understanding of the Sikh history and religion for Canadians. They did not do so in order that a “Sikh evangelist” Would espouse the Sikh religion from the academic arena and try to win covens to the Sikh faith. A Statement by Dr. Oberoi to the effect that the Sikh community expected him to be a pastor tending the flock” for Sikhism one’s becoming a Professor at UBC is a gross misrepresentation of the Sikh community’s intent in promoting and funding this chair.
The World Sikh Organization expects from Dr. Oberoi the same calibre of research as is expected of any other scholar, Members of the Sikh community that feel that Dr. Oberoi is unfair or one-sided in his treatment of Sikh history have done nothing more than voice their discontent, and this is certainly not outside the realm of the academic.
The World Sikh Organization has a money its founding tenants the principles of justice and equality for all, in freedom of expression and also academic freedom, But it also believes that academic research should be responsible and fair, and that there needs to be a review process by which to determine when these standards are breached by publicly funded institutions, When the Sikh community donated the money for the establishment of a Sikh Chair, a contractual agreement was signed with the University of British Columbia, one of the conditions in that contract (Article 16) was to create 3 review committee comprising equal number of members from the Sikh community and from the University: The committee was for Meet periodically and review the activities of the Chair.
In June of 1992, the World Sikh Organization met with Dr. David Strange way (WBC President), to raise its concerns that the University had failed to appoint such a review committee, at that meeting, Dr. Strange way asked his staff and the department head to review the contract and live up to the intent of the contract, especially With respect to the formation of a Joint committee and review of Dr. Oberoi’s work by independent Scholars. To date, no substantive action in this regard has been taken. As with any other academic Scholarship, Dr. Oberot’s work is reviewed on a regular basis by other academicians. Some of the strongest criticisms of his work have come from Dr. G.S, Dhillon, (Punjab University) and Dr. I.J Singh (New York University), themselves academics as well as authorities in Sikh history. It is unfortunate that rather than responding directly to these criticisms, Dr. Oberoi has construed the current debate as a personal attack against him. The World Sikh Organization does not condone any restrictions on Oberoi’s academic freedom and to our knowledge no such restrictions have been placed. ‘This debate has raised some serious issues of Dr. Oberoi’s research. ‘The University of British Columbia owes it to Dr. Oberoi and to the academic community to have his work independently examined. The World Sikh Organization on its part has already requested Dr. Balkar Singh, head of the “Guru Granth Sahib” studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, India, to submit an independent review of Prof, Oberol’s work of the University of British Columbia as well as to the WSO.
For Further info: Gian
Singh Sandhu(604)398.
7277 or WSO head office in
Ottawa (613) 723-2026.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 24, 1994
