RECENTLY Dr. Gopal Singh at present Lt. Governor of Goa Daman and Diu addressed a Highly motivated Letter to the Sikh Youth which was published in Spokesman weekly dated August 26 1985 As the Letter contains many mis-statements and what is worse its author goes to the length of defacing and distorting the basic Sikh tenets and. traditions S. Devinder Singh in charge of Sikh It has Board Amritsar wrote a Rejoinder which was also published in the columns of Spokesman dated 7th Oct 1985. For the wide appreciation it received the Rejoinder is being reproduced here for the benefit of the readers of the World Sikh News.
My dear Mr. Lt Governor:
From your letter to the Sikh youth published in the Spokesman of 20th August I am amazed at your anxiety to help the Sikh youth get out of what you call deadly and dangerous impasse created for him by certain self-seeking interests. The offer of help according to you is not prompted by any personal motive but because of your being “flesh of their flesh and bone of their bones.”
Noble sentiments indeed! You have tried to mislead the Sikh youth rather the entire Sikh community by misinterpreting the Sikh tenets and traditions and as the way you have tried to indict them alone for all the ills that afflict the state of Punjab and some of its neighboring areas today you have grievously hurt the Sikh sentiments.
By echoing the campaign of calumny against the Sikhs you might have brightened further your own future prospects but you have forfeited the right to tender them any advice
It is very significant that your letter does not contain even a single word of condemnation for those who have slaughtered thousands of Sikh men women and children in the most monstrous manner gang raped thousands of Sikh girls maimed hundreds of Sikh children and plundered their properties worth millions of rupees. And what is worst these “standard bearers” of “secularism” in India desecrated hundreds of Sikh shrines and the volumes of holy Sikh scriptures and then set them on fire.
Are these the manifestations of the common bonds of “bread and bride” (roti and bert) and of com of common scriptures at the common altar to which you have made a reference in your letter?
How is it that your letter does not take any notice of the organized orgy of this most wanton violence involving the mass murder of our brethren in faith that continued for full four days in November last throughout the length and breadth of the country right under the nose of your “noble” and “secular” prime minister and with the active connivance of some of his senior cabinet colleagues? Above all none of the culprits guilty of these crimes has been brought to book because; the prime minister excused them on the plea that they constituted no more than “a little shaking of the earth at the fall of a big tree”. He also awarded some of them with seats in the Central cabinet.
Why is your letter singularly silent about these horrible and horrendous crimes against the Sikhs? Is it because these criminals are the hired hoodlums of the higher ups whom you cannot afford to displease?
As against this a Sikh lad has only to wear a kesari” turban raise the most innocuous slogan and/or wear his religious symbols to render himself label to be picked up at will by the police or security forces and killed with impunity. And yet according to you the Sikhs in India are not being discriminated against rather the state is very kindly disposed towards them.
If you had been the bone of bones and flesh of flesh of the Sikhs as you claim to be in your letter then the anguish and agony through which they are passing would not have failed to touch your heart as well and you would not have had a peaceful sleep when your sisters in faith were being publicly gang raped
Notwithstanding the courage to come to Punjab to see for yourself the plight of hundreds of Sikh families particularly in the districts of Amritsar Ludbiana Gurdaspur Kapurthala Jallandhar Sangtur Ferozepur and Faridkot whose sons have been slaughtered daughters dishonored properties plundered and houses gutted not by the so called “terrorists” but by the custodians of law and order. In some villages of the border areas not a single Sikh boy between the age of 14.and 35 has been allowed to survive and the bell continues to toll still”.
It you cannot hear the heartrending cries of fractured Sikh families and thousands of their sons currently being tortured in Jails and police cells and if you lack the courage to raise your voice against this “zulum then you have no right to come out with your so called advice.
But more inexcusable are your efforts to deface and defile the holy Sikh tenets and traditions by deliberately distorting them. Some examples of this in your letter are:
- That Sikhism is only an appendage of Hinduism and has no autonomous status of its own.
- That the holy Sikh prophets preached the gospel of patriotism and single nationhood only
- That Sikhism enjoins mutual exclusiveness of spiritual and secular activities.
- That the Sikh struggle was primarily against the Muslims for the protection of Hindus and Hinduism.
- That the use of Kirpan is strictly forbidden in Sikhism except only as a religious symbol.
You who claim to have a close acquaintance with Sikh tenets and traditions cannot be unaware of the fact that Sikhism is not at all an appendage of Hinduism or for that matter any other religion. This a sovereign Spiritual Order with its own distinctive features religious discipline and social ethics
As against Hinduism which was evolved by its saints and savants from the experiences gathered by them over a long and protracted span of centuries Sikhism like sematic religions is a divinely revealed religion incidentally the only one of its kind in the Indian subcontinent. The internal evidence of the holy Sikh scriptures and the sacred texts fully vouchsafe for this fact. As the subject cannot be dwelt at length in the columns of this rejoinder I would content myself with quoting here a Shabad of Guru Arjan Dev in which referring to the true status of Sikhisra he says:
“I don’t keep the Hindu fast nor that observed by Mohammadans in Ramzan.
I serve Him and Him alone who is my ultimate refuge.
I believe in one Master who is also Allah.
I have broken off with the Hindu and the Turk.
I won’t go on Haj to Mecca nor will worship at Hindu places
I shall serve only Him and no Other.
I won’t worship idols or read Namaz.
I shall lay my heart at the feet of one Supreme Being.
We are neither Hindus nor Musalman.
We have dedicated our bodies and souls to Allah and Ram That similar strain the Last of the Sikh prophets Guru Gobind Singh said that “the Sikhs with all their sympathy and love for other religions are not to confuse their deals with those of others” According to him:
“The Sikh must keep his observances distinct from those of others of all the four Varnas.
He should have dealings with everybody but his belief and programme of life should be different all the same”.
This irrefutable evidence does not leave any room for any doubt about the true status of Sikhism. It enjoys a fully sovereign status of its own and any attempt to create confusion on this issue is not only highly motivated but also malicious Ever since its birth the Hindus in general and its priestly class in particular have been at pains to downgrade the true status of Sikhism with a view to scuttling its growth and sucking it back into the saline waters of Hinduism
The current crisis in Hindu Sikh relations owes a lot of these attempts Your contention that the Sikhs belief in Karma transmigration and Moksha are the same” as in Hinduism is absolutely incorrect In the Hindu concepts there is no room for the Lords grace to break the cycle of Karma and transmigration and unless and until the good and the bad deeds of 4 person strike a zero balance it is impossible for him to achieve Moksha
This is not the case in Sikhism In Sikhism the Lord in His discretion and grace may redeem any person at any time irrespective of the balance of his earlier deeds To substantiate this fact I shall quote a verse of Guru Gobind Singh in his Akal Ustat He says “Tk chit jih ik chhin Dhiao Kal phas ke beech nah aiao”
This means that “if a person meditates on the holy Lord with a singular single mindedness even for a fraction of a moment then he is instantly redeemed from the cycle of birth and death”.
Similarly while in Hinduism the division of class and caste are said to be divinely ordained Sikhism strongly denounces them as against the will of God and stands for a homogeneous classless and casteless society every single member of which is entitled to equal rights Guru Gobind Singh embraced a Rangretta (so called Sura) and blessed him as his Beta (Gon) He went further and got himself baptized at the hands of the persons belonging to the so called lowest strata of society. Such a thing is unthinkable in the spiritual and even social domains of Hinduism.
If there are reference to Rama and Krishna or some other Hindu deities in the sacred texts of the Sikhs there are also references to many Muslim counter parts as well therein. For example in the afore quoted Shabad of Guru Arjan Dev Ji there is reference to Allah by which name the Lord is known in the Muslim holy texts However that does not mean that Sikhism accepts their status or fully subscribes to their teachings
This point has been explicitly made clear in the Sikhs holy texts. In one of his Shabad Guru Gobind says:
Ram Rakim Puran Koran
Anek kahen met ek na manio
This means that Ram (Hindu god) and Rahim (the other Muslim divine) and Puran (Hindu holy text) and Quran (The Muslim holy text) say many things; but “I do not put my faith in any of them”. To bring home this point at another place the Tenth Lord of the Sikhs says:
Kishan Bishan kahboon nah dhi
aoon Kan sune pahachan nah tin sau.
I never give a thought to Krishna or Vishnu; although I have heard about them but I do not have even a passing acquaintance with them.
In the light of these unambiguous and fully authentic utterances there should not have been any reason for any misunderstanding on your part on this basic issue concerning the true status of Sikhism and its relations with other spiritual systems but it looks you cannot be roused from your false slumber
Nonetheless I wish to make it clear to you that most of the Sikh youth are now fully aware of the exalted status of their great faith and your attempts to devalue it are bound to be dismissed as of little interest You cannot be unaware of the fact they every new prophet has to talk to the people in the language they understand; hence reference to some ancient Hindu (and even Muslim) traditions in the Sikh scriptures and other holy Sikh texts They have to be understood in this very context only.
Idol worship is strictly forbidden in Islam; yet in Quran God is referred to as Allah which was the name of a tribal deity whose idol was most widely worshipped in Arabia prior to the rise of Islam there. No sensible person on this account has ever accused Mohammed the holy Muslim Prophet of condoning or approving idol worship.
Again the range of common traditions in the sematic religions and their holy texts is far wider than between Hinduism and Sikhism. Yet no one has ever disputed their sovereign individual standing or status. It is therefore futile to dispute the sovereign status of Sikhism because of some seeming kindness to some of their spiritual traditions.
Similarly it is ridiculous to suggest that the Sikh Gurus preached the gospel of patriotism and single nationhood. It is a highly motivated and I must say a mischievous attempt to dwarf the exalted status of the Sikh Gurus. Anybody who is even remotely acquainted with the quintessence of Sikhism would fully vouchsafe that Sikhism is firmly committed to the worship of One Lord alone whose attributes have been clearly defined by Guru Nanak Devin the Mul Mantra of his Japji. His concept of spiritualism does not at all admit of such narrow ideals as patriotism and nationalism which thrive on antagonism towards others. In the Sikh scriptures there are clear injunctions against the worship of any land in these words:
Gardhap preet bhasam sangh hoa.
Your assertion is apparently a very crude attempt on your part to find favor with the majority communities who have ever been keen to reduce the status of the holy Sikh Prophets to the level of such petty personalities as Shivaji Rana Pratap and other rebels fighting for their personal gains.
If Guru Nanak Dev travelled throughout the length and breadth of India he also went to Sri Lanka Tibet Saudi Arabia Iraq up to the borders of Russia Afghanistan and a number of other places. As such they are also in a way sacred to us the Sikhs. However the basic fact remains that he and all his successors (the Gurus) spent the greater parts of their lives in Punjab the land which has been further sanctified by the blood of the Sikh martyrs who laid down their lives to safeguard the treasures of their Faith.
No other People have shed so much blood for Punjab as the Sikhs; that is why every keen student of history including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Mohd Latif Cunningham refers to Punjab 8 the homeland and holly and of the Sikhs. Thus while the message of Sikhism looks far beyond the borders of India Punjab is historically its homeland as well its holy land.
The obscure and implied references in your letter that Sikhism enjoins mutual exclusiveness of spiritual and political activities are as much devoid of truth as some of your other utterances. I would avoid dwelling on this point at any length because the basic tenets and traditions of Sikhism leave no room for any doubt for any honest student of Sikh history. However let me point out that God and even the Guru in Sikhism are conceived of as the masters of a unique co relation of spiritual (Piri) and temporal (Miri) sovereignties Formal wearing of two swords of Guru Hargobind Singh marked the consummation of this very concept although the earlier Sikh Gurus were also reverently referred to as Sacha Padshah (True Kings) and their preaching’s and precepts left no doubt whatsoever that social uplift of Man was as much their concern as his Spiritual elevation
“You yourself concede this point on page 81 of your booklet on Guru Gobind Singh (published by National Book Trust in 1966) in which you say:—
“Every Sikh Guru from Guru Nanak Dev onward had been termed Sacha Padshah (the True King) and all the symbols of royalty like the throne the waving of the fly brush over their heads their words being treated as Hukam (Order) which indeed was identified with Gods will had been current for at least two centuries before Guru Gobind Singh”.
At another place in the same book you say:—
“The Sikh Gurus spiritualized the secular activity and to earthly hope gave religious sanction”.
This indeed is the crux of the twin concepts of Miri Piri Bhagti Shakti and saint soldier ship which among other things distinguish Sikhism from other spiritual orders But you may not be remembering now what you wrote in 1966 on the eve of the third birth century of Guru Gobind Singh because of changed circumstances.
Your insinuation that baptism is not an absolute necessity for being a member of the Khalsa Brotherhood is the most pernicious part of your letter. It is a vicious attempt to wean the Sikhs away from the basic traditions of their great faith and a part of the longstanding objective of the Hindus “whose activities” according to a report dated 11th August 1901 by Mr. D. Petrie then Director of Criminal Intelligence Government of India “have been constantly directed to the undermining of Sikhism by preventing the children of Sikh fathers from taking Pabul and by reducing professed Sikhs from their allegiance to their faith”.
If no authentic evidence is available to prove that Bhai Nand Lal and Bhai Kanahiya were baptized there is also no conclusive evidence to the contrary. In any case their doubtful cases cannot be cited as proof against the necessity of baptism for admission into the membership of the Khalsa Brotherhood.
According to Guru Gobind Singh “Khalsa was created in his own image”.
“Khalsa mero roop hai khas”.
Now for any member of the Khalsa Brotherhood to be the “roop” (image) of Guru Gobind Singh he must conform in words and in deeds to the basic code of conduct to which the Guru subscribed.
There is no dispute whatsoever that Guru Gobind Singh at his own request was baptized at the hands of the Five Beloved Ones (Panj Piaras). Besides the Hukam namas of the Guru various Rehainamas and the traditions travelling down from generation to generation clearly lay down the absolute necessity or Pahul for admission into the Khalsa Brotherhood. As such this firm Sikh tradition cannot be allowed to be undermined by a mere mortal like you.
Notwithstanding the catholicity of Sikhism if and when it came to safeguarding the treasures of their honour and self-respect or the basic rights of anybody the Sikhs firmly resisted every aggressor whether he was a Muslim a Hindu or any other. Thus while Guru Gobind Singh stoutly resisted the evil and aggressive designs of Aurangzeb and Wazir Khan he also fought against many Hindu hill chiefs like Sansar Chand Bhim Chand Hari Chand As a matter of fact of total of 16 battles he was forced to fight as many as 14 against the Hindu hill chiefs.
Similarly if the Sikhs were forced to be locked in a protracted armed conflict with such bigoted tyrants as Mir Mannu Zakria Khan and Ahmad Shah Abdali etc they also fought life and death battles against Jaspat Rai Lakh pat Rai and Lakshmi Narayan etc.
You yourself concede in your aforesaid book that: —
“Guru Gobind Singh fought not as if he were fighting men of different creeds but only when there a rose a question of a people’s honour against their oppressors irrespective of their denomination or outer coat”
Yes the Sikh Prophets had no ill will against anybody. Their aim was to restore man to the high pedestal of dignity and honour to which he is entitled as a human being. They were ever willing to forgive and forget but in no case did they ever compromise with evil.
Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh readily agreed to make up with Jahangir and Aurangzeb but only when they promised to abandon their evil ways.
Now if by saying that the Kirpan has never been the killer sword you want to create confusion among the Sikh ranks through an implication that its use under all circumstances is forbidden by the Sikh tenets then every true Sikh is bound to take serious exception to your contention.
True in Sikhism its use as an instrument of aggression is not allowed but for upholding good and uprooting evil its use is fully approved by the Sikh scriptures including Guru Granth Sahib
For the sake of brevity I would only point out that among the various attributes of God mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib He is also referred to as Asursanghar which means Slayer of demons. Moreover Guru Arjan Dev who complied Guru Granth Sahib the time of his martyrdom enjoined upon his son and successor Guru Hargobind to wear arms and stoutly resist all evil and evildoers.
Similarly in Shastar Naam Mala Guru Gobind Singh refers to Kirpan as Karanatac (elephant killer)” and “Hardship (enemy tormentor)” among its other attributes.
All doubts about its use and the circumstances in which it has to be used have been set at rest and explained by Guru Gobind Singh in his famous composition Zafarnama where he says
Chun kar az haman heelte dar guzashat Halal as at burden bshamsheer dast
Meaning:
When affairs are past redemption By all means of peaceful intention. It is just to assert thy right Through thy sword and a righteous flight.
This should be enough to allay all doubts about the use of “Kirpan” for the approved cause.
Thad to dwell upon some basic issues raised by you in your letter at some length in order to expose the highly motivated attempt on your part to deface and defile the Sikh tenets and traditions. I also want to impress upon you the fact that the Sikh youth today is not as naive as you may be inclined to believe because of your total alienation from the mainstream of Sikhism.
However you are absolutely correct that as per Sikhism “ego is the greatest malady in an individual or a community. But unfortunately you lack the courage to catch the real culprit guilty of this evil.
Have you ever tried to find out why the majority community in India is in conflict with every minority in this country Christians in the north east (Nagaland and Mizoram etc.) Muslims everywhere Sikhs in Punjab and elsewhere and the so called low castes in Gujarat and many other states?
Why? Have you ever tried to find out?
If not then you are advised to refer to Mr. Nirad C. Chaudri himself a Hindu. According to him:
“At the easy of acquisition of power after centuries of slavery the Hindus today are in an aggressive mood which is the root cause of most of the inter communal conflicts in India”.
I have no doubt that you are not unaware of this fact but you lack the courage to speak the truth. Courage is a virtue which all is not detained to acquire.
Yours Sincerely
Article extracted from this publication >> September 12, 1986
