By Pritpal Singh Chaiha
The above question raised by a letter in the July 28, 1989 issue of World Sikh News has had on me the intended effect, i.e., forcing me to take time to think about the factors that shape the Sikh feelings and attitudes. The following article is the result.
From the time of its origin, Sikhism has held both Hinduism and Islam with respect. Its founders and followers have lived by tenets that establish the Sikhs distinct identity on one hand and establish their relatedness to Hindus, Muslims and people of all races and faiths on the other. However, as noted by the author of “Sikhism and Islam,” one often notes that many Sikhs feel a somewhat closer kinship with Hindus than they do with the Muslims. The psychology that shapes this feeling can be explained without any arduous effort.
The Sikh psyche has evolved in an environment which has systematically promoted the Sikhs affinity with Hindus encouraged their alienation from the Muslims and suppressed their individuality with political, economic, educational and other means. Specific facts that evidence the existence of such a phenomenon are as follows:
Guru Nanak the founder of Sikhism was born in a Hindu family. Although from early childhood itself, he refused to accept the Hindu practices and he later avowed his distinct identity and openly rejected his affiliation with both the Hindu and Islamic faiths, the very fact that he was born in a Hindu family has always made it easier for the Sikhs to accept an affinity with the Hindus. Moreover, this acceptance tends to impress upon the Sikh psyche almost unconsciously because while growing up in India a Sikh experiences a smothering influence of the Hindu culture which is zealously promoted by the Indian media, advertising, and movie industry. In this respect the experience of Sikhs is very different from the experience of Christians; that Christ was born in a Jewish family does not obligate the Christians to claim—or even experience—close ties with the Jews because Christians are a ruling majority who do not face pressures to adopt Jewish appearance and language in order to get major roles in movies set in their countries or to get promotions and other benefits on jobs, and so on ..
Hindus have been and they continue to be an overwhelming majority in India. Consequently, they have dominated the social, cultural, economic, and educational leadership to the point that in spite of the fact that the Sikh religion is opposed to all kinds of superstitions quite a few Sikhs have had their marriages and travels arranged as per a Brahmin’s advice and most Sikhs have depended upon arhitias to arrange their economic affairs. The arhitia exploits all the earnings of Sikh farmers in many evil ways. Many well-known farmers are born in arhitias debt, and they also die in arhitia’s debt, Farmland and farmer’s possessions stay mortgaged. The Panjab farmer receives lowest price for his produce, but he is charged highest price on everything he buys thus he is forced to buy on arhitia’s credit on highest rate in the market. Such slavish conditions not only suppress the farmer’s enterprising spirit, but also keeps him under the Hindu influence economically, culturally and politically.
Since Muslims were foreign rulers of India, at times the Sikhs and Hindus shared the common fate of being their victims. Since the education system of India has remained more or less a monopoly of the Brahmins, they have been successfully exploiting the inherent distance between themselves and the Muslims and the distance between the Sikhs and the Muslims. Moreover, whereas the foreign rulers communicated in Persian the Brahmin/Hindu communicated in the native tongue and thus reached the masses at a much larger scale and succeeded in impressing upon the common mind the general affinity of Hinduism and Sikhism while widening the distance between Sikhs and Muslims.
The Hindus have always played double role with utmost ingenuity. Espousing friendship, claiming cultural kinship, and establishing family relationships with the Sikhs, they have often spied for the Muslimrulers and incited their wrath against the Sikhs. Chandu was responsible for inciting the torture of Guru Arjan Dev Ji; Gangu was the informer about the whereabouts of Mata Gujri Ji and the two young princes; Suchha Nand was the inciter of the wrath of the governor of Sirhind. Advising the governor against the two princes, he suggested that the governor must not relent because of the princes tender age and stated: Through such deviousness, the Hindus have often eked out special advantages for themselves. By begging Guru Teg Bahadur’s Ji’s help which led to his martyrdom, they arranged manifold advantages for themselves: a) they gave a major blow to Sikhism which had become a formidable challenge to Hinduism. b) they made the Sikhs the direct target of the fanatic ruler’s coercion. c) they directed the ruler’s attention away from themselves d) they joined ranks with Aurangzeb and succeeded in persuading him to attack Guru Gobind Singh Ji at Anandpur Sahib.
In the more recent History of India, similar examples continue to surface again and again. The so-called Mahatama, while facing the challenges of losing large numbers of the Indian population deserting the Hindu fold, decided to go on a fast unto death on learning that Dr. Ambedkar (father of the Indian Constitution) had decided to embrace Sikhism. To check the trend, Gandhi openly condemned Guru Gobind Singh Jias a misguider (kurahiaya). Examples of Hindu duality after 1947 are far too numerous to be recounted in a brief article like this, so are the proofs of India’s undemocratic practices in domestic as well as foreign affairs.
Surely there is no denying that there have been many clean hearted and essentially noble Hindus who have taken up the human rights causes in general and the Sikh cause in particular. Todar Mal collected the enormous amount needed for the cremation of the two princes martyred at Sirhind Pandit Madan Mohan Malvi acknowledged his overwhelming gratitude to the Sikh patriots who made unexcelled sacrifices and stated that India needs at least one Sikh in each family. Acharya Kriplani, while holding the office of the President of the All India Congress, cautioned Mahatama Gandhi that the arrangement planned at the Round Table Conference would as detrimental to Sikhs in future (his advice fell on deaf ears). Prof Kothari and some eminent men of law such as Justice Tarkunde and Attorneys Lekhi, Jethalmani and his daughter, and a few military commanders like Lt Gen Sinha have remained committed to truth and fairness.
To solidify the Hindu dominance, the Hindu majority rule in India has taken the general kinship of the Hindu and Sikh faith into laws that recognizes Sikhs as mere kin of the Hindus. In 1952, the Indian Constitution declared Sikhism as a sect of Hinduism although the Sikh representative in the Indian Parliament rejected the statement and withheld their signatures. Even though neither the leaders of the Sikh faith nor the Sikh masses agreed to any legislation of the kind, Indian laws: have continued to focus on Hindu-Sikh kinship in a cunningly exaggerated manner. Through the enacting of Hindu Marriage Act in 1955, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Actin 1956, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act in 1956, and Hindu Succession Act in 1956, ALL PERSONAL LAWS OF SIKHS HAVE BEEN ABOLISHED.
Because of the lack of an INDEPENDENT SIKH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND BECAUSE OF THE CENTER’S CONTROL OVER THE MEDIA, a vast majority of Sikhs continue to exist in spiritual confusion, intellectual shallowness, and utmost ignorance of Sikh history. Consequently they do not know facts like the following: a) Emperor Akbar was a great friend of the Sikhs, b) Mian Mir laid the foundation of Harmandir Sahib c) Nawab of Malerkotla interceded ‘on behalf of the Sikhs and requested the governor of Sirhind to spare the lives of the two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh Jid) A warm friendship existed between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Nawab of Hydrabad e) Jinah the founder of Pakistan cautioned the Sikhs to beware of the Hindus after they assume power and begin to control the Sikh destiny.
To some extent the alienation of the Sikhs from Muslims was also caused by Jinah’s failure in making a positive response to Sikh interests in 1947. He could not stop the Sikh massacres and allow Sikhs to stay in the independent Pakistan.
How can we bring the two communities together?
- Share the joys, pains and sufferings of each other.
- Request the Pakistani Government to give refugee status to Sikhs who seek asylum in Pakistan.
- Recognize Nankana Sahib as the 6th Takhat of Sikhs and allow Sikhs to establish Guru Nanak Library and Museum on the gurdwara premises. In addition allow them a television station so that Gurbani Kirtan may be telecast on daily basis for Sikh sangats in India and other places.
- Participate in the interfaith Organizations, Plan programs for these organizations in order to Support each other and to develop mutual understanding and friendship
Principal Singh Chatha is a Professor of Business and Economics. He resides in Hawkins, Taxas.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 1, 1989
