In recent months an attempt has beck Rut to create an impression that they are against academic freedom ‘and religious studies being conducted in foreign Universities. The issues of Religious beliefs and orthodoxy are wrongly portrayed as the reasons for this Supposed relocate to Use the so-called modern methodology. Recently Dr. McLeod it his article Where it All Stand published in the Sikh Review Journal Januarys 1994) sidetracked the penitent issues once again by making erroneous Personal generalizations; such a his being an atheist the issue of critical Scholarship verses faith and issue of misunderstanding by the readers personal limitation of Punjabi and Gurmat and not being a ‘Member of the Panth. He is intention ally clouding the real issue that has ‘been raised by Sikh scholars after reviewing research work in Sikh studies by him and his followers. The real issue is ethical academics und libel which has arisen from the work of McLeod and his student Pashaura Singh. It is therefore necessary to in Part facts so that it can be understood ‘& to why generalities are boing indulged in and realities obviated The Encyclopedia Britannica clearly defined that Academic Freedom is never unlimited. The general law of the society including those concerning…and libel apply also to academic disclosure and publications. Collier’s Encyclopedia also clearly defines Academic Freedom as In the United States for example scientific conclusions on questions of racial difference or similarities have met with hostility in some communities.
At such times individual citizen’s pressure groups or even community at large may wish to interfere with teaching or research. Ethnical Guidelines of Social Science Humanities Research: Council of Canada clearly protects the High is of the individual) the right of cultural groups to accurate and respectful description of their heritage and customs and to the discreet use of information on their lives and a spiraled. Greater concentration must be given to risks of physical psychological humane propriety and cultural values that to the potential contribution of the research to knowledge. Research on cultures counties and ethnic groups different from one’s Own requires a different ethic. Taking the above rights of the individual and groups the facts of unethical and libel issues of Sikh studies are as follows
In 1975 McLeod a long time resident missionary in Punjab wrote that the Adi Gramh preth Guru suffered from motivated and inept deletions suggesting that whereas the Gurus had recorded a hynan involving the mundane ceremony of his son the Sikhs had later deleted the hymn from the Guru Granth because in the 18th century the practice of Unshom hair had been stained by them. This statement was considered by competent lawyers to be blasphemous or lustrous because (a) was false (b) McLeod knew it to be such (c) it was defamatory of the Guru and the Sikh Scripture before whom millions of Sikhs pray every day and (d) it was prematurely motivated since McLeod had made no sincere attempt either to study the Original Adi Granth or the Banno Bir which he said was the original Bir or the related literature. Four organizations including one headed by a former Judge of the Punjab High Court and another headed by a for prime Minister and senior advocate wrote to Tornio University complaining about McLeod. He was then occupying a visiting professorship funded by the Sikhs with the object of projecting Sikhism in its true light The University took no action But it response McLeod made 4 misstatement saying that after reading Jodh Singh’s book of 1968 which he had quoted in 1975 he had abandoned the notion about the deletion However this is nor the end ‘of the story
In 1992 Pashaura Singh supervised and guided by Dr. McLeod produced a thesis in which on the basis of a Manu Script 245 of the GND University Amritsar he wrote that Gurjit Arjun had linguistically and theologically changed the hymns (bani) of Guru Nanak and had instead passed his own bani as that of Guru Nanak. Previously McLeod has accused the Sikhs of removing the Guru’s hymns by detection now Pashaura Singh accused Guru Arjun for making allocations in Guru Nanak’s theology and hymns The assertion of Pashaura Singh guided by McLeod is also considered libelous and unethical by competent scholars because (a) the assertion is false (b) Pashaura Singh knows It to be so (c) it is defamatory of the Guru and the Guru Granth which is asserted to be unauthentic and without the original words and theology of Guru Nanak.
It is the use of seemingly fraudulent of fake-documents unethical activities under the garb of research and all with the object of attacking the authenticity of the Guru Granth and Sikh revelation that have aroused on the ‘one hand the spontaneous reaction of Sikh Scholars and on the other hand the move of the SGPC for dealing with Pashaura Singh according to the Sikh Gould of conduct L. he known that the SGPC made after obtaining written reports committees which included Heads of Departments of Religion of Punjab University Chandigarh and the Punjab University of Patiala and the Principals of (wo colleges of Sikh religion They recommended action both at Akal Takhat and under the Jaw. Can anyone with a Sense of reason propriety or ethics blame the scholars or the SGPC for a move against Pashaura Singh when competent persons consider that he was guided by McLeod had committed unlawful and libelous acts?
The President of Toronto University was addressed by scholars in North America regarding the unethical work of Pashaura Singh supervised by McLeod: The University has now said that they are not employing either Pashaura Singh or McLeod This being the reality it is unfortunate that facts are being concealed and instead general statements are being made and the wrong very of academic freedom in danger raised. No ‘one objects to the authentic research conducted in foreign Universities by foreign scholars of any hue or kind. The serious issue however is that only ore McLeodian viewpoint is being promoted rather than presenting different points of view. In the past under reference has been done consistently The following senior scholars of Sikh Studies have rebutted Dr. McLeod’s various formulations in the past but their work has been purposely suppressed Dr.Hari Ram Gupta Dr.Ganda Singh Dr.Surinder Singh Kohli Dr.Harbans Singh all of Punjab Univ. Prof. Jagjit Singh well known scholar of Sikh history & religion; Dr. Aviar Singh Dr. Hi Singh Shan Dr.Tarlochan 51 Now King Dr James Lewis Dr. Madanj Kaur Daijeet Singh DnGurdarshar Singh Dhillon.
Dr-Pashaura Singh’s PhD thesis has been reviewed and questions have been raised by the following senior scholars of Sikh studies: Dr.Surinder Singh Kohli Dr.Darshan Singh Dr Balkar Singh Dr. Gurnam Kaur De. Balwant Singh Dhillon Sardar Gurtej Singh.
All the above authors are working presently or have worked in the past in the field of Sikh studies and are holding or held in the past senior faculty positions in Indian and Western Universities is suppressing the opposite point of view academic freedom?
Academically scholars in Universities cither in India or abroad study the Same philosophy sciences and technologies employing same methods of criticism the same modes of interpretation and the same principles of logic ethics jurisprudence and the Law Its therefore time that we in the academic World at least come out of the grooves: of an old mentality of making distinctions and claims of superiority on the basis of a particular locale or pulpit. It is also equally clear than the Universities whether in the East or in the West are mostly financed by the people and the state. In early February of 1994 Conferences on Sikh Studies are being held at Toronto and Michigan University but the community whose issues are being discussed is not allowed to Participate. A written communication by Lee L’Schlesiger (program officer CSSEA Univ of Michigan) dated Jan1294 to one of the organizing member of the chair states that only those scholars who have been invited to present of to discuss papers and University of Michigan Faculty and students are to attend this conference off-campus. What kind of academic freedom is that? What is there to hide? Is there any kind of hidden agenda?
Can anyone having respect for normal rules of law and ethics assert that a person haying blatantly violated them should not be dealt with under the prescribed code merely because he has 4 certain color or is 4 product of a certain institution? It is impossible not to believe that any hones: academic scrutiny would not clearly show that the articles and the manuscript#1245 relied upon by Pashaura Singh and. McLeod are fake and could not have been authored by Lochia and Guru Arjun respectively. Hence the evident offense against ethics and Law In fact it is very strongly believed that had Toronto University heeded to the voice of the four organizations that had specifically addressed the issues in regard to McLeod’s conduct the present unfortunate events of Pashaura Singh’s affair would have been avoided.
Repeating again Academic Freedom is never unlimited and the general social law including the Libel apply equally well to it. Under academic freedom individuals and groups have the right to protest against research which can produce psychological pain suffering and misinterpretations of doctrines. Many Sikhs scholars from different Universities and various Sikh centers have published several books and articles exposing unethical and Obvious issues i Sikh studies The Sikh community at this time requests that cuticle committees for the review: Of the above issues in Sikh studies should be set tip Immediately by Toronto and Michigan Universities with impartially independent opinions about the above issues should be obtained and presented to the public. If units are done then the future of Sikh Studies in North America can very well be viewed optimistically and cooperation of all concerned elicited. Only then the academic freedom for the scholars and the rights of the Sikh community will not be in danger. Contributors:
Dr Jasbir Singh Mann
Center of Sikh Studies
Santa Ana CA
DrSukhmander Singh Prof. Univ. of Santa Clara CA Dr.Gurmail Singh Sidhu Prof. Cal State Fresno CA
Dr.Surjit Singh Prof. State Univ. Buffalo NY Dr.S.S.Sodhi Prof. Dalhousie Univ. Halifax Canada
Article extracted from this publication >> February 11, 1994
