Tragedy cast its spell on numerous house holds on the auspicious day of Vaisakhi (13th April) in the year 1978 Impatient of the in: creasing offensiveness of the Nirankari derogion of the principles that the Sikhs hold in profound reverence, a concourse of the followers of Sant Jamail Singh of Bhindan and Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh proceeded to the ~Railway Colony in Amritsar, where the Nirankaris wore holding their annual gathering, to demonstrate against the hurts which ‘Nirankcris caused to the Sikh feelings every day. They had taken the vow before starting out that they would remain nonviolent what ‘ever the provocation from the other side The 150 odd marchers were stopped by the police long distance from the venue or Nirankari meeting. According to the Times of India’s special correspondent’s report dated 9th April “78, the jaiha agreed not to go any further if the police conveyed their request to the Nirankari not to show disrespect to the holy Gum Granth Sahib, The policeman returned and regretted that they could not get the Nirankaris to comply with the bathe’s request. The jatha was, thereafter, either allowed to proceed, or proceed its way, toward the venue of the “satsang” I But they had hardly come within 100 meters of the venue when a volley of bullets issued from the opposite direction felted several people, 13 of whom succumbed to the gunshot wounds whether on the spot or later The Nirankari “concourse of truth” con timed for two hours more as victims of gun shots lay allover, After the so-called “satsang concluded, Baba Gurbachan Singh, the Nirankari chief was escorted to safety and was soon smuggled to Delhi (outside the Punjab Police’s reach) where he was granted half hour interview by the Prime Minister Morayji Desai a privilege reserved for V.V.LPS.
The reaction all over the Sikh world to this ‘gruesome tragedy was of utter shock followed by uproarious protests The Punjab Police was forced to get to work Even though the Nirankaris protested that they were victims of an onslaught, the bullets significantly, had been fired from their side Searches by the Punjab Police later, revealed that the Nirankaris had built up arsenals of arms, including fire arms, and it is also alleged that the boot of Baba Gurbachan Singh’s car had a posse of firearms and a sizeable quantity of ammunition fact, his complicity in the attack on the unarmed jatha, whose kirpans, according to the Times of India report (ibid) were found in their sheaths, has been established sufficiently beyond doubt to enable the Punjab Police to secure warrants for his arrest and to contest his bail applications in various courts.
The Amritsar incident was the culmination ‘of seething unrest among the Sikhs generated ‘by Baba Gurbachan Singh’s and his followers ‘derogation by word and deed, of Sikhism, his holy scriptures, its founder Gurus and conventions and practices held by all Sikhs in profound reverence Until recently, and even ‘now, to a substantial extent. The “Nirankari ‘Church’s scriptural mainstay bas been the Guru Granth Sahib. But the interpretation of the verses in the Gura Granth has been dis In 1973, the Sikhs carried out a marathon operation to remove sill from the base of Harmadir’s sacred lake, and repair and rein force the masonry structures that support of the Golden Temple, the bridge leading to it peripheral stairs leading down to the base of the lake The operation is reverentially called karseva Voluntary service work Sikh Ammilsar, and organizations got areas of silt marked off for them. People stood in thousands in long queues 10 get to the bottom of lake, and those who could not get buckets and Vessels to carry the slit away used their mow while shirt skirts The operation, which was carried on with entirely Voluntary labor and ‘monetary offerings, and which, it carried out ‘with hired labor, would have cost millions of rupees, was completed before schedule leaving several groups, to whom specified areas had been assigned, grumbling that their areas had either been curtailed or appropriated by ‘others Such upsurge of spontaneous emotion is rare in the history of peoples and indicates the degree of reverence in which the operation is held by the Sikhs However Baba Gurbachan ‘Singh’s fancy, in a serious writing such as may not call it vulgar in spite of its being patiently so bethought itself of a pun on “kar”, and called it “bekar seva,” or “useless service.“
Earlier he had been reported to have re ‘marked as to what Guri Gobind Singh, having remained engaged in warfare all his life, knew (f pious devotion! This was blasphemy and deliberately contrived insult to Guru Gobind ‘Singh’s personality and writing.
There is a line in Sikh scriptures ‘Himself is the scales Himself the measure, Himself commodity, Himself the Weigher“ That is expressive of Sikh monism Il has been among Nirankaris to weigh their “Baba’ ‘against currency notes this line from Garbani had been painted or pasted over the lever of the scales,
A claim is slaked on behalf of the “Baba’ that be is the latest in the line of prophets starting ‘with Semitic prophets and comes down through Rama, Krishna, Jesus and Mohammed To Guru Nanak While he hid spared the other prophets by stopping a this, Baba Aviar Singh famed his sister Bibi Nanaki after Guru Nanak’s sister.
Other instances or deliberate offence to the Sikh sentiment will be cited in other contexts in ensuing paragraphs All this, one suspects had been deliberate and planned In northern, India, the Sikhs alone have constituted a strong viable political force. Their long unadulterated tradition of struggle against tyranny and. highhandedness of any kind makes them anything but docile, Attempts 10 tame them having failed, the political authorities at the Center thought of the alternatives of perverting their faith and institutions through their lackeys and, driving a wedge between the urban Sikh who constitute the bulk of com ‘mitted Sikhs and the rural Sikhs who give to Sikhism the bulk of its agitation muscle, in order to weaken them. [t was not for nothing that during Baba Avtar Singhs visits abroad the Indian Embassies had been instructed to arrange for him V.V.LP a receptions by local Indian communities, the bulk of whom, in ‘some countries. is the Sikhs.
Baba Gurbachan Singh, the Nirankari, chief and the successor of Baba Aviar Singh, was said to have a following of 6 million people in India and abroad, this has been built up in just about 3 decades. The size and speed with ‘Which the creed has spread would be the envy of any Godman, How has such following been gathered in so short a time?
There is more than one explanation for the meteoric rise of the Nirankari creed of Buta Singh Avtar Singh Gurbachan Singh brand which, as we shall presently tee, has little doctrinally to commend it, We have already taken note of the motivated governmental patronage, brazenly bestowed to promote the Nirankari Chief’s image. But the Government patronage has not remained confined merely {o the promoting of the Nirankarl Chief’ image: it has provided to him comfortable footholds in seats of authority. It is most significant that in the city of Amritsar, the Sikh Mecca, Nirankaris continued their “satsang” for two hours after having mercilessly shot to death 13 Sikhs who had dared to Join doctrinal issues with them peacefully. ‘There could hardly be a more eloquent testimony to an organizations influence over administrative and police cadres. A highly placed Police officer was being sought for alleged complicity in the shooting at Amritsar and remained underground for many days. How were such footholds provided? The following illustrative story provides the answer.
A frustrated officer of the Punjab LAS. cadre (who subsequently rose to a flatteringly high position in the Punjab administrative set Up) narrated his tale of woe to a political somebody who introduced him to Baba Gurbachan Singh, who in tum interceded for him with the then Prime Minister, All hurdles from the road to officer’s advancement were removed in no time. He has justifiably been an ardent Nirankari ever since, reportedly, participating in the Nirankari procession like a commoner. It should not be difficult to imagine how zealously he would have discharged his debt of gratitude by showering patronage on Nirankatis inside and outside the administration, engendering a network of pro Nirankari officialdom.
What is painfully striking is that such highly escheated men as the LA.S, officer referred 10 above, should have accepted a doctrinally bankrupt creed in exchange, in some cases, {or so rational, progressive and a religion as Sikhism, which, in addition, had an unequalled record of struggle, sacrifice and ardently commended achievements.
What is this Buta Singh Avtar Singh, Gurbachan Singh Nirankari creed, which was rechristened by its late chief as “Sant Nirankari™, to distinguish it from an earlier movement within Sikhism which went by the name “Nirankari”? The Nirankari movement “Was launched by one Baba Dayalji who lived during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s times, to retreater Sikhism from going trends towards idolatry and lapses in the Sikhs’ living. Since Baba
Dayalji’s plank was ‘back to the worship of the formless one (Nirankar) he and his movement came to be known as Nirankari (of the formless One). Baba Dayaji’s movement assumed the shape of a Sikh sect presided over by a continuing line of successors.
The “Sant Nirankari” creed splintered from this Nirankari creed and has no physical or doctrinal links with the parent except its founder Buta Singh and Avtar Singh were Nirankari renegades. Buta Singh was valued Kirtan singer of Nirankari sect whom Baba Hara Singh, the then Nirankari chief, expelled hhim from the soct for his weal mess for liquor nd other vices. Bhai Buta Singh, coaxed by ‘Avtar Singh, a fellow Nirankari, who ran a pelty bakery at Peshawar, established aninde pendent Nirankari cell which attracted some people, thanks to his talent for Kirtan. Not much was, however, heard of the two until Buta Singh died in misery, reportedly of a venereal disease, and Avtar Singh established himself as the Nirankari gur a in Pahargunj, Delhi. The creed has thereafter, grown. Is scriptural mainstay up till recently has been the Guru Granth, the Nirankari exposition of the hymns from which was given in the Nirankari gatherings published in the “Sant Niraniaar” under the caption; Vichar Sache Patshah, The interpretation was invariably Awisted, mosily incorrect of grammar and the meaning of the words, and deliberately distorted.
This is not the only area where the Nirankari propaganda coaxed the Sikh nerve. The back ground of its founder, was avowedly, rooted in Sikh tradition, Sikh, the Nirankari social ‘yalues were Sikh. The Nirankari organization, distorted version almost a burlesque of the Sikh organizational setup during thal time and practically all their doctrinal values, if ‘any, were based on (though they constituted a per version of ) Sikh concepts. Since any System, to establish itself, has to slake its claim of being superior to anexintng system, the Sant Ninniatt “gurus” had greva wih Sikhism, they will nerly ape Sikh ideas and institutions. Guru Gobind Singh had five piaras (beloved ones). Aviat Singh had seven. Aviar Singh’s sister was the Nanaki since Gunt Nanak had a sister of the same name, deeply revered by all Sikhs. The Nirankari hierarchy had its own Baba Buddha, Bhai Gurdas, etc. after the Sikh elders of tame names.
The concept of “Gum” occupies a important position in the Sikh doctrine, In sikthism it is highly involved and sophisticated concept. Meaning literally “one who strives to dispel darkness”, After the Tenth Guru, Shabad is the guide, being the revelatory message, ut tered in moments of attunement with the di vine.
Logically, therefore, the shabad, the human (Guru’s inspired utterance, is the Guru. So is the collection of the shabads, the inspired ‘writings of the Gurus and a few other chosen, the Gira Granth Sahib The Sant Nirankari’s tim being the building of their Baba’s image, they repudiate this concept and proclaim that the real guru is the human being who gives the ‘exposition of such scriptural writings. They do not enunciate their position without reference to any particular scripture; but state it in the form of a hurtfully sighting reference to the Guru Granth Sahib, which gospel the Sikhs profoundly revere as being the Guru. On page 240 of the Avtar Bani, the Nirankari scripture, offers the lines ghar which hai sri guru granth, main ot os di rahi (There is Sri Gura Granth at home; Irelied on it) Salgur di main dehi Samaj behan na devan makhi (L regarded it the true enlightener’s body and did not let a fly perch on it).
ch na patka ke shabad guru nahi hondi
(did not know that a hymn or a book is not a guru).
raj gura Aviar na milda sari umra rondi (If I had not met the royal gura Avtar, I should have rued my fate through the rest of my life.
This, incidentally, is a specimen of the “profound” writing in the Puran Avtar Bani which Baba Aviar Singh allegedly got composed by a hired “poet whose claim to any poetic or iterary excellence can best be judged from these lines. The Avtar Bani has other similar masterpieces! Here is one: doctor de larh lagi koi, ban gal ape doctor (One who got wedded to doctor became Mrs. Doctor automatically) master de nal taian lavan, sab jag akhe masterni (One who circumambulated with a teacher became a Mrs. Teacher) Aviar guru de lash main laggi ban gal jag di rani main (On holding to the apron string of Guru Aviar T became, in like manner, the queen of the world).
It’s difficult to bring out the element of the banal in the original, in the translation. It ‘hows up, in the first instance, in the sound ‘and the diction. Then, the wordsin the original comes ponding to Mrs. Doctor and Mrs. Teacher also stand for “lady doctor” and “schoolmistress” respectively, It would perhaps come out if the words “schoolmistress” and “lady doctor” were employed. In any case, the “richness” of the content of these lines and their “poetic impact” are simply remarkable.
The Avtar Bani again, is patterned on the Guru Granth in the sense that it contains Compositions ~ allegedly of Baba Avtar Singh, his wife Budhwanti; designated Jagat Mala, a predeceased son, the other living soa and the ex-chief, Baba Gurbachan’ Sing, the latter’s wife Kulwant Kaur, Baba Aviar ‘Singh’s son-in-law, Mahadev Singh, and men and women constituting the Sant Nirankari organizational nucleus, such as Labh Singh, Amar Singh, Des Ra, Juggal Kishore, Ram ‘Chand, Roop, Lal, Nirmal Joshi, etc,
‘The essentials of the Sant Niranicari creed excep for their living faith in the equality of ‘men and unequivocal opposition, in practice, of Casteism sre no more flattering than their scriptures. Doctrinally it is retrograde religious creed in as much as it ordains the worship of a human being whom it regards the incamation of God: lakh lakh vari bandhana, namashkar har var (Bow (unto him) millions of times! Hail him every moment).
ape sabh kujh kar riha nan rai ke Avtar (He himself is doing everything having assumed the name “Avtar”). dhan dhan akho jagat man jis jaya din dayal. (Say, of peerless mecit is the mother of the ‘world who has given birth to the benefactor of the helpless) nirgun sargun ap hai har dam rehnda nal (And. ‘who is himself the Ningana and saguna and is with everyone every moment.)
On the death of Budhwanti, “the mother of the world”, Nirmal Joshi wrote: mar gai kehne wale khayal karen (Those who say she has died take note) khuda ki biwi Khuda ki man thi woh (She was the wife of God and the mother of God)
Allah ape mar aya je (Allah has himself come back) God bhi nal liayaje (Has brought God with him) Ram viis di buki vich Ram is also his side) eh rab ape aya je (The Sustainer herself aa come)
Why has the Sant Nirankeri sect prospered in spite of such doctrinal scriprural and linguis tic poverty? “Political and administration pa tronage” provide a part of the answer. Sant Nirankari sect enjoins no restriction on eating, inking and sex (as a matter of fact, it has openly been alleged that it indulges in countenances and exploits promiscuity. The Indian Observer of 22nd October, 1965, as per ‘booklet entitled Nakii Nirankari published by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, carried a story of a school mistress who was lured into Nirankari Baba’s precincts and fell prey to his Tust) and this has subtracted a large number of people not dis posed Kindly towards their faiths which en joined restraints. This provides another part of the answer.
This a foolish general who underestimates his ‘adversary’s strength and dismisses his achievements as coincidental or merely the product of negative qualities. Complacency is suicidal as much in an ideological conflict as in a physical war, We must, therefore, not ignore Sant Nirankari sect’s achievements,
this embraced many of Sikhism’s enviable ‘qualities has been able to promote equality among its followers in real sense. It has virtually rid its followers of Casteism. It has assiduously nursed a spirit of mutual helpful ness among fist followers. It has boosted the morale of the social left outs (who have joined its rants) providing to them the means forego satisfaction. Men and women who were ne elected “nobodies” have been drawn into ‘church and liturgical setups. A novel feature of the Nirankari organization is the economic support given to the followers of the sect to launch them off into economic enterprise, ‘Thisofien takes the form of loans on compare. tively easy terms, A most highly placed Nirankari government or business executive would come to the door of his office room to receive and see off a poor fellow Nirankari caller.
While the Nirankaris have imbibed these basically Sikh virtues, the Sikhs are Turing back on them. There is infighting in Gurdwara managements. Sikhs have allowed casteism to affect their culture and a new Kind of jat bhapacasteismisraising itshesd among them. ‘Among most Sikhs mutual helpfulness is after cry; they are very often not even polite toother ‘Sikhs. If in spite of strong social and economic allurements, Sant Nirankari following, deawn from amongst the Sikhs, is a mere 17% of the total Sant Nirankari following. This testifies to the vitality of the Sikh religious ideology, its historical incidents and its unmatched tradition of sacrifice. However, economic and social advantages. are powerful allurements ‘which only a very deep commitment to one’s principles can resist, This latter can be nursed by continuous and scientific religious education, and, in the SikchSant Nirankari context, by the reassertion of lofty social values that Sikhism represents and which the Sant Nirankari sect has appropriated with some ‘Superficial alterations.
The course that this Sant Nirankari movement has taken, its bestowing special attention on Punjab, and other areas with sizeable ‘concentration of Sikhs, and the motivation behind the movement may be to make a dentin to the Silch organizational cohesion. Building up a following among people of other religious persuasions may just be gathering the wherewithal for this eventual enterprise. If that be 40, the Sikh leadership will have to Pause and ponder as to which is the more effective way of counteracting the Sant Nirankari caltural assault: (I) merely calling Sant Nirankatis names, or (2) to initiate and intensify efforts to educate the Sikhs about their religion and rid them of their weakness, ‘that have crept into their lives. ‘These comprise growing ignorance of the ‘essentials of the Sikh doctrine and history and the resultant weakening of the loyalty to the Sikh religious and secular principle the Sikh social order and the Sikh form. The Sant Nirankari movement’s greatest assets are ‘elimination of inequality between man and man, investing the socially neglected with gry, Coxeing of spit of helpfulness in ‘other people of Sant Nirankani persuasion and establishment of institutions for financial aid to the followers of Sant Nirankari sect. All these, except for the institutions for financial ‘id, are borrowed from Sikhism. No religion, repudiates inequality based on caste, social ‘talus, or anything else, more unequivocally, than Sikhism which initiates neophytes in groups, and while initiating them makes them. ink Amrit from a single bow by putting their lips to edge. This is the implementation Of countless declarations in Sikh scriptures and codes of conduct (rehanamas)as to equality Of alimen. What can boost a man’s morale ‘More than his being told that he shares with the. richest and ablest “baptized” Sikh the common parentage of Guru Gobind Singh and
Mata Sahib Kaur. If we surfer. by comparison with the Sant Nirankaris. the fanlt is not nour doctrines, it is entirely our own. The Sant
Nirankaris’ winning adherents from among. the Sikhs should serve as a warning to us that ‘we shall lose ground unless we refurbish out loyalty to the Sikh social values and unequivo: cally denounce the neocasteismi to which we seem to be giving in. ‘The Sikh answer to the Nirankari high hand: ‘edness which reached a bloody culmination on 13th April, 1978 has been the Issue of Hokumnama (religious ordinance) ordering social boycott of Nirankaris. This is the least that the Sikhs could organizationally have done to express their resentment’ at the Nirankaris continuing to offend their sentiments and even perpetrating physical injury ‘on them if, and when, the Sikhs dared demon state against such highhandedness. The ie Sue of Hulumnama Was perhaps the mildest retaliatory action. The situation was desperate an Even Warranted more drastic action.
However, an important aspect of the situation that has arisen after Issue of the Hukumnama needs to be examined. Every contact between the Sikhs and the Nirancaris having snapped, It would no longer be sible tore convert the Sikhs timed Nirankars With persuasion, and exposing the hollowness Of their newly embraced creed Besides, the opportunities of putting Sant Nirankari movement on the rails have also ended. theo existed evert oS Nirankaris had, at one time, declared they merely supplemented the Sikh missionary Work, carrying the gospel of the Guru Granth Sahib to people outside the Sith fold, the Nirankarishad also, for along time, aspired ‘tablish an independent new faith, The ‘drama enacted by Nirankaris on 13th April 1978 and at Kanpur and Delhi, may, given time and opportunity for cool thinking, arouse the present chief’s conscience to the sect’ criminal declared aim of spreading the gospel of Guru Granth Sahib. Even if that by miracle, happened, the Nirankari chief will be antennae ‘Ainicy because the bridges are now broken. § But there ino reason why the Sikhs should ‘ot forgive the Nirankarisif there is a real and genuine change of heart among them, Sikhs have helped all institutions engaged in propagation of gurbani even though they had restrained independent organizational set up Nirgun Bala Satsang Sabha isacase in points ethan an ee igs zee of heart from the Tenth Gura, who tore a Jeter of disawoval (edawa) when its author relored him to, They will always be willing to forget, should an offender sees his mistake and express regret for it. [1.S.R.2/96 Prof. Kutraj Singh.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 10, 1996
