This is an incredibly hard post for us to write. We had agreed among ourselves to stay out of current controversies; the purpose of this blog is to help in the healing and unity of our people after the traumas of 1984. We cannot, however, let this current 'unpleasantness' pass without comment.
I, Mai, tend to be a hothead. Everyone who knows me knows that I prefer direct and immediate action when a problem arises. When I saw that joker impersonating our beloved Guru Gobind Singh Ji, my blood boiled. When I realised he was preparing a phony amrit, I was ready to have another stroke. I got on the Inter net immediately with Suni and Maman.
Cooler spirits prevailed when Maman posed the question, 'How would Guru Ji himself respond to this?'
We're not really sure, but we have trouble seeing him engaged in street brawling and burning of effigies. We just cannot see him as part of a murderous mob. With good reason, we are taught to control our anger.
To us, the most disturbing aspect of this whole situation involves the 'c' word. You know, the one every Guru from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to our current and eternal Guru Ji condemns. The word that keeps cropping up in news accounts. Who are these followers of Dera Sacha Sauda? Over and over, we read that they are LOW CASTE SIKHS. Truthfully, being a hot head, whenever I see 'dalit Sikh,' I want to puke.
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves why some people find this movement so attractive. Might it be that some of us are still practicing castism within our own lives and attitudes? Would this not be hurtful to not only those from 'low castes,' but also to those who commit this wrong? Perhaps this blasphemous religion - I won't call it a sect - would not be such a magnet if all felt really welcome in every gurdwara and in every langar hall. Please check out this link.
For this idiot fool to disrespect our dear father in such a buffoonish way, is one evil thing; for us to disrespect our dear father by practicing this horror of castism is, in our eyes, after much reflection, worse. Let us again be Kaur and Singh, drop
the castism that has crept back into Sikhi; become pure Khalsa sisters and brothers, the daughters and sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, children that he will look on with pride.So what to do? Keep a cool head, certainly boycott everything concerning Dera Sacha Sauda and follow the teachings of our own Khalsa Panth. Our kirpan is a noble and sacred gift to be used as a weapon only in the most extreme of circumstances. Each individual has to answer for her/himself if this is truly such an occasion.
If we are wrong in this, we stand open to correction. And we apologise in advance if we have hurt anyone's sensibilities. We speak only from the love of our Gurus, our faith and our people.
Let us pray for a successful solution to this situation that will preserve and raise the dignity of all of Waheguru's children.
With love,
Vini, Suni and Mai
(Now I hold my breath and push the PUBLISH button.)
Mai the 'unpleasantness' that you say - isn't that sheer stupidity on part of people whose faith stems from none other than saints like Guru Nank Dev ji who told them to be tolerant of everything that is by the creation of waheguru.
ReplyDeleteIf there is someone doing his own sort of religious preaching wouldn't on a GOD's earth he would be left alone ?
But in a real world 'godmen' themselves get involved in politics - and then in the powerplay it's the innocent and their sentiments that get sacrileged.
For one i hadn't even heard of the the dera(there are just so many of them now -isn't that a sign of an unsatisfied need of masses?) or the followers before this controversy erupted.But now seeing the history - the 1978 nirakaris clash that led to a decade and half of dark times it seems like as Punjabis and then as Sikhs we haven't learnt the lessons of this powerplay and will continue to act as pawns in the hands of those who feel licensed to be the preachers. i feel certain that in this time Guru ji would have been disappointed to see where it has led his pupils.
Whatever happened to live and let live ?
Harjot Ji,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange how easy it is to overlook some people's behaviour and not others'?
For example, nothing Christians do bugs me, short of physical violence. Just sort of, consider the source.
I refuse to fight over religion at our home. Anyone attempting to do so, or showing disrespect, is asked to leave, or if necessary, forcefully removed.
For some reason, when Indians dis our Gurus, I get angry. Perhaps that says something about me?
After all these years of trying to convince nonSikhs that the kirpan is a religious article and not a weapon, this violence is difficult to explain. Are we simply playing into the hands of our enemies?
BTW, loved your website!
I guess so.Since independence I haven't actually identified any leaders in Punjab or Sikhism that have really led the movement the way it was intended.
ReplyDeleteInstead have only seen different politicians trying to grab the religious seats so as to have a hold over the masses.
Don't know where those leaders will come from who can actually mobilise the Punjab back to it's vitality and broad outlook.
in btw - have been out of blogging for more than an year.So forgive my outdated blog
All this violence is painful to me/us. There must be a better way of expressing our rage and disgust than what I am reading in news reports. I'm having a most difficult time explaining this to my nonSikh friends.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed the date on your blog, not the year. It was fine though, 2006, 2007, not much difference as far as I can see.
This is the worst website I've ever seen. The people who run this site must be mentally retarded. You people need to get a life. Your turbans are on too tight kids. Religion is not that serious and it should not be taken seriously by assholes like you.
ReplyDelete