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OP
- ED August
18, 2003: Denmark There are two kinds of Sikhs in the World,
Kattarhs (radicals) and cutters (liberals). -
Anonymous The first issue of debate between these two groups is the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the constitution of the Sikhs accepted by the Sikh panth in 1945, after more than 13 years of deliberations where comments were invited from the Sikhs from all over the World. The first group respects it as a word-of-law, and considers it as a hard fetched document which the Sikhs got after so many years of struggle. For the second group, the Sikh Rehat Maryada does not hold any credibility. According to them, because it is not the word-of-the-Guru, it can be changed, and even trespassed. Sometimes they go a step further in criticizing it. The reason for rejecting the Sikh Rehat Maryada is straight. Once this well accepted document is rejected and made void, it will be easier to attack the Sikh scriptures and Sikh traditions. Reprobating the Maryada would be like unknitting a well designed framework of rules and regulations accepted by the panth in the most democratic possible way. Kulraj Singh, the English translator of Sikh Rehat Maryada,
wrote in the Preface, '' The Sikh Reht Maryada, as the ensuing preface
to the original Punjabi text will show that it is the product of collective
Panthic wisdom. What is more, some of the greatest Sikh scholars and savants
of all times contributed to it and deliberated on its contents. This work
should take precedence on any sectional beliefs and preferences. In a
wider context, the contents of the Reht Maryada should be taken as the
final word as to the matters they deal with. That will foster panthic
cohesion." Another point of disagreement between the two groups is the concept of faith. What is seen as faith by the first group is sometimes considered blind-faith by the second. That's how the Sikh customs and traditions are perceived differently by the two groups. This difficulty in differentiating faith and blind-faith is not new to the Sikhs, especially to the youth, for whom Sikhism is, and has to be, propagated with utmost rationality. It is understandable because there is a very thin line which separates the both. Once, while sitting at the Gurdwara in the University
in Amritsar, I was asked by a new comer, what I thought about Sikhs taking
the 'charan dhoor', 'kissing the manji', bowing in front of the Guru Granth
Sahib again and again. That was a genuine question, which concerned a
lot of youngsters; and hence needed a genuine answer. And not getting
a reasonable reply made them stay away from Sikhi. The only answer which
I could think of, at that moment, was based on 'the expression of love'
[shardha]. I told him, we all love our mothers, but the intensity and
our ways of expression are different. Some prefer to hug, others kiss
and hug again and again and some others just refrain from either of these.
Similarly we have to see everything which we do and which others do in
the Gurdwara with the eyes of 'expression of love'. Once love goes out
of our expression, faith becomes a blind-faith, and everything converts
to ritualism and superstition. Frustrated by the pathetic state of Sikh polity and its inability to guide the Sikh masses in the important issues, followed by a constant fear of big-brother intimidating and hitting on the Sikh identity, some of the Sikh writers take extreme steps. For them everything they see in Sikhi, be it Sikh traditions, customs or even scriptures, is adulterated. And without considering the consequences of their writings, either on the psyche of the ordinary Sikhs or on the organizational institution of the Panth, they do more damage than mending any of the prevalent issues. The writings of Gurbaksh Singh Kala Afghana, followed by the uproar among the Sikhs and various Sikh Organizations; leading to his ex-communication, is a latest example. Again these two groups are divided on this issue. The second group considers these writings to be revolutionary, and ones which instill the essence of rationality among the Sikhs. For the first group these writings are blasphemous and slanderous and an attempt to demolish ones own house in the guise of constructing a wall with the neighbor's house. For them these writers, in Sikhi saroop, but with the same ideology as the communists, are doing more damage. According to them the communists talked of filling the sarovar around Darbar Sahib and growing grain in it, and these writers talk of the same thing but with a different tone. Again the confusion between the faith and blind-faith drives these writers. Without giving a second thought they reject all Sikh traditions, just because, for them everything they see is a deliberate attempt by the enemy to diffuse the identity of the Sikhs. But they fail to understand that Gurbani is the ultimate source of educating the Sikhs of the values of Sikhi. Gurbani teaches us to be rational. Following the path of Guru's rationality is Gurmat. But today Sikhs take this liberty from Gurmat and define rationality according to their own beliefs [Manmat]. If we need any guidance Gurbani is there to help us out. But the attempt by these writers to highjack Gurbani and misuse it in order to harm the very structure of Sikhi is unacceptable. We also have to consider the fact that in Sikhism there is emphasis on the concept of organizational institution [panth]. If it has to be kept in a proper network, then we will have to respect the way an institution is run; which means that no one as an individual should comment on, or criticize any aspect of Sikhi, be it traditions or scriptures, which has found a firm ground among the Sikh masses. Sikhs have suffered a lot in the recent past. They have been deceived by panthic leaders again and again. They need to be lifted. The youth is confused. The absence of Sikh media has forced them to be attracted towards Western culture. The absence of teaching Sikh history in schools has made them less interested in Sikhi. They question the importance of religion in general and Sikhi saroop in particular. They need to be rejoined to Sikhi. The revolutionary writers and their writings will not help. They will only add fuel to the fire. Love for the Gurus and love and faith in what they achieved
and bestowed upon us [Sikhi], love and pride in the traditions [Maryada],
has to be instilled in the youth. Love and faith are the strong and firm
foundations on which the huge structure of Sikh rationality can stand.
Rationality alone, wearing the robe of atheism and apostasy, is already
knocking at our doors. The author, Ripudaman Singh, is a PhD student at the Institute of Human Genetics, University of Aarhus, in Aarhus, Denmark. He has a Masters of Science (MSc) in Human Genetics from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. Singh is originally from Jalandhar and has been in Denmark for three years. In 2000, Singh also worked as a freelance journalist with the English daily ''The Indian Express'' for six months. Copyright
©The Sikh Sentinel 2003 |