I don't have too much sympathy for Sikhs. They are mostly opportunists of the first order. They were hungry for Indian Army jobs. When the jobs no longer came their way they started to cry India was bad.
Most Sikhs being Sudra Jat (meaning the lowest rung of the caste Hindu system as peasant labourers) or Untouchable (30% of Sikhs are Untouchable) are in a fix, with India's Brahims and RSS and RAW making them run round like headless chicken.
20% of Sikhs have made their way to Europe and America. The German PM went to India this year and specifically complained about Sikhs and Punjabis who are coming in increasing numbers claiming asylum.
The following article gives an interesting glimpse of the Sikh grievances about the past and present. It shows how India has failed even the most over-hyped of the British colonial relic.
By the way Hindu Bengalis lionised Sikhs in novels, poems and stories in the 19th and 20th c. Any guess why? It was bigotry and hatred of Muslims and Islam! The bigoted anti-Muslim Hindus (mostly Brahim) of Bengal thought Sikhs were great haters of Islam and lovers of Hindus!
Taslima
Rein In Ashutosh. Now!
Ludhiana violence has projected a gory theatre of BJP and Congress
Dr Amrik Singh, Sacramento
| | Punjab has seen the blood-soaked politics of Congress in the past decades. The militancy can't be studied by separating it from the culture that created it. Ludhiana violence has shown that BJP is apathetic to interests of Punjab. | |
Ludhiana violence on the eve of 17th anniversary of Babri Masjid's demolition and 53rd Death anniversary of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar portends dangerous signals for Punjab. Nothing happens in Punjab that has not a history to it. The state has been a theatre of manipulative politics, intricate designs and provocative rationalities since ancient times. In the last hundred years, it remained a target of a colonial milieu, vivisection, and diversionary techniques. The name of one such policy was "The Great Game" of 1885 that the British had designed to provoke sectarian identities to dissipate anti-colonial venom from the hearts of Punjabis. The British in 1947 left a colonial heritage which new rulers of India followed in letter and spirit. New masters revised "the Great Game" and named it "Secularism." As per its unofficial agenda , non-Hindu religious beliefs have to be discouraged, destroyed and dismantled to an extent that people accept the supremacy of Secularism, which experts believe is just a strategic name for Hinduism.
Hardly anyone knew Dayanand Sarswati when he tried his luck in Maharashtra and in his home state , Gujrat. But when he came to Punjab under a special mission to alienate the poor from Sikh religion, he drew everybody's attention, especially the British. Earlier, nobody listened to his discourses of returning to Vedic glory, but the moment he made controversial comments on Gurbani, he achieved stardom. He created in Hindu intelligentsia a desire to not only control Punjab, but the whole Indian sub-continent with their racial superiority and intricate designing, scheming and maligning. The dream didn't appear far-fetched when the English were ready to fulfill their aspirations.
M.K. Gandhi was non-entity when he came back from South Africa. The moment he entered Punjab after the Jallianwallah massacre in 1919, he found an easy route to nationalize his leadership role. The peaceful protests of Sikhs for freeing Gurdwaras from Hindu-oriented Mahants, inspired him to fashion his non-violence mainly for suppressing Punjabis' rising patriotism and anti-colonial venom. British highlighted Gandhi's role for their colonial ends because Punjab seemed to pose a growing threat to them. Gandhi kept delaying freedom until the way for Hindu Nationalism was charted by alienating Muslims, forcing Dr. Ambedkar to enter Poona Pact and defrauding Sikh leadership with a state where they would relish the glow of freedom. The epicenter of three grand frauds was Punjab. Undivided Punjab would hinder Hindu nationalistic goals, therefore, suppress the emerging alliance of Dalits, Muslims and Sikhs. All efforts were directed for provoking violence that led to the partition of India.
Divya Jyoti Sanghthan's founder Ashutosh appended Maharaj with his name when he came to Punjab in 1984. His arrival in the state was under a special mission that related to 1984 attack on Harmandir Sahib. Ashutosh believed Operation Blue star was necessary to stop Pakistan from helping militants. He declared he would not let terrorism again raise its head in Punjab. Although, an elected government at the center and a trained military were in place for meeting any foreign threat, yet Ashutosh assumed the extra-constitutional role of the state to free Punjab of terrorists. He questioned Sikh traditions that inspired Amritdhari Sikhs to recite Gurbani daily, which according to him, is just parroting to no effect. He considered Sikhism an offshoot of Hinduism. One of his followers projected Guru Gobind Singh seeking blessings of Hindu Gods and the Khalsa created by him as a misconception. The real Khalsa, according to one of his deputies, was a body of Ashutosh's devotees.
| Ashutosh questioned Sikh traditions that inspired Amritdhari Sikhs to recite Gurbani daily which he denigrated saying it was just parroting. He termed Sikhism an offshoot of Hinduism and followers projected Guru Gobind Singh as seeking blessings of Hindu Gods. Many of Ashutosh's controversial remarks and activities were brought to the notice of the Akal Takht but it seems his influence runs deep within Badal's family. | |
The controversial remarks were brought to the notice of the Akal Takhat. Ashutosh was refrained from creating unnecessary controversies, but his influence reportedly runs in Badal's family. The state BJP stood behind him even at the cost of the coalition politics. The minority commission had censured Ashutosh for poisoning Punjab's atmosphere, but could not deter it to abandon provocative speeches in the name of Braham Gyan and to the disparagement of Gurbani.
BJP is of the opinion that every one has right to practice whatever religion one believes in. Therefore, the action of Sikh bodies' to march towards the venue of the function undermined the freedom of religion. Sikh bodies argue that the BJP didn't comment on Ashutosh's interference in the practice of other religions. The freedom as a right only exists so long as it doesn't undermine freedom of the other. Damdami Taksal Chief Harnam Singh Dhumma blamed the government for misleading Punjabi Hindus and creating an anti-Punjab atmosphere.
Mohan Rao Bhagwat, chief of radical Hindu organization RSS, selected historical Babri Masjid's demolition day for his visit to Punjab. On December 6, 2009, he held an RSS camp and a press conference in Chandigarh . He declared that he had no regrets for what happened in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. He also made it clear that all minorities (Muslims and Christians) are descendants of former Hindu forefathers. The aim of Hindu raj should be to take them back in its fold. On December 6, posters of the controversial sect leader displayed all over Ludhiana were said to ridicule Sikhs and create ruckus that might deflect attention from 17th anniversary of Babri mosque demolition. The shooting of Darshan Singh is a sad commentary of Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab.
It is an open secret that Ashutosh's function was organized by Ludhiana Ashok Malhotra Group of Industries at the behest of BJP party. The top leadership's incarceration in the Librahan Report motivated them to seek the theatrical protection of the controversial religious leader. Raising the bogey of Sikh terrorism and linking it with Pakistan could wash blood from hands of both Congress and BJP.
The dangerous trends point to apprehensions that the Punjab will burn again. The hatred comes here packaged in the name of peace and non-violence. Mantras of annihilation are chanted to decimate the voices which don't conform to Brahamanical codes. RSS chief has already pronounced that all minorities have their origin in Hinduism. Bhagwat is looking forward to times when minorities will submerge in the ocean of Hinduism. He is fantasizing Mahan Bharat that will include Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet as well. If viewed in the background of colonial history nothing has changed even after one hundred years. Science has broken many frontiers of knowledge, but more the development in India, the greater the slide into primitive fantasies.
When Arya Samaj came to Punjab as part of the "Great Game," it focused on Amritdhari Sikhs and Guru Granth Sahib. In the beginning years, Arya Samaj's programs included reading from Guru Granth Sahib . But it was only to denigrate Gurbani in comparison to the purity of eternal Vedas. The founder of Khalsa Akhbar, Bhai Dit Singh objected to Dayanand's derogatory commentary on Gurbani and challenged him to debate with him about Vedas and Gurbani. It was Bhai Dit Singh's genius that exposed Swami Dayanand's imperfect knowledge about planetary revolution. Swami Dayanand kept insisting that the Sun revolves round the earth. The dynamic personality of Bhai Dit Singh had experienced at Dera Gulab Dass Chatthianwala a negative mindset that degraded Gurabani simply because it had hymns of Saints who owe their origin to Shudra families. Later, he joined Arya Samaj for there appeared a promise that caste would not be followed. Shuddhi of dalits attracted many followers.. When Bhai Sahib saw the proponents of Arya Samaj raging with their superiority and replete with blasphemous words for Gurus and Saints, he vowed to give up that faith forever. He met Bhai Gurmukh Singh and embarked on a mission to inculcate true Sikh spirit through his discourses and writings. Bhai Sahib left the world in 1901, but his influence on Sikh history is tremendous and invaluable.
Punjab has seen the blood-soaked politics of Congress in the past decades. The militancy can't be studied by separating it from the culture that created it. Ludhiana violence has shown that BJP is apathetic to interests of Punjab. Sikhs are either with Congress or with BJP. They barter Sikh ideals for the hateful campaign of their political masters. Right-minded Hindus should rise to discourage nexus of politicians and criminals. Guilty politicians' attempts to hide behind religious sentiments of people should never be allowed to succeed in Punjab. If Punjabis keep their house in order, no foreign threat can vanquish them. The unity of Dalits, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Hindus in a new alliance can force BJP, Congress and their allies to shift the Gory Theatre to some other place.