The Sikh Bulletin:Guest Editorial Thriving Worldwide Sikh Community

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-Gurpal Singh Khaira, California, USA
The spirit of Guru Nanak is well and alive in the thriving worldwide Sikh community. Despite the petty controversies being given the center stage by a handful at the helm of Sikh religious and political affairs vast majority of mainstream Sikh public is either ambivalent or indifferent to these shenanigans. These tricksters have been with the Sikh religion from the day Guru Nanak Dev ji started his mission but the Sikh public always recognized them and expelled the schisms by appending appropriate labels such as Minas, Dhirmalias, Ram Raias, etc. Later the Tat Khalsa also purged itself similarly. Even the well meaning movements like the Naamdhari and Nirankari lost favor with the public when they became schismatic under their successive leaderships. The current politically appointed clergy at Akal Takhat known as Jathedar behaves like a stern Ayatollah, a blind improbable dictator who has decided to recreate Sikhi in his own myopic image. He is being presented as representative of God. How could any body argue against the representative of Waheguru for all the Sikhs on earth? However, the present situation is no different than the many in the past and the ayatolic control by one or the other individual will be shended in due time. The Sikh public will continue to practice the most honorable religion of all as advised by Guru ji. srb Drm mih sRy~t Drmu. hir ko nfmu jip inrml krmu. (SGGS p262).

Where ever the Sikhs go in the world to make their home they make their presence felt through hard work with honesty, dignity and integrity. It is a matter of pride for the community that the prime minister of India is a Sikh who was selected for the position because of his ability. Under his able stewardship reconciliation with Pakistan appears to be possible. Economic and cultural ties are being reestablished between the two Panjabs. Indian armed forces are being reorganized to defend the country from the new forms of dangers and warfare by the able Sikh army chief. The concept of Chardi Kala gives them the self-image, anything you can do I can do better. In the words of the noted Sikh writer Khuswant Singh “this upmanship has sustained the community miniscule in numbers but grand in achievements.” It is remarkable that Sikhs are now in the forefront in the political arena in Canada and UK. They are represented in the national parliaments as well as provincial legislatures, local city and town councils. They hold ministerial portfolios in both provincial and national level Governments. A Sikh even became the premier of the Canadian province of British Colombia. These Sikh individuals got elected through their dedicated service to the Canadian and British public where majority of the constituent are non Sikh. Regardless whether these elected individuals are clean shaven, turbaned, or amritdharis they are all Sikhs and proud of belonging to the Sikh faith and the Sikh community. Through the efforts of a Sikh MP Gurbakhsh Singh Malhi the Canadian parliament building has been hosting the recitation of Akhand Patth once every year for almost a decade now. It is interesting to note that none of these remarkable Sikh individuals have ever held any position or membership in the fractious Gurudwara management committees.

In the economic field the Sikhs are not behind any other community. They boast per capita more millionaires in the United States. They have made their fortunes in agriculture, real estate, manufacturing and electronics. They have excelled in the academics, scientific and medical fields in India as well as in the Diaspora. Sikh students are recognized in the finest universities in India, Canada, USA and UK for their high achievements.

It is true that fissiparous Akali leadership have created more Akali Dals to the detriment of the Sikh community in India and in the Diaspora. The appointed Jathedars of the revered Sikh Takhats are patronizing immoral and corrupt Sant/Babas who grease their palms. The current controversial Jathedar of Akal Takhat has visited more homes in USA, Canada, and UK in pursuit of Dakhshna (offerings) than Gurdwaras to preach, propagate and explain Sikh religion and Sikh values as enshrined in Shri Guru Granth Sahib especially to young Sikhs. He is a traditionalist and considers traditions inherited from the mahant era even if contrary to Gurmat, take precedent over Gurbani of Shri Guru Granth Sahib. Akal Takhat is being used as a police post to punish and mute the reform minded critics of religious hypocrisy being practiced under the leadership from the Akal Takhat. It is also true that the reformist are bent on open frontal attacks designed to destroy the character and demonize the opponent rather than logically explain their points of view to achieve acceptance or compromise. This provides maximum media coverage especially from the hostile section of the press in India. These widely reported attacks tend to harden the resolve of the traditionalists to defend by all means legal or illegal.

The rapid delivery of information through internet media is bringing awareness of true meaning and interpretation of Gurbani of Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The public is becoming aware of meaningless and some time anti Gurmat rituals practiced and propagated by spiritually devoid granthis masquerading as jathedars and Sant/Babas. People are newly discovering the old truth that rituals are containers that hold people and bind them to cults, schisms, demigods but not to Waheguru. It is always possible for unethical people to find some obscure tradition or rule to justify anything including practices against the dictates of Gurbani. Such is the case in barring women from reciting keertan and participating in Service at Shri Darbar Sahib. Internet has made it possible for intelligent gursikhs from all over the world to cooperate and organize to counter these holders of lofty Sikh religious positions in Amritsar and propagate spiritual and ethical principles enshrined in Gurbani.

Over the last several years the Jathedars of Sikh Takhats and Sikh politicians from Panjab discovered that well established Sikh communities in the Diaspora especially the ones in USA, Canada and UK are fantastic cash cows. It appears to be easier and may be cheaper for them to travel to these countries than to Delhi or Bombay from Amritsar. They come to these countries in hordes as invites of various deras of sant/babas or gullible Sikhs in control of few Gurdwaras. They are also coming at the invitations from the wealthy individuals to bless marriages and even birthday parties just by being present for a hefty fee. This steady stream of these “holies” to California prompted this writer to conduct a very informal survey of participants in the Sunday Sangats in some Northern California Gurdwaras by asking a simple question, “who is the current Jathedar of Akal Takhat?” Most Gursikhs will be surprised to learn that well over 97% of them did not know the name of the most controversial so called highest of the high priests of the Sikhs. Most people are concerned with the day to day problems of life and visit Gurdwara on Sundays to thank Waheguru for His blessings. They are content with being good Sikhs and decent human beings.

These Jathedars are paid salaries and any offerings made to them are not for their person but for the revered Takhats they represent. These must be honestly deposited in the Takhat account. It is a well known that none of these Jathedars may have ever turned over any of these offerings at their respective Takhats. It is sad that SGPC is fully aware of this dishonesty by its appointed and paid “Holies”. This makes the ill gotten income subject of concern to the legal authorities of both provincial and national Governments in India. It also violates the laws of the countries where the offerings are made. Personal income earned by foreign nationals is subject to with-holding income taxes. In India the authorities should investigate their holdings which will be found to be disproportionate to their known sources of income. Even the ill gotten income is subject to national income tax which Jathedars are also required to pay.

Sikhs as a community however, have miserably failed to establish institutions and organizations for the well being of the community. The only acceptable institution to the Sikh is Gurdwara. No Sikh is ever motivated to provide financial or other type of support unless the institution or organizers provide massive ego stroking. But the time is here to wipe out corruption from the religious institutions and shun the cults and schisms. Sikh public deserve better from its religious and political representatives. The community despite all its successes must work to bring its clergy under control if Sikh spirituality is to be preserved and practiced as preached by Gurbani.