The Rise of Sikhism in Pakistan

spnadmin · #10 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:10 AM

This is quite an extreme demand to make even if one is put off by gurdwara going Hindus aka patit Sikhs. No?

Quote:

India should not give visas to the ‘patit Sikhs’ to visit Pakistan as their appearance hurt the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat in Pakistan. They said the SGPC should not recommend the visas at ‘patit Sikhs'.

There is something fishy in this. It gets even fisher. You posted the link for the story from New to Sikhi. The story has actually gone viral on the Internet. Now we have to track down who started this. First page on a google search shows many different sites have published it. And with contradictory agendas. Will take some time to see where it originated. Extremist Sikh sites are saying that "fear" is bringing the patits to the fold, or bringing Hindus to the fold. But I am also wondering why PHP the Pak Hindu Press has also posted it.

Note: The fear element was introduced to this story after it was first published without explanation according to my investigation.

kds1980 · #11 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spnadmin

I am aware of what you report... for years aware. That does not however answer my questions. For that matter, why are hair cutters permitted in sangat, in gurdwara, on pilgrimages, etc. in India?

This idea of gurdwara going Hindu is not new and also a personal opinion ... though perhaps defining one sort of Sikh mindset.

I know there are gurdwaras that exclude Dalits.

I am asking really about the growing trend of Wahhabism among Sikhs. Seems to me that goes counter to the idea of inclusiveness. Seems to me that the Sikhs in the first article have made some perplexing demands.

And actually the article is about Sikhs in Pakistan...so we should direct our attention to that.

I Don't know it is fair to call them wahabi or not.Pakistani Sikhs allow Hindu temples to hold Akhand paath and don't object to it.SGPC has banned it

spnadmin · #12 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:19 AM

I have raised some suspicions about the article. Added them probably after you started to respond.

spnadmin · #13 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:23 AM

Now as I think about it, the article may be part of a broader political ploy. Many fingers in the pie where Sikhs in Pakistan are concerned. Many interests at stake. Mostly of the political meddling sort of thing. The article is now looking to me as propaganda. Now we have to find out who instigated it. And why did New to Sikhi not pick on the fact that there is no url referencing the article?

kds1980 · #14 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:33 AM

Comment by Amarjit Singh on April 1, 2011 at 5:22am

Danka Ji,

Actually, this news i got at my e-mail Inbox sent by www.youngsikhleaders.org and they in turn got the news from An excerpt from:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/general-discussion/36794-the-rise-of-sikhism-in-pakistan.html
Varinder Walia, The Tribune India, Edited-by W!N News Bureau.

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36794
Regards.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from comments section of that site

spnadmin · #15 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 04:39 AM

Yes where did the Tribune get the story? What is doing in Pakistan Hindu Press?

I am now taking a look at the logical fallacy of the very first sentence of the article.

Quote:

While the Sikh leadership in India, especially in Punjab, is worried over rising trend of ‘patitpuna’ (apostate), a large number of [Sindhi Sehajdharis] in Pakistan, have joined the Sikh fold by getting themselves baptised.

Also at the impression the title Rise of Sikhism in Pakistan creates. It is looking like political hype to me.

As if Sikhism needed to call attention to "patits" in order to rise in Pakistan. This is lame, especially since Sikhs are not rising in Pakistan but are target of oppression.
As if leadership in India, "especially in Punjab" was really worried about "patits."
Following that some Sikhs in Pakistan demand that visas be withheld from patits to keep them out of gurdwaras in Pakistan. Because their religious sentiments are hurt.

I cannot take this seriously. I hope I have the fortitude to get to the bottom of this article. And what is the "fear" as reported on some other networks running this story, that is motivating "hindus" to keep hair, so that they can do what ?????

Panga. It is sounding as ridiculous as SGPC asking all candidates to become armitdhari within a week, and by August 25. Is this a "related story?" http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/india/...es-become.html

spnadmin · #16 (**permalink**) 29-Aug-2011, 05:55 AM

Disappointing, at least to me. Seems that wahhabism has political strings.

One of the earliest sources for this story is Onlypunjab.com who published it on August 29, 2004 http://citynewslive.com/latest/fulls...wsID-1650.html

SikhSangat message board a Yahoo discusses the story on September 1, 2004 and the link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SikhSangat/message/676

They give a source as Tribune India, at http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040830/punjab1.htm

When I check the link, answer "oops! not found."

SinghSangat forum Voice of Sikhs also reported the story on August 29, 2004 under the title Fear Brings Pak Hindus to Sikh fold, and includes a picture of some "Hindus" who became Sikhs. At this link http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?...-to-sikh-fold/

Same link as above to the Tribune, but the link again does not work

Then I searched the archives for Tribune India, period between August 29 and September 5, and was unable to locate the story http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/specials/ggs.htm Other stories for that period and on the subject of the Gurgaddi are in place.

Maybe someone else has better eyes than I do. But the important note is that this series of articles coincides and is associated with preparations for the anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib. There were ferocious politics associated with the Gurgaddi. Example follows at this link
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36794
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040903/punjab1.htm#1

Now in 2011 New to Sikhi picks up the story, but they are not the first.

Pakistan Hindu Press picks up the story on March 31 2011 but reports it as if it hapened yesterday. This time the story is connected with the Khalistan movement. Future for Khalistan and emergence of Sikhism at cost of Hinduism in Pakistan
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36794

http://pakistanhindupost.blogspot.co...rgence-of.html

I will stop with this. Only to conclude that an old story, somehow associated with Badal and the Gurugaddi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which had not yet happened, and turning amrit sanchar into an instrument of political manipulation, made its way to New to Sikhi, where it is being digested by naive readers as if something to contribute to the rise of the Sikh quom is happening in Pakistan.

p/s kds ji, The link that was given at Young Sikh Leaders did not work, but I found the story (part of it) in the google cache for Young Sikh Leaders, complete with the picture of Hindus turned Sikh. It turns out they were Sindhis http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...www.google.com

It is dated March 20, 2011 and also 7 years after the fact.

And it all happened more than 7 years ago. Well at least I know that someone was giving the cue to a group of Sindhi in Pakistan to make best use of a photo op and that there were some who definitely strove to make themselves purest of the pure by asking India to kick the "patits" out of the part of the Gurgaddi celebration based in Pakistan.

So why is a story that is more than 7 years old being recyled by groups with very different identities: New to Sikhi, Young Sikh Leaders, and Pakistan Hindu Press?