For anyone claiming caste discrimination doesn't effect Sikhs today: I found this on another site. I think it is pertinent.
Casteism raises head, cremation stopped
FEROZEPUR: Many in the country face the evil of caste-based discrimination in their lives. But in case of a Dalit woman in Bholuwala village, it continued even after she died. The dominant Jat Sikhs of the village did not let Dalit families cremate the body of Gurdial Kaur, 75, at the common cremation ground on Tuesday. She had died on Monday.
Jat Sikhs of the village allegedly threw out the pyre wood from the cremation ground following which the situation got tense. District administration sent the local executive magistrate and SHO of Ghal Khurd police station to the spot to diffuse the tension and persuade the Dalits to cremate the body at a vacant land in the village late on Tuesday afternoon.
According to sources, some Jat Sikh families had filed a case some time back to prevent Dalits from using the common cremation ground of the village, but the court had issued a stay order in favour of the Dalits pending a final decision. However, Jat Sikhs of the village claimed they hadn't received any such orders from the court.
They said Dalits had been given a separate piece of land, measuring about one kanal, for use as cremation ground for the last many years. Jagtar Singh, a resident of the village belonging to the dominating caste said Dalits had unnecessarily raised this issue at the behest of some local politicians to create tension.
Some people said similar tension had gripped the village when a Dalit man Gurdial Singh had died. That issue was resolved peacefully. Caste-based discrimination has deep roots in the village, which actually has two separate gurdwaras for the two communities. Dalit residents of the village alleged that being a minority and a financially depressed community, they were being discriminated against by the influential Jat Sikhs of the village.
Caste Concerns in Cremation Grounds in Punjab - Totally Contrary to Sikh Teachings
OTTAWA(Canada): The World Sikh Organization (WSO) expresses shock and outrage at the caste-based discrimination disallowing cremation of Gurdial Kaur in the common cremation grounds in the village of Bholuwala, Punjab.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji strongly condemned the ugly caste system prevalent in India over 500 years ago. He advocated equality of all individuals. "Amongst Sikhs, there is no caste" said, Ram Raghbir Singh Chahal, International President of WSO. Guru instituted langar, a community kitchen where all people, regardless of caste, race, religion or gender, sit side by side to eat.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Guru, put his final seal on the concept of equality at the first initiation ceremony of the Khalsa. He offered sacred Amrit, to all people, regardless of caste, creed or gender. It is relevant to note that he declined to admit so-called upper caste Rajputs to the new order of Khalsa, as they desired a special initiation ceremony, separate from those, they believed to be, of lower castes. The Panj Piarey (the five beloved ones) came from different caste backgrounds. "It's shameful that hundreds of years later, we're still arguing about cast based cremation grounds in Punjab" said, Gurpreet Singh Bal, WSO Canada President.
"Clinging on to the discriminatory divisions like Jat, Ramgharia, Khatri or Dalit Sikh is contrary to Guru's teaching and reflects ignorance on part of some Sikhs. This incident highlights a pressing need for strong educational campaign among Sikhs to rid our society of the lingering effects of the caste system and other social evils like drugs, dowries and female infanticide", said Gian Singh Sandhu, WSO Senior Policy Advisor.
The WSO urges the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to launch a community wide educational endeavour to understand and practise Sikhism as it was intended to be. We also urge public media in Punjab to accept these and other societal challenges and become agents of desirable and necessary changes.
More sad news.
