Why do the Hindus want to get rid of the Sikhs? Strategic position of Punjab? How are Sikhs a threat to them, if at all?
I watched a movie called maya day before last and afterwards did some research on some of the practices still being done in Hinduism. Is SICKENING.
I am really ignorant about India politics and history/culture etc. I am an anthropologist but my area of study was Afro-Caribbean cultures and since then I've worked almost solely in Haiti.
So it seems like there have been forces out to destroy Sikhs ever since Guru Gobind Singh first took up the sword?
I wonder why people don't talk more about this?
actually, it started even before that... Guru Arjun Sahib was our first Guru to die for his faith.
there are many reasons, but no good reasons. one is the Hindutva movement, who wish to make India into Hindustan, a purely Hindu country. they HATE christians and muslims, and have been involved in rapes, tortures, murders, and organized riots which killed tens of thousands. they will accept Sikhs only if Sikhs will agree to be considered Hindu. they want to deny us our very identity. they know that if we remain Sikh, if we remain KHALSA, we will not stand by as they "cleanse" India as the Nazis they take their inspiration did in Europe.
another is that Punjab is strategically important, with major rivers, major hydroelectric power plants, and the most fertile land in India. it's called the "bread basket" of India. the indian government re-routes the rivers to other states, stealing water from punjabi farmers and causing drought and famine in punjab. there has been an epidemic of farmer suicides from this practice. punjab produces clean, hydroelectric electricity for four states and new delhi... not a volt of it goes to punjab. instead, punjab is forced to buy COAL from other states to make it's own power. if punjab has any autonomy at all, the indian government fears it will loose all of these resources.
Sikhs were declared a "martial race" by the british, something which has stuck. a disproportionate amount of Sikhs are in the Indian military, and have given their lives for their country since the freedom movement. so the idea that Sikhs want their own identity separate from Hindus is more threatening, because Sikhs are seen as a military threat. they seem to think that if Sikhs have even a small amount of power, we'll take over the country or something.
honestly, i don't think there's any one clear reason Sikhs are so hated. Patel said that Sikhs "disgusted" him. this was a major figure in the freedom movement, a man who is venerated in India. during partition, he forced a disarming of Sikhs in Punjab, leading to even more slaughter by Muslims. why would he do that except to harm Sikhs? he even tried to ban the Kirpan!
watch any indian film and you'll see the Sikh is always portrayed as a bumbling idiot or a villian (think of the stereotypes African Americans and Latinos have struggled with in American film). every hindu, from childhood, is inundated with Sikh jokes, showing Sikhs as idiots. ask any indian hindu if he knows a Sikh joke and you'll see what i mean.
why is this? why is it necessary? why is any group oppressed? usually out of fear.
India is doing to Sikhs what America has done to African Americans since slavery was ended. the difference being that African Americans are safer in the US than Sikhs are in India, where torture and rape at the hands of the police is a common occurance. check any human rights group report on india and it ALWAYS carries an article about the police in Punjab. in America, individuals may oppress Blacks, but at least the government doesn't do it openly...
of course, you won't read about this in most indian newspapers, thanks to the heavy censorship at the hands of the government.
i can recommend some more books to read if you like.
