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Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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Have The Sikhs Changed Since 1984?
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<blockquote data-quote="kds1980" data-source="post: 116689" data-attributes="member: 1178"><p>Thanks for the offer Hardip singh ji.I will try to find out the book .But while searching on net about the book I found that there are allegations against the book of spreading myths</p><p>by sikhs themselves</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.sikhspectrum.com/052005/kapur_singh.htm" target="_blank">A Critical Review of Sachi Sakhi and Parasaraprasna</a></p><p>Myth no. 1 </p><p></p><p>On pages 101-13: Kapur Singh claims that the British offered Sikhs their own “Sikh State” and Mohammad Ali Jinnah offered them “an autonomous Sikh State within Pakistan”. However, the ignorant, naïve, and inept Sikh leaders like Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh, Baldev Singh and Maharaja Yadvinder Singh did not respond positively to explore these offers. Thus, they are responsible for rendering future generations of Sikhs subservient to Hindus. His claim is based on the information he got from newspapers, press releases, and his own conversations with Jinnah, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, Sir Jogindera Singh, Sardar Shivdev Singh Oberai and others. At no time he was personally involved in the negotiations between the Akalis and Jinnah or the British. </p><p></p><p>It is difficult to imagine that the British or Jinnah’s offer to Sikhs was simply altruistic. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine that few Sikhs like Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh, Baldev Singh and Maharaja Yadvinder Singh could have prevented Jinnah or the British from pursuing their objectives. They could have talked to other Sikh leaders or taken their offers directly to the Sikh masses to accomplish their goals. However, there is no evidence that they talked to any other Sikh leader about their offer. Most documents relating to the partition of India have been released and published, and there is no evidence, that either the British or Jinnah offered the Sikhs “a Sikh State,” or “an autonomous Sikhs State within Pakistan”, respectively. It turns out that the British as well as Jinah were trying to persuade the Sikhs to join Pakistan in order to avoid the division of the Sikh community into two halves, one in Pakistan and the other in India. </p><p></p><p>The Sikh leadership declined this suggestion wisely because Sikhs remember very vividly the atrocities of the Mughal rule against the community. Instead, they threw their lot with the Hindus, as they had no prior experience living under Hindu rule. Had they accepted the offer of Jinnah the situation of the Sikhs in Pakistan would have been far worse than that of the Ahmadiyya Muslims. Dr. Abdus Salam, an eminent scientist of the twentieth century and a Nobel Laureate in physics, was stripped of his Pakistani citizenship. </p><p></p><p>Many Sikhs fault the Sikh leadership for their naivete for relying on public statements made by Gandhi and Nehru that Sikhs would enjoy autonomy in an independent India. They argue that the Sikh leadership should have obtained written guaranty signed by the Hindu leadership. But would the Hindus have honored that guaranty after becoming “Masters” of India! </p><p></p><p>India agreed to a UN supervised plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to solve the Kashmir problem. Even the United Nations and the world opinion has not been able to force India to fulfil its agreement for more than fifty years. The same thing would have happened to any written guaranty given to the Sikhs by the Hindu leadership. There is no doubt that Sikh leadership was taken in by the liberal and secular façade put up by Gandhi and Nehru, who were diehard believers of the Hindu caste system and the perverse morality preached by Lord Krishna in the Mahabharta which simply put states: victory is every thing; cheating, lying, and manipulation is the essence of Dharma. But we can remind the ungrateful Hindu community and inform the world that had Sikhs accepted the offer of Jinnah, Pakistan’s border would have been close to Dehli and Jammu and Kashmir would also have gone to Pakistan? </p><p></p><p>When the partition of India seemed inevitable, it was the Akali leadership who insisted that if the country was going to be divided on communal lines then why should East Punjab and West Bengal, where Muslims were in minority, be given to Pakistan. This idea was put forward by the Akalis, whom Kapur Singh calls stupid. The Congress leadership did not care if all of Punjab were to be included in Pakistan. They were eager to get rid off most of the Muslims so that they could establish their own Ram Raj (rule of Hindu god Rama). </p><p></p><p>It is true that Giani Kartar Singh and Master Tara Singh did not match the education of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah, who were lawyers, educated in top British universities. However, both kartar Singh and Tara Singh were honest and self-sacrificing leaders, who worked very hard to safeguard Sikh interest and saved the community from annihilation. The Akali leaders also put forth the idea of total transfer of Muslim and Hindu-Sikh populations in Punjab. In pre-partition Punjab, the Sikhs constituted 13% of the population and were scattered all over Punjab with heavy concentration in central districts, with a slight majority only in one Tehsil, Taran Taran. After partition, the Sikhs were in majority in the Punjabi-speaking region of the Indian Punjab, which later on became Punjabi Suba (state). </p><p></p><p>On page 115, Kapur Singh writes, “After an inquiry it was found that the British wanted to propose to the Sikhs that if they can’t come to any reasonable agreement with Muslims, then the Sikhs should accept ‘a Sikh State’ covering an area from Panipat to Nankana Sahib. This state could have an access to the ocean. This state could enter into a defense pact with England according to which 25,000 British armed forces would be stationed in the Sikh State for ten years. Seasoned British army officers would train the Sikh army. The Sikhs would buy military equipment from the British on the condition that 50,000 Sikhs would be employed in the British army for ten years. The treaty between the British and the Sikhs could be reviewed after ten years.” However, Kapur Singh does not mention the composition of the population of the proposed “Sikh State”. </p><p></p><p>In 1947 there was no district in Punjab with Sikh majority whereas the partition of the country was based on the “population majority concept”. For example, the seven districts – Hoshiarpur, Jullandur, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Lahore, Amritsar and Gurdaspur, according to 1941 census, had 28 % Sikhs, 46 % Muslims and 26 % Hindus and others[6]. According to the 1931 census, the population of the area from Panipat to Nanakana Sahib was 42% Muslim[7]. If these were any guide, the Muslim population would have gained further in percentage by 1947. The 58% non-Muslim population was divided between Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and others. The Sikh population of this area was not more than 25%. Would Muslims and Hindus of this proposed “Sikh State” or Pakistan and India have allowed this state to become a Sikh state? Israel is a Jewish State because its population is more than 80% Jewish; Pakistan is an Islamic State because its population is more than 95% Muslim and India is a Hindu State because its population is about 80% Hindu. It is no wonder that there is no evidence that the British or Jinnah offered the Sikhs a Sikh State or an autonomous Sikh State within Pakistan, respectively. </p><p></p><p>Myth no. 2 </p><p></p><p>On page 72-76, Kapur Singh mentions, “The Akalis prevented Dr. Ambedkar from converting to Sikhism. Had Ambedkar converted, 60 million Untouchables (Dalits) would have followed him and become Sikhs. Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, had agreed to marry his sister to Ambedkar if he converted to Sikhism.” </p><p></p><p>These assertions are incorrect. First, Gurtej Singh, a protégé of Kapur Singh, has himself refuted the assertion that the Akalis prevented Dr. Ambedkar from converting to Sikhism[8]. Besides, contrary to Kapur Singh’s claim, Ambedkar took advantage of the naivete and generosity of the Akalis who went out of their way to accommodate his wishes. They set up a press for his paper Janta and built a Khalsa College in Bombay for higher education of Dalits at a time when there were only few Sikh colleges in Punjab where the vast majority of the Sikhs lived[9]. How many Dalit students of this college became Sikhs? </p><p></p><p>Ambedkar’s change of mind not to covert to Sikhism was a political decision of a politician. According to his calculation his conversion to Sikhism would not have advanced his political career. Had he really wanted to convert, who could have prevented him? Did anybody prevent Giani Dit Singh or Professor Gurmukh Singh from converting? Second, how did Kapur Singh predict that 60 million Dalits would have followed Ambedkar and become Sikhs? How many of them became Buddhists when he converted Buddhism? Human behavior is very difficult to predict, especially of those who have been subjugated and dehumanized for thousands of years, like the untouchables of India. </p><p></p><p>For instance, if all the Dalits did not convert to Islam or Christianity during a millenium of Muslim and Christian rule when there were clear advantages and incentives for them to do so then how could Ambedkar’s conversion to Sikhism have persuaded them to convert to Sikhism? Even in Punjab most of the Dalits did not become Sikh over a period of 500 hundred years in spite of the fact that 95% of the Sikhs came out of sudras and untouchables. </p><p></p><p>Most Sikh leaders after Guru Gobind Singh came out of Jats, Kalals, Tarkhans, Mazhbis, Labanas and Sansis, all of whom are lower castes in the Hindu caste system. In recent times Sikhs with Mazhbi and Tarkhan background have been appointed as Jathedar of Akal Takhat, the seat of highest religious authority. If these examples did not inspire Punjabi untouchables to become Sikhs then how could Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Sikhism have automatically converted 60 million untouchables, spread throughout India, to Sikhism. It is noteworthy that most Dalits entered the Sikh-fold in the early part of the 20th century during the Singh Sabha Movement and they constitute 8-10% of the Sikh population. </p><p></p><p>Third, the statement that the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh had agreed to marry his sister to Dr. Ambedkar if he converted to Sikhism also appears incorrect. Why would the Maharaja, who was persecuting his Sikh-subjects, would marry his sister to a Dalit converted to Sikhism? Would it not be akin to bribing someone to convert to Sikhism? On the Vaisakhi day of 1699 Guru Gobind Singh declared with a drawn sword in hand, “If any one wants to be my Sikh, come prepared to offer your head.” Guru Nanak said exactly the same in his liberating message to the people. People ho embraced Sikhism did it voluntarily. </p><p></p><p>If you want to play the game of love (righteous path) then follow my path and come prepared to sacrifice your life. Once you step on this path, don’t be hesitant to offer your head. (AGGS, M 1, p 1412) </p><p></p><p>It is surprising that Kapur Singh totally ignored the fact that it was Ambedkar, considered the brain behind the drafting of the Indian Constitution, who on his own or under pressure, clubbed Sikhs with Buddhists and Jains and made them Hindu under clause 25 of the Indian Constitution. What he did to the Sikhs with the stroke of a pen is similar to what Adi Shankaracharya and Hindu rulers did to Buddhists through violent means! </p><p></p><p>Kapur Singh also ignored the fact that in November 1948, a ten-member sub-committee of the Constituent Assembly recommended reservation of seats for religious minorities in East Punjab, with weightage for Sikhs. But the minority committee of the Constituent Assembly, which included Ambedkar, Nehru, Patel and Rajendraparsad, turned down this proposal[10]. </p><p></p><p>Myth no. 3 </p><p></p><p>This incidence (p. 103) happened in March 1947 when Giani Kartar Singh was the president of Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Dr. Gopal Singh Ph.D. was his very close protégé. At that time there was great tension between Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. One day a delegation of Begalis led by an aristocrat from East Bengal came to Amritsar to meet Giani Kartar Singh. They requested and urged him to send some learned Sikhs immediately to Bengal in order to baptize about 500,000 Hindu Bengali youth to form a Khalsa brigade. They proposed to baptize 3 to 4 million Bengalis all over Bengal with particular focus on East Bengal in order to check the onslaught of pro Pakistani forces. </p><p></p><p>However, Giani Ji cleverly evaded them by saying that he would take care of it immediately, but did nothing. When Dr. Gopal Singh asked him the reason for his inaction, Giani Ji told him the secret, “You don’t understand politics. Even if 10 million Bengalis were to become Sikhs, still there will be only one Sikh minister in the central government, and Sardar Baldev Singh is already there for that position.” </p><p></p><p>How could anyone believe this story? If Kapur Singh thought that in 1947 the conversion of millions of Bengalis to Sikhism was so easy, then how come hundreds of learned Sikhs like him and aristocrats were not able to convert even five thousand untouchables (Dalits) let alone high caste Hindus of Punjab?</p><p></p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p>If what is written above is true then I would take that book with a doubt</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kds1980, post: 116689, member: 1178"] Thanks for the offer Hardip singh ji.I will try to find out the book .But while searching on net about the book I found that there are allegations against the book of spreading myths by sikhs themselves [url=http://www.sikhspectrum.com/052005/kapur_singh.htm]A Critical Review of Sachi Sakhi and Parasaraprasna[/url] Myth no. 1 On pages 101-13: Kapur Singh claims that the British offered Sikhs their own “Sikh State” and Mohammad Ali Jinnah offered them “an autonomous Sikh State within Pakistan”. However, the ignorant, naïve, and inept Sikh leaders like Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh, Baldev Singh and Maharaja Yadvinder Singh did not respond positively to explore these offers. Thus, they are responsible for rendering future generations of Sikhs subservient to Hindus. His claim is based on the information he got from newspapers, press releases, and his own conversations with Jinnah, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, Sir Jogindera Singh, Sardar Shivdev Singh Oberai and others. At no time he was personally involved in the negotiations between the Akalis and Jinnah or the British. It is difficult to imagine that the British or Jinnah’s offer to Sikhs was simply altruistic. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine that few Sikhs like Master Tara Singh, Giani Kartar Singh, Baldev Singh and Maharaja Yadvinder Singh could have prevented Jinnah or the British from pursuing their objectives. They could have talked to other Sikh leaders or taken their offers directly to the Sikh masses to accomplish their goals. However, there is no evidence that they talked to any other Sikh leader about their offer. Most documents relating to the partition of India have been released and published, and there is no evidence, that either the British or Jinnah offered the Sikhs “a Sikh State,” or “an autonomous Sikhs State within Pakistan”, respectively. It turns out that the British as well as Jinah were trying to persuade the Sikhs to join Pakistan in order to avoid the division of the Sikh community into two halves, one in Pakistan and the other in India. The Sikh leadership declined this suggestion wisely because Sikhs remember very vividly the atrocities of the Mughal rule against the community. Instead, they threw their lot with the Hindus, as they had no prior experience living under Hindu rule. Had they accepted the offer of Jinnah the situation of the Sikhs in Pakistan would have been far worse than that of the Ahmadiyya Muslims. Dr. Abdus Salam, an eminent scientist of the twentieth century and a Nobel Laureate in physics, was stripped of his Pakistani citizenship. Many Sikhs fault the Sikh leadership for their naivete for relying on public statements made by Gandhi and Nehru that Sikhs would enjoy autonomy in an independent India. They argue that the Sikh leadership should have obtained written guaranty signed by the Hindu leadership. But would the Hindus have honored that guaranty after becoming “Masters” of India! India agreed to a UN supervised plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to solve the Kashmir problem. Even the United Nations and the world opinion has not been able to force India to fulfil its agreement for more than fifty years. The same thing would have happened to any written guaranty given to the Sikhs by the Hindu leadership. There is no doubt that Sikh leadership was taken in by the liberal and secular façade put up by Gandhi and Nehru, who were diehard believers of the Hindu caste system and the perverse morality preached by Lord Krishna in the Mahabharta which simply put states: victory is every thing; cheating, lying, and manipulation is the essence of Dharma. But we can remind the ungrateful Hindu community and inform the world that had Sikhs accepted the offer of Jinnah, Pakistan’s border would have been close to Dehli and Jammu and Kashmir would also have gone to Pakistan? When the partition of India seemed inevitable, it was the Akali leadership who insisted that if the country was going to be divided on communal lines then why should East Punjab and West Bengal, where Muslims were in minority, be given to Pakistan. This idea was put forward by the Akalis, whom Kapur Singh calls stupid. The Congress leadership did not care if all of Punjab were to be included in Pakistan. They were eager to get rid off most of the Muslims so that they could establish their own Ram Raj (rule of Hindu god Rama). It is true that Giani Kartar Singh and Master Tara Singh did not match the education of Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah, who were lawyers, educated in top British universities. However, both kartar Singh and Tara Singh were honest and self-sacrificing leaders, who worked very hard to safeguard Sikh interest and saved the community from annihilation. The Akali leaders also put forth the idea of total transfer of Muslim and Hindu-Sikh populations in Punjab. In pre-partition Punjab, the Sikhs constituted 13% of the population and were scattered all over Punjab with heavy concentration in central districts, with a slight majority only in one Tehsil, Taran Taran. After partition, the Sikhs were in majority in the Punjabi-speaking region of the Indian Punjab, which later on became Punjabi Suba (state). On page 115, Kapur Singh writes, “After an inquiry it was found that the British wanted to propose to the Sikhs that if they can’t come to any reasonable agreement with Muslims, then the Sikhs should accept ‘a Sikh State’ covering an area from Panipat to Nankana Sahib. This state could have an access to the ocean. This state could enter into a defense pact with England according to which 25,000 British armed forces would be stationed in the Sikh State for ten years. Seasoned British army officers would train the Sikh army. The Sikhs would buy military equipment from the British on the condition that 50,000 Sikhs would be employed in the British army for ten years. The treaty between the British and the Sikhs could be reviewed after ten years.” However, Kapur Singh does not mention the composition of the population of the proposed “Sikh State”. In 1947 there was no district in Punjab with Sikh majority whereas the partition of the country was based on the “population majority concept”. For example, the seven districts – Hoshiarpur, Jullandur, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Lahore, Amritsar and Gurdaspur, according to 1941 census, had 28 % Sikhs, 46 % Muslims and 26 % Hindus and others[6]. According to the 1931 census, the population of the area from Panipat to Nanakana Sahib was 42% Muslim[7]. If these were any guide, the Muslim population would have gained further in percentage by 1947. The 58% non-Muslim population was divided between Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and others. The Sikh population of this area was not more than 25%. Would Muslims and Hindus of this proposed “Sikh State” or Pakistan and India have allowed this state to become a Sikh state? Israel is a Jewish State because its population is more than 80% Jewish; Pakistan is an Islamic State because its population is more than 95% Muslim and India is a Hindu State because its population is about 80% Hindu. It is no wonder that there is no evidence that the British or Jinnah offered the Sikhs a Sikh State or an autonomous Sikh State within Pakistan, respectively. Myth no. 2 On page 72-76, Kapur Singh mentions, “The Akalis prevented Dr. Ambedkar from converting to Sikhism. Had Ambedkar converted, 60 million Untouchables (Dalits) would have followed him and become Sikhs. Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala, had agreed to marry his sister to Ambedkar if he converted to Sikhism.” These assertions are incorrect. First, Gurtej Singh, a protégé of Kapur Singh, has himself refuted the assertion that the Akalis prevented Dr. Ambedkar from converting to Sikhism[8]. Besides, contrary to Kapur Singh’s claim, Ambedkar took advantage of the naivete and generosity of the Akalis who went out of their way to accommodate his wishes. They set up a press for his paper Janta and built a Khalsa College in Bombay for higher education of Dalits at a time when there were only few Sikh colleges in Punjab where the vast majority of the Sikhs lived[9]. How many Dalit students of this college became Sikhs? Ambedkar’s change of mind not to covert to Sikhism was a political decision of a politician. According to his calculation his conversion to Sikhism would not have advanced his political career. Had he really wanted to convert, who could have prevented him? Did anybody prevent Giani Dit Singh or Professor Gurmukh Singh from converting? Second, how did Kapur Singh predict that 60 million Dalits would have followed Ambedkar and become Sikhs? How many of them became Buddhists when he converted Buddhism? Human behavior is very difficult to predict, especially of those who have been subjugated and dehumanized for thousands of years, like the untouchables of India. For instance, if all the Dalits did not convert to Islam or Christianity during a millenium of Muslim and Christian rule when there were clear advantages and incentives for them to do so then how could Ambedkar’s conversion to Sikhism have persuaded them to convert to Sikhism? Even in Punjab most of the Dalits did not become Sikh over a period of 500 hundred years in spite of the fact that 95% of the Sikhs came out of sudras and untouchables. Most Sikh leaders after Guru Gobind Singh came out of Jats, Kalals, Tarkhans, Mazhbis, Labanas and Sansis, all of whom are lower castes in the Hindu caste system. In recent times Sikhs with Mazhbi and Tarkhan background have been appointed as Jathedar of Akal Takhat, the seat of highest religious authority. If these examples did not inspire Punjabi untouchables to become Sikhs then how could Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Sikhism have automatically converted 60 million untouchables, spread throughout India, to Sikhism. It is noteworthy that most Dalits entered the Sikh-fold in the early part of the 20th century during the Singh Sabha Movement and they constitute 8-10% of the Sikh population. Third, the statement that the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh had agreed to marry his sister to Dr. Ambedkar if he converted to Sikhism also appears incorrect. Why would the Maharaja, who was persecuting his Sikh-subjects, would marry his sister to a Dalit converted to Sikhism? Would it not be akin to bribing someone to convert to Sikhism? On the Vaisakhi day of 1699 Guru Gobind Singh declared with a drawn sword in hand, “If any one wants to be my Sikh, come prepared to offer your head.” Guru Nanak said exactly the same in his liberating message to the people. People ho embraced Sikhism did it voluntarily. If you want to play the game of love (righteous path) then follow my path and come prepared to sacrifice your life. Once you step on this path, don’t be hesitant to offer your head. (AGGS, M 1, p 1412) It is surprising that Kapur Singh totally ignored the fact that it was Ambedkar, considered the brain behind the drafting of the Indian Constitution, who on his own or under pressure, clubbed Sikhs with Buddhists and Jains and made them Hindu under clause 25 of the Indian Constitution. What he did to the Sikhs with the stroke of a pen is similar to what Adi Shankaracharya and Hindu rulers did to Buddhists through violent means! Kapur Singh also ignored the fact that in November 1948, a ten-member sub-committee of the Constituent Assembly recommended reservation of seats for religious minorities in East Punjab, with weightage for Sikhs. But the minority committee of the Constituent Assembly, which included Ambedkar, Nehru, Patel and Rajendraparsad, turned down this proposal[10]. Myth no. 3 This incidence (p. 103) happened in March 1947 when Giani Kartar Singh was the president of Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Dr. Gopal Singh Ph.D. was his very close protégé. At that time there was great tension between Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. One day a delegation of Begalis led by an aristocrat from East Bengal came to Amritsar to meet Giani Kartar Singh. They requested and urged him to send some learned Sikhs immediately to Bengal in order to baptize about 500,000 Hindu Bengali youth to form a Khalsa brigade. They proposed to baptize 3 to 4 million Bengalis all over Bengal with particular focus on East Bengal in order to check the onslaught of pro Pakistani forces. However, Giani Ji cleverly evaded them by saying that he would take care of it immediately, but did nothing. When Dr. Gopal Singh asked him the reason for his inaction, Giani Ji told him the secret, “You don’t understand politics. Even if 10 million Bengalis were to become Sikhs, still there will be only one Sikh minister in the central government, and Sardar Baldev Singh is already there for that position.” How could anyone believe this story? If Kapur Singh thought that in 1947 the conversion of millions of Bengalis to Sikhism was so easy, then how come hundreds of learned Sikhs like him and aristocrats were not able to convert even five thousand untouchables (Dalits) let alone high caste Hindus of Punjab? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If what is written above is true then I would take that book with a doubt [/QUOTE]
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