The fact of the matter is that Bhagat Ravidas did not have any place at the table of Hindu religion. He was not even allowed to enter into the Mandirs.
Our visionary Gurus found something of a spiritual substance that complimented the Gurmat ideals in his poetry and gave him the rightful place that he deserved. Hence, his stature as no one but a low caste cobbler in Hinduism got elevated and which also helped tremendously the people of his caste who were disdained by the stiff upper lipped Hindus.
Let's wish them all the best as they want no part of Sikhi now which brought them to this level.
Sikhi has not lost anything by the Ravidassies' divorcing themselves from this pragmatic way of life.
I hope that they gain something spiritually by choosing their own path.
I wonder if Mr. Tiwari's -RSS- next request after demanding to take the Gurbani of the Muslims out of SGGS would be to take out the Gurbani of the low caste Hindus because besides being the outcasts, they also relish onions and garlic.
Tejwant Singh
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMATRIX%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml">Dear readers,
First of all, I must concede: I am not a scholar; and perhaps, not a ‘Sikh’ too. I do revere Guru Granth Sahib and its creators: right from Guru Nanak to Guru Ravidas and Guru Kabir.
You have objections on my calling Guru Ravidas as ‘Guru’. You say Sikh tenets so lay down. Can you please quote where it is laid down that except ten Gurus, none else be called ‘Guru’ though their Bani is respected as Guru Granth Sahib. I presume you have no evidence of such Sikh tenets.
On my part, I have following arguments/evidence for calling him Guru:
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1. <!--[endif]-->The GGS is creation of some Sikh Gurus and other Saints. They created Bani of the GGS. That means they created the GGS. A creator is always greater than his creation. Hence these saints are GREATER than the GGS which contains their creations. If the GGS could be called Guru, its creators too are ‘Guru’ and are supposed to be bestowed with greater reverence than the GGS itself.
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2. <!--[endif]-->Undoubtedly and unquestionably, the GGS is greater than all Sikhs. For a moment, we agree it refers to all non-Sikh Saints as Bhagat. BUT where does it say that these Saints be called Bhagat by ordinary Sikhs. How can you equate yourself with the GGS in calling them Bhagat? If the GGS call them Bhagat, are you too the GGS or equal to the GGS that you are calling them Bhagat! If my father called my Chacha as “Ramu”, does it mean, I too can call him ‘Ramu’?
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3. <!--[endif]-->If you interpret that their Bani is classified under “Bhagat Bani”, hence you call them Bhagat. Then why on the same criterion, those be not called “Mahila” who named themselves as such in the the GGS?
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4. <!--[endif]-->Guru Nanak brought Guru Ravidas ji’s bani and he used to sing the same while preaching his Dharma. His successor Gurus watched Guru Nanak singing Bani of Guru Ravidas. Hence, they deemed it fit to adorn the GGS with his Bani. If GND is revered as Guru then why not that Guru be revered as Guru whose Bani this Guru sang in spreading his Dharam? Our founder Guru carried his Bani on his head and we are calling the creator of such bani to be Bhagat i.e. follower!! How ridiculous!! GND CAN NOT be called Guru unless and until we revere Guru Ravidas as Guru.
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5. <!--[endif]-->Leave aside all! When Guru Gobind Singh commanded that ‘henceforth only the GGS would be treated as Guru’. “Sab Sikhon ko hukam hai Guru Manyo Granth” what did he mean? Did he mean “the bundle of printed pages that are fastened inside a cover so that you can turn them and read them i.e. book” be revered as Guru? NO, not at all. He meant the Bani and their creators be treated as guide (Guru) to live a solemn life. Did he differentiate between Bani of Sikh Gurus and that those of non- Sikh Gurus while adorning the GGS as Guru!
If the Commander has not said so, who the anybody else are to say so!
So Brother DONOT utter Brahmanic words. Lets be guided by our Gurus and their deeds. Guru Ravidas is as much Sikh Guru as are GND and the GGS.
Though relevent, I am not discussing here the point that most of the scholars agree that GND was baptized follower of Guru Kabir, a Dharam Bhai of Guru Ravidas. Saint Satpal of Satlok Ashram Barwala, a follower of Guru Kabir preaches this everywhere he goes.
So far as the term Mahila is concerned, there may be some Arabic term as such but HERE IN THE GGS THE TERM MAHILA HAS BEEN USED TO MEAN A WOMAN. Here it is NOT an Arabic term. Bhai Kahhan Singh has specifically stated in Mahankosh (Pp. 3274 & 3284) that Sikh Gurus have called themselves Mahila i.e Stri or wife, woman. So brother, have courage to accept Truth.
In our school times, our Punjabi teacher was Giani Thakar Singh. He would often tell us that the Bhai of gurudwara is wrongly reciting the Bani; he is pronouncing Mahila as mahhla. Like you, we too would say; how can a man be ‘woman’ of God! But it is!
In our college days, our Punjabi teacher Dr. Harchand Singh Chand was once teaching us Baba Farid’s Bani: Tonight I did not sleep with my husband, my limbs are aching…..
When he transliterated it in simple Punjabi, there arose furor from girls side for ‘obscenity’ in the verse. He then told us that in our old culture wife could NEVER get or think of ‘another’ husband. So our Gurus deemed and depicted themselves as women of God. Like a woman they would not think of another God.
So readers; our Gurus called themselves as ‘woman’ of God.
Now the last and perhaps the most important point of contention :Jatt vs. Dalit. Brother; there is a Punjabi song : wounds of heart are new, touch them not. You have pricked those wounds. So if I say something wrong, I presume you will please show maturity and take it in right perspective.
DV and its writers NEVER repeat NEVER want a split between the two Sikh famalies. Yes, I agree being Dalits, we take little more side of Dalits. BUT when outsiders i.e. Brahmanists attack Sikhism we are equally or more pained than the Jatts. Right from Bhai Bala & Mardana to Sardar Beant Singh we have served, the Sikh Panth with our sweat and blood. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE OCCASION WHEN WE TURNED GANGU OR MAHA SINGH. Our ancestors always stood by the Gurus and the Panth in thick and thin.
It was unblemished services rendered by our ancestors that Dasham Pitah said: Ranghrete Guru ke Bete! Did he ever utter such words for Jatts? If we compare services of Jatt and Dalits, one truth NONE can deny or refute: our forefathers never compelled our Guru to write ‘bedava’. So ours service to the cause of Sikhism is much more greater than that of the Jatts.
Even S. Ranjit Singh was a Sansi (a Dalit caste) who covered Darbar Sahib with gold!
For more details you may please read : Sikh Panth De Rakhe : Dalits. After reading his book, it appears Sikhism survived due to sacrifices of Dalits only.
Now please compare what Jatts and Dalits are getting from the Gurudwaras. How many of the five Jathedars are Dalits? How many Pardhans of SGPC have been Dalits? How many Pardhans of Akali Dal have been Dalits? How many Sikh CMs have been Dalits? How many Ministers, DCs, SPs etc etc are Dalits. Whereas Population-wise Dalits outnuber Jatts.
Mr. Balwant Singh, are we there only to shed our blood? When ‘Guru ke Bete’ are more in numbers, why they are lesser in positions? Undoubtedly, we have shed our blood more in quantity and, of course, in quality.
Guru Gobind Singh put his turban with ‘Kalgi’ on the head of S. Sangat Singh while leaving fort of Chamkor Sahib. The Moughals shreded body of S. Sangat Singh. Can you quote how many Gurudwaras have been erected in his name while full city of Muktsar and its Gurudwara has been dedicated to 40 Sikhs who betrayed but later on joined him.
GGS called us his Bete i.e. sons. Can you tell me, how many Betes of the Guru have been married into the families of Jatts?
I am Punjabi by blood and Sikh by practice. I have lived in villages of Punjab. I have seen life of ‘Seeris’ who are none other than Dalits. The house where I lived belonged to a Jattt. He knew my caste. He or his family never showed ill will towards me. But their seeri was always offered food in separate utensils which he had to clean himself and keep in a shed where buffalos were reared.
This is the position of ‘Guru ke Bete”.
You say it is Be-adbi to call Guru Ravidas as ‘Guru’ when the GGS is installed. It is purely your personal interpretation. We have been doing it since decades; none objected. Anyhow, my point is; if this is be-adbi what you will call when a person sits in chair before the GGS. And more importantly when his seat is higher than that of the GGS!
Why it was and it is NOT found to be be-adbi by you people? If I say because the person sitting on a higher seat was Jatt CM so you ignored him, you will say we are dividing Jatt and Dalits.
Readers, why same rule, same stick is not used to punish a be-adab fellow, may he be Balwant or kuldip? Why Dalits and Jatts are punished under different rules?
If Guru Har Rai could disown his son for mere reciting one word wrongly, how can you be a true Sikh by owning a be-adabi fellow? Can you dare disown him? Had it been S. Buta Singh or Giani Zail Singh, he would have been declared ‘tankhayiya’.
The list is perhaps endless. Let us bury the hatchet. Lets fight our enemy, if you can see him. Please cleanse our Gurughars of RSSians. Do not use term ‘temples’ for Gurudwara. Temples are citadels of sins. Kick away sons of Gangu, if you can.
Dear readers, I hope you would understand our feelings. Perhaps the times of selfless service are over. Today’s generation demands more than what it does. The successors of Sardar Beant Singh (modern day martyre) do not want to be as selfless as that of Sardar Sangat Singh or Sardar Jiwan Singh. The “Kanshi Ram effect” (The Greater the number, the greater the share) is fast gaining momentum. It has become watchword for the new generation. The Sooner we accept it, the Better it would be.
Dasham Pitah gave us sword and we shed our blood for him. So he called us ‘Sons’. Guru Ravidas shed his blood for us. Hence we call him our ‘Father’. Thus we are sons equally to both the Gurus.
So dear readers do not object to us calling our father a ‘Guru’. He is Guru.
Dear readers, I hope you would please ponder over my submissions with calm heart. I wish to apologise in advance; if I said something wrong.
Kind Regards
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