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Is It A Sin? Uplifting Women And Giving Them Practically Equal Rights In Each Custom And Ritual

Jan 13, 2017
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Is it a sin? Uplifting women and giving them practically equal rights in each custom and ritual of Sikh religion

Thakur Dalip Namdhari did Amrit Sanchar (Baptise) by Amritdhari women to flourish amritdhari community. is it wrong or right ?


Yesterday Akal Takht Sahib has announced that they will conduct meeting of 5 jathedhars on 5th May against women empowerment step taken by namdhari head Thakur Dalip Singh, Thakur Dalip Singh has given rights of Amrit Chhakauna ( Baptise ) to Sikh Women. Thakur Dalip has taken step by authorizing amritdhari women to give amrit (Baptise) others for the seek of practical equality of women in Sikhs religion. He said according to gurbani and Sikh philosophy women are equal. If women can take Amrit then after being amridhari women why they cannot give amrit to others. His aim is to baptise more and more women. To achieve this goal he says women are influenced more by women than men. Therefore we should authorized women also to baptise (distribute Amrit).

Now some people objected openly and started propaganda against this step of women authorization of distributing Amrit (baptising). They have approached Akal Takht sahib against this women empowerment. Now I request all you learnt people to give your views to clarify this point.

Has Dalip Singh committed sin by authorizing women to give Amrit to others? or he has done a good deed by authorizing women.

For information of all readers Sikh rehat maryada published by Sharomani committee approved by Akal Takhat sahib on page 20. It is clearly written that women can give Amrit (Baptise).
 

Harkiran Kaur

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Jul 20, 2012
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First it was never for Thakur Dalip Namdhari to decide because Sikh religion and Gurbani already says "As Gurmukh look upon all with a single eye of equality for in each and every heart the divine light resides" SGGSJ Ang 599. Is only even through duality that we are separate beings but in reality ultimate we are ONE. So how can Waheguru in female form be denied?

Second how on earth can it be a sin? A woman who takes Amrit is just as much Amritdhari as any man who does!!!! Or is there some reason why women are never truly 'fully' Amritdhari??

The first five were males... or rather were in male bodies. But it was their souls which volunteered. The whole idea of Amrit is brotherhood / universality. Everyone drinks from SAME bata. There is no separate Amrit for women and women are not somehow less Amritdhari than men.. or else why do we even bother to take it if we will never be seen as fully Amritdhari as men??

This is just men's ego being bruised. They won't be able to see themselves as on some sort of pedestal over women anymore. And yes women are fully allowed according to Sikh Rehet Maryada.

To suggest this is a sin somehow is to suggest that women are somehow less holy less spiritual and somehow tarnished compared to men in that it would be seen as a disgrace somehow. Do these so called men think that low of their Mothers etc? I bet theses guys are all over Charitropakhyan too...


Is it a sin? Uplifting women and giving them practically equal rights in each custom and ritual of Sikh religion

Thakur Dalip Namdhari did Amrit Sanchar (Baptise) by Amritdhari women to flourish amritdhari community. is it wrong or right ?


Yesterday Akal Takht Sahib has announced that they will conduct meeting of 5 jathedhars on 5th May against women empowerment step taken by namdhari head Thakur Dalip Singh, Thakur Dalip Singh has given rights of Amrit Chhakauna ( Baptise ) to Sikh Women. Thakur Dalip has taken step by authorizing amritdhari women to give amrit (Baptise) others for the seek of practical equality of women in Sikhs religion. He said according to gurbani and Sikh philosophy women are equal. If women can take Amrit then after being amridhari women why they cannot give amrit to others. His aim is to baptise more and more women. To achieve this goal he says women are influenced more by women than men. Therefore we should authorized women also to baptise (distribute Amrit).

Now some people objected openly and started propaganda against this step of women authorization of distributing Amrit (baptising). They have approached Akal Takht sahib against this women empowerment. Now I request all you learnt people to give your views to clarify this point.

Has Dalip Singh committed sin by authorizing women to give Amrit to others? or he has done a good deed by authorizing women.

For information of all readers Sikh rehat maryada published by Sharomani committee approved by Akal Takhat sahib on page 20. It is clearly written that women can give Amrit (Baptise).
 

Navdeep88

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Dec 22, 2009
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*Not really a response to the particular question*

But what is so awful about women? Today, women earn, they are and have been key parts of the household and communities. In some instances, they hold their families together and are single parents. And everyone loves their Mom. So, what's the problem?

For a state and environment where political corruption is common, drugs becoming prevalent and female infanticide preferred by some, what can a handful of women take away?

*Response: as long as an adequate level of Respect is observed (highly likely), I don't see the problem.
 

Harkiran Kaur

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Jul 20, 2012
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*Not really a response to the particular question*

But what is so awful about women? Today, women earn, they are and have been key parts of the household and communities. In some instances, they hold their families together and are single parents. And everyone loves their Mom. So, what's the problem?

For a state and environment where political corruption is common, drugs becoming prevalent and female infanticide preferred by some, what can a handful of women take away?

*Response: as long as an adequate level of Respect is observed (highly likely), I don't see the problem.

Here are some of the responses I have heard from the mouthpieces who are against women acting as Panj pyaras:

1: no woman gave her head that day, therefore no woman has the right now (female gender punished for all time) - it's worth noting that thousands upon thousands of men also did not give their head that day... but somehow being the same gender as the original five (something out of ones control their gender) gives them the right? It should be based on avastha, Rehet etc. Not the genitals.

2: women have menstruation and are impure during that time so to prevent some woman from doing this seva when she is bleeding no woman should be able to do it. -- Girbani speaks against idea of ritual impurity and this is purely a Brahminical idea.

3: women give physical birth so men give spiritual birth. -- but.... doesn't Gurbani say our souls are genderless??? Or all likened to female and the only male is Waheguru?? Spiritual rebirth happens on that level not the physical and physical genitals would have nothing to do with it!

4: a woman's dharam is to serve men in this life and if she wants to be a male she can do sukhmani Sahib and pray to be reborn a male in her next joon. --- ok so now being born a female is punishment for past karma - purely brahminical ideas! That women need to be reborn as a male first before being liberated. But Gurbani says this HUMAN body is given (not male body) and this is your chance to meet Akal Purakh now in this lifetime not some future male life.

These were just a few I have heard mostly from certain deras / groups.
 

RD1

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Sep 25, 2016
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This is a good topic to bring up because it requires discussion, and perspectives must evolve.

The SGGSJ has been assigned as our authority, our guide. If one is a true Sikh, then they accept that. So consult the SGGSJ. Does any part of it focus on listing what a man can do vs. what a woman can do? Does the SGGSJ put focus and emphasis on distinguishing between males and females? If the SGGSJ does not bother to make gender an issue, why is anyone else? Sikhi is about the soul. Gender is completely irrelevant.

Sikhism is built on the concept of equality and oneness - that the Divine is EQUALLY in ALL. This is fundamental to Sikh teachings! So how can women be seen as any less when the the One is manifested equally in them? If anything, the only 'sin' is the degradation of women - the degradation of a being who carries the Divine, of a person that the Divine itself created and put on this earth.

Patriarchy and misogyny are our own cultural constructs that we humans have created and perpetuate. It has no place in Sikhi.
 

Sikhilove

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SPNer
May 11, 2016
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What a ridiculous question to ask.

There are so many examples one being Mai Bhago for all the sexist mentally challenged people out there.
 

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