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Controversial Who Is Really Afraid Of Sarabjit Singh Dhunda?

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Who's Afraid of Sarabhjit Singh Dhunda?

IQBAL SINGH

"Sayeth Nanak: Falsehood fails. Only His Truth is left standing …"
[Guru Amar Das, GGS:1283.17]

The week of November 4 to 11, 2012 will be remembered by those in the Sikh-Briton community who were witness to the following events as both a sad chapter in our affairs and, at the same time, a triumph of Truth over Falsehood.

During the week, a visiting Sikh scholar - Professor Sarabhjit Singh Dhunda - was twice stopped from addressing the sangat. And then, the night of November 11 saw violence erupt in and disrupt proceedings at a UK gurdwara.

So who is this Sarabhjit Singh that some would resort to violence to prevent him from speaking and yet others will pack a gurdwara hall to capacity to hear what he has to say?

What is it that he has said that engenders such controversy?

Sarabhjit Singh is a graduate from the Gurmat Gyan Missionary College, Ludhiana. The institution is world renowned for its dedication to spreading the message of Guru Granth Sahib, with the emphasis that it is the only source of spiritual guidance for a Sikh.

It is the simplicity of his message, that nothing but Guru Shabad should be relied upon for guidance and that time should be taken to contemplate Shabad, that attracts sangats in large numbers to his talks.

But, at the same time, there are a couple of reasons why his utterances are at the centre of controversy.

The first is that he is outspoken in his opposition to the `sant samaj' and `dehravaad,' i.e., the cult of personality based on so called `holy men' which, ever prevalent in India, has now spread into Punjab and is now also infecting the diaspora.

Secondly, along with others such as Prof Darshan Singh, Sarabhjit Singh is of the view that the entirety of the Dasam Granth is not the composition of Guru Gobind Singh.

It is this latter position which is most irksome to his opponents.

These opponents were determined to stop him from airing his views during his visit to the UK, which began on November 3, 2012.

The detractors got their first opportunity to do so at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Slough on Sunday, November 4. He was scheduled to address the sangat at 11 that morning and arrived at the gurdwara on schedule. But his opponents had also gathered there. They were determined that Sarabhjit Singh be stopped, no matter what the cost and regardless of the disruption it may cause in the gurdwara service.

And so it was that when Sarabhjit Singh took the stage, before he had uttered a single word, those who had come to disrupt his talk, stood up and caused mayhem in the darbar and forced him off the stage.

Some of the miscreants who had come to prevent him from expressing his views were identified as having come from as far away as the Midlands, some 125 miles away.

During the ensuing scuffles, some of them were even heard to shout, `Knock off his turban!' He suffered minor bruising during the melee.

Thus, Sarabhjit Singh was not allowed to speak from the stage, despite the majority of the Slough sangat wanting him to do so. He had been stopped from doing so by a small but loud and violent handful, many of whom had been imported to the congregation for the purpose.

This event on its own raises some profound questions but the events in Slough were just a minor precursor to the even more disturbing events that would take place during the rest of the week, culminating in the sad goings-on the night of the following Sunday, November 11, 2012.

Another flashpoint took place on the evening of Saturday, November 10, when, in an act of desperation to stop him speaking, his opponents invoked the involvement of the Jathedar of the Akal Takht into the whole affair.

After having inundated the offices of the Jathedar in Amritsar, Punjab, with calls threatening that a continuation of Sarabhjit Singh's katha would result in `trouble`, they somehow managed to persuade the Jathedar to issue a directive that the event be cancelled for the evening.

So, to the dismay of the sangat, but to the delight of his opponents, the lecture was cancelled. The service was brought to a close and the sangat started to leave.

However, the mood of the sangat was one of simmering resentment at the handful of protestors, some of whom were told to their faces that evening that on this occasion they had even outdone the Taliban.

The next day, Sunday, November 11, clarification was sought from the Jathedar in Amritsar by the committee members of the Gurdwaras of Southall. Ironically, they were told that the restriction on Sarabhjit Singh had only been for the previous evening in order to maintain peace in the community. Something which had been threatened by his opponents in the first place!

The Jathedar made it clear that there was no further restriction.

Sarabhjit Singh spoke to a fully packed hall at the Guru Nanak Darbar, Southall, later that afternoon, where he was honoured with a siropa. It was at the end of this darbar that members of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee announced that he was invited to return to Sri Guru Singh Sabha and speak there that evening.

That evening, the sangat arriving at the said gurdwara could sense that something was brewing as there was a strong police presence outside, even before the katha started. The hall inside was packed full, once again, when at around 7:30 Sarabhjit Singh commenced his talk.

He spoke for an hour and during that hour the ranks of those who were determined to do violence to him swelled. The same `president' of a Midlands gurdwara who had been present at the Slough ruckus was there again.

What followed the end of the lecture was 3 hours of what can only be described as some of the most shameful and ugly behaviour I have ever witnessed from individuals who would call themselves Sikhs.

It was behaviour similar to what we witnessed a couple of years earlier from the same mob when Prof Darshan Singh had been invited to do kirtan at the Miri Piri Gurdwara, again in Southall. On that occasion too, individuals who otherwise wore kirpans and professed to be amritdhari Sikhs, broke windows at the gurdwara and shouted such obscenities that they can't be repeated here.

That scene was repeated on the night of November 11. The gurdwara gate was damaged. The hooligans assaulted members of the sangat as well as a female police officer. They shouted obscenities at Sarabhjit Singh and were determined not to let him leave the gurdwara without doing violence to him.

They effectively laid siege to the gurdwara for more than 3 hours and trapped whole families inside with little children who had to listen to their obscenities.

Finally, the police who controlled the situation admirably had to resort to using police dogs to disperse the mob and had to escort Prof Sarabhjit singh out with a police van. But even after he had left, it was sometime before police could let the rest of the sangat out safely.

I have described to you in detail what happened in order to lay the groundwork for a discussion on some basic questions the events raise for our community worldwide, not the least of which is, who should be responsible for running our gurdwaras?

Should it be the committees appointed by the local sangat or a group of extremists bent on violence who can arrange flying hit-squads in a matter of hours?

Sikhi is the fount of human rights and freedoms to a degree never seen before in human history. It accords basic freedoms to all.

Are we now to tolerate an assault on freedom of speech?

Forwarded from ANZSIKHS@Yahoo.groups - a Mailing List of agaanh vadhoo reformer Forward looking Sikhs in Australia and New Zealand area with a worldwide membership
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Who is really afraid of sarabjit singh dhunda ?

Some Fake/sensational news manufacturers who go under various grandiose names..used the words "NATIONAL SANGAT" for the few miscreants who were actually bussed IN form 125 miles away MIDLANDS to create trouble !! Supposedly this so called "National Sangat" has to be IMPORTED to teach the LOCAL SANGAT who they can listen to and not listen to...this "National sangat" is the censorship Board, enforcement squad..all rolled in one !!!
MAJORITY local Sangats have tolerated such hooligans form outside long enough...make your voice heard...or forever LOSE IT.
 

Chaan Pardesi

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Re: Who is really afraid of sarabjit singh dhunda ?

Reports and eye witnesses from the scenes say that ladies from the sangat had to chase out a group of about 15- 20 youth who were trying to forcibly shut down the programme when about three hundered of the sangat wished it to go on, after checks were done by the officials with the jathedar of the Akal Takhat.

Once chased out of the darbar sahib , they then resorted to swearing at the ladies and sangat within the Gurduara premises and some from among them then called the police and alledged that the sangat had hidden weapons inside the gurduara to attack them with.

Then these fanatical youths resorted to calling friends from out side the area to help them.The Gurduara officials report that the trouble makers were not local and were from outside the area.It appears tehre is a small element of youths who are being spurred on by forces who do not wish a awakening among the sangat or be educated about the true facts of the alledged kitab that apparently contains the bani of Guru Gobind Singh and over the years has had its name changed from bachitter natak to samund sagar, to Vidhya sager, to Dasam granth to sri dasam guru granth sahib ect ...all points fingers to those who do not want the falsehood sikhs have believed for the last 200 over years,to be discarded.very sad people and community.These sounds like the football hooligans that british streets has seen over the years.

After the programme the police offered to escort Sarabjit out, but he refused police escort saying that he had nothing to fear with the presence of the sangat and left in the car of a fellow Sikh.But after he left the youth again converged upon the gates and starte to check and l;ook at any car leaving the premises, while the police stood by watching.These fanatical elements styaed there till gone past midnight, while most of the sangat had left by about 10.30.It is also alledged that they caused damage to tables and chairs and other items within the Gurduara.I beleive these are not only AJK but also supporters of the taksaal and sadh dera shokeens...who want sikhs to be conntinued slaves of this book called dasam kitab!
 
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Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Who is really afraid of sarabjit singh dhunda ?

I blame AKJ youths. As that is what the majority of these fanatics are. This same jatha endorses peace and simran, yet then they resort to these acts.



The founder of the akj - bhai sahib bahi randhir singh spent almost a lifetime in britihs prisons for protesting agianst the demolition of Rakab Ganj Gurdwara wall to make the road to Parliament House straight...and the wall was restored...and these modern akj throw stones at gurdwaras and damage sangat properties...what a change...sad
 

Chaan Pardesi

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What is so special about AKJ fanatics not behaving like holigans?These are purely youth working under the banner of AKJ and damdami taksaal.This evening I was invited to the local Sikh Gurduara in my capacity as Speaker to School children visiting the local Gurduara and enlightened that there were concerns locally that some youth affliated to to the AKJ were dispensing wrong messages about Sikhi and "braini washing" the teenagers.I was asked if I would sit in on some of the sessions being held in the Gurduara to ensure that whatever was discussed and dispensed was within the Sikh maryada.I declined on the grounds, that It was the duty of Gurduara officials to police this and not involve sewadars doing purely sewa into such issues, unless they will sit along if they are not fluent in English and want help in understanding.Having lkooked around, Gurmukho, it is evident these are fringe groups like AKJ and DD Taksal who are trying to vie for top plaace among the sikhs.Thye are trying to impose their self concoted maryada upon everyone else.There is a lot of back room conspiracies going on that has suprised even me.

Funnily, this evening I received six calls from different individuals abt these issues.
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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swarn bains

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sarbjit dhunda is a radical. because he has changed the tone of katha. he excites the audience and makes the buck. unless he or anyone else has peace of mind, they are spiritually blind. so blind guides the blind fall in a deep dark pit
 

Ishna

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sarbjit dhunda is a radical. because he has changed the tone of katha. he excites the audience and makes the buck. unless he or anyone else has peace of mind, they are spiritually blind. so blind guides the blind fall in a deep dark pit

Ji, can you give examples of what makes him radical, apart from the tone of his katha? What does he actually talk about?
 

swarn bains

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Admin kaur. you have just become a manager and controller for what anyone writes here
here it is for you. if you know reading punjabi send me an e mail. i will give lot more info about so called sant kathakars. personal experience only. here it comes

I wanted to answer your question in Punjabi. But then I thought you may be highly educated western person. May be you cannot read Punjabi. The answer in Punjabi would have been nicer, because my expression in English is not very good

Katha is a story telling. More it entices the mind more people like it. Now there are two ways to explain katha. First one is to speak slowly in sweet voice. Some people like this way and admire the kathakar saying he or she is a saint

Remember talk slow and sweet talking

In this system I will explain a few stories to you

First one is by katha kar saint Hardev singh I was present there

He said twice and I heard him saying in his katha that

teemian gut put ke he kaabu aaondian han, then he said bol wahiguru. It is his slogan. To my surprise all women in the congregation went to touch his feet.

every kathakar has his own slogan to distract the listeners from thinking and any ill feelings

the second story I heard his katha for one hour session

In that session he spent 30 minutes on frudee sarhandi. Frudee was a muslim scholar and subedar of sarhind, who got guru Arjun dev the punishment for sitting on the hot plate. By the way roze at fatehgarh sahib is his doing. Located about a mile from sahibzada shaheedi gurdwara.

I heard Maskeen the master or the revered Katha kar among Sikhs

90 percent of the time he told stories of muslims faqeers in sikh gurdwara. Unfortunately Sikhs have sggs the most sacred book in the universe. He would start with one stanza from sggs and then go to mecca and bagdaad and come back to the same stanza to end the kathaa

No one ever objected to what he said because no one listens to it intently. The audience is hypnotized by the name and sweet talk.

Then I heard a kathakar trained at damdami taksall the highest katha university among Sikhs

His Punjabi wording

ਏਤੇ ਕੂਕਰ ਮੈਂ ਬੇਗਾਨਾ, ਭੌਕਾ ਇਸ ਤਨ ਤਾਈ

His explanation was. When i go in between many dogs I bark a lot and all of them back off

What it really means is. All dogs bark for the stomach and existence and I also am one of them but different. i could not find the rest so I left it there but the general meaning is that i recite God's name and they only bark

Nobody listens to what they say. It is their tone of expression which gives them the name

Now the second type which Dhonda sahib. He talks loud in harsh voice. It also appeals to some audience who have similar thinking. They also do not care what he says

His way of expressing is radical so I call him a radical preacher

Now about the preachers in general. They do lot of path but never recite God from the heart once. They have nothing to do with godliness. They read lot of books. They have their pet subjects . they all have their slogans to distract the one who seriously listens to them. They have no spiritual ethic. Maskeen died at the age of 72. It is too early for a rich man like him in today’s age. There must be something which he always did wrong.

It is their profession to make a living. Who likes his or her job So are they. They have no interest in soul searching, you may believe it. Next time u get a chance to hear their discourse listen intently.

that is how and why I call Dhonda radical and the others are pious saints though they are all liers. They lie through their teeth.

I want to hear from you if you wish my e mail <removed to protect your privacy - Admin K>. Today is my birthday also an old man

Administrator sir. I remember the following sentence. I tried but I could not find the page. It is up to you
ਏਤੇ ਕੂਕਰ ਮੈਂ ਬੇਗਾਨਾ, ਭੌਕਾ ਇਸ ਤਨ ਤਾਈ

keep it or delete it. It is your site. I used to explain my answer to the question you sent on my e mail
 
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ActsOfGod

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Now about the preachers in general. They do lot of path but never recite God from the heart once. They have nothing to do with godliness. They read lot of books. They have their pet subjects . they all have their slogans to distract the one who seriously listens to them. They have no spiritual ethic.

How can you know if a parcharak (preacher) is genuine, and has a spiritual ethic and is actually living the Sikhi lifestyle in their personal lives? Is there a way to know?

What is your assessment of Giani Pinderpal Singh?

[AoG]
 

Ambarsaria

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swarn bains ji lot of wisdon and great observations in your post
Admin kaur. you have just become a manager and controller for what anyone writes here
here it is for you. if you know reading punjabi send me an e mail. i will give lot more info about so called sant kathakars. personal experience only. here it comes

I wanted to answer your question in Punjabi. But then I thought you may be highly educated western person. May be you cannot read Punjabi. The answer in Punjabi would have been nicer, because my expression in English is not very good

Katha is a story telling. More it entices the mind more people like it. Now there are two ways to explain katha. First one is to speak slowly in sweet voice. Some people like this way and admire the kathakar saying he or she is a saint
.................
No one ever objected to what he said because no one listens to it intently. The audience is hypnotized by the name and sweet talk.
.................
Now the second type which Dhonda sahib. He talks loud in harsh voice. It also appeals to some audience who have similar thinking. They also do not care what he says

His way of expressing is radical so I call him a radical preacher

Now about the preachers in general. They do lot of path but never recite God from the heart once. They have nothing to do with godliness. They read lot of books. They have their pet subjects . they all have their slogans to distract the one who seriously listens to them.
....................
It is their profession to make a living. Who likes his or her job So are they. They have no interest in soul searching, you may believe it. Next time u get a chance to hear their discourse listen intently.
It needs to be recognized that there are religious professions withing Sikhism. These include Preachers, Katha Vachiks (basically story tellers); kirtan jathas (singers of Shabads, Gurbani); kavishri jathas (poetry without any instruments); dhadd sangi (story telling usually based on incidents or actions of warriors or heroic tasks in general), etc.

These professions are driven by prime purpose of earning a living and looking after worldly matters. Obviously you are going to get a variety of people in this situation and these would vary from people to look up to, people like you and me, people really impostors, etc. So nothing unique by definition o rthe variety of profession these are specializing in. They are just human but unfortunately this may not be how the general congregations want to see them most of the time. Is it their fault if they are perceived bigger that they are? I don't think so. However if some of these play on it and take unfair advantage, perhaps these could be faulted. So case by case.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
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Sikhilove

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Who's Afraid of Sarabhjit Singh Dhunda?

IQBAL SINGH

"Sayeth Nanak: Falsehood fails. Only His Truth is left standing …"
[Guru Amar Das, GGS:1283.17]

The week of November 4 to 11, 2012 will be remembered by those in the Sikh-Briton community who were witness to the following events as both a sad chapter in our affairs and, at the same time, a triumph of Truth over Falsehood.

During the week, a visiting Sikh scholar - Professor Sarabhjit Singh Dhunda - was twice stopped from addressing the sangat. And then, the night of November 11 saw violence erupt in and disrupt proceedings at a UK gurdwara.

So who is this Sarabhjit Singh that some would resort to violence to prevent him from speaking and yet others will pack a gurdwara hall to capacity to hear what he has to say?

What is it that he has said that engenders such controversy?

Sarabhjit Singh is a graduate from the Gurmat Gyan Missionary College, Ludhiana. The institution is world renowned for its dedication to spreading the message of Guru Granth Sahib, with the emphasis that it is the only source of spiritual guidance for a Sikh.

It is the simplicity of his message, that nothing but Guru Shabad should be relied upon for guidance and that time should be taken to contemplate Shabad, that attracts sangats in large numbers to his talks.

But, at the same time, there are a couple of reasons why his utterances are at the centre of controversy.

The first is that he is outspoken in his opposition to the `sant samaj' and `dehravaad,' i.e., the cult of personality based on so called `holy men' which, ever prevalent in India, has now spread into Punjab and is now also infecting the diaspora.

Secondly, along with others such as Prof Darshan Singh, Sarabhjit Singh is of the view that the entirety of the Dasam Granth is not the composition of Guru Gobind Singh.

It is this latter position which is most irksome to his opponents.

These opponents were determined to stop him from airing his views during his visit to the UK, which began on November 3, 2012.

The detractors got their first opportunity to do so at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Slough on Sunday, November 4. He was scheduled to address the sangat at 11 that morning and arrived at the gurdwara on schedule. But his opponents had also gathered there. They were determined that Sarabhjit Singh be stopped, no matter what the cost and regardless of the disruption it may cause in the gurdwara service.

And so it was that when Sarabhjit Singh took the stage, before he had uttered a single word, those who had come to disrupt his talk, stood up and caused mayhem in the darbar and forced him off the stage.

Some of the miscreants who had come to prevent him from expressing his views were identified as having come from as far away as the Midlands, some 125 miles away.

During the ensuing scuffles, some of them were even heard to shout, `Knock off his turban!' He suffered minor bruising during the melee.

Thus, Sarabhjit Singh was not allowed to speak from the stage, despite the majority of the Slough sangat wanting him to do so. He had been stopped from doing so by a small but loud and violent handful, many of whom had been imported to the congregation for the purpose.

This event on its own raises some profound questions but the events in Slough were just a minor precursor to the even more disturbing events that would take place during the rest of the week, culminating in the sad goings-on the night of the following Sunday, November 11, 2012.

Another flashpoint took place on the evening of Saturday, November 10, when, in an act of desperation to stop him speaking, his opponents invoked the involvement of the Jathedar of the Akal Takht into the whole affair.

After having inundated the offices of the Jathedar in Amritsar, Punjab, with calls threatening that a continuation of Sarabhjit Singh's katha would result in `trouble`, they somehow managed to persuade the Jathedar to issue a directive that the event be cancelled for the evening.

So, to the dismay of the sangat, but to the delight of his opponents, the lecture was cancelled. The service was brought to a close and the sangat started to leave.

However, the mood of the sangat was one of simmering resentment at the handful of protestors, some of whom were told to their faces that evening that on this occasion they had even outdone the Taliban.

The next day, Sunday, November 11, clarification was sought from the Jathedar in Amritsar by the committee members of the Gurdwaras of Southall. Ironically, they were told that the restriction on Sarabhjit Singh had only been for the previous evening in order to maintain peace in the community. Something which had been threatened by his opponents in the first place!

The Jathedar made it clear that there was no further restriction.

Sarabhjit Singh spoke to a fully packed hall at the Guru Nanak Darbar, Southall, later that afternoon, where he was honoured with a siropa. It was at the end of this darbar that members of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee announced that he was invited to return to Sri Guru Singh Sabha and speak there that evening.

That evening, the sangat arriving at the said gurdwara could sense that something was brewing as there was a strong police presence outside, even before the katha started. The hall inside was packed full, once again, when at around 7:30 Sarabhjit Singh commenced his talk.

He spoke for an hour and during that hour the ranks of those who were determined to do violence to him swelled. The same `president' of a Midlands gurdwara who had been present at the Slough ruckus was there again.

What followed the end of the lecture was 3 hours of what can only be described as some of the most shameful and ugly behaviour I have ever witnessed from individuals who would call themselves Sikhs.

It was behaviour similar to what we witnessed a couple of years earlier from the same mob when Prof Darshan Singh had been invited to do kirtan at the Miri Piri Gurdwara, again in Southall. On that occasion too, individuals who otherwise wore kirpans and professed to be amritdhari Sikhs, broke windows at the gurdwara and shouted such obscenities that they can't be repeated here.

That scene was repeated on the night of November 11. The gurdwara gate was damaged. The hooligans assaulted members of the sangat as well as a female police officer. They shouted obscenities at Sarabhjit Singh and were determined not to let him leave the gurdwara without doing violence to him.

They effectively laid siege to the gurdwara for more than 3 hours and trapped whole families inside with little children who had to listen to their obscenities.

Finally, the police who controlled the situation admirably had to resort to using police dogs to disperse the mob and had to escort Prof Sarabhjit singh out with a police van. But even after he had left, it was sometime before police could let the rest of the sangat out safely.

I have described to you in detail what happened in order to lay the groundwork for a discussion on some basic questions the events raise for our community worldwide, not the least of which is, who should be responsible for running our gurdwaras?

Should it be the committees appointed by the local sangat or a group of extremists bent on violence who can arrange flying hit-squads in a matter of hours?

Sikhi is the fount of human rights and freedoms to a degree never seen before in human history. It accords basic freedoms to all.

Are we now to tolerate an assault on freedom of speech?

Forwarded from ANZSIKHS@Yahoo.groups - a Mailing List of agaanh vadhoo reformer Forward looking Sikhs in Australia and New Zealand area with a worldwide membership

He's using his own logic to come to some of these conclusions- people like this have followers who will also treat him like a Baba- and what of the many kirtan singers who take the glory from their seva of singing. Trishna is a disease, people don't realise they do it until its pointed out and even then, deny they have it.
 
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