ANTI-SIKHISM
Charnjit
Singh Bal
Guru Pretenders
Guru
Nanak Sahib’s elder son Sri Chand, discontented because the Guru Sahib
selected Bhai Lehna (Angud) Jee on merit for the august seat of Sikh Guru,
founded his own un-Sikh ascetic sect. For the same reason Guru Angud Sahib’s
Son Datu motivated by jealousy assaulted (kicked) Guru Amar Das Sahib and tried
to set a parallel Guru-ship that eventually failed.
Guru
Ram Das’s son and Arjan Dev Sahib’s older brother Prithi Chand driven by
envy swindled the tithe and other offerings meant for the Guru from the Sikh
devotees and instigated murderous attempts on his nephew, Guru's infant son
Hargobind Jee.
Guru
Har Rai Sahib’s elder son Ram Rai, who was deprived of the Guru-ship because
he distorted a verse of Gurbani to appease the Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb, started
his own sect.
Guru
Har Rai's elder brother Dhir Mal, another pretender to the august seat of Sikh
Guru instigated Masand Shinha to murder his uncle Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib. Shinha
fired on Guru Sahib, wounded the Guru and looted Guru Sahib’s belongings
including the original copy of Guru Granth Sahib.
Masands
The
Masunds (resident Sikh preachers) became arrogant, corrupt and started to
embezzle tithes that were meant to preach and promote Sikhism. Guru Gobind Singh
discontinued the practice of appointing Masunds.
Mahants and Pujaris
The
Nirmla Mahants and Pujaris who controlled the Sikh centers and religious
practices for more than one and a half centuries, (from seventeen sixties till
nineteen-twenty), introduced Idolatry, cultism, ritualism, superstitions,
prejudices, taboos and dogmas into the otherwise pragmatic practice of Sikhism.
Some embezzled donations, funds, and held titles of endowment lands in their
names and lived a life of sin and perversion in the Gurdwaras. Their un-Sikh
practices and nefarious activities not only distorted the Sikhism's
quintessential message and noble image, but also impeded the progress of
Sikhism. Their legacy lives on in sectarian Sikh fiefdoms, seminaries and
mainstream Gurdwaras including primal Sikh centers controlled by so-called Singh
Sahibs and Jathedars.
Islamic Jihad
Sikhism
had to contend with Islamic Jihad during its early stages. The Muslim invaders
and Mogul imperialists hunted and tortured the Sikhs to death and impaled and
butchered their children in front of them to coerce them to convert to Islam.
Glorious Sikh Raj failed to Counter
Corruptive Influences
Although Maharaja Ranjit Singh renovated and built many Sikh Gurdwaras, made priceless donations and allotted endowments to the Gurdwaras, no real attempts were made to counter the corruptive influences of the Mahants, Pujaris, zealous Hindu and Muslim clerics and holy quacks. His noble objective to set up secular state and appoint the Kashmiri Hindu Dogra brothers Dhyan Singh and Gulab Singh and Purbi Bhyya brothers Teja Singh and Lal Singh to the elite posts in the administration and Sikh army proved to be fatal for the Sikh Raj and religion.
Christian Missionary Tentacles
Soon after the Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, their treachery and intrigues enabled the British to enslave Punjab. The earlier Muslim Jihad was now replaced by Christian crusade. The zealous Christian Missionaries, who invariably followed the Christian Conquerors, spread their proselytizing tentacles in Punjab and built the Missionary Networks and enticed the gullible, weaklings and the naïve Sikhs to convert to Christianity.
The British conquers played their sinister part to detract the influence of Sikhism and demoralize the Sikh community. They let the corrupt Mahants of Sikh Gurdwaras to hold titles of land and property in their names and appointed Harimandir’s Sarbrah who took orders from Deputy commissioner of Amritsar. Sarbrah Aroor Singh declared Kamagata Maru returnees from Canada in 1915 as un-Sikhs at the behest of British authorities. Gen. Dyer who massacred hundreds of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims including women and children on 1919 Vaisakhi day in the Jallianwala Baag, was awarded with a Saropa (the Sikh scarf of honor).
Spurious Gurus, Imposter Saints, Cults
The
Sikhism’s fundamental doctrine 'Word
is Guru, Guru is Word' and Guru Gobind Singh's decree 'Granth is Guru'
haven’t deterred some opportunists from misusing and abusing the Sikh religion
for their self-serving ambitions. The cultist Radhaswami, Nirankari, Namdhari,
Nanaksari sects and Tuksaals (Sikh seminaries) sprouted like weed from the
sacrosanct ashes of the pious Sikhs like Baba Jaimal Singh (Radhaswami), Baba
Dyala Jee (Nirankari) and Baba Ram Singh (Namdhari) and Baba Nand Singh (Nanaksari).
The spurious gurus of these fiefdoms have customized and commercialized the Sikh
religious creed and practice. Preaching Sikh scripture tinged with sectarian
cultist overtones, they mislead and exploit the credulous Sikhs. Most of the
high-ranking mainstream Sikh leaders and preachers are product of these sects
and seminaries.
Unlike some other religions, there is no tradition to
beatify saints in Sikhism. The Sikh scripture’s definition of a saint is, ‘a
person who is pious, humane, righteous, moral, altruist leading a productive
socio-familial life. Whereas one rarely comes across a real Sikh Saint, there
are innumerable spurious imposter saints.
(I
am) Searching for the true Saints, (though I have) seen many holy quacks.
These
(sanctimonious) ascetics, mendicants and pundits are slick of tongue. P. 1395.
Kabir,
(Fake gurus) made many [gullible] disciples, (but) didn’t befriend [develop
harmonious relationship with] the God. (Ostensibly they) started out to re-unite
with God, but their mind got mired (in self serving exploits). Sloke 96, Kabir
Jee, p.1369
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism
is akin to orthodoxy that is inherently zealous, dogmatic and adamantly averse
to any progressive socio-religious change. The Sikhism’s founder Guru
Nanak’s concepts of a religion were liberalism, rationalism and humanism
oriented. The successive Guru Nanaks carried on founder Guru Nanak’s mission
that culminated in Sikhism flourishing into one of the world’s half dozen
major religions. To champion the cause of religious freedom and thwart Muslim
rulers’ genocidal attacks on Sikhism, the tenth Guru Nanak evoked the martial
spirit in the Sikhs and redefined the role of a Sikh. A Sikh was now a Khalsa,
noble warrior and Sikhism, Khalsa Panth.
Sadly
a fringe element of Sikhs tends to equate the noble concept of Khalsa Panth to
fundamentalism that in today's vocabulary is synonymous with militancy,
fanaticism, radicalism even terrorism. Whereas a genuine Khalsa is worthy of
veneration, but if he is even so much as suspected of terrorism, he fails to
uphold the Guru's lofty concept of a Khalsa, and disgraces the Guru, Sikhism and
Sikh community. Evidently there have been numerous instances of baptized Sikhs
having reneged on the sacrosanct pledge. The blame perhaps lies with the Sikh
leaders, preachers, self proclaimed sectarian Sikh gurus and self anointed
saints who are overly zealous to maximize the number of baptized Sikhs, but not
concerned enough to ensure the preparedness and worthiness of a Sikh to be
baptized to optimize the success rate. Logically, if they were to focus on the
preparedness and the worthiness of a Sikh before baptizing him there wouldn't be
so many strays on the sublime highway of Khalsa Panth.
Angus
Reid Strategies, an Opinion Pollster in
Canada, conducted an online poll for Canada’s prominent magazine, ‘Macleans’,
from April 14 to 15 2009. The poll surveyed 1,002 randomly selected Canadians.
According to the pollster, ‘When asked if they thought “the main stream
beliefs” of major religions “encourage violence or are mostly peaceful”,
only 10 percent said they thought Christianity teaches violence. But fully 45
percent said Islam does, and sizable 26 percent saw Sikhism as encouraging
violence. By comparison, just 13 percent perceived violence in Hindu teachings
and 14 percent in Jewish religion. A tiny four percent said they think Budhism
as encouraging violence. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent. The results
were statistically weighted for education, age, gender and region to ensure a
sample of the adult population of Canada”.
Surreal
Literature
The
surreal literature authored by the Hindu mythology inclined anonymous,
pseudonymous and pseudo-Sikh writers’ obscures unique Sikh identity and
depicts Sikhism as an offshoot of Hinduism. Its authors, proponents and
propagators share responsibility of corrupting Sikh philosophy, traditions,
practice and History with Avatar-ism, Idolatry, occultism, cultism, mythology,
polytheism, cultism, dogmatic ritualism, idolatry, blind faith dogmas, taboos,
superstitions and prejudices.
‘Gurbilas
Patshahi 6’, written by an anonymous
writer in the early 18th century (circa 1718), vilifies Gurus as idolaters,
Bhang (marijuana) junkies, amorous. Recently edited by the so-called Sikh high
priest Joginder Singh Vedanti, Vedanta's scholar or adherent, and Dr. Amarjit
Singh. Published by the S. G. P. C. and printed by its Golden Offset press in
1998, this quasi-granth was sponsored by the thirteen so-called elite Sikh
scholars and leaders. Due to the overwhelming criticism from the Sikh
Intelligentsia and writers that book has been taken off the market but there are
many more of its versions and other similar literature in circulation.
The
so-called Dasam Granth, compilation of numerous scripts by anonymous
writers, but mischievously purported and propagated to be the Scriptures by Guru
Gobind Singh Sahib, contains Hindu Avatar-ism, mythology, wizardry, idolatry and
explicit eroticism.
Before
he joined Dasam Granth’s propagandist Sadh Virsa Singh's sect, Rattan Singh
Jaggi in his thesis on Dasam Granth writes, "The subject matter in the
Chritro Pakhyan is so erotic and its language so sexually explicit that in some
places it surpasses even the (Hindu) Koke Shastra or Kama Sutra (Hindu
Erotica)"
The
credulous Sikh majority accepts as gospel truth and historical facts whatever
the Sikh quasi-literate preachers, holy quakes and fake Gurus choose to preach
and quote from these so called Granths that contain spase measure of fundamental
philosophy and authentic history of Sikhism. Consequently blind faith
rituals, Idolatry, taboos and superstitions have sneaked into Sikhism. Religious
services and ceremonies are bought and sold to invoke God’s benedictions and
Guru’s blessings at the Sikh Gurdwaras. The international Sikh religious
community has been fragmented into numerous sects and antagonistic factions.
Many
Sikh Scholars have refuted the compatibility of the mythical, wizardly and
erotic contents of these Granth’s with the illuminating philosophy of the Guru
Granth Sahib’s quintessential Gurbani with convincing arguments. They have
also revealed that the anonymous, pseudonym and quasi-Sikh writers wrote these
so-called Granths with ulterior motives
and incompatibility of these Granths with the Sikhism’s fundamental concepts
and philosophy. Instead of acclaiming and honoring them, the Sikh Leaders
who have had stranglehold on the seat of temporal authority of Sikhism for too
long, have criticized, bullied and ostracized them and banned their books.
One
of the most prominent Sikh Scholars ever Bhai Kahn Singh writes,
"the earlier and contemporary writers of our Faith have written numerous
books on (Sikh) history, creed and code according to their beliefs and
tendencies. These books are both beneficial and harmful i.e. the subject matter
compatible with essential message of Sikh Gurus’ edification is beneficial
otherwise it is harmful."
"The
analytical study of these Granths gives the impression that the poets of our
Faith have blundered in copying the authors of religious books of other Faiths.
They have bundled the natural phenomena, social customs, cultural traditions and
political issues and dyed in religious color. It is all the more saddening that
there are very few analytical minded Sikh scholars seeking the truth. In fact
their opponents, those who call the rational minded writers and speakers
agnostics, are in majority." Gurmut Matand, Vol. 1
"In
their wild flights of fancy both authors, Bhai Santokh Singh of Suraj Prakash
and anonymous writer of Dasam Granth’s Bachitir Natak, left no deficiency in
fabricating mythical fantasies." Pr. Harbhajan Singh Dasam Granth
Baray Chonvén Laikh’
"The
devious activity of adulterating the Granths and attributing the heretical
writings to the Sikh Gurus has often been perpetrated repeatedly. This insidious
activity has been pursued at the instigation of the mischievous and jealous
people inimical to Sikhism." Prof. Harinder Singh Mehboob
Surreal
Tales
In spite of the Gurbani’s cardinal doctrine that
the God alone gives and takes life, the sectarian Sikh Gurus, spurious Saints
and holy quacks are often heard reciting surreal tales alluding to supernatural
acts of Sikh Gurus blessing childless persons with children.
The analytical Sikh scholars and historians have
traced these tales to the primeval Hindu mythological books, that have been
copied in the Janumsakhies, Gurbilases, Rehetnamas, Panth Parkash, Dasam Granth,
etc. They believe it is the mischievous work of zealous non-Sikhs or
pseudo-Sikhs to adulterate Sikhism, a rational and pragmatic faith, with Hindu
mythology, blind faith, wizardry, witchcraft, etcetera, to obliterate the unique
Sikh identity and/or proclaim contemporary Sikhism as a sect of ancient
Hinduism.
The fact that the Sikh Gurus and the Muslim and Hindu
sages, who co-authored the Guru Granth Sahib’s Gurbani, never claimed such
providential powers doesn’t deter them. There are numerous mythological and
wizardly tales they often narrate from these so-called Granths to the Sikh
Sangat [congregation] about Gurus blessing Sikh supplicants with sons.
1)
A childless Sikh came to Guru Ram Das Sahib and begged the Guru to bless him
with a son. The Guru is quoted as saying “providence was to bless me with four
sons. I have already got three sons, I grant you the fourth son which the God
was going to bless me with.”
2)
A childless Sikh woman named Sallukhni came to Guru Hargobind Sahib and
beseeched the Guru to bless her with one son. When the Guru agreed to bless her
with one son, she begged for another and another, finally ending up with a firm
commitment from the Guru to grant her seven sons.
Another version of the same mythical tale is that she
met the Guru Sahib while he was out riding a horse in the countryside. When the
Guru Sahib started to write 1 (one son) on a piece of paper the horse shifted
his hoof causing the Guru Sahib to write digit 7 (seven sons) instead of 1.
Propaganda to Obliterate Sikh Identity
Deprived
of political powers for nearly a millennium during the pre-independence [1947]
Era, the Hindu fundamentalists used covert strategy to obliterate the
progressive Sikhism’s unique identity and proclaim it as a sect of Hinduism.
With the downfall of Sikh Raj and advent of British imperialism, the Hindu
fundamentalists were emboldened. The monster that had driven Buddhism out of
India and stunted Jainism’s growth and was rendered dormant during the Muslim
invasions and Mogul imperialism, started to raise its ugly head. Whereas in the
past the Hindu zealots targeted Sikhism covertly, now they started to malign the
Sikh Gurus and Sikhism overtly.
Acting
on the Vivaka Nanda’s devious advice, "If you want to root out a
religion, cast doubts on the historical facts about its founders"; Daya
Nand the founder of radical Arya Samaj launched vicious attacks on
the Sikh Gurus and Sikhism. He denigrated Guru Nanak Sahib with remarks,
"Ideals of Nanak were noble but he was illiterate; why would he otherwise
write Sanskrit word nirbhya as nirbhau? Since he (Guru Nanak) had some conceit
in him, he must have resorted to some deceit for the sake of his ego."
That
Daya Nand was a Charlatan is evident from his ignorance of the fact that Guru
Nanak Sahib wrote, preached and sang his Scriptural compositions in the
vernacular language of the people of Punjab, i.e. Punjabi that was already in
use at the time. Eminent Muslim Sage Sheik Freed who lived couple of centuries
(circa 1173-1266 AD) before Guru Nanak wrote Scriptures in Punjabi. Guru Nanak
Sahib collected and Guru Arjan Sahib compiled these Scriptures in the Guru
Granth Sahib.
Like
all charlatans Daya Nand was a liar, duplicitous and cunning. His contemporary
Giani Ditt Singh wrote, ‘once, during his discourse at Braham Smaj Temple he
stated that the Sun orbits around the Earth and supported his statement with
quotes from the Vedas. However later at the rest house when a companion, Sain
Das told him that since today’s advanced Astronomy confirms that the Earth
orbits around the Sun, people will not think highly of Vedas, Daya Nand said
that he should have been told earlier; now I will refute the statement
tomorrow.’
Next
day he recanted his own statement by saying, "Yesterday when I said that
the Sun orbits around the Earth, that is the assertion of the adversaries. That
is how they interpret the concepts of Vedas. Actually these (Hinduism’s)
concepts confirm that the Sun doesn’t orbit around the earth, but the Earth
orbits around the Sun."
The
Rashtrya Svayam Savek Sangh (RSS), another radical Hindu fundamentalist
offshoot of Arya Smaj sprouted eight decades ago. Its strategy is much more
insidious. To obliterate the unique Sikh identity and proclaim Sikhism as a sect
of Hinduism, RSS is promoting and preaching the so-called quasi-Granths written
by dubious Scholars. The subject matter of these Granths is contaminated with
Hindu mythology, polytheism, wizardry, Idolatry, blind faith ritualism,
eroticism, etc. that are totally contrary to the Monotheistic, pragmatic and
spiritually illuminating doctrines of the Guru Granth Sahib’s quintessential
Gurbani.
In
an insidious move the Hindu RSS has created a pseudo-sikh organization, Rashtrya
Sikh Sangat organization that has same initials as the devious mother
organization (RSS) to beguile the gullible Sikhs and non-Sikhs. The ulterior
motive of the fanatical Hindu RSS to create Rashtrya Sikh Sangat and fill its
ranks with the zealous Hindus and naïve Sikhs is to boost its efforts to
propagate distorted versions of the Sikh scripture [Gurbani] and history
corrupted with Hindu Avatar-ism, idolatry and mythology, ridden literature.
The
RSS president Mr. Sudershan claims, "The Sikhs were created to defend Hindu
Faith from the tyranny of the Mogul Rulers; and the two Hundred and fifty
thousand Sikhs killed during (1717-1799 AD) the extreme Mogul tyranny were
originally Hindus who made supreme sacrifices to defend the Hindu Faith."
One wonders why didn’t these Hindus make supreme sacrifices to defend
Hinduism,
When
Mohamed Bin-Kasam, who was sent by the Khalifa of Baghdad, conquered India’s
principality of Sindh in the eighth century AD with just 700 hundred men?
When
Mehmood Gaznavi in 1024 AD advanced all the way to Hinduism’s most sacred
shrine Som Nath, smashed the Idols, looted valuables including the pair of doors
with gold inlays and took away Hindu women as concubines and slaves to
Afghanistan?
Note-
The pair of doors was retrieved from Afghanistan during the Sikh Raj and
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had it installed at the main portal to the Golden Temple
When
the tyrannical Muslim Rulers forcibly converted enormous number of Hindus to
Islam?
When
India was slave to the Muslim invaders for almost a millennium until the Sikh
Panth dealt fatal blows to the tyrannical Mogul Rule in the late seventeen and
early eighteen centuries at the time when the Hindu Rajputs were marrying theirs
daughters to Moguls; and Himalayan hill Hindu Rajahs were allying with them
against Sikh Panth fighting for universal religious freedom?
Only
an ignorant or insidious person can proclaim that the Sikhs, who came from all
castes and creeds to adopt Sikhism, were Hindus who made supreme sacrifices. And
a man of Mr. Sudershan’s credentials cannot be deemed to be ignorant.
The
Sikhs, that constitute mere two percent of the total population of India’s
society with overwhelming Hindu majority, made eighty percent of the sacrifices
to oust the British imperialists that ruled India for two centuries and Sikh
homeland, Punjab, for one century.
Some
misguided or naive Sikhs are helping zealous Hindu RSS in its insidious designs.
Because the concerned Sikh Scholars and intelligentsia challenge the deceitful
agenda of the RSS, a Sikh lawyer Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba characterized the call
by the Institute of Sikh Studies to reject the Dasam Granth, "irrational,
motivated and sacrilege." And a self-beatified Saint (also known as Sarkari
Sadh) Virsa Singh of Delhi is distributing translations of Dasam Granth.
The
founding of Sikhism was motivated by the noble concepts of universal religious
freedom and socio-cultural Liberalism. Ever since its inception the Sikhism has
espoused and made supreme sacrifices for the noble causes. The authentic Sikh
History is witness to the sacrifices and valiant acts of defiance of the Sikh
Gurus, Muslim and Hindu holy Sages (co-authors of Guru Granth Sahib) and
numerous Sikh Martyrs for these noble causes. The Sikhism would have defended
the Muslims’ right to religious freedom had they been the oppressed religious
community under tyrannical Hindu Rule.
Contemporary Anti-Sikh Literature
The
Hindu dominated Indian central government agency N. S. E. R. T. published or
approved history books for schools and colleges contain disparaging remarks
about Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. To Malkiat Singh
Rahi's libel suit in high court, the respondent agency's rebuttal, attests to
the predominant Hindu majority's cavalier attitude and blatant lack of concern
for a religious sensitivities of the minority Sikhs. The rebuttal asserts,
"To think that a true account of historical events is an attack on minority
rights and to have this thinking affirmed with the help of constitution and
courts is first degree impertinence."
In
the Social sciences book for the seventh grade students of Rajiv Gandhi
Education Mission Education Center, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, in the chapter
'Revolt of the Sikhs' on page 50 is written that Guru Teg Bahadur Jee built a
castle in Anandpur Sahib and incited revolt against the Moguls. The emperor
Aurangzeb after having him jailed hanged Guru Sahib.
Dr.
Rita Joshi of the Allah bad University's medieval history dept. in her
book 'Aurangzeb and his relations with Hindus' on pages 101-105 writes,
" In reality Sikhism was not a religion, just a sect that was founded on
principles of Hinduism. After Guru Nanak the Gurus abandoned the path of
spiritual devotion and fell into wicked world (materialism?) and started
extorting religious tax. Despite political activities of the Sikhs Aurangzeb did
not interfere with the affairs of the Sikhs. Aurangzeb was religiously
impartial. Conflict between the Sikhs and Moguls started in 1676."
"Guru
Teg Bahadur passed away. Accusation was leveled against Aurangzeb that he
martyred Guru Teg Bahadur. Some Sikhs historians say ‘some unknown person
murdered Guru Teg Bahadur.’ Why would Aurangzeb want to martyr Guru Teg
Bahadur and cause upheaval in Punjab when the Sikhs had become a continuous
cause of dilemma for him inciting people against him and extorting taxes from
the people from 1663 to 1675?"
"The
fact is Guru Teg Bahadur wanted to martyr himself purposely because there was
tussle for the guru-ship at the time. They (Sikhs) were divided amongst
themselves. The Guru by martyring himself in the name of religion wanted to
bring about and solidify Sikh unity and solidarity. So Aurangzeb was in no way
responsible for the death of Guru. It is unjust to place blame on him for Guru's
death."
"In
the beginning the Sikhs engaged in the struggle but in the end Guru Gobind Singh
having lost, conceded defeat. After the death of Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah gave
employment to Guru Gobind Singh under him. This way the conflict between
Aurangzeb and Sikhs ended. In this conflict Aurangzeb was victorious. Without
doubt Aurangzeb was not responsible for the Aurangzeb-Sikh conflict, nor did he
have Guru Teg Bahadur murdered."
Satish
Chandra in his book 'Historiography' writes, "Under the leadership of Guru
Gobind Singh the Sikhs tried to establish a separate sovereign state that was to
be established at the cost of Hindu Hill rajahs. Soon this conflict engulfed the
Mogul rulers too."
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