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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