Betrayal of the Sikh Gurus
Virendra Parekh
The Observer
May 1,1999
Title: Betrayal of the Sikh Gurus
Author: Virendra Parekh
Publication: The Observer
Date: May 1,1999
In projecting Sikhism as a religion separate from and opposed to
Hinduism, Sikh scholars have betrayed the Gurus. In comparing them
with self-appointed prophets and self-proclaimed saviours, they have
defamed them. In presenting Sikhs as a religious minority a la Muslim
and Christians, they have rendered a disservice to their brethern. And
in pinning their hopes for Hindu-Sikh amity on Nehruvian secularism
they are chasing a mirage. For Hindus and Sikhs are not just brothers;
they are one. To restore that oneness, certain notions maliciously
floated by foreign rulers and picked up by their collaborators, need
to be exposed.
Now for a century Sikhs have been told by controllers of Akali
politics and neo-Akali writers that Sikhs are not Hindus, that
instead of deriving from Hindu advaita, bhakti, avatarvada karma,
and rebirth and moksha, Sikhism has grown as a revolt against Hindu
polytheism, Idolatry, caste-system and Brahmanism.
The early inspiration was provided by Christian missionaries and
British administrators. Imperialism thrives ,on divisions and it sows
them even where they do not exist. The Britishers, had conquered
Punjab with the help of poorabiya soldiers, but these played a
rebellious role in 1857 mutiny. So the Britishers were looking for
other allies and focused on Sikhism who had remained faithful. They
started telling them gust Hinduism had always been hostile to Sikhism
and even socially the two had been antagonistic. Officials like Max
Arthur Macauliff told the Sikhs that Hinduism was like a boa
constrictor which winds its opponent and finally swallows it. The
Sikhs may go that way, he warned. He put words in the mouth of Gurus
and invented prophecies by them which predicted the advent of a white
race to whom the Sikhs would be, loyal. He described the 'Pernicious
effects of bringing up the Sikh youths in a Hindu atmosphere'.
It was a concerted effort by the officials, scholars and the
missionaries. To separate the Sikhs, they were even made into a sect
of Islam. Thus, The Dictionary of Islam, a scholarly work edited by
one Thomas Patrick Hughes who worked as a missionary in Peshawar for
twenty years, gave one-fourth of a paw to the Sunnis, seven pages to
the Shias but twelve pages to the Sikhs!
The British government took administrative and political measures
which yielded quicker results. They formulated a special army policy
which gave pride of place to the Sikhs. In 1855, there were only 1,500
Sikhs (mostly mazhabis) in the British army. In 1910, there were
33,000, mostly jats. Their very recruitment was calculated to give
them a sense of separateness and exclusiveness. Only Khalsa Sikhs were
recruited. They were sent to receive baptism according to the rites
prescribed by Guru Govind Singh. Each regiment had its own Granthis.
They greeted British officers with Wahguruji ka Khalsa, Wahguruji ki
fateh.
As a result of these measures, "the Sikhs in the Indian Army have been
studiously nationalised." observed Macauliff. A secret CID memorandum,
prepared by D Patrie in 1911 sold that "every endeavour was made to
preserve them (Sikh soldiers) from the contagion of idolatry", ie
Hinduism. "Sikhs were encouraged to regard themselves as a totally
distinct and separate nation", said Patrie.
The Britishers also started Singh Sabhas and Khalsa Diwans who
pledged loyalty to the Raj.
It may be noted that those foreigners who boned Sikh 'nationalism',
personally had scant respect for the Gurus. The same Patrie, for
instance, wrote that "Guru Arjun Dev was essentially a mercenary", who
was "Prepared to fight for or against the Moghuls as convenience and
profit dictated". He tells us that "Tegh Bahadur, as an infidel, a
robber and a rebel, was executed In Delhi by Moghul authorities". He
also said that glorification of the Sikhs had its 'danger' because it
gave them 'wind in their heads'.
That has not prevented their mental progeny from repeating the lessons
taught by them to this very day. Sadly, scholars who ought to know
better lead the charge, taking cue from the pamphlet 'Hum Hindu Nahin'
written in 1898 by Bhai Kahan Singh, chief minister of Nabha and a
staunch loyalist.
Since the essence is identical, external differences are pushed to the
utmost and made much of. Sikhism is forced into the mould of Semitic
theologies. We are told that Sikhs have a Book in Granth Sahib, like
Quran and the Bible, while Hindus have none. Sikhism has a tradition
of prophets or apostles in the ten Gurus, which Hinduism lacks.
Sikhism frowns upon idolatry, While Hinduism is full of it. Sikhism
has no use for Vedas, Puranas and social system of Dharmashastras,
which form the cornerstone of Hinduism. By giving up the external
marks, the five K's, Sikhs relapse into Hinduism.
The latter, therefore, represents a danger to the Sikhism which must
preserve its external marks at all costs. And so on.
The arguments represent, at best, sloppy thinking. Guru and prophet
are two different categories belonging to two opposite types of
religions. None of the ten Gurus ever claimed to be a prophet, ie, a
privileged messenger who brought verbatim messages from a personal
God, to be obeyed by less privileged humans for ever. True, the
nirguna brahma of the Granth Sahib and Upanishads is one without a
second and is formless. But If such a God cannot be depicted with an
Idol, he cannot be caught in a name or book either. He cannot be
cruel, whimsical, jealous and vindictive (as Is the God of Bible and
Quran) or benevolent rational, generous and forgiving. He is beyond
all qualities and attributes.
Without analysing the concept of Idol worship, It can be mod that
Sikhs are not the only Hindu sect that does not believe in idol
worship. Vedic aryans did not worship idols. Buddha did not want his
followers to worship his own, statues. This is even more true of
caste. Claiming to be anti-caste is the typical Hindu thing to do
these days. RSS, VHP and Arya Samaj, all regarded as orthodox Hindu
bodies by their supporters as well as opponents, expressly claim to be
anti-caste. On the other hand, Sikhs have observed caste rules as much
as Hindus have. Castes have existed on both sides and marriages take
place between Sikhs and non-Sikhs but within the same caste (eg,
Jats).
But Sikh scholars and politicians are not alone in betraying the
Gurus. The Hindus, too, have betrayed them. And not just by disowning
Punjabi as their mother tongue. The attitude of Dayananad Saraswati,
who described Guru Nanak as dambhi (impostor). and activities of Arya
Samaj, which offered shuddhi (purification) to the Sikhs along with
Muslims and Christians, played straight into the hands of foreign
mischief mongers. Modern Hindu intellectuals have not bothered to
claim the legacy of the Gurus and Sikh heroes. They have shown a
totally wrong haste in calling Sikhs a religious minority. The Hindu
tradition of offering, the eldest son to the Gurus is almost extinct.
And the attitude of the Rajiv Gandhi government to the Sikhs was not
much different from that of the Moghuls.
The Gurus taught self-exploration, self-purification and self-
transcedence. We have replaced them with self-stupefication,
self-righteousness and self-aggrandisement. The Gurus placed devotion
above erudition, spiritual wisdom above rituals, and God realisation
above heavenly pleasures. We are doing the opposite.
However, all is not lost yet. Ordinary Hindus still cherish the memory
of the Gurus, take pride in Sikh heroes, and seek solace in the Granth
Sahib. There is no dearth of Sikh scholars who see the Sikh
spirituality as part of the larger and older tradition of Upanishads
and Puranas. Celebrating the tercentenary of Khalsa on the threshold
of a new millennium, the time has come for them to make themselves
heard more loudly and clearly, in a dharam yudh against wrong and
poisonous ideas planted by foreign rulers with a malicious intent.
Their voice is bound to reverberate in the heart of Sikh masses - a
heart still tuned to Shabad kirtan singing the strains of Sanatana
Dharma.
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