Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies

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of Dr. W.O. Cole, published in 1984 as it supported his Jat
theory. This contrasted incongrauity of conduct between word
and deed is, to say the least. un-understandable.
All we wish to suggest is that because many standard
works controverted many of the views of Mcleod or expressed
different or contrary ideas, he has chosen to exclude them from
the list of source material compiled by him for students of
world religions. One wonders whether in the interests of
academic discussion and development such things are ever done
and whether such black-out of standard works serves the
growth of free discussion and expression on academic issues
in non-totalitarian countries.
Prof. Pritam Singh is the third person in the line of
G.B. Singh who doubts the authenticity of the Kartarpuri Bir
without ever having seen it. During discussion he seems to
tow the line of G.B. Singh in suggesting that perhaps the Guru
Granth does not contain all the authentic Bani of ‘the Gurus’
and that the genuine Bani of the Gurus is in the Mohan Pothies.
It was after the publication of Mcleod’s ‘Evolution of the Sikh
Community’ that Prof. Jagjit Singh, Principal Harbhajan Singh
and others requested Prof. Pritam Singh, Head Deptt. of Sikh
studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, to send a team
of scholars to Kanpur to examine the Banno Bir so as to find
out how far the views of Mcleod were correct. He did send
the team of scholars in 1977 to study the Banno Bir at Kanpur.
They reported, as was also found by Pritam Singh himself later
on that the Banno Bir was prepared in 1699, 38 years after the
completion of the Adi-Granth. (A copy of a note by a member
of the team is appendix B). This report of the University team
was neither published, nor discussed, nor placed before scholars
for criticism eyen though it controverted the Banno story of
the Bir being a copy prepared in 1604 A.D. In fact the present
head of that Department writes that the report is not traceable
and has not been