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The Sikh Bulletin &`gx 535 February 2004 or scriptural literature (e.g. rehatnamas, hukamnamas, gurbani) In case someone thinks 'dharam' means 'religion', they are sorely mistaken! Dharam is a much more fuller, substantive and wholesome term than 'religion'. 'Dharam' means a totalised and holistic lifestyle of righteous living (code of ethical conduct, philosophy of life, etc). It was used in this sense by the Sikh Founding Fathers (the 'Gurus'). For example: "(Guru Nanak) gave a new code of conduct, as the high way of spiritual life. Thus, Guru Nanak restored to DHARMA, its lost feet. He blended all classes and creeds into one social order: the SIKHS. In this, he gave the lowliest social equality with the kings; and taught humility and dignified living to the world." Bhai Gurdaas, Var 1, 24 Sikh writers continue to confuse and misinterpret 'religion' and 'Dharam' as the same things (much like the term 'Khaalsa' meaning the 'pure'). 'Dharam' is higher than the confines of institutionalised 'religion' (e.g. Catholicism, Protestantism). It is about human society and its wholescale ethical functionality. The authentic Khaalsa culture, society and people are a dharamic nation and civilisation. The Sikh Gurus never meant us to be a religion. They meant us to be a full-fledged people, a nation, a PANTH - defined and driven by a comprehensive ethical human culture ('a network of ideas, values and customs which define the behaviour of a society'). 3. The term religion was first brought to the Sikhs by the British colonialists, in the 19th century during their conquest of Panjaab. British officialdom began to describe the Sikhs as a 'religion'. The British used various disjointed and half-baked descriptions about the Sikhs - their lifestyle, their ethics and collective community. For example, the 'Khalsa' was frequently described as a 'military sect'. The Darbar Sahib was described as a 'temple of worship'. Indeed, even today, the term 'temple' and 'place of worship' is routinely applied to gurdwaras. Moreover, the learned Sikhs have absorbed and imbibed these misdescriptions; and frequently use them themselves, pliantly. The Gurdwara is neither a 'temple' nor a place of 'worship' (a English term for formal religious 'prayer' etc). In sum total, the Sikhs have blindly and pliantly accepted terminology superimposed by a conquering power! (highly reflective of the current subdued and pliant 'Sikh' mental character, in contrast with the pre-1849 staunch Panjaabi - Sikhs who were annihilated by the invading British, much like the Scottish highland stalwarts). 4. The term 'religion' comes with a great deal of negative and institutionalised baggage. The religious establishment throughout Europe, over previous centuries, and indeed, the current time; has been involved in great social and political controversies and scandals, and sanctioned aggressive wars by the prevaling imperialistic states. Religion is associated with institutional control, formalisms, ritual, tight and oppressive authority and officialdom. This is certainly not the substance of the Khaalsa philosophy, lifestyle or movement or peoplehood! Indeed, the exact opposite. 5. Religious groups do not have rights in international law! The nearest thing to religious rights, is the right to freedom of thought and expression and freedom of 'religion', etc, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Religious groups do not have any COLLECTIVE rights as a collective community, unlike ethnic-national groups, in international law. There is no legal basis for self-determination for a 'religious minority' or a 'religious community'. The Sikhs presenting themselves as a 'persecuted religious minority' in India, diverts massively and most fundamentally, from the correct principles of the Sikh case - a nation undemocratically and oppressively colonialised and subjugated by a state (INDIA). It makes no intellectual sense for a 'religious' community to seek autonomy, self-determination or self-rule, merely because of their different style of worship, different prayers, different centres of worship. That is like, buddhists demanding territorial and political separation from christians. In contrast, a nation - a people who have a collective way of life and a collective society of their own, and seek to function and develop as a collective human unit - has much more comprehensive and overarching basis for self-existence and independent existence. A nation wishes to function as a full-fledged comprehensive society - social, political, civic and legislative; based on its cultural, social and spiritial substance and values - customs, heritage, codes, norms. This is why the Khaalsa civilisation decidely qualifies as a nation more than as a mere 'religion', much less a 'religious minority'! The reduction of Sikhs to a 'religious' group, as against a ethnic group, is driven by the duplicitous and oppressive desire to deny the Sikhs their legal rights as a distinct and full-fledged people. Being a 'religion' gives Sikhs no legal strength or basis. Indeed, discussions by the Sikh Commonwealth (London) with western governments' representatives and in the United Nations (New York) about Sikh nationhood were often complicated and impeded by Indian pre-information, that Sikhs were only a 'religious' group. 6. Sikhs says they are a 'nation', and claim national rights. How do they reconcile this with their constant and repititive self-description as a 'religious' group, seeking 'religious rights and freedoms' The Sikh Center Roseville, 201 Berkeley Ave, Roseville, CA. 95678 12
The Sikh Bulletin &`gx 535 February 2004 INVITATION FOR COMMENTS & FEEDBACK I hope that, we as a people can look to evaluating these important and searching fundamental questions We cannot chop and change from being 'religious' one moment to 'ethnic' and 'national' another moment. Consistency is necessary in intellectual argument and certainly in law - domestic and international. At the moment, the erratic chopping and changing, indicates a lack of clear thought and comprehension of the critical substance of the global issues facing the Sikh people both as a migrant population (in France, Britain, USA, Europe, etc) and as a non-state nation. There is nothing worse and more selfdestructive than a confused mind. I would hope that the above earnest comments, will nurture healthy debate and discussion. Open responses from Sikh organisations, like United Sikhs, British Sikh Federation and other leading Sikh bodies, are much welcomed. I would also advise Sikhs in France to present their issues of the dastaar ('turban'), as an issue of ethnic equality - the right to practise a distinct and progressive ethnic way of life. The 5ks - their ethical significance/symbolism and practical usage in day to day life - forms an integral part of the ETHNICITY of the Sikh people. Entrapping this into the swamp of 'religion' will create unnecessary complications, and further undermine the status of the Sikh people as a people. Jagdeesh Singh, Sikh Commonwealth (London, England) Sikh Community Action Network (Slough, England) ***** sMpwdkI: [From Indian Edition of Jan. 04 Sikh Bulletin] BIKw bwq Agm kI, kihx suxn kI nWh jy bwrIkI nwl is`K pMQ dI hwlq v`l ingwh mwrIey qW eysdw rom-rom ZulwmI dIAW qMdW iv`c bìJAw nzr Awvygw[ ieh ZulwmI bhup`KI hY Aqy qMdW dy AnykW rUp hn[ inrUpx qW kuJ ku qMdW dw hI ho skdw hY, pr Awm vwk&IAq Aqy ibbyk-bu`DI dI vrqoN qoN aupjy AnuBv dvwrw mihsUs swrIAW qMdW ƒ hI kIqw jw skdw hY[ jy AQwh SkqISwlI suqMqr mnuK ^wlsw, ijs ƒ gurU-hzUr ny ‘myrw rUp hY ^ws’ AwK ky vifAwieAw sI, dy sMklp ƒ AjokIAW nslW iv`c rUpmwn krnw hY, qW zrUrI hY ik swrIAW auhnW pRsiQqIAW dw igAwn hwsl kIqw jwvy ijnHW kwrx A`j ^wlsw Awpxy-Awp ƒ mzlUm mihsUs krdw hY[ ie`kIvIN sdI iv`c, jdoN ik igAwn-pRwpqI dy somy Anyk hn, s`c dI prdwpoSI krn dy swDn vI Axigxq hn[ is`K pMQ dI shI siQqI ƒ s`c dI rOSnI iv`c inrKx-prKx iv`c v`fI AiV`cx ieh prdwpoSI hI hY[ dUsry mulkW dIAW l`crqw PYlwaux vwlIAW iPlmW Awid ƒ ihMdosqwn iv`c ivKwaux au~`qy qW kueI pwbMdI nhIN pr inrp`K qsvIr pyS kr skx dyy kwbl Cpx-swDnW (print media) au~qy bVI s^q pwbMdI hY[ eyQy EhI A^bwr Cp skdy hn ijhVy ik ‘smyN, sQwn Aqy fwiFAW dI loV’ Anuswr GVI Dwrnw ƒ s`c pRcwrn dI izMmyNvwrI inBw skx[ is`KW Aqy pMjwb pRqI inrDwrq ‘rwmkwr’ dw izkr Asl hwlq ƒ smJx iv`c shweI hovygw[ 26 AkqUbr 2003 ƒ swihbzwdw AjIq isMG ngr (A`gy qoN sw.A.isMG ngr) iv`c hoeI kOnPrMs qoN Bwrq dI iksmq dy Awpy vwrs bxy lokW ny AMdwzw lwieAw ik EQy aunHW q`qW bwry ivcwr-vtWdrw hoieAw hY jo ik is`KW dI shI hwlq ƒ aujwgr kr skx dy Xog hn[ qurMq F`kxmwhr hrkq iv`c Aw gey Aqy auhnW jo-jo F`kx GVy auhnW dw vyrvw smJ lYx nwl swƒ soJI ho jWdI hY ik ikvyN is`KW ƒ AwpxIAW smìsAwvW pRqI fUMGy hnyry iv`c sdIvI qOr au~qy r`Kx dIAW ivauNqW bxIAW hoeIAW hn[ iksy ƒ S`k hY ik hux is`K Awpxy nwl hoieAW DìkAW dI g`l krngy[ ieh naubq Awaux qoN pihlW pMjwbI itRibaUn ny id`lI vwly mhIp isMG dy do lyK bVI AihmIAq dy ky Cwpy[ pihly iv`c auh mohndws krmcMd gWDI ƒ is`KW dw v`fw ihqYSI sQwpq krdy hn[ ieh lyK keI vwr pihlW Cp cuìkAw hY Aqy keI vwr eys dw juAwb eyhnW ƒ iml cùikAw hY[ jwpdw hY ik ieh EnIN dyr SWq nhIN hoxgy ijMnIN dyr q`k k`tV is`K-ivroDI ƒ is`KW koloN is`K-ihqYSI mnvw nw lYx[ ieh eys leI ik is`KW dI isAwsI bdiksmqI dI khwxI eys S^s dy JUTy vwAidAW Aqy Es dI is`KW pRqI insMg ho ky zwhr kIqI n&rq qoN SuruU huMMdI hY ijs ƒ F`kx leI eys au~qy is`K- ihqYSI dw prdw pwauxw bhuq zrUrI hY[ [ dUjw lyK ijs ƒ is`K h`kW dI Awvwz dI A`goN rokQwm krn dI mnSw nwl 14 dsMbr 2003 ƒ CwipAw igAw hY dw isrlyK hY, “is`KW dI v`KrI pCwx dw svwl”[ eys lyK iv`c “is`KW nwl ihMdUAW dI fUMGI sWJ” pRgt kIqI hY pr ieh nhIN dìsAw ik 1984 ’c sRI Akwl q^q swihb ƒ mlIAwmyt krn vyly jW id`lI dy is`K kqlyAwm vyly ieh sWJ ik`Qy lukI hoeI sI[ dUsrw eys dw mksd hY is`KW ƒ ihMdU d`sdI sMivDwn dI Dwrw ƒ jwiez d`s ky, BweI kwnH isMG nwBw qoN Zlq gvwhI pvw ky, is`KW ƒ nsIhq krnw ik “A`j swry sMswr iv`c nYSnYltI dw sbMD Drm nwloN tu`t cuikAw hY”[ ieh ikqy nhIN iliKAw ik is`K Ajy k`lH sMpUrn s`qwDwrI nySn sn; auh iks tUxy krky ‘nySn’ hoxoN h`t gey nw hI ieh ikhw hY ik jdoN sYkUlr burkw pw ky kueI POjW cVHwaux, gurdvwry Fwhux, swD-sMq qy syvwdwr mwrn, kqlyAwm krn au~qy au~qr Awvy qW zwlm qy mzlUm donW ƒ ie`k nySn iks AwDuink sMklp ADIn AwiKAw jwvy AsIN pu`C skdy hW ik is`KW dy fUMGy ihq iv`c pRp`k sMklpW ƒ FwA lwaux leI hI ikauN mhIp isMG dI klm qVpdI rihMdI hY pr hr hwl iv`c is`KW ƒ BMfx dy mwhr kuldIp neIXr pihl kr ky Aqy nMgy-ic`ty hwl is`K DwrnwvW dw ivroD kr ky mhIp isMG qoN bwzI lY igAw hY[ Es ny Awpxy AjIq iv`c 5 nvMbr 2003 ƒ Cpy lyK iv`c is`Dw sw.A.isMG ngr iv`c hoeI knvYnSn dw izkr kIqw Aqy eys ƒ is`KW iv`c ‘k`tV’ rucIAW r`Kx vwilAW dI knvYnSn AwK ky ASWqI (ArQwq is`K kqlyAwm) dy idnW ƒ prq Awaux dw s`dw dyx vwlI AwiKAw[ bIby rwxy AkwlI AwgUAW dI r`j ky qwrI& kIqI jo sMivDwn dI Dwrw dI mnSw Anuswr is`KW dw ihMdU hoxW svIkwr cu`ky hn[ eys ny isr& Dwrimk msly ivcwrdI knvYnSn ƒ isAwsI haUAw drsw ky, kqlyAwm dw fr dy ky Drm bwry swrQk phuMc Apnwaux qoN is`KW ƒ The Sikh Center Roseville, 201 Berkeley Ave, Roseville, CA. 95678 13
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