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THE OTHER SIKHS – A VIEW FROM EASTERN INDIA
105
third of Cuttack division. Sikh studies in Orissa were mostly pioneered
by Brahmo Samaj in Puri. People like Madhusudan Rao, found
similarity in Guru Nanak and Brahmo preachings. Sevak, a weekly,
published three successive articles on Guru Nanak. Fakirmohan
Senapati covered Sikh history of 250 years from Guru Nanak to Banda
Bahadur. In his poem Saptarshi he quotes the Guru extensively. But
Brahmos never got genuinely interested in Khalsas’ message of military
resistance. In their literary journal Satyabadi and newspaper Samaj,
they compared Oriya’s freedom movement with the Sikhs’ Gurdwara
reform movement. Chandramani Das’ Nanak is Guru’s Oriya biography
in book form. Naba Kishore’s poem about Guru Gobind Singh, projects
him as a soul of generosity. Lingaraj Mishra’s book Guru Gobinda
Singha eulogizes his life, though Chintamani Acharya had a different
mindset. Ghosal’s book conveyed a lesson from the way the Sikhs
marched towards freedom from a political morass. The author salutes
Sikhs for their love of freedom and martyrdom. Siva Prasad Das’ Sikh
Prakash is mentioned as extensive history of Sikhs from Guru Nanak
to the Second Sikh war. He shows blatant loyalty to the British. Oriya
press like Samaj and Utkal Dipika aroused the sentiments of Oriyas in
favour of Akali agitation against bloody turn at Nankana Sahib, Guru
ka Bagh, Jaito and such other places. Sikh studies in Orissa spread
over a large area like Cuttack, Baripada, Balasore Berhanpore and
Sambalpore . However, the small number of Oriya Sikhs was a
handicap in bringing out authentic Oriya books on Sikhism except
Sikh Prakash, a commendable book. This was compensated by Oriya
press coverage in the wake of non-cooperation movement and Akali
agitation in the 20 th century.
STUDIES IN BENGAL
The author devotes two elaborate chapters about Bengalis and
Sikh studies. He is confining to the first 250 years, i.e., Guru period
out of 500 years of Sikh history. Bengali Brahmos pioneered the work.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, drawing similarity between Brahmos and Guru
Nanak, drafted his famous book Sketch of the Sikhs. His narration
covers Gurdwara Badi Sikh sangat in Calcutta, “Alakh Niranjan”
salutation, Sikh shabads being sung at Brahmos meetings, as also Guru
Nanak’s views against idolatry and casteism. Akshay Kumar Datta