28.01.2015 Views

Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin

Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin

Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

qUM ikho ijhw hYN qy kyfw v`fw hYN—ieh qUM Awp hI jwxdw hYN [ hy nwnk! (AwK, hy pRBU!) qyry syvk<br />

(qYQoN) sdw sdky jWdy hn [8[4[<br />

Hardev Singh Shergill<br />

*****<br />

EDITORIAL<br />

RECASTING OF THE SIKH BULLETIN<br />

November-December 1999 – March-April 2013<br />

AS<br />

GURU NANAK MISSION<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong> commenced publication in November 1999 with the sole objective of bringing about<br />

reformation in <strong>Sikh</strong>i. But it has become clear, to me at least, that <strong>Sikh</strong>i cannot be reformed. After<br />

considerable soul searching it became obvious why not. A look back at the history of all the world’s<br />

major religions reveals that no religion has ever been reformed. In fact there has been only one, initially<br />

successful, attempt at reformation when Martin Luther (1483-1546) ushered Protestant Reformation with<br />

his 95 <strong>The</strong>ses followed by Edict of Worms in 1521. Today Catholic Church is still one but Protestant<br />

Churches have multiplied. Interestingly, in the same period, in his own unique way, Guru Nanak (1469-<br />

1539) was trying to bring about simultaneous reformation in Hinduism and Islam in the Indian subcontinent.<br />

He did not succeed and I strongly believe that he did not start a new religion. <strong>Sikh</strong>i just<br />

happened, in due time, in response to evolving social and political circumstances. In this last issue of <strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong> I would like to acknowledge the selfless contribution, from the<br />

goodness of their hearts, by several people and record a synopsis of the very<br />

brief life of this publication in its original direction.<br />

TWO FACES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE<br />

SIKH BULLETIN<br />

Sarbjit Singh Sandhu Amrinder Singh Sandhu Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana<br />

I am very grateful to S. Sarbjit Singh Sandhu and his eldest son Amrinder Singh Sandhu of Elk Grove,<br />

California. Without their dedicated support I would not have been able to publish the <strong>Bulletin</strong> for so long.<br />

Sarbjit Singh is a 1985-86 graduate of the two year correspondence Gurmat course from the <strong>Sikh</strong><br />

Missionary College, Field Ganj, Ludhiana, Panjab. It was this background that enabled him to understand<br />

that Kala Afghana’s thinking was on right track. If he had not taken those courses and had not acquired<br />

some knowledge of Gurbani, he himself thinks that he would have been a critic of Kala Afghana. Basic<br />

understanding of Gurbani, he says, was essential to understand and appreciate Kala Afghana.<br />

Mr. Sandhu came into contact with me in response to my open letter ‘<strong>Sikh</strong>an-di-talash’. I had circulated<br />

one thousand copies of that open letter on May 29, 1998. As a direct result of that letter I received a<br />

phone call from Collegeville, PA to call a certain party in Sydney, Australia, who in turn asked me to go<br />

78

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!