124ABSTRACTS OF SIKH STUDIES : JAN-MARCH <strong>2006</strong> / 537-38 NSbeing the perceived reluctance on the part <strong>of</strong> the authorities in Amritsarto respond in a meaningful way to any approaches.I have <strong>of</strong>ten wondered whether the <strong>Sikh</strong> leaders in India andelsewhere, religious and political, were alert to the dangers to thecommunity; whether they were aware <strong>of</strong> the pitfalls and the perils towhich <strong>Sikh</strong> youth <strong>of</strong> today (and not only <strong>of</strong> the Diaspora) are subject.If they are aware, they do not seem to be doing anything to the youths'total and inevitable alienation; if they are not, then they are guilty <strong>of</strong>a blatant dereliction <strong>of</strong> duty. Past experience has shown that <strong>Sikh</strong>sonly wake up to the dangers to the community when there is acatastrophe, such as the one the community faced in 1984. Now, thatwas a providential opportunity for the leaders to galvanise thecommunity into a cohesive community as envisaged by Guru GobindSingh. The clear need at the time was for enlightened men with a clearvision, men <strong>of</strong> discipline, steeped in the Maryada, men with a spiritualdepth, not uncaring bigots, above all men <strong>of</strong> moral courage who, onehoped, would stand like a rock, who would speak to our deep instinctsthat there was more to life than self-indulgence, personal power orposition that modern culture seems not only to expect and condone,but encourage, men who would be alive to the challenges to thecommunity and demonstrate the ability and the courage to articulateits concerns, its apprehensions and its aspirations and who would settheir faces like flint against any fissiparous tendencies, men with theperspicacity to identify and define the goal for the community andgive imaginative, decisive leadership and not dither or quarrel amongthemselves. But the disarray in the community was utter. I believethat it was with all that in mind that some ten years ago, the World<strong>Sikh</strong> Council was set up. I was appointed Chairman <strong>of</strong> the EuropeanSection. Now, we all know what happened to that organisation. Sadly,once again, the opportunity was wrecked. It was all very disheartening.And I asked myself, must we wait for catastrophes to happen to bringus to our senses?<strong>Sikh</strong> values and <strong>Sikh</strong> identity are being assailed, as much fromwithout as from within. We cannot always point the finger <strong>of</strong> blame atthe stars or at others for our misfortunes. We must be prepared toaccept our share <strong>of</strong> the blame. The need to put our house in order hasnever been greater or more urgent. It is the future <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Sikh</strong> Panththat is at stake. All this makes the case for a new global organisation
NEWS & VIEWS125so overwhelming. And I am absolutely delighted that the IOSS andother bodies have joined hands and embarked on this new initiative.As I indicated in our conversation, you have my complete support.With best wishesYours sincerelyMota Singh~~~COMMENTS ON PROFESSOR DHARAM SINGH’S KEYNOTE SPEECHDear Editor,Kudos to Dr. Sarjeet Singh Sidhu for his article: Being PoliticallyCorrect. The author is indeed endowed with Bibek Budhi (discriminatingintellect/critical thinking) and the deep understanding <strong>of</strong> Nanakianphilosophy (Gurmat). Dr Sidhu has dealt in a superb manner theexplosive issue <strong>of</strong> “political correctness” and the misinterpretation <strong>of</strong>Kabir’s hymns and other erroneous statements made by Pr<strong>of</strong>essorDharam Singh <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>ism, PunjabiUniversity in Patiala. Pr<strong>of</strong> Dharam Singh had earlier taken the libertyto reinterpret Gurbani to suite his “Keynote Speech: The <strong>Sikh</strong> Spiritand the Global Society.” However, I want to echo and reinforce whatDr Sidhu has said so eloquently for the following reasons :First, W H McLeod and his supporters insist that onlyacademicians are qualified to critique academic work. On the otherhand, learned <strong>Sikh</strong>s are <strong>of</strong> the view that anyone who has properunderstanding <strong>of</strong> Guru Granth Sahib (GGS), <strong>Sikh</strong> history and traditionsis qualified to comment on academic work. As a matter <strong>of</strong> fact,academic scholars in the field <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> studies rarely criticize each other’swork—-their own self-imposed version <strong>of</strong> “political correctness.” Forexample, Dharam Singh’s article was published more than a year agoand not a single academician has raised a voice to correct the errors.Why? Had Dr. Sidhu’s eye not caught the mistakes in Dharam Singh’sarticles, it might have remained unnoticed, unchallenged, and quitepossibly become a source <strong>of</strong> reference for others in their writings. Letus examine Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dharam Singh’s following statements:1. “<strong>Sikh</strong>ism not only acknowledges and appreciates other faiths,it accepts their equal validity as well.”There is absolutely no reference in Guru Granth Sahib that