Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

COMPILATION OF SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB27alone and this was followed by some blank space, and there was nocancellation by hartal or any other process. The matter should haverested at that, but McLeod held the issue as an open one. Firstly, hespelled out the whole of spurious verse. Later on, stated that GuruArjun Dev had not used that type of vocabulary in his compositions.Hence, it was not genuine. However, McLeod’s style of writing leftmuch to be desired, and it gave needed support to anti-Sikh forces, forindulging in distortion of Sikh scriptures.In my work The Sikhs in History, I wanted to spell out what typesof influences worked upon him, to adopt an anti-Sikh course. It isnow known that some of his collaborators had close links with Indianintelligence setup. A person who himself had such contacts, but laterfought a case against that setup, made these disclosures. I have alsomentioned how one of his collaborators was removed from the Chairin Punjabi language by Vancouver University. As per hisautobiography, this has already compelled McLeod to do some seriousthinking.When I visited New Zealand in 1971 on a U N assignment, Iwas, firstly carried away by the truthful character that prevailed inthat society. Secondly, I became aware how much the public employeesin New Zealand were conscious of their suppressed financial situation,and were looking for merger of their state with Australia in a biggerfederation. That would straightaway have given a boost to theiremoluments. But that was not to be. However, W H Mcleod’s familyhad come into upper echelons of New Zealand social setup, firstly, bywriting distorted and biased things on Guru Nanak, Sikh religion andphilosophy that suited the Hindu society and Indian intelligence setupas well. At times, he had to recast his conclusions. That too, as itcomes out, suited some of his collaborators. No intelligence agencyin the world gets work from its partisans without adequate returns.He wants to tell us that Indian intelligence was lucky to find somephilanthropists, like McLeod and his collaborators who did the work,as if, for nothing. Secondly, McLeod lost his respect for Lord Christ,Christianity and the Bible, but kept that at a lower ebb; he, however,reserved his ire only for Guru Nanak and Sikh religion. In 1999, at aCalifornia University Seminar, he was agreeable to accept some of the