Op/Ed: THE FAILINGS OF OUR JATHEDARS

PUNJAB, India—Shockwaves have resounded through Sikhs worldwide, at the news of Jathedars of our five Takhts pardoning Gurmeet Ram Rahim just yesterday.

A person who promoted gruesome murders, rapes and sexual exploitation, forced castrations, possession of illegal arms and ammunition. These are some of the heinous crimes committed in the guise of faith linked to the controversial Dera where the self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim “Singh”, popularly known as “Maharaj”, lords over a vulnerable constituency of followers from the Dera’s headquarters in Sirsa in Haryana.

Not to mention, his dera being responsible for making 3 Singhs Shaheed who were following orders of the original Akal Takht Gurmatta to stop all Deras of Gurmeet Ram Raheem from operating.  Shaheed Bhai Kanwaljit Singh Sunam, Bhai Harminder Singh Dabwali and Bhai Balkar Singh Mumbai will not be forgotten.

On January 7, 2015, the CBI even registered a case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim for forcefully castrating 400 male Dera followers at his ashram in Sirsa. This case is still on going in the High Court. According to the victim’s lawyer, “They were told that only those who get castrated will be able to meet god.” Such an individual’s actions are condemned by Gurmat, yet the so called Jathedars pardoned him, with no short of promoting the opening of more of his Deras in Punjab.

Every Sikh will be asking themselves what on earth our leaders must have been thinking to have made such a move without any discussion, consideration, consent or debate. A pardon that has been granted after letter from Ram Rahim which doesn not mention the word apology even once. See the copy of the letter on the Sikh Siyasat website.

With the universal, God-loving, self-sacrificing, truth sharing, hard working, love amplifying, warrior saints that Guru Nanak Dev Ji created with His Sikhi, this naturally resulted in Sikhs who became gallant leaders, generals, protectors, warriors and self-sacrificing sevadars. Such persons then lined the pages of our history from top to bottom. This, is undisputed.

Such a far cry from the spineless leaders we have today, however. Whilst there is no doubt that there will be individuals who will sprout the above qualities when living according to the values enshrined in Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurbani, they are few and far between. And starkly lacking within those who have been specifically placed into our leadership by the politicians of the land.

Our currently installed Jathedars have made a series of self-destructive decisions over the last few months. And what emerges is the undeniable truth that our so-called Jathedars lack confidence, character, conviction, values, morals, or anything even remotely resembling a Sikh (let alone a leader). Other than in appearance, of course.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji mentions in Gurbani how the religious leaders of the time were behaving:

ਕਾਦੀ ਕੂੜੁ ਬੋਲਿ ਮਲੁ ਖਾਇ || ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਜੀਆ ਘਾਇ ||
ਜੋਗੀ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਅੰਧੁ || ਤੀਨੇ ਓਜਾੜੇ ਕਾ ਬੰਧੁ ||੨||
“The Qazi tells lies (for the sake of bribes given by political rulers to change religious edicts) and eats filth (of taking bribes); the Brahmin kills (by making the so-called lower castes suffer) and then takes cleansing baths. The Yogi is blind (of his social responsibilities), and does not know the Way. The three of them (declare themselves the leaders of religion, however) devise their own destruction. ||2||”
(Raag Dhanaasree, p. 662)

Such has come the state of our own religious leaders. Who have sold out Sikhi principals by being bribed by the rulers of the time. Guru Nanak Dev Ji responded to these corrupt religious leaders by saying:

ਸੋ ਜੋਗੀ ਜੋ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਪਛਾਣੈ || ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਣੈ ||
ਕਾਜੀ ਸੋ ਜੋ ਉਲਟੀ ਕਰੈ || ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ ||
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਜੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੈ || ਆਪਿ ਤਰੈ ਸਗਲੇ ਕੁਲ ਤਾਰੈ ||੩||
“He alone is a Yogi, who understands the Way of living (with social responsibilities and duties) . With the Guru’s Grace, he comes to know the One Lord. He alone is a Qazi, who turns (his consciousness) away from the (bribes and influences of the) world,  and who, by Guru’s Grace, remains dead (from the desires of the world) while yet alive. He alone is a Brahmin, who contemplates God. He saves himself, and saves all his generations as well. ||3||”
(Raag Dhanaasree, p. 662)

Sikh24 will be soon publishing a list of the shocking failings by our so-called Jathedars and hope that the global Sikh Sangat challenges such individuals that are selling Sikhi for the sake of personal gain and damaging Sikh history. It is the responsibilty of every Sikh to respect and obey Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Jathedars, however, the Jathedars are not Popes or Guru-like status. The Jathedars are spokesmen of the Panth, however, today the shocking behaviour of the Jathedars has eroded the Sikh Sangat’s respect for them as individuals.

The Sikh Sangat should unite to challenge the Jathedars of the Panj Takhts and seek clarification on their anti-Sikh acts, and seek for Sarbat-Khalsa selected Jathedaars rather than the appointed Jathedars of the political rulers in power.

The above serves as a strong reminder that we as a qaum (nation) need to stand up.

The fearless beings that Sikhs become once learning about the Great Creator of the Universe enables each individual to become the fearless Khalsa that we have seen in our past. To stand up and put our necks on the line and refuse and oust the ‘sheep in lion’s clothing’ from being our leaders. For each one of us to become the steadfast Sikhs that Gurbani encourages us to be. And fear no establishment, no government, nor any mafia led leadership, thugs nor butchers. Khalsa we are! May the fearless Bota Singhs and Garja Singhs of today rise up.