Op/Ed: The Panthic Struggle and Secularism

By
Dr. Gurnam Singh
-
Sikh Protests
One of the questions being posed by some observers of the current Punjab crisis is, though we know what and whom the protesters are against, it is less clear what they stand for in political terms. It is certainly true that if one looks at the various personalities that spoke at the recent conference at Bargrai Village, Kotakpura, all kinds of political and religious perspectives were represented. Be it Congress Party and AAP members to fully fledged Khalistanis, from a variety of� Sants through to Nihang Dals,� Sikh Missionaries, Akhand Kirtanis, Taksalis to Hindus and Muslims, they were all there expressing their anger at the Punjab Government and their cronies.� To a person they extolled the martyrdoms of� Bhai Krishan Baghran Singh and Bhai Gurjeet Singh who sacrificed their lives at the hands of the largely lawless Punjab Police during a peaceful protest against the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

And so whilst it is clear that the people of Punjab have united in their shared disgust at the corrupt ruling Akali/BJP alliance, one needs to dig a little deeper to fathom what alternative visions these disparate groups� may have that unites them. It is early days yet but there is some real hope emerging.� As with all social movements, they begin often with a single issue, which can transform peoples thinking and open up other possibilities.

In this regard, though perhaps not articulated in and coherent manner yet, there can be no doubt that there are some important principles galvanizing the majority of the protesters. These are the rule of law and due process, freedom from corruption, the separation of religion from politics in the management of Sikh institutions (Akaal Takht and SGPC), release of political prisoners, prosecution of criminal police officers, and the rejection of religious fundamentalism and sectarian politics as advocated by the BJP/RSS.

This last point is particularly evidenced in the secular nature of the current protests. Indeed, the outpouring of anger against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib ji is serving as a powerful defense of the principles of inclusivity and secularism enshrined within Sikh ideology. Interestingly, many of the protesters, as well as turning on the Badals and their puppet jathedars, are aiming their fire towards sections of the ‘Sant Samaj’ or union of so-called saints. No doubt �there are some good apples amongst them, but these are mostly corrupt self serving ‘God men’ that profit from the�misfortunes of ordinary people, but most crucially in alliance with the ruling class, they have provided the Badal�s with a vote bank and firewall. The quid-pro-quo is that the Badal’s reward them with patronage and protection in criminal cases, money laundering, sexual abuse scandals and property and land grabs.

Where this will all end remains to be seen, but there is a maturity amongst the protesters that has not been evident in the past. One can hope that a new untainted leadership will emerge from the current situation that can see beyond viewing the crisis simply through the lens of religion. No doubt religious sentiments are real following the�desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but the roots for the frustration go much deeper that �a much wider social, economic and political analysis can reveal. Above all, If they are truly wanting to defeat the divisive Hindutva ideology, then the only way forward is to argue for a non-sectarian, secular the inclusive settlement for the people of Punjab and India, where religious minorities do not feel threatened by the specter of RSS fascism and the states are free to determine their own social and economic future as envisaged in the Anandpur Sahib Mata.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. IMHO, it is clear what we stand for in political terms, in that we want to be free of any manipulation from the GOI, they must NOT be allowed to have any control of our hierarchy within any Sikh institution, their political control in our religious affairs is not acceptable. Essentially we are fed up of being interfered with and with Sikh’s being treated as third class citizens as are other minorities. We want equal rights, the same rights that apply to the majority.
    These things above would apply in any democracy, so we are only asking for the GOI to honour and be what they claim to be, as opposed to hypocrisy they currently prove and exhibit for all to see.

  3. Certainly BJP/RSS announcing yesterday their tightened grip and full complete control on SGPC elections is a further step of eradicating the Voice of Sikhs at their political/religious base. Now that he has intruded on same very directly, having failed to gain control, through Heritage Status, what is the means by which Sikhs or Punjabis gain there independence. Awaiting Referendum 2020, is a good five years away, thats a long time in politics. What will PM Modi.BJP,RSS have done by then to the Sikh institutions, over which they have absolutely no moral claim whatsoever. As neither do SGPC Makkar either, since their denunciation by Five Beloved for them to leave their posts. Its back round to who or how will implementation of the Voice of Panth be gained. Are we to make our affirmation to the Hukam of the Five Beloved in writing, to SGPC, to the Five, and to Modis PR. From past recollection, the SGPC and BJP have never obliged to respond to communication on Sikh matters, to the Sikh community. A waiting game.. more damage to come..

  4. Absolutely waste of time reading this article. The only solution presented at the end has already been tried and it met with opposition from the Hindus, Indian media and the Central government which culminated into a decade long Sikh genocide. The author seems to be disillusioned and living in some dream world where he doesn’t see the reality.

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