CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The SGPC appointed officiating Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh today said that the Sikhs were ready to accept sovereign Sikh state Khalistan as every Sikh wants it. “If the India government offers a separate state to Sikhs, they will accept it happily,” he said.
Giani Harpreet Singh’s remark came to a question regarding echoing of pro-Khalistan slogans by Sikhs at Sri Akal Takht Sahib on conclusion of religious ceremony commemorated to the 36th anniversary of the June-1984 holocaust.
“There is nothing wrong if the slogans are raised after the function. If the government offers us Khalistan, what else do we need? We will accept it, because every Sikh wants it,” said Giani Harpreet Singh.
SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal also endorsed Giani Harpreet Singh’s stance by saying “if the government offers it, it will be acceptable to us”.
Sikh activist Navdeep Singh Amritsar has hailed Giani Harpreet Singh for taking up the cause of Sikh sovereignty while saying that Giani Harpreet Singh needs to know that sovereignty never comes as a gift from the ruler.
Why not run one Gurdwara without stealing from the golak first? Then everything else will follow.
Sikhs are a distinct nation. Most of the Sikhs agree with this fact. Sikhs satisfy all criteria of “nation“ as per international law. However jump from nation to nationhood is little tricky. But certainly a significant section among Sikhs feel it as a necessity. Arguments could be made in favor or against.
How long will it take for us to understand that with Sikh umbrella also are Sindhis, Nanakpanthis and various other Nanak naam lewa members who may be don’t following the religion as we do, but share same religious philosophy as us?
How long will it take for us to understand that 1984 attach, genocide was all done by government that included members from all religions including Muslims, Christians that remain silent? But whenever any event happens with them, our leaders are at fore front in protest. At time of our needs, same ‘other’ leaders turn their back toward us.
Till how long we will blame only Hindu for that happened with us, while giving clean chit to others? Even for problems for which primarily we are to be blame, we shed responsibility and try blaming RSS for it. Just ask yourself, is any drug addict Sikh feeding drug in his mouth through hands of RSS? Why can’t we start accepting for our problems it is ‘WE’ who have to take some responsibility and we can’t shy away from it.
By giving such open ended statement (‘if offered, we will accept’) what dreams are you putting in minds of Sikh youths? Since you are not getting any land for Khalistan, which by the way was clear to you earlier also, did you just tried to instill a thought in Sikh youths that they are slaves in this country? Tried to brainwash them that there’s no good in this country, and since we are not getting Khalistan, its better to leave this land. And further get this land captured from so called ‘bhaiyyes’. Are not you part of this conspiracy ?
Didn’t you behaved too naive by taking straight question as received? You could have simply put back question that Khalistan topic will never spring up had justice been provided to Sikhs or better events of 1984 never had happened. You easily fell into the trap laid by the journalist that put question.
Did you ever thought about Sikhs that are now presently settled in various part of India outside Punjab, Delhi or better north India? Do their life even matter to you? Did you ever asked question to them if they are facing the discrimination that you are dreaming of? Did you ever met a Sikh MLA that is selected from other parts of India? Do you have an iota of understanding how they received MLA ticket, how they received votes to get selected and to represent their people? Had they faced discrimination, they would never had been selected to represent people.
Jathedar saab, please go out and learn from life of your own people. Try to learn what exactly their issues are, go out and live with Sikligar Sikhs at least for a week, stay in their huts and eat with them. Try to understand the pain Sikh society have taken in establishing themselves back in the society, how hard they endured. Go to each historic Gurudwara sahib outside Punjab, Gurudwara in Burhanpur, Jabalpur, Rameshwaram, Kutch etc. and the list is long. Their are numerous Nanakpanthi Historical sites.
Go out of Punjab and grow yourself first as a better Sikh. In present state of thoughts, you don’t represent us.
You have a slave mentality with zero confidence in the abilities of the Sikhs. It is utter nonsense to equate Khalistan with Taliban.
Your Hindu masters control the economy of Punjab and are chocking it every way possible.
The Hindu constitution refers Sikhs as a Hindu sect.
I cannot believe any one with any brain we don’t want sovereignty and remain slaves of the Hindu nation and continue to have the culture of Punjab destroyed.
For your information India came into existence in 1947 and that to by deceit if he Hindu leaders of the time.
Don’t forget the Sikh leaders of the time refuse to be signatories to the Indian constitution. Have Sikhs gotten anything fairly from the Hindu rulers?
Sovereignty is the only solution for Sikh survival.
Seventy-TWO YEARS HAVE GONE BY AND 36 yEARS SINCE tHE Hindu aRMY OF Indira Gandi they failed to fulfill the promises Nehru-Gandhi and Congress Leaders made to Sikhs to offer FREEDOM TO THE SIKHS. Instead of freedom even the SGPC and Its Jathedars are trying to keep Sikhs as Slaves of Hindus by NOT IMPLEMENTING THE ORIGINAL NANAKSHAHI CALENDAR APPROVED BY SGPC IN !((* AND PUBLISHED FOR IMPLEMENTATION ON !$ APRIL,1999 THE TERCENTANARY OF THE KHALSA!
Ajit Singh.
You are wrong Mr. Harpreet Singh ji. You don’t represent a Sikh like us. The one’s like us are not in minority within Sikhism. Agreed that whatever happened during those was a blunder by the then Government and further November 1984 genocide, no justice over it added fuel to it. But that doesn’t mean it validates demand for Khalistan.
Creating a separate country and then what ? Making it another Taliban? Are you or people that supports this concept capable of handling a country ?
Why don’t you, sitting at such a high position within community, express your views in Sikhs youths leaving Punjab to settle in other countries? Why can’t you with your thoughts instill confidence in Sikh youths to take up the lift challenge in Punjab itself and work for the betterment of land our Gurus?
You will not speak for resettlement of Afghan Sikhs when they faced genocide.
You will not speak for Sikhs to help those within our community who suffered 84 genocide, those who are living in Widow colony, Delhi.
You again will not speak to encourage Sikh youths to take education seriously and aim for high achievements in life. Achievements that can be obtained in any other field in life. But you will not speak.
Never have heard of any statement of yours that criticize caste system prevailing in Sikh society. We’re caste less only on paper, when it comes to marriages, we are on same page as others.
Could you not instill a sense of pride in Sikh youths by making them aware of rich Sikh history ? How many of our youths are aware of a simple fact that Ladakh is presently in India because of efforts of Sikh empire? How high was Sikh contribution in WW1 and WW2 ?
You will only speak about the darkness, you will only speak about separation, you will only speak about going back to Zero. It is because of this reason that Sikh youths are not getting educated at higher levels and you rarely found Sikhs these days at higher level. How many Sikhs IAS/IPS joined last year, you aware of that?
Instead of giving above useless statement, you could have advised Sikhs to get united and take justice in Indian courts. You could have said them to forget how small in no. they are, there contribution should always be higher so that their voice is heavier than others when they speak. You will only present a picture as every thing is dark and dim around us, and this country is of no use to us. Is this your only way to handle a community, each person of which could show a courage of sava lakh when ever time demands?
As an initiative to understand this country, you could spend at least a week in various Gurudwara sahibs located around the country, know their history, how they came up, what are their issues, understand local behavior. Try to get answer for the question is the society in which they are living so hostile that you need a separate country.
You better improve your thoughts dear Mr. Harpreet Singh ji. I and many more disagree from your belief.
Phew……a Sikh who make sense of of all. Situation within our Sikh community is driving away God fearing Sikhs. I attend Gurdwara for peace and solace. I do not get that at local Gurdwaras any more. Photos and verses pasted on the walls do not offer me peace.