Sikh Panth and Caste Practices

PHAGAWARA: Sikh activists, participating in the Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha sponsored discussion here, called upon the Sikh Panth not to be apologetic about the prevailing caste practice among Sikhs and rather boldly do away with the evil to strengthen Sikhs’ image of doing selfless service to God as well as humanity.

Eradication of Panth’s internal weaknesses have become all the more overbearing to commensurate with the enhanced image the Sikhs have earned recently with their selfless service of offering Langar (free food) that fed millions of hungry and starving people world over during COVID-19 pandemic.

Divinity integral to Sikhism is Seva (selfless service) which is duly manifested with the running of ‘Guru Ka Langar’ that have earned appreciation for the Sikhs world over. NDTV highlighted the serving of Langar to one lakh people daily in Delhi; the New York Times too carried an article underlining Sikhs feeding the COVID-19 affected Americans as well as protesters of ‘Black Lives Matter’.

The selfless humanitarian service in name of God on moral principles is a non-market intervention during the crisis that goes a long way to address mankind’s inner self’s decay caused by selfishness, religious exclusivity, racism, caste arrogance and sense of communal superiority.

Doing ‘seva’ is a Guru’s ordained spiritual journey of a Sikh that dispenses away with illusionary and beguiling concepts of Heaven-Hell. The Sikh image of doing selfless service has already been presented to the world by Ravinder Singh’s Khalsa Aid activities and several other Sikh institutions and it has got further impetus during COVID-19 that posed an unprecedented crisis to mankind.

Recalling the discrimination against Dalits, the participants said the Sikh society could not escape from the Brahmanic /Manuwadi caste practice which manifested in the restricted entry to Dalits in Durbar Sahib, Amritsar before their forced entry on 12 October 1920. Even Singh Sabha leader Giani Ditt Singh who had rationally beaten Arya Samajists move against Sikh Gurus and had contributed to distinctiveness of the Sikh identity and thought was denied ‘prasad’ in the Sikh shrines for his being a Dalit.

‘We still feel ashamed recounting such several acts of discrimination against Dalits which, though perpetrated by Mahants were rarely opposed by the saner Sikhs. Lack of moral strength and clarity of thought about the zero-tolerance of caste practice among the Sikhs, the Panth shrunk demographically as Arya Samajists and Christians poached the unprivileged in Punjab converting them to their respective folds during late 19th and early 20th century.’

Initiating discussion, former Jathedar Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Kewal Singh said there is absolutely no place for the practice of caste in Sikh religion. Gurbachan Singh (Editor, Des Punjab) said Gurbani emphasizes on purifying and balancing the human mind tuned to the cosmic reality. The practice of caste pollutes the mind obstructing its spiritual journey. Prof Balwinderpal Singh stressed the need for Sikhs’ political alliance with Dalits.

BSP leader Sukhwinder Singh Ghumaan said Brahmanism as represented and practiced by the BJP was antithetical to the Sikh ethos. The former head of Dr. Ambedkar Chair, Punjab University Prof Manjit Singh said the minorities, Dalits, and other depressed sections should unite to face the impending fascism in the country.

Writer Mal Singh, author of the book on Why Dr. Ambedkar Could not Become a Sikh said minorities and Dalits should join hands to salvage themselves from the state repression. President of Sikh Global Council, Gurpreet Singh said the time has come to root out the remnant of caste practice.

Ajaypal Singh representing the Singh Sabha said keeping in view the geopolitical situation of the day it imperative for the Sikhs to do away with all sorts of caste prejudices that hamper the Sikh unity.

Parmapal Singh Sabhra, coordinator of Alliance of Sikh Organizations, and his colleague Devinder Singh Sekhon said the time has come to do away with petty considerations and go in for internal purification of the Panth.

Sukhdev Singh, general secretary of the Alliance said the Sikh intellectuals should not remain silent spectators when Brahmanic forces shrewdly divided the Jatt Sikhs and Dalits to their convenience and to beat Muslims and Christians as exemplified in Phagwara in the past.

The Singh Sabha general secretary conducted the discussion and said such interaction would continue till the centenary celebrations of Dalits’ unrestricted entry in the Durbar Sahib on 20 October 2020.