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Celebrating Sikh Centenaries
Balwant Singh*
We
reproduce excerpts from a letter written by Sardar Balwant
Singh IAS (retd) from Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, to the
Chairman, Administration Committee, Gurdwara Board Sachkhand
Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra, offering his valuable
suggestions for propagation of Sikhism and for the tercentenary
celebration of Gurgaddi of Sr Guru Granth Sahib at Hazur
Sahib at Nanded in 2008.
–
Editor
Guru
Nanak Devji travelled to distant places in present-day India
and other countries. Wherever he went, he endeared the local
people and these local people set up ‘Sangats’.
These sangats remained active till the time of Guru Gobind
Singhji. The proof is that among the Panj Pyaras, only one
came from Punjab, another from Hastinapur (U.P.) while three
others from distant places like Bidar (Karnataka), Dwarka
(Gujarat) and Puri (Orissa). There were no means of transport
300 years back. These devoted Sikhs must have travelled
in groups to reach Anandpur Sahib, weathering all the indescribable
hardships on the way. And they offered themselves body and
soul to the call of Guru Gobind Singh. These three from
distant places became martyrs at Chamkaur Sahib. It was
only because of the establishment of Sangats in innumerable
places graced by the visit of Guru Nanak Devji.
After Guru Gobind Singhji, these Sangats lost touch with
Punjab because of disturbed conditions there. Sikhs became
unduly Punjab-centric and ignored the sangats outside Punjab.
The Sikhs further developed ill-conceived fatuity to one
language, i.e., Punjabi. These sangats vanished. There remained
traces where gurdwaras were established later on, not by
the local sangats but by the Sikhs of Punjab who spread
outside Punjab for various business/service reasons.
Sikhism became, most unfortunately, only a Punjab religion
with Punjabi as the only language. Now there is no Sikh
sangat outside Punjab, it is only Punjabi Sikh sangat everywhere.
When religion is identified with only one language of a
small area, that becomes the beginning of the decay of such
a religion. Now Punjabi culture has been entrapped, Punjabi
language restricted and Sikhism encircled in the present-day
Punjab.
Once I visited the Gurdwara in a village near Hastinapur
(U.P.) to which Bhai Dharam Singh ji belonged. At the same
time, some non-Sikh non-Punjabi young men, perhaps belonging
to some para-military force, came for paying obeisance.
The illiterate sewadar talked in a very uncouth Punjabi
with them. My family sat in the Hazuri of Guru Granth Sahib.
The sewadar started his lecture in a bad style which even
I, a Punjabi, was not able to comprehend fully. Soon we
(my family) got up and the young men also immediately got
up and virtually ran towards the outer gate of the Gurdwara.
I am sure that these non-Sikh persons will never venture
to visit a Gurdwara again. How nice it would have been to
employ the local village people after giving a little knowledge
in Sikhism so that they could establish much desired rapport
with the local population for spreading of the message of
Sikhism.
I may mention another instance. This year (2007) Sri Guru
Granth Sahib was installed in the newly constructed beautiful
Gurdwara (build in the memory of Pyara Bhai Mohkam Singh
ji in Dwarka Bet (Dwarka Island) in Jamnagar district of
Gujarat. There was quite a sizeable gathering on the occasion
considering the remoteness of the area. A Ragi Jatha and
the Head Granthi from Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar graced
the occasion. Among the audience, there was MLA from Dwarka,
Pandits of numerous Dwarka temples and other local Gujaratis.
The revered Head Granthi spoke in Punjabi. His lecture was
very good, only for the Punjabi Sikhs. The Gujaratis could
not understand anything at all. Why could not the vyakhya
and lecture be delivered in Hindi? Does Morari Bapu speak
in Gujarati at Ferozepur and Ludhiana ? Why can’t
some wisdom dawn on the Sikh pracharaks in this respect.
The message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is for the whole world.
Why should then the Sikh preachers develop a cramped view
and remain frogs in a narrow well that Punjab is now. It
is high time that they breathe in the fresh air of climes
of various regions. They should shed off the dominance of
Punjab politicians putting on the religious garb. If our
pracharaks give vyakhya and lectures in Hindi, outside Punjab,
a large number of non-Punjabis will get attracted. But most
unfortunately, Sikhism has been turned into a Punjabi religion
alone. This has created a vicious circle. As everything
is done in Punjabi even outside Punjab, therefore only the
Punjabi Sikhs attend. And as only Punjabi Sikhs constitute
the audience in Gurdwaras, everything is done in Punjabi.
This vicious circle deserves to be broken, sooner the better.
A few years back at Gurdwara Sahib, Bidar, I listened to
a kirtan being done by the local persons in their own local
accent. The people of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh should be encouraged to do kirtan and give lectures,
howsoever simple, in their own language. The Punjabi audience
should inculcate the virtue to have patience to listen,
realising that Sikhism is not their preserve.
The centenary celebrations in Punjab have been a big waste
of the offerings of the faithful. These were turned into
only one party affair. Only the selected non-Sikh leaders
indoctrinated by Hindutva were projected as the main speakers
and they got away with saying anything to the ignominy of
the Sikhs. The various centenary celebrations which should
have been solemn and ennobling occasions for taking pride
in our religion, heritage and culture spurring the faithful
for self-introspection of the past and charting out a clear
and innovative programme for future, have been demeaned
and trivialized by the political underlings.
Thus many august occasions came to the fortune of the present
generation of Sikhs but slipped away to the misfortune of
their religion. Therefore, it is imperative that the ensuing
occasion of tercentenary of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Gurugaddi
should not be allowed to be hijacked to a base political
agenda. Such political persons, as are chronically attuned
to overturn the august religious celebrations, should be
politely but firmly asked to put aside their partisan agenda
for once and be a part of the fervent carriers of the ennobling
message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Let the ensuing tercentenary
celebrations at Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Sahib be a
pure, pious and purifying occasion devoted to inculcate
the humanitarian message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Apart from vyakhya and lectures, the written word goes a
long way in leaving a long term impact on the minds of the
people. Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Sahib is situated
in Maharashtra and borders on Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
It is necessary that a massive Sikh literature is created
in Marathi, Kannad and Telugu and is distributed free to
the libraries and other discerning persons in these States.
Mere pamphlets will not do. In this connection, I must mention
that Smt. Kusum P Ghatage (Mobile :9989240717) an 83 years
old Marathi lady has authored a commendable volume in Marathi
on the “Ten Gurus of The Sikhs - Life Story”.
It has also been translated into English and published by
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, KM Munshi Marg, Mumbai-400 007.
The English translation runs into 900 pages and is a beautifully
bound volume. More copies of the Marathi edition be got
printed as required. This can be got translated into Kannad
and Telugu also. In case this book is considered to be too
voluminous, then Marathi edition of this book be distributed
to libraries, writers and interested persons in Maharashtra.
For Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, a smaller beautiful book
(300 pages), namely, “The Lives and Teachings of The
Sikh Gurus by Shri Harish Dhillon (published by UBS Publishers’
Distributors Ltd, 5, Ansari Road, New Delhi-II 0002) may
be got translated into Kannad and Telugu for distribution
in these two States. It is imperative to provide a sizeable
amount for this purpose. Needless to say that it will be
a lasting contribution during the tercentenary celebrations.
Thus my suggestions, in short, are:
1. The tercentenary celebration of Gurgaddi of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib at Nanded should be a deeply religious occasion,
completely devoid of political overtones.
2. The pious religious stage should not be allowed to be
degenerated into a political stage. Any effort by certain
persons to hijack the solemn occasion to other base issues
should not be allowed.
3. All the boards detailing the religious importance of
Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib and Gurdwara Bidar Sahib
be provided in Punjabi, Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannad
and Telugu.
4. All the kirtankars and lecturers (including from Punjab)
may be requested to do vyakhya and deliver lectures in Hindi
which is understood by all Punjabis and also, to a great
extent now, the people of South India.
5. The local people of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh should be encouraged to do kirtan in their own local
accent and deliver lectures, howsoever simple, in their
own language.
6. Some well-educated young persons from the three States
be given grounding in Sikhism and be made preachers, on
payment, in their respective States.
7. The book “Ten Gurus of the Sikhs - Life Story”
authored by Smt. Kusum P. Ghatage in Marathi be got printed
in sufficient numbers for distribution to libraries, writers
and other interested persons free of cost in Maharashtra.
8. The book “The Lives and Teachings of the Sikh Gurus”
authored by Shri Harish Dhillon be got translated into Kannad
and Telugu for wide distribution.
9. A Gurmat School (Hindi-Marathi medium) be started to
prepare young persons as lecturers/kirtanias. Later on Kannad
and Telugu medium be also arranged.
10. A ‘Chair’ on Guru Granth Sahib Studies be
created in a suitable University in Maharashtra.
¤
©Copyright Institute of Sikh Studies,
2007, All rights reserved.
