Fear brings Pak Hindus to Sikh fold

[Singh47]

Fear brings Pak Hindus to Sikh fold

Some of the Pakistani Hindus who joined the Sikh fold recently

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 29

While the Sikh leadership in India, especially in Punjab, is worried over rising trend of ‘patitpuna’ (apostate), a large number of Sindhi Hindus (devout ‘Sehajdharis’) in Pakistan, have joined the Sikh fold by getting themselves baptised.

The reason may be their continuous persecution at the hands of radical Muslim organisations or devotion to Sikhism, but this is a fact that at least 25 per cent ‘Sehajdhari Sikhs’ from the Sindh province have been baptised in the recent past.

It sounds unbelievable that persons who introduced themselves as Jawahar Singh, Vijay Singh and Parkash Singh with blowing beards were Jawahar Lal, Vijay Kumar and Om Parkash, respectively, only few months ago. As compared to the Hindus, the Sikhs are considered more safe in Pakistan. Many Pakistani Hindus, who had come to India, in the past had never returned to their country, due to their continuous persecution.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Vijay Singh said there were more than 15 lakh Hindus in Sindh province itself, who were devout Sehajdhari Sikhs. He said most of the Sindhis could easily read Guru Granth Sahib in ‘Gurmukhi’ script without any problem. Mr Darshan Singh (previous name Darshan Lal) said the ‘Gurmukhi’ was being taught in Hindu temples and Gurdwaras to the younger generation, so that they could remain devout Sikhs.

These temples, scho

ols and Gurdwaras include Baba Hardass Ram School, Gurdwara Nanakwara, Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh, Guru Arjan Dev Pathshala and Baba Bhoj Ram Temple. Raja, a student of class VII from Dehrki district (Pakistan) said he would be baptised as per the wishes of his parents (Sehajdhari Sikhs) shortly.

Baba Amir Singh and Baba Amarjit Singh from Peshawar said the Pakistani Sikhs got disappointed when they saw ‘patit’ Sikhs accompanying the Indian jathas, who visited Pakistan every year, to pay their obeisance in Gurdwaras there. They said the government of India should not give visas to the ‘patit Sikhs’ to visit Pakistan as their appearance hurt the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat in Pakistan. They said the SGPC should not recommend the visas at ‘patit Sikhs’.

Baba Amarjit Singh, a Granthi of Gurdwara Joga Singh (Peshawar) said the Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan would like to meet Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takht for seeking his guidance to maintain ‘Maryada’ in gurdwaras of Pakistan.

Though the SGPC or Akal Takht object to the performance of akhand path in temples in India , Guru Granth Sahib is placed in a number of temples in Pakistan. A number of Pakistani Hindus including Mr Jai Ram and Mr Jaipal said they perform path of Guru Granth Sahib in temples every day.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040830/...0/punjab1.htm#4

[Singh47]

Baba Amir Singh and Baba Amarjit Singh from Peshawar said the Pakistani Sikhs got disappointed when they saw ‘patit’ Sikhs accompanying the Indian jathas, who visited Pakistan every year, to pay their obeisance in Gurdwaras there. They said the government of India should not give visas to the ‘patit Sikhs’ to visit Pakistan as their appearance hurt the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat in Pakistan. They said the SGPC should not recommend the visas at ‘patit Sikhs’.

These sikhs who are joining the fold of the Khalsa in large numbers seem to be very good Gursikhs at heart. On seeing Patit (mona) Sikhs they felt very sad. But most of us who come from the Indian side of Punjab don’t even seem to care anymore about the rising tide of Patits in our communities.

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Well Singh47 Ji, you just posted what I was about to post. Mad respect to the Pakistani Sikhs for their views. Let us hope that Guru Sahib keeps them in Chardi-Kalaa.

[Deep Singh]

Great News Jio!

Just for a note...now it is 'fact' that there are 1-2 million Sikhs in Pakistan. 25% baptised Sikhs of that is about 250-500 000.

[Karen Kaur]

wjkkwjkf!

wikaaddd

wjkkwjkf!

[Mkhalsa]

FEAR?

hahaha

they cant accept that theres something right and good about sikhi.. they ahve to say that they were scared into it!

[>Bikramjit Singh<]

FEAR?

hahaha

they cant accept that theres something right and good about sikhi.. they ahve to say that they were scared into it!

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

I think the reporter is confusing Sehajdharis with Hindus. Sehajdharis are those Hindus who have taken the step to becoming Sikhs and until they take Amrit and become full fledged Sikhs they are referred to as Sehajdharis. Before 1947 millions of Sindhis were Sehajdharis and Sikh organisations from Punjab such as Chief Khalsa Diwan used to undertake Parchar tours in which Hindus first became Sehajdharis and would take Amrit. Between 1901 and 1941 these Parchars tours increased the number of Sehajdharis from about a Lakh to making every non-Muslim Sindhi into a Sehajdhari. The number of Keshdharis Sikhs went from about 1000 to 35,000 during the same period.

After 1947 this Parchar received a setback. The Sindhi Sehajdharis who migrated to India became dispersed and living in a Hindu environment started to water down there Sikhi with Hindu rituals. Even then the Sindhis in India still have a great deal of respect for Sikh Gurus and many still get married using Anand Marriage rather than the Vedic ceremony.

The Sehajdharis in Sindh similarly underwent a lapse back towards Hinduism. This was due to the fact that most Keshdhari

Sindhi Sikhs had left Sindh. Also because of the Punjab partition violence Keshdhari Sikhs were discriminated against in Pakistan. With the Keshdhari Sikhs gone and with no one left who could keep the maryada of the Gurdwaras, no one to give Amrit or Amrit Sanchars the Sehajdharis were left in limbo. But because the Hindu influence and environment is not as strong in Sindh as it is in India the Sehajdhari Sindhis display less Hindu influence than the Sehajdhari Sindhis who migrated to India.

The reason that these Sehajdharis are becoming Keshdhari Sikhs is not fear as the reporters implies but because the Sehajdaris are being innfluenced by the greater number of Keshdharis Sikhs in Pakistan. These Sikhs are the Afghanis Sikhs who have left Afghanistan and live in Peshawar as well as the Sikhs from the tribal areas of NWFP who have also migrated into Peshawar. The Sehajdharis who undertake Darshan of the Gurdwaras in West Punjab such as Nankana Sahib, Dera Sahib, Panja Sahib etc interact with the Afgahani Sikhs as well as the Sikhs who come with the Jathas from India. The Sikhi displayed by the Sikh militants in Pakistan also influences these Sehajdharis. After a period of over a generation of non-contact with Keshdharis Sikhs, the Sehajdharis are once again taking the natural step from being Sehajdharis to becoming Keshdharis the same process that their ancestors used to take before 1947.

GurFateh

Bikramjit Singh

[tona]

There are just 20 thousand Sikhs in Pakistan. come out of that rabbit hole of Hindu vs Sikh. There is literally no scope for non-muslims in Pakistan