singhjoe

I think they could go a step further and have a zero tolerance policy regarding violence and ban any members who are known trouble makers/have a propensity for violence. People who do sewa by attending satkar campaign protests can expect lots of provocation from opposing parties and the police, so it takes a certain kind of individual to attend the protest and keep it peaceful despite the provocation. The consequences of not keeping up this level of discipline are dire for both the campaign and the wider community.

there are no place for emotions in this kind of campaign. If you cant control yourself, then you should just stay at home and stay out of trouble. This is a tactical and strategic campaign that must be played a certain way. Loose cannons, trouble makers, or overly emotional zealots should not be welcome at this kind of rally because all they do is ruin it. Some ruin it because they are just idiots and have the warped view that it is the right thing to do, and others ruin it because they cant control themselves, and others just dont think before they act. It doesnt really matter what their motive for engaging in violence, the fact is that they ruin it in the end. This is a long haul, campaign for satkaar, that must be achieved through education, lobbying, protesting, and mediation. It requires patience and a high level of discipline in the face of sometimes extreme provocation and frustration. If you cant hack it, then I suggest you stay away (not you personally).

The commitee are idiots. We know that. That is obvious. But you are playing a very dangerous game by justifying violence. You may have the immediate satisfaction of victory but the damage done goes far beyond this incident. Look at the round up of the press, all bad press. Look at the wedge created between sehajdhari and amritdhari Sikhs. Look at the image of Sikhs in the media being compared to Taliban/muslim extremists, look at how the British public view us. How does this help our campaign to allow Sikhs to freely wear the kirpan, if we are viewed as violent thugs? You guys are making no friends by acting violently. It would be ok if you didnt care about the consequences of your actions because you thought that you were standing up for righteous ness, however, unfortunately, your actions (or the people you are defending) have a major impact on the whole community. Not to mention that there are rumours that the committee now wants press charges against the culprits and go against their written promises, and are refusing to engage in any kind of meeting or mediation with any Sikh body. Its not looking good at all.

The guys who acted violently have done the panth a great disservice and undone alot of the hard work that goes into making the satkar campaign credable and legit, and bridging the gap between amritdhari and sehajdhari Sikhs and with the wider community including the indiginous white population and also completely wrecks the relationship with the police. They are completely selfish and happy to persue their demands at whatever cost and with no regard to the consquences or damage that they do to either themselves or the wider community. They are highly irresponsible. As a note. During the Jaito morchas against the British and Singh Sabha reform protests, Sikhs took a pledge of non-violence and stuck to it despite extreme provocation from the British, which resulted in beatings, shootings and death, however, they did not flinch and did not behave violently. It is a shame that our protests have become highjacked by irresponsible nutters who want to cause trouble and have no self control.