rupinder singh

Citizen Sahib, Just because your Gurmukhi – Gurbani knowledge is strong, it doesn’t mean that many many others are in the same situation. Needless to say that lack of translations can act as a barrier to the many. For many, Punjabi is not a mah-boli but more of a dhadi-boli, there’s no denying that the spoken Punjabi is more and more dilute each time a generation is born. We can’t escape this and putting on the bold font “make more of an effort” attitude will not help those distance souls trying to find their way into Sikhi jeevan. The strong swimmers need to help the weaker swimmers. It may mean making use of new technologies, techniques and languages not used during purtaan times, that does not mean it’s an attack on marayada or a dilution of Sikhi. Our history and heritage will be preserved forever and will be reflected through the dynamic Khalsa Jeevan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun...arathon-runners

I disagree. As a family we have grown quite fond of Bhai Boota Singh and his jatha, my eldest kid (5 year old) wants to watch his katha/keertan every night. To us it's pretty high "quality" katha!

It's not what would make Sikhs happy, but more about accepting Sikhs have the autonomy to make their own decisions on dharmic, regional and global issues. Although GOI may not be a major player in our panthic decsion making, we have the added problem of GOI backed anti-Sikh groups such as naamdharis, nirankaris, radhosoamis and dehdhari derawalaes etc who constantly cause confusions in order to break a majority force from forming.

If we really truly meant the slogans for “Justice for 84”, then I see no reason why we can’t raise slogans to help our Sikh families in Pakistan. As the original poster stated, we should be doing something to help. Those who are postions of influence, please come forward. Can we send funds to our Sikhs in Pakistan who are now refugees? Think about what will happen to our ithaasic Gurdwaras such as Nanakana Sahib, Punja Sahib, Dera Sahib, Shahid Gunj etc. If BBC videos of refugee camps in November 1984 really shocked us, then I again see no reason why the status of these refugees shouldn’t equally shock us.

If nothing, it raises awareness of 1984 to us Sikhs, as it’s Sikhs who are not willing to accept that 1984 happened. There is, however, a gradual realisation process taking place and slowly more and more of the community is accepting that there could not have been any valid reason for the Indira’s army to launch an attack on Harmandar Sahib. That’s our first obstacle and once the community mentally accepts this then there’s progression to the next step of making this campaign secular.

Sikh Channel, Thankyou very much for keeping us informed on your decision. Most UK Gurdwaras take the issue very seriously and would not allow dehdhari groups on their stages. In light of the current climate regarding the high profile dehdhari gurus, it would make sense for all Gurdwara committees to really review the potential volatilty of allowing dehdhari groups on to Gurdwara stages.

Again you only see a jathedar, you fail to see what Akal Takht Sahib represents. You fail to see an institute set up by Sahib Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji Maharaj along with Mahapursh’s such as Baba Budha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji. You fail to see the concensus power of a Maata which was a mechanism set up by the Sarbat Khalsa. You fail to see that whoever is involved in the concensus has been given authority by the Akal Takht, the throne of Sri Akaal Sahib. On another note who gives Guru Jagjit Singh the right to call himself the 15th Guru Nanak? Who gives him the right to proclaim he's the Guru? Who gives him the right to say "satgur Ram Singh Chardi Kala Teray Bhanay Sarbat da Bhalla" instead of Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Teray Bhanay Sarbat da Bhalla? Just as you feel offended to be termed a "non-Sikh" , I am offended by an individual who proclaims that he's my Guru. So it looks like both of us are offended by each other's beliefs and we are better off distancing ourselves from each other. Hence, a physical distance of the naamdhari belief can be put to best practice by having an actual distance from the individuals who follow that belief.

With all the differences in our marayada which has evolved over the past 300 years, there has to be some standardistation in our approach and Sri Akal Takht Sahib, whether we like the institution or not, is there as a guidance for Sikhs. Don’t forget this astaan was set up by Sahib Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji Maharaj along with Mahapursh’s such as Baba Budha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji. Regardless of the decision made by the Akal Takht we (Sikhs) must have some acceptance and satkaar to that decision making process. Contrary to everyone’s belief, the consensus process within Akal Takht Sahib is intense and the Punj Singh Sahibs are from backgrounds such as AKJ and Taksaal. Decisions on maryada have always involved GurSikhs from all backgrounds and those who have spent some time in the parkarma will know the influence the Nihangs, AKJ and Sant Samaj do actually have in the decisions making process. The decision on groups such as the Namdharis and other dehdari Guru followers is a vital decision taken by Akal Takht Sahib which only really states the obvious. If a person leading a katha or keertan on the Gurdwara stage is a blatant follower of a Dehdhari (living) Guru then they should not be allowed to lead any katha/keertna within a Sikh institute. I think we fall into a trap with Namdharis due to their other saroop and raag keertan ablities where we automatically assume they are simply a Sikh Jathebhandi. However, if we delve deeper we will clearly see their portrayal of a current Guruship in which an additional 5 individuals are assumed to be Gurus after Guru Gobind Singh Ji. This is a message we (Sikh) need to distance ourselves from and therefore a group that we should distance ourselves from.

What was the reason for such a public assassination within the sangat. If (and I stress IF) this assassination was necessary and the diplomatic means had really failed then why could it not be done more tactfully?

No and No. You know the answers to all of the above so why ask the question? There's no "popular" belief here, it simple confusion and it's something the human race has to deal with.

The Akal Takht Maryada says you can choose to eat meat, it doesn't state that you can take meat into the Gurdwara Sahib. It's not about being picky and chosing the right maryada points when necessary. Would you have the guts to take a packet of ham into your local Gurdwara regardless of the Akal Takht stance on meat? I'm sure you yourself know it's not right. Sometimes we need to use our own intellect, we know whats right and wrong, we don't need to back it up with a quote from the official rehat maryada booklet.

The seva of the saskar happened with the guidance of the mahapursh, Baba Narinder Singh at Goindwal Sahib and Baba Jagjit Singh (and the akal takhat) accepted their authority in this matter, as they are the ones who do this seva on a weekly basis (baba jagjit singh openly said that he had never done this seva before and that we should ask baba narinder singh). The same mahapursh has directed the Singhs to do this seva in the UK. This has had to happen as if the UK sangat had decided to do this without guidance of the experts then even more mistakes may have been made and there would always be someone who would be unhappy. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact Goindwal Sahib Ji and the Singhs there, as only they can really answer your questions/doubts. Any response you recieve from the UK sangat will probably/most often not be sufficient. The singhs from goindwal sahib are very nice guys and dont mind talking about the seva that needs doing. So please feel free to speak to them, or even visit there when your next in punjab and see how the seva is done there. One of the singhs went recently and he said it was very respectful and he was glad that advice had been taken from them! After this final part of the seva is done we need to focus on moving forward. Thank You Jee. Clears up some of the confusion in my head!

Although I am not defending or attacking any group or individual, there has been a lack to transparency and clarity on the situation and not everyone really understands who is organizing what. I suppose we looked at the bachans of Sant Jagjit Singh as some kind of guidance and assurance on the day of the Sanskar. There on after, I for one do not really understand what has been going on and it’s probably causing confusion rather than people not being bothered.

To someone who knows better, At the Sanskar Ceremony in March 09 Sant Jagjit Singh said that the asht of the Saroops should go back to Punjab, Kirtatpur Sahib. Why are we not doing this as per his guidance? Just need some clarity on why we are going to the Thames and why we have the a 2 month gap between the Sanskaar and the bhog for the ashes, were there a number of Akhand Paths that were needed to be carried on in between now and the Sanskar? Thank you Jee

At the Sanskar Ceremony in March 09 Sant Jagjit Singh said that the ashes should go back to Punjab, Kirtatpur Sahib. Why are we not doing this as per his guidance?

Why has there been a 2 month gap between the Sanskar ceremony and the Bhog for the ashes of the Pavtar Saroops? Thank You Jee

The problem, I think, is that certain groups are desiring a protest without really understanding what their objectives or target audience are. It’s almost fashionable to be responsible for organizing a protest and perhaps (dare I day it) taking a bit of glory along the way. It’s the usual Youth trait of reacting based on the reaction of others. In reality, we should really question our relationship with our Guru and determine if there is any real emotion resulting from the Bow Gurdwara fire or are we simply only following our peers who are telling us how we should feel and express ourselves through a “protest”. Ask ourselves how the khed of Maharaj and the burning of 11 Saroops changed our lives? Are we doing more Chaupai Sahib Jaaps, are we keeping our Kes, did we take amrit this vasakhi etc ?? If we exactly are the same as we were pre 16 March 09, then the whole khed has just flown above our heads and we are only reacting on what others are telling us to do. If our own Sikhi jeevans do not fundamentaly change or improve from these protesting exercises then we are just wasting our time.

What level of security do you expect from SGPC that we ourselves can’t even provide in our own local Gurdwaras. We can’t be bothered to be pharedars in our own Guru Ghars and yet we are ready to kick someone elses backside for not being effective pehredars. Go to your local Gurdwaras on a Punjabi family wedding day and see how much real beadbi happens which probably outweighs all these recent beadbis in Harmander Sahib. Yet it’s acceptable to us. See wedding guests smoking at the gates of our Guru Ghars and then walk in to our diwans. Hang around some Gurdwaras at night and see yobs chucking lager cans at the nishan sahib. See fresh grafitti on the walls of our Gurdwaras. Posting statements from our beloved PCs of chopping hands off or slaying the culprit might momentarily make us feel that we are passionate about the kaum but is the reaction valid or are we just reacting the way we think we are meant to react? If we really think this is a real Maha beadbi then each of us should have the passion to go to become pehradars/sewadars of Gurdwaras.

This is the platform we have been waiting for for years. Please, lets support the Gursikhs who have taken this massive commitment on (whoever they are). A Sikh Channel will change many peoples lives. I can see how it's changing my family's daily routine and we seem to have less reason to watch mainstream TV.

This reminds me of the sakhi during the time of Baba Nand Singh where the 2 Granthis were re-born as buffulos because of the beadbi they did of Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s pavitar saroops. Whole “Kuls” (clans/families) are destroyed from maha paaps like this. We hear mahapursh’s kathas about how peoples adverse actions not only effect their future generations to come but also are carried on with them in chaurasi lakh joon.

Are many 'Sikh' men willing to accept the Sikh look of a women? Don't some Sikh men also insist on facially waxed, dolled up wife who should need to look like a bollywood princess. How many 'Sikh' men would marry a Singhni who is keeping rehat and respecting her Keshas, not just on the head but the rest of the body too??

I suppose the problem is that we all think we've turned out OK!!

How perfect is our own Sikhi before we start spanking the discipline into kids? When you become parents, let’s see how perfect Sikhs your children turn out, even though you think a ‘clip around the ear’ will sort them out. I read these self important postings from people justifying their own ideology and blaming their own shortcomings on the practices/performances of others. Are you now a perfect Gursikh because your mum and dad spanked your bottom everytime you faltered? Life is not so simple and dharmic discipline isn’t always installed through 'psychological beatings'.

nothing like a bit of healthy competition!!! :D Get them prices down!