The Demise of Sikhism in Slough

[jagjit_waheguru]

The Demise of Sikhism in Slough

(a long article, but important to read,...)

Pyare jio, Slough has always been an important town in the UK Sikhi scene. It is next to Southall has probably the 3rd largest sangat attendance in UK. The sangat in Slough has always been peaceful and Panthik. During the years of the late 80`s and early 90`s of the Khalistan Movement, Slough was the one stage where everyone had complete freedom of speech. Many leaders called Singh Sabha Slough, the "Hyde Park Corner" of UK Gurdwaras.

The key to the unity and peace in slough was the Gurdwara never had any elections in it 10-15,000 sikh community. It used the Parchhi system. Basically there was a constitution, which had a 25 member Committee, with the Top 11 positions reserved for Amritdharis only. Each position had a criteria of skills, and only those who fit these skills applied. All the applications were srutinised. Then all the names were collated, and the names for each position were put into a small black bag in front of the sangat. Then a child from the sangat was selected, and the child pulled out one name in front of Guru Maharaj Hazori and the sangat. Whoevers name came out did the seva for the next year. So Simple, and purely Guru Jis will who got seva, so no-one complained. Slough Gurdwara committees were made in 15 minutes, with no sangat fighting or unnecessary election expense.

The Committees always were based with people who loved the Gurdwara and were active and willing sevdaars. All groups used to be represented from AKJ, Taksal, Congress, Communists, Akali, Kabaddi players, businessman. Yes, there were disputes and arguments occasionally, but these were always confined to the committee room, and never in the sangat. There was alot of unity in Slough, because we all were based at the same Gurdwara. When problems came along with Pakistani youth, our community were united and dealt with it effectively. There was alot of mutual respect and pyaar. Slough had UK biggest punjabi school which operated for over 30 years and was averaging 300-400 children a week. The Gurdwara was the most powerful institutional vioce, even in the Council. All MP`s flocked to it to get votes. Singh Sabha ran week-long Sikh camps with 400+ youth attending. It had the one the strongest sikh youth groups in UK. It had a monthly magazine, and Amrit vela programmes 4am everyday. During the early 90`s, when every Gurdwara in Uk had some fighting, court cases or election disputes, many writers used Slough as an ideal example of how a community should run a Gurdwara.

Then around year 2000 everything seemed to change....... A terrestial TV channel either BBC2 or Channel 4 ran a documentary exposing Slough Punjabi Labour Councillors involved in corruption in the Local Council. All of those named were sacked. The Slough community were quite shocked and saw it as a slur on the community. Looking back this was now the pivitol changing point in Slough Gurdwara history.

These Councillors who "Egos" needed them to remain at the forefront of the community flooded into the Gurdwara. The Gursikhs who ran the Gurdwara did not really mind, as their Gurdwara was never seen as anyone`s possesion, just open to the whole community. However upon coming into the committee they set about their plan...

At the same time, Bhai Hari Singh Sewak, a long time Niskam sevadaar in slough who was Headmaster of the Punjabi school, along with senior Gursikhs from Singh Sabha, and Ramgarhia Gurdwara, seeing the demise our youth into drugs, gangs and bullying started working on setting up of the Slough Sikh School. This was a big problem for the Councillors who saw their dream project of building a wedding hall for parties in Slough being threatened by the Sikh School project. Hence they did a secret alliance with some really dodgy khalistanis, Communists, and the Congresses to scrap the Parcchi system and introduce Gurdwara Elections. They knew this would work and give them totally control, because the Amritdharis in Slough, were completely against elections in Slough, and would never stand on principle. Hence Slough saw the farce, of a Gurdwara Election with only one party standing.

Then they went to work bringing the darkest period of the Gurdwara history. By now the Sikh youth camps, youth magazine, Amrit velas had stopped. Slough Sikh Youth projects like Khalsa Aid were targetted and so were Slough youth. Most towns would have been proud of Khalsa Aid, but these councillors saw it as a threat to them. Hari Singh Sewak was targetted, and so were the families who supported ediucation and sikhi. This led to "fit ups" and false allegations against Singh and families, which led to court cases. Something which had never happened in Slough before. The councillors lost the case but just used the Gurdwara Golak money to save themselves. This led to more court cases. The Amritdhari librarian was assaulted because he spoke up, the sikh youth mini-bus has its brakelines cut, and Police was now a ragular observer of the Sikh community in Slough. Slowly the demise was in full effect..... After the Councillors committee itself split due to too many egos which has led to more court cases, and use of Golak money.

The Slough Sikh School Project was salvaged by Hari Singh Sewak and new young sevdaars like Nick Kandola, and with Guru Maharajs kirpa it will be completed soon. But the school needs money, which the Gurdwara is not prepared to support it. The Gurdwara has almost £700,000 in the bank, but will not support the school, the gym, the footballers or any youth project. Instead it is happily buying 3 houses as a property investment for rent.

Khalsa Aid was promised money, which was not given. The Parent Teachers Association at Punjabi School raised money for it, but were threatened when they gave it to Khalsa Aid. The bibian in the Gurdwara raised £25,000 for the Sikh School Project, but the committee stopped it and put it into their own account. The youth of slough are bullied so much in schools by Pakistani youth, that they were totally demoralised. Neither Gurdwara would support them and provide sanctuary, and eventually Slough Sikh youth have arranged with a the Slough Council a Community Youth Center were the youth between 14-18 now get together, where now 150 are registered.

The Slough Gurdwara stage which was before open to everyone, is now so censored, that only the Councillors group are allowed to speak. Even the Sikh School Trust have never been allowed to speak or hand out leaflets inside the Gurdwara. Instead they have had to sometimes stand in the rain outside informing the sangat about the school, and occasionally verballing threatened by the committee.

Knowing that the Gursikhs would still not stand in a Gurdwara Election, at the AGM the Councillors were desperate for another election this time. The Slough Sikh Youth turned up on the odd chance they would be able to speak, voice their case for the Youth, Sikhi, the school and the Paarchhi system. Such was the impact of the Youth at the AGM, that the majority of the sangat supported their views. In a panic the President closed the AGM lying in front of Guru ji and the whole sangat, saying the sangat is in favour of Elections. The sangat was shocked as now one had even voted, and the majority was clearly in favour of re-introducing the Paarchi system.

So now here we are..... The Gurdwara Elections. The Gursikhs will not stand because of principle, but the Youth have decided enough is enough.... "We want Sikhi back in the Gurdwara, We want our Youth back in the Gurdwara". The youth will stand for election. We know we are 80% likely to lose because we never made our vote banks like they did. Neither have we involved ourselves in dirty politics by expelling members with no real reason, who support the youth. But the Youth are standing to present an alternative to the sangat and a new voice. We have already won by showing the sangat, that only the Youth have the guts to stand up to these people.

The election is just a first step to bring change to Slough through the Movement called "Unity For Change". This movement will grow and it already has bringing together all those people in Slough who Love their Gurdwara and their Community, and will speak the Truth, and work in a Niskam fashion to bring Change....

Today we see a Governing Commitee who are picking their party not by who supports which Sikh Community issue, but by who is a Councillor, and a Stage Secretary is chosen because he runs a catering business, and wants a monopoly of all birthday parties and weddings. The members of the community who support the Youth are told their positions in the Labour party will be threatened and their kids will not become Councillors, unless they support the current committe. Or their planning permissions will not be passed unless they support the Councillors.

In last few days 9 epople took Amrit. I thought that was good. But talk in sangat has highlighted that it was these Councillors who had taken Amrit just to make up the positions in their party. One elder stated to me, "Even Amrit is now a plaything for their power games". I was really shocked, people taking Amrit just for a plastic chair in a committee room which you can buy in Tesco for £10. How much sacrilege of Sikhi can anyone do?

Akali style Badal politics is rife. We all want change in India, but first we need to bring change in our Towns. We need Panthik Gurdwaras and Strong Sikh Communities. This is why we need the "Unity For Change" Movement as a long term strategy for change to stop the demise of Sikhism in Slough.

May ALL those Who Love Sikhi Do Ardas For Us Youth To Bring Change!

[smartsingh24]

this is gonna sound bad, evil, and just bad.... boycott the gurdwara yea, it's bad. but if you stop the cash inflow to the gurdwara, hold out for demands, you'll get what you want. or it'll continue for a while, until you start a new gurdwara, but the point is, you have to drain 'em dry. And you can't be afraid to speak out and fight. Doesn't look like you guys are. Just remember the mission, remember sikhi, and remember your rights.

[gupt_paapi]

FATEH!!

OMG how bad its all becum <_<

Khalsa Ji The youth r doign a wikid job they should keep it up. Maybe boycotting will solve this prob. who knows. THESE PEOPLE THO... these MORONS who jacked this system up, gosh

all i can say is Guru Ji will punish em. WAHEGURU DE LATHI VICH AVAAZ NAHI HUNDI. This is not a threat to them. Its a fact.

FATEH

[jagjit_waheguru]

waheguru ji kekhalsa, waheguru ji ke fateh

Pyare jio, the khalsa never boycott Gurdwaras. If we read our history, the khalsa instead brought Sudar to nankana sahib, harmandar sahib, etc.

The khalsa just need ardasan.

waheguru ji kekhalsa, waheguru ji ke fateh

[Sher Khalsa]

WICKED SEWA SINGH !!!!

AMAZING !!!

keep it upp

[buddasingh]

Only the strong survive...

Many sikh communities and youth are exposed to a complex array of internal and external attacks which can often be quite depressing. Your story seems like so many others that are carved out of a single template.

We should have goals to counter this type of politics and to restore sikhi. However there is additional aspect to this. Our world teaches us that the end is a measure of the means. However, one very important thing to remember is that as soldiers of sikhi the means is the end.

We own our destiny with each moment of ours in the present. Sikh soldiers don't measure the result when they go into battle, ... death is victory if the means toward it is honorable. We always hold our head high and march forward like soldiers on a known path. Chardi-Kala even in death. Never stop being active!! Never stop trying to make difference no matter how bleak things may seem!!

Ardas for youth in Slough will be in the actions of every active sikh around the world we are with you veer always in chardi kala!!

[GurSa Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Jagjit Singh Ji,

Can we vote for the youth? How does the election system work if you do not live in Slough?

[sikhi]

How could gursikhs not from Slough help, can we vote. What support can we give the youths of Slough?

[soldier_khalistani]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

very important email, I hope all the sikh sangat from different areas send this/spread this to thier local sangats at gurudwara's. Also the Slough Sikh Schools Website is:

http://www.sloughsikhschool.org/

Keep doing your seva paji.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

[soldier_khalistani]

interesting article paji, i have showed it to a few people and they where very dissapointed with slough singh sabha gurudara parbandak comitee as back in the days it used to one of the best run gurudwaras in the whole of the UK.