Need help in writing Complaint Letter

[sher_panjabi]

wahiguru ji ka khalsa, waheguru ji ki fateh

i would be grateful if sangat could read this letter and give me feedback and let us know of anything to change or add etc.

thanks

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Desi Radio,

The Panjabi Centre

30 Sussex Road

Southall, Middx

UB2 5EG

CC: Panthic Weekly, The Sikh Times, Panjab Radio

Dear Desi Radio,

I would like to wish all the staff a happy Vaisakhi. May Vaheguru keep you all in Chardikala and shower His blessings.

I went to Southall Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan on 3rd April 2005. I was standing opposite Quality Food Store watching the procession led by the Panj Piaare and Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaaj di Sawaari. I was shocked and disappointed at what I saw of the Desi Radio float.

Bhangra dancers and few other individuals were dancing and waving their arms to religious (dhaarmik) songs about Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Khalsa. There is nothing objectionable with playing Dhaarmik songs at function like this, however, I would like to ask: is dancing to songs about our Guru and the Khalsa Gurmat? Are songs about the Khalsa and Guru Gobind Singh ji sung to be danced to or are they sung for people to listen to, contemplate and act upon?

Someone was making a video of all this dancing to the song about Guru Gobind Singh Ji. What impression will that give all those people watching the television and seeing Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan, 306 years of the Khalsa being celebrated by a group of clean-shaven/trimmed dancers dancing to songs about the Khalsa? Would we dance in the Gurdwara to Dhadi vaaran or Kaveeshris?

I myself and all the people who spoke to felt shocked, embarrassed and upset at seeing Desi Radio’s float allowing dancers to dance about to songs about Guru Ji and the Khalsa. The Guru’s Kushee is not marked by dancing but by dancing the mind.

Guru Ji says:

naachan soe jo man sio naachai. jhoot na patheeai parchai saachai. eis man aagae poorai thaal. eis naachan kae man rakhvaal ||2||

He alone is a dancer, who dances with his mind. The Lord is not satisfied with falsehood; He is pleased only with Truth. So play the beat of the drum in the mind. The Lord is the Protector of the dancer with such a mind. ||2|| (Ang 872, SGGS)

I would be grateful that if in the future Desi Radio would contribute to keeping the Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan, the procession led by Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Panj Piaare marking the anniversary of the Khalsa Panth a Gurmat environment which represents and upholds the message of our Great Guru rather than displaying non-religious, non-Sikhi related celebrations which do not coincide with the Gurpurb.

I pray for the Chardikala of the Panth and that the Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtans become an environment for children to learn about Sikhi, see Gursikh role models and be inspired and that Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees ensure that the Nagar Kirtan tone is not turned down with non-gurmat elements.

I would appreciate a reply from you within a week please.

Thanks

Manvir Singh Khalsa

[sher_panjabi]

This a letter for the Gurdwara Sahib in Southall. Please let me know if it is okay and any changes or suggestions. Thanks

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Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara

2 Park Avenue, Southall,

Middlesex UB2 4NP

CC: Panthic Weekly, The Sikh Times, Panjab Radio

Dear Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee

I would like to wish you all a happy Vaisakhi, and pray that Akaal Purkh blesses the whole Saadh Sangat and keeps Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Chardikala. May Guru Ji bless all the sewadaars and the Gurdwara Parbandhak with dwn, gift of Gursikhi Jeevan and that you may fulfil your duties and sewa with the support and grace of Guru Sahib.

The Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee are the caretakers of the Gurdwara. They ensure that the Sikh Rehat Maryada is enforced and that all ceremonies, functions and events are in accordance to the Guru’s Maryada. However, more importantly the Parbandhak Committee give guidance, inspiration and provide the Sangat with a role model of how to be good responsible Gursikhs who respect the Guru and the Guru’s instructions.

I visited Southall Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan on 3rd April 2005 to mark the 306 year celebrations of the Khalsa Panth. I was disappointed to see in the Nagar Kirtan procession Naamdharis (Kooke) being part of the procession and holding a big banner saying “Naamdhari Sikhs”. In sangat-roop, anyone can join the Vaisakhi Nagar procession, however when anti-gurmat groups are holding big banners in the Khalsa’s Nagar Kirtan, then it becomes worrying!

Naamdhari don’t believe in Khande-Pahul Da Amrit, and nor do they believe in Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the Guru, so with what ground where the Naamdhari allowed to carry their big banner and be part of the procession? Maaf Karnaa Ji, today we allow Naamdhari to be part of the Nagar Kirtan and hold big banners, tomorrow will we allow Radha Soamis and Narakdhari’s to do the same and join in the Khalsa’s Nagar Kirtan?

Secondly, I was shocked as well as everyone I spoke to, to seeing Bhangra dancing part of the Nagar Kirtan procession. Dancers were part of the Desi Radio float. Is it Gurmat to dance to songs about Guru Gobind Singh Ji sacrificing his children for the Khalsa? Are Dharmik songs sung and played for people to hear so that they can dance or is it so that people can listen, reflect, learn and take action upon the message?

My humble benti, request, to Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Southall Prabandhak Committee is that as the representative of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s House, you should be role models and leading the Sangat towards Guru Jee. It seems that it would be difficult to do so if the Parbandhak give permission to anti-gurmat groups like Naamdharis to be part of the Vaisakhi procession, and give permission to Bhangra dancers to dance in the Guru’s procession. How will we inspire the youth to Gursikhi when the elders are not enforcing Gurmat on Gurpurb celebrations?

I hope this letter is taken seriously and action is taken upon it.

I would appreciate a reply back from the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee within two weeks please.

Thanks

Humble Daas, Manvir Singh Khalsa

[Pheena]

firstly i'd remove the quote from the Guru Granth Sahib, your arugument is good enough on its own. You are using it to elevate your arguement, yet the one reading it could have an opposite understanding of it. One could very much aruge that, just because they were monais how do you know that their minds were not dancing thru out this procession. Perhaps their mind did become intoxicated and they started to dance? Woult it had been better if everyone was sitting down and singing along while in a transe moving their bodies to the rythem of the Kirtan. or sitting like stones listening to kirtan? No one knows, perhaps their mind didn't. but thas just me tho.

Btw i hope you don't take offense to what i said, they are just random thoughts. I think you should express what you feel and if this is what you felt i wish you all the best in hoping to get your views across to the media. Atleast you are doing something about what you feel is wrong and taking action.

[sher_panjabi]

penji i think u made a very good point there.

thanks.

i will update the letter.

more feedback or suggestions wud be great.

[AKJ Chandigarh]

During this Hola Mahalla, some boys were participating in Mahalla with traditional bhangra dress. Then they raised their arms to do bhangra. bhai Kulbir Singh of Delhi AKJ asked bhai Amritpal singh to stop them. Bhai amritpal singh went to those boys and said, 'Eh Hola Mahalla Hai, Koi Kanjarkhana Nahi'. They stopped bhangra immidiately.

One should have guts to stop such bad things. Only complaint letters do nothing.

[AK-47]

Good idea sher, i always wondered myself why the naamdharis were there, i think last year they had a float which even had a picture of their presnt guru on it?!

anyway mela's are obviously going to have dancing etc, its the 'punjabi' culture as people percieve it today. But dancing on a nagar keertan is taking the biscuit really.

later on the same day in southall almost before the nagar keertan had ended there were around 20/30 guys dancing in a circle surrounded by around 15 dhol players and maybe 100 people clapping no more than 20 metres from the gurdwara sahib!

one singh asked them quite nicely to have respect for the nagar keertan and the sangat going into and out of the gurdwara sahib and for the darbar sahib itself. he asked/told them that if they wised to dance please do it in the park, as he was not against them dancing, but its hardly the thing to do during a nagar keertan. Funnily enough the people dispersed, no hassle no trouble nothing.

I think some people just dnt know where the line is, and as with most things the 'punjabi' culture and sikhi is becoming such a confused and cloudy area that they cannot distinguish between the two.

[sher_panjabi]

AKJ_Chandigarh daas did go up to the people doing Bhangra and asked them to kindly stop.

The people doing Bhangra didn't listen and understand started arguing with daas and saying that they are expressing joy. I told them that Guru's joy is not in Bhangra. THey then said to me and two other Gursikhs which joined me that we should stop Granthis from drinking sharaab rather than stopping the 6 or 8 blokes from dancing. - I said that I have never seen a Granthi Singh drink sharaab, one dancer quickly responded, "I have seen a Granthi drunK!!! I poured the sharaab for him myself!" - Wot a plonker!

Worst thing that a Kirtani, who was friends with the Dancers kept defending the dancers and kept pulling me away and said, "bhai sahib, tusi apna kam karo, innaa no rehn dio - eh manmukh han, rehn dio"

bit shocking.

the bhangra people said that for 6 years they have done bhangra with the Gurdwara Parbandhak COmmittee's permission.

So that's why i am writing a letter

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

whoa whoa whoa, you guys in England have Nagar Kirtans with Naamdharis holding banners, yikes, what's going on there, where's the khalsa, I mean it is cool to have songs about the bravery of the khalsa and hold huge swords but what about stopping Naamdharis from holding banners in a nagar kirtan, where is the anakh?

Our people are going soft; singh make sure you mail that letter. Too many sants not enough SANT-SIPAHIS to stop these fools.

[buddasingh]

:TH: :TH: for doing this. It takes little effort from many people to make a difference.

Another suggestion for the letters--- which may be quite important

Address each one directly to a person., president, etc. This way they cannot deflect responsibility for not replying. Since you went through the trouble to write them send them registered mail or whatever method you call it where you have proof that they received the letter.

When you get a copy of the proof, some postal services have it online etc. and you don't get a reply send the copy to the same papers. People have to be accountable in their positions.