Important : Khushwant Singh Is Being Honored

[Gurpreet Singh]

Vaheguroo Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Ji Ki Fateh!!!

I recently found out from a Singh that Khushwant Singh is being honored by Centennial Foundation. As many of us know Khushwant Singh doesn't even consider sikhism as a distinct religion. He claims that sikhs are keshdhari hindus and in many of his articles, he has insulted mahaan shaheeds of the panth . He also blatantly states that he's a wine lover.

Please Khalsa ji, take some time to contact the Centennial Foundation and let them know that such a person shouldn't be honored as a Sikh. Clearly its a failure to honor someone such as him and give him the status of a role model for our young Sikh brothers and sisters.

Please check link for info on event :

http://www.centennialfoundation.org/2006gala.html

Contact Info :

Parminder Batra

phone: 416-671-7276

Nampreet Singh

phone: 647-668-1040

Email: centennialfoundation@gmail.com

Vaheguroo Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Ji Ki Fateh!!

[Lion(LK)King]

What is he being honoured for?

[Gurpreet Singh]

For being one of the most well known Sikh literary internationally and for his contribution to Sikh Lifestyle ...

[Sabre Sword]

He claims that sikhs are keshdhari hindus and in many of his articles

Wow has he actualy read bani.

everybody who has usual says sikhi is distinct, origional in its form and nothing else like it this world.

[S1ngh]

AHAHAHA.. i don't get it.. why they spend thousands of dollars (at least 40G for this event) and its just to honor some random *FAMOUS* ppls who goes with sikh name but nothing to do with sikhi? These events should be considered as social sikh event. Anyway.. there's my negative review

[Lion(LK)King]

One thing for sure, he did make some solid comments after 84 , about feeling like a jew in germany. Although I disagree with his Sikh-hindu comments which get my blood boiling.

[jss]

he also publicaly called sant jarnail singh and other mahaan shaheeds "thugs"

i have emailed the organizers and was told i was intolerant...personally believe i am very tolerant and acceptimg...except..that i also believe there is a difference between tolerating and honouring somoen as a role model...

i hope others will email them also.

[N30S1NGH]

he also publicaly called sant jarnail singh and other mahaan shaheeds "thugs"

didn't he also mentioned in the bbc documentary of sikhs- bhindranwale did not surrender, he fought back like a "TIGER" ?

I am not sure if he is double minded on sant bhindranwale, or he is just playing hide and seek game and being cynical.

[mann_kaum_layee_qurbaan]

he also publicaly called sant jarnail singh and other mahaan shaheeds "thugs"

didn't he also mentioned in the bbc documentary of sikhs- bhindranwale did not surrender, he fought back like a "TIGER" ?

I am not sure if he is double minded on sant bhindranwale, or he is just playing hide and seek game and being cynical.

151711[/snapback]

i think he is playing politics. The guy lives in delhi so he can't be no bhindrawaale sant-sipahi supporter and the guy is coming to toronto(too many panthic sikhs there) so he can't be too mean to Khalsa sikhs. he's playing a game of survival and it has worked for him for a while now.

[Gurpreet Singh]

These are quoted from an interview he had with Jagpal Singh Tiwana

J.S.T.: What about the statements that suggest that Sikhs are kes-dhari [sporting unshorn hair] Hindus? You yourself wrote in The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 12, 2001) that Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism.

K.S.: That is correct. Sikhs are kes-dhari Hindus. Their religious source is Hinduism. Sikhism is a tradition developed within Hinduism. Guru Granth Sahib reflects Vedantic philosophy and Japji Sahib is based on the Upanishads.

J.S.T.: Those are loaded statements. You could be accused of blasphemy and summoned to the Akal Takht.

K.S.: They don't have the guts to summon me. They only go after the weak and the timid. Why don't they summon Ranjit Singh who claims he is the real jathedar [high priest] of Akal Takht? Pashaura Singh talked to me after appearing before Akal Takhat jathedar. I told him, 'What is the point now? You should have contacted me earlier.' [Pashaura Singh's reaction dated Mar. 21, 2003: 'I did not meet Khushwant after appearing before the Akal Takht. Maybe, Khushwant is confusing me with Dr. Piar Singh. He certainly spoke in Piar's defense on television after Piar was awarded religious penance at the Akal Takht. I had written to Khushwant and many other Sikh scholars in 1993 explaining my point of view regarding the controversy over my doctoral thesis. In fact, Khushwant acknowledged my letter and wished me well. But that was well before my Akal Takht appearance.'] No scholar should be summoned to Akal Takht. Is it a religious place or a kotwali (police station)?

J.S.T.: How do you view the controversy on the Dasam Granth?

K.S.: This area needs more research. No hasty conclusion should be drawn. I must say that I am not as familiar with it as I should be.

J.S.T.: Some say that Singh Sabha scholars distorted Sikh history and tried to cut all links with Hinduism.

K.S.: Partly true. They did not distort Sikh history; they only emphasized, sometimes too greatly, the differences between the new reform movement, i.e. Sikhism, and the old, traditional, and degenerated Hinduism. What they portray as unique to Sikhism, like unity of God, casteless society, etc. were also preached by other Vaishnava bhaktas [saints] of the time.

J.S.T.: Should a mona (non-turbaned) or sahaj-dhari [unorthodox] Sikh have the right to vote in S.G.P.C. elections?

K.S.: Why not? As long as someone declares he or she is a Sikh, that person is a Sikh. He or she should have a right to vote. Sahaj-dharis have been part of the Panth (community) since the very beginning. Now they say only amrit-dhari [orthodox] men can do seva at Harmandar Sahib, but not women, even if they are amrit-dharis. This is not congruent with the Gurus' teachings: maanas kii jaati sabhai ekai pahchaanbo (all humans are equal regardless of caste or creed) [source: Dasam Granth, Akal Ustati, pp. 19, stanza 15/85, line 2; Courtesy: Joginder Ahluwalia, Richmond, California)]. Every Sikh should be allowed to do seva [service], whether amrit-dhari or non-amrit-dhari.

J.S.T.: In your earlier works, you had surmised that Sikhism is a blend of Hinduism and Sufism. However, later, when Hew McLeod's works started appearing, you wrote in the Encyclopedia Britannica that Sikhism is a tradition developed within Hinduism or an extension of the bhakti movement.

K.S.: Yes, McLeod's works did change my ideas on this issue. A scholar must keep an open mind. I, however, do not like his new book, Sikhs of the Khalsa. He has translated rahits

 authored by many insignificant people. Who was this Chaupa Singh to give rahit to the Sikhs? His rahitnama says ridiculous things like how to urinate, where to defecate, never trust a woman, etc. Every nathu khahra (ordinary Joe) cannot write rahit for the Sikhs. It is just like a maulvi [preacher] of that masjid [mosque] (pointing to the east) writing instructions in name of Muhammad.

J.S.T.: What do you think of McLeod's research? Sometimes he is called an agent of G.O.I. or R.S.S. or a Christian missionary out to damage Sikhism.

K.S.: That is nonsense. He is a scholar in search of original documents on Sikh history. He has raised many questions. The onus is on us to supply him with the facts. No, he is honest; a skeptic historian.

J.S.T.: Some people discern a pro-Jat bias in your works. Someone on the Sikh-Diaspora forum (Yahoo! Groups) quoted you as saying, 'Sikhs were nothing before Jats became Sikhs.'

K.S.: I base my opinion on historical evidence. After Guru Gobind Singh's death, Sikh peasantry rose in arms under Banda Bahadur. Then Jats in the Sikh misls [armed groups] fought all through the 18th century to establish Khalsa raj [rule]. Out of the 12 Sikh misls, 9 were headed by Jat chiefs. In this struggle, they made tremendous sacrifices. If one generation was wiped out, the next generation took up arms. Finally, they emerged victorious at the end of the century. Are Tiwanas Jats? Any relation with that Punjabi woman writer?

http://www.sikhtimes.com/bios_021503a.html