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Why Is This Allowed?


ms514
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Sat Sri Akal:

A long while back, I wrote my concerns regarding the printing of Gurbani in newspapers. The response was luke-warm at best, with some saying that this may inspire people to read Gurbani. I e-mailed an editor of one of the newspapers and he gave me a similar story. Well, I present it again and please do present your views.

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Gurbani has been given the utmost of respect in the Sikh religion. The Guru Granth Sahib is regarded by the Sikhs as the Guru of the Sikh faith and is thus treated with the highest of regard. Each an every verse of the Guru Granth Sahib is considered a priceless treasure. Even the Gurus showed the utmost respect of Gurbani by never sitting at the level of Gurbani and giving it the status of Guru before Guru Gobind Singh Ji formalized it in 1708. To this day, Sikhs consider Gurbani the guiding essence of the Sikh religion, seeing Gurbani as the word of the Guru.

Thus it is a rude shock to see that the very religion which is supposed to treat Gurbani with the highest of respect and regard make a mockery of it every week. This is done in the form of newspapers. Not a week goes by where a religious or personal function is not headed by a line of Gurbani or Ik Onkaar Satgur Parsad, let alone the Fateh blessed to the Sikh Panth by the Tenth Master. This is particularly prevalent around the time of Gurpurabs, in which the advertisers, assumingly to show how religious they are, present ads of their businesses in the paper with Gurbani printed all over their ads. Now is this really all that bad? Should one not be happy that Gurbani is being shared with others and others are gaining enlightenment from reading such verses?

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This is how most of the newspapers of the world end up. Is this where Guru Sahib should be seated by the Sikhs? In Gurudwaras, Guru Sahib is treated as the King, with a royal dress and the three representations of an empreor, namely the Chaur Sahib (flywisk), the Thakt (the throne) and the Chhattar (the canopy). Here we have the same Gurbani that is given the supreme respect sitting in the trash next to Almighty knows what other trash. Is this how Gurbani should be treated? If someone was to take an Ang of Guru Sahib or of a Gutka Sahib, rip it out and throw it into the trash, Sikhs would seek the highest form of punishment. And yet behavoir such as printing Gurbani in newspapers which end up in the trash is perfectly acceptable?

Some maybe saying, "Come on, what is this guy ranting about?" Have a look at this if you would be so kind:

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That is verses from Bhagat Ravidaas Sahib from ONE article in ONE newspaper. It was removed from the following page and left behind the gaps you see (forgive the quality...webcam is not the best):

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Consequently, this same newspaper weekly prints one hukamnama and one verse of Sukhmani Sahib. So I did a count of how many I have retrieved from the newspapers since I found out about this. The number is a sickening 65+ hukamnamas and Sukhmani Sahib pauris. 65 hukams from the Guru. Would you ask the Guru to sit in the trash while uttering Gurbani even once? Thousands of these newspapers are printed weekly and some sit on floor of the very Gurudwaras in which Guru Sahib is given the highest of respect or in shops on the floor...is this not a supreme form of hypocrisy? Is Gurbani not Gurbani? Sangat Ji, this is not even counting the Ik Onkaar Sat Gur Parsad and the Fateh...which are printed 3+ times every week...and that is ONE newspaper. Other newspapers do the same thing. Think of how many hukamnamas, Sukhmani Sahib pauris, and Gurbani verses have ended up in the trash.

What is going on in this world? Has Gurbani merely become an advertising slogan to announce your business or the birth of a child? Has the Gurbani, to which Guru Arjun Sahib sat at a lower level and Guru Gobind Singh Ji passed on the Guruship become so cheap? What is the point of treating Gurbani with so much respect in Gurudwaras when that same Gurbani is printed on material that is thrown out weekly.

Gurbani has been written for the benefit of the world, but the Sikhs have the added responsibility of being its caretaker. The Sikhs have defended the Guru from countless harms and Guru Sahib even composed the verse stating that it was because of the Sikhs that the Guru has his throne (In Hi Ki Kirpa...). Shall those same Sikhs now dethrone the Guru by butchering and tossing those limbs of the Guru in the garbage? Why does the Sikh community allow such rampant disrespect of the Guru week in and week out?

I leave you to ponder this. I have said what I wanted to say...now it is up to the Sikhs to decide what they want to do. Whatever is done, I hope it is done with the same respect and tactful behavior that the Gurus taught the Sikhs, not rash anger and without any control.

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veerji im quite upset to hear that our sikhis show gurbani so little respect.

and its all well that you've shared this with us, im grateful, bt wot can we do about it? is there any way of putting a stop to it?

can we write into the papers and say gurbani shouldnt be printed? will they listen to us?

becoz i cnt see much more that we cn do, we cnt travel the world and tell each individual not to thrown newspapers into bins and etc becz well most people wud b lyk well 'y not? wt am i gona do wid thousands of papers?' people wont see the logic of burning it (cremation)

if u have an idea of putting an end to this paap please let us know and we will support u in making those words into actions, becz if we do nofink about it we are being jst as paapi by not defending our guru's bani

bul chuk maf

wjkk wjkf

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Sat Sri Akal:

What can be done? Sharing this with other Sikhs to build awareness. Fight media with media...use media channels available to bring attention to this matter. Let the Sikhs realize what is happening. Then, let a consensus build as to what to do. Then do it.

That is what can be done...the question is who would be the newspaper to do it...

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This is a tough one. Since almost every newspaper is bound to have some Gurbani in it, it becomes very dificult to agan-bhet (cremate) every punjabi newspaper.

I've seen very well made sikhi posters which haven't used any Gurbani.

Perhaps a compromise would be if they use Roman script transliterated Gurbani? not sure about even this option.

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