Dreaming Of Unity

[AK-47]

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa Vaheguru ji ki fateh

Ekta is a word which along with panthic is thrown around a lot.

I say this with no disrespect to those who are arranging kirtan programmes and inviting people from different groups or people doing other similar events, but I feel this needs to be said. On a completely results only basis, how much do these events actually help? Do they actually create unity, or just highlight the fact that despite us looking the same, there are jathebandia differences between us?

Having attended and seen these events over the last few years, if im honest I dont think there was much ekta created. This may just be my own personal opinion, but thats my honest observation. People turn up, listen to/do kirtan and go home. If you asked most of the kirtanis to attend any event organised by anyone, they would probably still attend. So calling different ones to one programe, doesnt mean a great deal. The kirtanis very very rarely represent their 'group' they just happen to be associated from one rather than another and have little influence over people (sad but true). People also feel that they need to turn up, as if they dont, they will be seen as anti panthic/anti ekta but they dont really want to. Again, not nice, but its the truth.

The people who have influence, or who make decisions regarding jathebandia are the ones that need to be doing something to create unity. Yet these people will rarely meet. Going to a 'sanjha samgam' and then going home and still cussing each other achieves nothing. And as I said, on a results basis, I see no increase in the levels of unity over the last few years. If anything things have got worse and worse.

Creating unity will not be done by organising kirtan darbars, sorry to say. If people use the example of Sant Kartar Singh Ji and the AKJ doing progs together then we need to stop and see what these events where. They were an EXPRESSION of solidarity, an EXPRESSION of unity, an EXAMPLE of brotherhood. I do not believe that they were to create unity, i belive that unity was already there. To create unity means having difficult conversations and coming to agreements over disagreeing over certain issues and agreeing on others. It means accepting differences and possibly finding ways around them, or even ignoring them for the beneift of the 'panth'. These extremely difficult conversations and then the even harder job of encouraging others to follow the decisions is perhaps a better way to create unity.

Sometimes we think that a common enemy will unite us against him. But history past and present shows us that this is also not true. We will still align ourselves with our groups and malign others whilst trying to claim ownership over any successful actions.

Creating unity in a people is one of the greatest challenges of mankind. Whether it be in issues of faith (look at how often other religious groups have splits and dont get along), or issues of nationhood (look at the countries we live in, there are people who dont get along, and hate each other, different political parties, diff pressure groups, etc), even families are not united. Unity seems to be a temporary thing usually in the face of adversity, eg unity (to an extent under Sant Ji), unity under Nelson Mandela, unity under Ghenghis Khan even! Once the issue/problem is dealt with, disunity kicks in again.

Sorry once again if this sounds pessimistic and I assure you the purpose is not to say sanjha smagams etc are pointless, but rather to stress that I dont think it is enough to think these will create unity. Recent events have reallly strained things and a kirtan darbar will not solve things. Honest, open, productive, genuine, conversations and dialogue with humility will. But again the pessimist within me doesnt think that will happen any time soon. Ekta is a dream that is a long way off, for now get as much laha from gurbani and kirtan and do ardas if you want, unity wont happen until and if maharajh wants it to.

Sometimes those shouting the loudest for ekta and unity are the ones whispering the quietest about how other groups/jathe are wrong for various reasons.

[PunjabiPredator]

I agree with you on this we really need to educate and have discussions with our own people that is the only way we can become unified as one. We can build probably the biggest Gurdwara but yet we cannot educate our own people or even have discussions with them that can bring them closer to Sikhi. In Todays world we are divided over what happened in 1984, Dasam Granth and Caste and other issues and most sikhs don't know whats right or wrong regarding these issues. We have a Sikh Channel in UK we need more Sikh Channels in more countries and be able to teach Sikhs that don't know about these issues what is wrong and what is right whether its through discussion or educational programming that is the only way we will be united as one.

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa Vaheguru ji ki fateh

Ekta is a word which along with panthic is thrown around a lot.

I say this with no disrespect to those who are arranging kirtan programmes and inviting people from different groups or people doing other similar events, but I feel this needs to be said. On a completely results only basis, how much do these events actually help? Do they actually create unity, or just highlight the fact that despite us looking the same, there are jathebandia differences between us?

Having attended and seen these events over the last few years, if im honest I dont think there was much ekta created. This may just be my own personal opinion, but thats my honest observation. People turn up, listen to/do kirtan and go home. If you asked most of the kirtanis to attend any event organised by anyone, they would probably still attend. So calling different ones to one programe, doesnt mean a great deal. The kirtanis very very rarely represent their 'group' they just happen to be associated from one rather than another and have little influence over people (sad but true). People also feel that they need to turn up, as if they dont, they will be seen as anti panthic/anti ekta but they dont really want to. Again, not nice, but its the truth.

The people who have influence, or who make decisions regarding jathebandia are the ones that need to be doing something to create unity. Yet these people will rarely meet. Going to a 'sanjha samgam' and then going home and still cussing each other achieves nothing. And as I said, on a results basis, I see no increase in the levels of unity over the last few years. If anything things have got worse and worse.

Creating unity will not be done by organising kirtan darbars, sorry to say. If people use the example of Sant Kartar Singh Ji and the AKJ doing progs together then we need to stop and see what these events where. They were an EXPRESSION of solidarity, an EXPRESSION of unity, an EXAMPLE of brotherhood. I do not believe that they were to create unity, i belive that unity was already there. To create unity means having difficult conversations and coming to agreements over disagreeing over certain issues and agreeing on others. It means accepting differences and possibly finding ways around them, or even ignoring them for the beneift of the 'panth'. These extremely difficult conversations and then the even harder job of encouraging others to follow the decisions is perhaps a better way to create unity.

Sometimes we think that a common enemy will unite us against him. But history past and present shows us that this is also not true. We will still align ourselves with our groups and malign others whilst trying to claim ownership over any successful actions.

Creating unity in a people is one of the greatest challenges of mankind. Whether it be in issues of faith (look at how often other religious groups have splits and dont get along), or issues of nationhood (look at the countries we live in, there are people who dont get along, and hate each other, different political parties, diff pressure groups, etc), even families are not united. Unity seems to be a temporary thing usually in the face of adversity, eg unity (to an extent under Sant Ji), unity under Nelson Mandela, unity under Ghenghis Khan even! Once the issue/problem is dealt with, disunity kicks in again.

Sorry once again if this sounds pessimistic and I assure you the purpose is not to say sanjha smagams etc are pointless, but rather to stress that I dont think it is enough to think these will create unity. Recent events have reallly strained things and a kirtan darbar will not solve things. Honest, open, productive, genuine, conversations and dialogue with humility will. But again the pessimist within me doesnt think that will happen any time soon. Ekta is a dream that is a long way off, for now get as much laha from gurbani and kirtan and do ardas if you want, unity wont happen until and if maharajh wants it to.

Sometimes those shouting the loudest for ekta and unity are the ones whispering the quietest about how other groups/jathe are wrong for various reasons.

[Amrit79]

well said

There's no point trying to change the older men and women..It's the youth that need to taught

I learned alot by just visting this site once's or twice a day.

There needs to be more focus on "Sikhi" and not "punjabi" or "Jatt"

[apnepart2]

^

There needs to be more focus on "Sikhi" and not "punjabi" or "Jatt"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJExIkbtt1E

[PunjabiPredator]

There is a point in changing the older men and women because it is mainly the older men and women who play a vital role amongst how there kids turn out and what message is spread to the youth. If the older men and women learn something for example not to follow caste system because of some type of educational documentary then they will spread that message to the younger generation and will advise them to watch and learn this and that about sikhi. We cannot achieve unity if we are just teaching young and forgetting about the old then we will just be dividing between old and young sikhs. I have also learn't alot from sikhsangat but not everyone is as fortunate as you and i and there are alot of sikhs out there that don't have access to the internet or know about sikhsangat. Yeah there needs to be more focus on sikhi but the question is how are we going to achieve that and what needs to be done?

well said

There's no point trying to change the older men and women..It's the youth that need to taught

I learned alot by just visting this site once's or twice a day.

There needs to be more focus on "Sikhi" and not "punjabi" or "Jatt"

[khalistan_zindabaad]

Totally agree, things were getting bad for a few years here, the singhs we all grew up with wouldnt look at each other in the same way as we did a few years ago, recent events have just made it into a dream. Lets just do our own thing now and not bother with each other as theres nothing more left to say, its all out in the open, as they say '' s.h.i.t.s hit the fan''. . . so now its time to watch the game unfold.

Ekta, a brilliant word, may satguru granth sahib jee do kirpa and this word becomes a reality when the jathedaar returns. Like in Maharaja Ranjeet Singhs times, ekta was achieved due to being scared of the Dandaa, maybe that will be required once more.

Satguru Jee Kirpa Karan

[Guest mehtab1singh]

And now who is going to implement his/her own words said above in his/her own real/personal life?

[punjab5]

And now who is going to implement his/her own words said above in his/her own real/personal life?

Actually there is an ekta paltform/structure that exists for Panthic jathebandia's that are campiagning for Sikh Raj-Khalistan. This is the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO). The focus has been to work together on common issues to achieve this goal. Here we have the Various AKJ linked-organisations, i.e. former BK & Government in Exile (Gurmej -former jathedar BK), Dal Khalsa, SF (Taksal linked), Akali Dal - Mann, Khalistan Council.

Despite, a lot of people trying to breakup the FSO, it still exists and is channel for the leadership of these orgaisations to talk to each other. Will try and ask soemone who works with FSO, or is part of the FSO, for their comments and share with all at sikh sangat.

[Matheen]

FSO are a bunch of jokers - most of them know nothing about Sikhi. They were at the anti-Sri Dasam Granth event in Coventry.

[Akaal Purakh Di Fauj]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

To create unity means having difficult conversations and coming to agreements over disagreeing over certain issues and agreeing on others. It means accepting differences and possibly finding ways around them, or even ignoring them for the beneift of the 'panth'. These extremely difficult conversations and then the even harder job of encouraging others to follow the decisions is perhaps a better way to create unity.

Isn’t the ‘agree to disagree’ already the case? If it wasn’t then surely one homogenous group would think itself to be so superior as to legitimize the annihilation of another homogenous group? It’s an extreme example but one which has occurred in group conflicts amongst other religions.

The Marayada of Sri Akaal Thakht Sahib Ji despite its short comings is testament to the compromises different groups of the Panth managed to achieve. Perhaps raising awareness of this Marayada would help people focus on the many similarities between groups as opposed to the few differences.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh