Dr Indarjit Priases Darshan Singh Ragi

[Mike Singh]

This is an article from Dr Inderjit So called UK representative of UK sikhs.

Erosion of Sikh Identity -The Enemy Within

Our religion, with its emphasis on balanced and responsible living, tolerance and respect for others, gender equality and social concern, is widely admired and should unite Sikhs wherever we live. Yet all is not well. Never before have we been so muddled about our identity. Some of this confusion arises from outside factors, like the influence of self-seeking sants and babas masquerading as Sikh religious leaders, but much of it lies at our own door.

Malign influence of Sants and Babas

In recent years there has been a mushroom growth in deras, or cult settlements in Punjab led by sants and babas in Sikh garb who peddle easy routes to salvation in return for money and unthinking allegiance. Their siren calls draw in the gullible in their hundreds and thousands. They often openly amass considerable wealth which they freely use to support lavish life styles or buy their way into political power or intimidate those that dare to question their activities. Our Gurus urged us to steer clear of these charlatans.

Never bow down to a person who proclaims himself holy GGS P1245

Our religion teaches us to respect genuine sants or people with a saintly or pious demeanour. So how do we distinguish between the genuine and the fraud? Easy. The true saintly person will never address himself or allow himself to be addressed in self-elevating terms, Those who give themselves long important sounding pretentious titles like those claimed by the gentleman in Hardeep Singh's excellent account in this issue, are best avoided.

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was killed in the attack on the Darbar Sahib in 1984 was a controversial figure in the Sikh community but one comment he made when a fawning follower called him `sant ji', endeared him to many. He rounded on his admirer with the words, `I am not a sant, I am a Singh'; a follower of the Gurus' teachings.

Our Gurus taught that the path of Sikhism is not easy; it requires dedication, discipline and commitment. As in much else of life, we should,

beware of seemingly attractive short cuts in our journey through life.

The Dasam Granth â€" another attempt to erode Sikh identity Following the stirring events of the historic Vaisakhi of 1699, Guru Gobind

Singh felt confident that the infant Sikh community would be able to stand on its own without the guidance of a living Guru. He was also aware that earlier Gurus had faced challenges from false pretenders to the Guruship and that there was always danger of self seekers trying to take Sikhism in a different direction. The Guru, confident that Sikhs now had all the ethical and spiritual guidance necessary to follow the Sikh path, decided to end the line of Gurus with the clear injunction which we repeat after every Sikh service: Saab Sikhan ko hukum hai: Guru Manio Granth

All Sikhs are hereby commanded to follow the teachings of the holy Granth, the repository of the Gurus' teachings, as they would a living Guru.The command is clear and unequivocal. The principles of responsible living enshrined and amplified in the Guru Granth Sahib are complete in themselves and Sikhs should not follow those who claim special powers or insights, or be influenced by writing that seeks to distort the Sikh faith. The injunction of Guru Gobind Singh could not have been clearer, yet incredibly today many Sikhs are not only chasing after false sants and babas but also in an unbelievable rejection of Guru Gobind Singh's clear warning, trying to install the so-called Dasam Granth on a par with the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Dasam Granth was compiled many years after the life of Guru Gobind Singh. It contains some uplifting ethical verses that could possibly have come from the pen of Guru Gobind Singh himself, but it is mostly a collection of Hindu myths and fables interspersed with lewd writings that show women as objects of man's lust. Such writings are totally contrary to Sikh teachings.

Again, one can understand some non Sikhs resentful of independent Sikh teachings wishing to dilute and d istort our religion, but incredibly, the move to diminish the status of the Guru Granth Sahib as the only valid scripture of the Sikhs is being led by Sikh politicians and their stooges in positions of authority in the SGPC. In this they are aided and abetted in India by both some wayward Sikh groups and Hindu extremists. In the UK, their strength lies in a small but highly vocal element of the Sikh community who earlier this year damaged the image of the UK Sikh community with a violent demonstration outside a gurdwara in Southall. to prevent Professor Darshan Singh, a prominent Sikh theologian speaking in favour of Guru Gobind Singh's edict on the primacy of the Guru Granth Sahib.

It is important that every Sikh stands up to condemn these moves to distort Sikh teachings from within. While the vast majority of Sikhs clearly remain true to Guru Gobind Singh's edict, our traditional easy going apathy should not lead to silence on fundamental issues affecting our very identity. As the philosopher and statesman Edmond Burke wrote: `For the triumph of evil it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.'

Dr Indarjit Singh

editorial Sikh Messenger Spring Summer 2010

[GPS]

He is an misinformed person having no knowledge of sikh scriptures. He wrote nonsense about Dasam Granth sahib on another site

learning zone. I countered him with some queries about Dasam Granth sahib.He had no clue about the contents of Dasam Granth sahib.

Then he shut his mouth.

Such apostates are there to spread misinformation.He is self proclaimed sikh leader.He should know that Ragi darshan is excommunicated

person and if this man cares for sikhism he should keep his mouth shut and not disobey akal takhat.

I challenge this man to debate with me about his faulted theory about Dasam Granth. How can this man write about Dasam Grantyh when he does

not know about even contents of Dasam Granth.