Us Sikhs Urge Obama Not To Cancel Amritsar Visit

[Azaad]

Amid reports of US President Barack Obama dropping Amritsar from his itinerary for his coming Indian visit, Sikh diaspora has made an appeal to Obama not to cancel his Amritsar visit over the issue of headgear.

Talking to The Tribune on phone from the US, American Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Dr Pritpal Singh said, “In view of the news reports emanating from India regarding cancellation of the President Obama’s Amritsar visit, we gave a representation to the department of state affairs here yesterday, urging him to visit the Golden Temple as it will send a good message to the entire Sikh community.”

He said they had also clarified that though covering the head was mandatory, it was not important with what you cover it with. At the same time, he also dubbed the reports of Amritsar being dropped from Obama’s itinerary as “mere speculations” while stating that there was no official word in the US regarding it.

Hoping that Obama will understand the sentiments of Sikhs, he said the US President’s visit to the Golden Temple would help Sikhs overcome the problems relating to mistaken identity to a large extent.

Back home, noted Sikh lawyer HS Phoolka felt that if the news reports were true, then the US authorities were undermining the intelligence of their citizens, who, they think, could not differentiate between two religions. He said if a head of the state visited a holy place like the Golden Temple, it certainly added to the stature of a community. Replying to a query over the mistaken identity, he, however, said even if Obama didn’t visit Amritsar, it would not come as a jolt to the Sikh community as most of the people now know the difference.

Meanwhile, SGPC chief Avtar Singh today said though he hadn’t received any information in this regard, if the holy city figured in the American President’s schedule, he should definitely visit the Golden Temple.

[Mehtab Singh]

What have we become? This is utterly shameful! Sahib Siri Guru Nanak Dev Jee Maharaj called Baabar a jaabar, and here we are literally begging a worldly ruler to visit our Gurughar that has the utmost reverence in our hearts? We are depending on Obama to raise awareness about Sikhs in the world? The world’s so-called largest democracy, i.e. India, has a Sikh prime minister who happens to be the most educated head of state in the world. If that couldn’t make the world aware about Sikhs, please tell me how will this help? He has security issues at Siri Darbaar Sahib? A place where there is 24/7 pehra of Shaheed Faujjaan? He has issues about covering his head as people will perceive him as a Muslim? Wasn’t he a Muslim before? So what is the problem? He fears his image will be affected? Hasn’t the US economy spoiled the image already? And we are begging him to visit? A person who holds his image higher than visiting Siri Harmander Sahib, we are pushing him to visit? His schedule is still not finalized, and we have started pestering him already to please please please visit Siri Harmander Sahib. If it’s in his karams, he will come. If not, then it’s his fate. Let’s have some anakh! Few years ago Singhs were invited to the White House, but later asked to come without their kirpaans. The Singhs refused and chose not to go. Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Jee Khalsa Bhindranwale said Indira can come here if she wants to talk, I won’t go to Delhi. If she wants, she can come. He never requested her to come. He left it to her, and he maintained the GurSikhi anakh. Why are we begging Obama to come? How will his coming make any difference is what I am really interested to know. Yes, we can and should encourage him to come, but NOT beg. If he comes, the whole world will see him on TV standing with Singhs in dastaars and khullay daaRay, which will be amazing. How will that earn the Sikhs extra respect anywhere in this world? People are laughing at us that we are buttering him to come. If he comes, we will rejoice, and they will laugh at us as if Obama did us a favor by coming. We should NOT beg him, we should NOT make ANY compromise as far as covering the head is concerned. The Mughal empire was among the most powerful in the world, and Akbar was an emperor who had the most glory among all the Mughal emperors. Yet even he had to come and sit as a commoner in the Sangat and have Langar. Why should we make an exception today? Is our self-respect dead? I feel ashamed!

Please forgive me if I sound stupid or arrogant. I am just disgusted by this kind of attitude. We failed at educating the Sikh youth about our Shaheeds which is evident at the rise in patitpuna and drugs in Punjab. We failed to educate the world about 1984 and till today that carnage is called “riots”. We failed to tell the world that our Shaheeds were not terrorists but revolutionaries. We failed to bring to justice those politicians who killed, burnt, and raped our people. But guess what, in order to raise awareness about Sikhi, we did a damn good job in placing our hopes in a person who doesn’t want people to feel that he still follows his former religion. Guess what, we did a damn good job in turning our community into a bunch of attention seekers. And guess what, we did one heck of a damn good job is turning our Panth into a marketable commodity which Mr. President is expected to put on sale! Bravo!

Disgusting!

[ikjot]

Right on Mehtab Singh ji, I agree with you 100%. It is just so saddening to see what is becoming of our panth. We are begging these worldly kings to come visit our holiest shrine. It shows how devoid we are of kamayee (Naam Simran, Gurbani abhyass, bibek budh).

Waheguru ji, please do kirpa on us, make us lions again !!!!

[Mehtab Singh]

ਕੋਊ ਹਰਿ ਸਮਾਨਿ ਨਹੀ ਰਾਜਾ ॥ ਏ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਸਭ ਦਿਵਸ ਚਾਰਿ ਕੇ ਝੂਠੇ ਕਰਤ ਦਿਵਾਜਾ ॥

[Azaad]

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene personally at the highest level with the US administration to ensure that US President Barack Obama’s proposed visit to the Golden Temple is not aborted.

“If need be, you may please consider speaking to the President himself,” said Badal in his letter to the PM. President Obama is expected to visit India from November 7 to November 10 and a visit to the Golden Temple was on the itinerary. In a letter to the PM, Badal said there appeared to be some communication gap between Indian and US security agencies on the issue. “The US administration may be reminded that international dignitaries, including the Queen of England, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have paid obeisance at the Golden Temple without any security hassles,” said Badal, adding that Sikhs across the world would be disappointed if President Obama did not visit the Golden Temple.

On the issue of observance of religious decorum (maryada), Badal said the US President would be well-aware of sensitivities involved. “Across the world, when dignitaries visit religious shrines, they are always briefed about the observance of the maryada of the religion concerned and they always respect the sentiments of the followers of that religion. But if there is any misunderstanding on this issue, it can be resolved at the diplomatic level,” the CM added.

[Harjeet]

What have we become? This is utterly shameful! Sahib Siri Guru Nanak Dev Jee Maharaj called Baabar a jaabar, and here we are literally begging a worldly ruler to visit our Gurughar that has the utmost reverence in our hearts? We are depending on Obama to raise awareness about Sikhs in the world? The world's so-called largest democracy, i.e. India, has a Sikh prime minister who happens to be the most educated head of state in the world. If that couldn't make the world aware about Sikhs, please tell me how will this help? He has security issues at Siri Darbaar Sahib? A place where there is 24/7 pehra of Shaheed Faujjaan? He has issues about covering his head as people will perceive him as a Muslim? Wasn't he a Muslim before? So what is the problem? He fears his image will be affected? Hasn't the US economy spoiled the image already? And we are begging him to visit? A person who holds his image higher than visiting Siri Harmander Sahib, we are pushing him to visit? His schedule is still not finalized, and we have started pestering him already to please please please visit Siri Harmander Sahib. If it's in his karams, he will come. If not, then it's his fate. Let's have some anakh! Few years ago Singhs were invited to the White House, but later asked to come without their kirpaans. The Singhs refused and chose not to go. Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Jee Khalsa Bhindranwale said Indira can come here if she wants to talk, I won't go to Delhi. If she wants, she can come. He never requested her to come. He left it to her, and he maintained the GurSikhi anakh. Why are we begging Obama to come? How will his coming make any difference is what I am really interested to know. Yes, we can and should encourage him to come, but NOT beg. If he comes, the whole world will see him on TV standing with Singhs in dastaars and khullay daaRay, which will be amazing. How will that earn the Sikhs extra respect anywhere in this world? People are laughing at us that we are buttering him to come. If he comes, we will rejoice, and they will laugh at us as if Obama did us a favor by coming. We should NOT beg him, we should NOT make ANY compromise as far as covering the head is concerned. The Mughal empire was among the most powerful in the world, and Akbar was an emperor who had the most glory among all the Mughal emperors. Yet even he had to come and sit as a commoner in the Sangat and have Langar. Why should we make an exception today? Is our self-respect dead? I feel ashamed!

Please forgive me if I sound stupid or arrogant. I am just disgusted by this kind of attitude. We failed at educating the Sikh youth about our Shaheeds which is evident at the rise in patitpuna and drugs in Punjab. We failed to educate the world about 1984 and till today that carnage is called "riots". We failed to tell the world that our Shaheeds were not terrorists but revolutionaries. We failed to bring to justice those politicians who killed, burnt, and raped our people. But guess what, in order to raise awareness about Sikhi, we did a damn good job in placing our hopes in a person who doesn't want people to feel that he still follows his former religion. Guess what, we did a damn good job in turning our community into a bunch of attention seekers. And guess what, we did one heck of a damn good job is turning our Panth into a marketable commodity which Mr. President is expected to put on sale! Bravo!

Disgusting!

i agree with this.

[Kharkooartsy]

united sikhs is pissing me off by begging him to visit harimandir sahib.. they need to grow some anakh.. really!! they should be considerate about other sikhs... i am sure they know many people wouldnt agree with how they are tryna get obama to visit harimandir sahib he will visit it if he isnt meant to

we shouldnt ask him to just because we want ignorant americans to know who we are the racist ones will still call us musle or to them it doesnt matter who we are they are gona hate us anyway..!!