Important Critical Article On Khalistan Movement By Cynthia Mahmood

[dalsingh101]

This piece is less well known than her famous book 'Fighting for faith and nation'. It was original put out in 1998.

I think it is important reading because it provides a critical view of the movement from a non-hostile source, the famous anthropologist Cynthia Mahmood.

Well worth a read by political conscious Sikhs, especially in terms of how things may have changed since the original publication.

[VanHelsingh]

Which book is the above from, Dalsingh? (Or is it an academic paper?)

[dalsingh101]

Which book is the above from, Dalsingh? (Or is it an academic paper?)

It's from the IOSS periodical. I've attached a pic of the cover.

[VanHelsingh]

It's also an article that highlights the human rights abuses meted out by the Indian government on Sikhs. A good read.

[Singh559]

Nice

[dalsingh101]

Looking back, one thing that was a negative of the movement was the insularity mentioned in the article. People didn't seem to realise the importance of outside PR, and the GOI did, and did all they could to slander the movement. Also later people with dubious discipline seem to have joined up for the wrong reasons - this mixed with the actions of 'black cat' infiltrators alienated the general Sikh public.

I imagine it must be quite hard for some younger readers to fully grasp a time without the digital communication technology we take for granted today. Had it been around then, the truth (on all sides) would have been easier to establish.

[VanHelsingh]

Looking back, one thing that was a negative of the movement was the insularity mentioned in the article. People didn't seem to realise the importance of outside PR, and the GOI did, and did all they could to slander the movement. Also later people with dubious discipline seem to have joined up for the wrong reasons - this mixed with the actions of 'black cat' infiltrators alienated the general Sikh public.

I imagine it must be quite hard for some younger readers to fully grasp a time without the digital communication technology we take for granted today. Had it been around then, the truth (on all sides) would have been easier to establish.

This was so difficult to prevent from happening. You would have to have a severely closed (and on the verge of paranoia) movement to stop saboteurs and general trouble-makers from joining. People would be jumping at shadows and looking at their fellow Singh and wondering whose side he was really on. I don't envy that kind of atmosphere at all, and I'd doubt anything would be achieved in that kind of environment.

The problem is it would require the leader of the movement to survive for as long as possible in order to galvanise the other fighters - and scare a few of the others into compliance by not pursuing their own vendettas. If there's no figurehead you'd get people getting up to all sorts and nobody would be present to refute any of it. It would require huge discipline and organisation on an unprecedented scale.

[dalsingh101]

This was so difficult to prevent from happening. You would have to have a severely closed (and on the verge of paranoia) movement to stop saboteurs and general trouble-makers from joining. People would be jumping at shadows and looking at their fellow Singh and wondering whose side he was really on. I don't envy that kind of atmosphere at all, and I'd doubt anything would be achieved in that kind of environment.

The problem is it would require the leader of the movement to survive for as long as possible in order to galvanise the other fighters - and scare a few of the others into compliance by not pursuing their own vendettas. If there's no figurehead you'd get people getting up to all sorts and nobody would be present to refute any of it. It would require huge discipline and organisation on an unprecedented scale.

Funny I was reading Sun Tzu's Art of war recently and he was saying something similar. I think many Panjabis on our side of the border generally struggle with discipline and restraint myself, Not only in restraint and leaving things that are bad for them (i.e. drink and drugs) but also because of this sort of independent spirit we have, which is a blessing and a curse.

The problem with infiltration and sellouts is a long standing one. Even the Ghadars in WW1 got grassed up by an apna.

Personally I think for most apnay, when it comes to a choice between getting a big boast in status and resources from outsiders over patriotism to your own people - the selfish option is the one that usually wins out.

[garch]

how refreshing to read a well balanced and even minded discussion..

sorry to go off subject (i only replied to keep the subject high up discussion page)

hope the ill-disciplined and restraint lacking penji's/paaji's fight the urge to chuck there "talibanesque" ideology on here

[GuptUnknown]

how refreshing to read a well balanced and even minded discussion..

sorry to go off subject (i only replied to keep the subject high up discussion page)

hope the ill-disciplined and restraint lacking penji's/paaji's fight the urge to chuck there "talibanesque" ideology on here

Describe "talibanesque" please.