Where Are Our Intellectuals?

[Sherdil]

The Sikh nation has no shortage of professors and doctors that love to analyze Sikh philosophy, history, society, politics, etc. They aren't shy about giving their opinion on how Sikhs fit into the world, or their criticism of certain aspects of Sikh and non-Sikh society. Some of their thoughts are quite insightful, while some make you cringe. Many of them are outspoken critics of the Indian government. They have come to defend against the tarnishing Sant ji's name, and many have lead us to introspective discussions to re-discover the beauty of Sikhi. However, where do they disappear to when we need them to lead? Where are they hiding now? The "uneducated" people that they look down upon are the ones marching and dying in the streets. They are the ones who look after the gurdwaras and do seva for the community. The intellectuals will surely give their analysis when the bodies have piled up and the carnage is over, BUT WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

[Raju]

More important question is where are the Sikh PROs (Public Relations Officers). Where are the savvy Sikhs who can interact with the media and create a positive impression.

Why are not Sikhs and Sikh groups seen to be coordinating with other minority communities in India. Where are the Sikh representatives visiting other minority groups and churches and mosques highlighting their plight and the true situation in Punjab. Why are Sikhs unable to cultivate foreign media into highlighting their plight.

Where is the Sikh media cell which can coordinate media strategy ?

Why are not more Sikhs being trained to take up jobs in media especially in the west and not only take up jobs for jobs sake but also with a view to endorse the Sikh narrative without looking openly biased. Youth have to be trained en masse for this and there has to be a certain strategy so as to not make these young guys look slanted/biased.

What this means is that in absence of a comprehensive plan all that there is in name of a political support structure is Badal & Akali Dal. The very guys everyone hates. What a ridiculous situation is this ?

[VanHelsingh]

More important question is where are the Sikh PROs (Public Relations Officers). Where are the savvy Sikhs who can interact with the media and create a positive impression.

Why are not Sikhs and Sikh groups seen to be coordinating with other minority communities in India. Where are the Sikh representatives visiting other minority groups and churches and mosques highlighting their plight and the true situation in Punjab. Why are Sikhs unable to cultivate foreign media into highlighting their plight.

Where is the Sikh media cell which can coordinate media strategy ?

Why are not more Sikhs being trained to take up jobs in media especially in the west and not only take up jobs for jobs sake but also with a view to endorse the Sikh narrative without looking openly biased. Youth have to be trained en masse for this and there has to be a certain strategy so as to not make these young guys look slanted/biased.

What this means is that in absence of a comprehensive plan all that there is in name of a political support structure is Badal & Akali Dal. The very guys everyone hates. What a ridiculous situation is this ?

This is what worries me from a UK perspective as well. Sikh youth (with an awareness of Sikh issues) in the age brackets of 16 - 21 are falling by the wayside. Instead of having clear goals and objectives to attain professional status in whichever field they choose, they just aren't reaching those levels where they can compete with their white, middle-class peers - and more importantly their Hindu peers. There's the odd handful here or there but most of the youth I've seen in my life seem content to almost revel in the underclass status, i.e. the outsider, as if mainstream, professional life is somehow too good for them and they'd prefer the life of the Sant-Sipahi but without any genuine brahmgyan and certainly no plans to become a Sipahi outside of the skirmishes of youth.

If they aspire to be dictated to by a system that thinks of them as ne'er do wells - in countries where they have the freedom to FULLY change their lot in life (unlike Panjab) - then that's what will happen. Look at the disenfranchised Muslim youth up and down the cities of England. Now, they've got a reason to hate the system and complain at every turn about how nobody listens to them. That's why they're (some not all) hanging around gyms all day or loitering on street corners trying to think of ways to make some money. Is that the kind of street cred our youngsters want? A dead-end life and scraping by at every opportunity?

Sometimes I think they see the rebellious attitude of Muslim youth, and despite the natural enmity between both groups, I actually think - in a perverse way - certain sections of our youth - from humble backgrounds - admire them for their bravado and fierce loyalty to their faith, and thus aspire to behave with the same disregard for "the system" and other representations of it.

Our youngsters need to realise that self-improvement, education and professionalism are not dirty words. You won't become a pappu or a sell-out if you aspire to escape the limitations (perceived or otherwise) of your culture and background. Being loyal and proud of one's faith - and adhering to it's tenets - doesn't mean you have to compensate for it by not trying hard to attain - some might say - an education and the associated rewards of a western society. That is one of the reasons contributing to Sikhs not being heard and us being thought of us nutters and militants akin to Islamic extremists.

I mean, if the future of the panth is important to the individual concerned and he / she really does want to contribute something of note to it's advancement, then you need to step forward and come out fighting, figuratively speaking of course. Some of our people get educated, get the status and rewards and then completely go the other way and neglect the Sikhi aspect of their lives.

If you are fortunate enough to get to a stage in life where you can make a difference, make the change for Sikhi. Forget the iPhones, iPads, the BMWs, the Mercs, the 6 bedroom houses and expensive meals out with a pretty, fair-skinned wife and your pale-skinned kids that your mother coos over. Drop this nouveau-riche propensity to overspend on weddings and show your wealth in such flagrantly obscene ways. Do IT for the benefit of the quom and nothing else.

If not, there's many thousands of Sikh families who have fallen into the trap of maya and you'll just be another drop in an ever expanding ocean of lost souls who COULD'VE made a difference, but are abusing the gifts Waheguru has blessed them with.

Sorry for the rambling post. It wasn't planned and as such covered a few areas possibly without making sense. Before anyone asks I'm trying to get my own life on track and I'm certainly taking my own medicine as it were. So no hypocrisy on my part! :biggrin2:

[Raju]

Will come to your points later. But regarding the public relations void, just look at the LTTE and their activists in the west and how they have created so much pressure upon Sri Lanka just through media and social activism. It is just their military wing that has been eliminated, but their media cell and their pressure groups in the west are still as strong as ever.

Sikhs need to create a proper support structure within India and outside before they go ballistic at Govt of India, who gets away even with a totally ridiculous police policies in the state and baiting Sikhs with some loony unhinged shiv sena types. A lot of preparatory field-work has to be done before launching a full-fledged movement.

If you look at the Sikhs during Ranjit Singh era, they were also superior strategists than their contemprories during that era and thus their success. There has to be a certain evolution of strategy in order to succeed, and the strategy that we adopt changes with the era and time we live in though the basic objectives remain.

Seeing the repeatition of the old tactics used by the Govt of Punjab to control Sikh unrest underlines a certain contempt with which they are treating the entire issue of Sikh disenfranchisement, which shows like nothing else that Sikhs haven't evolved in their strategy, they have stopped growing, and those opportunists who stand by the wayside can now even smell it. It's said that it has come to this, because after Ranjit Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, and Nalwa followed by the British, there isn't a visionary who can lead the Sikhs into a position where they have the upper hand in any bargain. Sikhs do not need those with a suicide mentality, they need someone who can help the community into a position of strength given the circumstances.

[panthicunity]

I am 35 have double masters and am currently studying SGGS , once I am past halfway will start prachar !!

I consider myself an intellectual and recognize that das has been tasked to lead the sikh panth ....

Sikhs of the day are neither sants nor sipahis . I will endavour to restore both these aspects

(i) We need to start studying and incorporating Guru Maharaj in our daily lives ... currently we limit ourselves to matha tek, sukhasan, chavar , parikarma etc ... making sikhs the worst idolators in the world

Going from Shabad Guru to Pustak Guru is the reason of our decline and lack of avastha

(ii) Sikhs need to be very proficient in both contemporary and modern arms , we need to learn besides gatka othe martial arts like kung fu, get gun licenses and practise in firing ranges, join Army reserves , Indian sikhs can use legally allowed and deadly weapons like crossbows

(iii) WE need to remember to be paropkari - guru arjan dev said mithy tan nahi paropkari - get hindu/ muslim child laborers from factories/restaurants and get them into schools (make them sikhs - teach them gurmat sangeet and martial arts)

(iv) Become part of political process , create a party and win the democratic mandate by winning support of marginalised groups like dalit sikhs, biharis , muslims , christians ... If we have a real panthic govt we can get all jujharoo singhs out and throw the guilty police officals like saini, kp gill, alam, sandhu behind bars

Let me know what do you guys think ....

[JSinghnz]

All the best to you, my intellectual brother.

Make sure you walk your talk and do your utmost for the

glory of the Panth.