The Future Of Gurdwaras In Pakistan

[UKLondonSikh]

Chatanga Paji i totally feel your pain (and the whole Panth feels this pain collectively) at the deliberate destruction of so many Gurdwaray by Punjabi Muslims and loss of our control over so many Gurdwara's in the very land which was very much the original cradle of Sikhi.

However, the following is, briefly, my strongly held opinion about the allocation of resources to unused Gurdwara's in Pakistan.

I feel we shouldn't spend any funds on maintaining the physical shells of empty Gurdwaray in Pakistan. All resources allocated to Sikhi in Pakistan should focus on ensuring maintenance of legal title to the surrounding lands (and preventing trespass) from which an income is garnered from Pakistani tenant farmers and the like. All funds re Pakistan Gurdwara's should be focussed on active Gurdwara's which can actually be used by Sindhi Sikhs and the persecuted Christians (who with some parchaar might become Sehajdhari Sikhs like the Sindhi's). The few tens of thousands of Sikhs that did not leave the Sri Nanakana Sahib area constitute a mere a 0.02% of the Pakistani population ie if you meet 10,000 Pakistani's one might just be a Sikh from near Sri Nankana Sahib. The Khalsa Panth cannot flourish or be expected to amidst such odds with Wahhabism being so popular amongst Punjabi Muslims. Bhatti's Sewa Foundation has his own name as the account holder, of course!

The funds we can save by allocating the minimum of resources to empty Pakistan Gurdwara's and by avoiding pointless yathra's when we have Guru Sahib more locally accessible to us ... should be spent on assisting the downtrodden in India and other poor countries and increasing parchaar for the benefit of Sarbat dha Bhalla.

£100 million can be wasted doing up some empty buildings and making some Punjabi Muslim builders rich as a reward for their ancestors ethnically cleansing our Qaum out of Pakistan ... or we can use the same amount of funds to build educational and healthcare facilities combined with Parchaar for the gareeb in primarily India and sub-saharan Africa.

The differing yield of those two contrasting investments into Sikhi's future are clear cut and I believe we need to cast emotion aside and focus our (limited) resources on what really matters and what can really make a difference.

[chatanga]

Bro, what you say is very true. Its a case of utilising the sangats money for the best. You arent the only person who feels this way, im sure there are many.

For me, in addition to your views, is also one of heritage and histroy, because i have always had a particular attachment to history personally, especially to Sikh history. Now when i read about history, and look at it from a present perspective, it is striking that Sikhs, have not really been effective in maintaining religiously historical places and times. And sometimes i ask what were the Sikhs doing in those days.

Now this is what made me create this topic, the Panth has to make a decision. Quick. Do we want to safeguard and renovate the existing heritage we have in Pakistan, so that in 100 years, the Sikhs will have a actual place they can say, "yes, that is the house of my Guru" or do we want them to wonder what happened to these places, and cast aspersions on the Sikhs who let them crumble.

The Panth, I personaly feel, has made a decision in thought only, that is every time we do Ardas, we ask waheguru for the sewa and sambhal of those places seperated from the Panth. Do we really ask this from Waheguru, or has it just become an empty sentence, devoid of any meaning whatsoever?

The Panth has to act now, to decide whether we still want to ask Waheguru for this. And are we really asking Waheguru for it.

Who knows? When there is a global census amongst the Sikhs that we actively wish to do sewa and sambhal of these places, then the PK govt may grant it. As long as it is mere words, what is going to change?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35729318@N00/3043182233/in/faves-msk_jatt/

[TheFancyBanana]

Get a time machine and go tell that to Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji.

There are 24 million Sikhs in this world. If some of us want to do something, that doesnt stop you from doing something else.

Why would I tell Baba Deep Singh Ji? I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. Just said what my opinion was.

[gurdeepsinghjohal]

I firmly believe that quality education should be provided to Pakistani sikhs which they do not have access to. SGPC should spend some money on them. Make sikh stronger academically you will save more historical Gurdwara.

[chatanga]

Education is a key part of the strategy, but then how would a very limited number of Professors save and run these gurdwaras?

What kind of education are you talking about? western or gurmat?

[HSD2]

Why would I tell Baba Deep Singh Ji? I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. Just said what my opinion was.

I dont know, you just seem very fond of sticking words in people's mouths.

[gurdeepsinghjohal]

Education in both terms.

Professional education is must.

Gurmat all sikhs should be aware of it.

[chatanga]

im interested gsj. kindly expand on your thoughts.

[gurdeepsinghjohal]

I have read an interview of sikh he was first medical professional from Pakistan.

He said in his interview there are no or very less opportunities for sikhs for professional courses.

SGPC can help Pakistan Gurdwara Management committee to set up education centers.

Money needs to be diverted towards setting school, colleges etc. for the sikhs of Pakistan.

[Jonny101]

Who knows? When there is a global census amongst the Sikhs that we actively wish to do sewa and sambhal of these places, then the PK govt may grant it. As long as it is mere words, what is going to change?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35729318@N00/3043182233/in/faves-msk_jatt/

how did that haveli of our finest general turn into a Madrassa?