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Faith-less Controversy
Jagmohan Singh
 The
official slogan for the tercentenary celebrations of Guruship of Sri
Guru Granth Sahib loudly proclaims, “300 Saal –Guru de Naal” (300
Years With The Guru). After three hundred years of veneration of
Guru Granth Sahib, can we go wrong? Can we go astray? Is there any
sense in diverting the route which we have followed with the Guru?
It is
distressing that scholar after scholar is entering into an
unnecessary debate between Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth. Till
date, the World Sikh News has consciously stayed away from such
squabbling which is taking a heavy toll of the trust and faith of
the community’s religious and political ideology. A sizeable number
of academic scholars and young activists are engaged in putting the
cart before the horse and reinventing the wheel of Sikh religious
ethos. Unable to catch the bull by its horns, the Jathedars of the
Takhts have locked horns with each other, maiming the religious
fervour of the devout and courting controversy without offering any
solution.
With every
passing day, we are going further away from reaching a solution.
Petty political wrangling and a word-war are fast replacing
reasoning and logic. The contours of religious faith are being
questioned at the altar of a new interpretation of the essence of
Sikhism and in many cases of Sikh history too.
World Sikh News
believes that it is time to cry halt. As a run-up to the
celebrations of Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib, we should devote all
attention to propagation of the unique concept of the Word as the
Guru amongst the Sikhs and others. Each member of the Sikh nation
should relive his commitment to Guru Granth Sahib by following the
campaign of reading and interpreting at least one page a day of Sri
Guru Granth Sahib. Perhaps, there is no other way to reinforce than
this.
Sikhs rightfully
subscribe to the view that they are uniquely blessed in having the
original works of their Gurus, particularly the Sri Guru Granth
Sahib. No article, no logic, contrary to the letter and spirit of
Guru Granth Sahib is or will be acceptable to the Sikhs. It is for
the Sikhs themselves to defeat all attempts by forces inimical to
the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib.
We appeal to all
those concerned to put a full stop to all controversy regarding the
basic tenets of Sikhism. We have a large number of problems to
confront and we will be better off without this one. Instead of
looking for scapegoats and allowing our tribal instincts to create
any serious schism within the Sikh fold, we should cease all
faithless controversy.
Guru Granth
Sahib is the living embodiment of the teachings of the Ten Gurus.
Guru Granth Sahib is the present Guru of the Sikhs. It is the Guru
of the Sikhs for all times to come. Everything else is a semantic
exercise beyond the realm of the true ethos of Sikhism.
As for the more
pedantic debates, most of which are meant only for the abstruse,
they can be conducted in a far less charged atmosphere in better and
more appropriate times. At a time when the Sikh Nation is facing a
crisis, let us not put the limited energies, resources and scholarly
initiatives into a bottomless pit. The ongoing debate has now
reached a level where it is impossible for either side to reach an
understanding through seminars, workshops, and debate through the
media channels. It is time to pull back, and save the Nation from
toppling over the brink into a fratricidal war. There may be good
men on either side of this
Mason-Dixon
line. We need them all.
Khalsa Ji, we
have other enemies, other concerns, other objectives too. This
Vaisakhi, let us resolve not to fight the other Khalsas.
16
April 2008
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