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Intellectuals Mull over
Whither Went Sovereignty?
Dr. Amrik Singh
 THE
operation Blue Start of June 1984 created turmoil in Sikhs’
relationship with the Indian nation state. If 9/11 attack on twin
towers rocked the whole world especially the western, in the same
way Indian military raid on Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
precipitated an upheaval in Sikhs’ socio-political world.
These were the
views expressed by Ajmer Singh author of two books on the twentieth
century polity of the Sikhs. While defending his argument in his
famous book Whither went Sovereignty?, Ajmer Singh asserts
that June, 1984 was a defining chapter in the history of the
estranged community.
The Sikh
Information Center arranged a discussion on his books in the new
conference hall of West Sacramento Sikh Gurudwara on January 12.
About a hundred members of the community and dozens of intellectuals
debated the position taken by the author.
Dwelling on two
Sikh holocausts and four invasions on Harmandir Sahib in eighteenth
century, Ajmer Singh distinguished the operation Blue Star
relatively as a highly organized incursion to devastate the whole
community. According to the author, it has become necessary to
analyze the situation after Blue Star as it has been eating into the
vitals of the community. The failure to do so by Sikh
intelligentsia, he said, created a sense of doubt, confusion and
divisiveness. Picking up an analogy from the primaries for the US
presidential election, he said that Hillary Rodham Clinton’s tear
droplets could be both interpreted as her pain for the country or
merely a pretext to win the election. Similarly, he welcomed
different interpretations of his arguments ruling out the
singularity of opinions.
The paradigmatic
shift produced by June, 1984 will render conceptual structures of
previous knowledge as redundant. The author emphatically asserted
that Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale stood by what he preached. His
insistence on shaping Sikh identity raised awareness among Sikhs for
a life of freedom and dignity. The resounding victory of Congress in
parliamentary election in 1985 was predicated on what happened in
Amritsar. The Indian nation acquired a new Hindutva identity by
making Sikhs as scapegoats. Multi-national character of the Indian
state was compromised.
Ajmer Singh upheld
that Sikhs are a separate nation. Though it cannot be denied that
they mostly came from Hindus, however, they are a generation apart
in their beliefs. The strength of Hindu Varna system can never be
the backbone of Sikh theological view. Brahmanical attitude maybe
tolerant, yet when challenged, can unleash violence.Sikhs have a
right to differ with the mainstream Hindu thought and seek their
emancipation from its subjugating structures.
Ajmer Singh said
that there is a hidden genocidal impulse in the Hindu belief system
and congratulated the Sikh community for rejecting it. He pointed
out that even when Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had slightly hinted at
direct action, even then the majority of the Sikhs used restraint
and did not participate in any civil strife. After the assassination
of Mrs. Indira Gandhi while Sikhs were targeted in
Delhi and other cities, Sikhs in
Punjab did not
fight in streets. However, he regretted that Sikhs became
instruments of evil design during partition riots. Ajmer Singh
expressed his horror had Sikh militancy succeeded in wresting power
as disorganized and devoid of Sikh vision it had been.
In the ensuing
discussion, Baldev Singh who often writes for
www.sikhspectrum.com,
applauded Ajmer Singh for holding on to his arguments. Wadhava Singh
argued that Sikhs were being attacked indirectly through the agency
of people like Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Gurdial Singh argued that Sikhs
would remain a part of Hindus so long they believed in caste
system. The curse of the caste would reverse any progress made by
them. He pointed out to the deterioration in morals. He was,
however, skeptical about any improvement in the near future.
While answering
questions raised by the audience, Ajmer Singh asked why no Dalit was
ever allowed to contest from a general quota seat? Sikhs should
have created such examples to get rid of the century old caste
system. Dr. Amrik Singh referred to some of the questions raised by
Dr. Jaspal Singh in his review of Ajmer Singh’s books in
www.southasiapost.org.
He also commented that Sikhs had not yet fully understood the
colonialism that was mainly responsible for their subjugation. In
the modern times, they have to grasp the process of globalization
and their transnational identity to fully integrate into the
postmodern societies. Sarbjit Singh sought clarifications on Sikhs’
observance of caste system and their failure to extricate themselves
from its morass. Gurbakshish Singh of “India Spices” also raised
interesting questions. Bhajan Singh Bhinder ably conducted the
proceedings.
West Sacramanto Gurudwara President Balbir Singh Dhillon,
Revered Wadhawa Singh Gill, trustee Dr. Onkar Singh Bindra and Mrs.
Bindra, Dr. Pargat Singh Hundal, S. Kuldeep Singh, Er. Jatinder
Singh Hundal, Bhai Ranjit Singh and associates were some of the
prominent personalities among the audience.
16 January 2008
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