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Let’s
define Sikhism
Gurdit Singh Kang
I was wonder struck to read in the
World Sikh News the other day that the Akal Academy at Cheema
in Sangrur District in Punjab has forced its non-Sikh students to
wear turbans. Such intolerance and persecution of children is
against the letter and spirit of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. Under
these circumstances, we need to define Sikhism. As a matter of fact,
Sikhism is not a religion in the nearest sense of the word. It is a
way of life free from fanaticism, fundamantalism, intolerance, and
discrimination of any kind. Liberalism towards all other religions
is forward example of its Secularism.
Guru Nanak Dev ji and other Gurus
never allowed any discrimination towards any religion of their time.
Their concept was
 (All
humans have one and the same religion).
The Sikhs, at the end of their
prayer, seek the welfare of all without an exception. Even the
non-believers are not excluded.
The Holy Guru Granth Sahib contains
the sacred words of six Gurus and an many as 36 Saints, who came
from various castes, classes and races. The saints were Hindus,
tailors, water carriers, barbers etc.
Again Guru Gobind Singh ji was
pleased to create the Khalsa in 1699 where he baptized the 'FIVE
BELOVED'. They included a Khatri, a jat, a tailor, a water carrier
and a barber. They were told that after taking Amrit, they had
become brothers and their past castes and races had ceased to have
anything to do with them.
In the presence of such a liberal
history of Sikhism, why did the Akal Academy of Cheema resort to
force the non-Sikh students to wear a turban.
The Sikh leaders as a whole, and the
Akal Academy authorities in particular, must bear in mind that the
that Sikhism knows no fanaticism, discrimination and sectarianism
etc.
18
June,
2008
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