thinky-thinky

Wednesday, May 30, 2007
thinky-thinky
Since this sacrilegious act came to light Sikhs all over the World have been seized of the matter.
It’s important to realize how deep this sacrilege has cut into Sikh hearts. Sikhs do not allow anyone to act as their Gurus in movies, documentaries or plays. Why enact no one can even lend his voice as any of our Guru’s voices. So how can Sikhs accept a Dera Chief trying to dress up like Guru Gobind Singh Ji and clone the Amrit ceremony.
Certian sections of Society will not understand the Sikh reponse. Take Hindus , their response will be based on their ow outlook. In Ramleela you have actors acting the role of Ram Chander Ji and in movies actors act the roles of Ram Chander Ji, Shiv Ji and Krishan Maharaj ji. On the other hand Mulsims understand our sentiments because they do not allow any human to act as Prophet Mohammed.
The Dera Chief threw the Dera’s weight behind the Congress in the Punjab State elections. There is no doubt that this did make the Congress win a few seats. There were rumors that the Dera Chief did a ‘sauda’ (deal) with the Congress and he delivered his part of the deal and now Congress was working on getting him off the hook in various heinous cases against the Dera Chief and the Dera.
The CBI has come under severe criticism from the Courts for dragging its feet in the cases against the Dera Chief. Obviously the Congress is trying to deliver on its part of the deal. But seems there was more in this deal.
There is no doubt the Dera Chief would not have dared to publicize the Jaam E Insaan ceremony with himself looking like Guru Gobind Singh had he not got the support of Congress. And Congress knew the turmoil this would create in Punjab and this was part of the deal. The aim being to destabilize the Akali Government and enforcing President’s rule and then having another go at the hustings and this time the USP would have been that only Congress can provide stability in Punjab . A re-run of the dark 1980’s.
After the sacrilege the Dera now worked on kick starting violence in Punjab . In a well planned operation Sikh protestors in Bathinda were attacked and later on Bathinda saw Dera rioters going berserk.
Sikhs up to now were just protesting and in certain places effigies of the Dera Chief were burnt. All that Sikhs were demanding was an apology.
Akal Takhat Sahib’s response to the developments was that Dera followers be boycotted and the Takhat Sahib gave the Punjab Government a directive to close the Deras in Punjab . A civil response to a very uncivil act.
After the Takhat Sahib’s diktat the Media started bifurcating Sikhs into liberals and hardliners. This brought back memories of the dark 1980s. Those were the days when Sikhs were looked upon as extremists and if you were an Amritdhari or baptized Sikh then you were a confirmed terrorist. This was because of the anti Sikh venom injected in the system. I recall I was traveling to Mumbai from Delhi and at the Security Check the Policeman found a packet of Parshad and he started toying with it in an insulting way. I told him that this was Parshad from Bangla Sahib Ji but he continued with his insinuating and insulting act. Now I lost my temper and ticked him off saying that he better stop this or I would be forced to take things in my hand. He looked at me disbelievingly as if David had challenged Goliath because it was suicidal for Sikhs to react to such acts. Anyway in the end he caved in as his Inspector in Charge was a Sikh and our argument had reached his ears and this Polieceman very sheepishly requested me for some Parshad. I used to travel very often between Delhi and Mumbai in those days and I was often harassed.
After the Dera incident started the tolerance sermons to Sikhs. People forget that tolerance means giving the other person his or her religious space. Tolerance does not mean putting up with someone spitting in your religious space. This would be cowardice or proof that you yourself lack faith in your own religion.
Some in the Media took it as an opportune moment to bash Sikhs. Questions were raised on the relevance of Sikh identity. Talk Shows had panelists who were Patit ( shaved off ) Sikhs and they were made the models as the new Sikhism. Turncoats were used to beat up Sikhism. Wonder if the Media would care to extend the same to other religions too, as other religions too are ‘blessed’ with turncoats. There are many Hindus who eat beef , so would the Media call for disfranchisement of the cow as the Mother of Hindus and for Hindus being allowed to eat Beef. There are many Muslim women who are against the multi marriages in Islam. Would the Media care to do a discussion on this and call for a stop to polygamy in Islam? The Media dare not because the Majority and Majority Minority in India will go hammer and tongs after the Media. But with Sikhs they can take this liberty because of a Brahamastra at their disposal. The Brahamsatra is just raise the extremist bogey. Turncoats cannot be the yardsticks for any religion.
This Dera episode has scratched some old wounds. And again Sikhs are being called hardliners and extremists. Well lest you all forget it were these hardliners and extremists who stood up against the Mughal oppression of Hindustan . It were these hardliners and extremists who form only 2% of India ’s population but gave the maximum sacrifices for India ’s Independence . It were these extremists and hardliners who were in the forefront in all the wars (including Kargil) that Independent India has fought. And if today India is attacked it’ll be these extremists and hardliners who will stand up first to protect their Motherland.
11:03:46 AM
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