Indian, Hindu or Sikh?

All the gods and goddesses have been fascinated by maya*

Death does not spare any one without the service of the Guru.

O Nanak, without the True Name,

Of what use is the frontal mark of the Hindus, or their sacred thread?

Guru Nanak Dev Ji - the founder of Sikhi

Of the South Asian communities that have settled in Britain, Sikhs constitute the second largest visible minority after the Islamic community, and the third largest taking into account the Irish community. Sikhs have been recognised as a racial group in Britain since the House of Lords ruling in 1982: in the Mandla v Lee case when The House of Lords found that the Sikh community was not only a religious group but also a distinct ethnic group.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji contains Shabads of Hindu and Muslim saints alongside Shabads of Sikh Gurus. This was earlier solemnised by the fifth Guru when he invited the Muslim cleric Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Durbar Sahib (popularly known as 'Golden Temple'). Notwithstanding these positive groundbreaking actions of interfaith respect and recognition of other faiths, some people are attempting to present Sikhism as a doctrine of Hindu mythology. This is particularly a concern for Sikhs in respect to activities by some Hindu organisations and individuals as described below. Though Sikhism has been accepted as one of the world’s major faiths, ashamedly Hindu organisations continue to deny Sikhism’s very existence. Such acts of maliciousness by so many Hindu organisations bent on undermining Sikhism and assimilating Sikhs into Hinduism are damaging race relations in this country, and present an opinion that there is a deliberate worldwide campaign of assimilation.

These policies came to light particularly during the 1999 Khalsa tri-centenary celebrations, when the government of India gave Hindu organisations as many public funds to put on Khalsa tri-centenary celebrations as Sikh organisations, pushing forward there own policies. This has led to the establishment of the Rashtriya Sikh Sanghat as a sister organisation to the neo-nazi Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, and production of misinformation and publications to “re-educate Sikh” masses in the belief that Sikhism is a branch of the Hindu tree.

Recently in the UK similar activities have increasingly materialised. During the Hindu Youth Festival 2001 (26 July – 5 August) organised by Oxford Centre for Vaishnava and Hindu Studies’ (based at a respected university in the City of Oxford and which includes on their Board and Advisory Council alleged academics), a magazine was presented by a consortium of Hindu organisations (including National Hindu Students Forum, Brahma Kumaris Youth, Vivekananda Centre, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) which not only included a 3 page article on why Sikhism is part of Hinduism, but also referred to the Sikh Gurus as: ‘Mother India was blessed with ten Hindu sons who came from the great Kshatriya Surya lineage’. Also other pages in the magazine referred to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as an evolvement of Hindu scriptures.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji had already protested as a child against wearing the supposed sacred Hindu thread. The Gurus revolted by the brahmanic caste inequalities, were sorrowful at the persecution and exploitation of so called lower castes. Even today whole Dalit villages are erased in upholding these absurd ‘religious’ practices!

Would a Hindu ask the following question?

‘O Nanak, without the True Name, of what use is the frontal mark of the Hindus, or their sacred thread?’

Raag Aasaa , Ang 467, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

In Raag Bhairao, Ang 1158 Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Gurbani states:

‘I have abandoned both the Pandits, the Hindu religious scholars, and the Mullahs, the Muslim priests. Whatever the Pandits and Mullahs have written, I reject; I do not accept any of it.’

These Are not the saying of Hindus, so how the hell was Guru Nanak Dev Ji a Hindu!!!!!

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (supposedly the Fifth Hindu son according to those very academic souls from Oxford) in Raag Bhairao, Ang 1136 makes it absolutely transparent:

‘I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

I serve the One Lord, and not any other.

I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there.

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.’

Sikhism absolutely and conclusively rejects all Hindu gods and goddesses as they are under the spell of Maya, Guru Nanak Dev Ji says “All the gods and goddesses have been fascinated by maya and death does not spare any one without the service of the Guru” – Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Gauri M.1, Ang.227.

Why should we worship gods and goddesses that themselves are perishable? What can we ask from them and what can they give? When the stone-gods are bathed in water, they themselves sink therein – Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sorath M.1, Ang 637

According to Guru Amar Das Ji “Brahma revealed the hymns of the Vedas and extended the affection for maya…Shiva remains in his abode, but is engrossed in great anger and pride. Vishnu is always busy in reincarnating himself.– Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Vadhans M.3, Ang 559.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have gone astray in three modes, having increased ego and attachment. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Var Bilawal M.3, Ang.852.

Sikhs share a tradition of secularism, which has often led to the community denying their own needs in the interests of the wider society. There are others who wish to exploit the Sikh trait of common interest to suit their self-interest. As a result the interests of the Sikh community have been presented by those who wish to exploit the Sikh community, and present the Sikh nation as part of Hinduism. How can such blatant political behaviour be tolerated by the common Hindus who have close friendships with Sikhs? If these friendships are sincere, then they will recognise the hurt that Sikhs feel in the assimilative policies fostered by Hindu organisations.

The National Union of Students and Union of Jewish Students sponsored a publication in 2000: 'Racism a Light Sleeper'. Within its pages the section on the Hindu Community proudly states 'In Britain today there are approximately 1.5 million Hindus, including Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs'. This misleading and inaccurate statement encapsulates the very nature of assimilation policies that the Sikh nation has endured for over five decades. It also encompasses a rational and intentional encaging of Sikh culture, history and identity by a significantly larger majority (approximately 1 billion world-over) of a minority community (approximately 20 million), which makes up only 2% of the population of India.

The deliberate misrepresentation by the National Hindu Students Forum of the Sikh community as a part of the Hindu community is a fallacy that has been enshrined in the Indian constitution for over fifty years. It is as a result of these and other similar attempts of assimilation, that resulted in Sikh religious, social and economic demands of equitable treatment that the situation in Punjab led to loss of life, as legitimate and peaceful campaigns for religious rights were met with violent arrest and imprisonment. In consequence, structural exclusion has led to the same minority community portrayed as an aggressor, with labels such as fundamentalism, orthodoxy or even militant stamped on the Sikh community. In fact the Sikh community has closed in and tried to find strength in its core beliefs whilst defending and defusing continuous assimilative offensives.

Anti-fascist and anti-racism unity is born from the recognition of, and acceptance of, diversity as inherent to the peaceful co-existence of nations, religions and of peoples. In accepting these principals, in practice we must collectively be conscious of and accept the self-categorisation of ethnicity by minority ethnic groups. It is as a result of contra-ideals that Europe witnessed the crusades of the Middle Ages, the holocaust, and in our contemporary times the war and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Afghanistan. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the 9^th Guru was martyred in 1676, when he was publicly beheaded by the Mughals for supporting the right of Hindus to freedom of worship, despite himself not agreeing with core Hindu beliefs; bringing to life the expression "I do not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Guru Teg Bahadur Ji gave this sentiment a practical, yet sombre reality, and guided Sikhs that diversity is a positive rather than a negative attribute of society.

Searchlight in their 'Overview of the Extreme Right in Europe' write: 'we must recognise a fascist is a fascist, whatever colour they are or whatever religion they profess to be, and oppose them and their ideas, while at the same time taking care not to let racists exploit any campaigns.' We must equally recognise that the struggle against racism and fascism is an international one and be brave enough to be clear about who is a fascist. This is imperative if minority communities such as the Dalits, tribal groups, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and other minorities in places like India, or minorities anywhere else in the world, are to have a voice raised on their behalf.

We must isolate groups such as the Hindu right wing Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) who like Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) and BNP, target minority communities. We have to ensure that such groups are denied a platform at campuses in Britain. We have to be vigilant and aware of the global threats of fascism and racism and recognise international distress signals for all communities denied a voice, before consequential events, like volcanic eruptions, engulf each and every one of us.

DON’T DISPLAY INDIAN FLAGS IN YOUR CARS AND HOMES. BE PROUD TO BE SIKHS HAVE A SIKH FLAG INSTEAD.

Produced by Sikh Youth of UK

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