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Sikhism : Religion or a Sect?
By Ram Puniyani
Recently RSS Chief K. Sudarshan while
participating in the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (Sangat) Convention in Amritsar
said that Sikhism is a sect of Hinduism, Khalsa is a part of mainstream
Hinduism and that Sikhism was created to protect Hinduism from Mughal
tyranny. Many a Sikh organizations undertook protest march against
Sudarshan and pointed out that Sikhism is a religion in its own right and
that they will not tolerate RSS efforts to undermine their separate Sikh
identity. The spokesperson of Dal Khalsa went on to say that RSS is trying
to impose a centralized monolithic society in India and that they will
oppose this hegemonic agenda of RSS. Meanwhile many other Sikh
organizations said that RSS is interfering in the religious, cultural,
social and political matters of Sikhs, which should be condemned and
opposed. In Lok Sabha one MP alleged that RSS is distributing anti-Sikh
literature through Sangat, which is disturbing the religious harmony in
Punjab. This MP also criticized the HRD ministry for giving Rs.17 crores
to Sangat for pro-RSS propaganda work.
If RSS assertion about the nature and historical role of Sikhism and
Khasla is correct why this massive protest against the RSS chief and the
move of HRD ministry to fund the pro-RSS propaganda? Like other distorted
and communalised perceptions of History the one pertaining to the
understanding of Sikhism is no exception.
Guru Nanak and origin of Sikhism:
Nanak's preaching's came in the backdrop of Bramimical domination on one
hand and the spread of teachings of Sufi and Bhakti saints, on the other.
He rejected Brahmincal values and caste domination and concluded that
teachings of Bhakti and Sufi differed in form, not in content. It was from
the teachings of Muslim Sufis (notably Sheikh Farid) and Sant Kabir that
Guru Nanak drew his inspiration. He preached monotheism and quiet devotion
to God. His hymns were drawn from different sources. Out of Nanak's
teachings came an enduring religious community with distinctive history
and evolution separate from Hindu and Muslim religions but drawing the
egalitarian aspects from both. Nanak denounced orthodox practitioners of
Islam as well as Hinduism and placed his emphasis on the vibrant
intercommunity relationships based on the subaltern versions of Islam and
Hinduism. His teachings at one level are a synthesis of the values of both
the religions like reincarnation and the doctrine of Karma from Hinduism
and oneness of God and congregation in worship from Islam.
Sikh Community and Kingdom:
Nanak was to be followed by nine more Gurus. With fifth Guru, Arjan,
Sikhism was established as a separate religious system. He put together
the writings of his predecessors, his own and those of Hindu and Muslim
saints in the Adi Granth, which is the guiding spirit of Sikh religion.
Meanwhile due to the efforts of the Gurus Amritsar emerged as the
Religious and trade center. It is important to remember that Sufi saint
Miyan Mir was requested to lay the foundation stone of Golden temple. This
was the time when organization of Sikh community as a political process
was also in progress, and their relationship with the Mughal sultanate was
becoming quiet complex. Guru Arjan had become important religious and
political leader. He was socially very close to Miyan Mir, while his chief
opponent was a Hindu, the finance minister to Muslim governor of Lahore.
During the seventeenth century this community underwent a transformation
into a military community. The gurus went into Mughal politics and soon
found themselves in opposition to the factions, which won in the battles
for succession. Initially Guru Arjan entered a liaison with Khusarau. In
1606 when Prince Khusarau rebelled against his father Jahangir, it was
suspected that Guru Arjan had supported Khusarao. He was arrested on this
charge.
Another Guru Hari Rai entered into relations with rebellious son of
Shahjahan, Dara Shikoh. With Dara Shikoh's defeat at the hands of his
brother Aurangzeb this Guru again found himself on the wrong side of the
power equations of the ruling Mughal family. So he had to send his son to
Delhi to negotiate a pardon. The cycle of conflict with Mughal rulers
continued and took extreme form with the Tenth Guru Govind Singh. Guru
Govind wanted to establish his own kingdom while Aurangazeb was brutally
suppressing all the rebellions against the Mughal Sultanate. His immediate
tussle was with the Raja of Bilaspur, whom he refused to pay any tribute.
This led to the battle in which the Raja of Bilaspur was defeated. Also
this brought in the hostility of many of the Rajas of hill states towards
Guru Govind Singh. He also had the allies in the plains the most notable
amongst them being the pir of Sadhura. Aurangzeb in conjunction with Hindu
Rajas of plains drove Guru Govind away from Anandpur and in the battle his
children were caught and tortured. Later there was an attempt at
rapprochement from Aurangzeb's side and he invited Guru Govind to meet him
in Deccan. As Guru was on his way to meet him, Aurangzeb died, but the
process of reconciliation with Mughal sultanate continued and in due
course Guru struck an alliance with Aurangzeb's son Bahadur Shah Zafar.
In this sea-saw, ding dong battle between Sikhs and Mughal Kings the lines
of alliances were regularly blurred. Mughals having liaison with Hindu
Rajas, Gurus having alliances with Muslim kings and pirs etc. This was a
political fight in which religious element got mixed up. Same Govind Singh
who had a rough patch with Aurangzeb allied with his son Bahadur Shah
Zafar.
Sangh Parivar's Agenda and Sikhism:
RSS has the goal of Hindu Rashtra. For its agenda, it asserts that the
people can be united only with the Hindu identity to the fore. It is in
this direction that it claims all the religions, which arose in the
subcontinent as mere sects of Hinduism, and not full religions. Be it
Buddhism or Sikhism RSS is prompt to label them as sects of Hinduism.
Again the RSS version of Hinduism is the elite Brahminical version while
these religions arose mainly as a reaction against the Brahminical values.
Those who are protesting against RSS designs are clear about the hegemonic
RSS designs. Does it mean that the Indians cannot be united in to a single
national thread as RSS claims? On the contrary Indians ARE united by the
overarching Indian National identity. The attempts of RSS to make Hindu
identity as the primary identity is fraught with dangers not only for
minorities and the weaker sections of society but even for those who will
like to retain the identity of Sikhism or Buddhism and that's what
explains such a hostile response to the efforts of RSS affiliate Sangat's
efforts to project Sikhism as a mere sect of Hinduism.
The attempt to selectively highlight Guru Govind's struggles against the
Mughal Empire and to hide his alliance with same rulers, is aimed to boost
its anti-Muslim agenda. Similarly his fights against Hindu Rajas are
suppressed from the popular memory. One more example of selective
historiography at the service of Hindu Nationalism.
Source: www.truthindia.com
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