With the announcement of the date of "Sarbat Khalsa" i.e. Nov 10, 2015, there are mixed responses of excitement, anxiety, nervousness and tension in the state. The current Sikh leadership is clearly divided in two factions i.e. "in-the-government" and "not-in-the-government", and government here means Punjab government. There is no denying that Sikhism and Khalsa-hood is no longer a phenomenon restricted to Punjab, people need to have clear view of the fact that running the government in this part of the world isn't a child's play. Even if some sikh has acquired an executive rank in the govt. i.e. IAS/ IPS/ PCS, he/ she can prove to be of indispensable value to the community, and those who acquire ministerial offices somehow emerge as Global faces of the community, Punjab being the place of its origin. Moreover, I don't see any non-Punjabi or NRI individual or organization who can assert itself over Punjabi Ministers and dictate terms to them for day to day working of the sikh shrines in India/ Punjab.
Though I'm not affiliated to any political party, all the parties and "Jathebandis" need to introspect on the fact that how much say/ presence they have in the Punjab government. They simply need to introspect that how many Ministers, MP's, MLA's and Councillors, they have and then make a move for the Sarbat Khalsa. The importance and agenda for the same needs to be redefined as the outrage after Dera Chief's pardon was made the basic issue for calling upon the convention. If this were the case the call for the Sarbat Khalsa holds no value after Akal Takht's U-turn on the pardon row.
Of course, the integrity of the SGPC is being challenged here but the premier sikh body too needs to free its loyalty from the government control. With the nature of work that SGPC does it is natural that its loyalty gets gravitated towards the most influential party in the region but then it narrows down the perspective of Sikhism and Khalsahood and confines it to Punjab only.
As an author it seems very easy for me to question the integrity of various political parties or "Jathe-bandis" who are interested to have a say in the sikh politics but I simply need to send across a message to all the Indian or Non- Indian sikh outfits who are looking forward to take part in "Sarbat Khalsa" convention to maintain the sanctity of the institution where sikh politics is rooted.
Though I'm not affiliated to any political party, all the parties and "Jathebandis" need to introspect on the fact that how much say/ presence they have in the Punjab government. They simply need to introspect that how many Ministers, MP's, MLA's and Councillors, they have and then make a move for the Sarbat Khalsa. The importance and agenda for the same needs to be redefined as the outrage after Dera Chief's pardon was made the basic issue for calling upon the convention. If this were the case the call for the Sarbat Khalsa holds no value after Akal Takht's U-turn on the pardon row.
Of course, the integrity of the SGPC is being challenged here but the premier sikh body too needs to free its loyalty from the government control. With the nature of work that SGPC does it is natural that its loyalty gets gravitated towards the most influential party in the region but then it narrows down the perspective of Sikhism and Khalsahood and confines it to Punjab only.
As an author it seems very easy for me to question the integrity of various political parties or "Jathe-bandis" who are interested to have a say in the sikh politics but I simply need to send across a message to all the Indian or Non- Indian sikh outfits who are looking forward to take part in "Sarbat Khalsa" convention to maintain the sanctity of the institution where sikh politics is rooted.
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