The bigoted section of the media and a section of the
population on social media yesterday reinforced the perception of vulnerability
of minorities in India.
The latest context was the attack by a rogue Nihang who
chopped off the hand of a police official near Patiala in a clash. Penetration of
anti-social elements into such bodies is nothing new, not just in case of the
Sikh religion.
It essentially was a law and order problem but the Sikh
community was at the receiving end on several so called news channels and by Bhakts
on the social media.
The Sikhs have not faced it for the first time.
This demonization of the community was witnessed in the
1980s when militancy was triggered sparked by the bloody clash on the Baisakhi
of 1978 at Amritsar in which thirteen Sikh devotees were killed when Punjab was
under Akali Dal rule with Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister.
It is after a long time that a person from the top
religio-political hierarchy of the Sikh religion has taken a stand against repeated
attacks on the community and the communal discourse being practiced brazenly by
some sections.
Giani Harpreet Singh took up the sensitive issue in his
Baisakhi address from Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district
today. He did not mince words
He gave the message that is loud and clear.
He was shocked that the Sikhs came to be painted as villain
by a section of the news channels in the context of a criminal act by an
individual posing as a Nihang within hours.
He was so worked up that he asked, “What type of country is
this? Why different yardsticks for the same crime? The attitude towards the
same type of crime by Muslims, Sikhs and
the Hindus is different”. Years back, even the Akali Dal used to talk of two
laws in the country when the ruling party at the centre was the Congress.
It may be mentioned that Giani Harpreet Singh is a
post-graduate in religious studies from Punjabi University, Patiala.
He felt the targeting of the Sikh community by these people
was intentional.
He also referred to the Tablighi Jamaat gathering and asked as
to how the entire Muslim community could
be blamed for spread of Coronavirus that had hit some devotees at that
conclave.
He went deeper into history while referring to the attitude
of the majority towards minorities. He went back to the sacrifice made by Ninth
Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, for religious freedom in the context of the Kashmiri Pandits. The Pandits were facing the threat of
conversion to Islam and had approached Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur Sahib.
He started with the service being rendered by the Sikh
community at the global level during the present crisis unleashed by the
Coronavirus and asserted the Sikhs were self-less and seek nothing in return.
“Our religion teaches us not to discriminate between a
friend and foe while serving them”, he
said.
The gurdwaras all over the world are serving food to the
needy and the doors of the Sikh shrines are open to all without any
discrimination.
His stress was universal brotherhood and service to humanity
in this crisis.
Giani Harpreet Singh made it clear that bigotry by a section
of the majority was unacceptable.
Similar assertion should have been made by Shiromani Akali
Dal patron and 5-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, party chief Sukhbir
Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gobind Singh
Longowal.
The issues are broader than just targeting for political
power.
Comments
Post a Comment