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Summary of Question:	Hurt By Sikh Comments
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Saturday, 6/15/2002 7:36 PM MDT

"After reading your response to the latest questions I was shocked at the answer GPK gave; "Whether or not there is ever an independent Sikh homeland will have absolutely no impact on my life. Whether or not there is an independent Sikh homeland will homeland will have a huge impact on your life." ...Why dont you fight the injustice that has happened to any sikh regardless of color or race?

hi i came across this letter a little while ago and several months ago i came across a reply a white sikh lady made on a forum. it would be very hard to get hold of that letter again. but basically she made a comment sayign that maybe panjabi sikhs dnt deserve to be sikh anymore. i was very hurt by such a comment. it was a really heartless thing to say. a guy had made a commet thats sikhs dnt care about their religion because they cut their hair, etc. and she very wonderfully argued all his Malicious remarks, with the pricnciples of the sikh faith and the teachigns of the gurus. but she summed up the whole problem with panjabbis as beign that mayeb they dnt deserve the "jewells" of sikhism anymore-and i know this lady is quiet a well respected sikh in the united states. but to make such a comment was harsh and unjust. ive always been supportive of the idea of khalistan if it is a liberal cntry, and open minded to the christian and hindu communties that live their aswell as non-amritdhari sikhs. also i have an incredible ammount of repsect for sant jernail singh. politics aside he was a great sikh. who reawokened sikhi from its sleep. aftre going to india three times and first hand seeing the unjust treatment they have recieved over the last 20 years, it is very worrying- and i understand the more radical sikhs emerging. i can sit here my nice suburb but my brothers and sisters are suffering. in the gurus time we fought this opresion. but now its just swept under the carpet. the issues this lady has stated are only the scratching the surface. how can a gurdwara be run by hindus? it seems illogical. soem times i do feel brown skinned panjabbis are frowned upon and perceived to be inferrior. because they have wondered off the path. we seem more concearned more about teaching the rest of the world about sikhism rather than those already born to sikhs. and ppl can say its due to the parents-but this is untrue to, i have often wondered why sikhs lack so much about the knowledge of the sikh faith-and my mum told me it is because sikhs have never been settled. many sikhs during the british raj retreated to the mountains and education has been lost upon them. no wonder they dnt know anyhting there is no infrstrusture in panjab to teach them. esepcially as the hindu govt is in charge of the gurdwaras and the education of the sikh youth. sikhs lack unity now. it will be a the downfall of us. those born sikh but have wondered off the path-are not they the first we should help back on to the path.
ps. i dnt have a problem with any of the white sikhs in the forum they do a great job and i appreciate their hardwork. its just seems a few individuals whether they be brown blue or pink seem to have disregarded the panjabbis

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Sat Siri Akal.

Well-this is a tough one.

I think if you put "Punjabi" Sikhs on one side of the room and "White" Sikhs on the other, you'd find people on both sides with stories to tell about the racism and insensitivity they've experienced at the hands of the other group. So-what can we do, except try and become more aware and sensitive? Sometimes, it's really just an innocent comment, not meant to hurt anyone at all, that touches a raw nerve in the other person. If we are to become one spiritual nation-irregardless of our different colors, and the different countries in which we live, then it's going to take a lot of dialogue to understand each other - each other's concerns, each other's hopes for the future, each other's priorities in terms of what's important for the success of the Panth. I'm glad to see that dialogue starting with the youth, here, in our youth forum.

God bless.

GPK