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Summary of Question:The Politics That Is Engulfing Our Sikh Community
Category:Gurdwara
Date Posted:Sunday, 10/26/2003 12:29 AM MDT

I just want to get a opinion from the many young and open minded people out there who are witnessing the politics that is engulfing our gurdwaras to this very day......


Politics and dicatorship is now a common problem amongst the sikh community around the world. I see this from my experience here in Sydney, Australia and also around the world when i see it on satellite tv and seem to read media articles concerning the politics that has divided the communities of sikhs around the world.

I am addressing this problem because of what i witnessed on the day of diwali at the largest sikh gurdwara here in Australia. There was a large gathering that day but people would of left home thinking is this really what our religion has been teaching us.

The problem occured when our head gani was about to start his kirtan. He was scheduled to do his kirtan but was not allowed to do this because of a group of I could put them, fanatics, refused him from allowing to perform his duties. He was forced off the stage by the group of people who support the previous gani, who was discharged of his duties because of the propoganda and politics that he was creating, which was divinding the community.
The scenes which followed after were disrepectful, and appauling. This ex-gani made his way up on to the stage with his people around him and proceded to do his kirtan. The current gani was forcefully told by this radical group that he was not allowed to go on to the stage and was to make way for the ex-gani. When the ex-gani was doing his kirtan it created a large noise inside the gurdwara with memebers of the sangat arguing with each other. Many people started to stand up and it was witnessed that some members took there kirapns out threatening others. Because of this many of the ladies and young folk proceeded to leave the gurdwara hall.


How this happened was because of this radical, dicatorship, and propaganda that this ex-gani is spreading. He was discharged of his duties by the previous committee of the gurdwara because of his unorderly conduct, which included stealing gurdwara property, threatening memebers of the sikh community, deceieving members of the community, the list goes on. Now that the previous committee has gone a new commitee was installed a month ago after the elections.

This new commitee consists of people who support this ex-gani, and now in the commitee there is a division. As a young person in the Sydney Sikh community I wonder what these people actually think, and how stupid they are to support a person who has misused his position to create turmoil in our community.

How bad these events were on the night of the diwali was seen by the presence of security guards that time when the ex-gani went up to do his kirtan. On what was more shocking was that the police came to the gurdwara to see what the problem was.

If these problems aren't addressed, there will be court proceedings which will futher divide our community. As a young person who was born here, I have witnessed the changes that has transformed our sikh community, which once was a quiet, peaceful and tight knit community to a now divided, stupid community.

I would like the opinions of not only members of the sydney community, but the many memebers of the sikh community around the world. I see the problem here in Sydney escalting and I don't see any remedy that will actually solve problems.

(REPLY) Sat Nam. It is embarrassing and shameful that this sort of thing happens in a Gurdwara. I hope that someone reading your posting can suggest something that can be done to bring back the reverence and consciousness that the Gurdwara is supposed to be the Guru's court! I am grateful that in the United Sates, where many of us were not born as Sikhs, but have been following this path for many years, we have created Gurdwaras where all are welcome, and no "Giani" rules. Maybe you have to get together with other young people and set up your own Gurdwara, where the space is recognized as a sacred place, not merely a social gathering, nor a platform for political pettiness. May God and Guru bless you. SP


ere Siri Guru Granth Sahib presides,




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