Triumph of tribalism: Sikhism at the end of the twentieth century
Posted by Balvinder Singh S Bal
Triumph of tribalism: Sikhism at the end of the twentieth century
Posted by Balvinder Singh S Bal on Tuesday, 10/27/1998 1:14 PM MDT
| TRIUMPH OF TRIBALISM: SIKHISM AT THE END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Loren Chan Singh San Jose, California, U.S.A.September 18, 1998 Waheguru ji ka Khalsa || Waheguru ji ki Fateh || Sadh Sangat jio, As we approach the tercentenary of the Khalsa at Vaisakhi in 1999, it is appropriate for us to engage in a bit of Panthic self-examination and to ask ourselves who we are, where we are now, and where we are going in the coming new century. I am a 55-year-old male of Chinese ethnicity and ancestry, a native of the United States of America, and a convert to Sikhism through the Guru's grace, prayer and introspection, and lots of reading and studying. I consider myself blessed and very fortunate to have received Amrit Pahul at Vaisakhi in 1997 at Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, California, U.S.A. In the United States, institutionalized Sikhism follows two major organizational threads: 1) the Punjabi Sikh Sangats organized as Gurdwaras, with ties to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) and the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS) in the Punjab;and 2) the 3HO ("Happy, Healthy, Holy") American Sikh Sangats organized as Ashrams and Gurdwaras, and led by Singh Sahib Sri Harbhajan Singh ji ("Yogi Bhajan"),whose title was conferred by the Akal Takhat in Amritsar. My involvement with organized Sikhism has mainly been with the Punjabi Sikhs, as there are two large Gurdwaras run by and for Punjabi Sikhs and their children in the metropolitan area in which I reside. Generally speaking, there is little interaction between the Punjabi Sikh and American Sikh organizations. They serve different people divided by race, ethnicity, language, and culture. The Punjabi Gurdwaras - which account for the vast majority of Gurdwaras - are run by and for Punjabi immigrants and their children. All activities are conducted only in the Punjabi language. The American Sikhs, in contrast, primarily serve Caucasian (white) converts to Sikhism of Anglo-Saxon and Jewish background. English is used in Sangat activities, as well as Punjabi. Why would a non-Punjabi be drawn to Sikhism? Probably the most basic attractions are the strength, power, and beauty of the Guru's messages to us as conveyed in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib - yes, even when read in English translation. Moreover, the universalist ideals of Sikhism inspire all of humankind to higher aspirations: o The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man o The equality of all people o The elimination of all racial, ethnic, caste, and class prejudices o Full equality between men and women o Compassion towards all of humankind through the performance of Seva that directly touches the lives of others, Sikhs as well as non-Sikhs. Combine all of these elements into a package - it is a very attractive and spiritually compelling package, indeed! These elements are the ideals of Sikhism that Sikhs propagate among themselves and to others to explain the core beliefs and practices of the faith. But in the real world of the Punjabi Sikh Gurdwaras in the United States, what have I encountered as a non-Punjabi Sikh? Completely the opposite of the aforementioned ideals. A total negation of universalism. Instead, the reality of Punjabi Sikhism that I have encountered is one of extreme tribalism, ethnocentrism, and cultural chauvinism. It pervades almost all aspects of Panthic life. Punjabi Sikh society is a totally closed society to all people except those of Punjabi racial and ethnic background. Gurdwaras are unfriendly places where no one will ever extend a hand of friendship or fellowship to anyone who is not racially Punjabi and who cannot speak the Punjabi language fluently. And in the area of marriage, all of the most pernicious, bigoted, and hateful forms of prejudice and discrimination are practiced by the vast majority ofPunjabi Sikhs regardless of nativity, and in direct violation of Gurmat. Punjabi Sikhs freely, openly, and unapologetically practice racial, ethnic, caste, and class discrimination in their selection of marriage partners. Such discrimination is normative rather than exceptional, and is the most egregious negation of the universalism preached and taught by Guru Nanak Dev ji, and also by Guru Gobind Singh ji. Social scientists tell us that the true test of social acceptance is the formation of primary relationships and familial bonds. Visualize three concentric circles. The largest outer circle consists of tertiary relationships - of acquaintances whom you see at school or at the workplace, but not away from those places. You do not see these people on your own time. The first inner circle consists of secondary relationships - friends that you see on your own time, and with whom you share interests, experiences, hobbies, and so forth. Finally, in the smallest interior circle of the three concentric circles is the realm of primary relationships. These are relationships involving emotional and physical intimacy, family ties, kinship, and close personal bonds. In this realm of primary social relationships, Punjabi Sikh society and culture exhibit extremely tribal standards and behavior. Interracial and interethnic marriages are a major taboo. Punjabi Sikh racial prejudice defies the ideal of Sikh universalism, and excludes non-Punjabi Sikhs from primary relationships as spouses, kinfolks, and heart-to-heart friends. On this issue, there is no exhibitionistic quotation of Gurbani, flaunting of scriptural erudition, or false piety - all of which Punjabi Sikhs are notorious for. There is no attempt to justify such social prejudice by citing the teachings of Sikhi, for any such attempt would defy good sense and logic.Instead, the commonly invoked mantra is that of "Punjabi culture." This excuse reveals much, for we find that Punjabi Sikhs, Punjabi Hindus, and Punjabi Muslims share this common cultural trait of hostility towards and exclusion of non-Punjabis in the formation of marital relationships. No Punjabi Sikh parents desire their daughters to marry non-Punjabi Sikh men. Many Punjabi Sikh matrimonial advertisements in Indo-American newspapers specify and emphasize caste identity with tags like Jat, Ramgarhia, Khatri, Arora, and the like. Similarly, Punjabi Hindus unabashedly practice racial, ethnic, caste, and class discrimination in their selection of marriage partners. These forms of discrimination are all integral parts of their religious faith and culture. There are no pretenses about universalism or social equality. And finally, for the Punjabi Muslims in Pakistan, all non-Muslims are Kafirs, or infidels, and to be socially shunned. From my vantage point as a Sikh of Chinese ethnicity and American nativity, there is virtually no difference in the practiced cultural standards regarding marriage among Punjabi Sikhs, Punjabi Hindus, and Punjabi Muslims. Guru Nanak certainly was not thinking of this mantra of "Punjabi culture" when he taught us that "There is no Hindu, there is no Musulman." He taught acceptance, inclusion, fellowship, and brotherhood. As a Sikh, I have experienced non-acceptance, exclusion, unfriendliness, and shunning. For me, the vast majority of Punjabi Sikhs are hypocrites because their Sikhism is only a secondary aspect of their social and cultural identification, and such identification has little to do with the religion or ethics taught by our Gurus. It matters not whether a Punjabi Sikh observes the Panj Kakkars or is a Mona. It matters not whether a Punjabi Sikh does Akhand Paths frequently, or engages in Naam Simran during all of his or her waking hours. It matters not whether one always makes an obeisance before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara Diwan hall, or takes Langar sitting on the floor according to the Akal Takhat Jathedar's dictate. All of these practices manifest false piety and sanctimony as long as Punjabi Sikhs continue to espouse, practice, and promote racial, ethnic, caste, and class discrimination in their selection of marriage partners while using Sikhism as a theological shield to distinguish themselves culturally from their equally bigoted Punjabi Hindu and Punjabi Muslim brethren. For a non-Punjabi, the cry of "Raj Karega Khalsa" evokes fear. For though I am a Khalsa and an Amritdhari, I am not a Punjabi. And for Punjabi Sikhs, who are utterly incapable of distinguishing between Sikhism and their supposedly "superior" Punjabi culture, "Raj Karega Khalsa" can only mean Punjabi hegemonism and domination over all non-Punjabi Sikhs. Facing such haughtiness at my local Gurdwara is enough. When I leave the Gurdwara grounds, I thank Waheguru for allowing me to live in the United States - a multiracial, multiethnic nation that tries to follow equality as a social and political ideal, and where I find far more social acceptance from non-Sikhs than from Sikhs. This is because all of the Sikhs with whom I must deal are Punjabis, and that says it all. But despite the grim and discouraging social reality of Sikhism that confronts me, I do try to remain in Chardhi Kalaa and to take Guru Nanak's teachings to heart. I seek a Sikh spouse and wish to be a householder - just as he defined such status as desirable for all Sikhs. When I tell my fellow Sangat members of such aspiration, their responses vary: o Some look skyward, and roll their eyes at my foolishness. o Some are unabashedly hostile and tribal and say, "Why would any Punjabi want to marry you?" o Some are brutally candid and say without fear or hesitation: "No Punjabi will ever marry you." o Some recommend other Sikhs, realizing the pervasive and ingrained racism of Punjabis. They suggest 3HO Caucasian American Sikhs, Malaysian Sikhs, Chinese Sikhs in Singapore, and so forth. o Some suggest that I court a non-Sikh woman, convert her to Sikhism, and then have an Anand Karaj at the Gurdwara. Thereafter we would live "happily ever after" like in an oldtime Hollywood cinematic melodrama. There are a myriad of such solutions and anecdotes that I could convey here, but I think you get the general drift of them. Punjabi Sikhs by and large are cognizant of the racism inherent in their culture, and they are either comfortable about it or they are too timid to speak out against it or to do anything to lessen or abate it either personally as individuals or with a Panthic voice as an entire people. This is the reality of Sikhism as I find it in the United States in 1998. I do not expect Punjabi Sikhs to change their ways, and I do not anticipate any social or cultural miracles to change their attitudes toward someone like me. I do know, however, that amid the inevitable orgy of self-congratulation, rhetoric, parades, and other hoopla which are bound to transpire at Vaisakhi in 1999, that deep in my heart I shall know that it is all falsity, and that a Guru Panth of Punjabis is a travesty on the Sat Naam of the Guru. My only consolation as a Sikh is that the Guru's light shines within me, because I am his dear child. He created me as his beloved child, just as he created each and every Punjabi on the face of this earth. In his eyes, I am the equal of each and every Punjabi, and not one bit less. He talks to me through the Living Guru, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. And even though I do my Path by reading the scripture in English, I make no apology for doing so. I have no fear of the condescension, sneers, and derogatory comments from the Punjabi Sikhs. They are the ones who have elevated Gurmukhi script and Gurbani language to the pinnacles of idolatry as a purely liturgical language of the elite. Their tribal, proprietary, and exclusionary attitudes and practices do not deter me from the path of Sikhi. Instead, they challenge me to persevere - for in the Guru's scheme of things, good must inevitably triumph over evil. It is precisely because Punjabi Sikhs have strayed from the Guru's word that, as a people, in recent history they haveexperienced divine retribution: o The Partition of 1947 o Operation Bluestar of 1984 and the subsequent anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and elsewhere o The contention for money, political power, and social prestige among Sikhs both in the Punjab and in the overseas diaspora that makes Punjabi Sikhs their own worst enemies All of these are forms of divine punishment for a people who have abandoned their ideals and who have turned those ideals into ritualism and idolatry. They cannot blame Brahmanism or the Pandits. They cannot blame the Government of India, the Indian National Congress, or the Bharatiya Janata Party. But they do. They blame everyone else but themselves, because they have become adept at whining and claiming collective victimhood. They fail to realize that Panthic misfortune is a wakeup call to return to the ideals of the Gurus - to achieve them and to live them. Then and only then will "Raj Karega Khalsa" not inspire fear and trepidation, but instead will inspire hope, pride, and glory. This is what Chardhi Kalaa means to me. And it is my most fervent desire that the Punjabi Sikhs will have me as a spouse and as a brother - if not in this life, then maybe in the next. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa || Waheguru ji ki Fateh || ---- NB: Loren Singh's email is [email protected] |
 | Triumph of tribalism: Sik... (Balvinder Singh S Bal - 27.Oct.98) |
| . . Re: Triumph of tribalism:... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 28.Oct.98) | |
| . . Re: Triumph of tribalism:... (Lovejeet Singh - 21.Sep.99) | |
| . . Ethnic Identity and Unive... (Balvinder Singh S Bal - 2.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . Re: Ethnic Identity and U... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 2.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . . . Re: Universalism in Sikhi... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 3.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . . . . . Re: Universalism in Sikhi... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 3.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . . . . . Re: Universalism in Sikhi... (Jaspal Singh Sindhar - 3.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . . . Re: Ethnic Identity and U... (K H H - 10.May.02) | |
| . . . . Re: Ethnic Identity and U... (Chober Singh Sandhu - 2.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . Chinese Sikhs... (K H H - 9.May.02) | |
| . . . . . . Re: Chinese Sikhs... (Js Singh - 10.May.02) | |
| . . . . . . Re: Chinese Sikhs... (Roman Singh - 11.May.02) | |
| . . . . . . . . Re: Chinese Sikhs... (K H H - 12.May.02) | |
| . . Re: Triumph of tribalism:... (Arp Singh - 2.Nov.01) | |
| . . Re: Triumph of tribalism:... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 4.Nov.01) | |
| . . Langar Snapshot. Where is... (Balvinder Singh S Bal - 7.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . Re: Langar Snapshot. Wher... (Jaspal Singh Sindhar - 7.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . Institutions That Foster ... (Balvinder Singh S Bal - 8.Nov.01) | |
| . . . . . . Re: Institutions That Fos... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 9.Nov.01) |
