Sikhs In India Untouched (in Punjab) - The Movie

[G.Kaur]

I only watched part 7 but I'm shocked!

All parts

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=IndiaU...amp;view=videos

[Mystical]

Someone already posted this video. It sad though this video. I think the building has taken to a literal term rather then the symbolism of 4 varnas coming to one place.

[deepsingh]

my theory is that the center government is behind this. i believe there moto is that the only way we can continue to destory the punjab is by continuing to divide the sikhs. The government is providing funds to the so called lower castes to build new gurdware to further divinde the sikhs. The blind leaders of the so called lower castes are dancing to the tunes of the indian government in return they are taking advantage of there so called lower caste people by using them as bait.

[Weedol]

I don't think conspiracy theories are helpful in analysing this situation. It's clear that the attitudes about caste are deeply entrenched and are cultural. They are not something that came about in the last 50 years but have centuries of history behind them. The gurdwaras with multiple entrances for different caste groups, and the gurdwaras more or less reserved for certain caste groups were not built by central government. I think there is a fair case now for disposing with the positive discrimination and special funding for scheduled castes, but as long as it continues, you can't blame the mazhbis or whoever for building or developing their 'own' gurdwaras using the government handouts.

The government doesn't need to divide the people in Punjab to remain in control. They are already in control and they don't need any tricks. All this talk of some conspiracy against 'the Sikhs' is just ridiculous.

[dalsingh101]

Truth is, it is mostly so-called "upper catse" Sikhs that push these people away, but people in the west are in denial of this. If you saw how they are often treated back home, you would hang your head in shame. I mean, what if say English people tried to treat us that way in the UK!

The biggest threat to Sikhs is not the government or deras but themselves!

[G.Kaur]

Just found an article I read in National Geographic 6 years ago.

Untouchable

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/features...uchables-text/1

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0306...ure1/index.html

India's "Untouchables" Face Violence, Discrimination

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...touchables.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0501/online_extra.html

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/..._pod_image.html

[G.Kaur]

'Untouchable' woman dies after Indian medics refuse treatment

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jcMJnB...uSncrG1Q6M0Aq9g

[shaheediyan]

Dalit tag still sticks despite converting to Sikhism

June 9th, 2009 - 1:51 pm ICT by IANS - window.google_render_ad(); By Imran Khan

Patna, June 9 (IANS) It is a centuries-old ignominy they wanted to escape by converting to Sikhism in Punjab and found new respect there. But back home in Bihar, the tag of Dalit refuses to leave them.

Many Dalit labourers who migrated to Punjab for work years ago and converted to Sikhism during their stay there are upset that they are still being categorised as Scheduled Caste in government records after they returned to their native villages in Bihar.

Sanjay Singh, who converted to Sikhism during his years-long stay in Punjab and sports a colourful turban and a long beard, says local and district administration officials in Bihar are not ready to accept him as a Sikh. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, preached against discrimination and prejudices on the basis of caste, class and status.

“The government officials are still treating us as Rishideo of the Musahar caste (the poorest Dalit community known as rat eaters), not as Sikhs, despite our efforts to convince them,” Singh told IANS, adding that he was yet to be termed a Sikh in the government records despite repeated requests.

Singh said that about two decades ago his close relative Naren Rishideo left for Punjab to earn a livelihood and converted to the Sikh religion, becoming Naren Singh. His example was followed by most of those of his caste men working there.

“We tasted dignity, respect and equality after we converted. Before that, we were treated as low caste, sometimes even inferior to animals, by the upper caste and backward caste people in the village,” Sanjay Singh said.

He said most of the women members of their families have now started using the Kaur surname.

Rup Singh and Manish Singh, who also converted to Sikhism, are no longer keen to be known as Rishideos and want that they should be treated as Sikhs in government records.

“We changed our religion to get rid of the stigma of untouchablity and to live a life with pride. We were happy to return to our village. Local people, barring a few, accepted us as Sikh, but in the government records and caste certificates we have the same old Dalit tag,” Rup Singh told IANS.

Soon after they returned to their village Halhalia in Araria district, nearly 400 km from Patna, they were shocked to learn that despite the change of religion they would have to fight another battle to upgrade their social status in official records.

“All the Dalits who converted to the Sikh religion are still Dalits in the caste certificate and we are being denied the status of the Sikhs,” Rup Singh said.

Manish Singh, another convert, says that they are no longer Dalits after embracing the Sikh religion and they should instead be treated as minorities as Sikhs are a minority community in the country.

A large number of migrant labourers from Bihar who converted to Sikhism in Punjab and stayed back there hardly face any identity problem, but the converts who returned to their native villages in Bihar are facing a different discrimination, Manish Singh said.

Araria district magistrate Anjani Kumar Verma, when asked about the problem, told IANS over telephone that he was not aware of the matter.

“So far no such complaint has come to my notice. If there is anything like it, the district administration will do justice with them,” Verma said.

Over 200 Dalit villagers of half a dozen villages including Kamta Balia, Gurumuhi, and Parmanpur under the Khwaspur panchayat (village council) have already converted to Sikhism. They have set up a gurdwara with support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), while some Sikhs from New Delhi are helping them to maintain it.