~ New Era~

[Guest]

source: http://blog.shindasingh.com/

Recently I was sitting with a friend who does a lot of work with those youth initiatives that spreads the word on human right issues especially those that concern Sikhs and India. I’ve been working in India a lot and I told my friend about a huge three day conference in Delhi where my friend and the organization would be welcomed to present their view in front of ministers, the president and some of the most powerful people in India. My friend, never having gone to India, refused right away citing that most likely he would be arrested or detained by the big bad Government of India. For the life of me I could not understand that given the opportunity to voice your opinion publicly to the people who can make change in India, why anybody committed to the cause would avoid such an opportunity. I sat down and thought endlessly how this could happen and it hit me like Rick James slapped just slapped me, many of us here are brainwashed into fear of India.

So I thought, I can’t be crazy, I need to prove it’s possible to challenge the government in this ‘New India” and I stumbled upon this clip.

I was blown away by the arguments Arundhati Roy produced. This clip of the interview is clip 3 of 5 and I strongly suggest you watch it all. As to what she said my reaction was simple: She thinks exactly how I think and she says exactly what so many socially conscious people here in the west have been saying about India for ages! Why isn’t she silenced or buried like Jaswant Singh Khalra? It’s what we expect of India… isn’t it?

It’s been on my mind for a while now but I’m afraid to say it. I’ve been changing, maybe maturing, like if I see 2 gay people in the street I’m not offended any more… but your almost afraid to admit to that openly. Time to come out of the proverbial closet and say it, I… don’t… want… Khalistan. There, I said it! Now before I’m flogged with stones at Dixie or my Malton membership is revoked, I’d like to plead my case to the masses. What do you have to lose, at most I’ll make sense and you have something new to shit disturb with next time you’re with your boys.

Ever since I picked up my first book on 1984 or watched that first video tribute to the victims of a genocidal Indian Government I’ve been on that unanimous “admin cut India” tip. Things changed at home too. I began preaching to my family and the Wolverine poster went down and Sant Jarnail Singh Jis poster went up. I’ve done everything from the candlelight vigils to the online petitions and rallies on parliament hill. So if anybody dares to call me a sellout then they can kiss my ass. On my first trip to india I tested my limits by rocking a Sant Jarnail Singh shirt thinking it would get me into trouble. I felt like a ghetto thug straight out of the Hood until I saw a poster of Sant Ji on the back of a Scorpio, then a Maruti, and later yet on a Safari. The confusion was staggering to say the least. I had to re evaluate India, the people, and the attitude there. I’ve made it a point to go to India more often now and the picture of a badass government backed by a sleeping population just doesn’t add up.

With that said let me paint you a picture. Ever since we got back stabbed by our own people in India, Sikhs left that country and prospered here in the west. The whole time we’ve been hate mongering but with justification of course. However, that will only take you so far. The India of the 80’s and 90’s isn’t that same India today. India’s a place where shits going down, things are developing there. No longer do you have dumb Bhaiyeh running the streets, they all bow to the smarter educated middle class who run the neighborhoods. India has the world’s youngest educated population. It’s the largest English speaking population, and homies know how to run the internet. If you look at things changing there they make Canada, USA, UK look like we’re moving at a snail’s pace.

People there are smart and they have recognized they live with a corrupt, biased, and non secular Government. We here in the west thought we were smarter than our Brethren back home. That only we recognized that India isn’t a true democracy, then out of nowhere Bollywood dropped Rang De Basanti and you question how asleep Indians are to the exploitation of the Government if Bollywoods openly making movies about it. You have people like Arundhati Roy who are on prime time TV, on CNN being watched by millions in India voicing for human rights violations by a corrupt government. You have Phoolka Singh who has been working his butt off for the Delhi pogroms victims in Supreme Court. In fact, in many of the universities throughout India you’ll notice the new educated India voice out against all the injustices being committed by a bloated and corrupt government that prays on any minority that shows dissidence to the central regime. People in India are actually doing something, making progress, and moving forward.

What about us here? We’re remembering the dead. Yes, we wave our saffron flags during Nagar Kirtan downtown every April and shout Khalistan Zindabad slogans. We make mix tapes and YouTube videos showing kharkhoos posing with guns and have token MP’s make speeches at our events about ‘84. Let’s get this straight; we aren’t doing anything for the cause here. All we have done is made it known to Canada and the world that “Here in the West, we hate India for turning on us.” Good, now what did that accomplish for the families who got screwed over in India? India is a growing superpower and every country in the west wants to ride its coattails to the top. That means nobody will ever pressure India to reform; hell India didn’t have shit ready for the Commonwealth games but besides some shit talking every country tucked their tails between their legs and showed up in Delhi.

If India is going to change, it must be from within. Yelling and picketing in front of the consulate is a waste of time, count me out. I’d rather push for civil liberties to be extended to the people of India, fight to end police brutality and urge the Government to have a Truth and Reconciliation commission set up for victims of genocide Sikhs faced in the 80’s and 90’s. Lastly, instead of having a local MP speak at Nagar Kirtan or at Parliament Hill, hearing that anglicized SAAT Seri A-Kal, or Wahuguru Ji Ki Khalsa, Vahuguru Ji ka Fat-a for the thousandth time we should have Roy and Phoolka speaking here. Not just at Sikh functions but in universities and at all Human Rights lobby functions. We need to get them recognized for their work in India and we ourselves need to recognize the credibility people like them have who are fighting for actual change by taking on a country whereas compared to us pitifully name calling the Indian Government. Goes back to ‘sticks and stones’ don’t it?

There are a lot of organizations that work hard in educating people on 1984 such as Sikh Activist Network and One Panth just to name a couple. They each have unique and attractive methods in getting attention and voicing their opinion in matters such as this. Suffice to say I’m a fan for the most part. As a fan I’d like to offer some constructive criticism which is: let’s actually make some change in India. If you can fight for the G20 police violations here in Toronto why can’t we voice the same injustices that occur in India? India is a long way from what it was 20 years ago, you can actually go there and voice your opinion and make a difference. Jaswant Singh Khalra did more by fighting through the system than 1000 Kharkhoos did with their guns. In the end Khalra died but he died a martyr to a cause he believed in. He showed that you can fight back without firing a shot. Many people preach the line that Guru Sahib said “when all other means fail, it is righteous to raise the sword.” I agree during those times all reasonable methods of dealing with the central government were exercised and the Sikh nation did have to fight back. However, I implore anybody reading this to re-evaluate today’s position. Is it not possible to exercise the power of the knowledge and education rather than fostering hate and promoting civil disobedience? In an age where the truth can’t be hidden to the world as it was in 1984 thanks to the web, have we done everything possible to reform our native land? Are we doing all we can for the victims still living in India? Can we really bring justice to the dead by protesting here in Canada? In the end wouldn’t you want to promote the greater good and unification of the whole Sikh nation with its native land or promote hate, fear and anarchism?

- Shout out to DJ Smuglove and Duchess of Leicester who discovered India with me Holla at yo boi.

[Guest]

Please share your thoughts?

[dalsingh101]

I just find most supporters of K'stan (that I've met) to be simple minded to the extreme. That sort of guarantees it never happening.

Plus it appears like the idea is much more alive in Canada than the UK. My local Gurdwara has fizzled out to having a few very tatty "I luv Khalistan" stickers around the place which were probably there since the 80s/90s.

Edited October 22, 2010 by dalsingh101

[drawrof]

I believe people will enjoy life more if they have less pakoray and more kheer. Kheer also comes in gurbani too! (pakoray doesn't in case I want to make my point stronger).

[Xylitol]

Great article. Agree with it totally with two exceptions:

1. Truth and reconciliation?? In Africa there was a great degree of anger at letting perpetrators of heinous crimes off the hook. There can be no reconciliation with the individual perpetrators of these crimes. There will either be (probable) reconciliation with India when perpetrators hang, or there will be festering resentment if they are allowed to remain free.

2. It is the nature of governments to be stingy with power sharing. Mental real estate is part and parcel of power sharing. The greater the adherence to dharm, the less mental real estate available for allegience to the government, or for indulgence in vikaars which allow for people to be more easily controlled and thus allow for the same end goal for the government. A modern secular India would be likely to see a total resurgence in Sikh faith as a threat, even without Khalistan. Guru Gobind Singh ji did say that the Khalsa would be like a fly in the eye of the rulers...

[dalsingh101]

A modern secular India would be likely to see a total resurgence in Sikh faith as a threat, even without Khalistan. Guru Gobind Singh ji did say that the Khalsa would be like a fly in the eye of the rulers...

That is an interesting point.

It would be good to identify the possible ruptures that Sikhi in practice would have with the way modern secular India runs. I can't but help think that today Sikhs, especially Amritdharis are being portrayed/perceived as archaic and essentially problematic to the overall aims of what we can call ModInd (Modern India). I think the overall aim of the nation now is absolute westernism and capitalism with a slight spicy exotic twist for marketing purposes? Politicised religion has no part in this vision.

[Mithar]

The way I see it is that, right now our Panth is sleeping just as it was during the 1970s. Then it took a Brahmgiani like Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrwanwala to wake up the Sikh Panth. Right now, we are again asleep and when Guru Jee wills it, he will send another great soul as he has numerous times in our history to shake us and wake us up. Right now, it is best to just focus on our jeevan, rehet, increase your Paath & Naam Simran and prepare for the time when Guru Jee again sends a soul to awaken the Sikh Panth.

Yes, currently in India it is better than it was 20 years ago and it is moving fast economically, globally. But the good times will not last forever. What goes up must eventually come down. The Roman empire and countless other rich empires fell didn't they? In our modern times, the Soviet Union(a Super power) and Yugo Slavia fell. So personally I wouldn't get too excited about India.

[dalsingh101]

But be real Mithar, apnay do love gain, there is no way they would not want to benefit from the changes going on in India. Given Panjab hasn't had much good news for God knows how long now, I do wish them a more prosperous future. It's like the people back home have nothing to look forward to, other than running away to the west.

[dalsingh101]

-----------Afterthought-----------

Widespread westernisation may well lead to an overall improvement in quality of life there?

[kdsingh80]

But the good times will not last forever. What goes up must eventually come down. The Roman empire and countless other rich empires fell didn't they?

At present its much better If developed countries should concern about their future.Feminism and break up of Family system has killed their Birth Rate and the result is by each passing year younger population is declining and Old population is increasing.By 2025 1/4 japanese population will be above 65 year of age

The result of this will going to Either industry will move to low cost countries or they will demand import of Young people

[amardeep]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/804021--sikh-separatism-still-alive-and-festering-in-canada