If buddha dal came back in control of Akaal takth???

[Guest BikramjitSingh]

Niranjana

I agree with your assessment that SGPC is likely to keep losing it's credibility but so has the Budha Dal. Maybe I move in the wrong circles but the Sikhs that I have chatted to in Punjab will never forgive Santa Singh or the Budha Dal for their actions in 1984. There is nothing surprising in the Congress or the Indian government oppressing the Sikhs, most governments have throughout our history, but it is when those that claim to be your defenders and produce a long list of 'Jathedars' to prove their link to Guru Gobind Singh and yet join forces with your oppressors, that is a thing that most Sikhs will not forgive or even forget.

What is surprising is that some of the Akali leaders who took vows to defend the Darbar Sahib complex before the attack but subsequently went back on their vows and came out with their hands up have effectively rehabiliated themselves in Sikh politics. Maybe Sikhs expect such cowardly actions from the Akalis but they expected a more positive contribution from the Budha Dal.

The view which I think is also the majority view amongst Sikhs is that Budha Dal or Nihangs in general are more of a liability than an asset to the Panth. Whether you agree with the Khalistan movement or not, in a way the Sikh Kharkoos who did the fighting were highly motivated and managed to finish off a fair few 'Panth de dokhi'. In many of the encounters they brought back memories of the days of Boota Singh and Garja Singh. There was one encounter a few miles from where we live and three Kharkoos held off hundreds of Police, paramilitary as well as Indian Army units. In the end the police had suffered so many casualties that they had to use granades and mortars to destroy the farm house that the Kharkoos were in. The TV pictures showed that all the Kharkoos had was three Ak47s. In my personal opinion, these Kharkoos as well as the thousands of others who took part in the movement and gave their lives were true Khalsa. They may not have been able to provide lists of jathedars back to Guru Gobind Singh but they represented the continuing spirit of the Khalsa from the 18th century. The desire to give their lives for the Panth and to take on the oppressor even if he has superior forces and resources at his command.

Where were the Nihangs in all this ?. You can't claim to be the defenders of the Panth and yet have no clear opinion on one of darkest chapters of Sikh history. The fact that Nihangs like Narsingha seem to take an eternity just to present the Nihang view of 1984 shows that in essence the Budha Dal had no view of 1984. You presented a comparison of the SGPC and Budhal dal with the present state of British politics, I think a fair comparison of the 1984 events and the Budha Dal would be as if the Conservative Party in 1940 refused to comment on or present it's opinion on the fact that Hitler was just over the English Chunnel and was about to invade.

Why I believe that most Sikhs think that the Budha Dal is a liability is that you only need to look at the last few weeks and their latest antics. There was a press report that the Budha Dal was going to physically stop people watching the film Hawaiyan. I myself haven't watched the film but some friends who have watched it have expressed wide ranging opinions, some say it was great and presented the events of 1984 accurately, others that it was poorly made and presented 1984 with all the tired old cliches and baseless propaganda. But the reason given by the Buddha Dal for picketing the film was that 'it will re-open old wounds and disturb the hard won peace in Punjab!'.

So the Budha Dal is against anything which publicises the 1984 events. They think that a film will re-open old wounds yet it's fine for the RSS to mistranslate and distribute Gurbani as well as odious calendars showing the Gurus with Hindu Gods. Why is the Budha Dal more concerned by a film that shows the events of 1984 than the hundreds of others than mock Sikhs and make them out to be clowns ?. I personally believe that this is more to do with the Budha Dal desire to stop people knowing what a anti-Panth role it played in 1984. If someone watches this film they will have a desire to find out more about that period and further research will show how Santa Singh became a puppet of Indira Gandhi.

You asked how the Budha Dal will gain credibility. My personal opinion is that it cannot. Any claims to a Panthic role it had goes back too far in history. Budha Dal or the Nihangs in general have not contributed to any of the movements by which a jatha or organisation can make a claim for credibility. Were the Nihangs spearheading the movement to take back the Gurdwaras from the Mahants ?, Were they a part of the freedom movements such as Ghadr, Babbar Akalis, or the Punjabi Suba agitation or 1984 ?. If anything the Budha Dal played a anti-Panthic role during the Akali movement and in 1984. I understand that there is a desire amongst people in the UK and the West who believe that the Budha Dal is relevant to Sikhi to present the Budha Dal as an alternative to the SGPC. In my personal opinion there may be many alternatives to the SGPC but a Budha Dal run Akal Takht with Santa Singh as Jathedar would be a disaster.

[Guest Javanmard]

One thing is sure: if the Budha Dal wants to take control of Akal Takht it will have at some point think about the functioning of its institutions.

We can't afford to have a corrupt heretic club like the SGPC being replaced by the Budha Dal in its present state. reform within the Budha Dal is needed. The whole idea that Nihangs don't need education HAS to stop as well as the whole all too masculine institution it is.

but I am sure that with proper structural changes Budha Dal can make. we have no choice really...

[Guest]

Coming back to the topic-

I would like to focus on some of the questions if sangat can answers them...

Like what kinda tradition mainstream sikhi expect from buddhal dal bring if they took over akaal takth once again??

Traditions like chatka and sukha thats pretty obvious, that will much more exposed to main stream sikhi so as negative effect of them such as youth drug rate goin up. Dont get me wrong i m not questioning or say its wrong to spread these traditions but there are pro and cons of everything.

Ok besides that,

What changes in tradition mainstream sikhi can expect from buddha dal ??? like for example how they goin to go about control all the gurdwaras ( on what kind of rules & principles), any changes in rehat maryada??

Thanks in advance

[SAadmin]

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