Sikhs And Scheduled Castes

[sikhlionz]

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1520.shtml

Sikhs and Scheduled Castes

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured a delegation of 'Rai Sikhs' that met him yesterday that 'Rai Sikhs' would soon be granted the status of Scheduled Caste.

This was stated by Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, while talking to mediapersons.

Mr Sodhi led the delegation and said a memorandum was submitted to the Prime Minister who instructed Mr Prithvi Raj Chowhan, Minister of State, PMO, to follow it up with the ministry concerned.

The question one might find pertinent to ask is does this suggest Sikhs in India are actually more backwards and missing the core ideology of Sikhism than ever before?

The Bhagats whose Gurbani forms an essential part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were from a diverse spectrum of castes; high and low yet spoke out against it. The Sikh Gurus from Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj onwards spoke out against following a man-made scheduling and segregating of society by castes. By creating the Khalsa Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj showed practically the creation of a society unbounded and unshackled free from the oppression and segregation based on caste, creed, gender, colour, etc. Yet today people use the name Singh as a middle name and keep their caste-based surnames and all ties to their lives before taking Baptism whilst trying to enter the Khalsa.

Practising truth, living in truth is the path of a devotee of the Lord. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj teaches us against the following of castes as it is merely perpetuating a lie. Bhagat Ravi Daas Ji exhorts on Ang 858:

iblwvlu ]

bilaaval ||

Bilaaval:

ijh kul swDu bYsnO hoie ]

jih kul saadhh baisana hoe ||

That family, into which a holy person is born,

brn Abrn rMku nhI eIsuru ibml bwsu jwnIAY jig soie ]1] rhwau ]

baran abaran ra(n)k nehee eesur bimal baas jaaneeai jag soe ||1|| rehaao ||

whether of high or low social class, whether rich or poor, shall have its pure fragrance spread all over the world. ||1||Pause||

bRhmn bYs sUd Aru K´qRI fom cMfwr mlyC mn soie ]

brehaman bais soodh ar khyathree ddom cha(n)ddaar malaeshh man soe ||

Whether he is a Brahmin, a Vaishya, a Soodra, or a Kh'shaatriya; whether he is a poet, an outcaste, or a filthy-minded person,

hoie punIq BgvMq Bjn qy Awpu qwir qwry kul doie ]1]

hoe puneeth bhagava(n)th bhajan thae aap thaar thaarae kul dhoe ||1||

he becomes pure, by meditating on the Lord God. He saves himself, and the families of both his parents. ||1||

DMin su gwau DMin so Twau DMin punIq kutMb sB loie ]

dhha(n)n s gaao dhha(n)n so t(h)aao dhha(n)n puneeth <admin-profanity filter activated>(n)b sabh loe ||

Blessed is that village, and blessed is the place of his birth; blessed is his pure family, throughout all the worlds.

ijin pIAw swr rsu qjy Awn rs hoie rs mgn fwry ibKu Koie ]2]

jin peeaa saar ras thajae aan ras hoe ras magan ddaarae bikh khoe ||2||

One who drinks in the sublime essence abandons other tastes; intoxicated with this divine essence, he discards sin and corruption. ||2||

pMifq sUr CqRpiq rwjw Bgq brwbir Aauru n koie ]

pa(n)ddith soor shhathrapath raajaa bhagath baraabar aour n koe ||

Among the religious scholars, warriors and kings, there is no other equal to the Lord's devotee.

jYsy purYn pwq rhY jl smIp Bin rivdws jnmy jig Eie ]3]2]

jaisae purain paath rehai jal sameep bhan ravidhaas janamae jag oue ||3||2||

As the leaves of the water lily float free in the water, says Ravi Daas, so is their life in the world. ||3||2||

Sikhtoons.com

.

[japmans]

it's one thing to have it as a perosnal belief... but in fact i think this is one of those annoucnements that punches Hindu society right where it needs to be punched... his announcement is basically saying that a group of people that previouisly would have been "untouchable" should no longer be seen as such..and that too, he's done it for a "group" of "RAI" Sikhs...

i dunno, maybe my perspective or interpretation is off... but it seems like it IS one way to penetrate the Hindu ideology, jus by slolwly getting everyone out of that 'untouchable' grouping