Balanced View of Hindu-Sikh Shaster Vidiya

[Cisco_Singh]

If the letter is a fake, which is not clear at this point it's a pretty shameful tactic to use. Address people with facts and knowledge and truth instead of slander.

[taran0]

Closer Look at Nidar’s Lineage

Posted on July 17, 2013

Nidar claims to be the 9th Gurdev in line to the great “Ranjit Akhara” of the Nihang Singhs which he has also chosen to rename as the “Akali Nihang Baba Darbara Singh Sanatan Suraj Bansia Shastar Vidiya Shiv Akhara”. In addition to this he also claims to be the last exponent of the art of shastarvidiya. He has also once again changed the name of his Akhara removing the “Hindu-Sikh” moniker and sticking with Snatan Shastarvidiya.

he also claims “He is the sole-surviving master and ninth teacher (gurdev) of a classical school of learning established in 1661″ while selling tickets for his seminars.

for reference please view the following articles – Daily Mail , BBC NEWS

He claims his lineage as the following; – Old Website / New Website

1.Akali Nihang Baba Darbara Singh (who also learned from Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji)
2. Akali Nihang Baba Budh Singh Ji
3. Akali Nihang Baba Sukha Singh Ji
4. Akali Nihang Baba Lakha Singh Ji
5. Akali Nihang Baba Sawan Singh ‘Bangroo’
6. Akali Nihang Baba Mangal Singh Ji
7. Akali Nihang Baba Giana Singh aka ‘Rabb Ji’
8. Akali Nihang Baba Mohinder Singh Ji aka ‘Katapa Singh’
9. Nihang Niddar Singh Ji (present ‘Gurdev’)

Now this all sounds great on paper but lets take a closer look at Akali Nihang Baba Giana Singh “Rabb ji”, who is apparently Nidars Dada-Ustad (grandmaster). He never used the words “Snatan” or “Hindu-Sikh” or “Shiv Akhara” as is evident from Baba Giana Singh’s book on Shastarvidiya, which will be released shortly by a researcher in the UK.

Baba Giana Singh

We had a researcher visit India and speak to a few living students of the Great Baba Giana Singh. It become evident that it was a well known fact that Baba Giana Singh taught many people and created many ustads of Shastarvidiya but he never gave “thapi” (appointed) a successor in any way, especially not to Baba Mohinder Singh (Nidar’s supposed Teacher), who was quite removed from the main akhara and a recluse according to Nidars early accounts.

Following are names of students of Baba Giana Singh – Baba Gurdial Singh, Baba Giana Singh, Baba Gurbax Singh, Baba Daya Singh , Baba Gian S, Baba Pritam Singh, Baba Mohinder Singh.

Baba Pritam Singh’s Ranjit Akhara can be found on facebook here. But he doesn’t have the ego and to go around pumping himself as the ultimate last warrior. He is a humble Nihang Singh who encourages young people to learn shastarvidiya and do demonstrations to keep the art alive. Baba Pritam Singh also holds no animosity or superiority complex over Gatka and allows his students to freely practice according to the sangat present without making fun of people who do Gatka, but encouraging them.

So how can Nidar claim to be ninth Grand Master in line, and the only living practitioner of the art, when there was no clear line of succession and there are still existing students of Baba Giana Singh (8th generation) and their subsequent students who are ninth generation.

Who made Nidar the gurdev? and who gave him sole copyright over Shastarvidiya. How can he claim to be the last Master of this forgotten art when there are so many others. Nidar absolutely hates it if anyone else tries to teach shastarvidiya of any kind yet he cannot claim to be from Baba Giana Singhs lineage but at the same time not recognise his rightful descendants.

Surely anyone can now go to India learn from the Ranjit Akhara at Budha Dal and and be taught from direct descendants of Baba Giana Singh and setup legitimate Shastar Vidiya Akharas across the UK. I have heard that a few already have.

The truth is that Nidar’s version of events is mere fantasy, self aggrandizement and self-promotion. His earlier origin stories were akin to a 70′s Jackie Chan Kung Fu Movie. Its all a very clever marketing campaign.

NIdar is living off the name of nam japan valey, hath, tap, seva karan valey, bani paran valey, panth de mahan Brahmgianis and Gatka Ustads of the past, who have lived to serve the Panth. While this fraud serves his own belly and ego.

And what Nidar has done by hijacking shastarvidiya and claiming to be the sole owner is similar to the way Balbir has taken control of the Budha Dal and claimed jathedari for himself even though no jathedari was ever passed to him.

[chatanga]

I will be visiting the Nihang leaders in person later this year on a research trip and will follow up on these discussions.

NNS wrote this last year,so does anyone have any further info to add ?

[Cisco_Singh]

From the above "researched" of shastar vidiya did the researcher confirm with the other "ustads" whether Nidar Singh taught the same form of vidiya as themselves ? This would validate the vidiya being taught by Nidar Singh as authentic. Did the researcher also ask these other akhara ustads why they havent come forward and made contact with Nidar Singh ?

Surely more ustads/Gurdevs/practioners of puratan Shastar Vidiya is ineed and excellent thing aftern all the objective is to keep the art form alive and get as many Sikhs as possible to learn the fighting arts and history, ideoligy of their forefathers,

As far as Gatka goes...thats not even worthy of discussion in a martial arts sense... maybe if yuo were discussing synronished bhangra, giddah, circus acts gatka is relevant..

[Deletedkp]

From the above "researched" of shastar vidiya did the researcher confirm with the other "ustads" whether Nidar Singh taught the same form of vidiya as themselves ? This would validate the vidiya being taught by Nidar Singh as authentic. Did the researcher also ask these other akhara ustads why they havent come forward and made contact with Nidar Singh ?

Surely more ustads/Gurdevs/practioners of puratan Shastar Vidiya is ineed and excellent thing aftern all the objective is to keep the art form alive and get as many Sikhs as possible to learn the fighting arts and history, ideoligy of their forefathers,

As far as Gatka goes...thats not even worthy of discussion in a martial arts sense... maybe if yuo were discussing synronished bhangra, giddah, circus acts gatka is relevant..

100% agree with what you are questioning.

The conclusion we have is, Shastar Vidya Niddar Singh is teaching has value. Other martial artists, of high grade have authenticated this art as great value. No one has slated him regrading his style and technique. The problem with main stream SIkhs are they do not agree with his philosophy, which I can understand.

Niddar Singh has made it clear to all main stream Sikhs, if you are not interested in learning the art then he will teach someone who is interested and that seems to be true. The people who are learning of him have been attending his classes and learning a great fighting style. I have met many of his students, they all seem like great guys and girls.

Personally I see Niddar Singh as a teacher with a great martial art to teach. If you want to learn, then peruse the path, if not then just let him be.

[Only five]

Why would ustads make contact with Nidar Singh? You may think Nidar Singh is a God, but these ustads know what his true intentions are.

[taran0]

the FACT is he has blatantly lied and concocted an elaborate fantasy to market himself in the western world.

knowing full well the Nihangs in India would neither know of what he is upto or how he was going about stealing the crown of Shastar Vidiya to establish himself in the western world.

You may think a few martial artists endorsing him is enough, but he spent a large part of his early career, insulting, ridiculing and upsetting the most part of the Sikh Sangat.

His stories have clearly changed over the years, I met him him 12 years back at the Baba Deep Singh Gatka Akhara with a Baljit Singh I knew then, and NIdar clearly said out loud that my teacher was an unknown monk from the jungles who no one knew.

A few ex-students have said he always had loads of books and martial arts dvd's at his house- he has clearly incorporated arts like escrima, silat, jkd, etc into his art. Early students who studied with him in the early times have also said they taught him some of their stuff as his stuff was lacking somewhat. There is nothing wrong with this but then why claim its AUTHENTIC, ORIGINAL Shastarvidiya. Just tell the truth and why cuss down other gatka ustads who have multiple martial arts skills.

He still on his website insults those Sikh Shaheeds who gave their lives for Sikhi, why would a Sikh Warrior condemn those who gave their lives for what they stood for?

There was no talk of Snatan Shastarvidiya, at that time it was Gatka and Hatka, then it became Chatka Gatka, then it became Shastarvidiya, then it became Hindu Sikh Shastarvidiya, now because it’s causing backlash he has removed the Hindu-Sikh.

A few Questions

1. If it is just about Martial Arts then why is he using Shastarvidiya to preach Snatan Ideology when none of the previous ustads or nihangs did? Why not just leave it out and teach martial arts?

2. Why concoct the elaborate story, Lie and claim to be the LAST Gurdev, why not just say I learnt from budha dal ranjit akhara and i want to continue the tradition?

3. Why curse down all the other gatka akharas, why not work with them to improve the general level of Martial tradition within the Sikh panth in a non-egotistical and forward thinking manner?

4. Why is he still saying that this is the original snatan art from ancient times, when he has clearly mixed the basic shastarvidiya with other arts?

(proof of this in one of his videos with Pat'o Malley Pat says these arts are virtually the same, and Nidar says nothing about his special authenticity and also ex-students who shared their knowledge)

5. Why do none of the NIhangs in India Like him or endorse him, and why did they write a letter to akaal takht sahib asking for him to be spoken to?

The signatures have been verified and the letter is legit. So many of Nidars students keep saying its fake – how many of you have actually spoken to the Nihang Jathedars. Hajur sahib one of the ancestral homes of the Nihangs have warned he will be shot if he ever steps foot there.

As far as Gatka goes...thats not even worthy of discussion in a martial arts sense... maybe if yuo were discussing synronished bhangra, giddah, circus acts gatka is relevant..

I think this says it all - The mentality of the teacher is represented by the behaviour of his students ...... this kind of egotistical my dads better then your dad stuff is what really puts martial arts to shame !
I wouldn't dismiss the Gatka people so candidly - some of them will give as good as they get and when it comes to it will fight with great spirit...... in a street fight your choice of martial art counts for nothing......

Personally I see Niddar Singh as a teacher with a great martial art to teach. If you want to learn, then peruse the path, if not then just let him be.

Kphull this would have been the ideal option, and i love it when Nidars Students go "he just teaches martial arts leave him alone, your all just jealous of his invincibility !"

so why did he not let others be ? why did he threaten Butta Singh, challenge everyone like a drunk outside the pub on a Friday?
Insult every other jathebandi and gatka akhara in the western hemisphere? he even posted pictures of certain chardi klaa gursikhs on his website with their eyes blacked out insulting them.

and the biggest one of all INSULT OUR SHAHEED SINGHS? they already died and gave their lives for Sikhi - why did he not let them be?

He started it ..... with his ego and akkar

and to tell you the truth I don't think a majority of people are bothered about Nidar , most people are just getting on with their lives and ignoring him, even when he goes to national newspapers and claims to be the last Sikh Warrior pumping his own ego, while people like Hawara and Rajoana and baba surjeet singh are alive and in Jail.

I have met many babas, sadhus, martial artists with spiritual as well as physical skill - but ultimately they win over people with their skill for money power or just narcissism, yet they are corrupt inside

PEKH DHIKHAYE JAGAT KO LOGAN KO BASS KEEN - ANT KAAL KATEE PHASEO BAS NARAKH MO LEEN
they show the world a fake persona and gain peoples trust - in the end they will be cut by death and sent to hell.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji (Bachittar Natak)

tell Nidar remove the insults to our shaheed singhs from his <banned site filter activated> website and then he can do whatever he wants. we have no hatred for him or his students,

its just respect for our ancestors who sacrficed so much for Sikhi that we all love.

[taran0]

look at this post on Sikh sangat again ridiculing the ajit akhara by nidars students - well it seems they have no better authenticity themselves ....

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/62702-gatka-akharas-lineages/page-2

EKRAJ

Guru Da Chella, in my background if some one can't give the lineage, then you have to assume...... Gatka is and always will be the illegitimate child of shastar vidya, extremely bad child. So what do you call a Gatka person, who is shamed of telling his lineage, you got it one. By the way a lot of the Gatka guys in UK learnt from Namdev in Germany. He's a gora singh, but been a singh for over 30 years. Funny thing is he now studies under Gurudev Niddar Singhji.

Here's our shastar vidya lineage. :fight:

1. aba Darbara Singh (who also learned from Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji)
2. Akali Nihang Baba Budh Singh Ji
3. Akali Nihang Baba Sukha Singh Ji
4. Akali Nihang Baba Lakha Singh Jie
5. Akali Nihang Baba Sawan Singh 'Bangroo'
6. Akali Nihang Baba Mangal Singh Ji
7. Akali Nihang Baba Giana Singh aka 'Rabb Ji'
8. Akali Nihang Baba Mohinder Singh Ji aka 'Katapa Singh'
9. Nihang Niddar Singh Ji (present 'Gurdev')

Genius you do Gatka I apologise if I said anything wrong, if you can give me your real gatka lineage? Also the nihung singh's you keep on going on about who know the real stuff, you must know there lineage?

Before starting any vidya in traditional akara the Gurudev states all his Guru's, you have to show respect to the ancestors.

Thank u.

Jai Hind!

[taran0]

in reply to the research - at least 10 other Nihang Singhs have gone in the last five years from USA, Canada, and India. Baba Giani Singh (who learnt from Baba Giana Singh "Rabb JI") who is alive said Nidar Singh has got hankar, as he met him once briefly at Hazur Sahib, and this inner-hankar has caused him to break away from the Khalsa Panth into Brahamanism. One of the singhs also met Baba Pritam Singh for one day.

[Guest]

in reply to the research - at least 10 other Nihang Singhs have gone in the last five years from USA, Canada, and India. Baba Giani Singh (who learnt from Baba Giana Singh "Rabb JI") who is alive said Nidar Singh has got hankar, as he met him once briefly at Hazur Sahib, and this inner-hankar has caused him to break away from the Khalsa Panth into Brahamanism. One of the singhs also met Baba Pritam Singh for one day.

Does baba Giana Singh or baba pritam Singh still teach shastar vidiya?