Press Release – Network of Sikh Organisations – Deliberate distortion of the Guru’s teachings

London, Friday 12 April 2013. Lord Singh of Wimbledon, The Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO) has expressed both disappointment and concern, following a debate on a community channel regarding proposed anti-caste legislation currently passing through Parliament.

Lord Singh said: “I am saddened and at a loss to understand why Dr Jasdev Singh Rai goes around trying to muddy the waters of clear Sikh teachings. I am even more saddened that some of our gurdwaras and Sikh television aid and abet him in this by giving him a platform to do so.

There have been historical concerns. It was at a function organised by the Department of Communities and Local Government for which we were asked to provide literature about the Sikh faith He declared his inability to do this because he had to get agreement of certain groups in India. On another occasion when a Sikh lady asked for non-halal food at a Basakhi function, Dr Rai advised her to be more accommodating.

On Wednesday night he was inexplicably provided a platform on Sikh TV to oppose government legislation banning discrimination on grounds of caste. He then launched into pseudo social science gibberish about ‘caste’ being an invention of the British.

Has this learned doctor never read the Guru Granth Sahib written centuries before British arrival in India? Is he unaware of numerous gurbani quotations like ‘ask not a persons caste but look to the inner light within’, or the Guru reminding us that the evil of caste in Hindu society was so strong that even the shadow of a lower caste was said to pollute the food of a person of higher caste.

Sikh teachings remind us about how we should treat others and condemn caste and other forms of discrimination. The law in Britain seeks to do the same and all who call themselves Sikhs should support it. Unfortunately, some naively argue that legislation is not necessary, and caste discrimination will go away simply by talking about it. Precisely the same arguments were used again and again against legislation to prohibit discrimination against colour or national origin but it continued unabated until the passing of the 1976 Race Relations Act.

Sadly there are also some who call themselves Sikhs, who seek to preserve the remnants of caste that despite the Gurus teachings still linger in Sikh society. Jasvinder Singh Nagra, a close ally of Dr Rai, absurdly urges Sikhs to join a petition opposing the proposed law banning discrimination on grounds of caste because different jattis in Luton Gurdwara ‘get on with each other’.”

He added: “We are now gearing up to the celebration of Baisakhi when Guru Gobind Singh finally freed Sikhs from the shackles of caste like distinctions; shame on those who wish to hang on to them. To Dr Rai and his supporters I ask why?  To those who accept the message of Baisakhi I say beware of those who deliberately distort Sikh teachings.”

Hardeep Singh, Press Secretary
The Network of Sikh Organisations
http://www.nsouk.co.uk/   

Lord Singh Speaks in Favour of Amendment to make Discrimination on Grounds of Caste Unlawful

Please see full text of Lord Singh’s speech in the House of Lords :

My Lords, speaking from a Sikh perspective, I give my full support to this amendment. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion taught ‘ask not a person’s caste but look to the inner light within’.

At a time when even the shadow of a lower caste was said to pollute the food of a higher caste, he instituted the system of langar where people of all religions and social backgrounds were, and are, welcomed to share a gurdwara meal. The historic Golden Temple in Amritsar, recently visited by the Prime Minister David Cameron, has as he will have noticed, a door at each of its four sides signifying a welcome to all people regardless of religion, or supposed social difference.

My Lords, emphasis on the equal dignity of all human beings is central to Sikh teachings and I was slightly bemused by the readiness of some, including ministerial advisors (we see it in the Ministerial Statement), to display their ignorance of basic Sikh teachings and, in a neo colonial way, conflate class and all undesirable social discrimination and religions on the sub continent, with the word ‘caste’. Attitudes of superiority and inferiority are found in all societies. Remember the media headlines ‘Prince William to marry a commoner?

Caste, my Lords, has a very precise meaning attached to practices associated with the Hindu faith. It has its origin in the desire of the Aryan conquerors of the subcontinent in pre-Vedic times to establish a hierarchy of importance with priests at the top followed by warriors, those engaged in commerce and those engaged in more menial tasks.

The conquered indigenous people were considered lower than the lowest caste. Accident of birth alone determined a person’s caste. Sadly, thousands of years later, and despite legislation by the Indian government, this hierarchy of importance still lingers on.

My Lords, I’ve gone into detail because it’s important to fully understand what we are talking about when we discuss discrimination based on caste. It is discrimination arising from supposed Hindu religious belief. But, my Lords, what passes for religion is not all that it sometimes seems. Caste in no way relates to underlying and uplifting ethical Hindu teachings. It is simply questionable culture that has over the years managed to attach itself to Hinduism in much the same way as discrimination against women is seen by some as part of their faith.

The Sikh Gurus were acutely aware of such negative cultural practices. They openly discussed and criticised the prevalence of rituals, superstition and cultural practices contrary to underlying ethical teachings.

At the same time my Lords, when religions all around the world, were emphasising difference and exclusivity, they taught that our different faiths all had much to contribute to society, and demonstrated the importance of showing respect for sister faiths. The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan showed his respect for Islam by asking a Muslim saint Mia Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Golden Temple and the 9th Guru, Guru Teg Bahadhur gave his life defending the right of Hindus to freedom of worship at a time of forced conversions by the Mughal rulers.

At the same time, the Gurus taught that people of all faiths must respect fundamental human rights on the equality of all people, including full gender equality.

My Lords, while I have the greatest respect for a sister faith, I also believe Hinduism without the old fashioned concept caste will be infinitely stronger. Similar negative cultural clutter exists in all our different faiths. Its removal would help religions work together for a fairer society, and it is in this spirit that I support this amendment.

Hardeep Singh
Press Secretary
The Network of Sikh Organisations
http://www.nsouk.co.uk/

401.The Man in Blue – End Caste Discrimination in the UK !

The New-Labour Government is trying to get a ‘single equalities bill’ through parliament before the election, which will be held at the latest in May 2010. The legislation bundles all anti-discrimination laws and seeks to apply the same terminology, the same principles and the same types of discrimination (direct/indirect etc) to all equality strands.

The equality laws specifically relevant for Sikhs are the Race Relations Act 2000 and the Equality Act 2006, Chapter 3, part 2 Discrimination on Grounds of Religion or Belief. Sikhs are recognised as a religious group and as a race.

During the passage of the bill through the House of Commons MPs Rob Marris and Jeremy Corbyn tried to introduce caste as a ‘protected characteristic’ which would give caste groups the same protection against discrimination as race or religious groups enjoy. Their attempt failed and we are now trying to convince the House of Lords to adopt the amendment.

Last month the Sikh Study Forum UK organised a meeting with CasteWatch UK, Sikhs in England and SCS Heathrow. Most of the people present agreed that caste discrimination was against Guru’s teachings.

I started a discussion on Sikh News Discussion and also forwarded my emails to other e-groups. There were some really good reactions. Nobody wrote that Sikhs should practice caste discrimination, but many ‘ducked’ the subject and others seemed to try to avoid having to take a stand by concentrating on CasteWatch UK instead of on the issue.

I am not concerned about organisations or individuals. What motivates me are Guru’s Teachings of One God and One humanity. I do not think that you can be a true Sikh and practice or condone caste discrimination. Many people of Sikh background insist that their children should marry somebody of the same caste, we have caste based Gurdwaré and even many Singh Sabhas are dominated by a particular caste.

Guru taught us to just call ourselves Kaur and Singh but many insist on using their last names which in most cases will tell to which caste they belong. In areas with many South Asians, children sometimes use caste as an excuse to be horrid to each other. Sikhs from villages are often more ‘attached’ to caste than Hindus from the cities and towns of Panjab.

All individual Sikhs, all Sikh organisations should support the amendment proposed by Rob Marris and Jeremy Corbyn, which was also supported by other MPs, like Lynne Featherstone. Guru teaches that we should fight against injustice, and discrimination based on who your parents are is a gross injustice. Caste discrimination and Race discrimination are equally foul, if Sikhs speak out we can win this battle !