Wednesday, December 06, 2006

(Customs + traditions + history) = Sovereign = Panth

OK, one more before I hit the sack!
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The trend in my writing has been to share what I truely believe and that is that the Sikh or Khalsa is an inherently sovereign entity. If there is one modern Sikh writer who has been able to articulate the inherent sovereign sense of the Khalsa it is Sirdar Kapur Singh. In order to even comprehend what he is talking about it is necessary to know our "immemorial customs", cherish and practice our "long-established traditions" and live with examples from "the facts of the history of the Sikhs". Here is how Sirdar Kapur Singh explains the Khalsa's status in world politics:

“The Panth stands for the Sikh religion as well as the invisible mystic body of the committed Sikhs who profess it and who thus represent the Will of God on Earth. It is to this Panth that all true Sikhs owe their allegiance and it is in the name of this Panth that true Sikhs are expected to sacrifice their all on this earth. This political concept of the Panth sharply distinguishes it from the current political convictions that hold that economic activity and considerations are the sole concern and aim of politics. The concept of Panth joins issues with the contemporary political mode of thinking and asserts that the true concern of politics is the ethical and spiritual evolution and life of human beings in an organized society … The Panth’s metalegal constitution lays down that (1) the Sikhs must be approached and dealt with at State level as a collective group and entity, and (2) they must be governed impersonally, that is, through the rule of law and not by arbitrary will, and this self limitation must further be circumscribed by the immemorial customs, long-established traditions and the facts of the history of the Sikhs.”


Can any "Guru Nanak nam leva Sikh" disagree?

Carhdi Kala!

P.S. - you might be thinking where the *(^%^! does he get all these quotes from? Especially when he is on business travel down in Boca Raton, Florida! You can't imagine the kinds of documents and clippings and writings I have stored in my laptop which I peruse in solitary confinement of the hotel rooms on some (not all) business trips. :-)

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous5:49 PM

    So simply put by Sirdar Kapur Singh. And its as simple to understand and implement, if the "world's beliefs" do not fear their existence.

    -Preet Kaur.

    ReplyDelete