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There is a pattern in the religious leaders of minority communities in India, becoming the spokespersons of the entire community. This has happened before with the Muslim community. After the reversal of Shah Bano judgment by Rajiv Gandhi government in the late-1980s, through the demolition Babri Mosque, until the Ram Janmabhumi Judgment, and through all the myriad terrorist attacks on the civilians and the security forces in between, only the Muslim clerics spoke for their community. They generally claimed victimhood on account of “alienation”, a disease which usually affects the religious minorities in India. Political leaders seeking Muslim votes fell at the feet of these clerics. Moderate voices, if any, amongst the Muslims was either meek, or was suppressed by intimidation. Little wonder that the Hindus concluded that the majority of the Muslims either silently supported the religious extremism and terrorism, or at least silently condoned it. This added to the ailment of “alienation”.
What is happening with the Sikh community of India is not much different. In the US, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom, first thing that Khalistanis have done is to hijack the Gurudwaras and control the congregation. In India too, Amritpal Singh’s case showed that this pattern did exist, though it has not become widespread. Like temples for the Hindus, Gurudwaras are important for Sikhs and an integral part of their lives. If Khalistanis decide who gets to enter a Gurudwara and who must stay out, ordinary Sikhs might consider it easier to bow their heads and submit to their dictats, so that they do not fail in their religious duties. After all, most of us are not trained to get into fisticuff, nor trained to slug it out.
Fortunately, the difference we now see is that some NRI or POI Sikhs boldly disown Khalistanis. Not many Indian Sikh leaders are as forthcoming in disowning the Khalistanis. We are expected to believe the media when it boldly proclaims that there is no support for the Khalistanis in Punjab. The Chief Minister of Punjab does not say that. Akali Dal leaders do not say that. Frankly, there are no credible Sikh leaders anymore other than those who lead farm agitation, or some other agitation. So called Sikh leaders have become Pygmies.
So, if the Hindus living in Punjab, or for that matter Hindus generally feel that the silent majority in the Sikh community is either sympathetic to Khalistanis, or is indifferent to the problem, it would be a conclusion based on common sense.
This is where the SGPCs or similar bodies which control Gurudwara have a duty towards their communities, though unpleasant it might be. They must stop giving the religious cover to Khalistanis. If such persons are amongst the people in control of Gurudwara, they must get rid of them. They must be recognised for what they are: criminals and violent people, and are not the protectors of Sikhism.
I am yet to see either Bajrang Dal, or Hindu Mahasabha take control of any temple to egg on the Hindus. So, getting rid of Khalistanis masquerading as Sikh religious leaders should not be an impossible task. Until then, the silent majority of Sikh community inevitably bear the cross foisted on them by the tiny minority who keep waving the yellow Khalistani flag.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.