Community Thought’s

Sikh Scholar’s Activities

Dr. Harbans Lal is the Emeritus Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He has published over 400 research papers, 26 books, several research reviews and 56 chapters in technical books. He is the Founder President of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies and has been honored with the Order of Nishan-e-Khalsa in 1999 by the Punjab Government. Presently his interests lie in promoting Sikh Studies in North America. His writings on Sikh subjects have appeared in many books and journals.

Prof. Lou Fenech is professor of history at the University of Northern Iowa. He has an abiding interest in Sikhs, Sikh history and literature. His research has focused on Persian poetry in India, particularly the “Zafarnama”. He is the author of two books, “Martyrdom in the Sikh tradition (Oxford University Press 2000) and “The darbar of the Sikh Gurus: the court of God in the world of men. His favourite food in the whole world is karela-bharva with sarson ka saag and makki di roti a close second.

Sikh Academics in the West: Where Do We go from Here

Allow me to introduce myself as a member of the academic community to qualify me for being included in this esteem column of the Sikh Foundation journal.
In 1962, I obtained my doctoral degree in Pharmacology from the University of Chicago……

Of Flag Flyers and Flag Flying

It is with sheer delight that I accept the Sikh Foundation’s request to contribute a short article regarding the history of my own fascination with the Sikh people and the various opportunities and challenges which face those of us committed to the academic study of the Sikhs and the various ways of expressing Sikhness…

Featured Feedback – Sikhs Today by Khushwant Singh

Sikhs are the most prosperous religious community of India today. They comprise landowners, business tycoons, professionals and tradesmen. They head industrial corporations like Ranbaxy, Fortis, Apollo Tyres and others. Their control organizations like Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee ( S.G.P.C) which controls all the historical shrines has an annual budget of almost Rs 30 crores and runs a large network of schools, colleges, hospitals and ancillary institutions. In a country where malnutrition and famines are common, no Sikh goes hungry. In a country full of beggars, it is rare to see a Sikh stretch out his palm and beg for money.

However there is a dark side to this view of prosperity. Nearly a third of the community cannot read or write. The rate of fetal killings of females is about the highest in the India. So is the malice of violence, drink, drugs and alcoholism. Shameful discrimination of Dalit Sikhs known as Mazhabi’s persists: they are forced to live on the outskirts of villages, have separate wells and gurudwaras, inter-caste marriages in a community which claims to be casteless is unknown. An increasing number of young Sikhs do not conform to the Khalsa form of Sikhism: they trim their hair and beards, smoke hookahs and cigarettes. In the elite Patiala Clubs you can see the sons of the rich smoking and drinking while playing cards.

It is this negative aspect of the community which has given birth to the breakaway sub-communities like the Nirankaris, Namdharis and Radhasoamis. It also explains the eruption of deras like the Sacha Sauda & hundreds of others across Punjab. They proliferate because they do not have caste discriminations and welcome Hindus into their fold. Venting anger against deras is not good enough. We should coolly examine the phenomena and rectify our errors.

I have no concrete suggestions to make what steps leaders of our community should take to mend this sad state of affairs. It is for them to chalk out a plan which is workable and has the support of those who have the welfare of the community in their hearts.