Friday 30 October 2009

Gurdwara Sahib Leamington & Warwick, UK

Investing money in Bricks.

http://www.sikhnet.com/news/gurdwara-sahib-leamington-warwick-uk

Vahiguroo Ji Ka Khalsa Vahiguroo Ji Ki Fateh! It seems that our community has lost its senses. We are investing Sangats hard earned money into buildings but not into Sikhi. In the Punjab there are massive Gurudwaras that are empty every evening, and morning in many villages. In the UK we have the same disease spreading. Is making a massive building really a success? Is it really such a big deal? Or is it a big deal that one child learns Japji Sahib by heart, or the Sikhs aid the local community, provide shelter, or provide other facilities. In the U.K, Sangats have spents hundreds of millions of pounds, in making large buildings, which will burden the future generations with cost of repair. Southall has a huge heroin problem, but over 20 million was spent on bricks. Now we have another example of gross mismangement of Sangats funds. Why not buy an estate with 5000 acres with that amount of money. Small minds do small things. We have a made Sikhi a form of materialism, that a huge building reflects our faith. Our dedication to Gurbani and form is what the Guru asked for, but to deflect from this, we build large idols. What could we have spent 11 million on: 1. Sikh research. We have no permanant Sikh Chair in the UK. Therefore we have no academic represention by Sikhs at that level. 2. Invest in the youth, pay for peoples education. Invest in people not cement. 3. Provide care for our elderly citizens. 4. Tackle alcoholism and drug abuse amongst Sikhs 5. Domestic violence 6. Campaign against female infanticide. Real issues for real people. Buildings are fake issues for the fake Khalsa. Every week a Sikh in the UK converts to Islam. Why havent we funded youth Parchar? Why isnt Katha done in English to an English speaking youth? The reason people convert is that our Muslim brothers fund their youth, and spend money educating their youth in Islam. We only educate our kids to make money....to have bigger cars, and bigger houses. The reality is we are empty inside, like this Gurughar will be most hours of the day. How many Muslims kids know the Qu'ran and how many of our kids know Guru Granth Sahib? Our kids dont even know why they have Kesh, or Mathha tekh. They dont even know why they wear a Kara! Do we make bigger Gurdwaras because we have bigger and bigger weddings, for marriages that sometimes last less than 6 weeks? Thats probably one of the reasons. Sri Darbar Sahib is modest in size compared to these modern American size Gurdwaras yet because of the devotion, it is the heart of Sikhi. In the past we had visable enemies, the Moghuls, the turaks etc.....now our biggest enemy is the materialism, and cozy comforts that are eating our community up. But I spose we are all going to say 'its not my problem', the Gianis is like this like that.... If your sending your son or daughter to university this year, just remember our Muslim brothers have over 5 millions pounds to fund conversion each year. Kamalroop Singh Nihang

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Are commitees a part of Sikhi?

The words in Shironmani Gurdwara Parbandak Commitee are peculiar. Three words are from Gurmat, Gurbani, another from English. This clearly reflects the effect of the British administration on Sikhs.

Gurmatta is Khalsa maryada, where the whole Panth gathers to make a decision. Votes have never been a part of our way of life, until the inception of the SGPC. Now we find this model all over the world, and Gurdwaras have commitees and votes cause politics, divides and eventually violence.

Which Guru made a commitee? The Panth has been run by the Panj, and the Jathedar of the Panj. Not secret whispers and parcels of money delievered to get votes! Even the Akal Takht Jathedar today has to answer to the commitee! This never ever took place in history.

Gandhi wrote to the SGPC founders and said as long as you are a religious body and do not deal with secular matters, or ask for Khalsa Raj, then I can support you. SGPC made Sikhi into a religion, when before this time Sikhi was a Dharma of Miri/Piri!

It is about time the Panth called for the dissolution of the SGPC, the original declaration of the SGPC was until the institutions in the Panth come into balance, the SGPC will exist:
ਸ਼ਿਰੋਮਣੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ, ਪੰਥ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਾਰਵਾਨ ਸਾਰੇ ਜਥੇ ਅਤੇ ਸਮਾਜ, ਦਿਲੋਂ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਗੁਰਦੁਵਾਰਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਹੋਰਨਾਂ ਲਈ ਉਦਾਹਰਣ ਰੂਪ ਹੋਵੇ, ਪਰ ਜਦ ਤੀਕ-
ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ
(ੳ) ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਸੇਵਕ ਗੁਰਮਤ ਦੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਗਾਤਾ, ਵਿਦਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਸਦਾਚਾਰੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦੇ,
ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ
(ਅ) ਜਦ ਤੀਕ ਉਦਾਸੀ, ਨਿਹੰਗ, ਨਿਰਮਲੇ, ਨਾਮਧਾਰੀ ਆਦਿਕ ਫਿਰਕੇ ਤਅੱਸੁਬ ਛੱਡਕੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਤਾਂਈ ਇੱਕ ਪਿਤਾ ਦੇ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਜਾਣਕੇ ਭ੍ਰਾਤ੍ਰਿਭਾਵ ਦਾ ਵਰਤਾਉ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ,
When all the samprada are organised it would dissolve. Well the time has come. All the Gurdwara commitees world-wide should be dissolved as they have no basis in Sikh maryada.

The qualifications of elected members in the THE SIKH GURDWARAS ACT, 1925 is as follows:

Qualifications of elected members.— (1) A person shall not be eligible for election as a member of the Board if such person—
(i) is of unsound mind;
(ii) is an undischarged insolvent,
(iii) is a patit;
(iv) is a minister of a Notified Sikh Gurdwara, other than the head minister of the Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, or of one of the four Sikh Takhts specified in clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 43.
(v) is a paid servant of any Notified Sikh Gurdwara, or of the Board other than a member of the executive committee of the Board.

(vi) being a keshadhari Sikh is not a amritdhari;
(vii) takes alcoholic drinks;
(viii) cannot read and write Gurmukhi.]
(2) No person shall be eligible for election as a member of the Board if he is not registered on the electoral roll of any constituency specified in Schedule IV.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) no person shall be prevented from standing as a candidate for election as a member of the Board on the ground that he is a patit, but if a person elected is thereafter found under the provisions of section 84 to be a patit his election shall be void.

How about knowing Gurbani? Having served the Sikh Panth? Knowing Kirtan?

It is under this commitee Sikhi has been distorted, banis cut down, liturgies rearranged, controversies started.............the list is endless...........votes do not lead to truth, the person with the most money and influence win. Sikhi was inherited by the meek and humble, not politicians.

In the past, the Jathedari was given due to day and night seva, now a new Jathedar is voted in by those in charge. How can we take such a commitee and Jathedar seriously?

Look at how Jathedar Vedanti who should have served us for life was unceremoniously removed!

How can a Jathedar be voted in without the blessing of the whole Panth? HOW WILL THIS BE WRITTEN IN OUR HISTORY?

Conclusion:

Based upon maryada, Gurbani and history; the SGPC and its appointments of 'Jathedars' have no validity or meaning, it is nothing more than a facade. The true guards of the Akal Takht were Saint Soldiers, now they are not even Saints but 'priests'. Who ritually conduct what their ruling masters tell them. This shows that even our 'leaders' are selected by the political masters and are just puppets for those who control them.

Well all know what happended to the Masands...............

At Anandpur Sahib is the well to this day where they were punished by the Guru. The same fate awaits the Masands of today. They can hide, but one day there will be nowhere to run.

Lottery funding - Using money from gambling for 'Seva'

Should Sikhs be using money from gambling, e.g the various Lottery Funds to do Seva? Would Guru Arjan Dev Ji have taken this type of money, that is not from honest labour, to complete the Darbar Sahib, Sri Harimandir Sahib (The Universal Temple of God)?

If we think this money is o.k to take, then could we use the money from brothels, and drug dealing to further our projects?

I think Sikhs that use this money have become beggars, and have lost all sense of integrity! The Sikh rahit is clear about this, gambling is not allowed and is considered a major tankha. Then, as Sikhs how can we feel justified to use this black money?

Here is a list of Sikh organisations that have applied for handouts:

Guru Teg Bahadur Sikh Gurdwara in Nottingham - £171,000
Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO)
Sikh Cyber Museum
Guru Nanak Sikh Museum in Leicester
Khalsa woods: Heritage Lottery Fund: £17,599
Sikh Society Milton Keynes
Sikh Community Care Project (SCCP) East London
Karamsar Gurdwara, Ilford
Guru Nanak Community Centre Bedford £934,122
GRDP
Project: ASHT Development Project Amount awarded: £660,000
Applicant: Asian Health Heritage Amount awarded: £49,900
Applicant: Eastern Arts Partnership Amount awarded: £59, 000
Applicant: Sikh Sanjog Grant awarded: £20,800

This problem happens outside of the UK as well:

http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2007OTP0032-000365.htm

If you visit the charities commision website you can see the finances of each Gurughar :



http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=258487&SubsidiaryNumber=0

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=508470&SubsidiaryNumber=0

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=280707&SubsidiaryNumber=0

£5, 222, 000! A year! With 1, 000, 000 costs!

With so much money coming into these Gurughars that are just a couple of examples, why are people still getting lottery funding?

Probably because the Gurghars and commitees do not want the youth to do anything worthwhile.

It seems to me that people see a good Gurughar as one that gets bigger in size!

We need commitees to invest the money to make money for community projects like heritage, education and so on.

What Sikhs should be doing..........