Open letter to Supporters of Kala Afgana
Dear Gurtej Singh,
Guru Fateh!
Nice to receive this Fateh from your desk.
Thanks for your mail in support of Kala Afghana by saying that what he has written is a trivial matter. Don't mind but it seems that till now you are not aware of the issue and are only getting a briefing of these from some quarters.
If you consider the works of a person who has openly challenged and written blasphemously about the banees which are REVERED by you and the whole panth for the last 300 years, as a trivial matter then I am really sorry and stand by what I said in my last sentence. I do not want to go into the details of the issue but want to make you aware that when these people come to oppose the writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, they quote only from the charitropakhyan which they feel are obscene, and with that engulf the other writings like Ardaas (the first pauri of the Ardaas is from Chandi di vaar and kala Afghana takes the credit of opposing it too) , Benati Chopai, which has become a part of a Sikh's daily life. Should we allow this blackmailing and cheating?
I'm not fanatic about opposing Kala Afghana, but have some very clear views in this matter.
My main concern is that when someone criticises the banees with which I have been baptised and which have become a part of my daily nitnem, doesn't it become my DUTY to defend these at any cost. I'm really amazed to see what kind of obligation makes you stand away from this duty.
Does anyone as an individual (even if he claims to be a big scholar) has the right to comment on the Sikh history and literature? Shouldn't he approach The Akal Takht Sahib (As mentioned in the Rehat Maryada) to clear his views and queries?
Should kala Afghana, on the larger interest of the panth, had gone ahead and publish his INDIVIDUAL views??
I would appreciate to get the name of a single Sikh Scholar who, before the era of Bhagaurias (who were the first to raise finger against Dasam Granth and later wrote against the Bhagat Banees present in SGGS), ever opposed the writings of Dasam Granth. After writing blasphemously against Dasam Granth they pointed their guns at SGGS and were excommunicated from the panth.
Later Bhag Singh got hold of the stick (who was also excommunicated from the panth by Akal Takht Sahib) and now it's Kala Afghana's turn.
The Great Sikh philosophers of the past (like Akali Kaur Singh, Bhai Veer Singh, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, who wrote 'Hum Hindu Nahin' (I think he was aware of what is written in the Dasam Granth when he was writing this beautiful piece of literature and had reverence for the writings of Dasam Granth too. In his book he has defended the Banees of the Dasam Granth, when Hindus try to interpret in the other way, and has also proved his point that Sikhs are not Hindus, by quoting from the Dasam Granth itself) and the great Sikhs of the present times like Sirdar Kapur Singh, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale (the people of Damdami Taksal read additional excerpts from Ramavtaar and Krishanavtaar in the Benati Chaupai. Could people like kala Afghana stand before Bhindranwale and speak this nonsense. This is one of the reasons why his absence is felt. To keep the so called intellectuals and scholars in a discipline)
The Sikhs who collected from different parts of the World and worked on the mammoth project of preparing the Sikh Rehat Maryada would have discussed all the matters including the Dasam Granth if they would have found anything objectionable in it. I am really amazed to know why these learned people could not trace those things which scholars like kala Afghana are commenting as objectionable now!!!
If Kala claims that there has been some plagiarism in the Dasam Granth, then who did it? when was this done? How was this done? How is it that these writings have been imbibed in the Sikh religion so deeply? These are the preliminary questions whose answers kala Afghana types should find out before creating confusion in the panth by selling their stuff.
People like Kala who oppose the writings of Dasam Granth have got a very ridiculous logic of justifying their blasphemy. They say RSS is trying to propagate Dasam Granth, that’s why it is unacceptable to the Sikh Panth. I would like to ask a few questions to those people. First, have they ever read the constitution of RSS? The constitution of the RSS states that it would propagate the banis of Sri Guru Granth Sahib! So? what should we do? Do we also ostracise Sri Guru Granth Sahib, just because RSS is propagating it? Interestingly the logo of the (Rashtriya Sikh Sangat) RSS has the excerpt from Guru Nanak Sahibs Bani. Second, was RSS present when the banis of Dasam Granth were written or compiled? Third would the RSS propagate the bani which ridicules the Hindu Avtaars. "raam raheem puran kuran anek kahe mat ek na manyo" (Raamavtaar). "mae na ganeshe pritham manaoo, kishan bishan kabhoon na dhiaoon" (Krishanavtaar). "jite raam hooyen, sabhe ant mooye. jite kishan hve haen, sabhe ant jai haen. (Bachiter Natak). After writing about every Hindu avtaar, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib has written very clearly what he believes in. He knew that people like Kala would get confused and would come up with their own idiotic logic.
When Kala Afghana in his writings states "amrit di bakhshish karan lagayan pariyaan baneeyan vichhon kewal do baneeyan hi satguran dian uchaariyaan hoyiaan han. baaki kise CHALAAK BRAHMAN da kara hai",and stuff like "Guru Gobind Singh did not take amrit from the 'panj payaras", "Guru Ji didn't put patasaas while preparing amrit" and "Guru Gobind Singh wallon uchaari baanee Gurbani nahin", he is undoubtedly showing his contempt towards the Akal Takht Sahib and it's Maryada.
It would not be surprising to see people, who whole-heartedly support Kala Afghana's idiotic logic, forming their own Maryada where Ardas would be different, the banees of baptism would be different, the course of baptising a Sikh would be different (as proposed by Kala Afghana, they would be putting shakkar instead of patasaas to prepare Amrit!!!).
It's high time that we take a tough decision now. We can't step on two boats simultaneously.
Is he, in any ways, less a sinner than Baba Raam Rai? Does Afghana s earlier track record make him acquittal from the charges levelled against him due to his latest blunder? Guru Har Rai Ji's elder son, Raam Rai, also had an excellent track record!!
Afghana types should be nipped in the bud. Had someone else written this we would have definitely asked for a stern action against him in accordance with the rehatnamaas, "Gur ki ninda sune na kaan bheta kare sang kirpaan". Then why a soft corner for him? Does he deserve any pity?
About sitting across the table and talking to people like Kala, we never sat with nirankaris, namdharis, ramrayeeas, etc then why sit now and discuss our paternity?
The need of the hour is that we develop a sense of pride in the scriptures, the literature that we possess. These writings give a separate identity to the Khalsa Panth. And these writings have become an important part of our daily life. Every kind of research on the scriptures should be banned. We have to believe in Gurmat. We cannot define Gurmat according to our own ideologies. Or else we end up questioning everything that the Guru has bestowed upon us...and our faith just remains a mockery! bhul chukk maaf,
Guru Fateh!
Ripudaman Singh