Scathing
Criticism of Jats
Charnjit
Singh Bal
On 02 Mar 2004 my
learned Sikh brother Baldev Singh, baldev6@netscape.com,
316 R Glad Way, Collegeville, circulated the following message that heaped sever
criticism on the Jat Sikhs. I am publishing the verbatim text of his message,
with minimal format editing; and my response to his diatribes.
Film star Dara
Singh, the President of all India Jat Mahan Sabha announced in Amritsar that
Jats should be declared as backward group and 6% of the government jobs should
be reserved for them, reported the Tribune of Feb. 26, 2004. My first reaction
to this news was a big hearty laughter, but moments later I felt sadness and
pity at depth of moral degradation to which the Jats have sunk. Since when the
Jats were considered forward or advanced?
Waras Shah was a
keen observer of the character of various tribes of Punjab and he devoted almost
a page to the characteristics of Jats and most of them are negative. For
instance:
jt
jyf nw koeI gvwr if`Tw ijvyN Xwr nw koeI ispwhIAW dw [
jat jed na koee gvar ditha jiven
yar na koee sipahian da.
No one can surpass a Jat in
barbarity and no one is the friend of policemen.
j`t
coh dw cUhw bxw lYNdy cly vs nw mwlkW sweIAW dw [
jat choh da chuha bna lande chale
vas na malkan saeean da.
Jats can distort the meaning of a
hill-stream into a mouse, which makes it impossible for the authorities (to get
the truth out of Jats).
A Jat’s amorality comes out
roaringly at the slightest external stimuli. Bal Nath told Ranjha that a yogi is
not supposed to look at the face of a woman, so when you go begging for alms
caste your glances downward at the feet of housewives. Rnajha retorted back
angrily:
pqw
huMdw jy r`nW QIN mnwNH krnw qyry it`ly qy Dwr nw mwrdw mYN [
pta hunda je rana theen mnah
karna tere tilai te dhar na marda main.
Had I known that you would
prohibit me from seeing women, I would not have pissed on your camp.
Dara Singh also
announced that he is going to campaign for the BJP in the coming elections. He
justified his support of BJP by saying that this party is good for the
development of the country whereas the reality is that he was nominated to the
upper house of Indian Parliament by BJP – a fascist organization.
Last year he
backed out of the agreement at the last moment to rent his facility "Dara
Studios" to the World Sikh Convention for holding the meeting on October
26, 2003, as he could not resist the pressure of the Barbarian Brigade and his
benefactors – the BJP party. He played the role of Hanuman in the TV serial,
Ramayan. Though the mythical Hanuman was able to encircle the entire island of
Sri Lanka with his tail, Dara’s tail is not long enough even to cover his
shameless face. Probably, Dara does not know the meaning of sharam (shame) or
besharam (shameless) as both these words were added to the Punjabi language by
the Muslim conquerors.
Baldev Singh
Baldev Singh Jee
Sat Sri Akal
Although I resent
Dara Singh's advocacy to have Jats designated as a backward class, but I don't
think your criticism of Jats is going to win you accolades or any friends except
maybe Harjot Singh Oberoi of 'Construction of Boundaries' fame or infamy. I
resent your criticism too of Jats, not because I am a Jat, but because it
doesn't seem to serve any useful purpose. On the contrary it is going to abet
further fragmentation of the international Sikh Community that is already
embroiled in deleterious Factionalism.
The Sikhism does
condemn deviant elements of a Race, Community, Culture or Society or its
sub-category, but does not heap blanket criticism on it as a whole. Being a Jat
I am aware of my community's strengths, weaknesses, shortcomings and faults, but
then to my knowledge, no community can claim to pass the litmus test of
perfection with flying colors.
Waris Shah wrote
Heer in 1180 Hijri or 1765 AD. What he wrote two and a half centuries ago about
the Jats may not be true today as I am pretty sure they have come a long way
since then. During the Hinduism's nefarious caste system days the Jats, who
belonged to the third tier, used to be deferent to the condescending higher
caste Brahmins and Kashatrys. But now the roll reversal is quite pronounced.
I agree with you
about Dara Singh's un-Sikh act of reneging on his commitment to let the Sikh
Scholars and intelligentsia to hold conference on the premises of his studio.
Charnjit Singh Bal
Dear brother
Charanjit Singh Ji, Sat Sri Akal,
I appreciate
your prompt response to my letter abou Dara Singh.Dear brother think calmly and
dispassionately about what I said, I did not say that all Jats are like Dara
Singh. Brother one bad apple is too many for me! The problem with the Sikh
community is that instead of exposing and criticising the criminal elements
within our ranks we defend them and act as cheer leaders for them -- and come
with this absurd argument that not all are bad. No sane person suggets that all
are bad. It takes one apple to destroy the whole basket. Sikhs may deny it but I
smell that the the "SIKh Basket" is pretty stinky. I am a trained
scientist, I don't talk in vague terms or generalities. Here are some questions
for you.
1) Do yo deny that that criminals
Jats have takenover Sikh politics, religious and educatiobal institutions?
2) Do you deny that criminal Jats
have been colaborating with Hindu leadership since 1947 to undermine Sikhism and
Sikhs to line their own pockets?
3) Do you deny that crimnal Jats
are mainly responsible for the blood bath of Sikhs during the last two decades?
4) Do you deny that most of the
sant / baba are crimnal Jats? Sawan Singh Grewal, Randhur singh Grewal,
Gurbachan Singh Khalsa of Damdami Taksal, the list is very long?
5) Do you deny that most of the
crimes committed overseas by Sikhs are by Jats?
6) Since 1947, can you name any
Jat Leader, whether politician or religious who is (was) a dscent human being
what to speak of being a good Sikh?
Waras Shahh'
observation about Jat behavior are very accurate, point a single one which does
not apply to criminal or kanjar Jat. Waras made these obsevations only about two
and a half century back, look how accurate was Hardotus, the Greek Historian who
met the ancestors of so-called modern day jats on the steppe of central Asia. he
said' "The Scythians, the ancestors of Jats used to drink the blood of
their enemies." I do not know whether their descents, the modern Jats of
Nothern India have regressed or advnced, but one thing is sure -- they drink the
blood of their kith and kin. Have you not heard the angry expression of a Jat:
O, I will drink your blood (O main tera lahoo pee jun). Similarly, when childer
pester a mother (Jati) she screems, " these brats have sucked my
blood."
It is high time
that the vast majority of Sikh-jats who are descent, honest and hard working
take a look at what is happening to their community and denounce and condemn the
criminal elements within their ranks from every available platform at evry
opportunity they get. Let us remove the cancereous mole from our beautiful and
healthy body.
With deep love and respect to all
of you.
Baldev Singh.
Baldev Singh Jee
Sat Sri Akal
I did not ask for
your background. What I said was, "I don't know what community you
belong to, but I am pretty certain there are Jat counterparts in it too",
which is not the same as asking for your background. Never the less since you
have volunteered your plausible background including qualifications and lineage
and asked me to forward it to the people on my mailing list I am doing so by
inserting its verbatim text below.
Unlike, you I have
a humble academic background and Jat-Sikh lineage of which I am not particularly
proud or ashamed because I wasn't given the option to be somebody other than
what I am. More over I believe no individual, community, race, religious
denomination or nation or its sub-category can be absolutely proud or ashamed in
the final reckoning. As per Gurbani, 'He Himself (the God)' assigns
noble/ignoble roles to people to play in the perpetual divine drama i.e. cycle
of incarnation, mortality and reincarnation.
Personally,
somebody using surname doesn't overly perturb me so long as one doesn't advance
elitism or flaunt his lineage/genealogy and abets schism in the socio-religious
structure. I am inclined to believe that surnames make it easier for the
policing and intelligence services to identify the criminal individuals in the
contemporary multicultural global societies.
Your assertion "peple
who preach Sikhism from one side of their mouth have no compunction of
displaying their Jatness or Khatriness from the other side of the mouth. And I
have no problem exposing such hypocrites." proves Jats are not alone in
displaying their identity. What made you to single out Jats as target of your
invective blitz? Maybe, your comment, "For caste-intoxicated people Shiv
Ling is there", is applicable to the caste intoxicated Jats only.
In view of your own
admission, "I have shed most of my Jat-conscipuness, but not
completely", who is the hypocrite, the Jat you accuse of caste
intoxication, or you, the accuser who hasn't shed all of his Jat
conspicuousness yet says "I have no problem exposing such hypocrites"?
Your logic "Eiher
one is Jat or Sikh it is that simple or clear", is a total surprise to
me because until now nobody told me I had to renounce my Jat identity to be a
Sikh. The Gurbani advises a Brahmin to be a good Brahmin, a Muslim to be good
Muslim and a Hindu to be a good Hindu, not to relinquish his ancestry. Nor does
Gurbani advocate wholesale condemnation of a race, community, religious
denomination or caste. In my opinion a true Sikh strives to bring about harmony
amongst the numerous elements of the checkered mosaic of God's creation.
Sikh literally
means a learner, disciple or seeker and being a Sikh is a progressive process of
learning and adopting Guru's edification (Gurmut) that professes a Sikh to
praise the Lord, earn an honest living and share with the destitute.
A humble Jat-Sikh
Charnjit Singh Bal
P.S. I am forwarding Sardar H. S.
Virk's message,
DEAR MR. BAL
I
FIND REMARKS OF SO CALLED TRAINED SCIENTIST BALDEV SINGH UNPLATABLE AND IN BAD
TASTE, THEY SMACK OF NON-JAT ANTAGONISM. I DONOT KNOW WHAT HE WANTS TO PREACH?
VIRK
HS
Dear Brother
Charan Jit Singh, Sat Sri Akal,
It seems that
our dialogue is not very fruitful as you keep changing the subject instead
answering my qestions. You did not ansewer a single question posed to you in my
first reply to you. Let me ask you the following:
Who banned and
burnt Kala Afgha's books? Who excommunicated Kala Afghana? Who excommunicated
the editor of Spokesman? What were their faults? what harm they did to anyone?
Their only fault is that they spoke the truth which is considered a crime among
barbarians and criminals. Do you know any good Jat in Punjab who has condemned
what the barbarians did to Kala Afghana and the editor of Spokesman. Even your
friesnd Hardev Singh Virk who took reacetd angrily to my remarks about Jat
criminals has not uttered a word of protest. What happened to all those good
Jats you were talking about. Are they sleeping? Or they to don't like
criticizing criminal Jats who have made the entire Sikh community as a laughing
stock in the world. I hope that you would answer my questions instead of
changing the subject.
Regards.
Baldev Singh
Baldev Singh Jee
Sat Sri Akal
I find your attempt
to accuse me of changing the subject rhetorical one-upmanship. I tried to
respond to your scathing criticism of the Jats in a subtle way in accordance
with my humble scholarship and Gurbani's cognizance. In my opinion the
schismatic subject should never have been broached.
Since you castigated Dara Singh, “Last year he backed out of the agreement at the last moment to rent his facility "Dara Studios" to the World Sikh Convention for holding the meeting on October 26, 2003, as he could not resist the pressure of the Barbarian Brigade and his benefactors – the BJP party” how can you bluster accusations and ask, “Do you know any good Jat in Punjab who has condemned what the barbarians did to Kala Afghana and the editor of Spokesman?”
I do not know nor
do I care as to how many Sikh scholars and intelligentsia whose letters were
published in the Sikh Bulletin or those who participated in the conference were
Jats, but I am inclined to believe that there were considerable number of them.
From your questions
it seems you are living in a sublime or subliminal world of your own. According
to my information you are at least a regular recipient of Sikh Bulletin that has
published very many articles by numerous Sikh scholars supporting Gurbakhsh
Singh Kala- Afghana and Spokesman editor Joginder Singh and condemning the
illegitimate Sikh high priests i.e. self-aggrandizing Jathedars and Singh
Sahibs.
As I have lived
most of my life (including 33 years in the western World) outside Punjab and
India, I do not know how many Jat Sikhs are "among the barbarians and
criminals; Who banned and burnt Kala Afgha's books? Who excommunicated Kala
Afghana? Who excommunicated the editor of Spokesman?" But I do know
that not all barbarians and criminals are Jat Sikhs nor all Jat Sikhs are
barbarians and criminals. I am told that Bhai Ranjit Singh and Bhai Puran Singh
are not Jat Sikhs.
I recollect your
e-mail telling me that you read my e-mails and articles. And if I remember
correctly I sent you my article 'Excommunication of Sikh scholars'. If you had
read the articles published in the Sikh Bulletin and on my Web Site you wouldn't
have asked me all those feisty questions.
Considering my
humble literary talent and my preoccupation with propagating Sikhism with the
meager resources at my disposal through cyber space and print media I intend to
end what you say 'our not very fruitful dialogue'. However I am going to
publish verbatim text of our past and future correspondence titled 'Scathing
Criticism of Jats' on my Web Site, hoping that some one from the e-mail
recipients and/or my Web Site visitors with your literary caliber will pick up
where I intend to leave off.
Charnjit Singh Bal
Baldev Singh Jee
Sat Sri Akal
I am obliged to respond to your last two e-mails with attachments (1) “the information about Jats” and (2) “An Open Letter to Hardev Singh Shergill: Editor of the Sikh Bulletin” because they belie your expressed intention, “Let us close the discussion on the scismatic (schismatic) subject”.
The first harangue named ‘Information’ reveals no new vital information about the positive or negative traits of Jats to me. The excerpts in it from some prejudicial authors inimical to Sikhism merely corroborate your own uncomplimentary view of Jats.
And the second "Please read the attached letter addressed to Hardev Singh Shergill, the editor of Sikh Bulletin and find out how 'people' use religion to pursue their own selfish agenda", equally lengthy, accusatory letter bears relevance to Jats only if one considers that the Sikh leaders, politicians, editors, Khalistanis, et al are all Jats. It bears no reference to the Jats particularly.
As I said at the very onset that Jats too have negative traits and criminal elements, obviously I am not defending the Jats. What I am defending is, the Sikhism’s liberal fundament that prohibits vociferous condemnation of a race, community, society, culture or tribe as a whole.
Vernacular words Kirsan, Wahikar, Jimindar, Kashtkar, Jat, Jaat are synonymous to word Jat. And Kirsani, Wahi, Jimindari or Kashtkari is an occupation that includes Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. Do we lump Guru Nanak, who is said to have engaged himself in Kirsani, with the Jats who according to your opinion are scum of the earth?
Charnjit Singh Bal
Web Site:- www.sikhsundesh.net
Feedback:- charnjit@sikhsundesh.net