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W H McLeod’s Sikh Literature smacks of Scepticism, Cynicism

S Charanjit Singh Bal*

Variously described as ‘a Gentleman and a Scholar’, ‘among the foremost scholars of Sikh Studies’, ‘unscrupulous and intellectually dishonest’, William Hewat McLeod, Ph. D London, Emeritus Professor, Otago University, New Zealand and an ordained Presbyterian Church Reverend and Overseas Christian Missionary, says “For myself I am convinced that I never really believed in any religious system or held any belief in God, and that the awakening for me consisted of a simple recognition that this had always been the case. I prefer to call myself an unbeliever” Discovering the Sikhs, Autobiography of a Historian (pages 47, 48)

“After all, my departure from church had occurred as far back as 1966 and in the years since then I have made no secret of the fact that I am an unbeliever.” Ibid, (page 163)
“I am a wolf arrayed rather ineptly in sheep’s clothing.” Ibid, (page 219

Despite his disclaims to being a Christian missionary W. H. McLeod continued his associations with the Christian institutions throughout his life including application to the ‘World council of Churches’ for expenses to complete his doctoral Sikh studies in London (1963) and three days stay in ‘Pakistan with an elderly American missionary couple, the Christies, at Texla’, in 1982. Ibid, pages 37, 86.

W. H. McLeod was born in 1932. Educated at Nelson College (1946-1950) New Zealand, he managed to get on bottom of the University National scholarship list, and enrolled as a resident student at Knox College, Otago University in 1951. After M.A. graduation in history in 1954, he joined Presbyterian Theological Hall, Dunedun in 1955 and obtained his theological License and was registered as a Presbyterian Church Reverend in December 1957. Same year he was ordained to work as an overseas missionary and appointed to replace Dr. Ryburn at Bible Class Movement, a vestige of British colonialism/Imperialism and Christian proselytism in Kharar, Punjab, India.

Rev. Hew McLeod arrived in Kharar, India in mid 1958 and at the end of his five-year Christian missionary work in 1963 he was eligible for a sabbatical that he could avail for further studies. For some reason, best known to him, he decided to pursue study of Sikhism instead of Christianity. He wrote to A. L. Basham whose book ‘The wonder that was India’, he had read, and who was now a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Prof. Basham replied he would be happy to have him as a Sikh studies doctoral student. Hew. McLeod and his family left for England and he enrolled in two-year doctoral study of Sikhism at London University. Since he had only a year’s paid sabbatical from his employer, he applied to the ‘World Council of Churches’ for second year’s expenses that happened to be easily available.

Rev. Mcleod got his Ph. D. for a Joke?
By virtue of the opportunity accorded to Rev. McLeod to learn Hindustani and Punjabi, a requisite for a Christian Missionary posted at Kharar, with predominantly Sikh population, in Punjab, India, he was, for some reason, motivated to acquaint himself with authentic Sikh scriptural anthology, unauthentic traditions and historical accounts derived from mythology-oriented anonymous, pseudonymous Sikh and non-Sikh authors’ quasi-Sikh literature. He, apparently, acquired more knowledge about Sikhism than his Euro-Christian educators and examiners, whose total lack of proficiencies in Sikh scriptural anthology, religiosity and history are evident from Rev. Mcleod’s own statements regarding his doctoral Sikh studies, dissertation and examination.

“Professor Basham (supervisor) knew nothing about the Punjabi language, and he made only three very minor changes to the thesis. One of which was his insistance that I should use plural form ‘appendices’ instead of earlier practice of writing ‘appendexis’. Once a month I was required to appear before him and report progress and difficulties. I would outline the difficulties and at each of them he would nod his head wisely and make some such comment as, ‘yes that is a problem’ or ‘that is a difficulty we all have’. After the interview was over I would ask myself, ‘what have I gained from it,’ and answer would be that I had derived nothing. Professor Basham was, however, an experienced supervisor and even if I received no direct guidance concerning my thesis topic, I did, at least, get the understanding noises, which at that time, I needed.” Discovering the Sikhs, Autobiography of a Historian, page 39

“In September 1969 Punjabi University staged an international seminar in honour of the quincentenary of Guru Nanak’s birthday and to it they invited a selection of scholars from other countries. Geoffrey Parrinder was one such scholar and knowing nothing about Nanak or the Sikh religion except what he had gained as my examiner he depended on ‘Guru Nanak and the Sikh religion’ (Hew. McLeod’s work published in 1969) as his guide.” Ibid page 63

“Raymond (W. H. McLeod’s other examiner F. R. Allchin) is an anthropologist of India who also sustains a considerable interest in the Indian medieval poets (particularly Tulsi Das).” Ibid, page 69

“When I presented myself for the viva on July 13th Dr. F. Raymond Allchin, one of the examiners whom I had not previously met, opened questioning by frowning severely at me. ‘Mr. Mcleod,’ he said, ‘We have a serious criticism to make of this thesis (The Life and Doctrine of Guru Nanak).’ This, needless to say, is just what the nervous candidate does not want to hear. ‘You did not allow us sufficient time to read it.’ It was a joke and he and other examiner professor Geoffrey Parrinder, together with professor Basham, joined in the jolly laughter. It soon became clear, however, that neither examiner had in fact managed to read the complete thesis, and after a single question from each I was dismissed. Fortunately they both agreed to sustain the thesis.” Ibid page 40

Before returning to India in 1965 AD, he was appointed to teach history at Baring Union Christian College at Batala, Punjab, India. This College is one of the several such institutions opened by a wealthy American, Rev. Baring, who came to Christian Mission Society School in Amritsar in 1872 during the British Imperialism and inevitable ensuing Christian proselytism.

McLeod derives inferences and conclusions from unreliable sources. Rev. McLeod, although, describes Sikh traditions and Janam Sakhis (hagiographies) as unreliable sources of Sikh Studies, but his literary works pertaining to Sikh Studies are replete with references, inferences, conclusions and statements that are implicitly derived from these unauthenticated sources.

On the first page of his first book, GURU NANAK and the SIKH RELIGION’ under dedication to Prof. A. L. Basham, he quotes verses from anonymous author’s mythical composition, Bachiter Natak (5: 4-6) that many Sikhs and non-Sikhs with penchant for mythology erroneously propagate as the work of Guru Gobind Singh.

Delving into the four Janam Sakhis and Bhai Gurdas’ pauris (paurdies, stanzas) of Vars (ballads) pertaining to Guru Nanak’s mundane life, Mr. Mcleod enunciates that the Janam Sakhis are replete (full) with mythology, miracles and fantasies. Even Bhai Gurdas’ relevant pauris (paurdies), to lesser extent, are tainted with the same irrational narratives.

Lamenting paucity (scarcity) of authentic Sikh historicity sources, apart from Guru Granth, and unreliability of the available sources, i.e., Sikh traditions and hagiographies (Janam Sakhis), Mr. Mcleod writes, “Adi Granth does offer much that is relevant to our biographical concern, but its contribution to our knowledge of the actual events of Guru Nanak’s life is slight. For these reasons we are compelled to resort to our only other available source, the traditional biographies called janam-sakhis. The problem as far as janam-sakhis are concerned is to determine how much of their material can be accepted as historical. A very substantial proportion of it is obviously legend.” ‘Guru Nanak And The Sikh Religion’, page 8

“Of the four (Puratan, Meharban, Bala, Gyan Ratnavali Janam Sakhis) the least reliable is Bala tradition, but its influence has been immense.” Ibid, Page 13

“Bhai Gurdas’s thirty-nine Vars and, to a lesser extent, his 556 compositions in the Kabitt poetic form are of considerable interest as an exposition of contemporary Sikh belief, but they contain little biographical material.” Ibid, pages 14-15

“The account of Guru Nanak’s life given in Bhai Gurdas’s Var 1, and supplemented in Var 11, is very brief one, but within the limited range which it covers this account has generally been accepted as the most reliable available. If the comparison is narrowed to the three incidents which are common to the vär and to either or both of the two Janam-sakhi traditions it is at once evident that Bhäï Gurdäs’s account contains almost as many miraculous or otherwise unacceptable details as the purätan version and one instant, more than that of Miharbän Janam-sakhi. In the encounter with the eighty-four Sidhs on Mount Sumeru there is the anachronistic (wrong period) reference to Gorakhnäth and also story of the jewels by the lakeside, which the Miharbän account lacks. In Mecca we have the moving of mosque, and in Achal Batälä the yogis turning into lions, wolves, birds and snakes.” Ibid, Page 29

Subtle Skepticism, Cynicism and Schism
Hew McLeod starts sowing subtle seeds of skepticism, cynicism and schism regarding Sikh Anthology, Religiosity, History, Tradition and Culture with his very first literary work, ‘Guru Nanak And The Sikh Religion’. The fact that the seed has taken root and flourished is evident in the published or unpublished theses and Sikh literature of his mentored fraternity. Although Mr. McLeod does tend to qualify his abstruse extracts, but the works of his protégés Harjot Oberoi, Pashaura Singh, Doris Jakobsh, Lonis Emanuel Fenech, Gurinder Mann, et al are not so innocuous (harmless).

Sikh Concepts not original
“Many of these concepts Guru Nanak shared with other earlier contemporary religious figures, including Kabir. It is at once evident that his thought is closely related to that of Sant tradition of Northern India and there can be no doubt that much of it was derived directly from this source. The system developed by Guru Nanak is essentially a reworking of the Sant pattern, a reinterpretation which, compounded experience and profound insight with a quality of coherence and a power of effective expression.” Ibid, page 151

“Nath influence emerges in much of the basic terminology used by Kabir (and later by Guru Nanak), in a rejection of all exterior forms, ceremonies, caste distinctions, sacred language, and scriptures, in strong emphasis upon unity as opposed to duality, and in the concept of mystical union which destroys this ‘duality’. It is not without significance that the commonest of all terms used by both Kabir and Guru Nanak to express of union is ‘sahaj’, a word which carries us into Nath theory and beyond Nath tradition into earlier world of tantric Buddhism.” Ibid, page 153

“Sikhism has commonly been regarded as a blend of Hindu beliefs and Islam, and if for Islam we substitute Sufism there appears, at first sight, to be much to support this view. It is at once evident that many elements in the thought of Guru Nanak have affinities with Sufi concepts and this would seem to suggest strong Sufi influence. This appearance is, however, misleading. Affinities certainly exist, but we cannot assume that they are necessarily the result of Sufi influence.” Ibid, Page 158

“The teachings of Guru Nanak do indeed constitute a synthesis, it is not that synthesis of ‘Hinduism and Islam’, which finds mention in most surveys of his thought. It is the Sant (tradition) synthesis, a system, which is inherited, reworked according to his own – genius and passed on in a form unequalled by any other representative of the tradition. The greatness of Guru Nanak lay in his capacity to integrate a somewhat disparate set of doctrines, and to express them with clarity and a compelling beauty.” The Evolution of Sikh Community, page 7

Guru Nanak, not Founder of Sikhism
“To Sikhs of all subsequent generations Guru Nanak is the founder of the Sikh religion. Of his importance there can be no doubt whatever, and it must also be acknowledged that ‘in a certain sense he is legitimately described as a founder’. ‘In another sense’, however the term ‘founder’ is misleading, for it suggests that Guru Nanak originated not merely a group of followers, also a school of thought or set of teachings. If we place Guru Nanak within his own historical context, if we compare his teachings with those of other contemporary or earlier religious figures, we shall at once see that he stands firmly within a well-defined tradition. What Guru Nanak offers us is the clearest and most highly articulated expression of the ‘nirgun samppradaya, the so called Sant tradition of Northern India.” Ibid Page 5

Guru Amar Das built Baoli as a Sikh Shrine
“If one visits Goindval today one will find a boali, a large well with steps leading down to it. One may also observe that the steps number eighty-four. Tradition ascribes the original digging to the command of Guru Amar Das and there is every reason to accept this particular tradition as accurate. The significance of the well lies in its relation to teachings of Guru Nanak on one hand and to other such watering places on the other. The intention of Guru Amar Das, according to the tradition, was that this well should be Sikhs’ ‘tirath’, or center of pilgrimage, and certainly the eighty-four steps (corresponding to the traditional eighty-four lakhs (84 hundred thousand) of existences in the total migratory cycle) suggests that the purpose of the well was more than the mere provision of drinking-water.” Ibid page 7-8

“Guru Nanak, with all the characteristic Sant emphasis upon interiority, had declared in very plain terms that there was only one ‘tirath’, only one pilgrimage center for true devotee, and that was within his own heart. All others were useless. Here, however, we find his successor apparently inaugurating the very thing he had spurned. Bonds other than those based upon religious belief are becoming necessary and the third Guru finds the solution in recourse to traditional Indian institutions. Not only did he provide this new pilgrimage center, but also distinctive festival-days, distinctive rituals and a collection of sacred writings. Guru Nanak had rejected all of these. Guru Amar Das, in different and more difficult circumstances, is compelled to return to them.’ Ibid, page 8

Evidently, Mr. Mcleod based his premises on Janam Sakhis and/or traditions to derive erroneous conclusion and imply that Guru Amar Das built the baoli not only as a watering place, but a shrine or pilgrimage center for Sikhs seeking redemption from eighty-lakhs life form reincarnation cycle. He doesn’t elaborate as to what distinctive festival days, rituals and collection of writings Guru Amar Das provided. As for his innuendo regarding Sikh Shrine or pilgrimage center this is what Guru Amar Das says,

True-Guru is the shrine that satiates covetousness (longings), but only whom the guru edifies, understands it. 1: 1: 38: M: 3, G. G. page 26 (Derpun Vol.1 Page 237)

God’s Naam (praise) for a moment equates to bathing at 68 holy (Hindu) shrines; and materialism doesn’t pollute one’s mind; Attachment to materialism causes pollution that doesn’t wash even if one bathes at 68 shrines. Sloak, M: 3, page 87 (Derpun Vol. 1, p. 554

Pilgrimages to holy-river banks, distant-holy-places ironically boost ego and conceit. 3:11:12, M: 3, p. 116 (Derpun, vol. 1 p. 703

If one controls five cardinal vices, one dwells at a (true) holy shrine. 2:6:8, M: 3, p. 491 (Derpun vol. 4, p. 12)

There are verses in about a dozen of Guru Amar Das’ shabds and slokes in Guru Granth defining the futility of pilgrimage to dogmatically designated holy shrines. You can check out for yourself incontrovertible Guru Granth’s (Siri Rag) pages 26, 36, 87, (Gujri) 491, (Vudd-Hans) 587, (Suhi) 753, (Soruth) 644, 650, (Billavul) 797, (Ramkalli) 948, (Basant) 1169 and Sloak 1417. In view of Guru Amar Das’ concept of holy shrines, it is obvious that Rev. McLeod is not an authority on Sikhism or a gentleman scholar when he ignorantly or ignominiously asserts that Guru Amar Das diverged from Guru Nanak’s path of Sikh religiosity and built baoli at Goindwal as a Sikh Shrine or place of pilgrimage.

Schismatic Literature
We do not know if Mr. Mcleod produced any literature meant to cause divisions between Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs and Jat-Sikhs and non-Jat-Sikhs during the Punjabi Suba agitation as mentioned by Sikh scholar Dr. Sangat Singh in his presentation ‘McLeod and Fenech as scholars on Sikhism and Martyrdom’ in ‘International Sikh Conferences 2000’, but he certainly did so a decade later when he published his book ‘The Evolution of Sikh Community’ in 1976.

‘A second important development, which appears to have taken place during the period of Guru Amar Das concerns the constitution of the rising Panth. All ten Gurus came from Khatri families and there are other indications that the Khatris commanded a particular influence within the Panth during its earlier years. The situation which now emerges is, that within the Sikh Panth leadership drawn from a mercantile community secures a substantial and increasing following drawn from an agrarian (Jat) community. This Jat incursion (raid invasion) was of considerable importance in the evolution of the Panth, particularly for the developments, which took place during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although the respect accorded to Khatris obviously continued, the Jat constituency was preponderant and the inevitable result was development along lines dictated by the influence of Jat cultural patterns.’ The Evolution of Sikh Community, pages 9-10

“From Sind this Jat people moved northward via Multan into the Punjab and eastward across the Jumna River. In the course of their migration they changed from pastoralists (shepherds) to peasant cultivators. They thus advanced economically while retaining the social stigma attached to their earlier pastoral status. This widening disparity, fortified by their inherited egalitarian (equality) traditions attracted them to a line of Gurus who rejected the theory of caste and willingly raised Jats to positions of high authority in the new Panth.” Prof. Irfan Habib, Ibid, page 11

Gurus Prominent Violators of Anti-Caste Commandments
In his pursuit of witch-hunt to find faults, Mr. Mcleod ingeniously accuses Gurus of violating their own anti-caste commandments. “And so it would appear that the Sikh Gurus were, beyond all doubt, vigorous and practical denunciators of caste. From this it would seem to follow that continued evidence of caste distinction within the Sikh community must represent flagrant violation of the Guru’s explicit commands. It is at this point that some critics of Sikhism claims have introduced suggestion, which to Sikh ears must sound grossly impertinent. According to these critics the most prominent violators of the anti-caste commandments are Gurus themselves.” Page 87, ibid

“The ten Gurus were Khatris by caste. This was widely regarded as a great pity, even within Sikh society where the numerically preponderant Jats commonly bewailed the fact that there was never a single Jat Guru. All the Gurus, themselves Khatris, married Khatri wives and this, declare their critics, is the true measure of their sincerity. How can one respect a commandment when its promulgators ignore it?” Page 88 ibid.

Although he admits that, “Gurus were not concerned with the institution of caste as such, merely with the belief that it possesses soteriological (salvation) significance”. Yet dwelling disingenuously upon trivial or non-issues, he insinuates that the Gurus deemed, “Caste can remain, but not the ‘doctrine that one’s access to salvation upon one’s caste ranking’. Stripped of its (doctrine’s) religious content, it can retain the status of a harmless social convention.” Page 88, ibid.

Guru Arjun Died in Custody, not Martyred
Revealing his prejudicial mindset, Mr. McLeod infers Guru Arjun Sahib died while in custody as opposed to being tortured to martyrdom and postulates it as an obscure incident. “Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru and father of Hargobind, had in some manner incurred the displeasure of the Mughal authorities and in 1606 had died while in custody. The incident is an obscure one, but later tradition tolerates no doubts. Guru Arjan’s death was, according to this later tradition, the death of a martyr at the hands of Muslims who feared his growing power as a religious leader.” ‘Evolution of the Sikh Community’, page 3

Guru Hargobind and Jats’ Militant Posture caused Mughal hostility
In his typical jargon, Rev. McLeod implies that the sixteenth century Mughal hostility towards Sikhism was caused by the growing power of the Gurus and the militant posture of Guru Hargobind. Attributing his inferences to the traditions, he writes,

This incident (so the tradition continues) indicated to the Sikhs a manifest intention to put down the developing Panth and persuaded the sixth guru that for the defence of his followers he would have to resort to arms. He accordingly responded to the Mughal threat of violent repression by arming his followers and inculcating martial instincts.” Ibid page 3-4
“The second (Sikh evolutionary) stage concerns the conflict between the Sikhs and the Mughal authorities during the early seventeenth century. Tradition, as we have seen, attributes the genesis of this conflict to Mughal fears concerning the growing power of the Sikh Guru and, interprets the militant posture of Guru Hargobind as a direct response to Mughal threats. There can be no doubt that Mughal hostility was developing during this period, but we must beware of attributing it solely to Jahangir’s orthodoxy and to the promptings of his Naqshabandi (zealous) courtiers. The increasing influence of the Jats within the Sikh Panth suggests that Jahangir and his subordinates may well have had good reasons for their fears, and would not have related exclusively, nor even primarily, to the religious influence of the Guru.” Ibid page 12

Militancy within Sikh Panth traced to Jat Culture
“It also suggests that the arming of the Panth would not have been the result of any decision by Guru Hargobind. We may be sure that the Jats did not enter the Panth empty-handed. They would have been bearing arms many years before Guru Arjan died in Lahore. The death of Guru Arjan may have persuaded Guru Hargobind of need for tighter organization, but we find it difficult to envisage a large group of Jats suddenly being commanded to take up weapons. The Jats will (would?) have remained Jats. The development which tradition ascribes to a decision by Guru Hargobind must have preceded, and in some measure prompted, the first Mughal efforts to curb the growing power of the community. The conflict with Mughals certainly exercised a most important influence upon subsequent development of the Panth, but not an influence of the kind attributed to it by Sikh tradition. The growth of militancy within the Panth must be traced primarily to the impact of Jat cultural patterns and to economic problems which prompted a militant response.” Ibid, pages 12-13

Guru Granth’s Textual Controversy
Mr. McLeod pitches in head-on into the un-necessary controversy regarding the originality, authenticity and/or textual content of Guru-Granth’s volume in which Guru Gobind Singh invested Guru-ship. The mainstream Sikhs never had any qualms about accepting the volume generally known as Adi Granth as the perpetual Sikh Guru. Only the detractors of Sikhism and cultist Sikh sectarians, who ride Sikhism’s magnificent bandwagon, but refuse to believe in Shabd Guru or Guru Granth as the perpetual Guru of the Sikhs initiated the self-serving controversy. Accentuating the controversy, Hew Mcleod enunciates,

“According to tradition the Adi Granth, or Guru Granth was compiled by the fifth Guru, Arjan, during the years A. D. 1603-4. To this extent the tradition appears to be well founded. A manuscript bearing the latter date is still extant (exists) and there is no sufficient reason to doubt its authenticity. Guru Arjan’s principal source was a similar collection which tradition attributes to the third Guru, Amar Das. This collection consisted of two volumes, the so called Goindwal pothis.” Ibid, page 60

Muddying the Water
“It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the Adi Granth is a collection of religious writings and that every thing it contains relates directly to its soteriological (salvation) concerns.”

“The features which have been described above give an impression of order and clarity. In general sense this is accurate and there can be few scriptures which posses a structure as consistent as that of Adi Granth. There are, however, certain aspects, which are far from clear. The Adi Granth is by no means without its problems (notably its textual problems) and some attention must now be directed to the more important of these issues.”

“The chief problem concerning the Adi Granth arises from the fact that there is not one single version, but three different versions plus a number of variants. The variants can be disregarded in this discussion, but some attention must be directed to the three major versions. If the analysis succeeds only in muddying the water we must reply that a measure of obscurity is no more than an accurate representation of the condition of our understanding.” Ibid, pages 73-74

Singh Sabha and Printing Press incriminated for Controversy
“During the first two half centuries of its existence, possession of the manuscript, though naturally something to be highly prized, was not an issue of prime importance. The doctrine of the scriptural Guru had not yet been accorded the exclusive authority, which it was later to acquire and current needs could be adequately served by numerous copies (both complete and in part); which were in circulation. The significant change came with the rise of the Singh Sabha and, at almost the same time, the arrival of the printing press. The Singh Sabha reformers laid an insistent emphasis upon the absolute authority of the scriptures, and the printing press provided them the means of disseminating it.” Ibid, Page 62

To further his nefarious premise, Hew Mcleod introduces two writers, one is Inder Singh Chakarvarti, either a Namdhari zealot or a scholar-for-hire. He wrote Baba Ram Singh’s biography’ ‘Malvender’. And the other is Dr. Loehlin, a Christian missionary and Mr. Mcleod’s colleague (vice principal Baring College) at Batala. Mr. Mcleod states, “One writer has declared that the present Kartarpur manuscript is a Banno version, adding that the original manuscript of the Adi Granth must have been lost. Another has suggested that the present manuscript must be a first draft, subsequently amended by the Guru himself. Their evident uneasiness strengthened a hypothesis which already seemed firmly founded.” Ibid page 77

It is worth noting that the Namdhari sect is a Sikh cult that rejects Granth as the Guru and strongly believe in and worship living Guru. And the Christian missionary needs no elaboration. Also note word ‘hypothesis’, which means ‘an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument’; and ‘seem’, which means ‘give the impression’.

Guru Gobind Singh’s Granth-Guru Edict doubtful
“Tradition records that guru Gobind Singh, immediately before his death declared that, with his departure the line of personal Gurus would end and that thenceforth the function and authority of the Guru would vest in scripture (Adi Granth) and in the corporate community, (the Panth), or Khalsa. The tradition that this came as a dying declaration from the tenth Guru himself must be regarded with some doubt, but the distinctive doctrine of the Guru, which it expresses certainly evolved in some manner and has been a concept of fundamental importance in subsequent Sikh history. It is clear that before the eighteenth century had run its course the Sikh community had come to accept the Adi Granth the ‘Adi Granth’ as the ‘the manifest body of the Guru’, and to accord, at least in theory, a religious sanction to the corporate decisions of the Khalsa.” Guru Nanak And The Sikh Religion. P. 2

It is unimaginable, that contrary to his assertion, Mr. McLeod would regard with doubt Guru Gobind Singh’s edict confirming the fundamental Sikh concept as a doctrine. “The Guru is in fact the Sabad, the Word. In the work entitled ‘Siddh Gost’ the Siddhs put the question to Guru Nanak.

‘Who is your guru, he of whom you are a disciple’? Guru Nanak replies: ‘The Word is the Guru and the mind (which is focused on it) continually is the disciple.’ (Guru Granth Sahib, page 942) Ibid page 199

“If you want to root out a religion, cast aspersions on the historical facts of its founder”
“Here we are, the Hindu race, whose vitality, whose life principle, whose very soul, as it were, is in religion…. I think that it is Vedanta, and Vedanta alone that can become the universal religion of man, and no other is fitted for the role. Excepting our own, almost all other great religions in the world are inevitably connected with the life or lives of one or more of their founders. All their theories, their teachings, their doctrines and their ethics are built around the life of a personal founder from whom they get their sanction, their authority and their power, and strangely enough, upon the historicity of the founder’s life is built, as it were, all the fabric of such religions. If there is one blow dealt to the historicity of that life ….if that rock of historicity is shaken and shattered, the whole building tumbles down, broken absolutely, never to regain it’s lost status.” Swamy Vivéka Nanda (Sangat Singh’s paper)

The Sikh Panth (Faith), ever since its inception, has had to contend with many overt and covert antagonistic forces. However, Guru Nanak’s novel seedling not only has survived overt Muslim annihilation, covert Hindu assimilation and coercive Christian proselytizing attempts, but it has flourished into one of the world’s half-a-dozen major religions. Whereas the overt annihilation threat has all but disappeared, the pseudo-Sikh and non-Sikh literati’s covert attempts to deprecate Sikhism’s scriptural anthology, religiosity, history, tradition and culture continue.

W. Hew Mcleod must be feeling smug for having cloned an anti-Sikh literary cadre that is growing steadily like poisonous ivy. As if Sikhism didn’t have enough inimical forces already, Mcleod’s fraternity has taken up the sordid modus operandi to discredit and disparage the Sikh Gurus, anthology, its savant Hindu and Muslim co-authors, and history. While the devious Hindu scholars contaminated the Sikh philosophy, religiosity and history with Hinduism’s ritualism, occultism and mythology, Mcleod’s clones, perched on the Sikh study chairs at the western universities, are indoctrinating the students with their mentor’s cynical and skeptical view of Sikhism.

Mcleod, with his rudimentary scholarship of Sikhism through few years’ research and study of Sikhism, has gained considerable popularity/notoriety and influence in the Sikh Studies discipline at the Western Universities. To accomplish his insidious mission, he has mentored a fraternity of his protégés, including Harjot Singh Oberoi, Pashaura Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann, Rabinder Singh Bhamra, Doris Jakobsh, Lonis Emanuel Fenech, et al. Though, Mcleod’s contract was annulled by Toronto University for misinterpretation and misrepresentation of Sikhism in 1993, yet he wields the clout in the placement of his protégés at the Sikh study chairs at the Universities in the western world.

Almost all protégés of Mcleod’s clique owe gratitude to Sikhs for extending helping hand to realize their objectives, but in return they bite the hand that was extended to help them. The published thesis of each of Mcleod’s literary clones is replete with insinuations, innuendoes, implications and conjectures aimed to sow the seeds of cynicism and skepticism in the minds of gullible elements and please the anti-Sikh elements. Along with ignorantly or mischievously distorted excerpts from Sikh scriptures, there is a plethora of inferences and references from unauthenticated traditions, Janam Sakhis, mythical and quasi-Sikh historical accounts in each of their thesis.

Fortunately, any harm done can’t be widespread, because not many people read this type of literature anyway. Moreover, number of people from multi-religious society at large with amicable view of Sikhism far exceeds this ineffable clique.

Fitting Rebuttal to Mcleod and his Ilk
Here is a concise narrative that eloquently rebuts volumes of anti-Sikh literature scribed by Mcleod and his ilk. The excerpts from an article by Sumit Kaur of Denmark, published in Sikh Phulwari, January 2007 are transcribed. We do not know if she is writing her own or someone else’s experience; nor we do know whether she is a Sikh now or a Christian still.
Born in a Christian family, I abandoned Christianity as a teenager, thinking there was nothing in that I could use in my day to day living. People used to ask, “Why don’t you believe in God?” and I used to answer, “Yes, I do very much believe in God, but not in Christianity.” When I encountered Sikhi, reading Japji, it was love at first sight, as I found a useful tool to deal with my day to day living.

I was certainly not looking for a new religion. The one into which I was born, believes in virgin birth, another in the inferiority of women, yet one in inequality of human beings and finally, one in coming of a new savior.

Guru Granth Sahib does not just fit alongside other scriptures, it is light years ahead of them, because of the fact that it is for the whole humanity. Other scriptures are exclusive for the followers of their own faith, who regard others as infidels.

On almost every essential issue Guru Nanak’s answers to the mystic and the human problems are generally contrary to those given by the earlier systems. The then existing religious movements had been running in direction exactly opposite to the one in which Guru Nanak wanted his religious stream to flow. The system of the Gurus and the Indian religions lay down contrasted goals for man.

The radical Bhagti saints had, to an extent, weaned away the people from ritualism and formalism of the earlier systems. But being Quietists themselves, they never thought of a change in the direction of the spiritual stream as vital to their mysticism. Because of their mystic experience and the logic of their religious system, the Gurus took up the colossal task of completely reversing the direction of religious life and of diverting all spiritual energies for the enrichment of human affairs.

A broad survey of the world’s religions reveals that the essential elements of the Guru’s system were nowhere to be found in the contemporary religious life and scene. Much less was there any trace of them in the Indian background. It comprised systems that were quite opposed in their approach and religious thesis.

Synthesis? Distillate?
“To respect a philosophy is correct, but to synthesize this in one’s own is an entirely unique matter. The verses by bhagats have been treated at par with Gurbani and respected in the same manner.”

“The Guru Granth Sahib is the distillate of the teachings of the great spiritualists of India belonging to different religious traditions and coming from different parts of India.” An un-named scholar’s view.

If Guru was so impressed with the earlier tradition, how come his life and teachings were totally contrary to these? And as for the inclusion of writings of bhagats in Guru Granth Sahib, it was only the writings of bhagats and other poets that tallied with the Guru’s life-affirming philosophy that were included.

A good human being, according to Nanak, is one who lives truthfully, is honest, fights injustice and has compassion for the whole humanity. Sikhi is not a religion in the traditional sense, but a unique will to live life according to the Universal Truth/His will.

Sikhi is there for everybody to pick up and live. And I am sure that there are people around the world who live Sikhi (or close to it) without ever having heard about it. Considering all equal they are helpful and content, and remember God all times. They do not formally belong to the Sikh religion. However, they simply live it.

Sikhi is the universal truth, which is within every human being; it is up to every individual to discover it for himself/herself. And here Sikhi is a useful tool; it takes you away from sinking fountains of ritual religion to the ocean of Universal Truth.

Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Jews are all welcome to inculcate the values of Sikhi and finally find a way out for emancipation of the world afflicted with strife and hating due to clash of religious denominations.

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