Sikh Feuding in Europe

[Smiley]

Does anyone have an opinion about the situation with the Sikh's that is developing in Europe and India?

Here is the main story: http://news./s/ap/20090525/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_temple_shooting_22

 

However adding context to this is a Reuters story which says

 

On top of being popular among the lower castes, Dera Sach Khand also differs from mainstream Sikhism on religious points, some of which draw the ire of pious Sikhs, analysts say. "The Dera Sach Khand follow a living guru which Sikhism cannot accept at all," political scientist Parmod Kumar said. "Sikhs react strongly to this and that is why the clashes between the Dera followers and mainstream Sikhs occur." http://news./s/nm/20090525/wl_nm/us_india_austria_violence_1

Why would it so enrage anyone that someone wants to follow a living guru?

[suchandra]

 

Does anyone have an opinion about the situation with the Sikh's that is developing in Europe and India?

Here is the main story: http://news./s/ap/20090525/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_temple_shooting_22

 

However adding context to this is a Reuters story which says

 

Why would it so enrage anyone that someone wants to follow a living guru?

 

It happened here in Vienna, the only thing the newspapers say is that they cannot figure what was the motive ? Ok, you say, the Sikhs are against living gurus? Today the news said, that the leader died during the night in the hospital. But so far there was never anything like that, Sikhs attacking a living guru.

[Smiley]

The tenth Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh decreed that after him there should be no more human gurus; from thenceforth Sikh's should only bow to their holy scripture - the Gurū Granth Sāhib. This sect clearly violated that by having a living guru. Nowadays a lot of sects are very strident about the 'purity' of their faiths.

 

 

It happened here in Vienna, the only thing the newspapers say is that they cannot figure what was the motive ? Ok, you say, the Sikhs are against living gurus? Today the news said, that the leader died during the night in the hospital. But so far there was never anything like that, Sikhs attacking a living guru.

[Dolmance]

No one is certain what has happened yet. Some are claiming that it is as a result of caste, some have said that it is due to disrespect shown by this Ravidasi Sant, some in Vienna have said it was actually an internal family dispute.

 

FYI, many Sikhs will have Vidya Gurdevs from whom they learn the interpretation Sikh scriptures or shastar vidiya, so it is not an issue of having a living teacher. However, last living Sikh Guru passed the Gurgaddi on to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and to claim that one is the next living Guru of all the Sikhs would be blasphemous and disrespectful if anyone claimed it.

 

There are rumours that this disrespected the Sri Guru Granth Sahib by sitting at the same level and by claiming that he was greater than the Guru Granth, but I doubt that any Sikh would kill him for saying such things without sitting down with him first and asking him to stop.

 

The Akal Takhat, the seat of Sikh temporal authority, has expressed its concerns over this issue.

 

Personally I feel that trouble is being fomented by political agencies in order to draw away attention from commemoration by Sikhs and others of the Indian army's destruction of Harimandir Sahib in 1984.

 

I hope the people in Punjab who are looting and destroying property to express tyheir outrage realise that they are just harming themselves and their fellow Punjabis.

 

D.