‘Monetarily motivated’ prayer violates the sanctity of ‘Ardaas’

Sikh intellectuals today took serious objection to the call for conducting ‘ardaas’(prayer) at Durbar Sahib, Amritsar on ‘payment’ as scripted/desired by some people from abroad saying that such ‘monetarily motivated’ prayer violates the sanctity of ‘ardaas’ which a Sikh need to perform on his/her inner calling .

Unlike Brahmanic practice where a priest performs ‘ardaas’ on payment, the Sikh ardaas is the sacred act, the breach of which always treated as an act of sacrilege and degradation.

Sikh thinkers also took serious note of the attempts being made by some forces and Sikhs from abroad to turn the Sikhs in Punjab not only ‘mercenaries’ but the worse ones by offering them money to act on their (callers’) biddings.

Making payment for getting some desired work done is a sheer act of ‘supari payment’. ‘Supari’ is the money given by a person to get something done which he himself cannot do and want to escape police and legal punishment entailed to that act.

Such activities inspired from abroad, rather,act as honey pots, and help in targeting the innocent and budding Sikh youth whom the authorities/ governments here consider as ‘potential threat’ to the New Delhi dictates/ future designs.

Unfortunately, even school-going Sikh youths have fallen into the ‘traps’ of various sorts laid on social media sites and other communication outlets.

The harassed parents of trapped boys are taking rounds of police stations and at times having to grease the palms of police officials to save their wards from being charged under draconian internal security laws.

Ironically, some of the young men and women trapped in such a way are getting online classes on smartphones provided by their parents.

Such activities inspired from abroad rather hamper the development of ‘correct politics and sharpness’ among Sikhs in their native Punjab who comprise 80 per cent of their total Sikh population.

We appeal to all concerned Sikhs world over to see through the hidden agenda of vested interests within and outside the country and help the native Sikhs to grow and sharpen a sustainable politics on their own which could only bring back the lost Sikh glory and grandeur.

Signatories to the statement are: Gurtej Singh IAS, Ajaypal Singh Brar, the author, Rajwinder Singh Bains, senior advocate Punjab and Haryana High Court, Dr. Kuldip Singh Patiala, Gurpreet Singh, Global Sikh Organisation; Gurbachan Singh, Editor Des Punjab; Prof Manjit Singh, former head of Dr. Ambedkar Chair Punjab University Chandigarh; Jaspal Singh Sidhu senior journalist; Sukhdev Singh Sidhu senior journalist, the Tribune. Khushhal Singh, general secretary Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha.