By Karminder Singh | Opinion |

ORIGINS OF THE BENARAS CONSPIRACY

The authenticity, uniqueness and originality of Sikhi has faced an onslaught from the Benares based Conspiracy Establishment beginning with the day Guru Nanak refused to wear the Janeyu at age 11. The Brahmin pundit who had come in full expectation to co-opt child Nanak into his Snatan fold felt that his entire dogma was threatened by a youngster’s rejection of his sacred thread.  In Guru Nanak, he saw a revolution in the making. This pundit did not sleep well from that night on. One can imagine that the entire Conspiracy Establishment led by the Brahmin clergy went to work from that day on – driven by a mission to undermine, adulterate, contaminate and corrupt Sikhi.  Guru Nanak and everything that he would represent from then on would be seen as a threat to the Brahmin clergy, and thus worthy of destruction by any and every means.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS IN THE CLASSICAL ERA OF SIKHI 1469-1708

The methods of the Benares Conspirators during the Guru period of 1469 – 1708 consisted primarily of infiltrating the Guru’s households with the aim of turning the Guru’s children against Sikhi and the Gurus themselves. Guru Nanak’s two children – Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das – turned against their father – and all that Guru Nanak stood for – as a result of the successful turning over of both by the Benares Conspirators while the Guru was away on his parchar tours. Similar tactics worked in the households of Gurus Angad, Ramdas and Hargobind.

Additionally, the Benarsi Conspirators worked hand-in-glove with the tyrannical governments of the day – using the sympathizers of the Conspiracy within the administration to get the attention of the rulers – filling their minds with anti-Guru and anti-Sikhi venom –  in the hope of getting the intolerant governments to act against the Gurus and Sikhi. The role of Chandu in getting Emperor Jahangir to execute Guru Arjun, and imprison Guru Hargobind is case in point. The role of Gangu in the destruction of Guru Gobind Singh’s family – his two younger sons and his mother – is another case in point. The role of the Benarsi Conspirators in the defeat and execution of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is yet another example.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS IN THE POST CLASSICAL ERA OF SIKHI 1716 – 1770

In the post-Guru period – particularly after the collapse of the Sikh Raj of Banda Singh in 1716 – the Benares Conspirators moved to control, dominate and occupy all Sikh gurdwaras and institutions. For some 62 years – as Sikhs fought for their survival in the jungles of Punjab, the hills of Jammu and Kashmir and the deserts of Rajasthan – the Udasis – followers of the disowned Sri Chand, and full-fledged agents of the Benares Conspirators filled the vacuum and void that was in the Sikh world. While authentic Sikhs had to contend with a price of 80 Rupees on their heads, suffer wars, and  submit to two holocausts, the Benares Conspirators sat in our institutions adulterating authentic Sikhi with Snatan ideology, rituals, dogma and beliefs – with complete impunity.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS IN THE POST CLASSICAL ERA OF SIKHI 1770 – 1925

Given that the ground for the adulteration of Authentic Sikhi had been set by the Udasis for 6 decades – the Benares Conspirators moved in for the kill around the 1770s. Benares based and Benares educated Pundits – dressed in full Sikh garb and kakars – descended on Sikh gurdwaras and institutions as Nirmlas– occupying them till 1925 when the Sikh reform Movement succeeded in throwing them out. In the 150 years or so that they controlled the Sikh psyche – they wrote virtually all our classical texts including the Suraj Parkash Granth, Bachittar Natak, Sarab Loh, Gurbilas, etc – all of which corrupted Sikhi into an offshoot of the Benares based Snatan system. They (mis)translated the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) as the Fareedkoti Translation. Through the Fareedkoti Translation they established the big lie that the SGGS was the fifth Vedas. In 1925 the Singh Sabha Movement freed our Gurdwaras from these Nirmlas but the Sikh psyche remained tainted and corrupted given their extensive writings in the form of ther corrupted classical texts.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS IN THE 20^TH CENTURY OF SIKHI 1925 – 2000

Beginning with 1925, thousands of Nirmlas who were kicked out of Sikh gurdwaras moved into deras, taksaals, sampardayee institutions and continued the Benarsi Conspiracy – except that the Conspiracy had become a fully home grown one and did not operate from Benares anymore. 16 thousand deras sprung up all over Punjab’s 13 thousand villages – the main ones of which produced large numbers of clergy – granthis, ragis, parcharaks, and pathis – all of whom spanned out into the Sikh world in Punjab, within India and the whole world. These clergies had been ingrained with the Nirmla belief system – something which they propagated – falsely – as Sikhi to Sikhs all over the world.  By now, Sikhs had accepted the Brahmin-ized  Nirmla Sikhi as the true Sikhi. For all intents and purposes, the Benares Conspiracy that started with Guru Nanak’s refusal to wear the Janeyu had succeeded into wiping clean the authenticity and uniqueness of Sikhi and planted Snatan thought into the core of Sikhi. Deras, taksaals, samopardayee groups, sants, babas and bhramgyanis had taken over the role of the Brahmin clergy. Virtually all major Sikh institutions – the SGPC, our Takhats, Universities, think tanks had become deeply infiltrated by Nirmla thought towards the final decades of the 20C.

The 20th Century thus marks the sad reality that Sikhs had themselves become the core of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment. Any Sikh who tried to expose the truth or revert Sikhi to its original, authentic, and unique self was dealt with severely. Gyani Ditt Singh faced financial ruin, Prof Gurmukh Singh was excommunicated for exposing the Benares Conspiracy relating to the corrupted Fareedkoti Translation. In the 70s thinkers such as Gyani Bhag Singh and Gyani Gurbaksh Singh were excommunicated for exposing the corruption within Nirmla texts. In the 1990s the same fate fell upon Prof Darshan Singh, Joginder Singh and others.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS COME INTO POWER

The 21^st Century saw a major development that provided a critical boost to the Benares Conspiracy against the authenticity, uniqueness and originality of Sikhi. This was the coming into national power of the RSS backed BJP. This meant that the government of India was now a major player into the efforts of making Sikhi no more than an offshoot of Snatan thought. The BJP’s Ghar Vapsi (everyone must return to the fold of Snatan/Hindu) and the printing in Benares of 1 million copies of the Bachitar Natak Granth for free distribution by the RSS amongst Sikhs are just two examples of what government power can do to breathe life into a conspiracy.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS IN THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA ERA

The 21^st Century also saw the explosion of the internet and social media. Given the nature of the platform, Sikhs especially youth and professionals felt empowered to question just about everything about Sikhi – the relevance of rituals, dogma, and beliefs; the authenticity of Sikh practices, and the failure of Sikhi institutions. Such empowerment also exposed the adulteration and corruption of Sikhi.  Such realization thus naturally led to greater awareness of the corruption that had engulfed Sikhi. It brought about an increased attentiveness for the need to reconnect with the authentic elements of Sikhi. It further created an increased wakefulness to the fact that Sikhi as advocated by our Gurus was unique. The overall outcome was an awakening that had never been seen before.

The Benares Conspiracy Establishment that had, by now become a full-fledged home grown “Sikh Establishment Conspiracy” in the sense that it was now fully owned and run by Sikhs too used the internet and social media platform to advance their cause.

This did not mean that the traditional methods of attacking those Sikhs who aspired to advance the authenticity, uniqueness and originality of Sikhi were suddenly abandoned. The use of “Religious Hooliganism” to physically attack – and even kill – such Sikh parcharaks, writers and thinkers; the causing of violence in Gurdwaras during diwans held by Tatt Gurmat parcharaks, the physical prevention of such diwans being held in the first place, the lodging of police reports etc. continued unabated. The deadly attacks on Bhai Ranjit Singh and Bhai Harnek Singh, the “shabeel” murder of Kathakaar Bhai Bhupinder Singh by dera sponsored elements, the physical assaults on Prof Inder Singh, Bhai Panthpreet Singh, Bhai Baljit Singh and other Missionary Parcharaks, the violence in the diwans of Bhai Sarabjit Singh, Bhai Harinder Singh UK, and Bhai Ranjit Singh are all cases in point.

THE BENARES CONSPIRATORS AND THEIR INTERNET WEAPONS

The onslaught against the authenticity, uniqueness and originality of Sikhi on the internet was two pronged. One part involved the setting up of thousands of sites that promoted major elements of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment – that Sikhi was an offshoot of Snatan/ Hindu beliefs, that the primary mission of our Gurus was to protect the Hindus, that the SGGS was no more than a simplified version of the Vedas and Puranas, all that Sikh beliefs, practices, rituals etc are common with the Snatan/Hindu ones; that there is nothing new or different about Sikhi; and that Sikhi was a blend of the best taken from Hinduism and Islam, etc.

The second prong involved the relentless attacks against sites that propagated Sikhi as an authentic, unique and original belief system. The tactics in this prong include the harassment of the authors; writers and owners of the sites; labeling and name-calling these sites as “anti-Sikhi, anti-Gurbani and anti-Gurus”; repeated posting of derogatory and personal comments against the writers of the posts, articles and videos; calls to the “Sikh sangat” to stop listening, stop viewing and to boycott these writers and their sites; flooding the personal e-mail boxes of the writers etc. The list is actually very long. The ugliness of this tactic further lay in the fact that the Benares Conspiracy Establishment tried to cover such dirty tactics under the fake label of “reader’s comments or critique.”

MY 12 PART VIDEO SERIES TITLED SIKHI CONCEPTS

My 12 Videos on the Gurbani understanding of the concepts of Death, Afterlife, 8.4 Million, Reincarnation, Heaven and Hell, Salvation or Mukti, Dhrm Raj, Dargah, Chitargupt and Ancestors got the rapt attention of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment for the following reasons.

One, I traced the origins of the Conspiracy Establishment to the 4,000-year old Snatan Canvas that was obsessed with the afterlife. Two, I argued that our Gurus, Sikhi, Gurmat and Gurbani REJECTED all these concepts in their original form. Three, that Gurbani REDEFINED them in revolutionary ways to fit the canvas of Sikhi whose focus was LIFE in the HERE and NOW. Four, I showed exactly how Gurbani did that through authentic (non Fareedkoti) interpretations. Five, that our clergy were still actively and purposively propagating the Old Snatan Canvas in our Gurdwaras. And six, that Sikhs ought to awaken, get enlightened through Gurbani and reject the propagators and purveyors of the Old Canvas that was the ultimate tool of the Benares Establishment.

ENTER RAWEL SINGH

Rawel Singh has written the following things pertaining to my 12 videos. “Dr Karminder Singh, please give up your ego and try to understand Gurbani as a humble Sikh. And then give sermons. (Asia Samachar, March 26, comment section). And “Dr. Karminder Singh …(is) trying try to create doubts about Gurbani.” (AS, April 18,comment section). And “There is need to beware of those trying to mislead the Sikhs by misrepresenting Gurbani.” (AS, April 18,comment section). And “No one with understanding of Gurbani believes the way Karminder Singh thinks they do.” (AS, April 18, comment section).

These are hardly the words of someone seeking an honest dialogue or a sincere discussion over my views. They are the words of someone out to prevent me from doing what I do; to label me, and to judge me (as an egoist, and creator of doubts, someone who misrepresents Gurbani). They are the words of someone out to convince others not to listen, read or watch me; and to silence me.

These sentences contain the language of someone with a devious agenda. They are words of conspiracy of the type that shall become clear later in this essay.

PERSONAL HARASSMENT IS PART OF THE BENARES CONSPIRACY ESTABLISHMENT

Rawel Singh has sent 15 emails to my personal email account. He wrote to me personally and he copied to me the many emails that he wrote about me to others – ever since my 12-part video series started appearing. All his obnoxious statements about me in the above section are also contained in his e-mails to me.

Again, these are hardly the words one writes in a personal email to someone and then expect a personal reply.

His are words that are purposively meant to be devoid of courtesy, respect and decorum.  They are words of a conceited, puffed-up, and obnoxious individual – so written to ensure that there will be no reply from me. There is an agenda in not wanting a reply.

NO REPLY TO PERSONAL EMAILS IS A TOOL OF THE MODERN DAY BENARSIS

Rawel Singh swiftly moves to step up his agenda to label, judge and attack my character – now on the basis of my not replying and not responding to him. He equates my non responses as “lacking commitment, afraid to respond, and having realized that he (Karminder) is wrong”. He goes a step further and makes numerous pretentious appeals to other people to get me to respond to him.

He appeals to the editor of Asia Samachar to get me to respond. In an email to the editor of AS dated 17 April and copied to me, he writes: “I have been asking Karminder Singh to respond, but he is not doing so. He obviously lacks commitment to what he writes.”

He even tells a commentator – without knowing if this commentator actually knows me or otherwise – on March 23: “And yes, please ask (Karminder) to reply … so that we can discuss. He has no feet to stand on. That is why he is not responding.”

Again on March 24. “It is surprising Karminder Singh is not responding to my comments. He probably realizes he is misinterpreting Gurbani and cannot answer queries.”

He makes clear on March 8 that he is sending all his stuff to me by personal e-mails: “I call upon him to come forward and discuss the issue on this forum, if he has the commitment for which this missive is being copied to him.

On March 8 he went on the Gurmat Learning Zone (GLZ) of which I am not a member and thus unable to respond, and tells Professor Devinder Singh Chahal to get me to respond to his emails.

By making a very public and repeated but pretentious fuss about my not responding to him, Rawel Singh sought to place himself on the ivory tower of the self-righteous. And to place me at the bottom of the rung of his self-constructed ladder of self-acclaim. All these while ensuring that the loathsome nature of his comments and emails kept going up one notch per comment.

ALTERNATIVE VIEWS VERSUS CONSPIRATORIAL AGENDA

Alternative views are always welcome. And everyone in the world of discussion and discourse knows the value and worth of alternative views.  More importantly we know the character of alternative views.

For example, if I said that I disagreed with Newton’s third law – which states that action and reaction are equal and opposite. I did not accept it because my own findings were that not all reactions are equal and not all are fully opposite.

And someone responds by saying “Karminder is wrong. That is because Newton’s third law proves that he is wrong.” Such a response adds no value to the debate. It would not be viewed as an “alternative view” but as redundant nonsense. Didn’t I just say that I had rejected Newton’s third law? Didn’t I just rubbish it? So why is it being thrown back at me – as evidence? The only answer is that such a response is an attempt of an agenda to maintain Newton’s third law by all means – including and especially by deploying redundant nonsense – and to reject my findings arbitrarily while pretending to say there was evidence for it.

RAWEL SINGH: ALTERNATIVE VIEWS OR REDUNDANT NONSENSE?

In all my writings, talks and videos for the past 10 years, I have said in the clearest of language that I reject clergy-based interpretations of Gurbani. I have stated unequivocally that I have put into the dustbin – the Fareedkoti Translation – because it portrays the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) as the fifth Vedas, interprets the concepts within Gurbani within the Snatan and Puranic contexts, and because the translation was done by a group of Benares Nirmlas who had an agenda to Hinduize Gurbani and Snatan-ize Sikhi. I have further said that I reject all those translations (including ones in English) that have relied on the Fareedkoti one.

I make this position abundantly clear in my 12 video Sikhi Concepts series.

In place of such defective translations, I have provided what I believe and accept at true, authentic and Tatt Gurmat interpretations of Gurbani verses.

This is my translation of Guru Nanak’s verse in Jup bani as published in my book Understanding Nitnem: Jup, Sodar & Sohela page 237.

ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆ ਵਾਚੈ ਧਰਮੁ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥

Changeayea Buriayea Vachey Dhrm Hdoor.

Changeayea – Lit. Good. Buriayea – Lit. Bad. Vachey – Weigh, evaluate. Dhrm – Lit. Rules, regulations; sp. Hukm. Hdoor – From ਹਜੂਰੀ ਵਿਚ Hajuri Vich, Lit. In the presence of, metap. On the touchstone of.

The Guidance of the Shabd Guru Is That the Good and Bad of My Deeds On the Path of Spirituality Is to Be Evaluated On the Touchstone of His Hukm.

BLUE TEXT is Context of the verse. [Underlined for whom colour may not appear]

Note:  What is Within His Hukm counts as GOOD deeds and what is WITHOUT His Hukm is BAD. The evaluation of both is on the Touchstone of His Hukm. As stated by Guru Nanak in paurri One – Hukm Rajayee Chalna, Nanak Likhiyua Naal.

Here comes Rawel Singh with his claim that my interpretation is wrong, and that the Fareedkoti Translation proves that I am wrong. Such a claim amounts to redundant nonsense as explained above.

Here is Rawel Singh’s translation of Guru Nanak’s verse in Jup bani as explained above in his post dated March 11 in Asia Samachar.

ਚੰਗਿਆਈਆ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆ ਵਾਚੈ ਧਰਮੁ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥

Changeayea Buriayea Vachey Dhrm Hdoor.

Rawel Singh’s translation: Dharam Rai the metaphoric presenter of Divine court reports merits and   faults of each creature before God.

And this is the Fareedkoti Translation of the same verse: ਸ਼ੁਭ ਕਰਮ, ਅਸ਼ੁਭ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਕੇ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਹੁਪਤ ਵਾਚ ਕਰ ਸੁਨਾਵਤੇ ਹੈਂ । In English: Dhrm Rai and Chiter Gurpt Report Our Merits and Faults.

The Fareedkoti Translation is 150% in line with the Benarsi Conspiracy because it CHANGES “Dhrm Hdoor” to “Dhrm Rai” and adds “Chiter Gupt” into the translation even though Guru Nanak NEVER mentioned EITHER of them in his verse. The translation is clear corruption, adulteration and an attempt to smuggle – into Gurbani – concepts from Benarsi / Snatan beliefs.

Rawel Singh is 100% in line with the Fareedkoti Translation and the Benarsi Conspiracy because he TRANSFORMS Guru Nanak’s Dhrm Hdoor to “Dhrm Rai.” (He surreptitiously adds the word “metaphoric” – more of this later in this essay).

In effect then, what Rawel Singh has done is to “sanitize” the corrupted Fareedkoti Translation. He is attempting to spray deodorant over the stink that is the adulterated Fareedkoti Translation. And he goes one step further. He puts his fictional “metaphoric Dhrm Rai before God – something even the Fareedkoti fellows stopped short of doing.

It is clear therefore, that Rawel Singh is presenting no alternate views. He is actually offering redundant nonsense. Why throw the Fareedkoti stuff at me especially since I have declared clearly that I have put it into the dustbin? Are you expecting me to pick it up and suddenly revert to it because you – Rawel Singh – said so? Or do you have an agenda to MAINTAIN the Fareedkoti Distorted Translation within the psyche of Sikhs? Or are you attempting to reject my translation above arbitrarily while pretending to say there was evidence for it by offering a sanitized version of Fareedkoti Translation?

A reader named Kulwant Kaur had asked Rawel Singh though her post on March 23^rd: “How did Dhram Hadoor (as used by Guru Nanak) become “Dharam Rai the metaphoric presenter of Divine court in your translation?

Rawel Singh’s reply on March 25 began with this statement: Kulwant Kaur, You obviously have no knowledge of Gurbani.” What he meant was that Kulwant Kaur had no knowledge of the “Fareedkoti version of Gurbani.” And that Kulwant Kaur had no knowledge of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment.

THE METAPHORIC NONSENSE – RAWEL SINGH’S CONFUSED MIND OR PART OF THE BENARES CONSPIRACY?

On the face of it, Rawel Singh appears confused, very confused.

In his Asia Samachar post of 8 March, he writes: “Let us be clear that Dharam Rai/Raj is a metaphoric entity like its associates the Chitr Gupt and Jam or the messenger of Divine justice.

Then on April 10, he changed his tune and wrote: “Dharam Rai and and Jam are concepts representing the Divine justice system.”

When Metaphors became “Concepts of a divine justice system” it is a confusion of schizophrenic proportions.

In his March 18 post, Rawel Singh puts his confusion side by side in two sentences. He writes: Dharam Rai, Chitr Gupt and Jam are metaphorical part of it. They correspond to the justice department, investigators and policemen of the worldly justice/law system respectively.” He adds: “Gurbani teaches that one who disobeys Hukam suffers including reincarnation.”

And again on March 24. “Chitr Gupt write the deeds of creatures and Dharam Rai considers them.” And that “Dhrm Rai reports merits and faults of each creature before God.”

The confusion in Rawel Singh’s mind is mind boggling. If Dhrm Rai is METAPOHORIC then, how can he do the “reporting”. If Chirt Gupt is METAPHORIC then how can it “write the deeds of creatures”? If reincarnation is METAPHORIC, then how can one “suffer reincarnation”?

The reality is that this “metaphoric” nonsense is part of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment. The Fareedkot Translators had no one to answer to when they mistranslated Guru Nanak’s verse with the words Dhrm Hdoor blatantly and unashamedly as the Snatan Dhrm Raj. But the New Age Benares Conspirators – in the likes of Rawel Singh – deviously add the word “metaphoric” while doing the same thing the Fareedkoti Conspirators did.

The term “metaphoric Dhrm Raj” (and metaphoric Jum, and metaphoric Chitr Gupt) sounds softer and acceptable to some Sikhs. Most importantly it allows for the concocted concepts of Dhrm Raj Chitr Gupt, Reincarnation etc to stealthily and sneakily REMAIN within the Sikh psyche. Adding the word “metaphoric” allows for these Snatan concepts to maintain one foot inside the door of Sikhi. One foot inside the door allows for the whole body to come in when the time is ripe. The word “metaphoric” is the saving grace method against those who say these 4,000-year-old clergy concocted beliefs have NO place in Sikhi.

The deep seated anger with my writings and videos is based on the fact that I have aspired to THROW these clergy concepts out and to liberate ourselves from the fear and anxiety of it all.

PRESENTING ME AS A CHRISTIAN WITH CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

So deep is the desperation to portray me as anti-Sikh in order to keep the Sikh masses from reading or listening to me, that even the most ridiculous of accusations is fair game for the New Age Benares Conspirators.

Rawel Singh regurgitated the following hogwash in this regard.  In his April 10 post he wrote: “Karminder Singh’s understanding is based on what he learnt as PhD candidate in Boston. His articles and videos are in line with Christian thought which has no concept of the hereafter.”

Earlier on March 8, one Parminder Kaur from UK posted this question to Rawel Singh on the Gurmat Learning Zone (GLZ), an email-based discussion group: “IF you believe that Dharam Raj, Chitra Gupt and Jams are metaphoric, then shouldn’t your belief about “falling into different life forms after death” be metaphoric, as they are all inter-connected?

At the end of his long winded reply where he provided dictionary meanings of the word “metaphoric”, Rawel Singh wrote: “Dr Karminder Singh’s discourses are like those of the Christian missionaries, believing in “four-thousand-year old canvas”. This is when the world came into being according to Christian teachings.”

Even earlier – on Jan 28 Rawel Singh wrote: “His (Karminder’s) frequent reference to “4000-year canvas” is not the Sikh belief, it is based on the Old Testament.  With the biblical idea in mind, he takes the Christian belief further and says there is no reincarnation.”

Reader Kulwant Kaur in her reply to Rawel Singh wrote; Dr Karminder says clearly that the 4,000 year-old canvas was in existance when Guru Nanak came in 1469, that it contained concepts such as Dhrm raj, Jum Doot, 8.4 million, Ava Gaun, etc, and that Guru Nanak redefined these concepts to fit his own Sikhi canvas. Dr Karminder also mentions where the original concepts of the 4K year old canvas are found – in the Garrurr Puran. It is clear Dr Karminder is referring to the Snatan Canvas. So how and where did the “Biblical view” come into it.? Is the Garrur Puran a chapter of the Bible or the old Testament?

It is clear that despite Rawel Singh’s deep seated love of the Snatan and Vedic belief systems his understanding of Christianity is pitifully shallow. To say that the world came into being 4,00 years ago is a Christian belief certainly takes the gold in ignorance. To say that I hold on to Christian beliefs because I studied in a Western system is not just laughable but displays an agenda that has spun out of control. I am wondering if Rawel Singh is suggesting that I should have gotten my Phd from Benares.

TAKING ON THE EDITOR OF ASIA SAMACHAR, OTHER COMMENTATORS AND MEMBERS OF THE GLZ

When the Benares Conspiracy Establishment went after any Sikh espousing authentic, original and unique Sikhi related thoughts – not only was the Sikh condemned, but all those who associated with him or her were put into the same band wagon.

Rawel Singh applied this principle of band wagoning when he wrote this on GLZ on March 8; “Harbhajan Singh continues to be the messenger of the ‘misguided’ (expression deliberate) Dr Karminder Singh.”

Earlier on Jan 25, when the Editor of Asia Samachar posted my second video, Rawel Singh admonished him with these words: “This is the second time you are promoting anti-gurmat views of Dr Karminder Singh….. there was no need for you to post the video. It can only cause confusion.”

And on April 17 Rawel Singh wrote: “Asia Samachar editorial team is obviously prejudiced.” They were prejudiced for carrying my 12 part video series.

His agenda against me is so out of control that he did not spare ordinary readers of Asia Samachar whose only crime was to point out his confusion. This is what he wrote in response to Kulwant Kaur’s comment: “I had asked Karminder Singh to respond to my post but I suppose he has no feet to stand on and is using you.” And again in another post “he is using you to defend him. This is clear that you were briefed by him.”

Scientist and Prof Devinder Singh Chahal responded to Rawel Singh on the GLZ saying “Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon, expert spiritualist and theologian, who has rejected the existence of Dharm Raj and his court and also his assistants Chitar and Gupt. Brig Rawel Singh confirms their existence by quoting a phrase of Guru Nanak in JAP bani that Dharam Raj has been ordered by the God to keep an account of everybody to take final decision by God about the fate of a person after death.”

Rawal Singh’s daft response was “Dr Karminder Singh and you hold similar views and every issue of the Sikh Bulletin of which he is a co-editor, has an article by you.” The absurdity of dragging in the Sikh Bulletin into the picture notwithstanding, the illogic of the response is beyond nutty.

The desire to malign me and just about everybody who publishes my stuff, writes a word or two in support of my work or points out the ridiculousness of Rawel Singh’s posts runs so deep that it is beyond fathom.

ATTACKING ME JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE.

As argued above, one of the internet weapons of the Benares Conspiracy Establishment against those Sikhs aspiring to promote the authenticity, uniqueness and originality of Sikhi on the internet was to malign and sully the reputation of such Sikhs at any and every platform.

In February, Prof Harbans Lal wrote a review essay of my five books. The subject matter of the review – posted on his blog – was purely his opinion on my books. Rawel Singh posted a comment about me on that blog on February 14. He wrote:

SEE ALSO: Gurbani Translations: The Art and Challenges Explicit in Books from Karminder Singh Dhillon

“Dr Karminder often dwells on the expression “five-thousand-year canvas” which appears to indicate as to when the creation came into being. This shows the Biblical view that the universe is that old. Similarly, his views on reincarnation are Semitic rather than Indian.”

Notwithstanding the fact that one commentator pointed out that it was clear he (Rawel Singh) had not read any of my books, Rawel Singh comment is highly revealing of his Conspiratorial mindset. His comment had nothing to do with the subject matter of the post at the blog. All that mattered to him was it was about Karminder Singh. He seems to have considered it his sacred duty to scour the internet for anything remotely connected to me. He then makes it his calling to post words that – in his mind – would help him achieve his agenda of preventing me from doing what I do; to label me, to malign me (as someone who imposes Biblical views on Gurbani); and to convince others not to listen, read or watch me. Given the breadth and scope of the world wide web, such a duty and calling must be tiring indeed.

Rawel Singh and readers of Asia Samachar can look forward to my next series of videos on Gurbani, Gurmat and Sikhi in the near future.

(Sikh thinker, writer and parcharak Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD (Boston), is a retired Malaysian civil servant. He is the joint-editor of The Sikh Bulletin and author of The Hijacking of Sikhi. He can be contacted at dhillon99@gmail.com.)

* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

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