Lesser known Visionaries

It is a great challenge for me as a writer to draw a snapshot of some very revered visionaries of the sikh community and project their visoin in a way understandable the non-sikh world as well. I don't feel shy to announce that I've been deeply influenced by Bhai Rama Singh ji's work "Roop Gobind da... Ral Khalse da.... Sikka Sone da" and Bhai Randhir Singh ji's work "Andithi Duniya- The mystical invisible world". And the experience of reading and feeling these books is really worth sharing.

Bhai Rama Singh ji's work has been made available with the title "In search of the True Guru" as the English translation of it, but I read its Punjabi version. Both English and Punjabi titles somewhere change the context and presumption of the content of the book itself.

Though from the mystical perspective, such works should not be critically examined but I would definitely like to point out things that I found interesting in a totally positive context. One such thing is that Bhai Rama Singh ji has been a man of God throughout his life and has shown great enthusiasm to enchant the name of God since the tender age of 8 years. The best part is that he hasn't concealed any facts in his book about his family background and the belief system of his parents. According to the book he belonged to a Hindu family and was a clean shaven youth until his 20's and used to enchant the name of god as "Hare Rama... Hare Rama...". He has even stated that his father consulted a horoscope as he was worried about his future but found out that he was born to enchant the name of the the lord and travel places throughout the globe. Though his passion for enchanting the name of the true lord and his quest for finding the true guru was settled with his exposure to sikhism. He not only became a devout sikh but a renowned preacher who devoted his life in propagation of sikhism and the message of sikh Gurus throughout the world. His mystical experiences, visions and dreams that he has shared in his book are really inspiring and one such vision is that of the "Khalsa Raj" in the last chapter. Though he hasn't talked much about the political apprehensions or the state of governance in Khalsa Raj but he has drawn a snapshot of the achievements of the Khalsa in various fields especially philanthropy and somewhere his vision seems a bit fantasized as he has drawn a picture too rosy and hasn't talked much about he ground realities of Indian/ Punjab polity.

Bhai Rama Singh ji has also shown his great reverence for Bhai Randhir Singh ji in his book as he is considered to be an authority in the field of  traditional sikhism called "Sanaatan/ Puraatan Sikhi" in Punjabi. Thinkers like Bhai Randhir Singh ji gave a completely different dimension to sikhism by writing over 20 revered books on sikh mysticism and spiritualism that helped in the transition of the community's image from being the martial race to the one with the intellectual prowess as well.

Though I have read the English translation of "Undithi Duniya", it would be very difficult for the contemporary Punjabi youth to read and comprehend his work in Punjabi because the modern language of Punjab has 30-40 % influence of the English language accounting to the IT revolution that the world has seen. But sticking to his work, the technicality with which he has executed his writings cannot be expected from the modern day preachers and requires a huge amount of religious acumen to be understood. The list of Bhai Sahib's works is shown below.

Though both the thinkers I have mentioned about in this article have relied heavily on their other-worldly experiences and visions but somewhere we too believe in the presence of the other world but the level of our sensitivity to the other-world is no where close to these thinkers and visionaries. It is also worth mentioning here that there is already a trust in the name of "Bhai Randhir Singh ji" and there are people who have already devoted their lives to his vision and also Bhai Rama Singh ji's vision. But, the recognition at the global level hasn't been equal to the other non-sikh renowned thinkers like Karl Marx.

Though I personally feel that Karl Marx gave some very powerful theories regarding religion, capitalism, socialism and his vision of a "Communist society" was revolutionary but I never feel like devoting my life to his vision. Some hardcore religious thinkers reject his theories out-rightly stating that they lack sensitivity and spiritual insight but they never see his theories operating in the religious shrines as well. The flow of money and commercialization of Gurudwaras show the practicality and logic behind his theories.

I would wind up this article by simply writing down my innermost feelings about the well-being and the longevity of the "Khalsa panth" and a hope to see the evils, that have crept in, getting destroyed. The onus is on the sikh youth especially in Punjab, to find the middle path.

Projection of Sikh personality in the media

This is one of the most hotly debated topic in the Sikh diaspora across the globe. We must have a clear vision before proceeding with the article that it is always good to have a balanced and a neutral opinion not favoring any particular side.Thinking logically may prove to be practical for ourselves but a little blunt to the people and personalities I'm going to talk about, but it will be of immense worth to the intellectuals reading this article for having a concrete opinion.

Let  me start with a singer-turned-actor who has made a big name for himself in a short span. Diljit Dosanjh started his career as a singer who turned to acting later and made it big in show-business. However, even he may be a bit embarrassed to see his own videos from his first album "Pyaar daa Oora Aira"  released around 14-15 years back. After his success from "Jatt & Juliet" series, he won critical acclaim for "Punjab 1984" and has turned out to be a rare turbaned-celebrity of a very powerful stature with a fame acknowledged across various nations.

However, an improved projection of sikh identity in films cannot be attributed to celebrities and actors alone. All the people who protested against the buffoonery image of sikhs in films deserve the credit. One such organisation that fought for the better projection of sikhs in the media was APKF (Akaal Purakh Ki Fauj) with the leading face of 3-time member of SGPC- Jaswinder Singh Advocate.

APKF organised Mr. Singh International event four times in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2012 where thousands of sikh boys participated and brought forward four winners i.e. Harpreet Singh, Parmeet Singh, Damandeep Singh and Tajinderpaul Singh respectively. Only Harpreet Singh successfully hunted the job of news-anchor in PTC and Damandeep Singh got a few endorsements of various brands. But none of the winners or participants could turn into a successful celebrity who could create fortunes through show-business. Though APKF claims that their main motive was religious and wanted a more dignified projection of sikhs in the media, the question remains that does APKF feel a sense of achievement after the success of Diljit Dosanjh ??

Besides Diljit, there are many turbaned sikhs in the industry who have adopted singing and acting as a full time profession. Inderjit Singh Nikku, Ravinder Garewal, Ranjit Bawa, Malkit Singh are a few good examples. Daler Mehandi is also a good example if we look beyond Punjabi film industry. Though the main issue with all these singers is that none of them are "Saabat-surat" sikhs (Sikhs with fully grown beards). Though, it is worth mentioning here about a celebrity singer who became famous when he was clean-shaven but later on grew his beard, started wearing a turban and became a fully baptized sikh. KS Makhan has set an example of its kind.

Though the frequency of his albums has drastically reduced after he became a fully baptized sikh, he never talked much about his experiences and feelings that made him change his mind about his way of life. Though, it is also worth mentioning that his entire family including his parents and children are fully baptized sikhs. Besides KS Makhan, I've personally noticed many people posting the photos of their personal transition on social networking websites. But the question that haunts my mind is that whether such transition is permanent or reversible over a period of time and if it is permanent, I'm sure KS Makhan must be feeling privileged or must be enjoying a privilege. Of course, change of heart and feelings cannot be termed as "Opportunism" but some conservatives even believe that Diljit would have a similar transition one day. God know why ?? If someone has become very successful in one way, why would he change the way he looks or why would he change his lifestyle?? But the way Diljit is strongly marching ahead, I don't expect any "Change-of-heart" ("Hirday-Parivartan") from him at least for the next 20-25 years.

Though both the phenomenons i.e. Conservatism and Modernity are at the loggerheads, most of the time, they have also shown a great sense of co-existence since the inception of the society. Sikhs should understand that both conservatism and modernity working in tandem can help us have a better projection of ourselves globally in the media as well as out of it, in real life. Even in the remotest of the remote village in Punjab, we can spot on these two phenomenons co-existing e.g. a clean shaven child of baptized parents living with them. Then why can't such people co-exist on public platforms ?? E.g. (Mark my words) Diljit will never be honored on a religious platform, even on the stage of Mr. Singh International (in case it is organised again). If it happens, I'll genuinely be the happiest person, because I believe in peace and co-existence. But I'm sure that fanaticism on one side and egomania on the other side, won't let me be happy so easily :-)

It is worth mentioning of another "Saabat-surat" sikh who dared to enter show-business as a leading actor and featured in a few films -Manpreet Singh Banga.

Though Manpreet gave a reasonable performance in Punjabi films like "Sat Sri Akaal", he totally disappeared from the screen after the film "Chheva'n Daryaa" and for sure, couldn't achieve fame and stardom like Diljit or anywhere close to him. Though he has been very active in promoting the sikh identity by organizing various pageants like "Mr. Singh India" which are definitely of a smaller stature and are less competitive than "Mr. Singh International". I can authorize this claim being a finalist of Mr. Singh International 2009 myself where I met the winner of "Mr. Singh India 2009" as a co-finalist and various other "saabat-surat" sikh boys pursuing modelling seriously.

Now, the gist of the article is that all the people whom I have mentioned as yet, though belong to a completely different sphere, have a common belief system and share a religious affiliation. But how can a media-savvy person forget about the contribution of non-sikh actors in projection of a sikh-personality on screen. The names are enough if I talk about Akshay Kumar's work in "Singh is King" and Farhaan Aktar's work in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".

Though "Singh is King" was highly criticized by the sikh hardliners on the projection of sikh-identity, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" didn't attract much controversy being a biopic. Something in common about both the films besides having a sikh character as a protagonist is that both these films crossed 100-crore mark at the box office. Now this is the critical issue that needs to be addressed w.r.t the Punjabi film industry.... Budget !!

Though I'm not a film-crazy person but even if someone having a good general knowledge keeps himself active while coming across the box-office collections of Punjabi films, Bollywood films and South Indian films, and does a comparative analysis of the same, the reality of Punjabi cinema would stare right in your face. The cost of the most expensive Punjabi film till date has been 14-15 crores and the total revenue (including overseas) has been around 50 crores. And now kindly consider the figures of Bollywood and Tollywood films where the input cost for some projects goes to a whooping 100-150 or even 200 crores and the total revenue collected sometimes touches 500 crores e.g. PK. These figures are worth mentioning from the perspective of development and industrialization. If we think that Punjabi film industry is very flourishing and lucrative and is a dream destination for many aspiring actors and artist, why is that the economics is leading us to a different conclusion ??

Where Bollywood mega-stars make huge fortunes from the films and endorsements of various brands, Punjabi mega-stars like Diljit are busy creating fortunes from their overseas shows by capitalizing on their singing talent. Though these celebrities (both Punjabi or Non-punjabi) are in no dearth of money or resources, let me say it firmly for one time that "Sikh identity" is an issue about which actors can do absolutely nothing accounting to their duplicity and superficiality. If we turn to politicians, they're already there to take credit of even what the actors are doing. I simply do not want to get into the technical detail about the constitutional amendment required to empower the "sikh identity" which has its vulnerability exposed in the age of media and Information Technology.

SIMRAN

In Sikhism, it is very interesting to make a differentiation between "Jap" and "Simran". Though in English language, "Jap" would simply mean enchanting the name of God and "Simran" would mean contemplating on it. Sikhism teaches us to meditate on the holy word "Waheguru" which is also referred to as a "Guru-mantra". Some preachers emphasize on the word "Waheguru" as an acronym with the following expansion:

Wa - Vishnu

He - Hare Krishna

G - Gobind

R - Raam

This expansion is interesting because all the prophets mentioned belong to different ages or "yugs" of Indian mythology which classifies the time into four "Yugs".

1) Sat-yug

2) Treta-yug

3) Dwapar-yug

4) Kali-yug

Each yug has different timeline and age and also different messiahs or "Avatars". Though one year of demigods or "Devtaas" is equal to 360 years of humankind, hence the age of different yugs can be calculated as:

Satyug - 48000 x 360 = 1,72,80,000 years

Tretayug - 36000 x 360 = 1,29,60,000 years

Dwaparyug - 24000 x 360 = 86,40,000 years

Kaliyug - 12000 x 360 = 43,20,000 years

Though all these yugs have a specified timeline and are assumed to occur in circulation, realization of GOD is considered easiest in Kaliyug- "The Dark Age" which is currently going on. And the way of realizing god as recommended by most of the prophets of various religions is by meditating on his name.

In Sikhism, some devotees practice a very powerful and effective technique called "Swaas-Giraas Simran" which is often propagated by various "Jathas". In this technique, the word "Waheguru" is bifurcated into two words i.e. "Wahe" or "Wah" + "Guru". In order to preform "Swaas-Giraas Simran" one must inhale with the sound of "Wah" and exhale with the sound of "Guru". On repeating this process consciously for some time, one realizes that the human body automatically responds to this word and a sound of "Wah" or "Wahe" is produced while inhaling breath with full vigor and the sound of "Guru" is produced while exhaling breath with the same amount of vigor.

One simply needs some practice to adopt this technique for changing his/ her life as it is a very useful technique for meditating on lord's name and practically too, it's a wonderful stress buster. One could experience the universe within oneself with the help of this technique. It is definitely worth trying and adopting for a better and more spiritual life.

Money & Wealth in Sikhism

This is the issue around which the modern day life revolves. How to make money ?? How to accumulate wealth ?? And we're so much dipped in earning our livelihoods and paying our bills that we have no time to sit and think which way our life is going. Though religion has a primary role in giving a purpose and a direction to human life, it certainly has laid down some guidelines for its followers about making money and accumulating wealth. Usually, sikhs in general think of having money as a positive thing and simply call it "Babe di kirpa" as it is generally believed that more the money, more is the "kirpa" but once having understood the technicality of Sikhism, this notion gets mirror opposite. Money or wealth are usually referred to as "Maya" in both Sikhism and Hinduism, though "Maya" is a much wider term and in technical terms means something which creates illusion or an illusion itself. So, can we consider wealth as something which creates an illusion ??

Actually, this topic is very well studied and analysed by eminent sociologists like Karl Marx and Max Weber and there are various sociological facts that can be stated in detail to elaborate on this topic but I would prefer to keep things more generalized in order to make the issue interesting and widely discussed.

Though Guru Nanak did teach us about making a truthful living by saying "kirat karo" or "dasaa'n- nauaa'n di kirat karo" but Sikhism is a religion that believes in the "other-worldly asceticism" just like Hinduism and Islam. Though we can also say that Sikhism teaches one to live a truthful life and the way baptized sikhs live is really austere and constrained as they are taught to live a simple life, away from glamour and extravagance, focusing more on the needs of oneself and the family. Ideally, a sikh should be selfless in spending his money and should give priority to the needs of his family and should also give away one-tenth of his earnings (called "Daswandh") for religious cause. "Daswandh" is similar to the concept of "Tithing" in Christianity where the followers (Catholics or Protestants) are instructed to give one-tenth of their earnings for the Church or the Cathedral. Unlike the Eastern philosophies Protestantism believes in "this-worldly asceticism" where protestants are instructed to consider work as worship and live a life of austerity in order to create and accumulate wealth and create the "Kingdom of GOD" on this world through their righteous earnings.

Though Sikhism has the features of both "this-worldly" as well as the "other-worldly" asceticism, there are verses in Gurbani which consider the accumulation of wealth as a sin. On Page 417 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated that:

ਇਸੁ ਜਰ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਘਣੀ ਵਿਗੁਤੀ ਇਨਿ ਜਰ ਘਣੀ ਖੁਆਈ ॥

ਪਾਪਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਮੁਇਆ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥

For the sake of this wealth, so many were ruined; because of this wealth, so many have been disgraced.

It was not gathered without sin, and it does not go along with the dead.

Hence, we can conclude that the accumulation of wealth somehow carries a negative notion as per the religion. Some eminent sociologists like Marx and Weber did conclude that  the religion of the Indian subcontinent i.e. Hinduism primarily is not fit for the framework of Capitalism hence, India needed some exposure to the protestant ethics of Christianity to open doors for Capitalist economy. And in Sikhism, we have also seen the growing tolerance for Capitalism as there are some highly successful capitalists who have huge fortunes amounting to even hundreds or thousands of crores living within and outside India. And surprisingly, these capitalists having huge fortunes have much more say in the working of religious or political institutions. In sikhism, Gurudwaras or the community centers are the places where religion and politics converge. This indicates that Sikhism is somehow losing its democratic or egalitarian spirit where a common sikh, not having huge fortunes is finding it hard to make his/her voice heard even in the day-to-day panthic affairs.

In order to reflect a real life picture, it is worth mentioning here about the sycophancy and favoritism of the managing committees of the religious shrines for the rich and powerful. Actually, they're more concerned with the monetary offerings at the temples or gurdwaras regardless of the religion being critical of wealth as it can cover-up all the worldly-sins committed in order to accumulate it. In the end, I would say that the need of the hour is to strike the right chord and find a balance in the governance of the holy shrines where everyone has the right to contribute and have a say, regardless the size of his/ her fortune.

Science behind Baptism

Ever wonder that there is a scientific aspect to baptism ?? To understand the concept thoroughly, let's start with the basic concept of science i.e. three states of matter namely:

1) Solid
2) Liquid
3) Gas

But a Lehman may not be aware of the other states of matter that exist in the universe. These states are named as:

4) Plasma
5) Ether

Plasma in most general terms is defined as a gas that has been energized to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus. Gases can become plasmas in several ways, but all include pumping the gas with energy. A spark in a gas will create a plasma.

Now, ether in scientific terms is described as an oxygen atom bonded with two hydrocarbons. In scientific terms, it is described as:

1) A classical physical element, considered as prevalent in the heavens and inaccessible to humans. In some versions of alchemy, this was the fifth element in addition to air, earth, fire and water.

2) (archaic, physics, uncountable) A substance (aether) once thought to fill all space that allowed electromagnetic waves to pass through it and interact with matter, without exerting any resistance to matter or energy. 

Ether is usually referred to as "Amrit Rass" in Sikhism and Hinduism.

Though, Albert Einstein disproved the presence of Ether in his "Theory of Relativity" by showing that the speed of light in vacuum is exactly the same as in some other medium. Though this theory of Einstein may discard the presence of any such element but his "Theory of Everything" (close to Guru Nanak's words of "Ik Onkaar") does give some margin to believe in the existence of spirituality and metaphysics.

Now my personal deduction on this entire process is that a Bulgarian philosopher called Omraan Mikhael Aivanhov in his books did emphasize on this transition of the matter from one state to another as from Solid => Liquid => Gas => Plasma => Ether. He illustrated this transition by the simple phenomenon of ingestion of food where he said the one mouthful of bread can produce the energy to pull a hundred wagons around the world thrice.

Though Baptism somehow is considered to happen in the spiritual realm in every religion, I believe that it happens naturally in the Cosmos as well. If we consider the ceremonial aspect of baptism which is present in every religion in the world, "water" is the element used in every baptism ceremony across various religions e.g. "Holy water" in Christianity, "Zam Zam"  in Islam, "Amrit Sanchaar" in Sikhism, "Mata rani da chhita" (for Durga-worshippers) in Hinduism etc. Now this ceremony is just another ceremonial/ symbolic display of that conversion of the matter to ether or simply based on an individual's personal experience that enlightens him/ her about the existence of such phenomenon, about the conversion of matter from one state to another, in the universe.

What your physical body is today was "zygote", a liquid formed by the fusion of sperm and ovum once and the day when it gets cremated, the flesh will melt into liquid in the first instance. So the bi-directional transition i.e. Liquid=> Solid => Liquid is clear. Maybe, the entire chain of the material transition is bi-directional and is centered around ether as:

Solid=> Liquid => Gas => Plasma => ETHER => Plasma => Gas => Liquid => Solid

This may not be a standard deduction but more of my imagination somehow supported by a geographical phenomenon called the "Water cycle". In the end, I would just say that we must keep alive our spirit of mysticism because that would unveil many things we wish to know in our life time.

Guru Arjan Dev- Gandhi's inspiration

Actually, there are no written records available to substantiate the fact that Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies have a considerable influence of Guru Arjan Dev ji's teaching's. Though Sikhs, especially youth are considered to be against Gandhi's ways out of an assumption that, by default, they are aggressive and rebellious. But there are some noticeable similarities between their ideologies that cannot be ignored. Though, this comparison may itch a sikh fundamentalist and gandhian too may find it a little uncomfortable to digest but this is the truth.

Though Gandhi always advocated simplicity, selflessness, non-violence etc. but the fifth sikh guru went too far ahead of Gandhi in not only preaching it but also practicing it. There's no bigger example of patience, tolerance, self-sacrifice and surrender to almighty's will, than the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev but Gandhi's teachings are no more than a reflection of Guru Arjan's in a different century.
Though, it would be idiotic to compare the stature of a political personality to that of a spiritual guru who is more of a messiah than a just a political leader, I still want to put forward this comparison in an attempt to pacify sikh radicals and anti-sikh forces operating in India. Though some intellectuals can very well prove the anti-sikh nature of Gandhi but let's not look at him for only religious perspective but also from political and nationalistic view.

But a fact worth mentioning here is that I want to put forward a striking similarity between Gandhi's and Guru Arjan's political ideology which are almost identical.
Fifth Guru has said:

ਰਾਜ ਬਿਨਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਧਰਮ ਚਲੈ ਹੈਂ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਭ ਦਲੈ ਮਲੈ ਹੈਂ ॥
which is very Similar to Gandhi's thought:

"Politics bereft of religion is the death of conscience."

So! I believe such an analogy has never been made by any religious preacher or a political leader in the past, anywhere in the world. Those people like me, who believe in communal harmony and universal brotherhood should come up with more such analogies to defeat religious fundamentalism which is one big reason behind communal tensions in the country.

"Bhapa"- an offensive & derogatory term for sikhs

I have already covered the existence and operationality of caste discrimination in my article "Caste System in Sikh community" where I highlighted the major caste types in Punjab. Though personally a strong critic of the "Caste system" and an individual who is always against caste-bias, I feel an utmost need to address this issue in my writings as it is a harsh social reality and truth about it should not be left unsaid. As the title suggests I will try to highlight the discriminatory use of the term "Bhapa" and the historical aspects of this caste.

In the cities, Khatri and Arora dominate the sphere of business activities. Khatri and Aroras are essentially identical caste and are primarily a caste of traders, shopkeepers and accountants. Sometimes people belonging to these castes are called "Bhapa Sikhs". Khatris and Aroras are equivalent of Baniyas found elsewhere in India. Please note there are also Agarwal Baniyas in Punjab too but they are almost 100% Hindu. All of the Sikh Gurus were born in Khatri caste. Guru Nanak's father Mehta Kalu was also a shopkeeper and he tried his best to make his son follow his caste profession of shopkeeping. But Guru Nanak rejected his teachings and became a man of spirit.

Please note that although the word Khatri appears to be a vernacular form of Sanskrit "Kshatriya", the caste is exclusively composed of cloth merchants, grocers, perfume sellers (or "Gandhis") and traders. Some eminent historians, have described this caste as probably a "pratiloma" or ritually inferior mixed caste created through union of "Kshatriya fathers and brahmin mothers" or "Shudra fathers and Kshatriya mothers". Though Rajputs , the bonafide Hindu Kshatriya caste, disown all connection with them and treat them as one of the Baniya castes, Aggarwal Baniyas, a reputable vaishya caste of Hindus, also deny any link with them.

Some speculate that the word Khatri is derived from the word "Khata" or accounting scroll . Before the partition of Punjab, Khatris were largely concentrated in West Punjab where they were the subordinates of Pathans and were employed in a rather humble way by Pathans as their accountants. It could be that Arora caste which came under patronage of Pathans and Khokhars in NWFP (North-West Frontier Province) and upper western Punjab as their accountants came to be called "Khatri" because of maintaining "Khatas" or accounting books of their patrons.

As stated before, sphere of Khatri and Arora influence in Punjab is the urban centers where they dominate the shopkeeping profession. Being connected with commerce and trading, their literacy rate is among the highest in Punjab and they were also the earliest beneficiaries of colonial education system being located in urban areas. Khatris are a forward caste in Punjab but as we have seen that neither their social standing nor their occupations are uniform across the country, it is no surprise that they are enlisted among Other Backward Castes (OBC) in many other states like Gujrat, Tamil Nadu, etc. Though Punjabi "Arora/ Khatri sikh" community has produced some of the most prominent political and religious personalities of the country like the former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and the famous sikh scholar Giani Sant Singh ji Maskeen who has been honored with the "Panth Rattan" decoration. The famous Punjabi singer Daler Mehandi is also belongs to this caste.

Among the Dalit caste groups prominent ones "Chamars" and "Chooras". Both communities are called "Balmiki/ Mazhabi Sikhs". The word Chamar is derived from Charmakar or leather tanner. They used to be expert shoe-makers. Some poor men and women of this caste also work as laborers in the farms of traditional landowning castes like Jat, Mahton, Saini, etc. Discrimination against them unfortunately still exists in Sikh society. For this reason , Mazhbi Sikh brethren are extended reservation as SC (Scheduled Caste) . Mazbi Sikhs have in the past made sterling contribution to Sikhism both as mystics and soldiers. Bhagat Ravidas belonged to Chamar caste but is accorded highest respect in Sikhism with his poetry being included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Akali Phoola Singh wan another "Mazhabi Sikh" who acquired the top post of the "Akal Takhat Jathedar" and is known for his uprightness and bravery.

Now, I would like to use the reference of the historical aspect of "Balmiki/ Majhabi sikh" community and their socio-political and a legal achievement in the contemporary times to make the usage of the discriminatory term "Choora" as a  legal offense punishable as per the court of law. I expect some intellectuals from "Arora/ Khatri sikh" community to take a constructive lesson from the the B/M sikh brethren and pursue a legal/ political course to make the discriminatory usage of the term "Bhapa" too, a legal offence punishable in the court of law.