Response to A.K. Sharma 11-1-2015

1, November 2015               Response to A.K. Sharma (I-W Oct. 30)

A.K. Sharma’s letter (I-W October 30) contains a number of inaccuracies. He is right to challenge Khalistan as an important current issue among Sikhs; it is largely a non-issue with most Sikhs in India. A few American Sikhs still cling to the notion of creating a separate state for the Sikhs, but they are few in number. However, it was dictatorial of Indira Gandhi to declare Khalistan to be a non-issue in the 1980s. It was an important issue at that time but had been suppressed by draconian police and army methods when large numbers of Sikhs were tortured, killed or simply ‘disappeared’.

Contrary to Sharma’s assertions, it is important to define Sikhism as a separate and distinct faith to Hinduism. Our founder, Guru Nanak, born a Hindu, was a social reformer eager to propagate the ‘ek Onkar’ one God tenet in stark contrast to the pantheon of Gods endemic to Hinduism. It is ludicrous for Sharma to assert that it was a matter of convenience for Dr. Ambedkar to ‘lump’ Hinduism and Sikhism to together as a matter of convenience to distinguish them from the imported faiths of Christianity and Islam which were thrust upon the Indian population by aggressive proselytizing by Christian missionaries or the sword by the messianic Mughal invaders.

Sharma then makes the absurd assertion that there have been no forcible conversions since Modi assumed power. The British Daily, the Guardian, New York Times and many Indian language newspapers have reported widely on the forcible conversions of poverty stricken Muslims and Christians by withholding government subsidies as a conversion tool. Then Sharma makes the preposterous claim that disaffected Muslims and Christians mired in poverty could always rush to travel agents with wads of cash and visas to escape their oppressors. The absence of such an exodus, asserts Sharma, is conclusive proof that these religious minorities are content.

Sharma seems to have conveniently forgotten, that successive US governments denied Modi a visa because of his alleged role in the pogrom in Gujarat. It is surprising that a former pariah could be welcomed with such emotional adulation. I urge Sharma to see a documentary produced by Rakesh Sharma, ‘The Final Solution’ www.vimco.com/rakeshfilm’. on the Muslim/Hindu riots in Gujarat in 2002.