The Sikh Sansar USA-Canada Vol. 4 No. 1 March 1975

The Sikh Sansar USA-CANADA

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE SIKH FOUNDATION

VOL. 4 NO.1

~ ff' 111IE

SUCH

~~DATlON

I<P I

MARCH 1915

LOCAL REPRESENTAnVE$ Mr. Kirat Singh Sethi Dr. I. J.,S.ingh New York

PATRONS

S.

H~rdi~

Maharajjl Amarindar Singh

Singh Malik NOI(II Delhi

·Prof. Bhai Harbans Lal Massachusetts

Patisla Mr. Harbans Singh Gr.o ver Buffalo, New York

EDITORIAL BOARD

Dr. Trilochan Singh Detroi~

Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, Chief Editor

Mr. Ganga 'Singh Dhillon Dr, Sham, her Singh Mrs. Ursula Gilf Washington, D.C.

Prof. Hari Singh Everest Ajaib Singh Sidhu Assistant Editors Dr·. Gurnam Singh Sidhu ~rof.

Mrs. Satinder Kaur Kapany Dr. I. J. Singh

8hai Harbans Lal

Prof. Karamjit .Sing~ Rai Illinois Dr. A. S. Dhaliwal Mr. B. S. Kalra Chicago

EDnORIAL ADVISORY BOARO

Dr. Mohinder Singh Randhawa (Chandigar&) Dr. Kartar shigh L.a1vani (London) S. Khushwant Singh (Bombay)

Mr. B. S. Basi Cleveland

Prof. Ganda Singh (Patiala) Plof. Harbans Singh (Patiala) I\!Irs.• Manjit P.M. Wylam (London)

Prof. W. H. McLeod (New Zealand) univer~

ha's be~n co.nsidered, an "illusion" (Maya). The Sikhs ~Dnsider the material universe as a manifestation of the cosmic spirit. This journal 'will attempt to present both the

THE SikH SAI'JSAR ·is owned and managed by the Sikh Foundation, P.p. Box 727, Redwood City, California 94064, which is a .non·political. non-profit, organiz· ation dedica~ed to dissemination of krioWledge abo'ut the history, literature, art, precepts of the 'Sikhs,. The views presented

Mrs. Gail Sidhu San Francis-co

Gurpreet Singh Dr, Hakam Si;,gh Los Angeles R. S. Gyani ,Dr. Be.a nt Sjngh

materia' and s'piritual aspects- of Sikh culture.

r~l'igious

Mrs, Diane Singh New Orle.ans

Prof. Hari Singh Everest Yuba ·City

THE SI KH SANS'A R: Ssnsar means universe. Traditionally the material

culture and

J . P. Singh Houston

by

various authoJs

,and 'contributors herein does not imply an endorsement by either TH E SI KH SAN· SAR or The Sikh 'Foundation.

On-tariq, Canada

Dr. Kesar Singh Mr. G. S. Deal Vancouver, C~n~dil.

Mr, A. S. Chhatwal.

London Mr. J. S. Sodhi Birmingham, U.K.

Contents Th~ur

Singh Sandhapwalia, 'the,S~h 'Sabha

and lbt.!?qle!;p SiI)gil' eamI1~~f Hqr/ttlHS Sin-gh . . , ... .... ..... . ,. .

Dul~p. Singh'"s l;e.tt~tt(l~~ RelaIDte1~ !#.e

Pwijab Siuit'S'ihgh Qf ,AiiI(a . ..... ',-. ... .. , . "' ,' .. .. '''. ~ •• .• , , • .; .

PrpruamatiorLissued q¥ M.aharajaDcleep singn .....

. ...... .. "... , ..

.E.ng@t Tf!U1s1\Ltio~of Mahami lind Kam'!s Leiter '~,l> Sjr J:l~ i.!i,w.ren~ " , .. o' . . . . , ,

• ,

. . . .. " .... . ' .. ' " • • > • • • • . , .. . ' . '

10 11:

••

In futul'e issues of THE S:U~H Si\!NSM·, .. .... "". , . ; " .." ;" :,' , " .. '" , , ,~y '.Memor,ies,of M:ihara:jil,¥adavindr:a'Slng/i,'sardar H. S, Malik .. . "' ,' , .

1,4

G:toWiJI,g,Sil<l:l.ComwJUfi1:y Chl~brat.,.s ,o~Sth Anniv.ersary 'pfF.i>@d'!:~' JJ!!;1h . • ;0. ' •• • , , . . . . . . . . .. ,

. . .. .

t6

'Gam Arjun Del!. Poet oJDivine'M~s!! by ~. v,; 1td~ani, ( . . . __" ... ... . . .

18

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Lpy!;,t'hllJ; s!!ap~'l")!4jqllt tlWe~, ~y

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• • ,. , • • ••• , . .: •. , •

G,mjur;{bs,- 197' ~d 0tt'~ 'lmpp~~ Dates ' 1:975 '. . . . .. . .. . . ' . , ,' ' .

Listen: Q:l"athit,

and ~'I.. Pf~m'~ll 44!!~ . .. ,

." '. .." . . i

.. ' • '. ; . . ... .' . . .

Eton of ,the 'Sikhs, Ruski'diorm . '" ... , .. ' . .. ' , . ', ,' " . ' .. " . , • ...... ','

20

21 25

¥ateri"aldor theO' s tudy of East Indian Histor,y

In NoI1'i\. America. B'qlce LpBrMk •• .' .. , , . , . . . ... , ... ...' .. , . , ..

3

MAHARAJA DULEEP SINGH, THE LAST SIKH SOVEREIGN OF THE PUNJAB, WAS TAKEN TO ENGLAND BY THE BRITISH AFTER THE FALL OF THE SIKH KINGDOM. THERE HE LIVED AS A RANKED NOBLE, BUT EVENTUALLY BECAME DISENCHANTED WITH THE BRITISH, RENOUNCED HIS TITLES AND ALLOWANCE AND WENT TO RUSSIA TO SEEK THE CZAR 'S HELP AGAINST THE BRITISH. IN INDIA . A SECRET CAMPAIGN BEGAN SEEKING HIS RESTORATION TO THE THRONE OF LAHORE. HE DIED A FORLORN DEATH IN HIS HUMBLE HOTEL ROOM IN PARISCOMPLETING A LIFE-CYCLE DRAWN , AS IT WERE, TO STATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE TRAGIDIAN, THE POET, THE PHILOSOPHER. 4

THAKUR SINGH SANDHANWALIA, THE SINGH SABRA AND THE DULEEP .SINGH CAMPAIGN HARBANS SINGH" In 1873 occ.urred. 'a n: event whicb gave a ded,si,\,.e ~_D to his ~ee:r: - and to the history of the Sikhs. 'F our Sikh pupibl .of the Mis$io'D lIigh School ~aAmrit;sar dc.e lared their intention df ablu.ri..D.g ~cir faith in favour of ChristianIty. Toliaku'J; Singh ealled in. Amritsar a mee,t ing of SO,m e of ~e- leading·SQtb!l•.indu4ing- Baba Sir Khem Singh, Bedi:. a descendant of GUru Nanak, Klu!war Bool\ll1a Singh of )l.al'urthala ·and Giani GiaJ! Singh.

This, Sikh meeting, laid the-foundation .o f a society called the Sing.. . Silbha. The 'pbjects 'of f:he· sO,d ety were to "(i) restoreSikhism to its ~pristine purity; (ii) edit .and publish historical and religious' boo~'; (iii) ·pi.opagate current knowledge, wing Punjab,i 'as tb.,e .mediu,n;a. ,<PI4 to start-magazines apd ~ewspapers in Punjabi~ (iv) reform and bring back irito the Sikh fold the apqs!ates . . .,I'

The P\lnjab iA the 1880's was aStir with rumollr.

Anticipation filled the air. Reports were studiously kept in ciraulation that Maharajl> Dule~p Singli would !ead a Russian invasionint0 India and, overthrow the British. A netWork of secre~ communication was. e~ta­ blished, Duleep Singh's emissaries kept filtering into India in spite of Government vigilance . His statem!!Dts and proclamations - as from "the Sovereign of the sikh natipn and Implacable Foe of the British Government'" - were smuggled, iIito the c.ounliy for di!;tribution.

Prophecies attri1;luted to Guru Gobma Singh ):rimself were cited. in Duleep Singh'5 favour.. In crisp, aphoristic punjab! they ·;innounced: "He, Duleep Singh, will drive his elephant throughout the wodd . , Dissensions will arise at calcutta and quarrels will be in ·evety home. Nothingwill be known for 12 years.

Then wiIJ. ti§e the Khalsa, whom the people of four castes will like . , . Fighting will -take place near Delhi , . . When Delhi reinams 15 kos away·, the King, wilt cease. Duleep Singh will sit on the throne and all people will pa5' bim homage."

There were desettions from Indian regiments, howeVe.r sporadic and il'ifrNuent. Covert cOiit!'cts wei'e formed with individuals in foreign lands.

Th¢ brain behind this. entire mOvement waS Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia. He had implanted. the s.ee.ds 6f rehellion in the mih4 of Maharaja Duleep Sing)t, iiving as a :ranked &itish noble in England after being deprived of the throne of the punjab. He bad, finally , persuaded the Maharaja to renounce Christianity and rejoin the-fai1;h of his lorefathers, From Pondicherry, where he, had taken asylum to escape British allthority,

of

*.Prof. Harbans Sihgh"is head of the Department Religious Studies P~njapj University_; Patia1a~ .ll.nd a member of 'the Editorial Adl;isof!o' . ll~d of~ikJTS~S2r~ Pl 9L $ingh is:8 we~lg\q_wn,~~h9Jar; anp- . alJ(hor ,~d .authority on Si);:b ~e.ducatioD.

he lnilsteID)inded, the opet;t:tillfis in behalf of DUleep Singh. He maintained an active liaison with. people in distant places through his chain of servantS, dependants and relations.. Pondiche\T)' had become the. 'seato{ Duleep Singh!s peripatetic govero.rnent, with Tha)utr Singh as h.iS .Primf; Minister_ In inteUigen.ce repons and other government papers., Thakur Singh was described as "a, troiipleso.m e perSon .. , the fdendand inciter of Duleep Singh." Earlier - October 1, 1873 - Thakur Singh had founded the Singh Sabha. which proved elan. vital in the tegerlera. cion of Sij{b society _ Thakur Singh was born ip. 1847 in a Piinja,b whic4. was soon to fall into chaos as .a result of courtly intrigue ;lild tnurder_ His r"th.er, Lelina SiI!gh Sajuihaliwalia, enjoyed in the, reign of Ranjit Singh the title of Uiia!~Didat Nirmal.buddh Sardar-i·bqwaqtif (Res. plendent presence, pure of inTellect, the Sardar with ptestigeII\litked). In the disorderly days following Ranjit Singh's death, Lehna Singh beheaded in cold blood the· Maharaja'S rwe!ve-yeru;'-old grandson Partap Singh. Some distance away from the site of that gruesome murder ip Lahore, his nephew, Aji! Singh Sandhanwalia, had simultaneously emptied his d<Jublebarreled gun, gift to him fromtJle British in Calcutta, -into the. broad chest of Ranjit Singh's son Sher Singh, then reigtPng monarch, killing him on the spot. Both Lehna siIlgh al'd f;\jit Singh were killed while es.caping from the Lahore Fon·the following day. TPa.k ur Sirtgh Sandhanwalia, a m¢re chil.d of six, was saved as ·the family was-'t aken into proteccion by Suchet Singh Dogra, He lived long enough to indemnify by his dogged loyalty to .Maharaja DuleepSingh lhebloody deeds of his fatlrer and

a

COl,lSID .

Child DulceI' Singh, who sat on the throne ot his brother Maharaja_Sher Singh, himseJf .had a precarious 5

lien. He lost it finally in 1849 at the end of the second Anglo-Sikh war. He was taken to Fattehgurh under British custody. Here he ~mbraced Christianity - a conversion hailed as "the first instance of the accession .of an Indian prince to the communion of the Church."

Thakur Singh succeeded to an attenuated jagi/.

Old family debts imposed further Liabilities on Ills estate. He applied several times to the British, but his request for enhancement of jagir or for loans to liquidate his debts were turned down. He had, howt)ver, been given appointment, in 1,865 , as Extra Assistant Commissioner for Amritsar district.

He was also nominated a member of the General Committee for the administration of the Golden T'emple. Thakur Singh was a man of learning. Ht) Was at that time one of the two persons in the Punjab who knew both the classical languages of the East - Sanskrit and Arabic. He was also a distinguished Persian and Punjabi scholar. He wrote a treatise on diabetes and. was reported to be working on a monumental history of the Punjab.

Two urges dominant in Thakur Singh's mind were his antipathy towards the Britisb and a wish to ref.orm Sikh so.ciery. As a member of the Golden Temple management, he had observed how Sikh religion had been corrupted by the accretion of cU's toms and rituals wntrary to the teachings of the Gurus. He also felt concern about the general state of the Sikh communIty and its resilement from its tradition.

opment of the Punjabi language and disstminatic:m of modern education. Thakur Sil1gh. remained at the hdrn of aff;lits for a wbole decade. He was called upon to be the President of the Khalsa Diwan, a new society constituted at .a joint meeting on April 11, 1880, of the Amritsar and Lallore Singh Sabhas.

Because of his independent views, Thakur Singh was deprived of his positi<Jn as Extra Assistant Commissioner. In 1883, his estate was placed under a ,,"<Jun of wards. The sam" year he received from Maharaja Duleep Singh a wire requesting him to provide a list of his ancestral estates and properties in the Punjab. This wire launched Thakur Singb upon the most dramatic phase of his career.

This question of his private properties was converted by the Maharaja into a major issue. His mother Maharani Jind Kaur, Malika' Mucaddisa (the holy queen mother) of the regency days, had urged him to claim from the British the lands which belonged to the familyptior to the installation of his father as king of Lahore. Parted from Duleep Singh and kept under detention, Jind Kaur, described hy Lord Dalhousie as the only person with "manly understanding in the Punjab," was bitterly hostile towaI'ds the British. She escap.ed from British custody to Nepal, where she lived for .many years. Duleep Singh eventually succeeded in persuading the British to ret her reside with him and came to Calcutta in 1866 to take hl!T to England.

Under her ii1fluenC"e, Duleep Singh was gradually estranged from what had become his natural EngIn 1873 occuued an event which gave a decisive lish style.

The question of private properties he tum to his career - and ttl the history of tbe Sikhs. pursued to the breaking-point.

Four Sikh pupils of the Mission High School in Amri,In his letter of November 11, 1883, Thakur sar declared their intention of abjuring their faith in faVOur of Christianity. Tbakur Singb called in Arnrit- Singh Sandhanwalia supplied whatever information he c<Juld collect. For a more detailed list of his sar a meeting of some of the leading Sikhs, including ancestral estates, Dule.ep Singh sent his solicitor, Baba Sir Kbem Singb Bedi, a descendant of Guru Mr. Talbot of Farrer and Co., to India. He also inNanak, Kanwar Bikrama Singh of Kapurthala and vited Thakur Singh to visit him in Engl;lnd. The Giani Gian Singh. This Sikh meeting laid t\le f.oundation of a society called the Singh Sabba. The objects Government was aVerse to Thakur Singh's leaving Indja. But, on D.uleep Singh's persistence, he was of the society were to "(i) r.estor<: Sikhism to its allowed to make the trip. pristine purity; (ii) edjt and publisll historical and reLigious 'books; (iii) propagate current knowledge, Before his departure, Thakur Singh visited the using Punjabi as the med.ium, and to start magazin~s four Takhts, i.e., the principal Sikh shrines, a1: Am~d newspapers in Punjabi; (iv) reform and bring ritsar, Anandpur, Patna and Nanded to pray for the back into the Sikh fold the apostates . .. " prosperity of Duleep Singh's cause. Accompanied Thakur Singh became the fitst President of the by two of his sons, Narinder Singh and Gurdit Singh Sabba. Apart from religious reform, the Singh, a granthi or Scripture reader, Partap Singh, Singh Sabha ushered in a new cultural consciousand three servants, he reached London in 1884. ness in the Punjab; It aimed especially at the develHere he was the guest of Duleep Singh, then stay6

Sardar Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia (1837-87). with his three sons and servants and retainers. He was the founder-preside nt of the Singh Sabha, the main force behind the movement for modern education among the Sikhs. A noted scholar, he was onc of the fewest men of his time who knew both tbe classical languages of the East - Sanskrit and Arabic. He had startll!d work on a monumental history of the Punjab and had written a trea tise aD diabetes. Apart from his role in the Sikh renaissan l.': C, Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia was the brain behind the movement for the rn toratioD of Maharaja Dulcep Singh, the deposed Sikh sovereign. To avoid arrest by the British. he escaped to the French territory of Pondicherry where he received from Duleep Singh, then in Moscow, the title and seal of Prime Minister of the emigre Sikh govcOlment.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1 780-1830). founder of the Sikh kingdom in the Punjab. After his death, the British mechinations on the Sikh frontier, coupled with courtly intr_igue le d by the Dogras, forced two successive wars on the Punjab. The British eve ntually annexed the Sikh kingdom and Maharaja Kanjit Singh's youngest son Dulecp Singh, then aged 11 , was deprived of his throne and removed from the Punjab under British surveillance. The photograph above carries the autograph of Maharaja Duleep Singh I S daughter ~incess Bamba.

Graves in the grounds of DuJeep Singh 's estate, Elveden Hall, Thetford, Suffolk. In the midd1e is the grave of Dulttp Singh's wife , Bamba Du.lccp Singb Maharanee. She was the daughter of a European f~ther and Abyssinian mother and Ouleep Singh married her in Cairo on June 4, 1864. At left is the grave of Maharaja Duleep Singh and at right that of Albert Edward Alexander Duleep Singh, one of the Maharaja 's three sons, who died during his lifetime.

7

ing at Holland Parle He daily read out from the holy Guru Granth Sahib to the Maharaja, and insqucted, him in the tel1ets of Sikhism. Duleep Singh was resolved to retum to the faith he was born to. Thakur Singh I!a:d ,·ent to him, in England, a document signed by the cus.todians of the Sikh Takhts in India confirming thepwphecies aQout Duleep Singh's restoration :to the throne of the Punjab. In August, 1885, Thakur Singh retuinee! to the Punjab.

The Maharaja gave him Rs. 1,000 for distribution of karahprashad, the sikh sacrament, at the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.

Duleep Singh himself decided to return to his motherland and left England 0[1 March 31, 1886, to settle down quietly in Delhi. He inyited Thakur Singh to meet him at Bombay and arrange for .his re-initiation into Sikhism. 'the government was relu.c tant to permit Thakur Singh to receive him. Du1eep Singh wrote 'to the Secretary of State: A.s my cousin, Sardar Thakur Singh Sandhanwalia informs me that he fears permission will not be accorded him to go to Bombay by the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, and as l .particularly desire to be rebaptized into the faith of my ancestors by soIj1e relative of my own, may I therefore heg of Your Lordship kindly to r.equest His Excellency· by telegraph on my behalf to permit me to do so, that the Sardar be allowed to meet me on reaching India.

The news of Duleep Singh's likely return sent a thrill of expectation across the Punjab. The Govern1Dent warily stopped bipI at Aden. This was the advice it had from one of its leading Sikh supporters Maharna_hopadhqy4. Sardllr Sir Attar Singh. Stung by this insult, Duleep Singh r.esigned his allowance and forswore fe·alry til the British crown. One favour he sought was that the Government should continue payment of £ 500 c;ach aImually to the widows, respectively, of his Superintendent Login and Comptroller Oliph8..llI. On June 3, 1866, he left for Paris.

But: before departing from. Aden, he had on May 25, 1866, received the rite of Sikh baptism from the Five Thakur· Singh of Wagah, another· cousin of his (son of his mother's sister), Rut Singh of v.i.\4ge Kohali in Amritsar district, Jawand Singh of village Barki ·in Lahore district and two Sikhs. brought for the ceremony from a transport ship which happened to touch at Aden .

Furthering the cause of Duleep Sfugh was now Thakur Singh's sole absorption. To win support for him, h.e visited secretly the lndian princely states and 8

the Sikh shrines. Major Evans Bell's book The Annexation ot the Punjab and the MaHaraja Dule"p Singh, exhibiting the illegality and immoraliry of British occupation of the Punjab, was widely circulated.

Bell had argued that, according to the Treary of Lahore, minor Duleep Singh was the waril of the British and that, if there was an uprising in his territories, it was their dury to suppress it and not m:r,ke it: an excuse to rob him of his kingdom. 'Thakur Singh had the book translated into Ptinj:tb"i by his friend Partap Singh Granthi and published by another supporter, Diwan Buta Singh of the Aftab-i-PuI;ljab Press. The Kuka Sikhs who had come into clash with the Government in 1872 were the most enthusiastic in pro-Duleep Singh activity.

Thakur Singb was now the most suspicious c;haracter in the eyes of the Government. Yet he made good his escape into Pondicherry before he could be arrested. In addition to outwitting the British, he believed Ponmcherry [0 be the likely piate where his sovereign master might one day .land . The latter had intact written the The Tribunll (July 3, 1886) the following letter: Although the Indian Government succeeded in preventing me from reaching Bombay, y~t they are not able to close all the roads that there are to India; for when I return I can either land at GOa or at Pondicherry ...

Thakur SingQ arrived in Pondicherry on November 6, i886. From his home in the rue law de Lautistan in Pondicherry, he conducted his campaign in support of Duleep Singh with ·rare single-mindedness. He was offered by the French Republican Government a monthly allowance of Fr. 1,000, which he decliIi.ed on the advise of Duleep Singh. Thakur Singh received correspondence from him through the French pOSt offke. Through, the same· medium he sent his letters to him and some of the Indian newspapers, especially the Tim"s ot India and the Madras Times. He laid out a fairly extensive systt:m of communication in the Punjab. Among his trusted helpers were Bawa Budh Singh, an ex-captain of the Nepal army who lived in Thakur Singh's haveli in Amritsar, Parrap Singh Granthi, his own manager Pohlo Mal and Sohan Lal of Dadri, a servant of his moth.er-in-Iaw, Rani Kan.wal Kaur of Ballabgarh. He had a continuous stream of visitors in Pondicherry,. including, occasionally, soldiets from the Indian army. He had links with Chandernagor, from whete Shashi :Shushan Mukerjl, Editor of .t he .Reaver. Came. to visit him. From Bengal came

Tin-cowri Banerji. and Sarish Chander Bose, who jointly edited the Projabalidho.

Envoys came from Duleep Singh as well. The most important of them were Ghulam Rasul, a wool merchant of Amritsar, who had lived for many years in Sudan and Egypt, and Arur Singh of village Kohali.

The latter was described in Government reports· as a Europeanized Sikh. When jaile.d by the Britisb, his hospitality requiFl:ments ran to "some ice, brandy, claret an:d Vichy water."

Arur Singh had been with Duleep Singh in Russia and brought from him secrret missives includihg a circular letter for the ex-king of Oudh, Holkar, Scindia and the rulers of Patiala, Nabha, Faridkot, Jind and KapUFthala.

The princes generally impliGated in the cause of Duleep Singh were Raja Bikratn Singh of Faridkot who was one of the leading figures in th.e Singh Sahha renaissance, Raja Hira Singh of Nabha, Maharaja Partap S41gh of Kashmir and Raja Moti Singh of Paonch. According to a statement made at Hardwar to the Government by Mangalan, who was a salve girl of Maharani Jirid Kaur and who is describe.d as Duleep Singh's foster mother. there was .great "unity of ptiq;ose between the Raja of

Faridkot, Raja Arnar Sing/l of Kashmir and Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia" in their support for Duleep Singh. ..

From Russia, Duleep Singh sent to Thakur Singh a Seal and letter in token of his appointment ·ro the office of Prime Minister: I appoint you my Prime Minister, should

Sri Satguru Ji one day replace me on the throne of the Punjab .

But Thakur Singh had not long to live. He suddenly fell ill and died on August 18, 1887. His ashes were taken to his ancestral village of Rajasansi by a servant, Jawala Singh. His sons continued to live in Pondicherry and the eldest, Gurbachan Singh, was invested by Dule~p Singh with the title of Prime Minister. But returning from Russia to Paris, Duleep Singh had a s1;foke and remained bedridden for three years, the passion and gt'and designs of former day pathetically cC!ngealed in his heart.

Drained flIlllncially and destitude of friends, he died in his humble hotel room in Paris on October 22, 1893. Thus was completed a life cycle drawn, as it were, to S):ated requirements of the ,tragedian, the poet, the philosopher.

English monthly 'magaziue from The Sikh Cultural Centre, I 13fl-A. Chittaranjan Avenue, Calcutta-l 2, India

THE SIKH REVIEW

1. Explains the mission of tl)e great Guru Nanak .

2. Upholds the traditions and prestige of Sj~i~m.

3. Contains contributions by the highesrauthoritic:s on Sikh religion and culture.

4. Offers a chaUenge to today's youth .

5. Its articles have b~oa~ and rational views.

6. It affords food for thought for cdu.catcd pcopte of all religions and all nations.

7. Its articles arc of a high literary standard and always bring you s.o mething ncw.

8.! It appew n-o t only to IndJan nati-QnaJs put to oth'er.s as well.

A representative in UniJ.ed States: Prores~ot Mati Singh Everest Apnual subscription: 2217 MOIba Street Its. ~2. (India) .

Yuba City, CaliComia .!!-5991 R •. 20/-(Outside .India) .3.00

9

DULEEP SIN:GH'S LETI'ER TO IDS RELATIVE IN THE PUNJAB SANT S-U'IpI{ .Q F AlMA mveden.HaIl Thetford

S1Jff.olk My dear Sardar Sant Sil:!gh I am very p1!:a.sed to recc;ive your letter. 1 thank yo.u very much for offering me your kind se'rvic~ but there is'notlUIig tha~ i f,l:quirc. As the British govi;!:nm¢ht refuse to do me justice ·therefor~ I shall leave Engllin4 'Qn the J6,1h of Oecemhernext ana take up residence quietly a.t Odhi fQt I alfi poo~ now.

ruiy

i am veil}' pteasctd.til fmd 41 you a relative ofmy d!'lll' Illtc; moth"!!f.

/':t.s you are aware by, this time that 1 ha::verejoj~ed the' faith of my ancestClts, I saljite Y.QU wjth Wah Qooroo jee dee Fatteh and remain .

Your affectionatereliltivc: Duleep Singh

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~<GA F.ACSIMlLE OF M'AIDUlAJ'A DULEEl' siNGH'S LETTER. WJUT-TEN TO, HIS ~:r.yg IN 'fIlE PENJNI. S~ SiNGH OFAIMA.

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PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY MAHARAJA DULEEP SINGH

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,-----

Datrd Paris, th. 15th JoIy, 1886

By the grace of Sri Sot Guru Ji we Maharaja Dalip Singh, the Iowful sovereign of the Sikh nation, under the Treaty of GhyrowaJ entered into without coercion between oursellles and our Darbar on the one part and Great Britain on the other, do from hereby in consequence of the insults and indignities repeatedly offered to us - of which the recent imprisonment inflicted on us at Aden is a proof as wen as an account of no fulfilment with us of the stipulotions of the Treaty of anneXlJtion of the Punjab by Ihe Indian administration, set aside and annul that iniquitous and illegal document, the so caned "Tenns granted, .. which, was extorted from us in 1849 by our wicked Guardian, the ChristianBritish nation, when we were an infant of only J1 years of age, and by the above [iJ'at mentioned covenant, under the protection of England.

Wah Guru Jee dee Fateh.

Sd. Duleep Singh Maharaja of Sikhs under Treaty of Bhyrowal1846

FACSIMILE OF MAHARANI lIND KAUR'S LETI'ER. WRrrmN DURII'IG HER DE'I1l,N110N AT ,SIIEIKIIUPURA TO SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, THE BRITISH RESIDENT IN LAHORE. THE'JETTER IS A REMARKABU! PI1!CE OF PVNJABr PENMANSHIP AND IN-

NUENDO.

11

ENGUSH TRANSLATION OF MAHARNI JIND KAUK'S LEITER TO SIR HENRY LAWRENCE FROM BIBI UIND KAUK) SAHIB TO LAWRENCE

I had entrusted my head to your ~e. You have thousand that I !rad spent in four months, I Ifave paid thrust it under the feet of traitors. You have not done to Missar Megh Raj after having sold my ornaments. I justice to me. You ought ,t o have instituted an enquiry, never begged for anything from anyone. Hayipg .sold . and then charged me with what you found against me. Diy omam~nts I was managing to live· on. Why should 'You. ought not to have acted upon what the traitors you have caused me to be disgraced without lIJIy. fault? told you.

What was the fault of Manglan that she too has be.eli turned out?

You have kept no regard for the friendship of the Maharaja (Ranjit Singh). You 'have caused me to be The Maharaja (Duleep Singh) came to me today and wept bitterly for a long time. He said that Bishan. disgraced by other people. You have not even remained true to p-eati"s and agreements. Raja Lal Singh and Gulab Singh had been frightening him. If Singh was true and faithful to. me. He was loyal. something happened to the Maharaja through fright, Having levelled charges against him, you sent him away. then what shall I do? He was told that orders of the Then we neVer said anything ·to you. We thQught that Sahib for him were to reside in the Sha!amar. He as the Sahib himself was with us, we had no fear of wept very bitterly when he heard this. The ·treatment anyone. We could never imagine that we would be put that is thu_s !I\eted Qut to us has not b~n given to any intO prison with baseless charges concocted against us. ruling house.

Produce. any writings' of ours. Prove. any charges against Why do yo-u take possession of the kingdpm. by me. Then you could do anything jTou liked. underhand means? Why don't you do it openly?

Myself, the Maharaja and twenty-two maid-servants On the one hand you make a show of fri~ndship, are imprisoned in the Samin~ (Burj). ,All other ser-- and on th" other you hav'e put us in prison. D,Q juS!:Vants have been dismissed. We are in a very helple'ss ice to me or I shall' appeal to London. Presetye three €ondition. Even water .and food are not allowed to. or four traitors, and put the Whole of the Punjab to. be brought in. Now that you persecute us In this way, the swqtd at their bidding! it is better that you hang us instead of it.

If you administer justice to us, well and .good, otherAkal Sahai wise I shall appeal to London. Even the allowance of .Bibi Jind Kaur Qne lakh and fifty thousand that had been 'fixed has not been paid by anybody. The amount ot fifty-one - translated from the Punjap;, (p. 11)

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The next issue

of the

sum SANSAJ{ (june' 197S) will feature

SIKH ART 'You ar~ invited to su.b niit articles, news items, and 'o ther ma~erial p'eJtjnent to the subject. Deadline for manuscr.ipts i.$ the 1St of~y. Kindly mail all matc:rial to: Th,e Eaitor, SIKH SANSAR Post Offi'ce Box 727 Redwood City, California 94064

In future .'

Issues

Tile; snrns!JoiSAn. plans to feature. ~ecial subjects sj1ch as 1 . SIKH HISTPRIG:ALSHRlNE.S 2. MWAG.E~NTOF ~iKH ORGANISATIONS 3, SIKHART +. SiIUl CONTRIB.uTIONS TO INDlA'S lNDEPENIilENCE S. sIkH \VCiMEN You are ~o in\j~d to submit articles, news items agd other ma.tc;riaI p~ti;irtent to theSe subjects. Please read carefully th~ :'lhstructionST.o Authors" in.side back cover. .

Editorial .. , ..• • . . •... ,., ...... ,., .... .•. . ... ... ... . . .

Portrait .of H. H. Mahar~a of Panala . .... , ...... : ... ..... • .

Maharaja yac4vindra Singh of Patiala, Prof: Gandq Singh . . .... .

Chroncilqgy of Saha·Ala.Singh (Fo~der of Patiala Dynas,t y) .... .

Appeal b¥ His liigbli'e».MlIllllfaja ·Sir Y,adav,indra Sirigh ........• How I became Head of the Sikhs, from .Maharaja's Memoirs .. . . . .

In the previous .

Issue

.

The Pafiala a.uIer) . . ... . . . . . . . . . . •... . .. .. ...... .... .•..

CJu-onQlogy of Maharaja Ya/iavindra.Singh .... • .. .' ... ......' ..

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh pf Pati3l.a - A Memoir . ..... . .... .

Prof: -L. F. Rus/tbrook Wjlli/lJ'its "We will die

whe.~e

we llfe. but we,will die advaneing" .. .• .. , ..

Loc;a1 New~ .... , . '....... .. .......... . ....... . .. , .. ... .

The Late Maharaja.of Patiala, General Harbakhsh Singh ..... .. . .

The MahataJa .on the ntQ,vc, . ..... . ...... .. ... . .. ... .. .. ..

Ail india; Sikh Edueational Conference ........... .. ....... .

Patron of the·Sp,Ol'tS. . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . ... .

13

MY MEMORIES OF MAHARAJA Y ADA VINDRA SINGH S~AR H. S. MALIK*

P<r>oilally I was also dclighted and thrilled when the Maharaja in the face of consi.d.aable opposition from CC!f.ain sh~rt sight.. <d sections oc" his people including many or his Sudan and

some of the members of the cabinet accepted my advice which ] tendued ill the stronges~ terms p.o ssibJe anJi 'ag:ree:d to receive in the State and look:aftu the .first refugees from West Pulij~, an aCtfoT-whicb he receiv~d' much kudos' and eam~d fhe regard and respect of'the Hindu -and Sikh communiti~s.

I first met the late Maharaj Yada'vindra -Singh, MahI thus grit to know him well, to admire his qualities araja of Papala, ~arly in 1944 on my ri:turn from America which were outstanding, his personal charm, his talents ' where I had served for six years as India's Trade Com" for he had the gift to do well ~hatever he put ,his hand mission'er. to - his desire to. serve his country and his community., Lord Wavell then Viceroy of India told me that the Of these plltriotic feelings and ambitions he gave ample Maharaja had expre~scd a wish that 1 should come to pro.of during the important negotiatioDS between the Patiala, as Prim" Minister and Lord Wavell added that 'Indian PImces and the Congress Le,a,ders 'over the futUre he hoped IwQ4ld accept as the Maharaja was a pro misof the Princes which cuhninated ,in the final agreement ing young Ruler anxiouS' to develop his' Stat~ along modern reached between thi: two ,parties. conditions ill the U.S.,A. r would i)eable to help him.

This was an eventful and exciting experience as I I must confess that I was hesitant as 'I had no personal -felt that Patiala was able to make a valullble contrj· bution in bringing about a reasonable settlement whkh eXperience of life in the Indian Princely States and W'!S not too happy about what I had heard about the conwas vital. to preserve the unity cif India at a time when diuons prev'!-iling in some of them and I told Lord Wavell there wa.s a -real danger, after the creation of Pakistan, that I would decide only after I had met the young of ~ndia splitting up into several States, Maharaja Yad, M a b a r a j a . a v i n d r a Singh exhibited both good sense and patriotism ' This meeting was soon arranged, We t1ad' a very frank at this· Critical time. talk during which I told him a.bout ¢ymisgivings; HePersonaliy I was also delighted and thrilled when the at once reassured me and made me feel that I would Maharaja in the face of considerable opposition from have his full support and cqmplete co.nfidence adding certain short sighted sections of' his people including that he wasarncious to secure my services as he fel't many of his Sardars and some of the meinbers Of the that I could help him to make of Plll:iala a model State cabinet accepted my advice which I tend~red in the which was, his dream. strongest terms possible and agreed tq receive ,i):l the I waS cOnipiete1y won over by his friendliness and State and' look after the first refugees from West Pun" charm. Moreover I felt that it would be a privilege to jab, an act for which he received much kudos and serve and give of my best; to tlte premier Sikh State. earned thereg~d and 'respecr of the Hindu and Sikh So I accepted, and in this way commenced my conutllinities. association with this gifted :p!d talen.t ed man which was I was also at the same time saddened by the realito cover not only the three years of my service as 'his sation that on a',ccount of <;,el1ain fae,tors inherent,in Prime Minister b!1t also subsequep.t years after my rehis upbr-inging and character 'and also the fierce indi, tirement when we frequently came into contact willi vi,jualisnl of our people who fifld it difficuit to ac~ept each other river the various problems concerning the anyone as a Leader, he was unable 'to live up to the position. of the Sikhs in Independent India. promise of establishing himself as the natural LCl¥iet of the Sikhs during this most important period of *Sum Hardit Singh Malilc. is well known for hh wide statesman,. transition, a p~sition for which he was eminently di'plom~c and-literary accompllihml!;nt. Star:ting as an .Air Force fitted not only on account of 'his position as 'the Qffic.e r Mr. M:a-lik entered ~e ·famo~$ lndian.C~il Se,rvice. Th~re­ after b e beqme. p(i.Jp.~ Minister of pa~a1a S~ate .and Indian Ambass: Premier Sikh Ruler but also bec;luse of his ou!Standadoe to v~ious Eurogc41n coun~jes, including Fran(;e. Sardar MaIIk. ing personality and iI1telligence. ;is a patron of the Sikh Fouridation.

14

In the administration of the State itself 1 found him sensible and always willing to listen to good advice and to make important decisions. 1 am tempted to cite one incident which occuted early in my tenure as Prime Minister in support of this.

The Maharaja was naturally very proud of Patiala and its people and said to me one day "One thing you will find in Patiala, everyone dresses well and eats well."

"Yes, YOut Highness" 1 replied "I have noticed this and wonder how they do it." "What do you mean?"

1 explained that with the very poor scales of salaries of the State servants they could not possibly maintain the standards of living whicb they enjoy. "You mean" he said "that they are corrupt?" "I am afraid so, Your Highness" "So, what do you suggest?" 1 told him that one of the ways to stop corruption was to pay adequate salaries and I added "(f Your Highness agrees I will (ook into the whole financial situation with the Finance Minister and see what can be done within the limits of the State finances ." He readily agreed and within three months I was able with the assistance of the Finance Minister to put up proposals for enhancement of salaries and allowances for all State servants from the highest to the lowest, in the case of the lowest paid servants the increase of salaries to as much as 300%!

The Maharaja approved immediately and thus we were able to put through a far reaching and essential reform affecting the State administration within a short period.

My memories of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh are tinged with sadness which reached its peak at his sudden and totally unexpected death .

That a man so gifted by natute, princely birth, wonderful physique, extremely good looks, personality, intelligence and administrative experience, was unable to play any important part in the public life of our country after independence is depressing. This is no place to go into the reasons for this. 1 can only say that it was out country's loss that he was never given the opportunity for serving in any important capacity for which he was well fitted. It is only fair to say, however, that he was perhaps to some extent himself responsible because of a certain inability to recognise fully the realities of political life in Independent India and the need to adjust oneself to these requirements. I would add that this is not meant by way of disparagement. It is merely a recognition of the sad fact that a life so full of promise and potentialities was not used more for the service of out country which has by his untimely death lost one of its most attractive and ~~~~~v~a1uable personalities.

.-

....

...

THE LATE MAHARAJA OF PATIALA AND HIS CRICKET TEAM. SEATED SECOND FROM LEFT IS SARDAR H. S. MALIK.

15

GROWING SIKH COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 505th ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDER'S BIRTH* society, founded in 1965, has served to bring together the 1,500 Sikhs in the city.

The increasing number of Sikhs in the metropolitan area are actually part of a third wave of Sikh migration from India and Pakistan to the United States. From the time of Guru Nanak, who traveled as far west as Mecca and as far east as China from his home in northwest India, the Sikhs have been adventurers, seeking opportunities in far-off lands.

The first wave of immigrants began about 150 years ago, settling in the San Joaquin Valley in California and around Vancouver, British Columbia. These communities, concentrating on lumbering and railway work in Canada and fruit farming in California, are now wellestablished and, to some extent, assimilated into Western life. The late Dalip Singh Saund, a California Sikh, was the first Asian elected to the House of Representatives. He served for three terms, beginning in 1957.

The second wave, after harsh immigration restrictions were imposed against Asians, consisted mostly of students and professionals, some of whom stayed after their schooling.

After the immigration reform of 1965, which liberalized quotas for non-European countries, there was a burgeoning of Sikh arrivals. since the new law made immigration easiest for doctors, engineers and scienSlKHS CELEBRATING THEIR BIGGEST ANNUAL HOLl¡ DAY AT THEIR NEW GUARDWARA OR TEMPLE IN RJCHtists, many of the newest arrivals were in those proMOND HILL, QUEENS. fessions. It is estimated that there are now a total The merropolitan area's Sikhs, a growing community of 120,000 Sikhs living in the United States and of Indian and American adherents of the 16th-century Canada.

Guru Nanak Dev]i, celebrated the 505th anniversary of the founder's birth yesterday with hymns of praise and a feast of brotherhood.

About 1,500 of the faithful from the Northeast, here for the Sikh's biggest annual holiday, crowded into their new gurdawara, or temple, a converted Baptist church in Richmond Hill, Queens, acquired by the community in 1972.

The sanctuary , gymnasium, halls,staircases and dining rooms of the temple were teeming through the daylong round of ceremonies with turbaned men, women in saris and scampering children. Participants stood elbow to elbow eating the traditional meal, prepared by the community and. offered without cost to all who are hungry.

Until the Sikh Cultural Society acquired the church at 95-30 - 118th St. for $67,000, followers of the religion met in rented halls and, at one point, in the baseA SIKH LEADER fINISHING THE READING Of ment of a Roman Catholic church in Flusing. The THE GRANTH SAHIB, THE HOLY BOOK CONTAINING "R.~printed

16

from New York Ti'mcs, December 2, 197 4.

THE TENETS OF THE FAITH.

The most important development in recent years here, howerer, has been the increasing number of Americans who have joined the reJigion. Though Sikh reaebing does not: countenance missionary work or active seeking of converts, the number of Americans asking to join has gone up considerably since the midninereen-sixties. The Sikh Dharma Brotherhood, the organization of American-born Sikhs, says it has 150,000 members in the United St:ates and Canada.

Lehri Singh, a young American who has adopted a Sikh name and the Sikh practices, said he became interested in the religion five years ago after having heard a lecture by Har Bhajan Singh Yogi, a noted teacher.

Services of the American-born group ate conducted in English instead of Punjabi, but the 'practices are otherwises identical to those of India.

JaswantSingh Premi, an importer and official of the Richmond Hill gurdawara, estimated that of the 300 or 400 Sikhs who attended services there regularly, about 100 Were American-born. The readings and lectures are conducted in both English and Punjabi.

One of the foundations of the Sikh faith is the equality of believers, regardless of class, sex or language. The influx of Ameri!=3Jl-born members is regarded as nothing unusual, Indian-born members sald.

"There's a lot of cooperation and brotherhood among us," said Lehri Singh. ''The religion is all one path."

5 K's FORMAUZED There is no priesdy class among Sikhs. All members are considered competent to conduct services; officials of the gu.rdawara are chosen in annual elections.

The tenets of the monotheistic faith are contained in the religion's holy book; the Granth Sahib, a collection of sayings by early Sikh gurus and Hindu and Mos¡ lem saints. The 10th and last guru, Gobind Singh, who died in 1708, decreed that after him the Granth Sahib would be the Sikhs' only guru.

Gobind Singh also formalized the five K's - the practices observed by' the orthodox by which most non-Sikhs know thexeligion. The five precepts are 'unshorn hair (kesh), special undershorts (kachh), a steel bracelet worn on the right wrist (kara), a comb (kanga) and a steel dagger (kirpan).

For men, the precepts mean that hair and beard are worn long, wrapped around the head in a topknot covered by a turban. The comb is worn in the topknot and, weapons restrictions being what they are, the kirpan is generally represented by a tiny dagger att:ached to the comb.

Some Sikhs here, however, have abandoned some of the regulations. At the services yesterday, it appeared that at least haIf the men were beardless and had Western haircuts.

Part of the reason is that orthodox Sikhs have run into discrimination when seeking jobs. "If an employer. has not hired Sikhs before, he thinks they look like some sort of hippie class," said Harjit Singh Bhala, a sporting-goods .importer who is the head of the gurdwara's executive committee this year.

HARD WORK CITED "But once he has hired them, he hires more and there are very few firings," Mr. Bhalla went on. 'Sikhs have made a name by hard work and devotion to duty."

One of theearliest membersof the Sikh community at the service yesterday was Harbansiai Singh, a professor of pharmacology at the university of Rhode Island who has been in the United St:ates nearly 20 years.

"In 1956 I first came to New York City and I inquired after other Sikhs," he recalled. "I found that there was one other turbaned man in the entire place.

Now look at all that we see here today." He noted that, in addition 1:0 the New York gurdwara, others had recendy been est:ablished by Indian-born Sikhs in Washington, Houston, Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles, One tendency that has been noticed in the older Sikh communities on the West Coast is for younger members, born in the United States, to fall away from Sikh practices. "We really haven't experienced that here yet, because most of our members are recent arrivals," Mr. Bhalla said. "In 10 or 20 years, we will see. "

WOMEN J.N TRADITIONAL SARIS A l' SERVICE CELEBRATING THE 505tb ANNIVERSARY OF GURU NAKA DEV JI'S BIRTH.

17

GAAu~' pltv Poet of bi$.e ~

Guru Arjun Dev. was imbued l1Iilh undYIng faith, In Satgu"u!s puissance and eJ.emal realiiy; His lucent soul was a-lit with divine ¥adiance. 'tq!:.hilf!g~ hl!mgnJrai1ty.tl!t'q dMne be'lluty.

With spirit oJ eilfcelsiorism and mystic ilerve, He composed hymns in .admiraifon .0J God, To awaken living' heD/ing reserv.es oJ soul; ,grr4 recregte spiritilill be(lYty' oflJh'qkr{li !1orta[. rna." tteLtfg r.ifJljstefl with illif oJ mind and hi!!.l!t, AM Sl!.jJerillK iJgQi!J/. o!d.d,rkM~$ atf4. d.fl!o..ur, Gains new ! aUh,fi.riJ/lhe!4dfifg fo§e gJ his.so(Jl, Becomes ,richly fragran~ in 'G:ad's roseate hour.

I t >vas, 'gn gge of rank at'he[s"" . , 4 '!.d . rtJor.Jal 'm411 Was.qetlfit, of «bldj;~gJelipity, and hiS. inspirqtiOfi tbeli.ell: his:{l$pitiltiQlI; _ Bul'GuruArju';iIJe.v,KiiuJle.d'Or,eac!J filottal,flaming div.inity,~ The 'H.a1l' Gur!l fla~ :fteqtj~at.he'd "1Q pQ$teriry, Golden temple,. with limPid h.oly w.iit.el;~ of. faiik; Generations ofide·vout $Ikhs·/m,ile.molfldeil their destiny, -b,)I partaking of revealing"rrFJIstiGism offifih N'llnllk.

Th.e supreme mar1-)!r had a soul. that surgt{d· willi rttspj(!fJ.deJlt aflJatu$;' Wi(!r, t,engeJ:.nes$ flr/d 'fnf4{(j,Wjj~$§ (Jf i:!iv;n~ ml{s~, He rejuv.enated lifo"s. Jo:.il.irfg q~Ni!~ .

K. V. Advalli

•

18

It is

fht: 'hidd?!n cadences. of Siii;i1itig soul.

Tlidt"tiW4ken sleeping melQdy oj'B/jakti., As rose bllds open and unfold their petals.

Expecla'ntly. to change sordid hues intoJragrant joy.

SO!are the, exp'ectlint,hearts, thatfhrilb Witli bloQ~., That ""akes puny 'lolie' inio ihat (ype oTreality.

That ~ewns, to ~hape cqntours qllije.

Into' marble' tapestries an4unv~ij:br.anching vistas, Ofhuman zeal; anit tr.iU:.mphWl! glory qj ~pirit: Do we feel the th,r"Qb of th~ ~ew' lif.e,.

T P invest thiflgs. as we jeel.cloS.i!T!i!$.s oItr.uth• .dnd perceive' abiding virility, ~fhri.mafl destiny?

Love can r.emo.uld sotdid cp.rv"es 0/ life; 111,0 rlldlan~ and tingling felicity, Af!.d chari,tiY 'a nd eompasslon Clln mitigate., The vio1e:ncl: that vliiates foagrant milieu.

And distracts ,rhytJimic sh.~en oj divine 't:ifjlatus. f:)ljr riddle,s and;clam.ouT offl.{sh., . pf,t'eft b'ttrdy 'injimtile scale Qf Ifti;J.d,. l ie(:!IS ,ell!v:mi!' our c.onseiousness, to tHe ll!ve.t.

O/liiJpj d'Silvery,purjty. 10 mUltiply saintly cu""es . .ollr, '/fUngeting senses ,and spirit, ol'exl:elsiori-sm.

Need dr:(iculqte 'qntj tan,gible ·canalizption, To ', spread more /Jegf!.1Y an!!' ~piritya/' lIirility, 'Wbenfading reserveS of SOul; lo§,e t(siUen! Aft1J mercurial b.eauf)'.. to resl:iggt i;,lJiy·imo diYl'ne

iQye.

,

Tlirougli sallM a'!.d parehed vi~ta$, 'Let r.lii/ilJJjt realrns shipe ever divinely.. imil vl'brantly

• Based on Sikh phtlQS9PPY

19

GURPu.RA!BS - 1975 - , ..,-

BIRTHDAY

DVRUSffiP

DECEASE]).

'30, Sept.

GURU N:AN:A:K DEV

18 Nov.

'GURU :ANGAD DEV

~~ 'May

2:5 1 Sept.

15 April

,GURU ~ D.J\:S

24~-, cY'

12 April

lQ Sept.

GuRURMi~~,

22 Oct.

:US'Sept.

2. ~y

7 Sept.

13 ju~

24J\/!lc

2 June

16 April

24 Feb.

9. A,pril

29 Oct.

G.J}gl:!: MR, KRJSRAN

1 Ayg:

,2,9. Oct.

24 Aprll

GPRU-IE_G, ~AHAPlJR

3Q April

,24 April

'1,-Dec,

Gl)RV &~JlIND SlNGH

1? lan.

S Dec,

aNoy.

G.~q ~lAN. P..EV GtJ~JJ

HAR G.OUIND

GURuHARMJ

HOLA MaHALIA

BAISAIffiI

,9 Mareh

14 April

,~

Sept.

LISTEN 0 PATWT. AND LEARN! PllEMKA KAUR* What kind of Sikhs·are they. who spe"d all of their days and ~ in taIIt aDd slander of other Sikhs, who think they havethc right to judge '. map's purity, a man's devotion and a man's love of his Guru? They have DO time .to rise early in the ambrosial hour.s of the morning, to, chant and repeat. the Name of the Creator, as Gu.rn Nana'k enjoined them.

But they have a~ 1~~ L8 hours in a day to diBCll8S their neig1ibors, their friendS aDd their cocmics:, .(lIld to pass jud~ment upon each of tlieir t.bough~, words and dee~.

It .is not the timc, Dot the Hindu majority of {ndia,. not the.

We~e_tn influence and fashion. It. is the- Jack. of hu.miJ,ity of some of the Sikh people themselves. for Sikm.m doe's not exist in ~ heart of auy man who ia Cdled with prick, with a.ng~r, resentment or prejudice. It is this gossip, tbis pettine~ this slander of other GiJrsikh5 which u bringing a doud OpOD Sikhism.

Recently, I wrote an article regarding the visit of the me!TIbers of the Siri Guru Singh Sabha Shatabdhi Committee to the Western Hemisphere, and that article w~s entitled: 'Sikh Renaissance.' I began the arti· de with the observation that 'there has been a rumor going atou!1d the world .. .' Now, today I am conf'romed with the press reports of so many rumors, from aU over the world, and thus I feel compelled to write an article which I pray shall serve as an answer to all of the rumors, all of the gossip and all of the .slander-.

On the 13th of November, 1974, Siri Sihg!l Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi (affectionately known as Yogi Bhajan ·in the western world) was granted the bighest honor an.d. title of Bhai Sahib, at the Aka! Takhat in Amritsar, India.

If all. of the Sikhs, born in India and around the world, could follow the instructions of our Gurus, and .co\!ld look 'a t ourselves and at e.ach other wiJh reverence and respect, with grace and with dignity and in brotherhqoQ., then this very action! by the highest seat of religious and administrative authority for ,the Sikh peopl~; should be enough to clear off all of the previous speculations and slander.

We Sikhs, as one united people, must stand behind our leadership and our spokesmen. We must stand behind those who have dedicated themselve.s to service of the Guru in the Guru's own house. The S.G ..P.C, ane;! the Akal Takhat Sahib, must receive t.he ·Prcmka Kaur of Sikh Dharma br:o~hc[hood is Author o( Books.

Arti'dcs and views on Sikhism. Her book "Guru of. tile Aquarian Age" bas been received widely-in the WcstC'r n Wor,ld.

higbest respect and reverence from the entire Panth in order that me Sikh religion, the Sikh way of life, may present a unifie.d f.ace to the world. Ultimately, as Sikhs, we must demonstrate our faith that God and Guru are carefully guiding the Poflth through the chosen leadership of the Panth. Where is our faith in God and the gift of Nom ~d Nectar which have been bestowed upon us, that we can be turned one against the other arid not have the eyes to see the workings of His Will? The leadership of th.e Panth can be easily known by their stand for the upholding of all of the hokums of the Gurus, for their tireless dedication to the expansion of the Panth, by their· openness towards th" people of all faiths, of all cultures and all walks of life.

Those who are busy in slander, in attempts ot mUJder, in negating anyone who has performed the slightest humble service to the mission of the Gurus, thl')' do not repre,s/lnt the Dhorma which our ten Gurus gave to us.

It has been observed many times that the problem with the Sikh people is that no two Sikhs can agtee on anything, and they are always looking to quarrel and fight. For this reason, there is a lack .of unity and no one is humble enough to look to the good ' work of another Sikh as a guide or inspiratiQn in his life. Perhaps this describes some of the Sikhs· of India, but it is not a quality which is Inherent in the life which a Sikh ought to be living by the order of his Guru.

Having visited India and !:aving' met hundreds of thousands of Sikhs, from Inc;\ia living in Europe, in Canada, in the United States in Singapore and Hong

21

Kong, 1 have found. that those who are truly sincere;' who 'are devout and who practice the SIldhana which the Guru has given to his Silms, they are radiant, simple and beautiful people. They have the love of God shining from their smiles and they share their love with all men without discrimination of color, caste, creed or country. Truly, it is Gur Prasad when this light fills any 'man'S heart, and this Gur Prasad is offered to every child who is born into a Sikh family, to every adult who enters a Gurdwara and to any man who has th'e ears to hear the Guru's Bani.

In itself" the Guruship of the Word is the highest stage of religion , and we Sil<hs, out of all of the religions of the world today, have been given this highest form of spiritual practice. But what are we doing with this Gur Prasad? Are we' forever to behave like the Hindus aI)d the Muslims fighting over the dead body of Guru Nanak? Is it to continue, this same old problem of self destruction, of polluting of our consciousness and polluting of the teachings with which we have been blessed?

It is a very sad thing, to be Sikhs here in the West and to watch t he quarreling, the pettiness and foolishness of those Sikhs from India who have essentially turned their face from the house of the Guru. They cannot see the glory of what Guru Nanak saw, they cannot stand to see the words and the lifestyle which Guru Nanak taught becoming recognized throughout the world. These very men and women who were orginally from Hindu or Muslim backgrounds, have taken so much pride in being Sikhs that they think they have the right to question whether a Christian or a Jew can become a Sikh, whether a white person frOm the U. S , or Cal)ada or London can really become a Sikh of the Guru.

Sil<hism is a way of living, it is a philosophy of humanity, it is a doctrine of living in a universality, in the brotherhood of God's creation and it was meant to destroy the barriers and dis~riminations of castes, creeds and colors, Yet today there is so much prejudice among those 'pa/hits ' who still call themselves Sikhs, but who care for shades of brown, (not ju.st for black and white), who care for the color of a turban, for your accent or your wealth and education.

There is so much snobbery and so much discrimination and pettiness that it is eating away the soul of Sikhism.

What kind of Sil<hs are they, who spend all of their days and nights in talk and. slander of otlier Sikhs, who think they have the right to judge a man's purity,

22

a man 's devotion and a man's love of his Guru? They have no time to rise early in the ambrosial hours of the morning, to chant and repeat the Name of the Creator, as Guru Nanak enjoined them. But they have at least 18 hours in a day to discuss their neighbors, their friends and their enemies, and to pass judgment upon each of their thoughts, words and deeds.

It is not the time, not the Hindu majority of India, not the Western influence and fashion. It is the la:ck of humility of some of the Sikh people themselves, for Sikhism does not exist in the heart of any man who is filled with pride, with anger, resentment or prejudice.

It is this gossip, this pettiness, this slander of other Gursil<hs which is bringing a cloud upon Sikhism. Sil<h means 'student,' and a student must have an open mind and hean to receive the teaching and wisdom of the Guru. One who is filled with intellectual judgments and prejudices is too full to receive any wisdom froin any man, any Guru, or God Himself.

As Sil<hs in. the Western Hemisphere, we have experienced a lot of discussion about who we are and whether, in fact, we are really Sikhs or not? Surely God and Guru are the best judges of our sincerity and surely it is not the duty of a Sil<h to determine another man's devotiol). The duty of every Sikh is to : "Repeat the Name which the Guru has given you and inspire others to do so." Should not the energy of a Sikh be directed towards all positive ends, towards helping, guiding and assisting anyone who has been attracted to walk on the path of righteousness? A good Sikh wi.lI. have as much ~~erence and respect f~r the practltloner of ~y religIon as he wOuld. fO.r a Sil<h because he recognizes the love of God radianng from the heart of any human, and that love has a gteater value than¡ anything on this earth.

There are some Indian Sikhs who presume that we Am~ricans are very naiv~ peopl~, that we have been fascmated by a tall YOgI, who 15 h.andsome and sp~aks very well, and that he has mesmenzed and hypnotl.zed every ~ne who he has made .a Sil<h. This ~~lls me that these Sik.hs have never practtced the repenuon of. f\{am, because if they ha~, then they would h~ve the f31th that Nam would still have led us to r!:alize the God and Guru and within.

However, the fact is that Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi did enchant many hundreds of thousands of Americans, with his radiance, with his love, and with the Name which fills his every pore. That enchantment and that fascination has led hundreds of thou~ds te practice what he teaches, to live th!:

life which he lives, to try to be what he has told them sciousness. Saints do tolerate many things, though they could be. He is a uue son of India, who has work- they miss nothing - and if this is a qualification for cd to build an unseen bridge between the two great a saint, then I think that many American Sikhs have Democracies of India and America, through the com- qualified very well. We have tolerated these direct mon bond of brotherhood of the sons and daughters and indirect insults because we understand far more of Guru Gobind Singh. The Sikh Gurus have laid than they are yet ready to understand. We underdown the example for Sikhs to serve and revere the stand that they need SQme time, some education and some experience to appreciate who and what we are, motherland and her people to the extent of giving their lives and the lives of their near and dear ones.

We are a part of the fulfillment of the prophesy of Siri Guru Granth Sahib says over and over again, Guru Gobind Singh "Che Anve CroTe Kha/sa." We "I seek to touch the very dust under the feet of understand that they must go through changes just those who have remembered the Name." All maybe as we have .gone through changes. We understand assured that the concept of touching the feet of any- that we are more fortl,lDate than they are, because Sikhism is coming to us in answer to our heart's one is unique, to most American minds. We are not in the culture or the society which oormally knows longing, in answer to the prayers of our souls, perhaps after many lifetimes of searching for the True reverence, or humility, or which is inclined towards Guru. Guru Gobind Singh has written by his own gratitude. But Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi has earned more than gratitude, has inspired order: "For the proper guidance of the Sikhs, the Guru more than humility, and has achieved more than revlaid down further Dr prescribed four fundamental erence in the hearts of those who have truly understood what he has¡ given to us. tenets for them. .His Khalsa, he said, must be kirtYet, he has carefully instructed us that he is not nash, dhormnash, kul-nosh. To be kul-nash means our 'Guru,' and being Americans, we normally do that one may attach no pdde or stigma to his' sta7 not have a habit of worshipping God Himself, much tion of birth. "Action, and not descent, were to less any man. Many Ihdians have us confused with determine the position of a Sikh in the nation. If those people who run after the various Swamis, a person ceased to lead the life of a Sikh of the Maharishis, Maharajs and Yogis who have swarmed to Gurus, birth in a Sikh family alone would not enJide the West. But again, I wonder what kind of faith him to the position or privileges of a Sikh."l these so-called Sikhs must have in their own Guru, Yet, for many of the present day pothits" Sikhism is not really a spiritual way of life, it is a cultural in their own way of life? Can they not understand that Sikhism is the most simple and pure religion, thing, it is a question of rituals and ways of dressing .and that surely God WOuld neve): allow it to be and eating and education. Into Sikhism they have built a new 'caste' system, and they have fQrsaken the brought to the West, to grow in the West and spread in the West, if it were not His Will and if it were not teachings of the Guru. being carried on according to His plan? There have I can assure you that by the Grace of God and Guru, we understand a great, great deal. And though we may been many people to oppose Yogiji, to slander him and to make every effort to destroy all of his efforts be silent, we are watching the unfolding of God's plan.

We have loved India as om motherland, we have loved and to destroy him. But, unless it is His Will, he will not be stopped and all of these efforts will only the land of the Gurus and we have felt our home as serve as the means by which we as Sikhs of the Guru Anandpur Sahib. We have dipped our souls in the shall be tested. They will serve to make our faith and nectar tank of Amritsar and we have longed to lihk our determination strong, they will serve to unify us our hands with our Indian Sikh brethren on the other in our sppport of the man whom we reverence above side of the world. But we understand that we have aU living men. enough material wealth, enough manpower, enough love of God and Guru, and enough imagination, that We are Western Sikhs, and we are not sheep. We we can build all that we need right here in America, do not follow anything or anyone blindly. So often, and we would. have no reason to travel so many thouperhaps because of the barriers of language and culsands of miles to visit India. But we have valued the ture, some Indian Sikhs thin\<: that they can ignore our vibration of that land, we have been cured by the existence, that they can disregard our sentiments and our sensitivity. This ,is an 4nfortunate breach of con- lUl'e of Guru Gobind Singh, by Kartat Singh, M..A. 23

Local News waters of the nectar tank, and we want to see the' people and the ia:nd fulfilJing their highest destinies in service to mankind.

We know that it is our pdvileged duty , to come and inspire those Sikhs who have forgotten what Sikhism means. We ~)'ust cO!lle·:!bd remind them that Guru Nanak taught a universal religion - he never limited who could recognize me Guru, whQ coi!1d love Gad. He taught every man who came to him, saddhu. yogi. thief and saint alike. HiS job was to tell men of the true natUre of the Infinite, al)d if they could realize it, it was His Grace and His Grace alone.

The "ery soul 3I:ld spirit of the Khalsa cries out for unity and, we of the Sikh iJharma Brotherhood in the West, make a c;ill to bur Sikh brothers and sister-s everywhere in the world. to join with us in spirit, to offer us yo.u r silent praye~s if. not your active support, in carrying out this highest destiny which has unfolded before us. Let tis be a ~eathead of unity that can lead us all to -the purity of the bask praetices of Sikh Dharma so that we may ushe.r in an age of enlightenment for the entire humanity. Let us fill our minds with the nectar words of the Guru and _inspire everyone who meets. us to keep their ears free of slander and negativety, to keep t/leir consciousness free of all types of mental pollutian and to speak only words of tfuth and encoutagement.

As Sikhs of the Guru we have been blessed with the simplest and hig~est knowledge that IS the power of the word, and if we but make our every word and thought positive, and if we take the responsibility to allow only those positive words to enter into our environment, then we· all will have done a great part in ridding the wo.rld pf da~ess and ignorance. We have been given ·the technical knowledge to purify our consciou~ess,through the repo.t ition of 'Nam' and where the. mind 'is .cleansed and purified, no dirt of corrupti.on can eg~eJ unchallenged. Let us write to Challenge those who have not ·valued the gift of life, Who are, using the.ir minds and bodies for the purposes of d.estruction. Let us challenge them throug)! the power of our own faith .and the practdce of the order of our Guru. Let us unite in brotherhood, let u's unite in prayer, let us llpite in the love of His Holy Name.

24

SAN FRANCISCO: Two prominent Sikh leaders visited·the San Francisco Bay Area near the end of 1974. Bibi Nirlep Kaur,' formerly a member 'Of the Indian Parliamept, spent. several days in Northet:n California, spe"aki.ng to Sikh congreg;<tions in San Francisco., Stockton, and Yuba City during their celebrations of the birthday of Guru Nanak. Her vocal ability and personaliry made a general positive impression. Bibi Nirlep Kaut described her mission ta develop a better 1!Dder$tanding of problems and .needs.of Sikh totnmunities eVerywhere.

She als.o expressed her dissatisfaction with the Sikh religious leadership at the top in the S.G.P.C. Sardar Kapur Singh, a great scholar and former M.P., wlfo has been honored as the National Professor of Sikhism, also passed through the San Francisco Bay Area. It was a loss of a rare oppor-tunity for the Bay Area Sangat since Sardar Kapur Singh could not be persuaded to meet with the Sangat, although the secretary of the Sikh Center did invite Sardar Kapur Singh for this purpose.

Some of the observers here see a comtno!! ptobfem in the Sikh community in genera,! 3.I!d among the Sikh leaders in particular. The criticism of our leaders occur fr.equently and without any apparent effect on the critics. Then the Leaders themselves seem unable to disengage from eombat and retaliation when they would be bettet off devoting themselves to the really pressing issues. We have pe.oplc with intellect who caJJ tear apart, antagoni?:e, and fight the w.rong battle with the wrong people; what we need is the wisdom to soothe, defuse, and gain cooperation.

G, S. Sidhu Theannua! election of rh'" Sikh Center, San Francisco was held under the chairmanship af Sardar Ajaib Singh Sidhu on February 16, 1975.

The 1975 Parbandhak Committe.e is as-follows: S. Harbhajan Singh GrewalcPresident;· Dr. Jaswant Singh Bhatti-Secretary; Dr. Pirthipal Singh-Treasurer: Members: S. Vikram Singh, Mr. Ram S. Bhatia, Sardami Jit Kaur Sidhu.

The outgoing President Dr. R.K. Janmeja Singh and the committee were t1ianked for their' setfl~ss Sewa.

EfON OF THE SIKHS RUSKIN BOND "We want t~ train our bQYs for leadtIship," he said. "We: want them, as true Sikhs, to fit. into Indian society as it wiD be 15 to 20 years hence." >

Public schools, particularly those of me "English" Singh and Niranjan Sing!, (tlte latter from Thailand), who put money into the venture and -finally enabled variety and a few run by foreign missions, have been under ftre recently 'from various qtiattl:rS,; and perhaps the V CentenllfY School Society (thanks to the spirit it is true that the days of privately-managed schools of sacrifice shown by S. Mehtab Singh who mortgaged his personal property to complete the deal) to i;lUy are now numbered. Nevertheless, those in existance continue to flourish while all around them new schools the 47-acre Vincent Hill Estate on a spur of Mussoorie, spring up like wild strawberrie.s - some good, some bad, facing tire. westem Doon.

This was an ideal site for a public school; the some indifferenct. If well-managed and 'sta·ffed with good teachers, they progress to ·the stage where they buildings had lJirea.dy served the same purpose for can send up srudents for the Indian School Certificate the Seventh Day Adventist mission, a few years preViously. The grounds were spacious, the buildings well(formerly Senior Cambridge) examination.

The success of these private-cum-public schools is maintained. Auditorium, covered gymnasium, and due to several factor$': the continuing giatnour of .SWiinming poor, were already ip existence. Within a public sthools for thase who can afford them; the year of Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School shifting to Mussoorie, the number of residential students had growing demand for an English-niedium education, borne out by the press for admissians; a certain gone up to 200. There are now about 300 en the rolls. amount of snobbe<y but often a.genuine desire fot The school is Sikh in management, and Sikh in giving one's child an education in which characterspirirual outlook (though attendance at prayers is volbuilding and self-discipline play a major part; the untaty for non-sikhs); the teaching is in English. The "healthy" armosphere of the hills;. occasionally the srudents, most but not all Sikh, come from several countries including England, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, desir.e of more sophisticated parents to be "free" .of their children for nine months in the year; above Indonasia, Africa and the U.S.A. They are extremely all, the fee,ling that public schools edilcatio.n provides pnlite, well-spoken, immaculately dressed - all that a clril.d· with greater advantages when it carnes to one expects of the public schbol type. getting, on in life.

When I asked Mr. Waryam Singh whether or not he Alfhaugh the pioneers in English-hnguage school thought public school education an anomaly in socialeduca.tion have beel) the AngIo-indiaps and Christains ist India, he was at pains to point out that the boys it is now the Sikhs who are .going in for public schools and girls were being trained to fit into the kind of in. a big way. And it is the demand for English that is SQcie!), developing in India today. Some of the the basis of their success. There are public schools at children would., of course, be reruming to the countDagshai and Mussoerie, ,and nllW the Sikh EduCation ries where they were domiciled, and where a gllod Conference has resplved to start a new Sikh public English education was not easily come by. Those scho.ol at Kanpnr. . . who went on to colleges in India would, by their . The Gur.u ~anak FIfth Centenary School, Vmcent example in sports, debates, plays, discipline and general l:lill, Mussoone, IS a good eJqIlIIple of the enerw and deporttnent, prove the worth ofa public school edumenthusiasm with which a small group of educationists' tion. started their own pub.lic scho.ol. Headmastc;r Jaidev "We Want to train our boys for leadership,," he said.

Singh and Senior Master Waryam Singh were the "We want them, as'que Sikhs, to fit into Indian society pioneers in this veI!ture. Together with Lt. Co.l. F. as it will be 15 to 20 years hence." van Goldstein, an old hand at running public schools, I. said I ?t0ught it extt~me~y difficult t? predict what they rented a house in Dehradun and started their IndIan soc.lety would be. hke m 15 years. ume; but Mr. new school with only eleven children. It was opened Waryam Smgh was cenpdent that there ~ould always on a,n auspicious day, the 23rd of November 1969, be l!.pu.ce for ~e English-educated, p.ublic sch?ol :ype. th 500th Birth A ' f G N k B The school IS, of course, co-educauonal, whIch IS m itself a break with public school ttadition. Boys and e nruversary a ~u ana. y the end of the year, there were 10 srudents on the girls attend the same classes, functions, sports meets. rolls.

In ahill-statien simply bursting with schools of All the same, the school's expansion would have every description - public, private, government-aided, been gradual had it not been for Sardars Mehtab mis.sion-aided ("X oU name it, Mussoorie's got.it) - the Sikhs more than hold their o.wn.

25

FIFTH

Guru Nanak CENTENARY SCHOOL Vincent Hill, Musso()rie

(Founded in the sacred mem.ory of the great Master on his 500th Birth Anniversary)

Admission Notice - for session commencing on March 10, 1975 Limited seats for boys and girls under 12 years only ENGLISH MEDIUM, Co.-EDUCATlo.NAL, RESIDENTIAL SCHo.o.L RUN o.N PUBLIC' SCHo.o.L LINES_ AFFILIATED TO. Co.UNCIL FOR INDIAN SCHo.o.L CERTIFICATE EXAMINATlQNS_ SALUBRlo.US CLIMATE AND IDEAL Co.NDITlo.NS Fo.R ALL Ro.UND DEVELo.PMENT OF CHILD'S PERSo.NALlTY. EMPHASIS o.N HIGH Mo.RAj..S PREACHED THRo.UGH PRACTICE: ADMISSION o.PEN TO. ALL IRRESPEl;Tf'VE o.F CASTE, CREED ()R RELlGlo.N Pre-admission test on March 7 and 8, 1975 for regirstered children. Prospectus availabl, for Rs.

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26

It ilia bee" said of Sikhs thllt they aie too b.usy making their history to record it. With thl! ext:epliDll of Q smoIl number of ded;azted scholtus (such as Prof: Ganda Singh, Khushwant Singh, etc.) this is unfOl'tunately true, particulorly in North Americ.a. This situapon need not continue for there is a signi{il;ont amount of published tnOteriol aJllliloble for the researcher of Sikh history in the United States and Conodo..

The difficulty is that such tnOterio/S are sCllttered OJler Ii $eventy year period, often to be found in obscurr: journais or in special collections. In order to promote and facilitate re$l!arch by Sikhs on Sikh history, tire Sikh Sansar will reprint a series in successiJle Issues that Is perhaps the most extensive bibliography now QJlailable on South Asian immigration to North America. I. Originally compiled and annotated by an anlhropoHgist working among Califomi4 Sikh communities, the bibliography has been expanded for SIKH SANSAR and a section added on archival resources. We hope thilt 11I4kjng such ~sources aJlailoble will create an interest in the history of Sikh immIgration and settlement in North America and stimulate further research.

The author and editor realize thllt this initial bibliographical effort is only a beginning; We encourage our readers to bring to our attention additional citations of articles, books, and pamphlets which may have beeJI oJlerlooked. We further urge anyone who knows of the existen!;e or location of other types of historic _ eria/s (such as family histories, legal documents, correspondence, diaries, photographs, tape recordings, etc.) which could be made available for study and catalogi;,g to contact.Sikh Sansar. In this way we can Ildd ttl our knowledge and understanding of Sikh history in North America and preserve the story of our struggles and successes jor future generations.

Chief Editor MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF EAST INDIAN ms'J'O,R Y IN NORTH AMERICA by BRUCE LA BRACK South ASia Program.

Syracuse Univ.ersity

The first record of East Indian 1 presence in North America is found in a colonial diary. In 1790, an Indian from Madras visited Salem, Massachusetts. He accompamed a sea captain involved in the expanding India trade between New EnglaDlJ and British seaports Qn the coast of the subcontinent. This firSt Indian seaman was followed by others, and in IS'51, a half a dozen East Indians participated in a July 4 celebration 1 To be published as 'c:rhe Bast Indian Experience in America,"' in

in NOrth America: An Annotated BibligraphY. ASian.

American Studies Program, University of California. at Davis, Davis, California (forthcoming June 1975).

.Asians

of the East India Marine Society in, Salem. Other earl: accounts of East Indians in North America include me: tions of EaSt Indian men who came to California durir the gold rush and occasional visits of merchants to NI:' York and San Francisco. Such contacts were sporadic and by their nature, attracted limited attention.

The fust significant East Indian immigration to North America began in 1904 when laborers from. lodia were recruited to work on Canadian railroads, in lumber industries, and in mines. Unlike much of priO! South Asian overseas immigration which was "identureo, ,,2 those East Indians coming to Canada were "pa.! enger" migrants or free agents coming to work for WlIj Jabor, normally without contract. AlmoSt' immediatelJ some East Indians began drifting southward along the western coast and inland valleys of Washington, Orega and California. By 1905 they were established in con munities from British Columbia- to the Mexican borde] This was the beginning of the EaSt Indian experience j America.

1. uEastTndian" as a reference term is a bibliographic cODvention originally adopted to distinguish South Asian groups from West Indian people and Amenean Indians (Native Americans). Iri a broad context, it can apply to anyone from geographic South Am., including India, ceylon (Sri Lanka), Bhutan, Sikkiro •. Afghanistan, Nepal.., and Pakistan. In this section, "East Indian" is more nanowly defined as tJie native populations of what was British India, encompassing what is today dte Republic oJ Indai. Pakistan, and Banglade-sh. 'the major r~ons' represented among these peoj)les are,Hinduism.

Islam, and s1khism. "Hindu., I I the term used by an ovcr.whclming ·major· j ty of American-a nd Canadian mters fot.Bast Indians, is derived from "Hindustan," an older referent·for.BHtish Indian territory. However, 2. From 1835 onward, British economic interests.,coupled with colonial "Hindu" has'rtligious connotations which are offensive to both Muslims r::ule. led t.o a JU?Cd for cheap plantation labor throughout the Bmpire. and Sikhs, neither of whom follow the: religion known a~ Hinduism. The The result was.luge-scale East Indian migrations to Mauricio.., Trihi.ila~ majority' of East· Inclia.n migrants until the 1940's were; Sikhs, constituting Briti$h G~.iana, Surinam, Guadalupe, Martinique, and Fiji. For the most between 85-90% of the North American East !naiaD Population. Today. part. these'migrants went under contr.act as "indentured" workers. Some many S~ p~efer -to be called Punjabi Americans (after die state of ~t Indians coming to Canada rna)' have had contracts, _ b.ut:they were .runjab in northwest India frc;ma_which the bulk of Sikh migrants came), . Dot uindel:itured. n 01, when designating anc~atry . simplY Ind..ian..

27

In contrast to the voluminous literature available for In o~det to place this bibliography in its historical some American ethnic groups, the records of migration perspective, a brief review of each period, the characand settlement for East lndians are relatively few, and ter of its immigrants, the reactions of the general society towards them. and the nature of the periods' literature these are often of uneven quality. Until the 1950's, writings about East lndians tended to be issue-oriented. are provided,.

Many of the reports and journalistic sources are cluster- flRST PERIOD: 1904 _ 19'23 ed in certai? peri~ds .. The hist?"rical and legal aspect,s The first groups of immigrants can be divided into of East IndIan rrugratlon are faIrly ~eU documented two general classes: fIrSt was the majority who were illiterate laborers from agricultural andlor militaty back. from government:u tecorlls in Canada and th.<: United States, but matenals on the cultural and SOCIal aspects grounds . the second very small class was the educated of East Ind!~n Life in America ~e almost .nonexistent. elite of ~rofessors and 'students. The laborers were Becaus~ wrltlng~ ab<>.ut E.ast Indlan~ tend to center a- mainly peasant Sikhs from the Doaba and Malw.a reroun? ISS)les. of un:rugr~non, ~l'cluSlO~, and legal ~~~ed gions ~f Punjab province inno~thwest Indi~, while the ceedings, East In~an .hlstory m ~~1~ c~n b: dl . laner was composed of both Hin<!us and Sikhs from na~aUy b~ cODS:denng the va.C1Uatlon m ImmIgration throughout upper India. The "working class" East .

Indians left few written records of their early experpolicy and 1tS ~clal ef~eets:..

There ~e fIve easily dlstmgulshable penods: iences, In contrast, the educated group wotte pro1. The ongtnal movemel)~ to Canada and the, West lifically on certain issues.

Coast of the U.S., which ~axe~ and waned Unfortunately for the, the East Indian immigrants to North America began arriving relatively late, 10I\g from 1904 to 1923. Durmg thIS penqd, East Indians were the object of severe personal and after the massive Cl)inese and Japanese migrations cO.rporate discrimination. had attracted th.e¡ adverse attention ,of certain seg2. Following the closing of pormal immigration ments of American and Canadian society. Thus, from the very beginning, East Indians faced conrlnchannels, a second p'eriod of covert immigration commenced. Between 1923 and the early uous legal sanctions as public reaction to tbe.

1930's, conservative eSJimates place the number "Yellow Peril" was translated into a series of discrimof illegal East Indians entering the U.S. at around inatory acts. The "Hindlls" were immediately per3,000, most of whom came through central ceived as the next "invasion'" and dubbed the "TurAmerica and Mexico via the Panama Canal. During baned Tide." Since the toral number of East Indians the height of the depression, this flow was drastiliving in the United States in this period probably never exceeded 6,000, it was difficult for these Indcally curtailed as.immigration officials cracked ians who worked and lived in small groups of Dbt down on illegais and deportations incre~d.

3. A period of negligible immigration followed more than 30 or so, to uftderstand why such negative feelings and periodic violence were directed at from the mid-1930's to 1946. With the passing of the Luce~eller bill in 1946, legalln.dian them. Fot those ¡educated Indians who had swdied immigration from South Asia was once more the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and felt a strong possible. sense of identity with Anierica as a revolutionary country which had broken away from English dom4. The "q~ota period," which lasted from 1946 to ination, the, abridgements of freedom seemed particul1964, did not result in any substantial rise in arly unfair. From the anti-Asian forces carne an outEast Indian immigration, although absolute numpouring of polemic and agitation against "Orientals," . bers of Indians in the U.S. did increase as 'East In!lians ipcIuded, while the educated Indians familks were reunited and a second-generawere engaged in a long series of countercharges of tion was bom. unequal and unfair treatment.

In Canada, the "East Indian situation" presented 5. In 1965 President Johnson enacted a bill (Act serious problems for the' government. The crux of of October 3, 1965 Amending the Immigration the controversy was whether an East lndian., as a and Nationality Act) which phased out the British citizc;n (India beil1g part of the British Empire quota.system. The immediate result was a at this time), had the same rights and privileges as dramatic increase in East Indian emigrapon other (i.e., white) subjects to immigrate and assume to America.

28

residence in the Dominion of Canada.

Many of the concerns were discussed in large circulation magazines and newspapers, but numerous other items of interest containing additional information are to be found only in obscure publications: such as pro-Indian Christian missionary newsletters in India and the United States, privately pEinted pamphlets, short-lived labor journals, and various circulars.

Specific events whicll gaye impet.us to such publications started with the "rio.ts" in Seattle, Everett, and Bellingham, Washington m 1907, in which East Indians were forcibly driven from the towns by antiAsian groups. Other items widely c.overed were the activities of the Asian Exclusion League (1907-1913); the California Alien Land Act 6f 1913; the "barred zone" lrnmigration Act of 1917, which stopped all Asian immigration except from Japan; and the Thind cas.e of 1923 in which "Hindus" were declared ineligible fat citizenship on the basis that they were not "fr.ee white persons."

A great deal of "race" literature preceded and followed the Thind case. Ethnologically and linguistically, the East Indians in the U.S. and Canada were nearly all Caucasians, speaking languages related to other Indo-European stocks which ·arose from Sanskrit.

From the Americari viewpoint, because they came from South Asia, they were all considered "Oriental." This situation resulted in considerable confusion when comparative studies of census records, and other classificatory records based on racial origin have been attempted for East Indians. In the first several decades, East Indian population figures were fucluded with "Oriental~' figures (and still are in several states). At a later time, they were listed under "Other," along with Samoans, Phillipinos, Hawaiians, etc. For the last few decad~s, East Indians (excluding south 1nPia,n Dravidian peoples) have been correctly entered as Caucasian, but this makes distinguishing East Indians from other ethnic groups withiu the Caucasian category virtually impossible withqut a last name or, for immigrants, a country-ofbirth

!istinu.

Q

Contemporaneous with the foregoing immigration problems, a second major period of literary and political activity of the early East Indians whieh received' 3 considerable attention was the G.hadar (revolution) Party, a militant movement for the :revolutionary overthrow of the British rule in India. Organized in 19.1 3, the Ghadar Party was multi-national and basically sectarian at its . .

M ·lirn S'kh a H'md US wor.ke d tagether mceptlOn. us SJ 1 , S, an with an impressive list of international revolutionary

brethren from Europe and Asia. The "elite" of the Ghadar Patty was headed by educated Hindus and Sikhs; however, the bulk of party membership in the United States was composed of Sikh fanners ~d laborers. Its active period lasted only until 1918 when a rriat was held in San Francisco in which members of the Party were accused of violating U.S. 'neutrality through secret negotiations with Germany. The trial ended in a spectacular fashion when a wimess was shot to death in the courtroom. Sensational publIcity followed in the American and Canadian press. Throughout its first five years, the Chadar Party printed prolifically in four languages, but much of their output was in the form of handbills, posters, and lirnited-run pamphlets, many of which have not survived. Mter 1918, the Party cadre and leadership became almost exclusively Sikh and activities continued until 1947.

SECOND .PERIOD: 1923 - early 1930's After 1923, immigration of East Indians was officially stopped. With the closing of regular legal trav.el channels and a tightening of Canadian regulations, a period of significant covert immigration started as "iIlegals" filtered into California, Arizona, Texas, and Utah from Mexico. The journeys were ofren arduous and dangerous treks which began in Indian villages 'and cO!ltinued sporadically. After arriving at an Indian seacoast city, a few "village men" would go to Fiji, Hong. Kong, or East Africa, working for passage aboard ship or stopping long enough to accumulate capital for the next portion of the journey. The routes sttetched acorss Africa, Europe, South America and the South Seas. The majority of iIlegals eventually found themselves in Pa!lama l\Ild then walked across Central America and Mexico to the American border.

These illegals have left very few written records of their early travels although some oral histories are c'Urrently being colle,ered by his.torians and anthropologists. Mostly Sikhs and a few Hindus, this secopd 3. The Univasity of California at Berkeley has bL:cn involved in an in-

tensivc. effort to retrieve. cacalog and aoalyzc Ghadar malcrials as part of a long ter:m history project coordina.ted by the Ct:ntCl:r for·South a.nd Southeast Asian Stuqies. Those s:pccilicaf]y interested in the carty period of immigration ~nd the poJitical ,activlrics associated with the Chadar Party arc u.-ged ,oconsule 11>" G/,ad., Legacy, A·" Annotac.d Bi81iu· graphy on {ndia's Revolu.'tiont{ry Movem t'nt in America, Center for South and Southeast Asian Sru4ies Occasional Paper No. 12, University ofCaJifornia, Berkeley (forthcoming) . Also sec Mark Juergcnsmcyer's "A sclectcd..BibIiogra,phy of Ghadar Litcraturc, "Si.lehSan.sar, 2:1 ( (March 1973). Many extant Gbadar publications can be obtained d".ough 'he Sou,h/Sou,hc"" Asian Lib,ary Sendee or the University ofCalifomia at Berkeley's main library. Additioml items on the Conspira:ey Trial evidcn~e are available in ill spedal U,S. government Federal Archives coUec,tion of cvidcn~ary materi,al at San Bruno. CaUfom~; however, at prcse:ot (1975). th~ m.aterials arc: not catalogued or indexed •

.29

immigrant group of around 3,000 East Indians were generally illiterate, and their pC;r$onal accounts are limited to letters dictated to other East lndians and sent to families in India. Coming from farming backgrounds, they found work as migrants in Jabor camps attached to ranches and orchards, and maintained a low profile in rural areas on the West Coast. The major part of the records about Ea~t Indians during this period are government documents relating to detection and deportation ptoceedil1gs of South Asian aliens. Some Ghadar Party activity continued.

(satyagrahll) movement, and the principle of an Inde-

pendent India. Much of this type of material is useful in gaining insights into the feelings and political leanings of certain segments of the' East Indian population in America, but it reveals little of the internal structure or daily life of the Sikh, Hindu, or Muslim.

FOURTH PERIOD: 1946 - MID-1960's By 1946 when the Luce-Celler bill was passed givinlT persons of East Indian descent the right to become citizens, there remained fewer than 1, 500 East Indians in the entire country. This decline was brought about by death and deportation, but since families could now THIRD PERIOD: 1930's - 1946 be reunired and bndes brought over from India, the Throughout the 1930's and early 1940's, there numbers of East Indians IDcreased slowly from 1946 was very little written concerning the East Indian to 1965. Immigrl!,tiQn was not unlimited, however, population, although sma!). dedicated groups of Indians as quotas bad been re-established. kept up a trickle of letters and articles on the plight of During this post-World War II period, the lUst serthe Sout Asian to American and Oi.n'!-dian magazines. ious and infonnative studies of East Indians in the As the Independence movement in India gained in United States were taking place. Centering around strength and popularity, remnantS of the Ghadar Party, descriptions of "assimilation" and culture change, the~ almOSt exclusively Sikh by now, ~ontinued to raise reports pr,ovided reliable information on Indian culrural funds for Indian organizatio~. None of the publishing p~actices and contained thoughtful assessments of the activity which characteri~ed i,t s earlier phase was' conEast Indian soci;usiruation within American society. tinued as the' movement and its operation was very Not since the 1920's has such data been available. much underground. A few police reparts dealt with The East lndians as a community wrote litt.le during alleged links between a series of East Indian murders this period.

They were invblved in buying and workand the Ghadar Party, but no tlfm connections were made. ing land, establishing small businesses, supporting their During this third period, both the early s~tlers and the families, sponsoring rdatives for citizenship, and genillegals began to marry_ There were only a handful of erally re-establishing social communication with famEast Indian women in North America until after World ilies in a now-Independent India.

War n, and because the immigration of Indian women was prohibited, East Indians married women from aFWl1I PERIOD: Mid-1960's - PRESENT mong other American racial groups. Many of the East The first half of the 1960's saw a renewed interest Indians had come to the U.S. or canada as bachelors and reeognition of the East Indian in America. Many (or assumed that status when here), and nearly all of the East Indians had children. who were beginning came independently_ Like the Chinese and Japanese to attend schools at all levels. The socially turbulent before them, East Indians had come for quick econ'60's brought about an increasing recognition that the . omic gain, expecting to return home with enough Melting Pot had not worked and might not be a demoney to buy land and live comfortably. As returnsirable goal for many American citizens. Cultural ing home became more and more unlikely, East Indpluralism and ethnic identity were concepts which ians began to seek brides. Stich marriages were primargained great attention as a result of civil rights moveily with Spanish-speaking women of Spanish or Meximents and a growing consciousness of minority life can descent. Because Of this patter.n, some materials styles. Out of such awareness came pressure for referring tangentially to East Indians are available in sChools to make education culturally relevant for studies of Mexican agrieul[Jll:allab6r, migrant cycles, cltildren of non-European ba~grounds. Easr Indian and leports dealing with rural farm populations in students, both foreign and American-born, were surCalifornia and elsewhere in tb.e West. Most of what veyed and consulted about their perceptions and is accessible is of little dir.ect impartan¡ce. goals'relating to the education process and its place The more educated East Indians published numerin the process of cultural adjustment_ As part of a ous articles dealing with support of the Congress Party general interest in and awareness of "ethnicity" as in India, Mahatma, Gandhi's non-violent "Truth Force" a national resource, materials related to the East 30

Arizona State University,' Tempe, Arizona.

Without their generous sharing of references and citations, particularly those located in overseas or special U. S. collections,this listing would have been m1!ch less comprehensive.

2. Phillips, James Duncan. SALEM AND THE INDIES :' THE STORY OF THE GREAT COMME.R CIAL ERA OF THE CITY . .Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947.

Captain Phillips reports bringing from India ¡a taU, black-bearded Sikh who served as a family seryant driving his family to church on Sunday. Little else A.bbreviations used for location of materials cited: .

UCB - University of California Main Library, Berkeley is known about this colonial East Indian.

3. See also: n.a. "Captam Stephen Phillips, 176+ UCB - Bancroft - Bancroft Special Collections, UCB 1838," ESSEX INSTITUTE HISTORICAL COLLECBerkeley.

VoL 76 (April, 1940), p. 130.

TIONS. UCB - Social Sciences - Social Science Library, UCB, 4.

Whitehill, Walter Muir. THE EAST INDIA.MARINE Berkeley.

SOCIETY AND PEABODY MUSEUM OF SALEM, UCB - Law - Law Library, UCB, Berkeley.

Salem: Peabody Museum.

UCB - IGS - Institute of Governmental Studies Thi.s document contains a report that in Sa,lem in Library, UCB, Berkeley.

1851, half a dozen East Indians participated in the UCB - Documents - Documents Department, UCB, July 4th parade of the East India Marine Society. One Berkeley. reportedly married a black women and became pan of UCB - South/Southeast I-ibrary - South and Souththe black population of the city. (pages 34 and 39). east Library Service, UCB, Berkeley.

5.

Gerstacker, Friedrich.

SCENES OF LIFE IN CALUCB - Anthropology - Anthropology Library, UOB, IFORNIA. (Translated from the French by George Berkeley, UCD - University of California at Davis Main Library, Cosgrave). San Francisco: John Howell. 1942 (original 185.9). CSL-Calif6rnia Collection.

Davis.

In a stoty titled "The Hindu," (p. 12.7-188) an East UCD - AA - Alian American Library, UCD, Davis Indian becomes involved with a rough group of gold UCD - Law - Law Library, UCD, Davis miners and is killed by American Indians 'It the instiCSL - California State Library, Sacramento gation of a white man. This is one of the lew referCSIr<X: - California Collection, CSL, Sacramento ences to East Indian presence in California during the SPL - Stockton Public Library, Stockton Gold Rush, but it is known that a number of "HiJ:idus" LOG - Library of Congress, Washing.ton, D. C. were transported to the West Coast via New England DAI - Dissertation Abstracts International (for citaships. tions annotated without reference to original) 6. See also; Winkley, John W. "Whiskey Hill's Cook," IOL -India Office Library, London, England Oakland Tribune, July 14, 1957. A Hindu man, work- .

BIBUOGRAPHY ing as a cook in a notorious mining camp in 1855, W;lS 1. HISTORY defrauded of six months wages. Through the .intercesC 1. Bentley, William. THE.DIARY OF WILLIAM BENTsian of a Methodist minister the East Indian eventually LEY (5 vols). Salem: The Essex Institute, 1962, UCD. recovered his back pay. Supp.osedly the man became One of the earliest accounts of East Indian presence a devoted follower of the minister. in North America is found in this diary of a Salem, Mass7. Ingersoll, Anna Jose~hine. "The Swamis in America," .' achusetts clergyman. His entry for December 29, 1790 reads, "Had the pleasure of seemg for the fIrst time a ARENA. (October 1899) (pp. 482488) . UCD. native of the Indies from Madras. He is of very dark comOne of the earliest accounts of East Indians in Amerplexion, long black hair, soft countenance, tall and well ica, this article discusses Swami Vivekananda's attendance at the World's Parliament of Religions at Chicago proportioned. He is said to be darker than Indians in general of his own cast, being much darker than any in 1893 and subsequent lectures in New York. His SUc" native Indians of America. I had. no opportunity to cessor., Swami Saradananda, continued lecturing froIli Maine to Cambridge, Massachusetts during 1896. A judge of his abilities, but his countenance was not exthird East Indian, Swami Abhedananda, lectured under pressive. He came to Salem with Capt. J. Gibaut, and has been in Europe." (Vol. T, p. 228). Prior to the auspices of the Vedanta society in 1898. An enthusiastic rather than critical account of the impact of the late l '800's American contacts with East Indians Vivekananda on the Eastern. intelligentSia, Ingersoll's were primarily through Indian crew members of article marks the beginning of .sympathetic awareness' British and other trade vessels. See citation following.

31

Indian communities in Canada and the United States began to appear more frequently. Second-generation East. Indians have begun to move slowly into mainstream politics, educational institutions, and to participate in American social life (a notable exception to this statement is Dalip Singh Saund, an internationally known India-born member of the U.S. Congress from 1956-1962, and the first South Asian to hold high office).

Further relaxation of immigration laws under President Johnson in 1965 allowed more extensive immigtatio.n of East Indians from India. This was made economically possible by the improved financial status of East Indian Americans. They could now afford to sponsor many relatives found in the traditional Indian joint-extended family, as well as in-laws.

The Sikhs of California n.u mber close to 10, O()() in 1974, with as many as .( 00,000 East Indians in residence in the United States (not including the 2,500 students Qn temporary visas). All estimated 30,000 East Indians, 20,000 of whom are Sikhs, reside in C4niJdd. Alth.ough the majority of East Indians entering the United States before 1960 were of Punjabi Sikh. bacl<ground, studies of other regional and cultural East Indians who have chosen to live "in the United Slates have been undertaken, such as an anthropological description of Gujura:tjs in San Francisco in the early 1960's. European Americans are beginning to realize the extreme diversity of India's own ethnic, social, religious,philosophic;and linguistic systems. As additional distinctive and identifiable East Inwan groups immigrate and grow t.o visible proportions, they may become dynamic segments of America's rich muiti-cultural heritage. In California alone, there are enclaves or concentrations af Gujuratis from Bombay, Muslims from Ind.ia and Pakistan, Fijian Sikhs and Hindus whose ancestors originally emigrated from India to Fiji in BritiSh plantation days, Punjabi Sikhs born in Inwa, B.en" galis from Eastern India, and South Indians from Madras and I(erala.

East Inwans are found today mainly in the larger metropolitan ce!lters of me United States, such as Washington, D. C., Chicago, New York City, Buffalo, Detroit, Denver, and Houston; and as students and facuIty in colleges and university towns throughout America. The largest .numbers of East Inwans are located primali!y in British Columbia,. although large groups of Indians. reside in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa,

and Winnipeg.

All but ignored between 1930 and 1965, the East Indians. of Ameria and Canada are now starting to write and research their own history as new gmerations of' well-educated members seek to expIainalId assess their social and historical role in North America's cultural mosaic.

Local newspapers are beginning to cover the religious, artistic, social, and econonUc aspects of their East Indian communities as a regular part .of the news. The broadcast media are also taking a more active part in helping East Indians communicate their cultural views to the general pqblic i!l. the form of radio prqgrams and special telecasts of East Indian events. These provide other kfu!Is of records for research, such as videotapes, photographs, and taperecorded interviews. There are bilingual (English and Hinw or Punjab i) Indian radio programs in many U.S. cities which bring Ind.ian music and community news. to the attention of a wider auwence.

The East Indian story is slowlY finding a place in public school textbooks, as 'are the¡ migration histories and achievements of other smaller, hut interestiIlg minority groups. East Inwan associations have begun to publish new English-language journals and newsletters which will find increasing circulation among non-South Asian audiences. The Sikh Samar of Redwood City, California is one example of this trend. Various East Inwan clubs, student organizations, church groups, and other related organizations publish quarterly journals or monthly schedules of events, all of which improve communications hetween segments of the East Indian population as well as inform the public of their attitudes and activities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank the following persons for their assistance in preparing this bibliography: David Day, Monroe Commuruty College, Rochester, New York; Emily C. BOrw!1, Department of History, Uruversity of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Jack Silora, South Asia Program, Syracuse University, Syracu:se, New York; Harold Jacoby, Departm~nt of Sociology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California; Mark Juergensmeyer, Center for the Study of Ethics and Social Policy, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California; Emily Datt.a, Center for South and Southeast Asian Stuwes, University of California, Berkeley, Califorrua.; Ken Logan, South and S(;>utheast Asia Library, University of California, Berkeley, California; and Joan Jensen, Dep'artrnent of History.

32

~

of India's living religious teachers by the American the Aryan family." public.

11. Bose, ~udhindra. FIFTEEN YEARS IN AMER.8. -MukeIji, Girindra. "Hindu in America," OVERLAND ICA. Calcutta, India: Kar, Majumber and Co., 1920.

479 pp. CSL. MONTlll..Y. n.s. 51 :4 (April 1908) pp. 303-308 UCB The author, an Indian scholar at UC Berkeley, diThe author admires America for its technology, vides all East Indians in the United States into three wealth, gove=ent and educational systems, but groups: students, laborers, and philosophers (swamis). sees deep faults in its social philosophy and moral He attributes student migration to freedom movements standards. He finds in America a "dull materialism . among India's young men; the laborer migration is blended with touching idealism." . seen as a consequence of the siege of Peking, China 12. Thomas, Wendell Marshall. HINDUISM INVADES where Indian soldiers were "sent to !he front to be AMEHlCA. New York: Beacon Press, 1930. 300pp. slaughtered by a foreign commander" and to kill CSL. Chinese with whom the East Indians were on "friendThis book contains information on the introducly terms" - resulting in resignations by Sikhs and tion and spread of Hinduism in the United Stat~s Pathans who then came to Canada and America. The to 1930. Relatively det;Uled accounts of V~anta, swamic migration is traced to the Congress of Religion Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and the Yogoda Sat-Sanga at the World's Fair in C!licago, (1893) . The article Soo:;iety movements are presented, including some biostresses the adaptability and industry of East Indians graphical information on East Indians active in these and is strongly sympathetic to the plight of "Hindus" movements. The small section on the Hindusran in North America. A "reply'" is given by Agnes F ostet Association (Hindustan Ghadar Party) as a social Buchanan in the same issue. See the following citation. and political organizatiqn is of interest.

9, Buchanan, Agnes Foster. "The West and the Hindu 13, Braden, Charles S. "The Invasion of America."

Invasion," OVERLAND MONTHLY, n.S. 51:4 (April THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY. 47(DecemQer 3, 1930), 1908), pp. 308-312. UCB pp. 1491-1492. UCB. In her reply [0 Mukexji, Foster stresses the persisThis is essentially a book review of 'Thomas's tence of caste ideology, dietary practices, and the social. Hinduism Invades America. The author recommends fragmentation among the East Indian !.aboring class its reading as a "contribution to the history of religion in the United States. She admits they are steady, in A~erica." The "invasion" of the title is not used reliable workers, but sees continued immigration as negatively, but only t~ characterize th~ mul?pli?ty dangerous to American economic interests. Her of ways ~d orgaDlz~tlOns through whIch Hmdutsm was entermg ~e Uruted States. The Threef~ld Movemain point is the incompatibility of Hindu and United States social systems. Both of the above citment, Intern~t1onal Sch~ol. of VedIC ~d Allied Re~ ations were abstracted in an article in the AMERIsearch, the Hindu AsSOCIation of Amenca, the SocIety CAN REVIEW OF REVIEWS. . of India. Vivekananda, Yogananda, Theosophy, New fhought, Unity, and other channels for Hindu thought 10. "The Hindu bl America," AMERICAN REVIEW OF REVIEWS, (37 May 1908), pp.' 604-605. UCB. are noted.

14, Jackson, Carl Thomas. THE SWAMI IN AMERICA: This commentary deals with two articles which had appeared in the OVERLAND MONTHLY. One A HISTORY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA MOVEMENT

by Mr. Girindra Mukexji noted the trade ties of the IN TIlE UNITED STATES, 1893-1960. Ph.D.: UniverUnited States with India ~d said that India looked sity of California, Los Agneles, 1964. 688pp. to America to help her emigrating "sons." The same Vedanta became one of the most influential Eastern issue contained a rebuttal by Agnes Foster Buchanan religious..exports to Europe and America after the who contended that the Hindus were the latest racial 1893 Chicago visit by Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramproblem. She concluded, "The sacred writing of akrishna's chief disciple. This history traces this movethe Vedas say: 'I give the earth to Arya,'" This is ment from the 1890's to its current popularity. Ala propitious moment for the State Deparnnent to though always a numerically small organization it has adopt an amendment. to the Vedas and to tell our acted as a major spokesmat! for Hinduism in the brothers of the East that while the earth is large United States. Like many of the more "traditional" enough for us all, there is no one part of it that forms of Hinduism which are adopted by Westerners. will comfortably accommodate both branches of most ofYedanta's followers .in America are. of Middle ,33

and upper-middle class standing. Jackson's discussion of Vedanta provides an interesting counterpoint to other rl!cent indian religious movements in the United States such as Sufi and the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (I.S.C.O.N.) In retrospect, Vivekananda was the fore-runner of thousands of East lndian rciligious ,eachers of various affiliations who were to. enter North America in the "tWentieth century.

15 . Rathore, Naeem Gul. INDIAN NATIONALIST AGITATION IN THE UNITED STATES : A STUDY OF LALA LAjPAT RAl AND THE INDlA HOME RULE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, 1914-1920. Ph.D.: Columbia University, 1965. 350pp.

Although this work is primarily a political biography, the second section contains information about ·agitatiop and propaganda activiti.es o.f both Ras.t Indians and sym· pathetic Americans in the United States.

16. Singh, Khushwant. A HISTORY OF THE SIKHS, 1839-1964 (Vol. 0). Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1966. 339pp. UCD. This volume contains a brief his.t ory of Sikh immigration to Canada and the United States, and an account of the anti-British Ghadar mevement organized largely

by Sikh students and wor!ctrs in America and Europe.

It includes an extensive bibliography.

17. Bagai, Leona B. THE EAST INDIANS AND THE P'N GSTANIS IN AMERICA. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1967. 63??

Although written as a supplementary text for

elementary school social science courses, the book gives a readable imroduction to the history and accOlJlplishments of South Asians in the United States, induding som~ cultural and political background of their native countries.

18. Hess, Gary R. "The Forgotten Asian Americans: The East indian Community in the United States," PACIFIC HlSTQRICAL REVIEW, XLillA (Novemher 1974). pp. 576-596.

In this hroad review 6f E~t Indian Presence in the U.S., Hess notes the major periods and personalities associated with South Asian migration to the Americas. He includes a sho.rt discussion on the effect of the 1965 immigration law eliminating the quota system, a legal move which has had profound effects on older East Indian communities, particuIarIy in California.

To be continued in Future Issues of SIKH SANSAR ljib/iography of: 11 Immigration.

1lI Discrimination, Law and Po/icy.

IV Economic Life.

V East Indian Communities and institutions.

VI Socia/!lnd Political Life.

Vii Education. vnl Foreign Students Experience.

IX Sikh organisations and press in the U.S.A. and Canada. x Addendum and atldi(ion!l/ sources.

Hon'ble Sh. F.A. Ahmad, Prdident of India, is being wekomcd by S. Umrao Singh, Revenue IUlid Sports Minister of thr Punjab Govemment at Cbandigath airport on his· anival from New Delhi.

Mr. Singh-is Presidcnt of Amateur.Athletic Federation of fndia.

Besidcs that he is a member of'tbe Executive Coun~U o.f Intergational Amateur Athletic F.e~ation and of the Executive Council of Asian Games F edriation.

Mr. Umrao Sing!>, bas introduced Sports and Physical Education as compwlo~y subject in die schools of Punjab. Punjab ,is the first State in India wbi~ ~- introduccd Sports and Phyld~ Education.as compulsory subject in,the Sch.o ols of the State.

34

-

Instructions to Authors -

1. All materials to be submitted forpnblication in SIKH SANSAR must be onginal and pertllin to the fundamental religious precepts, me history, religion, and tnlrure of the Sikhs.

2. The material should be typewritten; doublespaced, 'preferably on S*" ic 11" paper.

3. The article should be about four to ten rypewritten pages. tn exceptional circi1instances longer artides would be considered for serialisapon in consecutive issues.

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6. If a photograph is to be incll!.ded in m'e manuscript, two black and white glossy prims of high CODJ;rast and <#rity must be supplied.

7. Punjabi script portions of the manuscripts submitted must be typewritten originals of . high q)lality. ,S. Acceptance of the malluscript will depend upon the originality, clarity of presentation, and s.cllolarlyapprollch to the subject.

'9 . At this time, paY,m ent is envisaged for the material to hI: p,ul;Jlished in SiKH SANSAR. to. A brief biographicalskefcll of the author and list !If his Other publications should also b.e included, 11. All the original material published in SIKH SAN5AR will be copyrighted; accOrdingly, prior W{iu!!D permission would be necessar.y for reprinting elsewhere, 12. The Editorial Boar<J. reserves the right to make any change.s in the material subtPitted that it deems necessary to col)form to the style and 'standards of ,t he SIKH SANSAR. 13. All manusori'pts (original and a: copy) must be mailed to the Chief EditQr, SIKH SANSAR, P.O. Box 727, Redwood City, California 94064, V.SA.

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ANOTHER MASTERPIECE BY A GREAT HISTORIAN .

THE SIKHS AND THEIR RELIGION by

Prof. Ganda Singh The first authoratative publication in the U.S.A. covering both the history and religious precepts of the Sikhs.

Easy to Read!

NOW YOU-CAN • REDISCOVER YOUR SIKH HERITAGE • LEARN ABOUT YOUR OWN RELIGION • EXCELLENT FOR INTRODUCING YOUR HERITAGE TO AMERICAN FRIENDS

I am enclosing cbeck / m,!nc;y order for $, _ _ _ _ _ for

the foUowing '

copies of Register of Sikhs ® S3.00 per copy, .••... , . , ... , .. . .

Subsc1;iption .t o Sikh Sansar (SS I year) _ __

Life Membership ofSikhSansar ($150) _ _ __

Now Available ...

The Sikhs & Their Religion,

by Prof. GaQda Singh (53.50) . ..... .

The Sikhs And Their Religion - $3.50

Donation . . .•....•.....•. . •... .. _ _ __ N~

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Add~,

PLEASE SEND CASH/CHECK/MONEY ORDER TO:

q~

I

THE SIKH

P. O. B:ox 727 •

~~~NDATION

I(1)

Redwoo,d City, California 94064

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