Secular Perceptions In Sikh Faith

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Without communal harmony no social or political progress can be achieved in a multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-racial country like India. All great religions are based on the concept of universal brotherhood. This lucidly written book, discussing one such religion, the Sikhism, in the context of its secular perceptions, is intended principally for the lay reader and contributes to the understanding of an important trait in India's national fabric.

K.S. Duggal was a poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer. He is the recipient of several important literary awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Soviet Land Nehru Award. A former Director of the National Book Trust, India, K.S. Duggal was conferred Padma Bhushan in 1988 and nominated Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) in 1997 by President of India in recognition of his contribution to Indian literature.

Secularism is defined variously by various people. Howev- er, it is certainly not "rejection of all forms of religious faith". As understood by us in secular India, it consists in equal respect for all religions.

Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, was a staunch Hindu and yet he studied and venerated other religions whose hymns were regularly recited at his prayer-meet- ings. These included Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism. Jawaharlal Nehru professed himself a non-believer and yet he visited places of worship with the apparent devotion of his countrymen. He was invested with the sacred thread as a child and Vedic ceremonials were duly observed at his cremation and after when he was no more. Mrs. Indira Gandhi's spiritual thirst carried her to wherever she could find peace of mind, whether it was a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or any other religious place of pilgrimage or even holy men or women.

As a people, we are wedded to secularism notwith- standing any faith we may subscribe to personally.

Sikhism is the most modern, the most recent and the most scientific faith amongst the great religions of the world. Its founder, Guru Nanak, had the advantage of having drunk deep at the founts of all the sacred religious lore. A life-long pilgrim, he visited the ancient Hindu temple at Puri in the east, Holy Mecca in the west, the ascetics at Manasarovar deep into the Himalayas in the north and Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka.