Editor's Note To 'Sikhism And The Sikhs' By Sirdar Kapur Singh

Late Sirdar Kapur Singh (1909-1986) was philosopher - politician of the Sikhs. Some even talked of him as 'Socratesof the Sikhs'. No doubt he was the most intellectual Sikhs in the 20th century, who had comparative knowledge of world religion of the East and the West. He was strongest protagonist of Sikh-homeland within Union of India on the pattern Art. 370 of the constitution of India, but his views/ideas could not be understood by the Sikhs and their leaders. Once he wrote to me in 1973, "do not have excessive faith in the sound judgemnet of the Sikh masses. They rarely come to the right decision at the right moment as I have found out from reading the Sikh History". Some even thought that he was Khalistani. But no, he never wanted to break India. He even advised Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale against that demand when the sant invited him to Harimandar for consultations. Once he told me that those who such a demand are ignorant of ground realities. He did not elaborate but it is easy for any pragmatic mind to understand such a situation. He had seen how East Pakis were massacred by West Pak Army. How Kashmiris are struggling for eluding 'Azadi' for decades. Sikhs themselves had tasted the heat of fire of India Army in June 84. Punjab situation was and is also very different from others, half population is non-Sikhs. Even Akalis were not for it, castes had divided them. therefore, kapur Singh's strategy was of survival and defensive not offensive. There is a popular saying, "people get leader they deserve" or in other words, "people are recognised by the leader they choose."

Most of non-political writings of the Sirdar are published by the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. But there are numerous scholarly articles which have not been included in Sirdar's collected works published by the university. I have collected and edited those writings and getting these published in the present volume on my behalf. I hpoe readers would benefit in understanding of the Sikh religious-politico philosophy as interprated by Late Sirdar Kapur Singh. The year 2009 is his birth centenary. It could be a sort of tribute to him from a humble pupil like me.

He was member of Lok Sabha (Parliament ) from 1962-67 (Ludhiana). He was discriminated against in life but in death also he was not spared. When he died on 1986 he was not paid tribute in Lok Sabha. I got this information under the RTI Act-05. A tradition violated under the Rajiv Gandhi Government and killing of his mother Mrs Indira Gandhi by her Sikh body  guards. At that time Punjab was not hot bed of militancy, after Sikh genocide in Delhi and other cities.

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