Contribute to www.sikhview.in

 

You are invited to contribute to www.sikhview.in 

The theme is Sikh Issues, Sikh History, Sikh Gurbani and other Sikh related issues. 

  1. The ideal length is 1000 words. If it is more or less, please write in your pitch with the reason for the same. 
  2. The publication is subject to editorial decision. Once rejected, the author is free to post it elsewhere and the article draft will be returned to the author. The decision of sikhview.in will be final. 
  3. Please submit as doc or docx file only. You Amy also attach a PDF too in case you may want to show the placement of tables/graphs/images. 
  4. Cite all sources as hyperlinks and not footnotes. If you do not know how to add hyperlinks in MS Word, insert all sources as URLs inline, next to the words you would like linked.
  5. Please do not copy and paste. Do not plagiarise. Paper will be rejected and the author will be blacklisted. 
  6. Disclose any conflicts of interest there may be between you as the author and any reports, papers or activities cited in your pitch/article. If you are writing about work to which you contributed in any capacity or work done by individuals with whom you share an employer, that is a conflict of interest.
It may take upto one week for a response to be made. 
There is no payment to be made to authors for articles. In case you would like a token honorarium for your article, please mention in your email pitch. 

Note: This channel is for education and public interest purposes only. Sikhview.in is a social media account and not online curated content as it is not transmitted in the course of systematic business, professional or commercial activity. It is not a newspaper of news website or news organisation.

Write to sikhview[at]protonmail[dot]com

Comments

Post a Comment

Please share your view

Popular posts from this blog

Open Letter to SGPC on Roles and Responsibilities of Jathedar Sahib of Akal Takth Sahib.

Image
This is in response to the Appeal by SGPC to provide suggestions on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Respected   Jathedar   of the   Akal Takht Sahib .   It must be noted that the  Jathedar  of the  Akal Takht Sahib  is a Politico-Religious person and not a mere religious head. Before the Jathedar will be questions concerning the political, social, economic, and of course religious affairs of the Sikh  Panth. Sikhi  is fast evolving as a global religion and the Jathedar must represent the Sikhs across the globe and must not be limited in thought and action for Indian Sikhs.  Most humbly and with full responsibility the following suggestions for the role of  Jathedar Sahib  of  Akal Takth Sahib  are presented:   Roles and Responsibilities:  1.          To be the guardian of the uniqueness of the  Khalsa Panth , Khalsa beliefs, Khalsa way of life and syste...
Read more

One way in which Sikhs should react to the Waqf Amendment Bill

Image
Before anything else, Sikhs should remember one thing. In February 2024, there was a unilateral move by the Maharashtra government to amend the Act that governs a very prominent and historical Gurudwara of the Sikhs called Hazur Sahib in Nanded. There was a proposal of removing nominated Sikh MPs in the governing body, along with having government appointed people who will manage the very holy shrine of the Sikhs. This is the gurudwara where Guru Gobind Singh breathed his last and is one of the 5 Takhts of the Sikhs. The proposed amendment also meant inclusion of non-Sikhs into the management body and also meant an increased direct control of the gurudwara by the state government.  Protest banner in Nagpur, the heartland of the Hindu 'cultural' organisation against the government's unilateral control over Sikhs' holiest shrines.  Now, is there a connection between this and the current conversation around the amendment to the Waqf legislation? Yes, there is! And that is...
Read more

We Need More Participation in Prabhat Pheris

Image
I went to Jodhpur during the New Year, which was also a work trip. In the trip we stayed at the Singh Sabha Gurudwara. The day we came was also the day when the Gurudwara had the first Prabhat Pheri, which is an early morning procession done usually during Guru Nanak's and Guru Gobind Singh's birthday and the weeks preceding it. It is when the local Sikhs come and sing praises of God and other kirtan with a small drum (dholaki) and other kirtan instruments like chimta and the two brass cymbals (small ones). After going through the streets the Prabhat Pheris finally reach the house of the host who is pre decided and it is matter of honour and pride to host a Prabhat Pheri. The list rotates and every year is given to a new set of people.  In Jodhpur, the Prabhat Pheri was a very grand event even though the city has a very limited Sikh Population. There would be 150-200 people in one Prabhat Pheri.  In Delhi, the most posh area Greater Kailash 2, on the other hand had very limite...
Read more

Where are the Sikhs? The conversion story reckoned..

'Koi Charawa nahi hai! Koi reeti riwaaz nahi hai!' was a woman shouting just outside the underground road crossing outside India's top public hospital (AIIMS Delhi). The sentence translates to: 'There is no offering to be given! There are no rituals!' which was accompanied by a cheaply printed black and white invite to a Sunday Church nearby. Well! I smiled at the seemingly well off lady with a covered face and eyeglasses (completing anonymising herself) as I returned the pamphlet. But what I was actually returning back was the responsibility of what should be the purpose of our religions. To alleviate human suffering and provide people with confidence and purpose! Was the Christian faith doing it well? I can be in denial and say no! Many governments can be in denial and bring in religion anti-conversion laws. But what we really need to do is to understand the vacuum that lady was trying to fill! It is the vacuum that reflects the collective failure of the mainstrea...
Read more

Danger of 'Hindu Rashtra' for Sikhs and other minorities in a secular India.

Image
 At the outset, I am a Sikh, an Indian and do not agree to the view that there should be a Khalistan, or a Sikh homeland. This thought in itself is what needs to be disgusted upon, along with its parallels that are being created by some people who want a Hindu Nation!  But, at the same time, I am worried and concerned about the religious polarisation where one should either fit in the definition of 'Hindu' or be labelled as a non-Indian. Sikhism is an independent religion and not a sect of Hinduism or a part of Hinduism. And, the attempts made by any Hindu "cultural" organisation to end the minority status for Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists and assimilate the same into the Hindu fold is a existential suicide for Sikhs in India. In the Hindu fold, Sikhs will have to go through the vagaries of caste system, ritualistic hypocrisy and a departure from monotheism. These are the very principles that Sikhism has revolutionised against to create a new and independent religion.  T...
Read more

Sikh Schools and Sikh Prachar for young children.

Image
 My elder sisters studied in a school in Delhi run by the Sikh Gurudwara body. These schools are minority run institutions which are supposed to be run to promote the students of particular minorities to get education. The mission of the school where my sisters studied has fourteen points. The point about Sikhism is only one, at point number 10 which states the school mission to 'encourage students to follow the Sikh Religion and belief.'   The other points are about important professional and social goal related missions. But interestingly, the first one is 'To provide secular education to students from all communities.' For survival, educational institutions of minorities must open themselves up and talk the language of inclusiveness and secularism. But, at the same time, the reason for creation of the minority institutions as per the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee Act of 1971 must be highlighted. The Act states the purpose being 'to spread education, ...
Read more

Singh Sabha Movement: Are the Singh Sabha Gurudwaras becoming a thing of the past?

Image
Well, I want to first start with a confession:  The last time I went to my local Singh Sabha Gurudwara was not very recently and I may be preaching something I may not have myself practiced. Nevertheless, the issue needs to be spoken about.  The issue is of Singh Sabha Movement and how it led to many very good changes in the Sikh social and religious structure. Gurudwaras around the world, after the Singh Sabha Movement became the extension counters of the message of moneotheistic Sikhism and brought the local area Sikh Sangat close.  The movement also standardised the Sikh symbolism, architecture and practices of Sikh worship. Today, every Gurudwara has the Guru Granth Sahib at the highest pedestal, with easy access to all. There is also a stage for Sikh leaders for bringing Sikh issues and another stage for Kirtan and Katha.  But there is a sad story about Singh Sabha Gurudwaras that are in low Sikh population areas or are sometimes in large cities too, (which need...
Read more

Ambedkar; caste names in Punjabi movies; and why Christian conversions will never stop!

Image
 Any body who believes in the concept of 'ghar wapsi' or re-conversion back to the main religion must understand one thing. The people who left the main religion in the first place had certain grievances and they would not come back unless those grievances are dealt with and a safe space is created for them.  Any Hindu "cultural" organisation which wants Christian converts to come back to the Hindu fold requires the most important internal housekeeping, i.e., ridding themselves of the oppressive brahmanical caste system and treating the downtrodden as their own. Image: Guru Gobind Singh, creating Khalsa , where all previous religions, castes, regions were dissolved and new identity was created. This bound the Sikhs with the 'organic filament' that united them as one. This exact concept was highlighted by the person who wrote the Constitution of India. His name was Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and he was a very learned legal luminary and also the representative of the...
Read more

Sikhs have re-adopted the caste system they championed against!

Image
Guru Gobind Singh created an egalitarian religion which believed in one God and ended all castes and religious differences through the Amrit Ceremony. In an Amrit Ceremony, the members are initiated as Khalsa by drinking from a same pot which is water and a sugar (patasa) stirred with Khanda. By this process, the people partaking it become equals and the males remove the caste surname and put 'Singh' and the females put 'Kaur' But, this form of egalitarism may be just theory in today's everyday masses, especially when they are looking for a marriage partner. Offcourse there are exceptions with the initiated Sikhs with Amrit. Some of them I know by experience, who would not consider caste, but this seems to be a minority. The biggest proof of the plague of the caste system, as mentioned before, is visible twice every week as documentary evidence in the form of matrimonial advertisements in newspapers.  The picture above is a copy from a newspaper matrimon...
Read more

Guru Gobind Singh: The monotheist who did not worship Hindu goddesses or incarnations.

Image
Before even getting into Sikh philosophy, let's look at the Hindu reform movements and what they had in common.  Going backwards, the Brahmo Samaj founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, during the Times of Bengal Renaissance worshipped 'the nameless, eternal, immutable Being who is the Author and Preserver of the universe.' Brahmo Samaj has no faith in Hindu incarnations, denounced polytheism and idol worship and was against the brahmanical caste system. This is a movement that had left an impression even on Swami Vivekananda during his early days.  Second is Arya Samaj, which was also a monotheistic Hindu reform movement, which also denounced idol worship and rituals. These had their influence from the Advait Vedanta , whose proponent was Adi Shankaracharya (who also had a debate with a ritualistic Brahmin about rituals and dualism, with him negating these) which stated that there is no duality, but the ultimate reality called Brahman (not to be confused with a Brahmin) which is ...
Read more