British Sikhs and UK Political Parties
In the last General Election, it was a matter of some satisfaction to see a full identity Sikh stand as a candidate for the Reform UK Party. That was his personal choice. Our concern here is that British Sikhs should take an interest in politics and be full participants in the UK political process and policies.
Sikhi miri-piri ideology should guide Sikh politics and not some assumed, taken-for-granted, loyalty to any particular political party. Agendas of parties keep changing. No party should take Sikh support for granted and Sikhs should feel free to join parties of own choice.
In the UK, traditionally, Sikhs have generally shown a leaning towards the Labour Party and social values. That is understandable because earning livelihood through honest labour (kirat karni) is a core Sikhi principle. It may be argued that Sikhi is closer to the Labour Theory of Value than exploitative type of capitalism. Ideologically, Sikh support is for the welfare system with a safety net for all, social justice and an impartial rule of law. Sikhi is not against doing well in life and building a sound economic family and community base. Sikhi is not against prosperity derived from hard work and advancement in all fields at personal, family, community and global levels.
Whether as members of political parties or from outside, Sikhs should support those objectives in political party manifestos which align with Sikhi thought, egalitarian and Sarbat-da-bhalaa values. That also means that Sikhs should join political parties of own choice and influence party policies towards Sikhi universal values and Panth di Chardhi kalaa. Accordingly, they should hold politicians accountable against those objectives. To some extent the Sikh Reht Maryada, gives pointers to these Panthic objectives.
In this connection, the feedback from diaspora contacts is that The Sikh Manifesto 2015 (see footnote**), is the ideal introduction and blue-print which can be redrafted to accord with the Sikh political situation and need in any country. Much thought was put into the drafting of the document by a professional team.
Regardless of the country the Sikhs live in, the spiritual as well as political reference point should always be Guru Granth-Panth represented by the Sovereignty of the Institution of Sri Akal Takh Sahib. About the Sovereignty of the Takht as an Institution, let us not forget the words pf Sirdar Kapur Singh: When the Sikhs do not have a sovereign state of their own, the Golden Temple []]Darbar Sahib] with its surrounding complex, continuously retains its theo-political status, which may be suppressed by the political power, compromised by individuals or questioned by politicians, but which remains and never can be extinguished, for, it is sui generis and inalienable, and imprescriptible.
Sikhi is often validated by applying the ideologies of Western isms, for example, capitalism, socialism, Marxism, democracy etc when it should be the other way around. Constant and ever-green Sikhi values should be applied to validate those parts of these systems acceptable to Sikhi thought. Otherwise, over time all these systems have shown glaring flaws and bred discontent, controversy and conflict. None have brought us nearer to the human goal of an ideal society, the halemi raj or begumpura, envisaged in Gurbani.
So, such comparisons are false and mislead regarding the sovereignty of universal Sikh thought as preached by Gurbani and practised by Guru-Persons. Sikh politics can only be guided by Sikhi thought and as practised by the Khalsa Raj tradition. The above also gives pointers to the question of Sikh self-determination wherever they live.
**Google search Sikh Manifesto 2015
Gurmukh Singh OBE
Principal Civil Servant retd (UK)