Editors Should Uphold Standards But Not Change the Story
Recent discussions and an earlier personal experience, compels me to write about editorial discretion used by Sikh journals claiming global Panthic readership. Acceptance or rejection of articles by editors should uphold standards. Research should quote original sources and show how they are interpreted in the context of independent Sikh thought without the compulsion to conform to the local or national theo-political environment. Without fear of upsetting some cult or social oppressive practices.
For example, articles should not be rejected just to avoid any controversy at a time just because majority community support is needed! This reminds me of own experience when I was asked to avoid controversy at a time when we were commemorating 350th Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The objection was that the article blamed Hindu priesthood for earlier complaints to the Mughal Emperor about parchar tours of Guru Tegh Bahadur. That at the time entire Hindu community and the Central Government were all out to praise the historic role of Guru Tegh Bahadur in protecting Tilak and Janju. So, it was not advisable to make available any new research on this topic even though we condemn Hill Rajas for opposing Guru Gobind Singh.
Yet, we know that shaheedi of Guru Tegh Bahadur was for Dharam het. The consequence in those times was the saving of the Hindu religion (wearers of tilak and janju). As Bhai Gurdas Singh II wrote, it was a martyrdom to save the world (Vaar 41, Pauri 23) by upholding the universal principle of dharam.
If Sikh editors bow to political compulsions, they would have difficulty with numerous Panktis in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji about the exploitative ways of the Brahmin/Pandit and Banaras ke thhagg! Same goes for quazi and Mullahs.
The article commissioned earlier, was based on research by Dr Fauja Singh, Prof Piara Singh Padam, Dr Harbans Singh, Guru Kian Sakhian, Bhatt Vahis, Assamese Buranjis and more. It summarised a publication by the Sikh Missionary Society UK, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the True Story (link at footnote**). There are over 62,000 reads to date by mixed global audience on ResearchGate. (Otherwise too, retired policy civil servants like me, never make new claims in their investigative reports!)
Such editorial caution does not promote independent journalism nor further readership knowledge. Such editorial restriction, dictated by outside influence, restricts Panthic progress and quest for historical truth, for example, about Guru Tegh Bahadur. Indian NCERT scholars have distorted Sikh history while our Sikh scholarship in India turned a blind eye for decades. Not scholars chasing Ph Ds but it took Dr M S Rahi, a visiting Chandigarh lawyer, to raise this issue in UK. Such editorial compliance with the establishment line, is a slippery slope which can lead to caution about quoting Gurbani, for example about hypocrisy, rituals and practice of the Brahmin priesthood.
Final thought: Editors need to be aware that, abstract articles in scholarly language, are not read by nor influence the masses. They attract very limited readership, mainly of other scholars and research students only. Even then, the interest is in fresh approach, but which is not Panth-divisive and advances frontiers of knowledge by using authentic original sources. As a scholar put it, research should not be old wine put in new bottles, even when research students necessarily rely on contemporary sources and on great classical scholars for interpreting Sikhi ideology and institutions.
** guru-tegh-bahadur-ji-the-true-story-gurmukh-singh.pdf
Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675): The True Story
Gurmukh Singh OBE
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurmukh_Singh_OBE