SIKHS AND VEGETARIANISM

Amarjeet Singh Bhamra (NAMDHARI SIKHS)

Satguru Ram-Singh, the 12th Living Incarnation of Guru Nanak (Founder of Sikhism) reformed Sikhism with aims to forge bonds of religious purity, brotherhood and to dispel darkness, to denounce social weakness and also to achieve freedom for His land from the British. Satguru Ram-Singh was the pioneer of India’s freedom movement.

During the ten years of His preaching, He converted more than 700,000 men and women into vegetarians and claimed that “one who kills for food — might kill human beings too, without any hesitation”. At that time animal killing was permitted officially and the slaughter-houses were opened near the Sikh shrines in Punjab, Northern India. The contamination of the sanctity of these places of worship and the sacred waters was unbearable to all persons. The public complained against such new enactment but could get no authorization to halt this as the Government officials themselves were meat-eaters. Finding no other way the Namdhari-Sikhs attacked a number of slaughter-houses and freed the animals.

This was considered a direct defiance of the British Authority and countless Namdhari-Sikhs were hanged at various places and times, while on the 17th and 18th January 1872, 66 followers of Satguru Ram-Singh were blown to bits by cannons at the order of a British Deputy Commissioner without a trial or approval of any superior authority.

Satguru Ram-Singh came under surveillance and ultimately put under house arrest. All social and religious gatherings of the Namdharies were banned. The Government tried to implicate and involve Him as an instigator abettor. No accusations against Him were proved and He was arrested and imprisoned and deported for life.

Yet this was the Guru who taught His followers to:—

• Respect all great men.

• Honour other Religions.

• Help the weak.

• Not to injure anybody by thought, word or deed.

• That kindness and not violence shall rule the present age.

• To be strict vegetarians, and should be against killing for food.

• To be teetotalers.

• Honour your own country with all your heart and never dishonour it.

• Be of high character.

• That simple living and purity of thought is essential to raise the moral level of the society and to believe in GOD under the guidance of The Living GURU.

Doctor Rajindar Prassad and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru amongst other visited Sri Bhaini Sahib, the Headquarters of the Namdhari-Sikhs in the twenties and thirties and Mahatma Gandhi adopted the Swadeshi, Non-co-operation and Boycott programme created by Satguru Ram-Singh, under the blessful guidance of Satguru Hari-Singh, and Satguru Pratap-Singh.

The present Spiritual Head of the Sikhs is Satguru-Jagjeet-Singh Maharaj.