08-15-2005, 03:24 AM
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Just to tell you there were lots of incidents in Punjab when Sikhs pulled Hindus out of the buses and shot them some times 40-50 at time. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The above quote attributed to Rajiv of Toronto is so wrong that I had to respond.
It gives the impression that "Sikhs" were pulling Hindus out of the buses on a regular basis and killing them. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
First off, a few such incidents did happen. I don't recall the exact number. And yes, Hindus were separated out and killed. No denying that. On a scale that consists of only two notches, right and wrong, this overshot the wrong mark.
But this by no means was a regular occurrence. To say that "Sikhs pulled Hindus out of the buses and shot them some times 40-50 at time" gives the impression that this was a common occurrence and was the defining characteristic of that time and that all conclusions and impressions about those times must stem from these events. Perhaps only a person living out of India can utter such statements.
(Parenthetically, does anyone recall when a Nihang passenger saved a Hindu boy from being killed in one such incident?)
What bothers me most here is that no attempt is made by this Rajiv to say "terrorists" or "militants". He simply calls them "Sikhs." Even after living in such a country, he has no qualms painting an entire community with the same brush. He would never be able to attribute an incident or even a sequence of such incidents to, say "Jews" or "Indians" (as in aboriginals) and get away with it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It is sad to see what partition, mughals and brits failed to accomplish i,e. HIndu/Sikh disunity, has been accomplished by congress and miguided Sikh militants. Time may heal the scars.
Just to tell you there were lots of incidents in Punjab when Sikhs pulled Hindus out of the buses and shot them some times 40-50 at time. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The above quote attributed to Rajiv of Toronto is so wrong that I had to respond.
It gives the impression that "Sikhs" were pulling Hindus out of the buses on a regular basis and killing them. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
First off, a few such incidents did happen. I don't recall the exact number. And yes, Hindus were separated out and killed. No denying that. On a scale that consists of only two notches, right and wrong, this overshot the wrong mark.
But this by no means was a regular occurrence. To say that "Sikhs pulled Hindus out of the buses and shot them some times 40-50 at time" gives the impression that this was a common occurrence and was the defining characteristic of that time and that all conclusions and impressions about those times must stem from these events. Perhaps only a person living out of India can utter such statements.
(Parenthetically, does anyone recall when a Nihang passenger saved a Hindu boy from being killed in one such incident?)
What bothers me most here is that no attempt is made by this Rajiv to say "terrorists" or "militants". He simply calls them "Sikhs." Even after living in such a country, he has no qualms painting an entire community with the same brush. He would never be able to attribute an incident or even a sequence of such incidents to, say "Jews" or "Indians" (as in aboriginals) and get away with it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It is sad to see what partition, mughals and brits failed to accomplish i,e. HIndu/Sikh disunity, has been accomplished by congress and miguided Sikh militants. Time may heal the scars.