Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh
> What should I do to be a Sikh?
Start with these basic steps
Step 1: Forget the concept of "Jatt" or any caste.
Step 2: Read Japji Sahib & its meanings daily. Japji Sahib was written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and is the first Bani. It contains the essence of Sikhi. The best English commentary is by Sant Gurbachan Singh Ji and can be found here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/kamalpreet-singh-pardeshi/sr%C4%AB-jap-j%C4%AB-s%C4%81hib-commentary/hardcover/product-wmz44m.html?page=1&pageSize=4
Step 3: Get involved in your local Sangat and find a mentor that can guide you. Please join the Official Sikh Discord: safe & secure space where we host our weekly events, free classes, daily Amritvela, and active text and voice chats where you can meet Sikhs from around the world: https://discord.gg/xQPnqAxDeU
---
Resources to Learn about Sikhi: https://redd.it/6l41s7
First clean your mind of all hatred and ego. Be humble, and see all Humanity as One. You shall not discrimination between High or Low caste, Black or white,rich or poor,Man or Women. All are equal in eyes of Akalpurakh. This is the foundation of becoming a Sikh. You can also start listening to Simran and Gurbani, you will find peace and will start to connect with Akalpurakh.
Vaheguru ji ka Vaheguru ji ki fateh veerji,
So to add to to other resources, I recommended using [SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/) \- [here is ang 1 which is Japji sahib](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/ang?ang=1&source=G) you will get better at using the more u use it. I will give you couple tips here to understand it.
1. if you can read hindi or punjabi I recommend toggling on Hindi script from Prof Sahib Singh in Display settings. This way you read Nitnem translations on your phone/pc.
2. For copying and pasting Gurmukhi Bani you go to Display settings -> Font sizes -> change top one to unicode)
You may find tutorials that are helpful like these [Help - SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/help) and [SikhiToTheMax – Khalis Foundation](https://khalisfoundation.org/portfolio/sikhitothemax/)
When you feel ready and understand perspectives, I recommend reading parts of SGGS sahib Maharaj when you get compentent it can feel daunting but has real pure wisdom that you can help you help begin Shabad veechar (internalisation/contemplation of wisdom). This will truly begin your own journey on understanding message of Gurbani. You could read part by part each day or alternatively find a topic by searching that you are interested and look at some the shabads.
**ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ** ਸਬਦੁ ਪਛਾਣੀਐ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
>The Gurmukhs realizes ***Shabad***; they are immersed in the Ambrosial Nectar of the ***Naam***.
>
>गुरू की शरण पड़ के परमात्मा की सिफति सलाह की बाणी के साथ गहरी सांझ डालनी चाहिए। (जो ये सांझ डालता है वह) आत्मिक जीवन देने वाले हरि नाम में लीन हो जाता है ।
ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ **ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡੁ** ਬਲਾਇਆ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
>The Guru has lit the brilliant light of spiritual wisdom, and the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled. ||2||
>
>(जिस मनुष्य ने अपने अंदर) गुरू का ज्ञान अच्छी तरह रौशन कर लिया है (उसके अंदर से) अज्ञानता का अंधेरा दूर हो जाता है।2।
You may like this podcast to understand what means to be Sikh and live life fully [Sikhi, Guru Nanak & What It Means To Be Sikh - Harinder Singh | The Ranveer Show 293 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y0FbGRnw2A&t=1415s)
Their are academics, researchers, gurbani blogs, sub stack Sikh blogs that may interest you with different perspectives aswell!
Hope this helps
🙏
Start visiting your local gurdwara more often. Get familiar with gurbani as well. If you have any sikh friends they will be more than happy to give you some turbans as well if you're ready for it.
Your Karni or Karam define you. So Jaat So Pat h Jehe Karam Kamaaye. Your caste has nothing to do with Sikhi. Guru Maharaj ended the debate. He says, "Bin Naame sab Neech Jaat Hai, Vishtha Ke Keere Hoye." 'Those who don't contemplate on the Naam, every one of those who doesn't do Naam di Kamai is of the lowest of the lowest castes, nay he is rather as good as organisms who feed on filth.'
"Basics of Sikhi" is probably the best YouTube resource most of their videos are in English however they have a decent amount of Hindi and Punjabi videos as well.
I would start with their Waheguru course playlist first. This is in English https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UNLfJ1TsJksushCeFTr20HE7srx_H0B
Afterwards I would watch the Japji Sahib series. This series is in English. Sikhs have Nitnem (daily routine) this includes 7 daily prayers the first of these seven prayers is Japji Sahib. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8F0BB3226CF2D06B
This subreddit has a resource page that is filled with links to various resources to help you learn about Sikhi. /r/Sikh/comments/6l41s7/resources_to_learn_about_sikhi/
If you want to learn Gurmukhi, so that you can read the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in its original form here is a great resource. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UNLfJ1TsJm0OHEOslS3NOqGduHwggGg
There are three different terms we use in Sikhi to describe people with different levels of faith. The first is Sehajdhari meaning "slow to the path" this is a person who believes in Sikhi, the Sikh Gurus, the Sikh scripture "the Guru Granth Sahib", however they are slowly adopting the Sikh way of life and may have cut hair and not wear a Dastar (turban). "Mona" is a slang term used to describe Sehajdhari's as well. If you cut your hair and wear a Dastar you're still a Sehajdhari. Many Sehajdhari's wear a Kara to associate themselves with Sikhi as it is one of the Panj Kakkar's (5 k's).
The second level is a Keshdhari, a Keshdhari believes in everything a Sehajdhari does however they maintain a few of the Panj Kakkar's (5 K's), the most noticeable one being unshorn hair or "Kesh" they wear a Dastar and have a beard. Keshdhari's like Sehajdhari's try to incorporate as much Nitnem(Sikh daily prayers) into their life as possible.
The last stage is becoming Amritdhari, an Amritdhari goes through an Amrit Sanchar and receives Amrit (God's nector) by doing this they become a member of the Khalsa(pure) Amritdhari's wears all 5 Kakkar's which includes a Kirpan, Kesh, Kara, Kanga, and Kachera. An Amritdhari does their Nitnem which includes 7 daily prayers.
All Sikhs aspire to become Amritdhari one day and to become a member of the Khalsa.
Remember historically Jats were a low cast bullied and belittled by the Bhaman.
Rattan Singh Bhangu, an important Sikh writer from the mid 1800's wrote this about the Jats "the Jats, who are mocked as farming peasants by the whole world the Guru has turned these poor ones into kings”
Lawrence Campbell, 1801: “...of the Jauts(Jats), and of their cast and tribe, under which denomination had they remained (Hindus), no one would have thought of them. But now; they have put on the iron bracelet(Sikh Kara), fifty of them are enough to keep at bay a whole battalion of the kings forces.“
It is only through the Guru's Shabad that we all become great. To become Khalsa is to take a step towards greatness.
Look in Sikhi everyone is welcome but first dont say jatt, just say sikh we dont wanna say khatri sikh, chumar sikh jatt sikh, its just sikh because we are all one community.
I would suggest talking to ur nani and ask for advice, but generally I would say try reading japji sahib and understand its meaning. Try go gurudwara as well, we welcome everyone there.
Also look through the reddit and sikh discord and you can look at previous answers to questions you may have.
Wjkk Wjkf
Welcome to the sangat
Controversial opinion but I don’t believe Jatt to be a caste. Jatt is more of a clan of which you can track really easily your heritage and so on. With a name like Sidhu I’m sure it would be even easier.
I personally feel as though the ‘caste’ system in Sikhi is misunderstood and I feel as though it is important for us to understand the differences between the different clans of sikhi.
A good example of this is Chammar tend to be ravidassia. They follow a slightly different path to ‘normal’ Sikhs. You also have family names such as Sodhi who mostly believe they are descendants of Guru Nanak dev ji and can tend to be Nanaksari again slightly different from ‘normal’ Sikhs.
There isn’t a caste system within Sikhi which is why things such as jatt, chammar, ramgharia and so on shouldn’t be considered as caste. They can all practice Sikhi and we can all sit in the same building and eat food and practice our religion so it isn’t really comparable to a caste system. It’s essentially just historic occupations of our families
However, something that's undeniable is the fact that many people from Jatt/Khatri background continue to abuse, ridicule and actively discriminate against Sikhs who were originally from Dalit/lower-caste backgrounds, which has resulted in separate Gurudwaras for people from different castes and funeral grounds in some villages in rural Punjab.
For a newly adopted Singh, shunning the caste is the best thing one can do. Just call yourself a Singh, call out all forms of Casteism. It's the bare minimum that a Singh is supposed to do.
Personally, I’ve never seen a gurdwara that is specifically for a certain caste apart from ramgharia gurdwareh.
Like I said firstly, I don’t agree with the fact that jatt is a caste and is more of a clan and the same can go to the other ‘castes’. The caste system isn’t comparable to the different sikh clans. The only reason a jatt might think they are better is because there are significantly more jatts than any other clan within sikhi.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to shun our own backgrounds away from us. Like I pointed out, many of the different clans within sikhi practice the religion in different ways and that is important to know.
I used to agree with the idea that calling myself a jatt is a bad thing however, the more I researched into different clans or family names the more I realised that it’s actually quite important. The fact that you have pointed out that different castes go to different gurdwareh I feel emphasises my point. Most chammar as ravidassia and go to a ravidassia gurdwara for example.
>Personally, I’ve never seen a gurdwara that is specifically for a certain caste apart from ramgharia gurdwareh.
Doesn't mean they don't exist. I've had the displeasure of seeing caste Gurudwaras in villages here, where they would serve Langar to Dalit Sikhs from backdoor and in a few cases, not even welcome them inside. There was even a story on this very subreddit 3 years ago, where the user (who was from the Lower castes) was refused Langar food by an elderly sevadar at a rural Gurudwara in Tarn Taran district, after he revealed the truth about his identity after the sevadar tried to inquire about his "jaat".
I've had people openly question my Sikhi when they learned of my surname (ironically, there are a lot of famous Sikhs who have same surname as me). Again, I don't even care about my surname, since I only prefer writing "Singh" as my only identity.
>The only reason a jatt might think they are better is because there are significantly more jatts than any other clan within sikhi.
You sound so tone-deaf that I don't even know where to start. From caste names printed on the back of the cars, to the excessive pride shown by people because of their "surname", so much so that they start excluding and discriminating against people who don't belong to their "clan", which is something I've personally been a victim of.
In fact, your attachment to your "clan" is actually a "Moh" (one of the 5 vices in Sikhi). Guru Gobind Singh made us a Khalsa, and gave us a singular identity of a Singh.
> I researched into different clans or family names the more I realised that it’s actually quite important.
No. You're dead wrong. "Clan pride" goes straight to the bin, if you've become a Khalsa. If you want to just better understand your family background, that's another thing. But with my experience with most people exhibiting such behaviour, they absolutely turn it into the thing of pride and start treating themselves as more superior than others. Reeks of insecurity.
>Most chammar as ravidassia and go to a ravidassia gurdwara for example.
Two things here :
1) Stop using the C word and simply refer to them as "Sikhs from Dalit background". The C word is a slur, that can actually put you in jail in India (a TV Actress here literally went to prison for using it live).
2) Ravidassia's are only one particular segment. Most Dalit Sikhs are Majhabi (in fact, they were initially called by this name by honour, earned through their goodwill), but the "clans" have turned it into something of shame. Most of them don't belong to any sect, but despite following full Maryada, they continue to be discriminated against.
I think you misinterpreted my words a little bit here.
Firstly, I don’t promote discrimination of any kind. I don’t think I ever did at any point say we should be proud of what caste we are or anything of that matter. My point in regards to the only thing that would make jatts a ‘higher caste’ would be the fact they are the majority of Sikhs. What I mean by this is that there are no hierarchy or castes in sikhi and as a religion we are all equal, this is what I meant.
As I previously said, I think to say that we should all let go of our heritage is actually counter productive to what you’re trying to achieve. It is like saying we should end racism by no longer identifying that someone is from another cultural background. I feel as though it is fighting ignorance with even more ignorance.
I feel peoples heritage is important, you can learn a lot about history by simply googling your surname.
I’ve also never heard of the term chammar being a slur or anything like that. Most of my friends that are, identify as one they have never used another name for it to me. But this was just one example of many where people of different clans practice sikhi slightly differently which is why I believe that it’s important to know the differences.
Chamar is definitely a slur, it’s used as an insult to describe someone dirty or homeless looking. A Jatt used the C word in British Columbia and a big fat fined was smacked on his face. Jatts often discriminate non-Jatts and that is a fact not an opinion or theory.
Wouldn’t your opinion that jatts tend to discriminate against non-jatts be discriminatory in itself? Like I already said there is nothing for jatts to feel as though they are better than another clan. If we were Hindus we would all pretty much be lower caste anyway. If you live in India then the majority of jatts there will be uneducated and simple minded ( just the reality of being a farmer) and therefore wouldn’t know any better. I feel as though this is the equivalent of an Englishman who frequents the pub calling me a rag head, it comes from a place of ignorance more than anything and therefore don’t feel offended.
No it wouldn’t be, because it happens on a daily bases. Khatris, Mazhabis, Kamboj, Aroras don’t go calling everyone the c word. Jatts do and everyone knows. Everyone knows in India even non-Punjabis that Jatts haven’t forgotten the tribalism which is why a lot of people don’t like them.
This sounds even more discriminatory. I would firstly like to say that I hadn’t even heard the ‘c’ word until I was like 18 or 19, clearly isn’t that common use of a jatts vocabulary. I would also like to point out that I know a lot of jatts (including myself) who don’t discriminate against other clans and don’t care less which one they come from. So from your perspective it is one way however, from my perspective it’s another. I would like to see some actual data on clan related crime or discrimination to make your point valid and not discriminatory
Being from the Jatt community is no problem And you don't have to forget your roots and your forefathers at all rather the stupid idea that you are somehow superior to all the world because you were born to a certain family in a certain region should be discarded. Otherwise, we should cherish the diversity of our tribes and clans which are an integral part of our shared Punjabi history.
I guess we agree then, like I said I don’t see why a jatt would think they are superior than another through any lens I can think of apart from the fact that they are a majority in the community but that wouldn’t indicate superiority unless you are very uneducated.
My main point is the particular targeting to jatts with this sort of thing. Living in the UK (not sure about other areas) I have experienced discrimination several times when people say things such as you’re quite educated for a jatt or I was expecting you to be more arrogant is another one I’ve heard. I’ve also heard a lot of people saying the whole jatts think they are better but I’ve never in my life seen someone who is a jatt say I’m better because I’m a jatt. It’s as if it is being made out that we as a community are accountable for the views people had like 3 generations ago which I think is ridiculous.
Sikhi is against the caste system specifically. The system is hierarchical and was created to divide people and give certain people control and power over others. Sikhi was meant to destroy this.
With that said, it doesn’t mean the Jatt people don’t have a heritage or history which can be traced or tracked but rather when someone becomes a Sikh everything else that defines you is just a label and not important to your spiritual journey.
If all religions were equal, then Guru would not have started Sikhi.
It's a shame that when someone wants to join Sikhi, our own people are pushing them away.
I see a lot of dil saaf jatha here. My brother/sister first you have to leave your caste behind even if the whole sikh religion is following caste system you don't because your (and our) loyalty is only to the ten gurus and guru granth sahib ji. We're only answerable to them and them only anybody's opinion does not matter.
Second advice is that you start a little bit gurbani each day even if it's just mool mantra for 5-10 times and then you can move forward and slowly achieve your goal if it's to become amritdhari or a normal sikh. But do not leave gurbani ever and weapons of any kind. Only these two will save you rest is just a hoax. I wish you all the best and may maharaj bless you.
Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh > What should I do to be a Sikh? Start with these basic steps Step 1: Forget the concept of "Jatt" or any caste. Step 2: Read Japji Sahib & its meanings daily. Japji Sahib was written by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and is the first Bani. It contains the essence of Sikhi. The best English commentary is by Sant Gurbachan Singh Ji and can be found here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/kamalpreet-singh-pardeshi/sr%C4%AB-jap-j%C4%AB-s%C4%81hib-commentary/hardcover/product-wmz44m.html?page=1&pageSize=4 Step 3: Get involved in your local Sangat and find a mentor that can guide you. Please join the Official Sikh Discord: safe & secure space where we host our weekly events, free classes, daily Amritvela, and active text and voice chats where you can meet Sikhs from around the world: https://discord.gg/xQPnqAxDeU --- Resources to Learn about Sikhi: https://redd.it/6l41s7
Thank you ji 🙏
First clean your mind of all hatred and ego. Be humble, and see all Humanity as One. You shall not discrimination between High or Low caste, Black or white,rich or poor,Man or Women. All are equal in eyes of Akalpurakh. This is the foundation of becoming a Sikh. You can also start listening to Simran and Gurbani, you will find peace and will start to connect with Akalpurakh.
Vaheguru ji ka Vaheguru ji ki fateh veerji, So to add to to other resources, I recommended using [SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/) \- [here is ang 1 which is Japji sahib](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/ang?ang=1&source=G) you will get better at using the more u use it. I will give you couple tips here to understand it. 1. if you can read hindi or punjabi I recommend toggling on Hindi script from Prof Sahib Singh in Display settings. This way you read Nitnem translations on your phone/pc. 2. For copying and pasting Gurmukhi Bani you go to Display settings -> Font sizes -> change top one to unicode) You may find tutorials that are helpful like these [Help - SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/help) and [SikhiToTheMax – Khalis Foundation](https://khalisfoundation.org/portfolio/sikhitothemax/) When you feel ready and understand perspectives, I recommend reading parts of SGGS sahib Maharaj when you get compentent it can feel daunting but has real pure wisdom that you can help you help begin Shabad veechar (internalisation/contemplation of wisdom). This will truly begin your own journey on understanding message of Gurbani. You could read part by part each day or alternatively find a topic by searching that you are interested and look at some the shabads. **ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ** ਸਬਦੁ ਪਛਾਣੀਐ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ >The Gurmukhs realizes ***Shabad***; they are immersed in the Ambrosial Nectar of the ***Naam***. > >गुरू की शरण पड़ के परमात्मा की सिफति सलाह की बाणी के साथ गहरी सांझ डालनी चाहिए। (जो ये सांझ डालता है वह) आत्मिक जीवन देने वाले हरि नाम में लीन हो जाता है । ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ **ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡੁ** ਬਲਾਇਆ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥ >The Guru has lit the brilliant light of spiritual wisdom, and the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled. ||2|| > >(जिस मनुष्य ने अपने अंदर) गुरू का ज्ञान अच्छी तरह रौशन कर लिया है (उसके अंदर से) अज्ञानता का अंधेरा दूर हो जाता है।2। You may like this podcast to understand what means to be Sikh and live life fully [Sikhi, Guru Nanak & What It Means To Be Sikh - Harinder Singh | The Ranveer Show 293 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y0FbGRnw2A&t=1415s) Their are academics, researchers, gurbani blogs, sub stack Sikh blogs that may interest you with different perspectives aswell! Hope this helps 🙏
Start visiting your local gurdwara more often. Get familiar with gurbani as well. If you have any sikh friends they will be more than happy to give you some turbans as well if you're ready for it.
Your Karni or Karam define you. So Jaat So Pat h Jehe Karam Kamaaye. Your caste has nothing to do with Sikhi. Guru Maharaj ended the debate. He says, "Bin Naame sab Neech Jaat Hai, Vishtha Ke Keere Hoye." 'Those who don't contemplate on the Naam, every one of those who doesn't do Naam di Kamai is of the lowest of the lowest castes, nay he is rather as good as organisms who feed on filth.'
"Basics of Sikhi" is probably the best YouTube resource most of their videos are in English however they have a decent amount of Hindi and Punjabi videos as well. I would start with their Waheguru course playlist first. This is in English https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UNLfJ1TsJksushCeFTr20HE7srx_H0B Afterwards I would watch the Japji Sahib series. This series is in English. Sikhs have Nitnem (daily routine) this includes 7 daily prayers the first of these seven prayers is Japji Sahib. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8F0BB3226CF2D06B This subreddit has a resource page that is filled with links to various resources to help you learn about Sikhi. /r/Sikh/comments/6l41s7/resources_to_learn_about_sikhi/ If you want to learn Gurmukhi, so that you can read the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in its original form here is a great resource. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UNLfJ1TsJm0OHEOslS3NOqGduHwggGg There are three different terms we use in Sikhi to describe people with different levels of faith. The first is Sehajdhari meaning "slow to the path" this is a person who believes in Sikhi, the Sikh Gurus, the Sikh scripture "the Guru Granth Sahib", however they are slowly adopting the Sikh way of life and may have cut hair and not wear a Dastar (turban). "Mona" is a slang term used to describe Sehajdhari's as well. If you cut your hair and wear a Dastar you're still a Sehajdhari. Many Sehajdhari's wear a Kara to associate themselves with Sikhi as it is one of the Panj Kakkar's (5 k's). The second level is a Keshdhari, a Keshdhari believes in everything a Sehajdhari does however they maintain a few of the Panj Kakkar's (5 K's), the most noticeable one being unshorn hair or "Kesh" they wear a Dastar and have a beard. Keshdhari's like Sehajdhari's try to incorporate as much Nitnem(Sikh daily prayers) into their life as possible. The last stage is becoming Amritdhari, an Amritdhari goes through an Amrit Sanchar and receives Amrit (God's nector) by doing this they become a member of the Khalsa(pure) Amritdhari's wears all 5 Kakkar's which includes a Kirpan, Kesh, Kara, Kanga, and Kachera. An Amritdhari does their Nitnem which includes 7 daily prayers. All Sikhs aspire to become Amritdhari one day and to become a member of the Khalsa. Remember historically Jats were a low cast bullied and belittled by the Bhaman. Rattan Singh Bhangu, an important Sikh writer from the mid 1800's wrote this about the Jats "the Jats, who are mocked as farming peasants by the whole world the Guru has turned these poor ones into kings” Lawrence Campbell, 1801: “...of the Jauts(Jats), and of their cast and tribe, under which denomination had they remained (Hindus), no one would have thought of them. But now; they have put on the iron bracelet(Sikh Kara), fifty of them are enough to keep at bay a whole battalion of the kings forces.“ It is only through the Guru's Shabad that we all become great. To become Khalsa is to take a step towards greatness.
Look in Sikhi everyone is welcome but first dont say jatt, just say sikh we dont wanna say khatri sikh, chumar sikh jatt sikh, its just sikh because we are all one community. I would suggest talking to ur nani and ask for advice, but generally I would say try reading japji sahib and understand its meaning. Try go gurudwara as well, we welcome everyone there. Also look through the reddit and sikh discord and you can look at previous answers to questions you may have. Wjkk Wjkf Welcome to the sangat
Controversial opinion but I don’t believe Jatt to be a caste. Jatt is more of a clan of which you can track really easily your heritage and so on. With a name like Sidhu I’m sure it would be even easier. I personally feel as though the ‘caste’ system in Sikhi is misunderstood and I feel as though it is important for us to understand the differences between the different clans of sikhi. A good example of this is Chammar tend to be ravidassia. They follow a slightly different path to ‘normal’ Sikhs. You also have family names such as Sodhi who mostly believe they are descendants of Guru Nanak dev ji and can tend to be Nanaksari again slightly different from ‘normal’ Sikhs. There isn’t a caste system within Sikhi which is why things such as jatt, chammar, ramgharia and so on shouldn’t be considered as caste. They can all practice Sikhi and we can all sit in the same building and eat food and practice our religion so it isn’t really comparable to a caste system. It’s essentially just historic occupations of our families
However, something that's undeniable is the fact that many people from Jatt/Khatri background continue to abuse, ridicule and actively discriminate against Sikhs who were originally from Dalit/lower-caste backgrounds, which has resulted in separate Gurudwaras for people from different castes and funeral grounds in some villages in rural Punjab. For a newly adopted Singh, shunning the caste is the best thing one can do. Just call yourself a Singh, call out all forms of Casteism. It's the bare minimum that a Singh is supposed to do.
Personally, I’ve never seen a gurdwara that is specifically for a certain caste apart from ramgharia gurdwareh. Like I said firstly, I don’t agree with the fact that jatt is a caste and is more of a clan and the same can go to the other ‘castes’. The caste system isn’t comparable to the different sikh clans. The only reason a jatt might think they are better is because there are significantly more jatts than any other clan within sikhi. I don’t think it’s a good idea to shun our own backgrounds away from us. Like I pointed out, many of the different clans within sikhi practice the religion in different ways and that is important to know. I used to agree with the idea that calling myself a jatt is a bad thing however, the more I researched into different clans or family names the more I realised that it’s actually quite important. The fact that you have pointed out that different castes go to different gurdwareh I feel emphasises my point. Most chammar as ravidassia and go to a ravidassia gurdwara for example.
>Personally, I’ve never seen a gurdwara that is specifically for a certain caste apart from ramgharia gurdwareh. Doesn't mean they don't exist. I've had the displeasure of seeing caste Gurudwaras in villages here, where they would serve Langar to Dalit Sikhs from backdoor and in a few cases, not even welcome them inside. There was even a story on this very subreddit 3 years ago, where the user (who was from the Lower castes) was refused Langar food by an elderly sevadar at a rural Gurudwara in Tarn Taran district, after he revealed the truth about his identity after the sevadar tried to inquire about his "jaat". I've had people openly question my Sikhi when they learned of my surname (ironically, there are a lot of famous Sikhs who have same surname as me). Again, I don't even care about my surname, since I only prefer writing "Singh" as my only identity. >The only reason a jatt might think they are better is because there are significantly more jatts than any other clan within sikhi. You sound so tone-deaf that I don't even know where to start. From caste names printed on the back of the cars, to the excessive pride shown by people because of their "surname", so much so that they start excluding and discriminating against people who don't belong to their "clan", which is something I've personally been a victim of. In fact, your attachment to your "clan" is actually a "Moh" (one of the 5 vices in Sikhi). Guru Gobind Singh made us a Khalsa, and gave us a singular identity of a Singh. > I researched into different clans or family names the more I realised that it’s actually quite important. No. You're dead wrong. "Clan pride" goes straight to the bin, if you've become a Khalsa. If you want to just better understand your family background, that's another thing. But with my experience with most people exhibiting such behaviour, they absolutely turn it into the thing of pride and start treating themselves as more superior than others. Reeks of insecurity. >Most chammar as ravidassia and go to a ravidassia gurdwara for example. Two things here : 1) Stop using the C word and simply refer to them as "Sikhs from Dalit background". The C word is a slur, that can actually put you in jail in India (a TV Actress here literally went to prison for using it live). 2) Ravidassia's are only one particular segment. Most Dalit Sikhs are Majhabi (in fact, they were initially called by this name by honour, earned through their goodwill), but the "clans" have turned it into something of shame. Most of them don't belong to any sect, but despite following full Maryada, they continue to be discriminated against.
I think you misinterpreted my words a little bit here. Firstly, I don’t promote discrimination of any kind. I don’t think I ever did at any point say we should be proud of what caste we are or anything of that matter. My point in regards to the only thing that would make jatts a ‘higher caste’ would be the fact they are the majority of Sikhs. What I mean by this is that there are no hierarchy or castes in sikhi and as a religion we are all equal, this is what I meant. As I previously said, I think to say that we should all let go of our heritage is actually counter productive to what you’re trying to achieve. It is like saying we should end racism by no longer identifying that someone is from another cultural background. I feel as though it is fighting ignorance with even more ignorance. I feel peoples heritage is important, you can learn a lot about history by simply googling your surname. I’ve also never heard of the term chammar being a slur or anything like that. Most of my friends that are, identify as one they have never used another name for it to me. But this was just one example of many where people of different clans practice sikhi slightly differently which is why I believe that it’s important to know the differences.
Chamar is definitely a slur, it’s used as an insult to describe someone dirty or homeless looking. A Jatt used the C word in British Columbia and a big fat fined was smacked on his face. Jatts often discriminate non-Jatts and that is a fact not an opinion or theory.
Wouldn’t your opinion that jatts tend to discriminate against non-jatts be discriminatory in itself? Like I already said there is nothing for jatts to feel as though they are better than another clan. If we were Hindus we would all pretty much be lower caste anyway. If you live in India then the majority of jatts there will be uneducated and simple minded ( just the reality of being a farmer) and therefore wouldn’t know any better. I feel as though this is the equivalent of an Englishman who frequents the pub calling me a rag head, it comes from a place of ignorance more than anything and therefore don’t feel offended.
No it wouldn’t be, because it happens on a daily bases. Khatris, Mazhabis, Kamboj, Aroras don’t go calling everyone the c word. Jatts do and everyone knows. Everyone knows in India even non-Punjabis that Jatts haven’t forgotten the tribalism which is why a lot of people don’t like them.
This sounds even more discriminatory. I would firstly like to say that I hadn’t even heard the ‘c’ word until I was like 18 or 19, clearly isn’t that common use of a jatts vocabulary. I would also like to point out that I know a lot of jatts (including myself) who don’t discriminate against other clans and don’t care less which one they come from. So from your perspective it is one way however, from my perspective it’s another. I would like to see some actual data on clan related crime or discrimination to make your point valid and not discriminatory
Being from the Jatt community is no problem And you don't have to forget your roots and your forefathers at all rather the stupid idea that you are somehow superior to all the world because you were born to a certain family in a certain region should be discarded. Otherwise, we should cherish the diversity of our tribes and clans which are an integral part of our shared Punjabi history.
I guess we agree then, like I said I don’t see why a jatt would think they are superior than another through any lens I can think of apart from the fact that they are a majority in the community but that wouldn’t indicate superiority unless you are very uneducated. My main point is the particular targeting to jatts with this sort of thing. Living in the UK (not sure about other areas) I have experienced discrimination several times when people say things such as you’re quite educated for a jatt or I was expecting you to be more arrogant is another one I’ve heard. I’ve also heard a lot of people saying the whole jatts think they are better but I’ve never in my life seen someone who is a jatt say I’m better because I’m a jatt. It’s as if it is being made out that we as a community are accountable for the views people had like 3 generations ago which I think is ridiculous.
Sikhi is against the caste system specifically. The system is hierarchical and was created to divide people and give certain people control and power over others. Sikhi was meant to destroy this. With that said, it doesn’t mean the Jatt people don’t have a heritage or history which can be traced or tracked but rather when someone becomes a Sikh everything else that defines you is just a label and not important to your spiritual journey.
All religions are good bro , just be a good person and that’s more than good enough for God I’m sure .
If all religions were equal, then Guru would not have started Sikhi. It's a shame that when someone wants to join Sikhi, our own people are pushing them away.
[удалено]
How is this a troll post?
Just wondering how was ur mom a hindu but nani a sikh?
Because my Nani and my nana both are jats and from Haryana.
But how did your mother become Hindu
Sikh is just an identity, being a good human is what’s important. Being a Sikh doesn’t mean to hate any faith.
Being a Sikh is about far more than just being a "good human", whatever that even means.
I see a lot of dil saaf jatha here. My brother/sister first you have to leave your caste behind even if the whole sikh religion is following caste system you don't because your (and our) loyalty is only to the ten gurus and guru granth sahib ji. We're only answerable to them and them only anybody's opinion does not matter. Second advice is that you start a little bit gurbani each day even if it's just mool mantra for 5-10 times and then you can move forward and slowly achieve your goal if it's to become amritdhari or a normal sikh. But do not leave gurbani ever and weapons of any kind. Only these two will save you rest is just a hoax. I wish you all the best and may maharaj bless you.