350th Prakash Parv celebrations in Patna dominated by elite

While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has rightly claimed that the Government of Bihar has allocated ₹100 crores for celebrating the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh and is actually spending it, central funds are nowhere to be seen in Patna.

The Government of Punjab has given a paltry ₹10 crores for a Sri Guru Gobind Singh Bhawan in Patna. The builder-Babas, the Langar-Babas and the Belgian lights and fireworks waala Babas and the heritage museum waala saints have gathered millions of rupees from their followers and are no doubt spending it.

There are also official event managers handling the show.

One does wonder though whether secular governments should finance religious jamborees at all. Stretch a point and call it showcasing of cultural heritage—it segues in nicely with the muscular nationalistic discourse that appropriates Sardar Patel, Chhatrapati Shivaji and now the Saint Soldier Guru Gobind Singh ji too.

I'm sitting in Bihar and watching Guru Gobind Singh and his legacy being hijacked by builder-Babas and Dera-wallahs. You should see the three page booklet officially brought out as advert-cum-invitation for the three day functions. The Guru is hardly mentioned in it-just a small pic on the front page. Then in fine print that no one can really read, it gives the names of all the thekedars of Sikhism who'll be adorning the various stages at scores of "sessions" to be held—Sants, Babas, Mahants, Akhaada Chiefs, Dera Heads, Jathedaars, Singh Sahibs etc, and on the last day all the netas including the Prime Minister, Home Minister, the Chief Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, ministers from the Centre, from Punjab and from Bihar.

The Guru is forgotten in their ‘Mahima’. It makes me defiant as I refuse to allow these conglomerates to define my relationship with my Guru, my religion or my spirituality or the moral code I live by. This is not even remotely like the Sikhism I was born into, that I studied, that I believe in and that lights up my life.

The only redeeming feature would have been the Langar, but even that appears to be confined to the pilgrims who are mostly Sikhs. The foot soldiers on guard at the pilgrimage sites, the fire fighters, local helpers, drivers don't eat at the Langars, which defeats the purpose of the community kitchen in a way and feels strange at least to me, since I'm used to the "no exclusion" concept of the Langar. One shares whatever one has with all who are present. No one goes away without partaking at least a ritual bite, even if he's full.

It seems to be a lost opportunity for bonding and spreading the practical essence of Sikhism we, the minuscule minority of Sikhs in Bihar, have been trying to explain to the rest of the folks here over the years. Wah he Guru! Teri leela apaar!