This incident has not only tarnished the image of the Sikh community but has also harmed the community's interests.
The clash between two groups in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Duisburg, a city in western Germany, is a regrettable incident. It has not only tarnished the image of the Sikh community, but has also harmed the community's interests due to its direct disregard for Sikh principles and etiquette. According to media reports, the clash took place between the current 'sevadars' (administrators) and the previous 'sevadars' (administrators) over the Golak of the Gurdwara. Although around 125 devotees were present in the Gurdwara at the time, only about 40 people were involved in the clash. At the end of the Diwan, there was an initial argument between the two groups which turned into verbal abuse.
Then the scuffle started. After this, small swords were used and also big ones. Someone even opened fire. 11 people were injured. If the local police had not intervened in time, the clash would have probably turned more bloody. Viral videos show that the members of the congregation who requested both the parties to talk peacefully in the presence of the Guru were also not spared from being beaten up. The local police have registered a case in the context of the entire incident and arrested one accused.
Efforts are underway to arrest some others. The number of Sikhs living permanently or temporarily in Germany is estimated at 25,000. They have a reputation for being a law-abiding community compared to other Asian or African communities. But the extent to which videos of the clash inside the gurdwara have gone viral and the mainstream German and European media have covered the clash for two consecutive days has certainly dented the Sikh community's benign image.
In fact, a few days before the incident in Germany, the incident of the murder of two Sikhs in Italy was also widely covered by the mainstream media of many European countries, including Italy. Two Sikhs, Rajinder Singh (48) and Gurmeet Singh (48), who had come out after attending the Baisakhi Diwan at Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji located in the industrial town of Covo in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, were shot dead. Rajinder Singh was also the former president of the Sikh Cultural Association and was also associated with the management of the gurdwara. The three accused arrested in connection with this double murder are said to be from the Sikh community.
It is not surprising that the media has linked the double murder to allegations of 'misuse of the Guru's power'. There are about 2.20 lakh Sikhs living in Italy. They have earned a good reputation in Italian society through their expertise and hard work in economic sectors like agriculture, dairy, logistics and small industries. It is not befitting for the Sikh community to have such reputation eroded due to the squabbles and disputes related to the politics of the Guru Ghars. Gurdwaras have been attracting non-Sikhs, especially Europeans, due to their langar practice and traditions like keeping their doors open to followers of all religions. Therefore, their status as a respected and holy place should be maintained at all costs.
Apart from the Chaudhary battles within the Gurudwaras, the Sikh diaspora has also been facing shame in the Western world, especially in Canada, the US and Australia, due to the criminality of its younger generation. In Canada, there are more than 45 pending cases of serious criminal offences against members of the Sikh community.
The number of civil cases is different. Similarly, there are 38 criminal cases against Sikhs in America; the number of cases registered against Sikh truck drivers in the western states of that country is different. The community needs to be serious about curbing such trends. It is true that in the present era 'dedicated' to materialistic desires, money-dominance has become the main sign of human progress, yet the determination of the Sikh community should remain focused on the Guru's precepts of 'work, distribute, chant the name'. It should not fall prey to the degradations and sufferings of 'ball wars' and getting rich quick.
