Dr. S.S. Sodhi is Professor (retd.) and Professional Psychologist who lives in Nova Scotia (Canada). --Editor
Dr S.S. Sodhi has provided us with a copy of his letter addressed to the President of the University of Toronto, drawing his attention to the misinformation about the Sikh Gurus and their Scripture, generated by the so-called sophisticated research at the university. Citing a number of misleading conclusions, he has demanded setting up of an Ethics Committee to review all research pertaining to Sikhs as a minority community.
Dr Sodhi's reaction is typical of Sikh intelligentsia, and his proposal for an Ethics Committee has the backing of individuals as well as organisations among Sikhs. His letter is, therefore, being reproduced for the benefit of the readers. -- Editor, Abstract of Sikh Studies (AOSS)
3 August, 1993
Dr. J. Robert S. Prichard
President
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
Dear Dr Prichard,
I had the honor of attending a very well organized Sikh Educational Conference in Toronto (sponsored by Sikh Social and Educational Society, Box 87600, Thornhill Square-Postal Outlet, Thornhill, Ontario, L3T 7R3), in July 1993. Morning session of July 25 was exclusively devoted to Sikh Studies Research conducted in various North American Universities with special reference to Dr Pashaura Singh's, University of Toronto (1991) Thesis.
The presenters and persons in attendance agreed that historians using Dr McLeod's model of research are intentionally attempting to bring "correctness" to Sikh history and traditions without involving the Sikh community. This "objective" research done in the "secular" University of Toronto is causing turmoil and pain to the Sikh community throughout the world (see attached, especially the letter from SGPC, Amritsar).
In Canada, research on Sikhism has been mainly carried out at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and University of British Columbia, B.C. Sikhism with the history of only 500 years has been selected for the application of objective research using Social Science methods. This, so-called "sophisticated" research has started generating misinformation about the Sikh Gurus and their Scripture. Here are some examples from Dr McLeod's and Dr Pashaura Singh's paradigms:
i. Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikh religion in the organizational and not in the religious sense.
ii. Nath tradition was worked by Kabir. Guru Nanak provided the extension.
iii. Guru Nanak in a way is Sant Nanak.
iv. Guru Nanak never went abroad.
v. Regression from Sikhism to Hindu religion took place at the time of Guru Amardas.
vi. Jat influence got Guruship to Guru Arjan Dev.
vii. Guru Arjan corrected the Bani written by Guru Nanak.
viii. Compilation of Adi Granth was a process. It is not dhur ki bani (revealed).
ix. Bhagat Bani was included in Guru Granth Sahib to please the minorities. Shabads by Danna were included to please the Jats.
x. Singh Sabha imposed a single correct interpretation to Guru Granth Sahib.
xi. A rare undated manuscript GNDU# 1245 should be carefully studied. This is the first draft of Guru Granth Sahib on which Guru Arjan Dev worked and produced Kartarpur wali Bir.
xii. Exclusion of Mira Bai's shabad from Guru Granth Sahib was done in an attempt to develop a Sikh identity. Also the shabad was extremely erotic.
xiii. Khalsa was not given 5K's by Guru Gobind Singh on Baisakhi day, 1699.
xiv. Hair, turban and sword entered Sikhism through the Jat influence. "Jats did not enter Sikhism empty handed."
xv. Guru Granth Sahib became the Sikh Guru because Guru Gobind Singh had no surviving children.
xvi. Guru Arjan was murdered and not martyred in 1604.
One could go on till one starts shaking one's head in disbelief. The conscious and unconscious motivations of the researchers to cause hurt and pain to the Sikh community becomes transparent. Pashaura Singh's thesis (University of Toronto, 1991) was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
It appears that Pashaura Singh was provided a ready made "McLeod" paradigm to fit his research if he wanted to get his Ph.D. Pashaura's role dance got him his doctorate as well as a job.
In their mystification the supervisors who incidently were non-Sikhs, and their student forgot the subjective and emotional nature of the topic but hastened to bring historic correctness by trampling on the Sikh traditions and their subjective Faith.
This type of disrespectful research has to stop. One way, the minorities and females have accomplished this in Canadian setting is, by writing to Presidents of those Universities where such research is conducted and demanding that an Ethics Committee be set up that would review all research pertaining to that community before it is allowed to progress.
On behalf of the Sikh community of Canada, I am writing to request you to set up an Ethics Committee to evaluate and approve any research conducted on Sikhs at the University of Toronto. I can assure you, it will partially remediate the harm and hurt this research is causing to 16 million Sikhs living in India and abroad. I am sending five hundred copies of this letter to various Sikh organizations in India and abroad. I hope they will be writing to you individually. Kindly feel free to contact me if you need any further information.
With kind regards,
S.S. Sodhi, Ph.D.
Professor of Sp. Education
Dalhousie University
Halifax, N.S. Canada
Responding to Dr Sodhi's letter, the University expressed regret over the harm and hurt caused to the Sikh community. Letter from Dr Adel Sedra, Vice-President and Provost follows. -- Editor, AOSS
September 10, 1993
Dr. S.S. Sodhi
School of Education
Dalhousie University
Halifax, NS B3H 3J5
Dear Dr Sodhi,
The President had referred your letter of August 3, 1993 to my attention and I apologize for the delay in responding to you.
As you may be aware, the University has had a number of meetings with representatives of the Ontario Council of Sikhs. At these meetings the issue of Dr Singh and Professor McLeod's work have been discussed. The University understands and regrets the harm and hurt that the members of the Sikh community may experience concerning the work of these two individuals. As you may be aware, the University and the Ontario Council of the Sikhs have been attempting to increase the opportunities to study and participate in the University community. It is thus especially unfortunate that we have not been able to pursue this goal with the success we had hoped.
In reference to the more specific points that you have raised in your letter, I believe it is important to bear in mind that neither Dr Singh nor Professor McLeod are currently members of the University of Toronto. Indeed, Dr Singh has not been associated with the University of Toronto beyond his receiving of the doctorate and Dr McLeod, while having taught for us, is not a member of the permanent faculty of the University of Toronto, and is not scheduled to teach in our programs in the coming year.
You have raised the suggestion that the University should establish an ethics committee that would review all research pertaining to the Sikh community. The University had considerd a variant of this proposal earlier in our discussions with the Ontario Council of Sikhs. As I am sure you are aware, the University's tradition has been to foster, in the academic community an environment where the right of free enquiry and expression is safeguarded with the responsibility of the individuals who enjoy this freedom to be held accountable to their peers through scholarly publication and debate. In particular, in areas where there are allegations such as those against Pashaura Singh, the University respects the authority of various religious bodies to rule on such matters, and does not itself believe that it has or should have jurisdiction with regard to the alleged blasphemies in the thesis. It is for this reason that the University has not established a committee that would review such research proposal.
The University of Toronto continues to maintain an interest in the Sikh community and is furthering scholarship in Sikh Studies. We will be looking to establishing in the next year a number of seminars that will allow for the participation of a number of scholars in Sikh Studies so that our students will be exposed to a number of view points. We hope that this will continue interest in Sikh Studies at the University and that we will work in the future to overcome some of the difficulties that we have currently.
Thank you for taking time to write to the President.
Yours Sincerely,
Adel Sedra
Vice-President and Provost
As a result of the controversy over the work of Dr McLeod the University of Toronto has decided not to employ him to teach in the program. This has been conveyed by the office of the Vice-President and Provost in his letter to the Ontario Council of Sikhs, Toronto, reprinted below. -- Editor, AOSS
September 17, 1993
Mr. Manohar Singh Bal
Secretary
Ontario Council of Sikhs
Toronto, ON M5R 1J6
Dear Mr. Bal,
I thought I would send you a short note just bringing you up to date on some of the things that have transpired since I returned from my leave.
As I know you are aware, the concerns that you and your collegues expressed to Provost Foley are shared by other members of your community, some of whom have taken time to write to the University. I enclose for your information a copy of the most recent correspondence with Dr Sodhi. As you have seen from the earlier correspondence, the University basically believes that the resolution of the charges against Pashaura Singh are appropriately being explored outside the university and through scholarly and other forms of debate. Pashaura Singh's doctorate was awarded following the University's rules which we have a legal obligation to honour.
There has obviously been considerable discussion of Dr McLeod's work in your community and in scholarly forums. Again, I think these are appropriate forums for raising issues that have troubled your community and others. As you may also know, the University will not be employing Dr McLeod to teach in our program.
I appreciate very much that the recent past has made it very difficult for the Sikh community to support the University at a level we all hope for. I believe that the point you and your collegues raised concerning the availability of other Sikh scholars to participate in the University's programs, was an important one and that the University should strive to widen the involvement of individuals to be more reflective of the various perspectives in the scholarly community.
I regret that the University, for a number of reasons including our fiscal situation, is not able to mount the course that we have been able to offer, in part with your assistance, over the last number of years. I am pleased to indicate that the University will be supporting a series of seminars in the area of Sikh Studies which we hope will involve a number of Sikh scholars. I would hope that this measure would provide a bridge to the future, whether this would be through a more formal agreement with the Sikh community or through an active participation of your community in the University. I would be pleased to discuss this with you should you so desire.
