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Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin

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Center and Gurdwara Sahib Roseville have ceased to exist. Last service was performed on April 17 th .<br />

Full story about our financial situation was published in the January 2005 issue. It again appears in<br />

updated form on page 31 of this issue. It has become painfully clear that majority of <strong>Sikh</strong> Sangat really<br />

does not concern itself with what goes on in the Gurdwaras. With the exception of a very small minority,<br />

most families attend Gurdwara services for bhaichara reasons, by invitation only. If no family has taken<br />

Langar sewa, as has been the case on most Sundays in our case since October 2003, very few people<br />

attend the service since the Guru does not make phone calls nor does the Guru hold grudges. <strong>The</strong><br />

management, with few honourable exceptions, is largely left in the hands of those people who do not<br />

really have nishkaam sewa ideal in mind. Depending on the individual, what drives them to stay involved<br />

in Gurdwara management by whatever means is ego, andhvishvash, misuse of funds and opportunity to<br />

bring people from India for money or for family reasons or a combination of these.<br />

To keep publishing the <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong> financial support of its readers is absolutely essential. This financial<br />

support also has to be voluntary. Many of you have already voluntarily donated from $5.00 to $5,000.00<br />

and more. You are in the best position to become fund raisers since you read it and agree with the effort<br />

and the difference we are trying to make.<br />

If you have the capacity to receive electronic copy of the SB please let us know. That will save on the<br />

postage. If you are receiving bulk copies for local distribution please let us know if you need more or less<br />

or none at all. We know that circumstances can change. We will comply with your changed needs. If you<br />

wish for a copy to go to a friend or a family member please give us their email address if they have one.<br />

Operations for preparing the <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong> have been moved to KTF’s home base. Electronic copy will<br />

appear on www.sikhbulletin.com every month. Printed copy will be mailed as funds permitted.<br />

Thank you.<br />

Editor.<br />

ADDRESSES FOR SENDING DONATIONS:<br />

USA: K. T. F. of N. A. Inc, 3524 Rocky Ridge Way, El Dorado Hills, Ca 95762<br />

CANADA: Singh Sabha International (Canada), 603 Ray Lawson Blvd, Brampton,<br />

Ontario L6Y 5J7;<br />

UK: Singh Sabha International (UK), 26 Moulton Ave, Hounslow,Middx,<br />

TW3 4LR;<br />

AUSTRALIA: Bawa Singh Jagdev, 12 Meehan St, Matraville, NSW 2036;<br />

MALAYSIA: Dr. Sarjeet Singh Sidhu, 50 Jalan Bintang, Taman Sunrise, 31400<br />

IPOH, PERAK<br />

*****<br />

GUEST EDITORIAL<br />

REHT MARYADA: TIME FOR AN UPDATE<br />

[Editorial from May 2005 <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong>]<br />

Every religion demands that its followers accept that the Scripture of that religion is for-all-time, that it is<br />

immutable. <strong>Sikh</strong>ism is no exception. <strong>The</strong> followers of every religion, including <strong>Sikh</strong>s, on faith, accept this<br />

as ‘fact’. <strong>The</strong> big question is whether everything else associated with <strong>Sikh</strong>ism must be accepted<br />

unquestioningly. Is the Reht Maryada also immutable Clearly a <strong>Sikh</strong>, having accepted the existence of<br />

God and the truth of spiritual matters as contained in the AGGS on faith, has a right to demand a reasonable<br />

explanation for any religious requirement not covered by the AGGS but made in the name of the<br />

faith, has a right to be consulted on matters that affect him, a right to be heard without any fear of<br />

“excommunication”. <strong>The</strong> Reht Maryada is not divine; it was meant to guide the <strong>Sikh</strong>s, to serve as a Code<br />

of Conduct and Conventions, in order to maintain uniformity vis-à-vis <strong>Sikh</strong> practices.<br />

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