Reacting to the Past: Sikhism Is Its Own Religion

Reacting to the Past: Statement of Principles

Sikhism is its own religion. It is not Hinduism, nor is it Islam. The people of the Sikh religion devote themselves to the remembrance of God at all times. It is also important for Sikhs to live truthfully and treat mankind equally. It is against the Sikh religion to believe in superstitions or to practice blind rituals, such as killing a cow and eating beef. With the Khalsa army, the Sikhs were able to expand their rule of an already powerful empire at the same time the British were pushing through India. The Sikhs were the last major Indian state to surrender to the British in 1849. They have also established themselves as an agricultural powerhouse in the region. The Sikhs maintain the most advanced irrigation system in India. The Sikhs in the Punjab have proven to the British that they are capable of controlling their own province in the Federation of Indian States. For these reasons the British have awarded the Sikhs their own province. The foundation of the Sikh state will be based on a “Statement of Principles” that will include an explanation of the relationship between the Sikh religion and the government, the rights of other religions and the Untouchables, and the economic policies of the future.

Sikhism has views similar to the philosophical theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the belief that the only good action is one that has the best outcome for the largest amount of people. The Sikhism religion also believes that all people are to be seen as equal and they reject the traditional Indian Caste system. Guru Bhairo Amar Das said, “All are created from the seed of God. There is the same clay in the whole world, the potter (God) makes many kinds of po...

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...n of the Sikh led province. The best government policy for the Sikh province would be a democracy, because the Sikh religion shares the philosophical theories of utilitarianism; the best action is one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Since the Sikhs believe that everyone is equal in the eyes of God, regardless of religion, race, or sex, the rights of other religions will be respected. The Untouchables of India’s caste system will even be seen as equals to Sikhs, unlike how they are seen in India, which is poor and uneducated. The Sikhs are responsible for much of the wealth in the Punjab. This is because they have an advanced irrigation system, successful crops, and soaring land values. This will be the main economic focus in the region, and even people of different religions will be able to be a part of this booming economy.