Source: Canal water reaches 80% of Punjab's fields, groundwater rises 4 m: CM Bhagwant Mann

I’m genuinely curious and a bit confused about how most Sikhs actually feel about the idea of Khalistan. From what I’ve seen, a lot of Sikh videos, social media pages, and online discussions seem strongly supportive of it, and there are even some Sikh communities in Canada that openly promote the movement. But is that representative of the broader Sikh population, or is it more of a vocal minority? I’m wondering whether Khalistan is something that gets talked about regularly in gurdwaras, or if it’s mostly kept out of everyday religious and community spaces. Are there distinct groups or separate circles of Sikhs who support Khalistan versus those who don’t, and how can someone tell the difference when meeting people or looking at communities online? Also, do pro-India Sikhs and pro-Khalistan Sikhs typically stay friends, socialize together, or tend to keep their distance from each other because of these political differences?

Hello, I am a Hindu in the U.S trying to learn about Sikh communities. I hope the question doesn’t come off as rude. Im curious whether these expressions are interpreted as respectful or not when said by non-Sikhs. What do you feel being referred to like this?

I’m also interested in if you feel a meaningful difference between being referred to as protectors of Hindus vs. protectors of India. Is one more appropriate or do you have reservations about both?

Also, in the Kashmiri family I grew up in my older family members said it was proper to address our older Sikh neighbor my grandparents’ age as Sardaar ji. That is probably not okay anymore, right? Was it ever okay?

Lastly, I have a question for Kashmiri Sikhs. I come from a Kashmiri Pandit family and first heard these expressions from my grandparents. They spoke very highly of Sikhs, and told me that if pandits were more like them they wouldn’t have had to flee in the 1990s. My grandfather claimed that during this time some of the isolated rural Kashmiri Sikhs communities that grew apples were targeted and killed by Islamic terrorists, and it was covered up or ignored by the Kashmiri police. However, I’m unable to find any historical sources for this (besides the Chattisingphora massacre way later in 2000, which is not what I’m referring to). I was really hoping to see if someone in this subreddit knew more about this? Thank you.

“Is killing living beings permissible in Sikhism? Who has given these people the permission to kill a living being like this? How justified is it, according to Sikhism, to kill an innocent, voiceless animal in this manner?”

On 20 October 1962, China attacked India along the Himalayan border, in Ladakh in the west and in what is now Arunachal Pradesh in the east. India was badly unprepared. The fighting lasted a month, until China declared a ceasefire that took effect on 21 November, and 1,383 Indian soldiers were killed by the official count.

At home, Indians were asked to give money and gold to the National Defence Fund. By 28 November the fund had received ₹8 crore, and Punjab, with just 4.6% of the country's people, had given over ₹3.7 crore of it. That is 46% of the cash. Its Chief Minister, Partap Singh Kairon, had promised Nehru that Punjabis would defend India with "gold and blood".

Punjab also gave 252 kg of gold by 28 November, while 5.327 kg was reported from the rest of the country. One city stands out: about 65 kg, half of a single 130 kg batch, came from the people of Amritsar. That batch held about 12,000 gold coins, some from the era of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Sources

• M. Rajivlochan, "How Kairon made Punjabis offer gold, blood in 1962", The Tribune (2020): cash and gold totals, Amritsar's share, Kairon's measures
• 1961 census of India, Wikipedia: India 438.9 million, Punjab 20.3 million
• Sino-Indian War, Wikipedia: war dates, 1,383 Indian soldiers killed (Indian official figure)

It's okay as long as your skin color is....

I’ve been noticing something for a long time, and I’m genuinely curious whether others have experienced this too.

Why do some sewadars in Gurudwaras behave so rudely towards people who come to pay their respects?

You go to a place that’s supposed to represent humility, equality, compassion, and selfless service, yet sometimes you’re met with an unnecessarily harsh tone, condescending behaviour, or orders given to you over the smallest things. Whether it’s asking a simple question, finding your way around, or doing something without knowing the Gurudwara’s specific rules, the response can sometimes feel more like being scolded than being welcomed.

What makes this more confusing is the concept of sewa itself. Isn’t sewa supposed to be about humility and serving others without ego? If someone is doing sewa but looks down on the very people they’re supposed to serve, what’s the point?

I understand that managing a busy Gurudwara isn’t easy. Sewadars deal with crowds, cleanliness, discipline, and people who don’t follow instructions. They deserve respect, and not everyone is rude. Many do their work with genuine devotion and kindness.

But I’ve encountered this behaviour often enough to wonder whether there’s a deeper issue. Does volunteering in a religious setting sometimes give people a sense of authority? Does nobody teach them how to correct people respectfully? Or have we started confusing being strict about discipline with being disrespectful?

I’m not saying this to disrespect anyone or diminish the importance of sewa. Quite the opposite. I feel that the values we associate with Gurudwaras make this behaviour especially disappointing.

Have you experienced this too? Why do you think it happens, and how can we address it without disrespecting the people who genuinely serve the Sangat?

TL;DR: Why do some sewadars in Gurudwaras act so rude and arrogant when sewa is supposed to represent humility, kindness, and selfless service? I understand managing crowds isn’t easy, and not all sewadars behave this way, but why is speaking disrespectfully to the Sangat so common in some places? Are we confusing authority with sewa, and discipline with disrespect?

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I am starting to hate nihang's, they are supposed to be "saint soldiers" and stuff, but all i see them doing is bullying people, beating people up in gangs, spreading hate, they seem the sikh version of bajrang dal.

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I feel like Sikhs know how to protest, they always get what they want.

PS - I don’t support this protest but you have to give it to these people.