Sikhism was not born in comfort or compromise. It emerged as a fearless challenge to injustice, hypocrisy, and the misuse of religious authority. Guru Nanak Dev Ji rejected hollow rituals and exposed the unholy alliance between power and false piety. Sikhism was meant to elevate conscience above convenience and truth above fear. Today, however, the Sikh Panth faces a painful reality where politics is increasingly overpowering religion, threatening the very foundations of Gurmat.
What should deeply alarm every Sikh is not just political interference, but the normalisation of that interference. Decisions affecting Sikh institutions are no longer judged purely on spiritual merit. Instead, they are weighed against political alliances, electoral calculations, and power equations. This quiet surrender of religious autonomy has weakened institutions that were meant to stand firm against all forms of pressure.
One of the most visible and shameful outcomes of this decay is the internal fighting within gurdwaras. Sacred spaces meant for humility and prayer are turning into battlegrounds of ego and ambition. Physical violence, court cases, police deployments, and factional takeovers have become disturbingly common. When fists are raised where heads should bow, it signals not just leadership failure, but a moral collapse.
This means fights are rarely about Sikh principles. They are about who controls committees, finances, contracts, and influence. Political patrons operate from the shadows while ordinary devotees watch in disbelief. Each such incident damages the image of Sikhism and pushes the younger generation further away from religious institutions they no longer recognise as sacred.
The pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stands as a turning point that exposed how deeply politics has penetrated Sikh decision-making. For Sikhs worldwide, the pardon was not just controversial; it was humiliating. It appeared to suggest that Panthic honour could be negotiated for political advantage. The confusion, reversals, and silence that followed only deepened the wound.
That episode shattered public trust. Sikhs began asking uncomfortable but necessary questions: Who truly controls Sikh institutions? Are decisions guided by Gurmat, or by political compulsions? When such doubts take root, authority loses its legitimacy.
The Akal Takhat, the supreme temporal seat of Sikh authority, has also suffered severe damage to its credibility. Frequent changes of Jathedars, inconsistent rulings, selective actions, and visible political pressure have weakened its moral stature. The Takhat was meant to speak truth to power not echo it. Its perceived helplessness has left the Panth confused and divided.
Each time a Jathedar is removed or compromised under political pressure, the institution itself is diminished. Authority does not come from position alone; it comes from courage and consistency. Without independence, even the highest seat becomes symbolic rather than sovereign.
Other Sikh leadership bodies and gurdwara management committees have not inspired confidence either. Many function more like political extensions than religious custodians. Loud statements on convenient issues and complete silence on uncomfortable truths have become the norm. This selective activism has bred cynicism and anger among ordinary Sikhs.
At the core of this crisis lies a fundamental misunderstanding or deliberate misuse of Miri-Piri. Sikh philosophy never granted politics supremacy over religion. On the contrary, political authority in Sikhism is meant to exist under the strict moral shadow of Sikh religion. Power must bow to Gurmat. When this balance is reversed, Sikh politics loses its soul.
Sikh politics today desperately needs moral discipline. Leaders who claim to represent Sikh interests must remember that they are answerable to the Panth, not above it. Politics that divides Sikhs, weakens institutions, or manipulates religious emotions is not Sikh politics it is ordinary power politics wearing a Sikh mask.
This crisis is not limited to Punjab. The Sikh diaspora is increasingly importing the same toxic politics into gurdwaras abroad. Instead of becoming centers of unity and learning, some overseas gurdwaras are trapped in factionalism and rivalry. Young Sikhs, witnessing constant conflict, are quietly distancing themselves—not from faith, but from leadership.
The greatest danger is not criticism or protest; it is silence and fatigue. When Sikhs stop expecting better from their institutions, decline becomes permanent. History shows that Sikh institutions survived external attacks because they were morally strong. Today, internal weakness poses a far greater threat.
The path forward demands courage, reform, and introspection. Gurdwaras must be reclaimed as spiritual sanctuaries. The Akal Takhat must regain its independence and authority