Amritsar, November 14 - Despite the fact that Brahmins made a significant contribution during the times of Sikh Gurus, their role has not been highlighted so far. Out of 35 authors whose writings have been incorporated in Guru Granth Sahib, 16 were Brahmins, making their contribution 45 percent. The Bhatt Brahmins sang and wrote in the praise of Sikh Gurus and 11 of them had even laid down their lives for the cause of Sikhism during the lifetime of Sikh Gurus. They were bestowed with the honour of preacher (Manjis) by the Gurus.
This is the crux of the research, "Brahmin Bhala Aakhiye", conducted by Iqbal Singh, senior superintendent of police, Amritsar (rural). He has quoted hymns from Guru Granth Sahib to substantiate his viewpoint on the subject. The research is a collection of information about the Brahmins who hail from far-off places like Jagannath, Kashi, Gaya, Brindaban, Kurukshetra, Lahore, Jhelum, Kashmir, Gorakhpur, Jodhour and Gwalior, and their contribution towards the Bhakti movement.
Cop-turned-scholar Iqbal Singh, in his research, says Sikh Gurus had a great respect for the capabilities of Brahmins who were entrusted with important assignments on the basis of their abilities and deep commitment towards society. In view of their Brahmanical background, they could fully understand and interpret the Gurmat for the common man, he adds.
The SSP in the past also has tried to depict the positive role of Muslims through his book, "Musalman Kahawan Muskal". He has so far contributed five books on the Sikh history and philosophy, besides writing a large number of articles in newspapers.
The officer, who had earned appreciation from the then DGPs, including K.P.S. Gill, for providing confidential reports which led to seizures of arms and ammunition besides elimination of terrorists, has provided pioneer information to researchers of Gurbani.
Lauding the efforts of Iqbal Singh for bringing out the various facets associated with the contribution of the Brahmins in Guru Granth Sahib, former jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti said Sikh researchers should further dwell on the subject to project the role played by them. He said the coming generation should be made aware about the help provided by the Brahmins in compiling the holy book.
The former Governor of Nagaland, O.P. Sharma, in the preface of the research work, while appreciating the hard work done by Iqbal Singh, said that it was a challenging assignment that had been brilliantly researched by him.
