Hard Talk How Many Sikhs Have Married Out Of Caste/race?

Hi all,

Sikhism practices the egalitarian principles of there being no caste/racial distinctions between people. We can all say we don't believe in castism/racism, but the iron test of a Sikh is to whether they have actually married out of caste/race/tribe?

So How many of you have and I would like to here comments one way or the other.

No flaming please.

Please vote here to:

http://www.sikh-history.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002021

PS Vote also if you intend to marry in or out of caste/race.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

DEAR BROTHER

ssakal

PLEASE PUT UP A POLL ON HOW MANY OF US CONSIDER CASTE AS A FACTOR IN OUR MATRIMONIAL DESCESION .

tHIS WOULD HELP IN LETTING US KNW OUR SELF AND EACH OTHER IN A MORE HONEST MANNER

LOVE

HPS62

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I'll be honest I am interested because as a Sikh it played no part. Me and my wife are from different castes.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

my answer is No. its because if i will marry some one out of caste then it will create many problems regarding religions coz i will want my child to follow sikhism and his mother will want child to follow her religion and child will get confused and reach nowhere... he will have very different point of view??... he will b in trouble everytime...

Moreover when there will be any function , again religions will come between so its better to marry in ur same caste....

I reallr respect all religions but its just i don't want to have any problem regarding religions.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I married a German born woman through the anand Karaj ceremony after she adopted Sikhism as her religious affliation and raized Sikh children. Her Sikh name is Amrit Kaur

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

Dear Friends,

Being a practicing Sikh, I treat all humans as equal in all respects. I do not even think of such things as Jaat/Cast etc.

Manmohan.
Sevadaar.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I am Saini, daughter of devout Sikh parents. I married a Hindu Khatri. The caste or religion question never occured to me at all before marriage. I have known my husband a year before we tied the knot.

We have never discussed anything regarding religion or caste. He goes to Gurudwara when he has time to take me. And I go to the mandir when his family has functions.

So far, though we argue and disagree a lot (as normal couples do) religion and caste never came up.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

i m not married becoz i m only 19

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

sat sri akal
well i m a punjabi guy n its still time for me to get married as i m still completing my college. yes i would love to marry a punajbi or a sikh girl as i find them far more pretty, religious, devoted, faithful, etc. than others. still it depends on for whom i fell for. ofcourse being a punjabi guy caste n religion is not a problem for me n i will marry girl of any caste if i m in love with her. for me love matters not caste or religion.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

We sound like hypocrites if we use caste as a matrimonial decision. Guru Gobind Singh baptized three untouchables without caring about their caste, and then we tell other people that the Gurus got rid of the caste system. What kind of integrity do we have if after this we still consider caste as a matrimonial decision? I urge everyone to think about this and realize that there is no caste...a Sikh is a Sikh. Imagine what the Gurus would think if they saw how many of their followers put so much emphasis on caste.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

The quesion is whether or not you would marry outside your caste not religion. We are all Sikhs...the point of the question is, if you are a Jatt do you intend to only marry a Jatt? I am a Ramgharia and could care less about the caste of my future wife because we would be of the same religion, so those problems with raising children would not come up because we're still Sikhs. I would rather marry a Jatt who I love than a Ramgharia who I don't love.

gurunanakslad said:

my answer is No. its because if i will marry some one out of caste then it will create many problems regarding religions coz i will want my child to follow sikhism and his mother will want child to follow her religion and child will get confused and reach nowhere... he will have very different point of view??... he will b in trouble everytime...

Moreover when there will be any function , again religions will come between so its better to marry in ur same caste....

I reallr respect all religions but its just i don't want to have any problem regarding religions.

Click to expand...

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

The thing is, we have to define who a sikh is. Because, we are counting sikh as a religion or a caste etc. Sikhism is not really a religion. It is actually the divine purpose of god. How humans should be acting as. Its from god. Its not something created by human, its not particularly a religion. It is the world religion, which means, it is the natural divine order of mankind, where there is everything pure...

I dont think there is a problem with marrying anyone from another religion, as long as they understand what sikhi is. Its not just a religion, it is what god expects, as we should be pure, leave everything the way it is.

I have noticed that, people of the white race, who are educated, are so interested in sikhism. For example, there have been many western educated girls from the usa who have the knowledge of sikhism. They know that sikhism is the way of truth. So, you cant really compare sikhism to other religions, because, its not actually a religion, but its more then that, its more like the divine way of life, that all religions are not accepting. So as long as they have knowledge of sikhism, it is ok to marry people from different paths.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

Hello to all,
I enjoy speaking with and corresponding with people of different cultures.
One of the troubling aspects of discussing my faith with others is varna and caste. I don't believe they are one in the same and have never deemed caste acceptable. I also believe Varna had its purpose in society but is not relevent today.
I am also one who believes in love and would not marry someone I didn't love. If I married someone of a different faith than I, which is no problem, I would allow my children to find or let their path find them.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

i married my husband and became sikhi because i found both him and the faith wonderful, and the place where my soul belonged. fom both, i've learn much!

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

Hi all,
I think Sikhism is a way of life.
I personally am not too religious per se, but i have a lot of faith in the God almighty.
When it comes to marriage, i wont be tied down because of my caste / religion. these days you have more in common with people you work with , you interact with , rather than the people who follow the same religion.
I will marry someone i respect and can get along with.
Everyone of course is free to have their own views.
Thanks!!

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I'm only 20, so I'm not married.

I won't hold caste or religion against someone or race. Never hold things against someone that they are born with.

As far as now, most of the girls I've dated or been with have either been non-Sikh or not of the same caste as me.

As far as marrying a non-sikh is concerned, It does not matter to me, but I do expect my children to be raised as Sikhs. Hence, the latter point must be met and agreed upon before marriage is finalized.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

Well till today i m not married because im only 20 and im in uni. When i will marry i can't go for caste. i will only see that the girl should be gursikh.

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I am a Hindu who has found her way back home to Mother India through my Romani (Gypsy) roots. (The Rom came from the Punjab and Rajasthan originally). As an American born person, caste has never made a difference. I would like to think that in this day and age we are all moving away from these artificial boundaries that we put on people. Perhaps if I had been raised in India I might feel differently. My husband is Bolivian, and we have been married for over 23 years and have two lovely children who have chosen to be Hindu having been exposed to both Hinduism and Catholicism. I do like that the Sikh religion downplays caste.

Parvatasundari

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

I completely agree with Orange_Slice. Whoever says that "marrying someone outside the same caste, religion, etc is not correct" - does not understand the meaning of sikhism and is a big hypocrite. Because of such people there is no equality in this world. Sikhism is the path to reach divinity and spirituality. We as sikhs should not repeat what the pakhandi pandits did to in the past. They were the ones to give all these castes and supersitions that are still a part of the society. I understand that people want there children to be following sikhism, but if there is peace and love in your home and there is respect for elders and understanding between each family member, I think your children will surely be true sikhs - they will give happiness to the whole world. But if you yourself are always busy at work, running after money and your born sikh and rich wife is watching "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" on TV everyday and even if u children wear turbans the environment at home will not let them become true sikhs. Its easy to read Guru Granth Sahib but very difficult to follow whatever is written in there. The true sikh will follow and not be a victim of hypocrisy. Thats the big difference. No offence - thats my opinion.

orange_slice said:

We sound like hypocrites if we use caste as a matrimonial decision. Guru Gobind Singh baptized three untouchables without caring about their caste, and then we tell other people that the Gurus got rid of the caste system. What kind of integrity do we have if after this we still consider caste as a matrimonial decision? I urge everyone to think about this and realize that there is no caste...a Sikh is a Sikh. Imagine what the Gurus would think if they saw how many of their followers put so much emphasis on caste.

Click to expand...

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

gurunanakslad said:

my answer is No. its because if i will marry some one out of caste then it will create many problems regarding religions coz i will want my child to follow sikhism and his mother will want child to follow her religion and child will get confused and reach nowhere... he will have very different point of view??... he will b in trouble everytime...

Moreover when there will be any function , again religions will come between so its better to marry in ur same caste....

I reallr respect all religions but its just i don't want to have any problem regarding religions.

Click to expand...

Re: How Many Siks Have Married out Of Jaat/Zaat (Caste/Race)

i agreed with gurunanakslad