Kanwardeep Singh ji
I know that hundreds, if not thousands, of Bhakti have been established and then been devoted to, to one degree or another, in India/Pakistan; and I know that, no matter what, the Sikhi have embraced them all.
To me, that's the most important part of being a 'Sikh' - not whether or not you cut your hair, eat meat, sleep around (or not), or would want to further partition a piece of dirt that your Leaders wisely chose not to endorse the partitioning of, as much it has been, in the first place.
You may not live in the past, but I see, and feel, in your words that the Pain of teh past is still affecting most of you (forgive me if I'm being too personal - or just plain wrong); and, so, I was merely being the ever-hopeful optimist that I am, in trying to encourage you to embrace the Values of not just Tollerance - but Universal Love that I see going out the window in many other places, when those who practice other supposedly Tollerant Faiths, begin using Orthodoxy as an excuse to be IN-tollerant.
I'm, of course, not accusing you of doing anything wrong; all that you have said is justified and justifiable; I was simply trying to encourage you to attribute only the best parts of the Sikhi Philosophy - rather than giving into the Evils of Fanaticism that tend to go hand in hand with what you're calling the 'Tallibanized' version of Sikhism that, perhaps, is a little too Proud for Our Beautiful Lords taste.
Still, I'm just a 'not-so-ignorant-American' who'se yet to have the Pleasure of traveling to India; so I acknowledge that I am, perhaps, unfit to judge these things.
From my, perhaps imperfect, point of view, it would seem to me that the Sikhi are uniquely positioned - and widely respected enough - to make a whole lot of Peace happen in your oh-so troubled part of the world; and it's only by holding more dear your Tradition of Tollerance - and holding others to it, as well (For Example: Muslim Pride, I've found, is a Mighty Lever indeed; when you 'out tradition' them in their traditions!) - than your desire to (forgive me!) feel "Special", due to your (self-perceived?) 'superior adherence' to some Dogma, and the Evils of Pride therein, that will enable people like US to be most effective in our pursuit of this Noble Task.
My Soldiers are dying - and Innocents are being needlessly killed; all in the Name of God, as interpreted by (largely) Ignorant Fanatics - who've grown Drunk on their own Pridefulness!
The World cannot afford the 'Carbon Footprint' of all this Conflict!
I'm assured that neither you, nor any other Sikh - "Real", or otherwise - will ever give into these Evils; and that WE, by being Dharma, can set a Golden Example for these others to follow!
Let ius Hope, at least!
Peace, my Good Jios!
