|
In the case of the Holocaust, there was clear evidence that Hitler and the Nazis persecuted the Jews for the purpose of annihilating them. The situation in Tibet is not as clear-cut: China's aim was not to destroy Tibetan Buddhism, but to destroy the religious ties that bound the Tibetans in order to annex their land. Both of these examples are clear abuses of power. However, when we discuss the case of the Sikhs versus the Indian government, we are stepping into even more intricate circumstances and less clear definitions of right and wrong. Here, we have two groups in conflict: the Sikhs and the Hindu-dominated Indian government. Both groups have lived in the same region for centuries. Conflicts between the Sikhs and the Hindus date back several centuries ago. In this case, there is a struggle between groups to maintain their religious or cultural identities.
Ever since India regained its independence from Great Britain, the Congress Party (which is mostly comprised of Hindus) has been in control of India. The Sikhs have often been in conflict with this government and the Hindu majority.
In our research, it was hard to find adequate information on the case of the Sikhs and the Indian government that presented both sides of the story. Therefore, as a part of the learning community involved with this website, we ask for our visitors' contributions to help build an annotated bibliography which would help us fill in the gaps in our knowledge about this conflict.
|