Project Punjab: Christian Missionary's Fill The Spiritual Vacuum

Compared to Sikhs, it seems that Christian missionaries are better mobilized, organized and resourced to spread their faith in Punjab. Here's a group called Ignite The Nations that has a special initiative called Project Punjab:

We've been blessed by a comprehensive report that defined about 7,880 villages in Punjab that have no gospel witness.  These are unchurched villages where, for the most part, the inhabitants have never even heard of Jesus Christ, let alone the salvation He offers.  We are focused, through Project Punjab, on reaching every one of them with the gospel, and planting churches all along the way.

Here's a short video that they've produced:

While I am personally disturbed by the project's focus on the Sikh heartland, the Sikh response should not be to shut down the actions of others. The rise of Christian missionaries, dera sant babas and apostosy in Punjab is directly correlated to the lack of engagement with the general population by traditional Sikh institutions. If Gurdwaras are not going to address a person's need for spirituality, meaning and inner peace, then they'll look elsewhere for guidance.

So rather than relying on our typical responses of demonstrations, morchas, petitions and hunger strikes against those who have "hurt the sentiments of Sikhs", lets direct our energy and anger inward.  Those that have hurt the sentiments of Sikhs the most are Sikhs. We have let our institutions and organizations degrade into personal ego and wealth-creation vehicles. "Panthic" organizations now exist to enhance the power and pockets of those that lead them. And we have let this happen on our guard. Rather than demanding accountability and transparency, we blindly keep filling golaks and reciept books with donations. If our Panthic organizations have a responsibility to deliver on their mandate, we as Sikhs have an even greater responsibility to hold them to task. This is not a chicken and egg argument. You get out what you put in. If individual Sikhs abdicate their corporate/community responsibilities, then don't expect insititutions to do any better.

Let the missionaries, babas, sants do what they've been put to do on this earth. I just wish Sikhs would start doing the same.