The Khalsa

Khalsa is an order that was established by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 during the Baisakhi festival. Khalsa means pure, and the initiation of Sikhs into the order was done in a ceremony that involved taking sweetened water referred to as Amrit. The Sikh men who were initiated into the Khalsa order adopted the name Singh as their surname while women adopted Kaur’s name. The Sikhs who were initiated into the Khalsa were supposed to uphold the highest morality and codes of conduct. Khalsa started with the baptism of five members by Guru in public, which was followed by the initiation of many others in the Khalsa order.

Singh, Nikky-Guninder Kaur. The Birth of the Khalsa: A feminist re-memory of Sikh Identity. SUNY Press, 2005.

Singh explains the origin of the Khalsa that formed the basis of the Sikhism religion. The author also discusses how Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa in 1699 during the Baisakhi festivities by preparing the Amrit and the five men’s baptism to join the family of the Khalsa (Singh xi). The author proceeds to discuss how the Khalsa became an integral part of the Sikh, although it is also a minority proportion of the Sikh who are formally baptized into the Khalsa order. According to the author, all Sikh women and men trace their name, personality, prayers, and religious rites, including what they do and the way they wear to the birth of the Khalsa in 1699. The approach taken by the author of this article, Singh Nikky-Guninder Kaur, is a female perspective (Singh xviii). Singh argues that men have only done the recording of the event of the birth of the Khalsa. As a result, the Sikh Khalsa men are perceived as hypermasculine subjects, while Sikh Khalsa women are perceived as silent and passive objects in the birth of the Khalsa. Additionally, this has led to Sikh women being subjected to a cultural burden that is centuries old. The author also argues that the dramatic Baisakhi event in the birth of the Khalsa does not recognize the role of the Sikh women because the society during the times of Guru Gobind Singh was patriarchal.

McLeod, Hew. “The Five Ks of the Khalsa Sikhs.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 128.2 (2008): 325-331.

In this article, Hew Mcleod discusses how Sikh men are recognizable by their uncut beards and hair and the wearing of turbans. The author also indicates that in the United States and many other countries, the wearing of turbans by Sikh men has made many people brand them as Muslims. As a result, the Sikhs in the United States were more vulnerable even than the Muslims following the 9/11 Twin Towers destruction (McLeod 325). This was after a Sikh man was gunned down for being mistaken to be a Muslim who were associated with the terrorism behind the attack. The author proceeds to provide a description of how the Sikh Khalsa men can be identified by describing how the turbans they wear can be identified. However, it is difficult in most instances to differentiate between Sikh Khalsa women from the Punjabi Hindu women.

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Only people who are well informed can recognize the Sikh Khalsa women by associating them with the male Sikh Khalsa. The author of this article explains the origin of the Five Ks in Khalsa or the five Khalsa symbols and how an observer can recognize a Sikh Khalsa since many of those living overseas are no longer wearing turbans and are cutting their beards (McLeod 326). The author indicates that many Sikhs Khalsa do not observe the traditions and the number of Khalsa men who cut their beards and do not wear a turban is larger than those who follow the tradition. According to the author, it has become difficult to recognize a Sikh Khalsa by their appearance since the Five Ks of the Sikh Khalsa established by Guru Gobind Singh concern only the outside appearance (McLeod 328). The author of the article indicates that despite the Five Ks being the major way to identify a Sikh Khalsa, many of the Khalsa do not follow the tradition.

Syan, Hardip Singh. “Debating Revolution: Early eighteenth-century Sikh public philosophy on the formation of the Khalsa.” Modern Asian Studies (2014): 1096-1133.

In this article, Hardip Singh Syan analyzes the public debate that took place among Delhi’s Sikh community after Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa. This debate and its details were expressed in a Sikh text referred to as Sri Gur Sobha written in the early eighteenth century (Syan1096). The text explains the division among Delhi’s Sikhs into anti-Khalsa and pro-Khalsa factions. This division created a conflict that led to the persecution of Delhi’s Khalsa Sikhs. The author examines how the conflict occurred and how it reflects wider socioeconomic and political processes in Sikh society and in early modern India (Syan1097). The author also discusses the establishment of the Khalsa order, whereby the first five members to be initiated into Khalsa had the willingness to sacrifice their lives for Guru Gobind Singh. The author takes the approach of examining how the establishment of the Khalsa order did not only add the rich religious landscape in India but also associated with political ambitions that challenged Mughal’s authority in the Punjab region (Syan1098). According to the author, Khalsa Sikhism was associated with the notions of soldierliness and sovereignty that are clear in the Khalsa’s initiation ceremony. Becoming Khalsa was not a process of merely displaying faith in Guru Gobind Singh by wearing a specific dress code. It was a complex process that required devotion to the Guru in forming a militant organization of righteousness that was added to the religious community (Syan 1104).

Robinson, Catherine Anne. “Raj Karega Khalsa (the Khalsa shall reign): the legacy of Tat Khalsa in portrayals of the Khalsa, the impact on Sikh studies and implications for Sikhism in education.” Religions of South Asia 1.1 (2007): 65-80.

In this article, Catherine Anne Robinson explains how Khalsa tends to be a representation of Sikhism. The author provides an explanation of the origin of the Khalsa and the elements that define true Khalsa. The author also indicates the way Tat Khalsa or true Khalsa has influenced teaching and research in Sikhism by examining the history of Sikh studies (Robinson 65). In the article, Catherine Anne Robinson demonstrates how Khalsa’s current form was shaped through activities that campaigned for true Khalsa in the early twentieth and late nineteenth centuries. According to Robinson, the traditionalist Sikh ideology perceived Sikhism as embedded in Hinduism. Additionally, being a member of the Khalsa order was not a privilege over other allegiances and affiliations as an element of the true Sikh Khalsa (Robinson 68). However, Khalsa has been reformed and has profoundly influenced the Sikh ideology to become a significant differentiating element between Sikhism and Hinduism. This author takes an approach of critical reflection of how Khalsa in Sikhism is represented in education. The author examines the origin of the Khalsa ideology and how it has evolved to become the identity of the Sikhs (Robinson 68). The author provides scholarly views on how the standard version of establishing the Khalsa order is featured in Sikhism.

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Pilgrimage, H. A. Y., J. “The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of World Religions.”

In this article, the author explains the topic of Khalsa, whereby it describes Khalsa as the Sikh community in which the members have gone through formal initiation into the Khalsa order (Pilgrimage 176). The author explains the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in a ceremony that had the intention of turning the Sikhs into a military organization that was willing and ready to defend their faith and identity. The author describes the ceremony of initiating Sikhs into the Khalsa through baptism using sweetened water. The author also indicates how the Khalsa Sikhs were required to adhere to the stipulated code of behavior, including caring for the needy, maintaining marriage vows, and courage in conflict. The author further discusses how Sikh Khalsa men were recognizable in public by not cutting their beards or hair, wearing donning clothes and a steel bracelet on their right wrists, and crying a small dagger (Pilgrimage 176). This author takes the approach of providing a description of how Khalsa Sikhs were not hiding their faith and how they had to learn how to maintain their pride in public. They had to be ready to defend their identity and religion. Men had to adopt the name Singh in their surname, and women adopted the name Kaur.

Comparing the findings of the article, including their approaches

The findings of the five articles analyzed have various similarities despite the scholars using different approaches. In all the articles, the authors have discussed the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. All the scholars of the analyzed articles also discuss the initiation of the Sikhs into the Khalsa. The authors also provide a description of the features that make Sikh Khalsa men recognizable in public. However, the article by Hew McLeod indicates that all Sikh Khalsa men do not observe these observable features like not cutting their hair and beards and wearing turbans. The articles have differences in the approaches used by each scholar. The article by Singh Nikky-Guninder Kaur takes a female perspective by arguing how the event that led to the birth of the Khalsa does not recognize the role of the Sikh women because the society was patriarchal (Singh xix). The approach taken by Hew McLeod is also different from the rest because it explains how the majority of Sikh Khalsa men are no longer recognizable by wearing turbans and not cutting their hair because this tradition is not observed by all Sikh Khalsa (McLeod 326). The article by Hardip Singh Syan also takes a different perspective by analyzing the public debate among Delhi’s Sikh community after Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa. This scholar examines how the establishment of the Khalsa order added to the rich religious landscape in India and associated with political ambitions (Robinson 68). The article by Catherine Anne Robinson also takes a different approach to the topic by examining the origin of the Khalsa ideology and how it has evolved to become the true identity of the Sikhs. The article by Pilgrimage provides a summary of the Khalsa order by discussing how formal initiation is carried out and how Sikh Khalsa men are recognizable in public.

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Reflection on What I Have Learned About How Each Scholar Approaches the Topic

There are several lessons that can be derived from how the various scholars approach the topic of the Khalsa. Among the lessons that I learned is that despite the approaches taken by the various scholars, the Khalsa is depicted as a principle that forms the basis of the Sikhism religion (Pilgrimage 176). I also learned that despite the scholars taking different approaches on the topic, the process of initiation into the Khalsa order had been described in the same way. I also learned that it is only a minority of the Sikhs who are initiated in the Khalsa despite the Khalsa being an integral part of the Sikhism religion. From the approach taken by Hew McLeod, I learned that it is not all the Khalsa Sikh men and women follow the traditions provided by the Five Ks of the Khalsa (McLeod 329) This is because McLeod indicates that the majority of Sikh Khalsa men living overseas cut their hair and beards and do not wear a turbine. The scholars also indicate that the Khalsa was established as a military organization aimed at ensuring that the Khalsa Sikhs defend their identity and faith.

References

Singh, Nikky-Guninder Kaur. The Birth of the Khalsa: A feminist re-memory of Sikh Identity. SUNY Press, 2005.

McLeod, Hew. “The Five Ks of the Khalsa Sikhs.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 128.2 (2008): 325-331.

Syan, Hardip Singh. “Debating Revolution: Early eighteenth-century Sikh public philosophy on the formation of the Khalsa.” Modern Asian Studies (2014): 1096-1133.

Robinson, Catherine Anne. “Raj Karega Khalsa (the Khalsa shall reign): the legacy of Tat Khalsa in portrayals of the Khalsa, the impact on Sikh studies and implications for Sikhism in education.” Religions of South Asia 1.1 (2007): 65-80.

Pilgrimage, H. A. Y., J. “The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of World Religions.”

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Overview of the Fred Hutchinson Research Center

The Fred Hutchison Cancer Center is one of the most successful and largest bone marrow transplant centers in both the US and worldwide.  The center receives grants from the federal government and other independent US research institutes. The case was presented in the US district court in the Western District of Washington by the patients’ families filed a suit against Fred Hutchinson Research Center. The file occurred after Fred Hutchinson Research Center conducted a series of cancer trials between 1981 and 1993. At this time, the research center conducted clinical trials using T-cell depletion to graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), which has been the cause of death during the bone marrow transplant process. Several patients who enrolled for the Fred Hutchison Cancer center trial died (Lin, & Liang, 2004). The causes of what transpired during the death of the patients who enrolled for trials gained wider attention after a series of articles published by The Seattle Times. Immediately after the Fred Hutchison research trials publication, the patient family filed a case against the center.  The patients’ families claimed the center did not disclose all information needed by the participants to make informed decisions.  According to the families, the center researchers failed to disclose important details to the patients that the GVHD treatment trial is likely to cause bone marrow treatment failure.  Also, the families claimed that the facility failed reveal the relevant information related to the research to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and it intimidated its officials, which contravened the federal regulations. They also argued that the investigators had financial interest from the project because they eyed big proceeds if the treatment became successful. The patients’ families argued the investigators had ownership of the stock in the company.

Issues Presented by The Families

Their families argued that they had their constitutional due process rights as illustrated under the 14^th amendment since the center violated IRB procedures by not giving room for adequate research procedures resulting in patient harm. The plaintiff that the research procedures violate the Nuremberg code, declaration of Helsinki, and Belmont Report. Nuremberg Code outlines the special need for the research community to safeguard human experimentation. Also, Helsinki’s (DoH) declaration was first adopted in 1964, which provides guidance in clinical trials and ensures the researchers adhere to informed consent. Its main goal is to protect the research participants. Belmont report describes inadequacy in the medical practice standards and ensures that the researcher adheres to the informed consent guidelines. The families claimed the facility failed to disclose all information needed by the participants to make informed decisions, especially about conflict of interests (COI).

Defendants Presented by the Families

On the other hand, the Fred Hutchison research center held that it did not violate the research’s policies. The facility argued that the trials were objectively reviewed and testified that the research’s disclosure was lengthy, detailed, and documented. The facility presented evidence of the documented discussions with patients and their families. It included discussions on the potential benefits and risks of the clinical trials.  The facility highlighted that it gives the patients and their families a room to asks questions, alternatives, and concerns relating to the trails. The center also indicates that it gave written consent to the patients and their families, which helped them make informed decisions. Also, IRB affirmed that it assessed and approved trials independently without any external influence or intimidation. Also, the center confirmed it did not have intentions to sell the antibodies for the clinical trials. The investigators argued that they did not patent the antibodies for protection or use. The court ruled the case in favor of the Fred Hutchison Research center.  It dismissed the claims of the family claims and affirmed the center followed the due research process.

Conflict of Interests Indicated in The Case Study

According to Kuszler (2001), the conflict of interests comprises a situation where the professional actions of judgments regarding primary interests like the medical researcher’s responsibility are at risk due to unduly influence by secondary interests like career development and financial gain. In this case, individuals in the research use their power for their personal gain, which is not only unethical but illegal. Curzer & Santillanes (2012) highlight that the conflict may involve both institutions and individuals. The conflict of interest in the research is a problem due to the following reasons. First, it is a problem because it can engage in human subjects’ safety. The researchers and companies are driven by profitability pursuits less likely to prioritize the research process’s safety.

Consequently, they may end up not looking at the side effects of the drugs as expected. Also, they disregard all ethical research requirements like informed consent, disclosure of the full scope of the research, and others for self-gain, making the participants make poor personal decisions that end up harming them.  Secondly, it may jeopardize the public faith in the research findings. In such a case, the public may question the credibility and accuracy of the research findings. They end up asking whether the researcher was acting in the best interests of the patients or was the vehicle for advancing the research firms and pharmaceutical companies’ facial interests.  Also, conflict of interest in the clinical trials is more likely to reduce the publics’ willingness to participate in the studies. Indeed, the success of the clinical experimental processes relies significantly on the public willingness to take part. Therefore, the public may not agree to take part in the clinical experiments if they believe that the research community is driven by their own hedonistic motives. Consequently, it may inhibit future discoveries, especially when research support is not available.

In the above case between the patients vs. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, there are various incidences of conflict of interest highlighted, which has made the whole research process questionable. The organization’s whole research process remains contestable as the patient’s families found a conflict of interest among the trial investigators. To avoid such a scenario, the research centers must ensure the whole research process is credible, fair, and free from any conflict of interests. one of the issues presented in the above case is the financial conflict of interests. As outlined in the above case, some researchers were suspected of having financial interests from bone marrow transplant trials.  According to Kuszler (2001), the family of the patients felt that the information about financial interests by the medical research team was not disclosed to patients who were critical in their process of making informed decisions. They believed that the physicians were required to indicate any actual or potential conflicts of interest in the trials’ outcomes.   The Seattle Times disclosed that the trial was conducted by the physicians who had shares in the company. Therefore, this affirmed that the trial investigators expected to garn proceeds from the trial antibodies. Also, the family argued that the trial investigators interfered with IRB reviewing and approval exercise. They argued that the investigators intimidated IRB officials who were in a position to determine whether the duly process was followed in the clinical trials. The financial gain from the entire exercise was the major barrier to fair and independent exercise.

Make Recommendations for Managing, Eliminating, Or Reducing the Conflicts of Interest

Curzer & Santillanes (2012) highlight that the conflict of research remains the area of concern to the magnitude of effect on the research outcome, quality, and dissemination of the research. Also, it has negative implications on public perception and trust in universities and researchers. With the growing research number of academic medical institutions, the need to ensure the research outcome’s quality, accuracy, and credibility are indispensable. To avoid the risks associated with financial interests in research, the government needs to undertake the following measures.  One of the strategies of managing the conflict of interest in the research process is through the utilization of the prohibition model.  Curzer & Santillanes (2012) elaborate that the implementation of the prohibition model dissuades any activities, arrangement, or motives, especially those pertaining to financial, which in turn results in the conflict of interests unless for those providing the social benefits of equal magnitude. The institutions or jurisdictions that implement this strategy establishes the threshold within which some conflict of interests may be accepted. One of the considerations is that it must present a socially redeeming value. For instance, it must unveil the treatment of some deadly, chronic, and incurable illnesses like cancer and others.  The second threshold is that the redeeming social value must outweigh the risk of underreported, incomplete, and biased research conducted. In case the conflicting interest does not fulfill these two thresholds, then it should be prohibited. Romain, (2015) argues institutions or government needs to minimize the risks of the imbalance between the conflict of interests and punitive benefits through management and disclosure. Some of the social benefits that outweigh the risk of bias include job creation, an improvement of medical innovation to the bedside, advancing economic benefits, and supporting research programs in the universities and private entities. This strategy is mainly utilized to prohibit senior researchers that are perceived to have conflicting interest in clinical trials.

Another strategy that can be applied to manage conflict of interests is the utilization of the disclosure and peer review model.  According to Curzer & Santillanes (2012), the disclosure and peer review help the universities and private entities to capture any motivations or arrangements that may trigger a conflict of interests. Strong peer reviews evaluate secondary data analysis in the research process. Romain, (2015) alludes that public evaluation and journal review by other researchers would help to detect and counteract the unacceptable biases in human trials. It ensures the duly process of the research is followed by the researchers. Some researchers argue that prohibition is not the best approach to eliminating conflict of interests, and the disclosure model allows peer reviewers to detect possible biases and minimize their future occurrence.  According to Romain (2015), this strategy is critical and most effective in addressing the non-financial biases.

Similarly, relevant government agencies and research bodies must ensure that universities or private entities must adhere to public health regulations (PHS).  42 CFR Part 50, Subpart requires the investigators to disclose any significant financial interests that might be affected by the research. It requires the institutions to designate the organizational officials to review and solicit the financial disclosure statements highlighted by the investigators. According to the PHS, significant financial interests comprises of income not exceeding $ 10,000 and equity interest not exceeding the same amount.

Also, institutions should follow the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) COI policy.  They are required to follow policies highlighted in CFR Part 54 Form FDA 3455. Forms for clinical investigators ask for the disclosure of any significant equity held by the clinical investigator or sponsor, payments coupled to results, and propriety interests, and others. Lastly, personal level strategies can help in managing conflict of interest in the research process.  in this strategy, the investigators must attempt to avoid financial conflict at any means possible. They should strengthen their ethical skills to help them overcome any ethical challenges they encounter.

Conclusion

In the research, conflict of interests may present deleterious effects not only to the participants but also to the researching center. Conflict of interests causes the researchers to undertake flawed and partial trials with incomplete evidence, which eventually may cause harm to patients. Conversely, it may taint the image of the research firms as the public comes to uncover the whole truth. Moreover, it may attract legal penalties as the participants will sue the researchers. Kuszler (2001) highlights that the researching institutions can avoid negative consequences associated with COI through establishing strategies to reduce, manage, or eliminate them.

References

Lin, L., & Liang, B. A. (2004). Wright v. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Maintaining Patient    and Public Trust in Clinical Research. AMA Journal of Ethics, 6(11), 501-504.a

Curzer, H. J., & Santillanes, G. (2012). Managing conflict of interest in research: Some   suggestions for investigators. Accountability in research, 19(3), 143-155.

Kuszler, P. C. (2001). Curing conflicts of interest in clinical research: impossible dreams and      harsh   realities. In Widener L. Symp. J. (Vol. 8, p., 115).

Romain, P. L. (2015). Conflicts of interest in research: Looking out for number one means keeping the primary interest front and center. Current reviews in musculoskeletal          medicine, 8(2), 122-127.