This is a statement by Indarjit Singh (Lord Singh of Wimbeldon) about the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib sent out on social media.  Dr. Kamalroop Singh replied to the points listed below (His answers in italics and highlighted in brown).

1. There were many challenges to the Gurus and their teaching during the lifetime of the Gurus.
There were but the Guru Khalsa Panth has always known what their Guru’s wrote as is clear from 18th and 19th century Sikh literature, all of which quote from the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib, as Sri Mukhvak.

2. When Guru Gobind Singh added the compositions of Guru Teg Bahadhur to the Adi Granth, he deliberately excluded any verses that he may have written himself.
The contents of the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib by Guru Gobind Singh are not for Bhakti like the Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib is, according to Chhibbar the Guru said ‘[the Dasam Granth Sahib] is my play or khed, and hence why I have not included it in’.

3. Guru Gobind Singh, aware of the danger of different sants, babas and cults diverting or distorting the Gurus’ teachings, decreed that the Adi Granth with the addition of Guru Teg Bahadhur’s verses,were complete in themselves and would henceforth be referred to as the Guru Granth Sahib,
Nobody disputes that Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the Guru, but to say Sikhs have only one scripture and all things can be drawn from that scripture is absurd. That excludes the nitnem, ardas, history, and other such important Sikh principles, including the 5 Ks.

4. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh formerly installed the Guru Granth Sahib as complete and sole guidance for all Sikhs. [Guru manio Granth]
The same history that records this momentous event also refers to shabads of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib throughout it, eg Panth Parkash, Giani Gian Singh, from which ‘agia bhe akal ki’ comes from.

5. In a verse following our Ardas, the above sentiment is put as an edict, or hukum, binding on all Sikhs.
This is not from the Guru Granth Sahib but from the above text, which quotes heavily from the Dasam Granth Sahib. If you say it is inaccurate then you also bring into question the gaddi to Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

6. To accord other writings or scriptures equal reverence to the Guru Granth Sahib, would be a betrayal of the above mentioned hukum.
Again its your own paranoia that anyone says they are equal, parkash of Dasam Granth Sahib is always lower than Adi Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

7. The opening words of the Guru Granth Sahib remind us that there is only one Supreme Being. This is a clear rejection of the Hindu belief in a of a pantheon of gods and goddesses.
The same theme is found throughout Sri Dasam Granth Sahib.

8. More than one third of the writings of the Dasam Granth involve the exploits and praise of various Hindu deities.
How did you expect the Guru to inspire the common Hindu to take up arms against the Moghuls? Guru Granth Sahib is also full of mythological references. Infact the second word is Sanskrit – Oankar….

9. Another third of the Dasam Granth involves the denigration of women and the ‘wiles’ of women, often in stark pornographic terms-in complete contradiction of Sikh teachings of dignity and complete equality.
That is how you might see it, but in fact Chaupai Sahib comes from this. There are tales in it from the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, Hitupdesh, Purans, Alif-Laila and so on. Over 50 are about the bravery of women, like the Queen of Holland, and another 50 are about the weaknesses of men.

10. The Dasam Granth was compiled by Hindu Brahmins from a variety of writings at least 50 years after Guru Gobind Singh.
Please provide the historical evidence and manuscript evidence here.

11. A small proportion of the verses in the Dasam Granth are in general consonance with the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib and could be lost writings of Guru Gobind Singh.
Please provide the evidence as above. This view was given by the infamous tout of the British, Teja Singh of Bhasauria who died tankhiayah from the Khalsa panth. See Dasam Granth Nirnaya (1919).

12. In 1930’s and early 1940’s, a committee of renowned Sikh scholars, after much consultation and analysis, agreed that these banis, listed in the 1945 Sikh Reyat Maryada, should be included in Sikh worship. The rest of the misleadingly and mischievously titled Dasam Granth was unceremoniously rejected as wholly contrary to Sikh teaching.
This is completely untrue, in fact the Sri Akal Takht Sahib in 1898 printed the complete bani, and has celebrated it ever since.

About Me

My name is Dr. Kamalroop Singh, I am a Sikh and a member of the Khalsa, and belong to the Nihang Singh order. I began my journey back in 1995, when I met some inspirational Sikhs. I have been reading about and practising as a Sikh from a young age, I took initiation into the Khalsa in 1999. I have travelled around India and stayed with the Nihang Singhs and Sants, and I also took basic Santhia from the Dam Dami Taksal in Amritsar.

After finishing my degree in Chemistry I completed an MPhil and PhD in Sikh Studies. My chosen subject was the Dasam Granth Sahib, my thesis was titled ‘Dasam Granth Re-examined’. A book titled ‘Dasam Granth Questions and Answers’ has been published which was written with a colleague, please see it at http://www.archimedespress.co.uk.

I am an expert linguist and have worked for the Crown Prosecution Services and taught languages at the School of African and Oriental Studies. I have been a consultant to a number of museums and galleries around the world. I regularly travel and teach about related subjects around the world.