Indian religions like Sikhism and Buddhism and Jainism though share much of their teachings with Hinduism, can't be bracketed in Hinduism . The religion of Sikhism in Indian subcontinent came to force when Islamic invaders from Middle-east were wrecking havoc and Sikhs laid down their life to defended that .

Sikhs believe in One God whereas Hindus believe in many Gods. It is as simple as that. But very few western countries know this.

In Indian census, Sikhs are considered as minority and as Hindus..however Hindu marriage act considers Sikhs & Buddhists to be at par with Hindus..Nothing is there in constitution about anyb religion except fo secular nature of India..

@Kamal Pasha : Wrong on both counts buddy.

'Hindu' is not a religion, it is a way of life of Indus people. Nobody call the Sikhs as Hindus in India. Constitution of India was adapted sixty four years ago when there was no religious fundamentalism in the country.

@Kamal Pasha Indian constitution differentiates between Civil Law and Criminal Law. In Criminal Law, religion is a non-issue and all are equal before the law; whereas in Civil Law, there is a distinction for Muslims, Christian and Hindus (includes Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs). Sikhism may have its own unique Punjabi traditions, but their Civil code (marriage, property inheritance, etc...) are the same as other Indic religions and so there is no need to classify it separately. That does not mean Sikhism is not recognized as a separate religion.

@Kamal Pasha Update yourself, Hindus also believe in one god.

@Kamal Pasha :Hindu also believe in one God,the supreme being who comes to this earth in many forms. Thats why you see there is a concept of incarnation in all dharmic(Hinduism,Buddhism,Jainism) religion.

@Kamal Pasha - Wrong. Hinduism is pure monotheism. There are few things muslims dont understand about Hinduism. 1. Monotheism with a book and a prophet, is just one form of monotheism. Its the idolatry of a book. There is just one god in Hinduism - The God! and he is beyond all forms, shapes, comprehension and qualities ( and lack of it). 2. Idol worship is not about having many Gods. This is a major flaw in western and Islamic understanding of Hindu religion. Those ( so called) gods and Goddesses are not gods as such. They are super-human phenomenons, forces of nature and Forces of God's creation, that are expressed in the form of Idols. In fact, "worshiping an idol" in itself is a oxymoron. Idols are not to be worshiped, but they are to be understood. 3. Then there are another category of (so called) gods, who are in reality "Avatars" or incarnation of divine will. They could be understood as similar to Prophets in Abrahamic faiths, since there is no exact translation available for the word. Lord Shiv, Ram, Krishna...etc are prophets of Hinduism. Instead of monopolizing God in one book and message, Hindu philosophy believes that God can be understood and realized in many many ways. The localization of divinity in your surroundings and your personal life is Hinduism. 3. Hindu philosophy basically says that a human being, in his or her ordinary state is not capable to realize divine concepts. He is bound by his self nature ( Ego) and its expressions like greed, anger, lust, ignorance ..etc. He is bound to his limited physical form, and hence is subject to time and so death. So a man has to pure his physical, mental and psychological conditioning. When he or she reaches a state of purity, beyond all duality, he can start comprehending religion or God. In short, Hinduism is about - Consciously programming your unconscious mind, to experience super-consciousness. That's also the classical definition of Yoga. That Yoga can termed a way of life, but the goal is religion.

High time for India to implement uniform civil code this will prevent future misconceptions about concessions given to different communities under different laws. Ban Muslim personal law board and concessions given on the name of religion. How can India has two constitutions one for Muslims and one for non-muslims. And it might be an eye opener for Pakistanis that yes Indian Muslims do enjoy more privileges than ordinary Indians.

@Kamal Pasha As other commentators have stated.....this misunderstanding by the Abrahamic faiths in particular has been the cause of many quarrels ! Hindus DO have a clear concept of the ONE GOD.......called BHAGWAN or ISHWAR. This term is surely familiar to many Pakistanis [through Bollywood,etc?] and is,by definition, the acceptance of the ONE SUPREME FORM. The rest,I am afraid is either ignorance or lost in translation.For example,the Avatars,Gods or Godesses in Hindu mythology are the many,many ANGELS of Christianity or the higher/lower JINNS of Islam which should not be too diffcult to understand. The very FACT that ALL these Hindu "Gods" of Wisdom/Wealth etc, accept the HIGHER SUPREME ONE being of BHAGWAN or ISHWAR is explanation enough ! As far as SIKHS in the US are concerned,they appear to be a confused lot.NO HINDU in INDIA will tell you that the Sikh is a Hindu although there is great love and respect for them as a martial race who gave befitting replies (and more) to the invading muslims. [Hindus and Sikhs visit each others temples,eat together and often intermarry especially in Indian Punjab and in the many large cities across the nation]. To this day,there are Hindu Punjabi Khatri families where if they are blessed with more than 1 son,he will be raised as a SIKH ! There is certainly a mystery to INDIA that many Pakistanis (except perhaps Punjabi Pakistanis] will simply not understand ! Mind you,equal respect is given by Hindus to other NON-SIKH martial races like the Marathas,the Hindu Rajputs,the Kumaons and the Gurkhas and for much the same reaons !

Sikhs in India have no issue with this ...their focus is development and prosperity....its just these Sikhs in foreign countries who don't have any time pass or relevant work to do.

I think indirectly Sikhs are demanding a separate country to be identified. Thats there right, because there is alot difference between Hindusium and Sikhism.

Muslims of Pakistan and Bangladesh got self-determination in 1947. Sikhs want the same. All non-indigenous peoples. The 1984 riots were NOT "genocide". They were riots in retaliation for Assassnation of Indian Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi. The Sikh community should be ashamed for not apologising to Hindus and non-Sikh patriotic Indians for that attack on a national leader. Amritsar Golden Temple based attempt at insurrection was illegal and brought on military response. LESSON: DO NOT USE HOUSES of PRAYER FOR CRIME!

Obama should re-write the US 2nd Amendment for its own sake and internal peace before meddling in India's internal affairs. If anything, the Sikhs of India should represent themselves in Indian Parlaiment.

@Ajay vikram singh :;I agree .

There are more than a hundred organizations who add ' sikh' to their names in the USA. In fact most of these are small groups of those people who came to the USA illegally with clean shaven faces then applied for political asylum . After getting the greed cards some Immigration consultants/lawyers jumped on the band wagon to raise such demands to be popular among the next stream of illegals to apply for asylum . They also establish sikh Gurdawara and use the money and sponsor religious musicians and Granthis to the USA . This cycle goes on and on. Common sikh has nothing to do with it neither in India nor in USA.

@Ajay vikram singh very nicely explained. Thank you

@Kamal Pasha You are an imbecile to think that. Hindus believe in one God. The paths lead to the same Almighty.

@Ajay vikram singh Beautifully explained. I have saved your comment on my hard disc for future reference. It is waste of time and energy on your part to post such a profound thought here... but good for me. Thank you one again.

Hinduism cannot be described in a few words even one life is not sufficient to understand Hinduism completely. Every religion has some impact of Hinduism even Abrahamic faith too. Muslim circumambulate 7 time which Hindu do while marrying.