Issues of Sikh Identity: Sanatanist-Sikh Debate (Sheena Pall):

The earliest known leader of Sanatan Dharm movement in Punjab, Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri did not show much concern with Hindu-Sikh identity in his Sikhan de Raj di Vithya (Story of Sikh Rule) published in 1865.

The Bharat Dharm Mahamandal did not show any interest in the issue of the identity of the Sikhs in its first report of 1889.

In 1897, however, in a large public meeting at Lahore the Sanatanist Hindus passed a resolution that the Sikhs were a part of the Hindu community.

Question of Sikh identity became a legal issue when Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia died in Sep 1898 and his widow contested his Will, claiming that "Hindu law of inheritance under which he had given his property in trust did not apply to a Sikh".

The Chief Court of the Punjab ruled that Sardar Dyal Singh was, in fact, a Hindu.

The Bharat Dharm Mahamandal took notice of this issue and passed a resolution in a meeting at Delhi, asserting that the ten Gurus of the Sikhs from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh were Hindus.

Furthermore, "Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak", and "Bawa Sumer Singh (Bhalla), a descendant of Guru Amar Das", subscribed to the view that Sikhs were Hindu.