The Birth Anniverscrry of the Sikh Nation
A Celebration of Struggle and Survival
The Birth Anniverscrry
of the Sikh Nation
A Celebration of
Struggle and Survival
Tercentenary
of the Khalsa
The Sikh religion was
founded by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji (1469-1539), in Punjab, South Asia, in the late
fifteenth century. The human landscape in the subeontinent was rather gloomy,
because of religious intolerance, political oppression, and the social tyranny
of the caste system. Guru Nanak Sahib Ji preached a simple message of devotion
to One God (the Ultimate Truth), the Greator of the cntire Universe, He
inspired constant remembrance of The One rekindling inner strength, achieving
spiritual awareness and harmony between individual self and universal self. From
the basic premise of the Greator and His Greation, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji derived
the principles of equality, fraternity, justice, respect for human dignity, and
freedom of conscience for all – withort any distinction of caste, creed, color,
race, gender or social status.
The sapling planted
by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji in the latter half of the fifteenth century and nurtured
by his nine successors came to a full blossom during the time of Guru Gobind
Singh Ji (1666 – 1708), the last Sikh Guru in human form in Spring 1699, at the
historic Baisakhi Congregation at Sri Anandpur Sahib (Sri Keshgarh Sahib –
Punjab), Guru Gobind Singh ji reviewed “the state of the Sikh Nation,” and
inspired renewed commitment to the basic tenets of Sikhism: (1) devotion to One
God, the Ultimate Truth, the Greator of the entire Universe, (2) to earn a
living by honest means, (3) to share the fruits of one’s honest earnings with
others, (4) to seek God’s grace through selfless service to humanity, and (5)
to nurture courage and dignity blended with humility and compassion – the
characteristics of a saint-soldier (bhagti and shakti)
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
completed Guru Nanak’s mission, infused a new spirit and designed a new road
map for this infant nation. He initiated the sacrament of steel (Khande di
pahul), ordained the first five Sikhs as Singhs and instituted the Order of the
khalsa – a sublime order devoted to purity of thought and action. It was the
first formal graduation (commencement) in the seminary of this young religion.
The names of the
first five Beloved Ones (Panj Pyaras) were of special significance. Bhai Daya
Singh, stands for compassion, Bhai Dharam Singh signifies the rule of
dharma or justice, Bhai Himat Singh denotes courage, Bhai Mohkam
Singh refers to discipline and serenity, and Bhai Sahib Singh represents
sardari (leadership/sovereignty).
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
bestowed a distinct identity and prescribed five symbols for the Sikhs. These
symbols are known as the five K’s: (1) Kesh – unshorn hair symbolizing natural
and saintly appearance and providing moral, spiritual and physical strength,
(2) Kanga – a comb for cleanliness of hair, (3) Kara – a steel bracelet
signifying discipline and gentility, (4) Kachh – undershorts, a sign of
chastity and (5) Kirpan – a sword as an emblem of courage and commitment to
justice, truth, freedom and human dignity. These distinctive symbols make the
ideals more real and meaningful to the disciples and inspire a sense of
belonging in the corporate life of the community.
In an unprecedented
move, Guru Gobind Singh Ji humbly requested the Five Beloved Ones to ordain
him, the Guru, in the Order of the Khalsa. He proclaimed his mission to uphold
human virtues and to destroy the forces of evil and tyranny (Sant ubharan,
dusht sangharan) for the advancement of the human family. He refined the
concept of saint-soldier – the cornerstone of Sikh doctrine. He enshrined the
spiritual authority in the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy Scriptures) and the temporal authority in the
democratically elected Council of Five Sikhs (Panj Pyaras).
In this context, the
following observations by J.D.Cunningham, a British historian, are pertinent:
“lt was reserved for
Nanak (Guru Nanak Sahib Ji) to perceive the true principle of reform, and to
lay those broad foundations which enabled his successor Gobind (Guru Gobind
Singh Ji) to fire the minds of his countrymen with a new nationality, and to
givw practical effect to the doctrine that the lowest is equal to the highest,
in race as in creed, in political rights as in religious hopes.”
Cunningham also noted
that while Guru Nanak Sahib Ji disengaged the Sikhs from idolatry and
superstition, Guru “Gobind Singh bestowed them with the desire of being
socially free and nationally independent.”
The
Quest for Freedom
The decades after the
historic Baisakhi of 1699 were marked by the most heroic battles against
political oppression and foreign invasions in the history of Punjab. After a
prolonged struggle, spanning over four decades, many Sikh confederacies (Misls
or free cantonal republies) were established throughout Punjab. Ln addition,
six principalities of Patiala, Nabha, Faridkote, Kapurthala, Jind and Kalsia
were founded as independent states.
Lt was soon after the Baisakhi
of 1799, that a unified force of the Sikh confederacies, under the leadership
of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (The Lion of Punjab), marched into the capital city of
Lahore and hoisted the Sikh flar. This liberation of Punjab by the Sikhs, after
centuries of enslavement, and the establishment of the Khalsa Raj (Sikh
Commonwealth) was manifestation of the spirit of liberty reaffirmed at the
baisakhi of 1699. The contemporary struggle to liberate the Sikh homeland is
part of the same historical process.
Ever since the
annexation of the Sikh Commonwealth by the British in 1849, the Sikhs have been
struggling to regain their independence and preserve their democratic
institutions. The Sikhs actively participated in India’s independence movement
against British imperialism and their share of sacrifices far exceeded their
small number. Out of 2,125 Indians who were executed during the freedom
movement, more then 1,500 were Sikhs. Out of 2,645 Indians who were exiled by
the British, 2,147 were Sikhs.
During the partition of
1947, while the Hindus of India and Muslims of Pakistan gained their
independence, the Sikhs (who had ruled sovereign Punjab until the British
annexation in 1849) put their trust in the Hindu majority to share a common
destiny in a free India.
However, soon after the
independence of India, the Sikhs discovered, to their dismay, that the promise
of an autonomous homeland was a political hoax. Lnstead of experiencing the
“glow of freedom,” a promise made by the late Prime Minister Nehru, and
reaffirmed in many resolutions of the Indian National Congress, the Sikhs had
exchanged British colonialism for the cultural and economic imperialism of
Hindu nationalism.
In a series of peace
protests during the 1970’s and 1980’s thousands of Sikhs were arrested and
confined to jails. This non-violent movement for a genuine autonomy in Punjab
has been repeatedly subjected to violent responses by Indian State police and
paramilitary forces, which generated counter-violence.
The police atrocities
during the ASIAD games (1982) were followed by the Indian Army’s bloody
invasion on the Golden Temple Complex (The Sikh Vatican) and around forty other
Sikh holy places in June 1984. Thousands of Sikhs (men, women, and children)
were massacred in the shadow of a complete news blackout. Amnesty International
and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been denied access to the
state of Punjab ever since in an attempt to prevent the rest of the world from
knowing the truth.
The savage wave of
massacres of Sikhs, which followed the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi in November
1984 further alienated the Sikhs from India’s imperial system. These traumatic
events were followed by continued genocide by the Indian government in the Sikh
Homeland.
The
Struggle for Justice and Freedom Continues
The Punjab State
courts have estimated that state security forces murdered over 200,000 Sikh
men, women and children in the decade following the Golden Temple massacre. At
least 50,000 more have been killed since then, according to human rights
groups. These murders have been part of a government campaign to permanently
silence the voices of Sikh widows, orphans and elders who have seen their loved
ones lynched, burned alive, tortured while in police custody, killed in fake
police encounters and terrorized by police death aquads.
Tens of thousands of
victims have been surreptitiously dumped in irrigation canals or illegally
cremated as “unidentified” by the police. The families of the victims still do
not know the whereabouts of their loved ones. Tens of thousands of young Sikh
men and women are languishing in India’s jails, reminiscent of Nazi
concentration camps. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations
have amply documented the genocide of Sikhs and other minorities in India.These
atrocities have pushed the Sikh minority to a critical crossroads and have led
many Sikhs to organize around two specific goals.
1.Support
a full and impartial investigation of the 14 year genocide campaign against the
Sikhs.
In South Africa,
Guatemala and elsewhere in the world, full investigations are taking place to
document the atrocities that have occurred in those countries and place
responsibility on the guilty parties. But in the so-called “world’s largest
democracy,” not only are domestic and international human rights group denied
access to Punjab, but many human rights activists have been imprisoned,
tortured and killed by state security forces.
Despite the risks,
Sikhs continue to team with domestic and international human rights groups in
coalitions to fully investigate the genocide campaign. One such effort, the
People’s Commission, has faced stonewalling and harassment by the Indian
Government despite its lawful and peaceful mission to document the truth.
It is critical that
these efforts be allowed to continue including a comprehensive survey taken in
every village in Punjab to determine who is missing, who is dead, who has been
tortured or illegally detained and who are the culpable parties. International
human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Asia Watch and others
should be allowed to enter Punjab to assist domestic human rights groups in
these efforts.
2.
Support an internationally supervised plebiscite, or referendum, on the issue
of resumption of complete independence for Punjab.
Sikhs are yearning for
self-determination in accordance with Articles 1 and 55 of the United Nations
Charter and aspiring for “freedom, justice and peace,” as enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In violation of this
international right, Indian executive law declares it illegal for Sikhs or any
minority group to peacefully advocate for the independence of their
homeland Since 1984, any Sikh who has peacefully supported an independent Sikh
state (Khalistan) has faced imprisonment, torture and even death for themselves
and their families.
The Indian government has
maintained that Sikhs have never supported independence for their homeland.
However, hundreds of thousands of Sikhs were butchered by Indian security
forces in an effort to suppress this supposedly unpopular movement.
To achieve full
reconciliation for all people in the region, it is critical that this question
be decided in a full and fair vote. A fully independent and internationally
monitored plebiscite should be held in Punjab for all bona fide Punjabis on the
following referendum question:
Should Punjab remain
within the Indian Union or should Punjab be established as a fully sovereign
and independent constitutional democracy with the internationally recognized
status of nation state ?
The
International Community Has a Role to Play
As the Sikh Nation
celebrates of modern existence, the world
community has a unique opportunity to learn about our history and our
aspirations in our own voices.
Like indigenous
peoples throughout the world, our continued survival depends upon the world
recognizing our unique identity and culture and respecting our right to
self-determination. Like the indigenous peoples of Tibet, East Timor, Nagaland
and others, Sikhs and all South Asian nations and peoples must be allowed to
realize true freedom through a peaceful and democratic process. This process
can only be achieved under the watchful gaze of an engaged world community.
If South Asia is to
emerge in the 21st century as a truly democratic commonwealth of
free nations and citizens, the freedom aspirations of Sikhs, Kashmiris, Naga,
Christians and other indigenous ethnic and religious minorities must be
meaningfully addressed.
For the Sikh Nation’s
Birthday, there can be no greater gift.
AMERICAN SHIROMANI
GURDWARA PARBANDHAK COMMITTEE (ASGPC)
510-774-5909,
510-372-5061, 510-755-2132
1700 Shattuck Ave,
# 303, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA.
Dal Khalsa Alliance,
International Sikh Sahit Sabha, Council of Khalistan, Khalistan News, American
Sikh Council, Bay Area Sikh Alliance, International Journal of Sikh Affairs, International
Sikh Sabhiachar Society, World Sikh Council (AR),The Sikh Educational Trust,
Dal Khalsa of America, American Sikh Council, International Gadar Memorial
Group, Sanjhi Soch Punjabi News Paper, Freedom Post Sikh Nation,
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