Sir,
‘Writer of this letter was charged by the editorial staff of the World Sikh News to write about the participation of Sikh Women in the order of Khalsa on Vaisakhi day of 1699.
Despite my best efforts, I did not succeed in procuring the documented account of Women participation in the order of Khalsa.
According to the report of Persian historian Gulam Mohyuiuddin about 20,000 men and women participated in the “amrit” ceremony after initiation of five beloved ares. However there is no record available on the number and names of women who participated in that ceremony. Was Mai Bhago, the brave woman who led forty “Muktas” one of the participant?
In today’s heightened awareness about the identity of women, the need for deeper understanding of Sikh women’s heritage is of utmost importance.
We the Sikh women hereby make a plea to the Sikh scholars both men and women to please help us obtain the authentic data on Sikh women who joined the Khalsa force of Guru Gobind Singh’s time thus help us find our identity.
Ranjit Kaur
Sikh Womens Int’l Organization
230 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
Article extracted from this publication >> April 28, 1989
