Dear Editor, The past generations of Sikh leadership were generally entangled in the snare of Chankya (Kautalya). It is hoped that the current younger generation of Sikh leadership will extricate itself from this snare and provide the community with an enlightened leadership. Amarinder Singh, Sikh Youth International, England, in his letter “The Seeds of Next Holocaust” published in the Sikh Review of March, 1996 stated, “Master Tara Singh tore up the so-called Pakistani flag hoisted on the Panjab Legislative Assembly building in Lahore.” Sikhs have been perpetuating this myth for the last 50 years without paying any attention to the consequences of this claim. Quite often, we Sikhs get carried away under the zeal of our so-called martial spirit and claim credit for actions with which we have nothing to do, and sometimes are detrimental to our community interests. Master Tara Singh did not tear up the so-called Pakistani flag. However, he and his colleagues did raise slogans against the creation of Pakistan. The rumor that Master Ji tore up the flag was spread by agents of the congress party and other Hindu organizations to aggravate the tensions between the Sikhs and Muslims in order to sabotage the negotiations between Mr. Jinah and the Sikh leaders.

Another statement in this letter “The Sikhs ought to look at partition as graphically as they do look at Mughal atrocities” is a half-truth. Sure, the Mughal rulers were responsible for the atrocities committed against the Sikhs. But Hindu officials and Hindu public also took an active role in the extermination of Sikhs. The worst type of atrocities was committed by Diwan Lakhpat Rai. The first official complaint against Sikh religion was lodged with Emperor Akbar by high caste Hindus during the time of Guru Amar Das. High caste Hindus like Chandu Shah and Birbal had complicity in the torture of Guru Arjan Dev to death. Chandu Shah’s son and brother along with a fellow Khatri named Bhagwan Das tried to kill Guru Hargobind Sahib. Most of Guru Gobind Singh’s battles were fought against Hindu Rajput Kings. When they were badly beaten, they instigated Emperor Aurangzeb to intervene on their behalf. The list can go on and on,

In his composition, Asa Di Var, Guru Nanak Dev depicted so eloquently and beautifully the symbiotic relationship between the Muslim rulers and their high caste Hindu officials. Furthermore, in our daily Ardas when we pay homage to the countless martyrs who gave up their lives without flinching, we also recount the unspeakable atrocities they suffered. However, these atrocities are not labeled as Mughal atrocities. Therefore, dear Sikhs, please, think calmly and rationally about the consequences of your utterances, proclamations, speeches and writings. Nevertheless, young brother has raised a very thoughtful and important question about the holocaust of 1947. Partition of India is one of the major human tragedies in world history. About ten million people became refugees due to the partition of Panjab alone. There was untold suffering and loss of property. The number of those who were consumed or maimed by the frenzy of hate and bigotry is unknown. It is sad and unfortunate that there is no reliable and documentary evidence about the people who perished as a result of the so-called freedom of the Indian subcontinent.

The Sikh community suffered the most in terms of lives and property loss in 1947. Out of a population of about 6 million Sikhs at that time, roughly 30% lost their homes and hearths in the territory called Pakistan and became refugees in India. According to the rough estimates I have heard over the years, between fifty thousand and five hundred thousand Sikhs died in the 1947 holocaust. Sikh historians as well as Sikh institutions have paid scant attention to this event which is one of the greatest tragedies in Sikh history. How remarkable, that half a century later, Jews are still documenting the evidence of Nazi atrocities and hunting down the Surviving Nazis. Over the last fifty years Jews have kept Ali the memory of holocaust victims through films, art, literature, monuments and museums. Phrases like “never again” and “lest we forget” have acquired a new meaning in Jewish vocabulary. What have we Sikhs done to preserve the memory of victims of 1947 holocaust? It is sad and shameful that we Sikhs have not done anything worthwhile to perpetuate the memory of those victims. All that we have done is the addition of a line in our daily Ardas to seek the blessing of the Lord to grant us a visit to the holy Gurdwaras left in Pakistan. Sikh writers, who have dealt with the tragedy of 1947, seem to be more concerned with the loss of property than the loss of life suffered by the Sikhs. Moral degradation sets in when a nation or a community starts caring more for material wealth than for human life. The major difference between humans and animals is the sense of morality. When it comes to ethical living, Sikh community has been on a downward spiral since 1947, we are preoccupied with the pursuit of material wealth instead of spiritual wealth. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons for the difficulties we are facing. In the world today.

Since we have failed to take adequate measures to perpetuate the memory of the victims of 1947 holocaust. Are we doing anything worthwhile about the current holocaust which is going on for the last two decades? The reign of terror and atrocities let loose on the Sikh masses by the modern rulers of India is no different than that of the Mughals. It should be possible to gather reliable information based on evidence about the victims of current holocaust. In addition to SGCP and Akalis, there are numerous other organizations who claim to represent the interests of the Sikhs. These Organizations have sufficient Manpower and resources to undertake the responsibility to conduct investigations and gather information. The grateful community will applaud the efforts of these organizations for preserving this painful chapter of the Sikh history for the future let us also make phrases like “never again” and “lest we forget” part of our daily Ardas. Baldev Singh Collegeville, PA.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 14, 1996