Vaisakhi is celebrated as the festival of harvest, of a new year, a new beginning and most significantly as the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh ji’s Khalsa. 292 ago on this day, the Khalsa nation were given shape by the Tenth Master. A nation of saints was born who if the need arose, as it has today, would wield the sword in the cause of truth and justice, Guru Gobind Singh infused such a spirit into sparrows that they became hawas. A mere handful of Sikhs then routed many large and formidable foes as they will continue to do so now and in the future. So long as good triumphs over evil the Sikhs we are victorious.

Sometimes it seems that the great spirit of the Khalsa has begun to ebb. It would seem that the Sikhs have little reason’ to celebrate Vaisakhi or anything else. The entire Sikh nation is in peril. The spirit of the Khalsa does infuse many of us as can be witnessed from the martyrdoms every day in the ‘motherland. Thousands of Sikh youths have gladly laid down their lives to keep our honor and to make the great and divine vision of Guru Gobind Singh a reality forever. The names of these Sikh heroes are legion and will be remembered in reverence long after our enemies are dust and forgotten. These great sacrifices should be a source of inspiration to us now when the Sikhs are facing a genocidal attack. We are perhaps less fortunate. Why is it that the sublime degenerates into the ridiculous so quickly among our people?

The ridiculous is off the other end of the scale. Women are being attacked with guns over the control of gurdwaras in Canada. We know of many cases for the same reason in US also at great cost to the entire community. It is very easy to blame the Indian govt for all our ills. This is not to say that the Indian govt has spared any effort to malign us. No individual or institution, WSN included, has been at one time or another, been used as an easy way of debunking and ignoring those we have differences with. Much money and time are being frittered away in media and outside by “Sikhs” who hope someday to inherit a nation made by the blood and sacrifice of the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh. One shudders to think of such an eventuality. If power corrupts what will it do to those who are already so. We have India’s inglorious example before us. Are we headed the same way?

Then our incredible shortsightedness cannot be explained easily either. For example, we are building gurdwara sahibs with the same zeal as before. This cannot be condemned but only grudgingly praised. In itself there could be nothing better. The world and also our children must be told of our great culture, philosophy and religion. The priority at the moment, however, must need be to preserve what we have. The Akal Takht was demolished once to make clear India’s intentions to stamp out Sikh religion and identity much as they did to the Buddhists several hundred years ago. A million gurdwaras here in America cannot take place of even one historic shrine in Punjab. All our shrines are under a grave threat.

There are always differences among people. That is why there are parliaments and congresses. The differences are insofar as how best to achieve the nation’s best interest. Our differences are something else. We are not ready yet to even discuss them. Our enemy (besides ourselves) uses this weakness to create further divisions.

This Vaisakhi one resolution will not be out of place for all Sikhs serious soul searching as to whether we are fulfilling the basics of our great creed. Are “our” interests taking precedence over “my” interests? Every religion will tell you that the more you give, the more you shall receive. So will your children and their children.

World Sikh News

wishes the Khalsa

a happy birthday and

prosperous Vaisakhi.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 12, 1991