Full four years back World Sikh News made its debut on the auspicious occasion of Guru Gobind Singh ji’s birthday and committed itself to serve and promote Sikh National interests. As we enter the fifth year of its publication, we have a genuine sense of satisfaction at its positive record. While we greet our patrons on the completion of yet another eventful year, our hearts go out to Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh, the two valiant heroes who smilingly embraced martyrdom in the glorious traditions of the Khalsa Panth. Their gallant march to the gallows, defiantly shouting Sikh battlecry (Jaikara) ‘Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ (Blessed is he who says Truth is God), revived afresh memories of great martyrs like Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Taru Singh, Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Dyala and Bhai Shubheg Singh.
In fact Khalsa Panth’s nativity itself is rooted in martyrdom beginning with Guru Arjan Devji, followed by Guru Tegh Bahadur ji and culminating in the martyrdom of the four Sahibzadas. The Khalsa is nursed and nurtured in martyrdom. Death holds no fear for a Sikh. The highest ambition of a Sikh is to lay down his life for a noble cause. It was the best of Sikh faith in Satwant Singh that made him declare, “There is no greater privilege for a Sikh than to lay down his life for the protection of his faith. I wish I could be born again and again, and each time lay down my life for my faith.”
Indira Gandhi had committed “rarest of the rare crime” in attacking the Golden Temple and brutally massacring thousands of innocent pilgrims. Her pretext was a gigantic lie, a scandalous fabrication, blown out of all proportions by an abjectly servile media. Her crime cried for punishment and as true Sikhs Beant Singh and Satwant Singh dutifully carried out the sentence passed against her by every single judicious heart. They reenacted the historic role of Sukha Singh and Mehtab Singh, threw away the instruments used for her execution and declared, “We have done our job. Now you can do whatever you like.” The two “Rangrettas” thus became Guru Ka Betas (Guru’s own sons) and earned the deepest gratitude of the Khalsa Panth. They have already become an inseparable part of the Sikh folklore because, unlike Rajiv Gandhi, their action was motivated by neither greed nor anger nor revenge but solely by a divine sense of justice. They were dictated by a Command far higher than all the judicial processes of the world, the command that resides in the purest recesses of the human heart and is godly in essence.
Even though Kehar Singh had no hand in Indira Gandhi’s execution, he too kissed the noose like a bold lover and joined the illustrious ranks of the Sikh martyrs. His lawyer, Mr. Ram Jethmalami saw in his hanging, “death of decency and justice.” It was an unabashed case of judicial murder as the evidence against him, in the words of Lord Gifford, a member of Britain’s House of Lords, was, “at its highest, ambiguous and speculative.” His only crime was that he happened to be Beant Singh’s uncle. It is pointless to repeat here the glaring judicial flaws like disallowing cross-examination of materially important witnesses and suppression of Justice Thakkar’s investigative report. Suffice it is to say that the trial was marked by vendetta and the judges vied with each other to carry out the wishes of the dead woman’s son who had come to wield unlimited powers.
The vendetta assumed monstrous proportions when the bodies were cremated within the jail premises without allowing their Kith and Kin to perform the last religious rites. Even the ashes were not handed over to them and contrary to Sikh practices, they were secretly taken to Hardwar and thrown into the river Ganges. Satwant Singh’s humanitarian gesture of donating his eyes, heart, lungs and kidneys was most unethically disregarded. The sordid manner in which the Sikhs are being treated today in India is epitomized in the treatment meted out to Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh both in life and death and there is an increasing realization among them that they can never ever hope for justice, freedom and equality in the Brahmin India. Our fittest tribute to the departed martyrs, especially on the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary, would be to commit ourselves to the freedom of the Sikh Nation.
Guru Gobind Singh’s Concept of Dharam Yudh By Principal (Dr.) Sukhbir Singh Kapoor, Khalsa College, London One hundred and twenty-seven years after Guru Nanak, the world witnessed, in the unique personality of Guru Gobind Singh, a confluence of Bhakti (Devotion), Shakti (Power) and Sarsvati (Knowledge). He took up the sword to annihilate evil. With the Name of God on his lips, he launched a revolution through his Khalsa. It was an unusual revolution in the history of mankind. To date, the world history has witnessed a number of revolutions, eg. Capitalist revolution, proletariat revolution, socialist revolution, military coupes, religious revival and other economic and social revolutions; but the revolution brought by the Guru was one of its own kinds. It was a socio spiritual type of resolution which opened for its participants the gateway of salvation. It gave a new turn to human history and left behind an indelible and unique impression.
The one of his prayers the Guru said, “O God! Grant me this boon, I may never be deterred from doing good and noble deeds, I may never fear the enemy when I go to the battlefield. I may ever be confident of my victory. I may teach myself only one thing to sing only your praises. And when the last days of my life come, I may die fighting in a holy war.” At another place, he stated, “… I speak the truth, let everyone hear, Those who love truly, can only achieve God.”
The Guru taught us love, brotherhood, loyalty and democracy. He taught us how to worship God and how to protect people from tyranny and injustice. Commenting on Sikh religion, Dr. Mohammed Iqbal once said that Sikhism was ‘Higher Islam’ as it does not have two limitations of Islam, viz., the reference to Allah only as a God of fear and not a God of love, and no recognition and disrespect for other religions.
Waheguru, the Supreme God of the Khalsa, is God of love and mercy and is also a universal God. The Khalsa of the Guru is to respect all other religions of the world.
Gi) In the Guru’s words “Recognize all men as equal…”
Gi) “You are the Sustainer; you are the Maintainer; you are the Rescuer; Boundless is Your Mercy; And Superb Your Majesty and Love.”
According to the Sikh thought, all the ten Gurus of the Sikhs were one. Though they were born in ten different forms, they had the same soul, the same light. Their teachings, philosophy and ideology were the same. Their sermons and hymns had the same underlying idealism. The concept of Khalsa, though thought by many historians to have been conceived by Guru Gobind Singh, can be traced in Guru Nanak’s hymns. Guru Nanak said,
“The Mother God simultaneously produced three disciples the Creator, the Sustainer and the Destroyer.”
Guru Nanak had reminded us about the unity of God and His Power. The three creations Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv of the Godhead could not have been born simultaneously unless they were one. The three creations so mentioned depict the basic functions of God.
Guru Nanak in his hymns has mentioned a number of functions and forms of a religion. Most important of them are, however, two. Firstly, a religion establishes justice. In the Guru’s words:
“The law that regulates the Universe is human, like the law of ‘fabled bull.’ The mystic bull is Dharma: the offspring of compassion, which is patiently holding the earth in order.”
Guru Nanak and his successors have taught us that the laws of God are equitable, just and merciful. The true religion should establish an organization in which justice could preyail and the truth could survive. The religion should strengthen the social organization and make it holy, harmonious, dignified, cultured, moral and amicable.
Secondly, religion saves mankind from degradation and extinction. It follows the middle way of safety. In the Guru’s words, “In complete detachedness and attachedness, the Religion acts as a guide and conductor.”
According to the Sikh Gurus, it is the middle way which links man with God. The Gurus reject complete renunciation and too much involvement. Guru Nanak’s monotheism is not impinged when he says:
“Wherever I see, there is union of Spirit (Shiv) and Matter (Sakti).” Guru Amardas also said: “He created Shiv and Sakti, He Commands all the Powers.”
In the above hymns, Shiv and Sakti are shown to be two aspects of the same Reality. Shiv Purana and Kurma Purana have also stressed the same point. These two aspects of the Reality are complimentary and are not in conflict with each other. Every living religion does contain in itself some sort of built-in security device to save it from the onslaught of fanatics of other religions and the nonbelievers. These security devices can acquire different forms at different times. In Hindu religion both Rama and Krishna were Kshatryas and in their own times played the part of war heroes to save good from evil. Both acquired the status of divine persons (Divyacara) through their heroic life (Viracara).
Islam, from its very inception was nursed under the shadow of the sword. Prophet Mohammed, in his life, had to fight a number of battles for survival and for the spread of the Muslim Gospel.
Christian kings, too, had to resort to sword for the survival of their faith and for its spread in the West and the East.
Thus the use of sword in Sikhism for its survival was not a unique phenomenon in a religion, as is advocated by a number of historians and religious leaders who were hostile to Sikhism. In Sikhism, the idea of Shakti was there right from the beginning. It was that Shakti (moral power) which results from Tap (Devotion to God), one which results from a combination of service to humanity, good deeds and Simran. This Shakti is uncompromising in its conflict with evil and wicked forces.
It is certainly unique in Sikhism. This Shakti was not to make others slaves and wage war to get the fruits of power and territory and to spread the faith. It was to protect morality and the saints of God, and to uproot evil and injustice. It was based on the Principles of service and self-sacrifice for the protection and survival of human dignity and moral values.
The concept of Saint Soldier envisages that Bhakti (Saintliness) without Shakti (Power or Strength) becomes pitiable and debilitated and fails to survive for long. It becomes too weak and too vulnerable. On the other hand Shakti without Bhakti breeds fascism and authoritarianism. Thus in an ideal state Bhakti and Shakti must go together. This theme has been discussed at length by Guru Gobind Singh in his compositions: Chandi Di Var and Chandi Charitar.
In Sikhism, even the architectural unity of Golden Temple (the place of Spiritual Sovereignty) and Akal Takhat (the abode of Immortal Sovereign) represent the necessity of acceptance of the concept of the Saint Soldier, or Meeri and Peeri as is mentioned in Sikh history.
In Christianity, a few hundred years ago, the Pope used to wear two swords to show his spiritual and temporal authority.
In Islam, the Khalifas (successors to Prophet Mohammed) too had the dual authority: spiritual and temporal authority.
In Sikhism though the concept of Saint Soldier, was completely concretized in the form of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, its seeds were sown, as has been discussed above, by Guru Nanak the founder himself. The other Gurus also made their contribution to this unique concept in their own times. Guru Angad defied the Brahmans (the Hindu priestly class) and the Mullas (the Muslim priestly class) of their monopoly to learn and teach religious scriptures. He invited men of all castes to come forward and rally against this unjustified hold or privilege of Brahmans and Mullas. Guru Amardus, the third Guru, broke the barriers of social stratification. He carried forward the revolution of Sangat and Pangat and thus established social equality. Guru Ramdas, the fourth Master, laid down the foundation of Amritsar, the city of Immortality and Bliss, to infuse light in the darkness of the hearts of hundreds of his followers to rise and break the chains of slavery and untouchability. He told his disciples to undo the injustice of the caste system and other social inequalities, by settling as equals in the new township of Amritsar. Guru Arjan, the fifth Master and the first martyr of the Sikh history, rose against arbitrary authority and protested against the Mughal dictatorship. He preached the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of man to all. He challenged the existing religious traditions by designing Harimander Sahib (the Golden Temple) so as to keep it open to men of all faiths and also by compiling Granth Sahib which included hymns of Muslim saints, lowcaste Hindu saints and Brahmin Bhatts, besides those of the Sikh Gurus.
Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, donned two swords to demonstrate his spiritual and temporal sovereignty. In the words of Bhai Gurdas I,
“Five cups and the five saints led to the installation of the sixth mighty saint…”i.e. five saints (Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amardas, Guru Ramdas and Guru Arjan) practiced collectively five virtues truth, faith, compassion, patience and contentment and Guru Hargobind, in addition practiced a sixth virtue, called Shakti (power). At another place, he also maintained:
“Just as one has to tie the pail’s neck while taking out water; Just as to get Mani (a type of jewel) the snake is to be killed; Just as to get Kasturi (musk) from deer’s navel, the deer is to be killed; Just as to get oil, the oil seeds are to be crushed, Just as to get Kernel, pomegranate is to be broken, Similarly, to correct senseless people, sword has to be used.”
Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan, the seventh and the eighth Guru, also taught protest against try RESed Mint pail Wel Veet Mond Hilal tA aod Pte AE HRT IRS Dol WR Val Weed Wd imeoy Whee Wenge ppanny and injustice. Both defied the unjust orders of Aurangzeb and refused to attend his court. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Master, destroyed the myth of selfish living and gave to his followers the idea of living and dying for others. He sacrificed his life to save Hindu religion, while he himself was not a Hindu and had no belief in its doctrine.
Thus we see that all the predecessors of Guru Gobind Singh had made their contribution to the building of the concept of the Khalsa, which the Tenth Master was ordained to declare to be complete and final.
Guru Gobind Singh, author of the concept of saint soldier, was indeed, the hero of Dharam Yuda, the Holy War. His wars were different from other wars in this world. A number of points of startling differences may be mentioned:
Firstly, the battles waged by the Guru were without any ill will, and without the feelings of hatred and desire for revenge. As a worldly being, the Guru lost, more or less, everything he had. His father, mother, his sons, his dearest disciples, all his possessions and almost all his literary manuscripts were lost; but there was not even a single frown or sign of complaint on his face. Never in his world life had he uttered a word of lamentation, revenge or reprisal against anyone. On the contrary, when Mata Sundri, his wife, asked him about their sons, the Guru told her.
“What if we have lost four sons, Thousands of our Sikhs have survived in the bargain!”
Some misguided writers have mentioned the Guru’s anti-Muslim bias. This is incorrect. The Guru fought against Hindu rulers of the hills and also against the Mughal Emperor of India. Consisted of His army Hindu, Muslim and Sikh soldiers. He had no bias against any religion, but only against evildoers. The selfless service of Bhai Kanahaya, a wonderful devotee in the battlefield, amply supports this view and reminds us of the Guru’s humanism and magnanimity. The Guru loved all. He did not differentiate between Hindus, Muslims and lowcaste. For him all were the same, the sons of God. His war was not against any religion or sect, but was against the tyrant rulers. His instructions to the Khalsa were not to yield to injustice, oppression and tyranny from any and under any circumstances.
Secondly, his wars were righteous wars. They were not fought for fun or glory but for upholding justice. As the Guru repeatedly said: “I have no other ambition but to wage the war of righteousness.”
This ambition of his is also reflected in his Divine Mission, as mentioned in his autobiography, the Bachitar Natak, stating that “The Divine Lord has sent me for the sake of religion … to seize and destroy the evil and the sinful
Thirdly, he had no lust for armed victories. Alexander’s, Napoleon’s and Caesar’s militarism reflected their keen desire to conquer the world, but Guru Gobind Singh had no such motive. He fought battles, nine before the creation of the Khalsa and eleven after its creation. Of these, though he had won sixteen, he did not desire to acquire even an inch of territory, nor did he permit any of his forces to plunder the enemy’s property or molest their women.
Fourthly, the Guru had no desire or inclination for exercising autocratic power or rule. He did not want to establish a reign of his own, though he had all the opportunities to establish one. Despite being a Guru and leader of such a large number of followers, he was very humble and human. It is a fact of history that haying administered the new baptism to the first five Chosen Ones, the Guru stood up in supplication and with folded hands begged the Chosen Ones to baptize him in the manner he had baptized them. This scene has been very well described by Bhai Gurdas IL, a contemporary in the following words,
“Divine Guru arranged the great drama, Guru Nanak, the fearless prophet, put Sidhs on the right path … Guru Gobind Singh meditated on the Immortal One, He was commanded by God to initiate New Baptismal Order; Those who came forward and took the new baptism were turned from ordinary men to fearless soldiers; Great was Guru Gobind Singh who was the Guru as well as a disciple.”
Fifthly, the Guru’s call to wage war was not a political revolt or mutiny. It must be remembered that the Guru was not against any particular political setup if it was truly democratic. He was not establishing any new political order of his own. He was only craving for justice and equality for one and all. In his letter to Aurangzeb, he wrote:
“Laced with sword and the shield, You, Aurangzeb, must personally take the field. It is cowardly to fire human beings, for your evil aims and vanity.”
(ii) “It is your foremost responsibility to fear God and take up righteous ways. Without being misguided by anyone, you should stop Oppressing people.”
Gii) “People call you Aurangzeb, the ruler of a subcontinent, but alas you are utterly devoid of righteousness and truth.”
(iv) “If you punish the wrongdoers and oppressors, God will forgive you and bless you…”
(v) “To be righteous is the noblest deed of a king. To realize God should be his highest ideal.”
Sixthly, the Guru’s instructions to his soldiers were to go into the battle without fear, to fight courageously, to face bullets or arrows and not to turn their backs, and always to remember God even in the midst of shower of arrows and bullets, The Guru himself wished to die on the battlefield like a hero, he said:
“And when the last moments of my life come, I should die in the war of righteousness.”
In his letter to Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh emphasized the faith he had in God, even in the midst of battles and wars:
“When the arrow struck me, The Warspirit in me was strengthened.”
Gi) “What could the mischievous betrayals, And the wicked attacks of the enemy do, When my protector, my guide in those dark hours Was God Himself.”
Gii) “Even when a single person was chased and attacked, By a hundred thousand swordman, The Merciful God, my Saviour, Saved him from the least possible harm.”
(iv) “If you are proud of your armies and wealth, I depend on and am inspired by the strength of God.”
(y) “Byen though the enemy attacked with forces of thousands, Not a hair of my body was affected, Because God the Saviour was with me.”
Seventhly, the Guru’s call for recruits was answered by the people fired by an ideal, by crusaders and not by mercenaries, It was a call to come forward and enroll in the army of God, wherein every soldier was to be ever ready to sacrifice his life, to uphold his ideals. Even the Guru’s instructions to keep long hair and unshorn beard were to revive the ancient saintly tradition. The unshorn hair and beard had been symbols of the holiness and purity, and only the pure of heart had a right to wield arms to uphold God’s ideals. Commenting on the role of Khalsa as the army of God, the Guru said,
- G) “The Khalsa is my image, I reside in the Khalsa,
- ii) “The Khalsa is the army of the Immortal One, The Khalsa has been created by His Command.”
(iii) “So long as the Khalsa retains his individuality, I shall give him all the glory. But when he deviates to misguided ways, I shall not support him.”
(iv) “I am respected for I raised the Khalsa under God’s Command; otherwise there are millions like me, for whom no one cares.” Lastly, the Guru had instructed the Khalsa to wage a war only when all other means and negotiations had been explored and had failed. The war had to be the ultimate and last resort for the settlement of issues. The Guru asserted in his letter to Aurangzeb, “When all other possible means fail, it is but just to raise the sword.”
From the above, we see that the theory of war as propounded by Guru Gobind Singh was entirely different from those of an ordinary war.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 13, 1989
