History repeats itself. It repeats itself with redoubled vengeance if the lessons outlined therein fail to register in the first instance. The repetition is inherent in the continued follies of man as history does not operate outside of man. Wisdom lies in learning from our follies. Sikh leaders committed the biggest blunder in trusting the majority community at the time of Independence in 1947. They were partly influenced by the Congress fraud called Nationalism and partly by their own narrow interests. Because of their follies, Sikhs today find themselves at the mercy of the most cunning and dehumanized adversary. The wanton destruction of the Akal Takht and the ghastly holocaust after the assassination of Indira Gandhi has shown the adversary in true colors. Even after all these harrowing experiences, some Sikhs with questionable antecedents and ostensible objectives have again started using words like Nationalism and expressing ‘‘pious sentiments” like reintegration of Sikhs in India. Under the patronage of S. Amarinder Singh of Patiata, former Congress (1) Member of Parliament and a close Doon School friend of Rajiv Gandhi, a National Sikh Forum has come into existence.
This forum appears to be a Congress (I) baby specially created to assume the leadership of the Sikhs in the vacuum created by the Army attack on the Golden Temple and its aftermath. What Nationalistic role does this forum envisage for the Sikhs? Does it want that Sikhs should once again repose their trust in the majority community and in the bargain slowly move towards their extermination? The leaders of this forum seem to have no love for the Sikh cause and appear to be anxious to please their masters in Delhi and serve their own ends. Their approach is not different from the one in which a rape victim is advised to serve as a concubine to the violator of her honor rather than taking him to the court of law. Can these National Sikh Forum enthusiasts offer any guarantee to the Sikhs that Akal Takht or any other Sikh shrine will not be destroyed by the Army that innocent Sikhs will not be burnt alive and teenage girls will not be gang raped by hired hoodlums?
If they are afraid of articulating the only option of a Sovereign status for the Sikhs, can’t they, at least, agitate for a Vatican status for such historical Gurdwares as the Golden Temple, Amritsar; Damdama Sahib, Muktsar; Patna Sahib, Patna, Hazoor Sahib, Nanded; Sis Ganj, Delhi and Anandpur Sahib in order to save these holy shrines from the ravages of cigarette smoking, booted soldiers of the Indian Army?
Can’t they demand compensation for each Sikh murdered in Delhi and other towns, at least, equivalent to the amount being demanded for each of the Bhopal tragedy victims? Can’t they ask for judicial enquiry into the direct complicity of the ruling party functionaries in the holocaust against the Sikhs? Maybe these questions are too discomforting for their nationalism to be answered or addressed to.
Perhaps in their nationalistic fervor they have become oblivious of the sanctity of these shrines. The Sikh Masses will have to remain vigilant against the designs of the traitors within the Nation. The day Sikhs succeed in identifying and defeating the sabotage from within, their cherished dream of freedom won’t take long to become a reality.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 22, 1985
