A unique nation was formally christianed on the historic Baisakhi day of 1699. On that fateful day Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa to champion the cause of religious freedom and to fight against the oppressive, unjust and fanatically intolerant Mughal order. Guru Gobind Singh transformed, as though with a magic wand, the underprivileged, exploited and the virtual scum of the earth into a proud, valiant and dedicated army of Saint Soldiers. Guru’s Khalsa steadfastly adhered to his teachings and consistently maintained an extraordinary Code of conduct even in dealing with the enemies. Khalsa was instrumental in bringing about the down fall of the mighty Mughal Empire. The establishment of Khalsa Kingdom by Ranjit Singh was the realization of Guru’s concept of a truly secular order.
During the British regime, Khalsa registered victories of far reaching consequence through peaceful and nonviolent morchas. In the struggle for independence also Khalsa remained in the forefront making more than 80% of the total sacrifices made for the liberation of India.
On the Baisakhi day of 1985, two hundred eighty six years after the historic christianing at Anandpur Sahib, Khalsa Panth again finds itself arrayed against an adversary far stronger, far shrewder and far more fanatical than the fundamentalist Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb. Today the adversary has the additional advantage of enlisting a band of self-seekers who are shamelessly engaged in the task of sabotaging the aspirations of the Khalsa Panth from within. The unenviable predicament in which Khalsa Panth finds itself today is largely because most of its leaders are ambivalent and insincere.
Leaders who surrendered ‘‘Perhaps by prior arrangement” to the Indian army, despite their wild protestations that army would enter the Golden Temple on their dead bodies, are back on the scene, anxious to trade the Sikh aspirations for their narrow power politics.
Yet another brand of saboteurs have surfaced in hurriedly formed bodies like Sikh Forum who at Congress (I) bidding are selling the hoax of nationalism even though the Congress rulers are continuing with their favorite sport of hurling humiliations upon the Sikhs through such offensive acts as decorating those army personnel who were instrumental in destroying the Akal Takht and through appointing the killers of Sikhs as cabinet rank ministers.
The Baisakhi of 1985, therefore, demands that Khalsa must recreate history and once again demand “heads”’ from its followers. Khalsa Panth, as the collective form of the Guru, must perform the miracle of Guru Gobind Singh in transforming the convulsing Sikh anger into a veritable tempest that would sweep both Saboteurs and tormentors off their feet and throw them in the all-consuming dustbin of history. Khalsa Panth must proclaim unambiguously that freedom will not be compromised, identity will not be compromised, dignity will not be compromised whatever be the cost and how so ever long be the struggle. Let the Panth be not beguiled into any kind of dishonorable settlement through divergent sugarcoated pleas and arguments. Let the decision be made by the Sarbat Khalsa and not by a handful of leaders with questionable antecedents. We owe it to the great martyrs like Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Gen, Shubheg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh and thousands of committed Sikhs who similingly laid down their lives in the best traditions of the Khalsa to uphold the honor of the Kesari flag and to shake the shackles off the Khalsa Panth.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 12, 1985
