Dear Editor:
Sikhs have been particularly unfortunate not to have capable, upright, well informed, sincere and effective leadership during most part of their history. After Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s physical departure from the scene, there have been but only a few distinguished names to count, e.g.: Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Nawab’ Kapur Singh, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, etc. In the contemporary times we have had Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Sant Longowal. The latter was unluckily made to go astray by selfish and unworthy advisers in the form of Sunit Singh Barnala and Balwant Singh. It is a pity that these lowly individuals effectively blunted and waylaid Sant Longowal.
Sikh masses, on their part, also have an inherent weakness to perceive the leaders with suspicion during the latters’ lifetime or simply to ignore them. This happens most of the time. After an exceedingly long interval Sant Bhindranwale has been the only leader who could arouse the Sikhs from their sleep and make them aware of the problems facing them and their
own potential to solve them. But only a minority of the Sikhs recognized him as their leader in his lifetime.
In the present day one could name Singh Sahib Professor Darshan Singh, Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib to be in the same situation. After the 1984 carnage and massacre, he has come out to be the fearless and selfless saint solider. And there are not many like him. He has successfully demonstrated to the oppressor regime that if they kill on true Sikh saint/soldier there are others to take that place and the process will continue until justice is done to the Sikhs. May Waheguru grant long fruitful life to Jathedar Sahib. But he does seem to be in need of some urgent health care. He has had 23 successive episodes of Myocardial Infarction (heart attacks). God forbidding, can we afford to lose such a person at this juncture? Cannot we have him come to this country for Coronary bypass surgery?
This is the minimum we must do.
Narinder S. Parhar, M.D. Hallandale. Florida
Article extracted from this publication >> May 1, 1987
