A couple of years ago, a very un-usual topic was given for a seminar to be held in memory of Guru Gobind Singh. The speakers ‘were to explain “how 1000 years ‘old rule of injustice and oppression was finished in just ten years by Guru Gobind Singh after the creation of Khalsa in 1699”. The birthday celebration of the Tenth Master was organized by the youth having leftist leanings in collaboration with their unit at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India,
‘A miracle was seen by the ‘world, when the Khalsa Panth ran over Sir hind in 1710, killed the ‘oppressive and terrorist Subedar (Governor) of Sir hind and looted the treasury but without doing any harm to their century old religious place, Sir hind Sharif. The speakers were to tell how the Guru could infuse the spirit of self-respect among the common man, to make them conscious of their human rights and be prepared to sacrifice their life for those rights, The masses rose as one man under the leadership of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to cut the roots of the Mughal Empire which they could never establish again in Punjab after that.
The author was also invited to speak to the youth gathered to celebrate that birthday. Some high-level leftist leaders were invited. A play was also enacted, to attract good gathering. The chief of the function instead of appreciating the Sikh uniform, ridiculed the requirement of always wearing a kachha (the underwear used by the Sikhs).
This was the time when Naxal baite movement of the youth had failed totally, leaving bad name for the party and their leaders. Maybe, they thought it advisable to look to Guru Gobind Singh (even though not believing in God) for guidance and analyze their failure in the light of the success achieved by the Guru.
To the surprise of the audience and embarrassment of the organizers, the author told the truth leading to the victories of Guru Gobind Singh and his Khalsa.
The Guru offered his parents, all his four children and himself to die for the faith of the Khalsa and to blunt the sword of the tyrannic rulers. The leaders of today instigate the youth to create violence (rather than themselves offering their heads) and then claim their importance by fishing in the resulting troubles. The second reason was that the split on the lines of Hindu & Muslim, high caste & low caste, rich & poor, was removed by the Guru through creating one brotherhood that made to pray together as Sangat, eat together as Pang at, and fight together as Khalsa, Thus performing the miracle of uprooting the oppression of the Kings.
Our leaders today are dividing us into unions and organizations and making us to fight with each other rather than against injustice ‘The students form a group to beat an innocent conductor of a local bus. In reactions, union of bus conductors beat students mercilessly. The union of students burn ‘buses and stop the traffic, on both side the blood of youth is shed. The leaders always escape even minor injuries. The youth earns ill-will, rather than good will, of the masses for causing trouble to them.
Who gains from all these troubles created by the leaders? Political opportunistic leaders are the gainers. Who suffers? Nobody else but the innocent and sincere youth and human rights. The leaders come down like vultures after violence and bloodshed, give fiery speeches, collect funds to help the poor and injured persons but use all the funds to help themselves. The leaders go to jails to have rest, free meals, read books, keep themselves safe from their opponents and improve their image as leaders to claim better status and more privileges, The youth suffers tortures in police stations, undergoes hardships in jails, all to raise the importance of their leaders. If the leaders today want to succeed like Guru, they should offer their heads for sacrifice instead of selling the blood. of the youth.
Guru put the people on a path which was right. The right was ‘converted into might, Today, however, the leaders want to prove themselves to be right because they have the “might” of the youth behind them.
We can make the miracle happen again, if our youth and leaders sincerely unite for the honour of the Khalsa Panth, not for projecting their own group, personality, or for gaining political or financial benefits but for serving the Khalsa Panth. The miracle was repeated during 20th century.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 21, 1986
