Let’s all rejoice, this is the month in which Guru Gobind Singh ji formed the KHAN Anandpur Sahib. April is month in which many other important Sikh events took place, including the desecration of Harmandir Sahib by Ahmed Shah Ablali, the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre and the activities connected with the Ghada party, which was established in the US and Canada by the first wave of Sikh emigrants from India, to secure freedom from the British imperial government.

We will now look at some of these historic events in detail, and as you read on you will realize that the great Panth established by our Gurus has had to face many tests during the relatively short time of over 500 years of its existence. This is the Will of God. All we can and should do is to constantly endeavor to improve our selves by following the teachings of the Gurus, and by taking the vicissitudes of life in an even measured style.

Guru Tegh Bahadurji

The ninth Guns of the Sikhs was Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, the youngest of the five sons of Guru Hargobind ji. He was born in I1 April 1621, and was brought up in the proper Sikh style – he learned archery and horsemanship from Bhai Buddha and was taught traditional classics by Bhai Gurdas.

Tegh Bahadur made Bakala his home and lived there with his wife, Gujwa. He was joined there by his mother after Guru Hargobind ji’s death. He lived a strict and holy life and after taking care of his responsibilities. would devote his time in meditation.

Guru Harkrishan Ji had alluded to Tegh Bahadur as the next Guru of the Sikhs, but there were many pretenders who set up shop in Bakala and mislead the Sikhs, though not for long as Guru Tegh Bahadur was soon anointed the Guru by Bhai Gurditta great-great grandson of Bhai Buddha. Desecration of Harmandir Sahib

The most important place for the Sikhs is the Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple as it is more popularly known. As a result of this, the Golden Temple is specially targeted by all enemies of the Sikhs. Al times, the building of Harmandir Sahib has even been damaged/destroyed by vain, puerile and proud rulers like Ahmed Shah Abdali and Indira Gandhi, but while they perished, the monument to the Glory of God stands gloriously.

On 11 April 1762. Ahmed Shah Abali blew up the Harmandir Sahib and desecrated and filled the Amrit Sarovar (sacred tank) with all kinds of filth.

As you may recall if you read this feature in February, Ahmed Shah Durrani, wasan Afghan emperor, who had especially targeted the Sikhs during his sixth invasion of India in 1762. He set out from Khandhar and sell upon column of the Sikhs in the Malwa region of Punjab. This group consisted of many old men, women and children who were being moved to safety. The Sikhs were surrounded. They threw cordon sound the moving caravan, and many died fighting against the enemy. It was never Kup village, about five miles from Malerkotia, that the enemy managed to break through the cordon of Feb.5. 1762. Every Sikh they saw was massacred History quotes the number of 30,000. It is this event which is known as the Wadha Ghalluglars, or die Great Holocaust.

It was after this, on April 11, the same year, that Ahmed Shah desecrated the Golden Temple.

The Sikhs had lost a substantial portion of their total population at the Wadha Ghallughara, and after that had come the tremendous blow of the destruction of Harmandir Sahib, but the spirit of the Sikhs remained indomitable. Within year, they forced Ahmed Shah to retreat from Amritsar, under the cover of darkness and on April 3, 1764, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Isid the foundation of Hamandir Sahib.

Vaisakhl

It was on Vaisakhi day (March 30, 1699) that Guru Gobind Singh ji converted Sikhs into the Khalsa through the administration of “khande-de-pahul” or baptism of the double-edged sword. Vaisakhi is a seasonal festival popular in Punjab. Being close to harvesting, it has always been celebrated as the harbinger of happiness and plenty History records that Sikhs always gathered at the seat of the Gurus on every Vaisakhi (and Divali) day.

Guru Gobind Singh ji (or Guru Gobind Raiji as he was known till then selected this occasion to put his Sikhs to test. Ho stood before the assembly with his sword unsheathed and said: “Today my sword wants a head let anyone of my true Sikhs come forward. Isn’t there a Sikh of mine who would sacrifice his life for his Guru and the Dharma?”

There was stunned silence, but one by one five Sikhs came forward to volunteer their heads for the Guru. These five-Daya Ram, Dharam Das, Mokham Chand, Himmat, and Sahib Chand-were baptized by the Guru. They are the original Panj Piara, the five devoted spirits beloved of the Guru They were all given the surname Singh meaning lion, and were ever to wear the live emblems of the Khalsa the Kesha or long hair and beard, Kanghn, a comb in the Kesha to keep it tidy as against the recluses who kept it matted in token of their having renounced the world, Kara, a steel bracelet Kachh, short breeches, and Kirpan, a sword. They were enjoined to succor the helpless and fight the oppressor, to have faith in One God and consider all human beings equal, irrespective of caste and creed.

After the Panj Piaras were baptized, the Guru was, bade them to baptize him, and this, took a unique event in the world, the Guru merged himself into the Khalsa and endowed it with the charisma of his own personality. Thousands of Sikhs entered the fold of the Khnisa as baptismal ceremonies continued for several days at Anandpur Sahib, which became the seat of a free and egalitarian society.

Vaisakhi fell on March 30,1699, but owing to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar by the British in 1752, and the difference between Christian and the Bikramiyens since then, Vaisakhi now usually falls on 13 and sometimes 14 April

“On the afternoon of April 13, 1919. several hundred an armed Indians were killed in cold blood in the walled meeting ground known as Jallianwala Bagh, on the orders of a British brigadier general, this is how the blurb of Stanley Wolpert’s book Massacrent Jallianwala Bagh, be gins. The U.C.L.A. Professor has put to gather a chilling fiction zed account of this tragedy in which about 500 persons, most of them Sikh, were killed on the orders of Brigndier General.

Sikhs always gather at various religious and cultural centers for Vaisakhi. Ceremonies to mark Vaisakhi are held where ever there is a Sikh population, i.e. practically all over the world. This Vaisakhi let us rededicate ourselves and commit all that we have for creating a free and egalitarian society which the Gurus brought about by making the Sikhs into Khalsa.

Incidentally, it was also on Vaisakhi day on 1978 that the so-called Nirankaris killed 13 Sikhs protesters. The Sikhs were protesting against that gathering of these so-called Nirankaris at Amritsas, but were fired upon and killed. Till date, no one has been punished or even indicted for these murders.

Ghadar Party

The Ghadar Party was formed in San Francisco on April 21, 1913, with the objective of bringing about an armed rebellion in India. Baba Sohan Singh Bakhana, a Sikh farmer from Amritsar district, became its first President.

The Ghadar, a weekly paper was printed in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and several other Indian languages to propagate the message of the Ghadar Party to expatriate Indians throughout the world. On the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, the paper on August 5. 1914 published o declaration of war against the British This resulted in widespread agitation among the Sikhs all over the world. (primarily in America, Canada, Singapore and Malaya) and many wound up their affairs in their adopted countries in order to liberate the land of their birth from the British.

They established an impressive infrastructure in British India, including networks of sympathizers and even ser a date (February 21.1915) for a general uprising. but were eventually betrayed by a spy infiltrated by the British, and were arrested.

A case, which became known as the First Lahore Conspiracy case, was registered against these freedom fighters on April 27. 1915. Six Sikh Ghadaritis kissed the hangman’s noose, and many more were sentenced to live imprisonment.

A reign of terror was unleashed by the British police and many more were arrested, including Nidhan Singh, (born 1851) who had migrated from Shanghai, where he lived for three decades, to Stock ton (he was President of Khalsa Dewan Society, Stockton in 1914) only to return to the land of his birth to contribute his might in liberating it.

Jalto Morcha

In February, we had seen that the peaceful struggle at Jaito is a good illustration of what we have had to go through just to be able to assert our basicnight of freedom of worship. Jaito is a small town in the erstwhile Nabha State. During the Jaito Morcha, the police would intercept Sikh jathas (batehs) of 25 Akali workers walking from the Akal Takhat in Amritsar to Jaito, 117 miles away, beat them up and take them out to a desert where they would be abandoned to their fate without food or any money. This carried on for some time, the numbers of volunteers increased and so did the atrocities, but the protest continued till the authorities finally gave in, on April 27.1925. and allowed the Sikhs free access to the Gurdwara.

 Khalsa Diwan

Two concerned Sikhs, Professor Gurmukh Singh and Giani Dit Singh, established Khalsa Diwan, an organization representing 35 Singh Sabhas, at Lahore on April 12,1885. It is from small beginnings that great advances are made.

The Khalsa Diwan eventually became the Singh Sabha movement which was

an expression of the impulse of the Sikh community to rid itself of the base adulterations wand accretions which were draining away its energy and to redis cover the sources of its original inspiration

The Singh Sabha movement was at the forefront of the effort to purge Sikhism of all external influences primarily Bhramanical and Arya Samaj, as well as Christian

The reformers sought to restore the purity of precept and practice of Sikhisme Whatever was thought to be against the Guru’s teachings was rejected and rites and customs considered consistent with Sikh doctrine and tradition were established. For some legal sanction was se cured through government legislation Sikh shrines were reformed and literary and educational processes were renovated, The Sikhs also sought recognition for themselves through a strong political place form. The effects of this beginning made on April 12.1885 are still to be seen.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 7, 1995