Many of us believe that the Sikh’s struggle for independence began approximately seven years ago with Indira Gandhi’s last battle on the soil of the Sikh nation in June, 1984. At this time, she deployed her heavily equipped armed forces and intelligence network, including Russian advisors, personnel drawn from her administrations Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Central Intelligence Department, Intelligence Bureau, and intelligence agencies of the Punjab state. She deployed a contingent of more than two armored divisions, heavy artillery units, and naval and air force units, including gunship helicopters and paramilitary forces. The forces used had been specifically trained to attack the Darbar Sahib complex, i.e., the Darbar Sahib, the Akal Takht Sahib, Manji Sahib, Guru Nanak Niwas, the Sikh Museum of history, and 39 other major Gurudawara’s (Houses of God) throughout Punjab. Her armed forces fought against well over 100 000 unarmed and innocent infants, children, men and women, alike, who had gathered at the Darbar Sahib complex as well as other places to celebrate the martyrdom of their fifth Guru, Arjan Sahib ji. Indira Gandi and her administration made extensive use of India’s information services to justify her inhumane, heinous and criminal acts and brand the Sikhs of Punjab and elsewhere as terrorists, anti-nationals and anti-social. Indeed, when one is in full control of a country’s news media, the result is that the world is going to believe whatever propaganda statements are provided to the international news services. The Indian army killed well over 60 000 innocent Sikhs in Indira Gandhi’s battle against the Sikhs and a sizable number of civilians were killed at point blank range with their hands tied behind their backs. According to eyewitnesses, those who did manage to survive faced humiliation, such as cases where mothers had to keep their infant babies alive on urine or their own perspiration in Junes burning heat. This undeclared war on the Sikh nation comes as a veiled blessing, making all Sikhs, both in Punjab and abroad, aware of the fact that their survival is in peril until they, and not the Indian regime, control their own future. In reality, the road to independence and sovereignty for the Sikh nation began well ahead of the movement for a free India that originated during the British Raj (i.e., the establishment of the Khalsa Dewan in 1849; Kuka movement led by Baba Ram Singh from 1863-69; the Singh Sabha and other movements in 1870-1926; the Babbar Akali movement and the Sikhs independence under Baba Khark Singh 1922-29).
The British ruler of India realized that there were three stakeholders in the East Indian colony: the Hindus, the Muslims and the Sikhs, The Hindu leadership tried unsuccessfully to trap the Muslim league and its leaders, Quiad-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinah and Sir (Dr.) Mohammad Iqbal, but the latter had realized that without their own independent nation, their peoples would not have a future in a country with such an overwhelming Hindu population since their interests would be superseded by those of the majority group. This foresightedness resulted in the creation of Pakistan even before the advent of an Indian nation, The Sikhs could have sought out the creation of Khalistan, like Pakistan, but they fell victim to the false promises of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Vallabh bhai Patel, and Madan Mohan Malviya, to name a few. The Hindu leadership “begged” for the Sikh support and asked them to join India, assuring Sikhs that their interests would be looked after and that no constitution would be implemented without Sikh approval. Sovereignty and guarantees of protecting Sikh interests were made by the Muslim leadership to the Sikhs to join them on the basis that (i) the Sikhs of Punjab have more in common with the Muslims, with respect to language, traditions, mutual respect, and other characteristics and, (ii), the Muslim leadership wanted the Sikhs to form a buffer between Pakistan and India. Regrettably, the Muslim offer was turned down and the Sikhs opted to join India, unaware of the betrayal that it would later offer them. The joining of Hindu India proved to be a poison pill coated with sugar. All logic and arguments were of no avail, as the Sikhs had virtually no voice in Indian parliament and the hollow democracy it embodied. Since the country’s independence, it has become evident to many other Hindu parliamentarians, journalists, politicians, and citizens that Indian democracy is essentially the personal property of the Nehru family, represented by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi (daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru), and her son Rajiv Gandhi. Even Indira Gandhi’s younger son, Sanjay, abused the democratic system to his own content while under his mother’s protective umbrella. Sanjay committed inexcusable excesses and introduced forced sterilization measures to cope with the rapidly increasingly Hindu population. This democratic facade became apparent when Indira Gandhi, in response to the historical Allahabad High Court Judgment, proclaimed a state of emergency in India, suspending all civil liberties, imposing press censorship, and making constitutional changes in a bid to consolidate her power. It would be an understatement to say that Indira Gandhi’s words, along with those of her son, became the law of the country. No one dared to offend mother or son except for the Sikhs central body, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. This was another turning point; since October 10, 1047, the time when the Sikh National Professor, Sirdar Kapur Singh disclosed to the Sikhs that the Indian leadership had issued a secret memorandum stating that the “Sikhs be dealt with firmness and they are a lawless people”. Both mothers and sons motives made the Sikhs realize that they had no future in this Hindu country, known as the largest democracy in the world.
Having been fed up with the treatment by Hindu regimes and the processes that make undemocratic matters democratic, i.e., the appointment of political commissions with given terms, conditions, and pre-determined conclusions, the bod and honest leadership of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa and his associates, like Bhai Shabeg Singh Khalsa, Bhai Amrik Singh Khalsa and hundreds of thousands of Punjab citizens, told Indira Gandhi that we, the Sikhs, (mean business) all matters pertaining to the Sikh nation should be settled with dialogue and negotiations. However, judging from the track record of the Indian regimes, endless hollow promises and betrayals, and the deployment of armed forces in Punjab, it was made amply clear that if the armed forces fired upon the Darbar Sahib complex, it would lay the foundation for Khalistan. The Sikhs are indeed grateful for the India governments “Operation Bluestar” of June 1984, which set the course of their independence and sovereignty into action. The blood bath that has been taking place in the Sikh nation since “Operation Bluestar” has actually been taking place since 1953. At this time, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Hindu India, wanted to attack the Darbar Sahibon July 4, 1955, in order to demonstrate to the Sikhs that the Indian administration controlled their affairs. However, Nehru was advised by his top security advisors that such an action would be suicidal for his administration, and he subsequently abandoned this idea. However, his wishes were fulfilled by both his daughter in 1984 and his grandson in 1988, in the Bluestar, Black Thunder, Mund, and Wood rose operations. Recently, the caretaker prime ministers army fought a battle against innocent Sikh youths and farmers in Nathuke-Burj, Rataula and Sangha places, using artillery and armored brigades. Just a few weeks ago, a Hindu army officer, Brigadier Sinha, told Sikhs that they would be eliminated by my army and their women would be taken to our barracks where they will give birth to Hindu children. For his remarks, he was transferred from Punjab, but his statements remain as a reflection of the Indian administrations attitude toward Sikhs.
The above analysis effectively illustrates the ulterior motives of India’s policies regarding Sikhs, in particular, and other minorities (Muslims, Christians, Dalits) who have been massacred in Bhopal in the 1950s, Meerut, Srinagar, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Ahamdabad, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Assam province in Bajrang operation of December 1990, and more recently, the mass round-up and torture of Tamils in Tamil Nadu after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. This shows that non-Hindus and non-Brahmins have no future in India.
Unfortunately, peace-loving people of democratic countries seldom know the reality Indian democracy, Based on the true picture of Indian administrations, the Sikh nation will always be grateful to Sant Jamail Singh Khalsa, Bhai Shabeg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, S.Darshan Singh Pheruman, Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma, Bhai Labh Singh, Bhai Jugraj Singh, Dr Rajinderpal Singh, Dr. Gurnam Singh Buttar, Bhai Kehar Singh, Bhai Satwant Singh, S. Simranjit Singh Mann and many others who made sacrifices and provided or who are providing much needed leadership to make the Sikhs and the international communities aware of what has been done by the Indian administrations and their cronies not only in Punjab, but abroad, as well. As the Sikh nations march to independence is going on, the Sikhs are keeping a close and strict watch on friends, foes and opportunities. Many classes have emerged in this classless society, although as no surprise to the followers of the ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib ji, or even to religious studies or even the common individual. In pursuit of sovereignty and independence, one meets with enormous obstacles, to which the Sikhs are no exception. These obstacles, which are the byproduct of Hindu India’s interference in the internal affairs of the Sikhs, are intended to distract them from their goal. As much, it becomes the duty of every Sikh to be aware of the following: Recognize the opportunists, traitors, traders, writers, Civil servants journalists, academics, and even the priests in your Gurdwaras or Holy place.
In the Sikh community, I firmly believe that the people who had or have been playing a role in the derailment of the Sikh road to independence include Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, Parkash Singh Badal, Kuldip Singh Brar, Dr. Gopal Singh Dardi, Khushwant Singh, Patwant Singh, Buta Singh, SujitSingh Bamala, Harinder Singh Khalsa, Gursharan Singh (performer), Amarinder Singh, Manjit Singh Calcutta, Rachhpal Singh, Ranjit Singh Dayal, Jagjit Sinch Arora, Ragi Darshan Singh, Kirpal Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bulara, Bimal Saur Khalsa, Jaswant Singh Kanwal, Piara Singh Bhogal, Rajdev Singh, Joginder Singh Brar, Manjit Singh, K.P.S.Gill, and all those who still take pride in identifying themselves with the morally and ethically bankrupt Hindu political parties of Indian order to serve their own ego or ulterior motives.
Beware of those who are eager to address the congregation from the Gurdwaras podiums in order to earn cheap publicity, regardless of whether they possess any knowledge of Sikh history, heritage, or sacrifices. These people are mostly devoid of the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib. Beware of ragas or keertan parties who participate in concerts in the name of collecting funds for charitable or humanitarian grounds, Note that Gurbani Keertan is recited in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib and before the Holy congregation and not in ordinary places where heads are not covered, Watch out for those who are present in the Gurdwaras to disturb the peace of our sacred places by only favoring the recital of Gurbani Keertan and a stop in the detailing of Sikh history before the congregation. In other words, such people are working towards the doctrine of Hindu bigots or Bipran-Ki-reet, aiming to erode the very basic concept of Saint Soldier given by the Khalsa Panth. Watch out for those who are trying to separate the community from the Akal Takht Sahib or the Seat of Sikh polity.
Watch out for those who, based on their monetary power (sarmayedari), would like a Gurdwara administration to inform them about community matters before the congregation is made aware of them.
Judge a person by his/her past records regardless of whether he/she would stand up for the interests of the community.
Remember that buyers are always in the market for trades and it is up to the community to decide whether it would like to sell or protect its interests.
Beware of those individuals who pledge their wealth and services to community service. Making promises come very easily to these individuals, but honoring them Proves to be too difficult for them.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991
