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Kis Bidh Ruli Patshahi: Quest for Glory of the
Khalsa
We are fortunate that we have been
bestowed sovereignty by our Gurus. Sikhs are a sui-generis people.
In a short span of 500 years, Sikh Gurus and Sikh historical
personalities have built and demonstrated the sovereign character of
the Sikhs. The unique social, cultural and religio-political aspects
of Sikh thought are the fundamental foundations of the Sikh nation.
Sikh nationhood is exemplified in the defiant, rebellious and
sovereign nature and way of living of the Sikh people. Historically,
Sikhs have had their share of political sovereignty till the late
fifties of the nineteenth century. It is another matter that
geographical boundaries are not a limiting factor to Sikh
nationhood.
Today India is celebrating its 60th birth anniversary with a
multitude of activities and functions all over the country. The
Sikhs are living literally as an enslaved race.
The last 60 years have been tumultuous years of denial, torment,
torture, mayhem, destruction, vandalism and death. Of course, there
have been individual success stories, which were only natural
because of the gregarious character of the Sikhs. Interestingly for
reasons of state, the Indian state heaped and perpetuated hate,
animosity and discrimination on the one hand and on the other
afforded opportunity and provided sponsorship to some individuals to
rise to heights of glory, creating a façade of satisfaction and
inculcating a misplaced sense of glory and welfare of the whole Sikh
corpus.
Nobody can deny that a small segment of top-notch Brahmins continue
to dominate the Indian political scene. A handful of Brahmins,
sitting in the corridors of power in the north and south block of
Delhi, using all devious means and policies continue to play
politics of hate and repression. Any one who does not fall in line
with them is treated as an enemy.
Independent India has killed more of its citizens struggling for
political rights than British India killed during its regime to
perpetuate its rule. All nationalities annexed to India since 1947
are living a life of ignominy and suppression. Their religious ethos
and cultural identity is on the verge of assimilation in the vast
pantheon of Indianism.
We at the WSN are very clear that such a hypothesis is against the
fundamental tenets of our religion and the vision of our Gurus. We
would like to live that day when we would look up and say, "this is
our sky, this is our land and this is our dream and we will fulfill
it without fear or obstruction".
We are only reiterating our fundamental freedom to be masters of our
own destiny, exactly in the same way as others have done so far. Our
tryst with destiny is beckoning us since the day our sovereignty was
superceded in 1849. The litany of broken promises and grievances
against Sikhs in India does not seem to end. Nothing has brought
this about more succintly than the recent seminal work of Sardar
Ajmer Singh whose 'Sikh Rajniti Da Dukhant -- Kis Bidh Ruli Patshahi'
is currently making waves among the Sikhism scholars and studies.
If the neo-Nirankari is dead, a Gurmeet Ram Rahim is born. If he
goes in prison, another Ashutosh will be propped up. If the
Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal has been stopped, then the state of Haryana
builds the Hansi-Butana canal and the Punjab government quietly
acquiesces into it. Every year is a new story of hate and
repression. Year after year, the list continues to grow. Still,
these grievances are not the central cause, but only an additive
supplementary to the primary, fundamental and conceptual yearning
for Sikh sovereignty. We welcome the latest venture of a Sikh body
to prepare the chargesheet against the Indian state and take the
Sikhs' case to the world at large. These are the times of media wars
and spin doctors. Sikhs will be found wanting if they do not acquire
the tools and weapons for such battles. The Sikh nation must
undertake such initiatives in its quest for re-establishing the
Glory of the Khalsa.
22 August, 2007
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