One can be entirely confident that the 300th year of the birth
of the Khalsa very clearly heralds the coming renaissance of
the Panth. It has been my hope that some better known
scribe would have taken up this subject and examined in
unbiased manner the situation of a community that has seen
better times and suggest a future path to follow, but since
such mighty pens have remained silent (except for the
occasional wrap on the knuckles for the peasantry-based
Akali Dal and its leadership) it would be my endeavour to
reach out to my co-religionists and other countrymen.
This is not the occasion to ruminate on what was,
or what was not, promised to the Sikhs by the British when
they were departing in 1947. That can be debated another
time. Today one is much more concerned with the senseless
and disastrous era of the '80s and '90s, owing its
parentage to the catalytic mind set of a national leader
for whom keeping her party in power was more important
than the unity and well being of the nation's sword arm
and granary.
The Sikhs have been at the receiving end for
nearly two decades. This started off covertly at
first after the ignominious "Operation Bluestar".
And then overtly as in the pogrom against the Sikhs
in Delhi and beyond. Overnight, we were suddenly a
beleaguered community.
Many of us, without suspecting it, were on
our way out, gradually but surely, from positions of
trust and power into the wilderness. We felt suffocated,
angry and rebellious, but could say little and do even
less. We lacked the platform and the print media as an
instrument of communication with which we could have made
ourselves heard. Our feelings were put into deep freeze,
as it were, while the rest of the country conveniently
forgot about the Sikhs.
Yes, we are a proud people and the miracle of our
birth will always be with us. From that crucible of
creation we have evolved into one of the world's most
dynamic of communities.
It is now considered "unfashionable" to refer
to the concept of martial and the non-martial classes
but just ask the officers and jawans in the front lines;
yes, these things do matter. The Sikhs have contributed
greatly in safeguarding the sovereignty of our country,
and so they expect, at the very least, that their sons
should be able to serve in the Armed Forces in reasonable
numbers. But alas, today even this is being made difficult.
From the days of the baar or the Canal colonies,
the Punjab has been broken down into small, uneconomical
and fragmented holdings of land, thanks to Nehruvian
socialism. Thus having been squeezed out from agriculture
and the Army, in sheer frustration or hunger, many of
our young men took to foreign lands or country liquor.
An obvious political and economic issue began to be
dubbed as first, secessionist and then a simple
law and order problem. The State, with the full
might of its security forces,
which included the Army, began the task of "cleansing"
and "sanitizing" the countryside of Punjab. Gallantry
awards were bestowed on many for "flushing out the
terrorists" as the term frequently used, much to the relief
of everyone in the country. Except, of course, for the Sikhs
who were being cornered into their "deserted villages",
to borrow a term from Goldsmith.
Thus should we believe that the Sikhs are being much
sinned against rather than sinning? Certainly not! Let's
face it, if the majority perceive flaws in our personality
and certain actions, then it is wise to identify these and
take remedial measures. We must remove the misgivings
of others towards us. And this is perhaps where we have
failed. Excessive adrenalin often propels us towards
precipitious action rather than some self-instrospection.
So, how do we get about this? Firstly, we must banish
our never-ending power struggles within various groups
and splinter groups, and forge one Akali Dal as there is
one SGPC, but while remaining within the parent body
and not outside it. The time for mutual accommodation,
amalgamation of all factions and a single undisputed
political leadership has come.
Secondly, we must be clear as to who can join the Sikh
religion and what is to be its composition. The answer is
that everyone is welcome to the fold! Those who wish to,
should be graciously brought in irrespective of the SGPC
elections. Only the weak and the unsteady fear an ingress
to their ranks. If we are any good, there will be no dilution
of our culture or ethos. Let the leaders we choose be elected
only for their selflessness, clean image and the ability to
lead us into the twenty first century inspire like Moses
did in the desert!
This leads to the next pertinent issue, that of the identity
of a Sikh. To us, the external symbols are as important as
the internal dynamics of the religion we practice. Only the
Sikhs are enjoined to wear the turban as an integral part
of themselves. Its appearance proudly marks one out in
any part of the world and happily, even in the West today
its wearer claims recognition as belonging to a distinctive
race. Unfortunately, "convenience" has also brought in the
influx of patkas or mini turbans, golf caps and even Strata
hats, much to one's regret. This is an unwelcome trend
that the Sikhs themselves urgently need to arrest. And as
for those who have shorn their hair, here is something to
ponder over: this is not the way we were meant to look
when we were founded and so do not waste your time
explaining who you are, when they call you anything but
a Sikh. It is not to say that you have less love and devotion
for Sikhism or are less religious than the majorihv who keep
their kesh. But the point made is that, at some stage in life,
propriety must supersede convenience. We must understand our
religion and all that it stands for an ongoing education
in our history and culture would inject a sense of
distinctiveness and camaraderie within us. A knowledgeable
and religious Sikh is a better Indian too or for that matter,
a good citizen wherever he lives.
Our anger at what has happened to us in the last
decade and more, should now be directed towards positive
activity for the good of the community. We have to do many
things urgently "harness" women power within the Sikhs,
bring in more education to our villages, see that the gurdwara
and other elections are held regularly (and fairly) and
on time for the emergence of new incumbents, inculcate
selfdiscipline within the young and the old and elect as
our representatives in the State Assemblies and the Lok
Sabha, only those who are capable of speaking up for their
people and their legitimate rights: the issues of Chandigarh,
river waters, territorial boundary adjustments, punishment
of those who instigated the mass killings of 1984 and other
sores will eventually stand resolved once the right people
enter the State Assemblies and Parliament. And while we are
at it, let us create more technical institutes and medical
colleges, plus preparatory academies for the armed and
paramilitary forces, so that our youth are assured of
employment in this highly competitive world.
On a very personal note, and about which only a
Sikh can write, we do need to spend a little extra
time on various nuances. For one, let us on holidays
(as do the Christians), turn out in our "Sunday best",
in neatly tied turbans (not parkas) and colourful salwar
kameezes, then visit the nearest gurdwara. There is
little point in fighting yudhs for our gurdwaras and
then not going there!
Then the matter of our titles: our first names
are meant to follow with the suffix "Singh", and unless
we are not proud of being called that, we should not
ourselves, nor let anyone else, let this be reduced to
a single "S" I am aware that some will term these
suggestions as petty, some might even call them communal,
but the fact remains that it is only the Sikhs in this
big wide world, who have to maintain and preserve a
distinctive identity and the emerging trends enumerated
earlier, do certainly negate against that.
On the economic front, something has very
seriously gone wrong in the handling of our rural
economies and our political masters and administrators
are certainly to blame for this. It is time for those
who wear blue or white turbans in the Punjab or
elsewhere, to now forget their differences and petty
quarrels and honour the legacy of their ancestors by
keeping the fields that they left behind still green
and productive.
A virile, outgoing, educated and hard working
community like ours is the nation's shaan, its strength,
and calls for its just share of the national cake
and expects the removal of road blocks in their
legitimate pursuit of professional activity. Such a
national match must be plaved on level playing fields.
For too long have Sikh civil servants been missing out
on Cabinet Secretaryships or for instance, the office of
the Foreign Secretary, when other "minorities" have
filled such posts. It should certainly be a cause
for concern that even till today, 50 long years after
Indian independence, not one Sikh officer has been
found competent to command the Indian Army, a force
that we have so faithfully and professionally served.
As far as religion is concerned, well, that is one's
personal matter, and in any case, we bother no one. Certainly,
the Sikhs have to shed the pseudo-intellectuals the sycophants,
the greedy opportunists who masquerade as leaders and instead
place as heads those men - and women - of vision, with
world views, grasp and understanding, those who will not
be corrupted bv position nor money. There are so very
many from whom to choose.
There is now the exciting new dimension of the
"overseas Sikhs": no less than ten per cent of the community
today permanently reside outside India. The custodians of our
temporal and spiritual order must give them the importance
due and fully involve them in their diaspora for the
synergised strength and well-being of the community.
Let us translate the Guru Granth Sahib into as manv
foreign languages as practical, let us train and send forth
well-versed parcharaks and granthis, publish wide-ranging
literature on our culture and heritage, establish reading
rooms or libraries to enhance knowledge in every town and
village, identity ourselves in our resplendent form, and
behave like the true Khalsa that Guru Gobind Singh had created
in his own image.
As the Khalsa moves into the next century and with
the world, into the new millennium, we stand at the crossroads
of destiny. A glorious renaissance beckons us: let us together
help make it so!
Major General Himmat Singh Gill (Retd)
After a distinguished military career, the author has
taken to prolific writing, with continuing Contributions to
newspapers and a number of novels published. A former
diplomat, a seasoned defence analyst and a keen surveyor
of the politico-religious field in and around India, General
Himmat Singh Gill has written extensively about the future
of the Sikh community to which he belongs.
