Development not Division. Sarbat Khalsa 2015

Development not Division. Sarbat Khalsa 2015

It has been a while since my last article. The events in Punjab have led me to attending events, and posting thoughts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Even now, I don’t believe my opinions below can truly state the range of emotions, thoughts, and feelings I am experiencing. But with a larger canvas to write on, I will try.

On November 9. 2015, upwards of 500,000 Sikhs gathered at Baba Naudh Singh Gurdwara just outside Amritsar, Punjab for Sarbat Khalsa 2015. This was the first Sarbat Khalsa in 29 years. The last one was held in 1986 at the Akal Takht, where the decision to pursue Sikh sovereignty in the form of a separate nation, was declared.

For those unaware, the Sarbat Khalsa was held biannually during the times of the Sikh misls (confederacies) prior to the unification under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The first Sarbat Khalsa was held by Guru Gobind Singh in 1708. The Sarbat Khalsa is truly unique in that it literally refers to the the collective congregation of the Sikhs coming together to reach a complete consensus on deliberative issues. It is called in times of dire needs of the Sikh Nation.

In order to pass a resolution or even consider the Sikh Nation, a nation, there must be both the Guru Panth and Guru Granth. The Guru Panth refers to the collective congregation of the Sikhs and the Guru Granth Sahib must be present during such decisions. The decisions must be aligned with the Guru Granth (in scripture and teaching), and if so, such “mattas” (resolutions) are considered the spoken word of the Sikh Nation or the Guru itself.

In the past 24 hours I have seen countless individuals come out in support of Sarbat Khalsa 2015, but I have also read the views of those who are pessimistic or otherwise not in approval of the decisions at the Sarbat Khalsa. My message to theses pessimistic or non-approving individuals is simple. Support the decision of the Guru Panth.

This is the first time in 29 years that the Guru Panth was able to come together, hold a meeting, and pass resolutions. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t perfect, but it happened. Credit should be given for organizing, running, and implementing such a large gathering. The Sikh Nation is reeling from incidents of sacrilegious acts, farmer suicide, drug abuse, and unemployment (to name a few) in Punjab. The Sarbat Khalsa is a direct challenge to the failing government and a true sign of grit by the common man stating that enough is enough.

If there are leaders that members of the Sikh Sangat does not support, then the true intentions of those leaders will come forward. The Guru Panth has shown that it will not hesitate in sacking incompetent leadership. So, we must hold these newly appointed jathedars accountable for their actions, and keep them honest in the work they are about to do. By all means, follow their every move and step. If there is a decision being taken that the Sikh Nation considers incorrect, hurtful, or damaging- then steps to remove that person from power can be taken.

The important aspect to remember is that jathedars have always been appointed. They act as a voice for the Sikh Nation. Their job is to guide the Guru Panth based on the collective views of the Panth. Over the past years, the SGPC has appointed jathedars who pass resolutions based on their own personal/political agendas, and not the views held by the Sikh majority nor in alignment with the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Such resolutions, actions, and decisions are what have led to the diminished power of the Akal Takht authority. The sanctity of the institution is there and always will be (Akal Takht translates to "timeless/eternal throne"), but the occupiers are anything but pure. 

This is why I will be as bold to say that the SGPC must be either completely razed and rebuilt or eradicated. The SGPC was created in 1925 during the times of British India. While successful then in removing Mahants (Hindu “caretakers”) from Sikh Gurdwaras, the SGPC over time has become a highly profitable organization whose leadership no longer participates in elections and is directly controlled by the Akali Dal Party led by the Badal Family. In other words, the Badal family holds control over the state political government and the political government of the Sikh Nation. This is simply not acceptable.

The SGPC recently “fired” the Panj Pyare, and attempted to belittle their role by stating that they merely existed to carry out ceremonial duties. These are the same Panj Pyare who collectively gave instructions to Guru Gobind Singh, and he complied because of their representation of the Sikh Panth. This is how much trust and respect Guru Sahib had in the collective Sikh Nation. It should also be a direct indication of how far the money hungry SGPC is willing to go, in order to retain its power.

The SGPC then stated (incorrectly) that only the Akal Takht Jathedar could call the Sarbat Khalsa. This is false. In the past, the Sarbat Khalsa was called by Sikh leadership and could convene wherever it so pleased. In all reality, the current Golden Temple complex and Akal Takht building is nothing less than “occupied”. When various Sikh leaders approached the SGPC for permission to convene at the Akal Takht (permission should not be needed from SGPC in the first place), the SGPC denied the request. Guru Gobind Singh himself convened the first Sarbat Khalsa and it didn’t occur at the Akal Takht. (Guru Gobind Singh never visited the Golden Temple Complex that houses Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht). These Jathedars are occupying the highest seat of the Sikh faith but speak the rhetoric of the Indian State and Badal family. They have destroyed the sanctity themselves. They must be boycotted and removed so as to restore the authority of the Akal Takht. Credit must be given to the Sarbat Khalsa 2015 for taking this step and appointing a charismatic leader (Jagtar Singh Hawara) who clearly resonated with the Sikhs in the Sarbat. 

The Indian media propagates, amplifies, and promotes inflammatory articles. It is important for us to simply ignore these articles. We cannot expect the Indian media to write fairly or honestly in the issues of the Sikh Nation. It is not in their interest to do so, and quite frankly, we should not care.

The time has come to not only reform our institutions but also ourselves. We must introspectively look at ourselves and see if we are truly working towards becoming Sikhs of the Guru. If we are truly concerned with the future of the Khalsa Panth, then we must work to free the Khalsa Panth from the likes of the Badal family and the oppressive Indian State.

The Akal Takht can never truly hold much power if there is no Sikh sovereignty. Otherwise, any decision taken by the Akal Takht, seen as contradictory to the national or state agenda, will be seen as threats to the nation. The physical attack and demolition of the Akal Takht in 1984 was symbolic of this very view by the Indian State.

It is time for us to define ourselves. We must not be afraid of sovereignty, independence, and freedom. We must realize that our Gurus created autonomous cities within the Mughal empire. Cities such as Anandpur Sahib were free of Mughal taxes, and refused to adhere to the Mughal empire rules. Our Sarbat Khalsa in the 1700’s passed resolutions to loot the the Mughal treasuries and eliminate enemies. We must be bold enough to accept that life is better fighting for freedom than living as slaves.

We must adhere to resolution # 13 of Sarbat Khalsa 2015, and destroy the shackles of caste that continue to divide us. We must work to avoid listening to and partaking in songs that discuss caste, drugs, alcohol, and womanization- we must be the ones who refuse to listen. The singers sing what is profitable, if we boycott their songs, concerts, and their lyrics, then they must change their songs to appease their listeners.

So most importantly, to reach this state of reform, we must stand tall with our Sarbat Khalsa decision of 2015. We must work together and give the appointed leadership a chance to lead. We must drown out the noise and understand that this is a far better alternative than the Badal leadership, and that the power is still in the hands of the people. We must develop unity, draw strength, and ensure accountability of this leadership. We must work from the ground up to ensure to ensure that the resolutions passed are seen through and that the stage can be set for a Sarbat Khalsa 2016 on Vaisakhi of 2016.

Jasjit Singh