Historical Perspective

The complex Punjab conundrum is yet another remarkable example of historical growth processes in India. Punjab was always the epi-centre of conflicts. Invaders rummaged through Punjab for many centuries. As per M.J. Akbar, “Punjab was a historical curiosity, and its communities suffered in some way from a minority complex.” Even today, both the Sikhs and the Hindus are yet to overcome such a complex. Both identity and ideological crises are real in Punjab.

Internal wrangling and modernisation processes are major threats to Sikhism’s mystique of martiality, invincibility and the recantation of Raj Karenge Khalsa. Other issues, including the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, are accentuating factors only. Otherwise, the Sikhs are so sensitive and emotive that they can rally around unresolved issues to incinerate the state at any time. The lessons of Punjab are simple. Promises made in various past accords and declarations must be implemented. There is no easy way out of religious fundamentalism.

Terrorism at a low-key level will continue to torment India. National political will and wholehearted people’s cooperation in a give-and-take spirit between Punjab and Haryana are vital to resolve the problem.

Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539 AD) was its founder, who was a Kshatriya by caste. He became a wandering Hindu ascetic at a young age. Nanak too underwent dramatic spiritual experiences prior to becoming a wandering ascetic – No Hindu God, No Muslim God, but only one God. Mardana, a Muslim accompanied him in his preaching. His period generally corresponds to the decline of the Lodi dynasty and the rise of the Mughals. In 1499 AD, Nanak met Kabir at Banaras. He was deeply influenced by Kabirs Bhakti cult or direct devotion to one God, which conformed to his spiritual experiences. Kabir, a Muslim weaver, as per some scholars, was in turn influenced by Swami Ramanand. Reinforced by Kabirs Bhakti cult, Nanak laid the foundation for Sikh ideology. Many of Nanak's hymns contain Kabirs hymns which lends credence to the latter's influence on Nanak.

So, the classic Sikh doctrine conceived by Nanak was simple. First, the unity of oneness of God, was its prime essence – omnipresence, omniservice, formless, timelessness and the power to destroy evil. However, the framework of Nanak’s philosophy remained Hindu – God as both the creator and the sustainer and the divine symbol represented by ‘OM’. The Hindu theory of Karma and life thereafter also formed part of his theory. The basic tenets were nam (Divine name for God – Timeless one), dan (alms giving), isnan (pure living), sevan (service) and simran. Thus, monotheism of Sikhism was designed to replace polytheism, idolatry and other external religious ceremonies of Hinduism. Second, he replaced priesthood by ‘Guru’ – a simple teacher who is neither an Apostle nor representative or mediator teacher who is neither an Apostle or representative or mediator of God, to guide people on the path of truth. Third, he rejected the caste system and proclaimed equality and humility as one of the main ethics of Sikhism. To achieve it, he established Sangat and Pangat. In sum, it was founded as a real higher order ideology. In fact, it may be termed as an indigenous attempt or experiment to integrate the strife-torn and caste-ridden society on the basis of harmony, love and respect to promote a unique brotherhood. Its initial growth was slow, albeit its initial relationships with both the Muslims and the Hindus were harmonious and based on cooperative coexistence. Most vital is also to appreciate that Nanak’s ideology did not provide a distinctive Sikh identity on conception. It only assumed its existing form 200 years later.

Guru Nanak was followed by nine other Gurus – Angad (original name Lehna-Kshatriya), Amar Das, Ram Das (Original name Jetha), Arjun, Hargobind, Har Rai, Har Krishan, Tegh Bahadur and Gobind Singh. So, they all had Hindu lineage. The second Guru, Angad, is credited to have collected Nanak’s hymns, added his own contribution of hymns and created the Gurumukhi script. The third Guru, Amar Das, introduced the concept of ‘Guru Ka Langar’ to promote the concept of unity and equality of mankind. He also initiated the tradition of mass congregation of Sikhs during the Hindu festivals of Baisakhi and Diwali. He divided his whole spiritual dominion into 22 Manjis. It was he who forbade both ‘Suttee’ and ‘Purdah’. He also gave a distinct Sikh marriage service and permitted widow remarriage.

The fourth Guru, Ram Das, is remembered as the founder of the city of Amritsar. As per recorded history, Emperor Akbar gifted the land on which developed the Guru’s village – Guru Ka Chak, which became Ramdaspur and later as Amritsar. Guru Arjun's reign is yet another significant landmark in the growth and consolidation of Sikhism. Harmandir, whose foundation stone was laid by the Sufi Mian Mir, was constructed, the Adi Granth was compiled, the Jat influx into the Panth was encouraged, and the other three towns of Tarn Taran, Kartarpur and Shri Hargobindpur were developed.

On the execution of Guru Arjun by Jehangir in 1606, the peaceful Sikh religious movement turned into a militant one. According to WH McLeod, the sixth Guru, Hargobind, evolved the idea of ‘piri’ and ‘miri’ – the two sword theory of Sikhism or the dual concept of spiritual authority and temporal power. In fact the Harmandir represents spiritual authority (piri) and the Akal Takhat represents temporal power (miri). The statement ‘Saintliness is within, sovereignty is external’ is attributed to him. He also provided a pennant for his troops which became the flag of Sikhism as the nishan sahib and instituted the Kettledrum in each Gurudwaras. From this period onwards, there was open hostility between the Sikhs and the Mughals. Thereafter, it was the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur (brave sword – original name Tyag Mal) who lived through the most challenging times of Aurangzeb’s reign and in the end chose martyrdom to become a Muslim.

According to W Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi, it was the tenth Guru (Gobind Singh born and brought up in Patna) who contributed most to the consolidation of Sikhism as a politico-religious ideology. Under the increasing tyranny of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh produced the myth of Khalsa (pure ones) and the name of Singh (Lion) which forms the basis of martial invincibility – the need of the time to defend Sikhism or Hinduism from Islam. He also admitted women to the Khalsa (Kaurs-princess) and sanctified the casteless nature of Sikhism by constituting ‘panj pyares’. Even the concept of five ks - kes, kangha, kachha, kara and kripan was introduced by him to provide a visible identity. He emphasized the Rahit – Khalsa way of life. Furthermore, liquor, cigarettes and meat slaughtered in Muslim ways were banned. Such were the means devised by him to create a distinct identity to combat extreme injustice, but also to spread Sikhism. He too added a number of hymns and prescribed procedures for the conduct of Khalsa ceremonies. The “Granth Sahib” (the Holy Scripture) was proclaimed by him as the Guru of Sikhs. He prescribed comprehensive sanctions which are to be invoked in the case of offences against the Rahit – Tanakhahia and Tanakhah (penance on offender). Finally, the politico-religious euphemism “Raj Karega Khalsa '' was coined by him. By such ideals, he overcame the first Sikh identity crisis under the Mughal rule and further consolidated the growth of Sikh ideology. As per scholars, the invocation of Adi Granth in 1708 AD, as the Guru, revived Hindu form of worship and rituals and diluted the original ideology of Guru Nanak. Be that as it may, Guru Gobind Singh formed Sikhs into a nation and gave Sikhs a truly martial status.

Admittedly, the collective wisdom and sagacity of the ten Gurus, accumulated between 1499 – 1699, constituted the Sikh ideology and tradition. It certainly stemmed the Islamic onslaught and its influence over vast sections of the Hindu society in the region, particularly the Jat peasantry. To stem the barbaric onslaught of Mughals and Afghans alike, the Sikhs organized their military power into 12 misls or military groups in a republican manner. Sikhism reached its ‘nadir’ during the Majaraja Ranjit Singh’s reign, which exploited/ united misls to gain power, including the capture of Lahore in 1799. As per one estimate, the total Sikh population rose to ten millions during the above period. But, it also faced its real threats both from the Sikh reformist movements (Nirankaris and Namdharis) and the alarming trend of Sikhs to revert to Hindu fold, perhaps, largely as a result of political stability, peace and prosperity. It is a fact that the Sikh political power declined after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s demise due to succession squabbles and decay of religion. The Sikh population too declined from nearly ten millions in Punjab. It almost threatened the dissolution of the Panth.

In sum, Sikhism is the outcome of Guru Nanak’s aversion to the practices of both Hinduism and Islam. In search of truth, he attempted to create a higher order religion, but in a spirit of cooperation with the other two religions. Sikhism started on the tenets of Nam, Dan, Isnam, Sevan and Simran in the closing stages of the 15th century. The initial relationship with both Muslims and Hindus was harmonious and based on cooperative coexistence. Akbar, the Mughal emperor, gifted the site for the Golden Temple and a Muslim Pir from Lahore laid its foundation stone. Basically, Sikhism is the outcome of Guru Nanak’s aversion to the practices of both Hinduism and Islam. In search of truth, he attempted to create a higher order religion, but in a spirit of cooperation with the other two religions.

Initially, Sikhism grew out of both Hindu and Muslim ranks. But, when the Muslim rulers abetted by the mullahs contested, the Sikh-Muslim conflict broke out. Subsequently, Sikhism grew out of Hindu ranks only. As per Khushwant Singh, the custom of bringing up one son as a Sikh grew amongst many Panjabi Hindu families, which was basically to confront the Muslims. During British rule, it was to reap economic benefits. Teacher Tara Chand became Master Tara Singh and played a dubious role throughout his life.

The Sikhs suffered from cumulative hatred against the Muslims. Guru Arjun’s temptation to play power politics by participation in the Mughal succession issue, rapidity of Sikhism’s growth and its attempts to seek a secure geographical area to practise religion resulted in a life and death confrontation between the Sikhs and the Muslims. The death of Guru Arjun while in the captivity of Jahangir, the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the killing of two sons of Guru Gobind Singh and the depredations of Nadir Shah and Abadali’s rampaging hordes, including the destruction of the Golden Temple during the sixth invasion between 1747-1769, left a deep scar on the Sikh psyche, which promoted an aggregated hatred for the Muslims. Post-partition massacres further accentuated their hatred. Nonetheless, some of its leaders even sought a Sikh state in Pakistan with the right to secede, which Jinnah refused. Otherwise, the course of history may have been different.

Muslim-Hindu unity. The Sikh armies captured Lahore, Srinagar and Kabul led by Sikh, Dogra and Muslim leaders. The Sikh Pant proclaimed the Sikh kingdom and conferred the title of Maharaja. The Sikh empire covered Tibet in the North, extended beyond the Sutlej in the South-east and across the Himalayas to Afghanistan. But, the succession drama by his seven sons by different mothers, which followed his death, led to its disintegration and degeneration.

Although Ranjit Singh represented India’s last coordinated effort to arrest the expansion and consolidation of British colonialism, it was the Sikh, Dogra and Punjabi Muslim soldiers who saved the British Raj during the Mutiny of 1857.

In turn, the British gave the Sikhs the most exalted status and adopted an appeasement policy towards them. The Sikhs were given the best share of loot of Delhi, canals and vast farms, besides a phenomenal 20 per cent share of enrolment in the British Imperial Army. Under such favorable conditions, Sikhism degenerated, but was able to contain the Arya Samaj, Nirankari and Radh Soamis threat by launching the first Gurudwara Movement.

However, major Anglo-Sikh irritants also developed, such as, the Gwadhar Rebellion in 1907 against the Colonisation Bill levying higher land revenue, the Jallianwala Bagh massacres in April 1919, the pro-Mahant British stance during the Gurudwara Movement and non- acceptance of Sikh demand for a separate homeland by the Cripps Mission in 1946.

All Sikh institutions were largely organized before and during the First Gurudwara Reform Movement (1920-1925) launched to unseat the corrupt and pliable Mahants. Of course, Sri Guru Singh Sabha and its political wing of the Chief Khalsa Dewan were organized in 1873 and 1887 respectively. As per M.J. Akbar, the ‘Sabha’ was established “to restore Sikh confidence and to defend Sikh faith against the Arya Samaj and the Christian missionaries.”

In November 1920, the Central Sikh League was reorganized as Central Gurudwara Committee (now known as the SGPC). In December 1920, its political wing, Akali Dal, was formed. Ever since inception, the Akalis controlled the SGPC. Its objective is simple—to protect Sikhism from all other faiths. It highlights their deep commitment that it is not possible to protect Sikhism without controlling political power.

Sikhism Landmarks

· A.D. 1499 — Mystique promoted

· A.D. 1699 — Unique identity: The Khalsa

· A.D. 1799-1848 — Ranjit Sighs Sikh empire

· A.D. 1857 — Saviours of British Raj

· A.D. 1907 — Gwadar rebellion

· A.D. 1919 — Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

· A.D. 1920 — Central Sikh League/SGPC/Akali Dal formed

· A.D. 1946 — Homeland demand before CRIPPS mission

During the pre independence period, in the words of Amarjit Kaur (an ex-MP), “the younger elements within the Akali Dal who were for a separate state might have been defeated at that point of history; but they were not deterred from working for this goal.”

In sum, Sikhism is a unique indigenous politico-religious philosophy whose potential for survival is dependent on non- deviant behavior from its followers. Prior to independence, Muslim threat and hatred ensured Sikh-Hindu brotherhood. Now, Sikhism perceives threat from the awesome Hindu reabsorption and reassimilation potential. What is vital to realize is that Akali Dal was basically organized to ensure protection of political rights for the fundamentalists on the basis of defending Sikh faith. Hence, it’s very political survival is dependent on either total domination or confrontation.

The basis of the Akali Dal and the SGPC politics is vital to understand. The Akali Dal’s constitution and its basic philosophy rest on the principle of the two-sword principle: ‘Miri’ and ‘Piri’ implying that the temporal and spiritual powers flow from religion. Thus, religion and politics are inseparable; and religion must guide politics. Whilst the Akhal Takhat is the symbol of temporal power, Harmandir Sahib symbolizes spiritual power.

Article by GB Reddy Sir