Date: 8/9/2006
In December 1986, we had gone to Anandpur Sahib, along with our son and his American wife. This was her first visit to India. She was very much impressed to hear about Guru Gobind Singh's martial training and teachings, besides the social and spiritual aspect of our religion. The Anandpur's historic fort was very much in good condition and it lent strength to my narration. ////////////// On March 5, 2000, we took our daughter to Anandpur Sahib (she had come from USA after many years). We were shocked and dejected to notice the absence of the original fort, along with the dera of the sant who had promised me (in 1986) that he would maintain each and every part of the fort, along with the debris of some parts of it, because he knew the value of these items. ////////////// We and our leaders should give a deep though to what we are doing for the preservation of Sikhism. //////////// Look at the nation that has suffered for millenia, has gone through worst of tortures, yet maintained their culture, identity and even got their homeland. Wailing Wall of Jerusalem, though millenia old, is still preserved. Similarly, 'Masade Hill Fort' keeps alive the memory of Jews killed by Romans. When Israeli Air Force pilots fly past the Masade Hill Fort they take a vow to "uphold their traditions and protect their country against any aggression". This they do before taking their final Commission and getting their wings. ///////////// What a contrast to us Sikhs whose martial tradition is just 3 centuries old and instead of even dreaming of preserving it for the millenia, we are out to demolish and destroy the proofs of our valor and martial tradition, foundations of which were laid by our unique Prophet, Guru Gobind Singh. The only fort built by any Prophet of any religion in the whole world, which was intact till last year, has been demolished and disfigured, in the name of tricentenary celebrations. The fort of Anandpur Sahib was strong and functional. From here Guru Gobind Singh fought battles and won them too. ///////////// If it were preserved in times to come, it would have been revered like Masade Hill Fort. Not only that it would have become a model of infantry and cavalry warfare, for the soldiers and officers doing warfare courses all over the world. It was the Prophet of Sikh religion who made martial art an essential part of Sikh religion. ////////// Centuries ago, in North Western India, when the pujari just played in the temples, foreign invaders looted and demolished those very temples in their presence. A strong reason why Prophets of Sikh religion made martial art an essential part of religion. This made their followers so strong that they changed the course of history of India. Till Guru Gobind Singh instilled martial spirit into the blood of the Sikhs, all the invaders came from North. But after the martial tradition reached its zenith and Sikhs became strong enough to establish their rule, no invader dared attack India from the North. Nations like Afghanistan which couldn't be subdued even by the most powerful countries of the present era (Russian & USA), were easily conquered by the Sikhs and they became a part of the Sikh Kingdom. //////////// Operation Bluestar was perpetrated by anti-Sikh Indian rulers, but I am ashamed to say, living examples and images of our martial traditions, like the fort of Anandpur Sahib have been demolished by our own Sikh leaders. They have tried to crush the martial spirit of the Sikhs, which was a gift and blessing of Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh was the only Prophet in the world who amalgamated martialism with spiritualism, thus making his followers strongest in both these spheres. ////////////// Now our leaders have degraded him and are trying to revert the Sikhs to the status of mere pujaris who can only pray but can take no action to save themselves, their traditions and their country. When the Sikhs are thus being made weaklings by their own leaders, others are bound to step into their place by adopting their martial traditions. Our leaders should forget about their aggrandizement for the time being and think of raising the status of the Khalsa. ///////////// We should remember that Sikhs are not just living in Punjab. They are spread all over the world. Whichever country they go to, they bring about its prosperity. Some are amongst the richest in their country of adoption. Many are doctors, scientists, traders and making name in almost every field. Some are even world famous in their profession. History of the Sikhs is parallel to the history of Jews. They would like to come back to Punjab and pay homage to their religion and historical monuments. Preservation of these for posterity is the responsibility of the Punjabi and Indian Sikhs. We all know that the Sikh regiments are the most highly decorated in India. This tradition was maintained even in Kargil. Most recent example of the impact of the martial spirit instituted by Guru Gobind Singh was seen in the role of Sikhs in Kargil: ///////////// "Kargil was as much a battle of mind as it was of men. Granthi Daler Singh attached to the 21 Sikk knows it. He was there. And he remembers: It was a very arduous climb upto the Tololing peak. The sheer exhaustion of climbing with rations amd ammunition in the roar of enemy fire had disheartened the troops. When the Unit's Commanding Officer confided his anxiety about the low morale, I called the troops and gave them an inspiring talk on how Guru Gobind Singh had fought. I could see their faces brighten and before long they were up and shouting the battle cry of Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal...." (Mind over Matter, Brig. B.N. Kelson, Director, Indian National Integration Institute, Pune. The Express Magazine, April 23, 2000) //////////// If the Anandpur Sahib fort had been preserved and revered like Masade Hill Fort of the Jews (one of the bravest soldiers of the world), our Sikh soldiers in every field of defence services would have come here to pay homage, seek blessings and gain highest possible morale before proceeding to the battlefield.000000000
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