Wednesday, June 06, 2007

The Third Sikh Holocaust

Today, June 6th, marks the 23rd anniversary of when military tanks stormed Sri Harmandar Sahib (the Golden Temple), Amritsar, and the Shaheedi Diwas (martyrdom day) of one of the 20th century's greatest Sikh Saint-Warriors, Mahaapurakh Giani Baba Jarnail Singh jee Bhindran Wale alongside thousands of brave Sikhs who became immortal martyrs. Shaheedaa Nu Lakh Lakh Parnaam.


“No prayers stir the silence under golden dome of the Golden Temple. There are no priests left to intone them. They are all dead or missing. The musical instruments which at all times drummed out the tones and rhythms of worship are quiet for the first time in centuries. There are no visitors, only soldiers. The Sikhs Holy Bible is closed, covered by a blue cloth. There is no one to read its scriptures. It is like the Vatican without a Pope. At the other end of the causeway that links the Temple to the Akhal Takhat, the second most sacred shrine in Sikhdom, the quiet is more permanent.”
- Ross Benson of the Daily Express on June 19 1984


"Akaal Takhat has totally sacrificed itself. I would like you to share with me something which I have been sharing all along. Akaal Takhat has its own independent sovereign identity. Akaal Takhat had to sacrifice itself to awaken these Sikhs. There was no other way...

Out of my pain, I have been praying whenever I go to Gurdwara. Whenever I go to some houses, I have nothing to share because there is liquor and chicken and this and that. Through just seeing this impurity in tons and tons I would pray every morning, "Guru Jee, if there will be no purity, there will be no Khalsa. Do something!" I think that what Guru has done is to ask Akaal Takhat to go ahead now and sacrifice. I think the sacrifice is very timely. It will just awaken every sleeping soul."

- Bhai Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi jee on July 1 1984 (New Mexico)


On this day let's do Ardaas (pray) for the Chardikalaa of the Khalsa Panth and read Gurbaani that reminds us of the sacrifices and great jeevans of these Gurmukhs.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮ ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ, ਤੇਰੇ ਭਾਣੇ. ਸਰਬੱਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ।
naanak naam chaRdee kalaa, tere bhaaNe sarbat da bhalla.
Through Guru Nanak may Naam, the Name of the Lord, be exalted; May all Humanity prosper according to Your Will.
(Sikh Ardaas)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

keep it up..Manvir Khalsa .U r a role model for the cut-surds.
May Waheguru bless you with seva and simran.

Anonymous said...

I dnt think the families that lost there loved ones will be so grateful for there children, kids villeges being raped, tortuted and killed will be so thankful to the guru for this? :s

Anonymous said...

i think the yogi's quote is talkin bout akal takhat sahib NOT rape torture and killin..

wot i gather he's sayin dat akal takhat's destruction or the kurbani of sant jarnail singh and other singhs made the whole world wake up. coz of dis loadz of ppl became gursikhs. he's not sayin thank guru mahraaj for sikhs bein torturred..

fatehh!!

Anonymous said...

I NEVER said that Siri Singh Sahib said thank Guru Ji for killing, rape etc. I'm saying that the Sikhs that went through the hell of 1984 first hand I imagine are not so grateful for this harsh way of waking up the Sikh nation? I'm not trying to diss anyone I just don't understand Guru Ji's Hukam for what happened in 1984. Sorry for my lack of knowledge and again no offence intended.

Prabhu Singh said...

The Gurmukh regards slander and praise as the same. So too the GurSikh sees everything as a gift from God.

Anonymous said...

waheguruji ka khalsa waheguruji ki fateh jio
thanx veerji...was a very nice post!
and i totally agree wiv the quotes from sri singh sahib bhai sahib bhai harbhajan singh ji yogi.
it was also when i was talking to another pakistani guy at my school. he was like...i guess there hadn't been many sikhs today, had there not been the holocaust of 1984! 'coz that was when the sikhs felt a wave of awakening in the innermost core of their hearts...
it was a pakistani muslim saying that to me!
and it was those dreadful scenes of those times that we still remember our shaheeds or else our panth wud have jus been lost in thousands of "sants" by now!
this harsh way of awakening was jus an exaggerated form of---> "danda peer hai vigreyaan tigreyaan da"
anywayz...thanx veerji..thanx for the nice post :)
may guru saheb alwayz keep you in chardikala
waheguruji ka khalsa waheguruji ki fateh ji

Anonymous said...

Parnaam Shaheeda Nu.

Be sure to check out 5Rivers for upcoming articles and pictures of Shaheeds