When a baseless accusation is made by ill-wishers... । ਜਦੋਂ ਸ਼ਰਾਰਤੀ ਅਨਸਰਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਬੇਬੁਨਿਆਦ ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ਲਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ...

    

Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh Ji wrote about the life of Akali Kaur Singh Ji that is included in the book "Jeewan Britant Akali Kaur Singh Nihang" (page 168). In one recollection of Akali Kaur Singh Ji, Bhai Sahib writes about an inspiring episode which many of us can relate to at some point in life and feel reassured by:

 

ਤੀਜੀ ਝਾਕੀ ਕਈ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਪਿਛੋਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਦੀ ਹੋਈ; ਪਰ ਚਿਹਰਾ ਬੜਾ ਉਤਾਰੂ ਸੀ, ਰੂਪ ਰੰਗ ਵੀ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਾਂਗ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ। ਚਿਹਰੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਉਦਾਸੀਨਤਾ ਛਾਈ ਸੀ। ਵਾਕਫਕਾਰਾਂ ਪਾਸੋਂ ਪੁਛਣ ਤੇ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਾ ਕਿ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਉੱਪਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੋਖੀ ਨੇ ਅਣਹੋਈ ਊਜ ਲਾਈ। ਇਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਇਹ ਗਮਗੀਨ ਹਨ। "ਸੋ ਡਰੈ ਜਿ ਪਾਪ ਕਮਾਵਦਾ ਧਰਮੀ ਵਿਗਸੇਤੁ ॥" ਬਸ ਇਨਾ ਕਹਿ ਮੈਂ ਇਨਹਾਂ ਪਾਸੋ ਵਿਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ।

My third sight [of Akali Kaur Singh] came after many years in the Parkarma (circumference) of Sri Darbaar Sahib, Amritsar. But this time his face seemed down, and his colour and demeanor were not like before. His face had a certain sadness upon it. After asking those who knew him what was the matter, I found out that one of his enemies had made a baseless accusation against him and because of this, he was depressed. 

I said the following to him and then took my leave:

ਸੋ ਡਰੈ ਜਿ ਪਾਪ ਕਮਾਵਦਾ ਧਰਮੀ ਵਿਗਸੇਤੁ ॥ 
so dar'ai je paap kamaav'daa, dhar'mee vig'seyt.
The one who commits sins lives in fear,
while the one who lives righteously remains happy (blossoms).
(Raag Siri Raag, Ang 84)

This episode is a reminder that slander and baseless accusations are not new — even great souls faced them. In today’s age of social media, where people can hide behind anonymous accounts, websites, and IDs without any accountability or credibility, we often see the same thing in the form of trolling, malicious posts, or defamatory articles fuelled by jealousy, hatred, or imbalance. Sadly, some naïve people — without applying basic reasoning to see that such sources lack any kind of credibility — end up believing or even sharing such fake and slanderous nonsense.

I’ve experienced it myself, and I know others who have been through the same. But rather than dwell on such negativity, I take comfort in the Gurbani that Bhai Randhir Singh Ji once shared with Akali Kaur Singh Ji when he too faced false stories and accusations spread by those who were jealous of him and wished him ill.

ਸੋ ਡਰੈ ਜਿ ਪਾਪ ਕਮਾਵਦਾ ਧਰਮੀ ਵਿਗਸੇਤੁ ॥ 
so dar'ai je paap kamaav'daa, dhar'mee vig'seyt.
The one who commits sins lives in fear, while the one who lives righteously remains happy (blossoms).
(Raag Siri Raag, Ang 84)

Falsehood may make noise for a while, but it never lasts. Truth endures quietly. The best response is not to fight shadows, but to keep walking the path of Sikhi with humility and chardi kala, letting Vaheguru take care of the rest.

A Gurmukh once told me: “Stay quiet and don’t reply to the slanderers, wait and see — Guru Nanak Ji will speak in your place.”