Bhai Balwant Singh Rajowana - Where Next For The Sikh Nation?

[gurnam5]

"Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa wage Guru Ji ki fateh"

Like me no doubt others have been reflecting on and seeking to make sense of the unfolding of events in the Sikh world and in particular Panjab over the past 3 weeks. Things have happened so quickly since the announcement that Bhai Rajowana was to be hanged at Patiala Jail on 31st March, that we have all been reacting to events on the ground. And in the process, with a few minor exceptions, Sikhs have demonstrated a remarkable unity which we all thought simply was impossible to achieve. Indeed, political rivals across different Alkali factions and political parties have all joined cries to have the death penalty annulled and Rajowana released. Even Dusht Beant Singh's family has come out in support of sparing the life of Rajoana!

So, the question one needs to answer, given that Rajowana is not the first Sikh to face the gallows- take Professor Bhuller for example – what has changed now and why has Rajowana managed to change hearts and minds where others failed? This is not an easy question to answer but it can be no coincidence that the media, and in particular the Sikh Channel and Sangst TV, have been major players in exposing the story and inspiring the masses through 'wall-to-wall' coverage over the past 3 weeks. If ever one needed a demonstration of the power of the media, then here is a prime example. And it is this important new factor that I think changes the rules of the game. In this sense our starting point is much different now than it was in 1984, when quite frankly, there was nobody out there prepared to put the Sikh case. And, we all know what happens when oppressors think nobody is watching; they do what they like. Under those conditions of kill or be killed, Sikhs had no choice but to literally fight 'fire with fire'. And whilst most of those killed were innocent Sikhs, there can be no doubt there were innocent victims on all sides leaving a legacy of mistrust and enmity.

If then there was no alternative to armed resistance, then today, things are different. Satellite TV, internet, social media and mobile phones are proving to be one of the most powerful weapons available to oppressed communities throughout the world.One only needs to look a the Arab springs and the way regimes that were apparently invincible toppling like domino overnight. And, I definitely think the Rajoana case does represent the beginnings of a Panjab and ultimately India spring and Sikh Channel will play its full role in supporting those who are calling for liberation from criminal gangs masquerading as politicians and lawmen. And it is this truth that Rajoana has brought to the attention of the Panjabi masses. It is not that people didn't know this; everybody knows that the system in India and Panjab is riddled with corruption, where the guilty go free and the innocent languish in Jails. No, what Rajowana did was to dare to speak out and awaken the sleeping masses and this is only the beginning. Unless we take the struggle to the next stage, I am afraid we will lose the momentum and Bhai Rajowana will simply going the many other political prosoners that have been left to rot in India's jails.

So, where do we go from here? Well now that we have the power of the media we need to consolidate and build on the platform that Sikh Channel had provided.We need to ensure that the masses across Panjab, either through the internet, youtube or satellite have access to the Sikh Channel broadcasts. We also need to confront the criminal politicians, 'lawmen' and 'god men' and make them accountable. And we should do this in a peaceful and civil way and we should definitely not stoop down the the gutter level which they would like.

We also need to defend our people on the ground and in prisons. We need to have a campaign whereby ALL Sikh prisoners attached with the political violence in Panjab are given the status of political prisoners or prisoners of war. We need to as a Khalsa Panth from the Akaal Takht officially, like the IRA and others, declare an end to all military actions, which is what Rajoana indirectly has said in his letters. This will then create an opportunity for Sikhs in Panjab to spread the message of Khalistan or whatever settlement they want.

We must avoid turning to violence. Bhai Rajowana quite explicitly said he wanted a peaceful mass social movement fighting for justice for Sikhs and other oppressed people. That is not to say that we don't decent ourselves, but as Guru Gobind Singh Ji explicitly instructed, we only take the sword when ALL other means have been exausted. If we are to gain the support of peace loving people throughout the world then we must reclaim the traditions of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Guru Teg Bhadur Ji, of Jetho dar mocha and the many other moments in our history where we have sought dialogue as a means to defeat the enemy. We must

In terms of the question of Khalistan, personally, I am neither for or against it. At a Sikh I have a universalist outlook on life, and generally speaking I abhor any kind of nationalism and religious fundementalism, be it Hindu right wing Hindutva RSS, or or anybody else. I am however, very interested in discussing how we can develop a system of governance in Panjab (and ultimately the rest of India) built on the principles of Gurmat and the Khalsa ideology. A country where there is no racial, religious, gender and caste discrimination. A classless society where corruption has no place, where fake babas face the full force of the law, where education is given a priority and where Panjabis once again take their place as defenders of the downtrodden across India and further afield and where the Panjab, once the bread basket of India and the most advanced state is returned to its rightful status as a progressive force for change in the whole region. I believe that by doing such we will have de-facto created Khalistan, in action if not in word. And if we can prove that such a system based on Khalsa ideology can work for Panjabi's then others will also demand such a system.

After all all systems of governance throughout human history were based on one ideology or another. Within a matter of 50 years during the early part of the 20th Century we saw a small pamphlet called the 'Communist Manifesto' written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engles inspiring revolutions thoughout the world. Alas, they failed because of flaws in the ideology. But I believe what we have with the teachings and actions of our Guru is a far superior ideology. If the suffering of millions of people under communism led to the ultimate obliteration of communism, then capitalism is also in crisis. Today we have rampant corruption across the capitalist world, including India, and we are seeing people rising up against a system on the verge of bankruptcy. The iron is hot and now is the opportunity for Sikhs to make their claim to an alternative system. If you read Bhai Balwant Singh Rajowana's letters very carefully, what you get is a yearning for a better world, a world where there is true justice, where human life has some value, where the true principles and values of Sikhism are projected through the sovereign and untainted institution of Akaal Takht. Rajowana has done his duty, the question now is are we prepared to take on the challenge? Only time will tell, but I for one am very hopeful. Not only has the Sikh Quom woken-up, it has also grown-up. Along with our five K's we now have to be adopt the five C's in taking our struggle forward, namely: creativity, caring, collective, courageous and clever.

"Wahe guru Ji Ka Khalsa whahe guru ji ki fateh"

Dr Gurnam Singh

Sikh Channel Presenter.