Panthic Leadership
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Modalities of Panthic Leadership in History* * Presented at the Seminar on
"Panthic Leadership and Decision Making" held by the Institute of Sikh
Studies, Chandigarh on 30th-31st Octoberr, 1999. Leadership During the Guru Period 1469-1708. There is no contemporary history written during this period. It seems our Gurus were men of few words. They never lectured or held discussions, otherwise some Sikhs or others would have written about them. They wanted the Sikhs to draw their conclusions from the actions of the Gurus. They revealed Gurbani, performed kirtan and listened to kirtan, and gave an action programme. Our Gurus were not only our spiritual and religious leaders, but also led the emerging panth politically. The Sikhs looked upon the Gurus as Sachcha Patshah. By the time of Guru Arjun Dev Ji the Sikhs realised their unique status that they were not only free from the machinations of religious agents like Mullahs, caretakers of mausoleums, Pandits, Purohits, astrologers, but were also no longer under the political domination of the Mughal State. They felt themselves Sovereign under the Guru. When Guru Arjun Dev ji compiled the Pothi Sahib, containing vaar of Satta and Balwand and writings of Bhatts, the political leadership of the Gurus became clear : In Sawaiye Mahaley Chauthe ke, Null Bhatt describes the transfer of power to Guru Ram Das in No. 4 and 5 as under: Sab bidh maaniyo (Guru Amar Das); Mun tubb he bhaiyo parsan; raj jog takht deeyan Gur Ram Das ke. When his (Guru Amar Das’s) mind was satisfied in every way, then was he pleased and he bestowed on Guru Ram Das, the secular and spiritual throne. (Guru Granth Sahib p. 1399). In the last sawaiya, Harbans Bhatt exclaims that Guru Ram Das departed after handing over the Canopy and Throne of the World to Guru Arjun: Chhatar singhasan prithmi Gur Arjun kau de aaiyo (Guru Granth Sahib p. 1409). The historian, Toynbee could not help remarking the "the predecessors of Guru Hargobind had, already transformed the Sikh community from an embryonic Church into an embryonic State". (Toynbee Vol. 5 p. 665) C. H. Payne also writes in the same vein. "Arjun is celebrated as the first guru to assume the temporal is well as the spiritual control of his followers. Making Amritsar his (Guru Arjun Dev Ji) headquarters, he established himself as the administrative head of the community and framed laws to regulate their social and political life. The rapid development of the Sikhs at this time and the growing influence of their Guru soon led to trouble with the Mughals..... his last injunction to his son and successor, Hargobind, was to sit fully armed on his throne and to maintain the largest military force he could muster". (page 31-32) Guru Arjun Dev Ji had exhorted the Sikhs to take up different trades and crafts. He had particularly asked them to go to Central Asia for bringing horses of better breed. Making of Daswandh compulsory was to provide the Treasury of the Panth. Guru Arjun Dev ji had embarked upon widespread construction activity. No Sikh joined service under the Mughal government whether civil or army. Guru Nanak was the first and the last Sikh to "serve" the government. Construction of Akal Takht and Swords of Miri-Piri: Akal Takht (Akal Bunga also means abode of Akal Purukh) was constructed by Guru Hargobind ji by his own hands taking the help of Bhai’s Gurdas and Buddha ji. Donning two swords, he wanted the Sikhs to understand that he was their political leader as well, and they have not to look up towards the throne of Delhi. Keeping large well-quipped and ever ready army by our Gurus from Guru Hargobind Sahib onwards was to convey to the Sikhs that they are members of their own free State. Khushwant Singh is quite correct in remarking about Guru Hargobind: "The Gurus abode did in fact become like that of the emperor. He sat on a throne and held court. He went out with a royal umbrella over his head and was always accompanied by armed retainers. He sent envoys to ruling princes and received their agents in durbar, where present were exchanged. With Arjun the title Sacha Padshah was only honorific, with Hargobind it became a reality as far as Sikhs were concerned. He was miri piri da malik (The Lord of spiritual and secular domains) (History of the Sikhs Vol. I. p. 63-64). Waging of battles by the Pahari Rajas and the central Govt. at Delhi against Guru Gobind Singh was to abolish this independent state being run by the Guru. This state had no physical boundaries. It was a State within the Mughal State. Guru Gobind Singh displayed his sovereignty after leaving Anandpur in several ways : I. Writing Zafarnamah or letter of victory to Aurangzeb. ii. "Secure in his new retreat (at Damdama) Govind re-established his court and surrounded himself with all the pomp and circumstance of Royalty. Numberless new recruits joined the rank of the Khalsa and position of Govind Singh became stronger than ever before. According to Trumpp, at Damdama alone the Guru gained 120,000 disciples" (xcii), Latif p. 266, C.H. Payne p. 41-42. iii. Bahadur Shah conveyed his request for military help to Guru Gobind Singh through Bhai Nand Lal. Guruji sent Bhai Dharam Singh, along with band of chosen warriors, to help Bahadur Shah in the war of succession. After his victory Bahadur Shah gave the Guru a jewelled scarf as an ally and man of religion (Kartar Singh: Life of Guru Gobind Singh p. 214 - 217). iv. Appointed Banda Bahadur as commander of Khalsa
army and chose five piaras to help him to act according to the edict of
Khalsa. Banda was sent to chastise Wazir Khan and other tyrants of Sarhind. This
was the model of future leadership of the Panth. Khalsa Leadership in the Eighteenth Century Banda established a short lived Khalsa State (1710-1713) and issued the first
coin with the inscription translated as "coin is issued in the two
worlds by the sword of Nanak. Victory belongs to the King of Kings Gobind Singh,
obtained by the grace of Akal Purukh." After Banda Bahadur in 1716, the Sikhs were hunted down. They could not re-group themselves and create their central leadership. "Within a few years the concept of Guru Panth had completely gripped the Sikh mind, thanks to the efforts of Bhai Mani Singh and other such Sikhs. Sikhs automatically thought and acted collectively.... Collective thinking among the Sikhs, the institution of Sarbat Khalsa, Gurmatta, Dal Khalsa and Guru Panth gave a peculiar solidarity.... Though Khalsa sovereignty had a brief spell yet it went down in the memories of the people as a very good model of Government and governance. This fact alone was sufficient to sustain and boost the Sikhs as it in itself was a vindication of their stand that the Sikh ideology was a sure way to bring about improvement in the status of the people." This was over too soon. "The foreign (Afghan) danger being practically over by 1765, the Sikh chieftains (Misl Heads) found that there was no need of pulling together and began to indulge in the pursuits which their individual interests warranted.... Each of Sardars plunged himself into struggle for supremacy over other.... They degenerated from self sacrificing fighters for the national cause into self seeking leaders". (Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century: S. S. Gandhi 1999 p. 381-385 and 673) Leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
1799-1849 Ranjit’s kindom was the most peaceful Empire of his time in the world. Sikh prestige soared. Having won his kingdom by finishing and overpowering all Misl and Sikh Sirdars, he kept them away. He did not include any Sikh in his cabinet of ministers. although the mainstay of his Empire was the well maintained Khalsa army. Soon Ranjit imbibed all the ills of an autocrat Maharaja enjoying wine and women. The Hindu Brahmin ministers took him completely away from Sikhi and the average Sikh also took to alcohol. There is no doubt that on the whole the Sikh soldiers and some Sikh Generals kept up the flag of Sikhi. Ranjit Singh by himself did not only cover the Harmandir with gold but finished the institution of Akal Takht and Guru Panth. After his demise, the Dogra and Sikh Sirdars worked at cross purposes and leadership finished itself. Leaderhsip 1849-1947 This was possibly the worst period of Sikhi. Udasis, Nirmalas and Brahmins occupied Gurdwaras, apostasy spread like a wild fire, and it was remarked that Sikhi would end by the turn of the century. Swami Daya Nand, his Arya Samaj and aggressive activity of Christian missionaries were blessings in disguise, and Sikhs started to look up towards their heritage and past glory. Sant Attar Singh, Bhai Gurmukh Singh and Giani Dit Singh, Singh Sabha movement and Babbar Akalis rejuvenated the Sikhs. Regaining control of the Gurdwaras and ousting of Mahants during the Akali agitation between 1920-1925 with the Sikhs ever ready to sacrifice themselves for the Panth was the glorious period of Sikhi in the 20th Century. With the enactment of the Gurdwara act and formation of SGPC suddenly changed the self sacrificing Sikh into a self seekers using every unfair mean to become members of SGPC. Ordinary Sikhs were the front runners in the movement of India’s independence ever ready to face, lathis and bullets, long imprisonments and hangings. The leadership failed to cash on these sacrifices. Inspite of resurgence of Sikhi spirit during 1920-1925, the Sikhs did not resurrect their leadership model provided by choosing a leader of the Panth guided by Panj Piaras. Post -1947 Imbroglio By utilising the infighting between the Sikh leaders, Nehru prevailed upon some Sikhs to fight the 1946 assembly elections in Punjab on the Congress tickets. Sikh leadership failed to control this menace and a most sinister move to destroy Sikhi and Sikh leadership commenced. Panch Pardhani leadership would have prevented it. It is strange that Sikh intellectuals remained completely confused running after some faction or the other for their own personal gains. For over 200 years our Gurus’ had created one unitary leadership of the Panth and all Sikhs were looking towards their centre. How can a Sikh say that he respects Akal Takht but considers Nehru, Stalin, Ambedkar, or any faction leader as his/her political leader. This is an anomaly which we have to completely abolish. We lost a golden opportunity for forging complete unity in the Panth during the Dharam Yudh Morcha. At one stage, all Akali groups had joined hands. It was apparent that Indira Gandhi was set against agreeing to any of the main morcha demands, but would storm Darbar Sahib. I was treating Badal-ji’s mother in the PGI and requested him to come to my house at 5 AM on 5th of December, 1983. I explained to Badal ji that the only way to stop the army entry was to prevail upon Congressite Sikhs to leave Congress and join the Akali party and he should use the Akal Takht for this purpose. I again made a last ditch attempt for creating a unified Panthic leadership in September 1999 by conveying to Badal-ji, through two of his stalwarts, that he can easily become leader for the whole Panth by not giving Lok Sabha ticket to his son and offering the same to Jagmeet Singh and asking him to join the Akali party; by giving Sangrur ticket to Mann: Patiala to Chandumajra and accommodating Amrinder Singh, Barnala, Harcharan Singh Brar, Bhattal, as Governors, or Ambassadors, from Akali quota. Badal-ji has not only missed the bus but has lowered the prestige of the Panth in 1999. Sikhi is based on Truth and sacrifice. Leader of the Panth has to efface himself, act like a Khalsa - and not a Bania. Leadership model in the 21st Century Khalsa was created to lead the world by our Gurus working upon a mandate which they had received from Akal Purukh. Only the International Khalsa State can save the mankind from annihilation. We the Khalsa have to set our house in order. Let us divide ourselves in 10 population groups of 2 million Sikhs and select, by common consensus, 10 Sikhs from each group for a central electoral college of 100 Sikhs. Let these 100 form Sarbat Khalsa, meet at Akal Takht and select, by common consensus five Piaras and a leader of the Panth. The leader of the Panth be labelled as Jathedar of Akal Takht who would be the mouthpiece of the Panth issuing guide lines, both religious and political as advised by the Panj Piaras. Guru Panth has to have only one polity enunciated by its Panch Pardhani leadership. The whole Panth has to project this polity made according to the teachings of our Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib for establishment of ‘Halemi Raj’ not only in Punjab but every State of India and every country of the World. In every country the Guru Panth has to project a single Khalsa polity and join hands with only the political group which agrees with it. Sikhi is not just another religion. Khalsa has to become the future
International State of Man, as visualised by Prof. Puran Singh: Spirit of the
Sikh [Vol-II Part-I Page 9.] |