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GURU TEG BAHADUR BALIDAN DIWAS NOV. 11, 1675
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INDEED, the entire population of India, particularly its 80% Hindu population greatly owe to the community of SIKHS, led by their ten most reverend leaders called the GURUS. They being from its founder GURU NANAK and end with the 10th GURU GOVIND SINGH son of the GURU TEG BAHADUR. They were GURU NANAK, GURU ANGAD DEVE, GURU RAM DAS, GURU AMARDAS, GURU ARJUN DEV, GURU HARI KISHAN, GURU HARI RAI, GURU HAR GOVIND, GURU TEG BHAHADUR AND LAST GOVIND SINGHJI MAHARAJ. They covered a period of about 240 years. In the cause of Hinduism and refusal to convert to Islam, GURU TEG BAHADUR with his three loyal comrades namely Bhai Matidas, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayal Das were barbarously killed in Delhi on Nov. 11, 1675. It is now time, that the Hindu/Sikh Junja of present day rises to seek inspiration from their most ideal example of sacrifice. AURANGZEB, a Sunni Muslim Zealot failed in his persistent efforts to convert SIKHISM in India to Islam. The 9th GURU was arrested first at SIRHIND in Punjab. He was then led to Delhi in a specially manufactured iron cage to exhibit the strength of the barbarous MOGHULS and to humiliate the 9th GURU of his utmost eminence and public appeal. Every adopted cruel method failed to contain SIKHISM, which in reality is an off shoot of Hinduism itself. In the holy ADIGRANTH of Sikhs, names of RAM AND HARI are found written on each of its pages. The holiest of SIKH shrines is 'DARBAR SAHIB' at Amritsar. Its earliest name was AMRIT SAROVAR. There are two more temples called the HARI MANDIR and the AKAAL THAKAT temples also located within its precincts. The SIKH GURUS had them constructed to propagate the DIVINE message of India's ancient philosophy of the VEDAS and the Upanishads. It is found in Punjabi language also called as the GURUMUKHI. The 9th GURU and his three comrades were offered a choice to convert to Islam and save their lives. Bhai Mati Das was tied between two legs andhands and he was was cut into two with a saw blade used in the cutting of wooden logs. This was done after AURANGZEB had publicly pronounced his obnoxious evil plan and barbarous action through public 'DHANDORA' that the 9th GURU of Hindu/Sikhs known as their PIR with his comrades, namely Mati Das, Sati Das and Dayal Das would be killed so that NO Hindu/Sikh ever dare to meet the challenge of ISLAM. Bhai Dayal Das was boiled to death in a cauldron of hot water when GURU TEG BAHADUR imprisoned in the near Kotwali building, now adjacent to the present day SHEESH GANJ GURDWARA, was ordered to watch the cruelty of Islam. He was being frightened so that he might on seeing this barbarism, decide to change his stand and agree to convert to Islam. The GURU gave the supreme sacrifice of his earthly body. Bhai Sati Das was roasted alive with cotton wrapped around his body. These order were made personally by Aurangzeb who put not merely his thumb impression but imprinted the order by imprint of whole of his left palm. This was called his SHAHI FIRMAN. It is time that, we the people of India in reverence to this great sacrifice (Quarbani) of GURU TEG BAHADUR, BHAI MATI DAS, BHAI SATI DAS and BHAI DAYAL DAS now remember the great GURU by observing 11th Nov. of each year with a holiday calling it a National message of unity or 'BALIDAN DIWAS'. India's diverse people shall be united together into one strong nation, for which the 9th GURU was beheaded by the followers of ISLAM. If the Prime Minister Mr. V. P. Singh could on the 15th August announce a holiday for the birth of Mohammad (PBUH), why not the great Guru be worshiped born in India? The Islamic followers were really only invaders and looters, the Sikhs, followers of the Guru and his predecessor be honoured? Why our the very first SIKH Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh cannot declare 11th November of each year, a National Holiday? The Sikh population mostly settled in Punjab are the true and real fighting arms of the entire Indian nation. This is a fact of history. Our present chief of Army staff is also a brilliant Sikh representative. They continued to remain unmatched in their excellence of chivalry and true Nationalism. The 9th GURU was a monument of Indian unity. Before him the eight Gurus beginning with GURU NANAK (the founder of Sikhism) were great human souls who propagated the ancient Indian message of belief of God. They believed in SAT SANGH and Hari Kirtan for obtaining MOksha and going across over the repeated cycle of birth and death on this earth. This is clearly a Vedic thought and hence there is really no difference between the Hindus and the Sikhs. The 9th Guru has gone into history as a great Martyr with his son Guru Govind Singh also following him in the true tradition of the ten Great Gurus of the Sikhs. Let it never be forgotten that not only the 9th GURU was killed in Hindu cause but also his son GURU GOVIND SINGH and his four sons also i.e. the grandsons of the 9th GURU were also sacrificed. Here is, therefore an example of unparalleled sacrifice of three consecutive generations not written anywhere else in the medieval Indian history. No such wonderful example is contained in the world history. Our country can never forget the ten Sikh Gurus, each one of who worked in the cause of Hinduism. The entire Indian national owes so much debt to the Sikhs and their ten Gurus. The medieval hisotry records when Babar invaded India in 1526, even he paid obeisance to Baba Nanak. He was living in Multan at that time as a wordly detached soul with only few of his followers. Nanak was the first Guru who started SIKH faith. By word 'SIKH' is meant a pupil or a disciple of Guru Nanak. The ten Gurus heave greatly contributed in the writing of SIKH's holy book called the ADI GRANTH. In this book, there was additional writings of Saints like Kabir and Namdev and many more. The 10 Sikh GURUS have contributed in the make up of what is now a days called as GRANTH SAHEB. GURU TEG BAHADUR also has entered his own message in this holy book. The original name of Guru Teg Bahadur was TAYAG MAL. This name was changed by his father the 8th Guru since Guru Teg Bahadur had displayed great valour in the victory of the forces of Sikhs against the Moghuls. There were four such battles fought in the hills of Punjab for which reason the picked up lowly people from amongst the Hindus were converted into brave Sikh soldiers whose past history keeps on providing inspiration to the Indian nation even today. The SIKH GURUS have greatly suffered of severe cruelties at the hands of not only Aurangzeb but were also very barbarously treated by other Moghul Emperors except perhaps Akbar. His son Jehagir however imprisoned and later killed another SIKH GURU by the name of ARJUN DEV. He called the Sikhs as the enemies of Islam meant to be slaughtered. After Guru Nanak and Guru Angaddevji, there were further Gurus namely Amar Das and Ram Das. Guru Ram Das created the present day city of Amritsar (originally called the Amrit Sarovar). In addition to the main Darbar Saheb there are two more holy temples within the precincts of the holy Darbar Saheb called the Hari Mandir and the Akaal Thakat. Due to persistent and severe torture by the Moghul Emperors, SIKH GURUS like GURU HAR GOVIND began converting troubled Hindus mostly of low class into great soldiers with their names as 'SINGHS' meaning the Lions. The 10th GURU GOVIND SINGHJI Maharaj son of Guru Teg Bahadur set up grand chapters of Sikh history of the medieval period. His singular contribution as a great national leader of India and his continuously sufferings have no other example anywhere else in the world history. The SIKHS because of their Guru's leadership created a grand military force. Guru Teg Bahadur the 9th Guru founded the city of Anandpur Saheb in place of an earlier village by the name Nanak Chaki. He erected a magnificent Gurudwara which is one of the holiest Sikh shrines worshipped and visited by millions of people from all over the world to express their gratitude and to pay truly homage to this great leader of learning and other warefare. The 10th Guru was a literary personality who mastered Persian, Sanskrit, Gurumukhi and Braj Bhasa. Besides being a grand military general he was scholar trained as such by his father the great 9th Guru namely Guru Teg Bahadur. The historians have recorded Guru Teg Bahadur deeply entrenched in the message of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He was possessed of very admirable personal personal qualities like of which hardly any other religious saints possessed. The Guru on being apporached by some Kashmiri Pandits decided to travel to Delhi and meet Emperor Aurangzeb, fully realising that such a visit would eventually end in his own death. To further this cause, his young son Guru Govind Singh who was just 9 years old encouraged his own father to take up the cause of Kashmiri Hindus regardless of the consequences. The very spirit of valour and chivarly is therefore visible to any human being. India and her people therefore owe to the Sikhs and their Gurus never retractable debt. Aurangzeb is on record breaking Hindu Temples and buildings Mosques on their places. The present day Mosques in Mathura and another Mosque next to Shiv Mandir in Varansi are the living examples of Moghul Emperor's brutalities. In addition to Ram Mandri (demolished by Babar) at Ayodhaya, the VHP is demanding conversions of these Mosques to be reverted to original Hindu temples. It is a matter of fact that Muslims in the name of Islam carried out unimaginable carnage, loot and plunder and further dishonouring of Hindu women always humiliating Hinduism and all those who were not the followers of Islam. This practice of Muslims began in Saudi Arabia almost 1400 years ago and is continuing to date with increased brutality. It is said and believed by them that their holy book 'Quran' dictates them in the name of Mohammed (PBUH), the Prophet, to kill the Non-Muslims called the Kafirs wherever Muslims may find them. The present day bomb blasts all over the world killing the innocents are an Islamic conduct being carried out by the fanatic Al-Queida organisation centered in Pakistan. The entire world has become aware of it, which needs India to take particular note of. There are innumerable holy Ayats in the holy book of Muslims calling upon to exhibit their harshness unabashedly without any regret and in the name of Islam. While involved in the gospel of the God, the 9th Guru was arrested for the first time in 1665 along with his comrades, who were Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayal Das. All of them were brutally tortured so that they get frightened of Islam and for saving their lives, they would agree to convert. However they were persons of different mettle. They loved their country, its people and their own chosen faith in which the Divine gave birth to them. The accepted torture and death but did not yield to the Islamic pressure. The Guru thus chose his own moment of death by becoming martyr of Hinduism. Bhai Mati Das was sawed into two pieces by the use of saw, used for cutting wooden logs with his hands and feed tied. Bhai Sati Das the younger brother was put alive in the vessel containing boiling water and Bhai Dayal Das was wrapped in cotton and burnt. The 9th Guru was made to watch this shameful drama with the Emperor calling upon him to change his faith and embrace Islam. He shined as a sun while Hinduism was undergoing eclipse under the growing Islamic tyranny. All the three above named comrades were put to torture followed by cruel death. The bare facts of torture shall put any civilization to shame. Islam was seen in its darkest halo frame of total fanatism surrounded by barbarism of the cruelest form. Sikhism became the cause of Hinduism's survivor. Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Mati Das were real brothers and had been sent to Delhi by the 9th Guru before he was himself sent encaged in an iron cage manufactured specially for the purpose for the world at large to see. The death of the 9th guru came about with his head served from his body by the storke of the sword used for the purpose by the slaughter Jalaliddin. The historian provide varying accounts as to what happened to the head and body of the Guru which is said by the Moghul historians that it remained on the spot for four days without any member of the public coming foward to pick it up. However, some Sikh historians have written different tales claiming that one Bhai Jaita and Bhai Lakhi picked up the slaughtered body and carried it confidentially to Anandpur Saheb. The slaughter took place on 11th Nov. 1675 when the Guru who knew about his own fate and life and was not frightened seeing the cruel and barbarous manner of torture by which three more of Guru's comrades were done to death. They were Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayal Das. It is said that Guru's served body was taken to Anandpur Saheb by bullock cart through long passage of 500 miles from Delhi. Bhai Jaita had eight sons and one daughter. All converted to Sikhism in 1699. Bhai Jaita unfolded the blanket in which the severed body had been carried and it was put inside the house of Bhai Jaita at Anandpur. He thereafter set purposefully, his own house on fire by using every kind of available wood in the form of furniture before the Moghul soldiers could find them out. It is necessary that some more details of how some ordinary men chose to pick up the served body of the Guru and take it away without any Moghul soldier watching them is recorded. It is said that a storm came on that day and as per plan two persons namely Bhai Lakhi and Bhai Jaita carried away body of the Guru as per details below: -
LET US REMEMBER AND THANK THE BRAVE SIKHS AND ALSO REMEMBER WHAT ALL THE 9TH GURU TEG BAHADUR DID FOR INDIA AND HER PEOPLE WHO LIVE TODAY WITH UNFORGETFUL GRATITUDE TO GURU TEG BAHADUR AND HIS SON GURU GOVIND SINGHJI MAHARAJ. THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE HINDUISM SHOULD SURVIVE. Date: 29th August, 2006
R. V.
Bhasin |