Shaheed Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda’s Letter To Family
Shaheed Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda’s Letter To Family
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru
Dear respected mother, father, brother Nirbhail Singh Khalsa, brother Bhupinder Singh, sister-in-law, sisters, townspeople, and congregation of the Guru –
The Khalsa belongs to Waheguru!
To Waheguru belongs victory!
At this time dear mother, we are feeling as blissful as ever having seen you all, deep within our hearts, because it was the presence of the Guru’s Khalsa that we were longing for.
Dear mother, I consider myself very fortunate to have such a brave mother as you who is preparing her own child to kiss the hangman’s rope. Looking at my mother today I am reminded of our history, when following the martyrdom of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji, their younger brother Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Ji stood before the Tenth Master and pleaded with his father that he be permitted to take to the battlefield to be martyred like his brother and moreover, he be ordered to do so like the other Khalsa soldiers before him. The Tenth Master looked at his fourteen-year-old son who had not yet fought in a war and lovingly declined his request on account of him being too young. Upon hearing this from Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, the younger Sahibzada was overcome with enigmatic other-worldly devotion and responded, “True Emperor! Do not think of my age; just as you gave yourself the gift of Khande-di-Pahul when you created the Khalsa, order the same martyrdom of me today.” The Guru was overjoyed at seeing such enthusiasm to join the struggle from his brave son and personally readied him with his own hands before sending him into the battlefield.
In the same manner dear mother, today it feels as if I am saying that I want to, I want to be martyred and you are personally readying me to step forward to face the executioner’s noose.
Dear mother, it is our good fortune that we are being executed for doing our duty in protecting the holy shrine of Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar. Norman Cousins spoke the truth when he stated, “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” Dear mother, your sons are looking forward to the day when we will be led to the gallows, where we will kiss the rope of martyrdom. This is all with your blessings. We stand here because of your strength and mercy.
Today, so many of the world’s nations enjoy their freedom, but the Sikh nation continues in its struggle to rid ourselves of enslavement. The Sikh way of life has no equal in the religious history of the World. We humbly try to walk on this path given to us by the Guru in order to ensure the continuation of the Sikh doctrines and the flourishing of this way of life; in this way we too join the devout Sikhs of our past in pledging to uphold the fight for Truth and Righteousness, for which countless Sikhs have been and are being martyred.
For Sikhs there is an inimitable association between the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, the lifetimes of the ten Guru Sahibs, and the inheritance of the Khalsa, all of which combined in today’s struggle has been given the name ‘Khalistan’. It should be appreciated and understood that the concept of ‘Khalistan’ has not appeared all of a sudden from the ether. This struggle is neither a mere pipe dream of young people who have experienced disappointment and a spectrum of related emotions, nor is it the masterplan of misguided bitter individuals whose sole aim is to destroy the unity and peace of the land, both of which are the narratives being preached on a daily basis by the State. The concept of ‘Khalistan’ can be found recorded in the mottos enshrined in our community over 275 years ago – ‘the Khalsa shall rule’ and ‘may the Khalsa be honoured’, both of which are an integral part of the prayer made in supplication by the Khalsa individually and collectively.
The battle for Khalistan is different from the wars and movements of today and yesterday that have been fought all over the world because whereas those other struggles have been for control of Worldly space and values, the basis of our war is righteousness and human liberation. The struggle for Khalistan owes nothing to the want for political dominance or worldly value, but is rather better termed a crusade. We are imbued in the Sikh way of life before entering this battlefield and our only obeisance and support is the Immortal One. The doctrines that led us on to this crusade are very dear to us. We do not want to gain dominion over a Kingdom or territory if it comes at the price of our way of life – any such Khalistan that dismantles the philosophy of our way of life or is devoid of it would be an end for the Sikh people.
Our goal is the welfare of all; our crusade for the establishment of Khalistan as a political power is not an end to our journey, nor is it our destination. Our destination is to be at the lotus feet of the Guru, the True Emperor and our struggle to this end is eternal.
We are not against any religion, in fact to the contrary, being true to morality is the very basis of our way of life. We are neither imperialist nor are we anti-democratic. There is no middle ground in which the Khalsa can contently reside, existing only to respect the Divine Order and accepting only the supremacy of the Immortal One. Amongst the Sikhs, the will of the Immortal One arises from Gurmat-inspired collective thinking and deliberation. But if any worldly or imperial power contrives to find an opportunity in which to force itself upon the Sikhs, then the Khalsa adopts an altogether more rebellious form. Any legislation or constitution in which the will of the Khalsa is not fully embodied is challenged by the Sikhs at every turn, time and again, through any means, and where necessary will lead to the Khalsa entering into the battlefield. The Khalsa is a loyal soldier of the Immortal One’s army. The Khalsa will challenge any and every worldly or imperial structure that goes against Divine order. In the present times, the freedom fighting factions of the Khalsa having declared war on the Indian State, it’s constitution and the Hindu leadership of the majority, is a manifestation of this deeply-rooted ideal based on our historically-informed deliberations.
The last five hundred years has taught the Sikh people that in order to retain our way of life and help it prosper wider, we need a part of this earth where our roots can take hold and blossom, becoming a center from where we spread the Sikh doctrine.
All know well that in the years leading up to 1947 and then beyond it, we engaged in an intrinsically touching peaceful struggle that is now a golden part of human history. But when those who rule become blind and deaf intoxicated by power, the struggle becomes wholly necessary and vital to our existence. Only when all other means fail does the Khalsa engage in armed struggle for as the Tenth Guru Nanak says:
When all other methods of communication have failed
It is righteous to take the sword in hand
This innocent struggle we have undertaken is awakening sleeping Qaums and alerting them to unite in the face of this enemy, and to engage in discussion where the flow of our thoughts can roam freely. The point for discussion before the Khalsa Panth today is not a question of whether the courageous struggle should be fought by peaceful means, for Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj has clearly indicated:
The truth spoken by the emancipator of the poor
Sovereignty is established through the power of arms
Rather, our thought and focus should be on the idea that this courageous struggle is fought along the highest of principles and Divine values, expressing our notion that the sword is not raised to inflict pain, but to bring peace and happiness. The barrel of the gun must always be aimed for the cause of the philosophically-minded, not the reverse. It is vital that on this journey of life we are of the purest character and highest morality. The right to vanquish a wicked culprit of evil deeds belongs only to the Gurmukh whose own morality is greater than that of his foe. It is when we walk along the path in this way that the Guru will grace our life. We have no essence of pure character of our own accord; it is given to us as is true strength by the Immortal One when we walk in line with the Divine Design. Battles and weapons have a deep connection to the Sikh lifestyle, thus a Sikh who denies themselves the bearing of arms has gone astray from this path.
Brother Khalsa Ji! We received your letter in which you have written of the Hukam of Baba Thakur Singh Ji. My dear respected brother, we are happy that Baba Ji has instructed us to recite Gurbani. Your younger brother will follow Baba Ji’s instruction until his dying breath. Dear brother Bhupinder, I learnt from dear mother that you were once again tortured by the armed forces. It pains me to know this. Brother, I have some advice for you – leave the home or pick up the assault weapons.
Dear mother, we have received high-spirited letters from our brothers from England, sister Boparai from the USA, and sister from Canada. They all send their greetings. We are eagerly awaiting a letter from our brothers Kuki and Sukhi; no letter has been received from them for some time. We also received a high-spirited letter from Sister Binder but have not yet replied.
Dear father, how is my sister-in-law? Wait for a month or so before you come to visit please. How is young Mathra? On your next visit be sure to bring nephew Mandeep Singh and Mathra Singh. Give all of the children lots of love from me and shower them with kisses.
Brother Sukhdev Singh and the others all send their greetings. Brother Avtar Singh misses father greatly. I will close this letter here now. I am sorry if any mistake has been made in what I have written or said. Guru Fateh.
The Khalsa belongs to Waheguru!
To Waheguru belongs victory!
Your own:
Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda
Yerawada Central Jail
Pune