By Zile Singh
“It doesn’t matter how old you are. Your soul is still as vibrant and alive as the day you were born.” “It is the cause, and not the death, which makes the martyr”.
The Society held its last meeting of 2024 on December 12th. Keeping in view the weather conditions, the weekly meetings are suspended till the third week of January next year. In addition of its normal agenda of discussion on Gurbani and other relevant topics on news and views; prose and poetry; jokes and joviality, two other important topics discussed were (i) Martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s family and (ii) Guru’s gift of Ganga Sagar to Rai Kalha III of Raikot. The focus was on the significance of the month of December in Sikh History. A light was shed on the gruesome events of the seize of Fort Anandpur Saheb and the battle of Chamkaur Garhi. It was the time when Guru’s family was separated at three separate places. Aurangzeb was the Mughal ruler at that time.
December is a significant month in Sikh history for several reasons, including the martyrdom of the four sons of the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh who were martyred in a matter of days at the end of December 1705. The four sons, called as Sahibzada were Ajit Singh (19), Jujhar Singh (15), Zorawar Singh (9) and Fateh Singh (6). The martyrdom of Mata Gujari, mother of Guru Gobind also took place during the same time. The martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru also happened in the month of November/December in 1675. Some views were also expressed about the authenticity of some historical events related to the Sikhs. For example, the release of Guru Hargobind the sixth Guru from Gwalior jail with 52 Hindu rajas celebrated as Bandi Chod Diwas. According to some, there is an exaggeration in that particular event. The year of the release is shown as 1611-12 and 1618-19 A.D. It was also emphasised that one must know the history but there is a need to learn from history. History has been a bloodbath from time immemorial. History has been written and rewritten by the victor and not by the vanquished. Or by the people who were at the helm of affairs. In regard to the month of December every year there is a dictate from the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar that the Sikhs all over the world should not indulge in any type of celebrations because it indicates disrespect to the martyrdom of the Sikhs.
The other main attraction of this last meeting of the year was the presence of Rai Azizullah Khan, the 9th generation of Rai Kalha III, the-then Muslim Rajput Chief of Raikot State. Guru Gobind Singh stayed for some time with Rai Kalha to escape Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s forces after leaving Chamkaur Garhi. Guru Ji, in appreciation of the services and hospitality extended by Rai Kalha, gifted him the holy Ganga Sagar, a Sword and a Rehal (small wooden stand to read a religious book). The Ganga Sagar is a Surahi shaped metal vessel having many holes around it. The speciality of the Ganga Sagar is that despite all these holes, water and milk do not pour through the holes, whereas the sand comes out through the holes. Guru Sahab used Ganga Sagar to drink milk and water. It was one of his personal belongings. To quote Prof. Bhajan Singh Grewal, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, “The Rai family, throughout the generations has shown love and respect towards the Guru, even with the obvious risk of serious reprisals from the rulers of the day. In this sense, the Ganga Sagar is a symbol of love that transcends the manmade boundaries of religion, race, and caste and this is the essence of Guru Gobind Singh’s life and teachings.”
Rai Azizullah Khan, grandson of Khan Bahadur Rai Inayat Khan and heir of the Rai family is the present custodian of Ganga Sagar. Rai Azizullah Khan has displayed this holy relic to the Sikh Sangat in Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Once a Member of Parliament in Pakistan, he is a citizen of Canada and lives in Surrey, British Columbia. Khan Sahab was honoured with a Saropa by Dr. Gurbax Sidhu, President, and Surjit Minhas. General Secretary of the Society. The meeting concluded with a note of “Happy New Year.” to all present.
Zile Singh (zsnirwal@yahoo.ca) is a columnist and author of “Truths of Life- Life Enlightened.” The book is available on Amazon. He is Secretary (Public Relations) of Sunset Seniors’ Society.
