It was a time of execution. It was a time of liberation. One by one the Sikhs embraced death. When the turn of one young Sikh came, somehow his mother was able to convince the authorities that he was forcibly inducted into Sikhism and hence he should be released. But the boy, as reported by Khafi Khan, an eyewitness and a historian, replied, “My mother tells a falsehood.
I with my heart and soul, join my fellow-believers in my devotion to the Guru. Send me quickly after my companions.” The boy bowed his head and attained martyrdom. No wonder,the notion of shahidi or martyrdom and shahid or martyr occupies a central place in Sikhism, so much so that sacrifices of the martyrs are daily remembered by the Sikhs while reciting Ardas.
“Death” and “martyrdom” are not similar as explained by Guru Nanak, “Man, revile not death. Death is not an evil, should one know how truly to die. The death of heroic men is holy, should they lay down their lives for a righteous cause?” Martyrdom is sacrificing one’s life voluntarily for a noble cause. It involves sacrifice, truth, courage and, above all, fearlessness. Nanak says, “Listen O mind, that person who fears nothing nor gives anyone cause to fear has alone obtained true knowledge.”
The martyr’s courage is not only physical, it’s spiritual and moral as well. A martyr is one who by his supreme sacrifice for his faith, bears testimony to its truth and to his own allegiance to it. Hence, the shahid attempts to embody the Guru’s teaching that “suffering” must be meaningful. Martyrs bear the torments cheerfully as it is the will of the almighty. Silently, he indicates that tormentors can be defeated. As the Akal Purakh destroys demons and evil, so the gursikhs must have faith in the hukam of the God and, given an opportunity, they must oppose any sign of oppression and injustice. Sikhs must always be defenders, not aggressors.
This spiritual path, as enjoined by Guru Nanak, is “a path sharper than the edge of a double-edged sword”. It requires a steadfast commitment from his Sikhs to be willing to accept death so that truth and justice prevail. Sikh history is replete with the sacrifices of the martyrs.
Kulbir Kaur teaches sociology at Shyama Prasad Mukherji College, Delhi University
