Fourth of July marked the day when Americans received independence from the slavery of the British. This movement was first started by a shasterdhari (armed) militia who would engage in gureilla warfare to overthrow the tyrannical regime of the British. When the founder of the United States framed the constitution they made sure to include an important amendment ” The right to bear arms”. They knew if the citizens did not have the right to bear arms then any foregin militia could subjugate the country to a state of slavery. In 1699, Sri Guru Ji also afforded a similar right when he gave us [Sikhs] the Hukum [commandment] to bear [a] kirpan. Without this Hukum we are vulnerable and can end up as slaves. We cannot even obtain darshan of Sri Guru Ji without keeping this Hukum.
ਇਹੈ ਮੋਰ ਆਗਿਆ ਸੁਨੋ ਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ | ਬਿਨਾ ਤੇਗ ਕੇਸੰ ਦਿਵੋ ਨ ਦਿਦਾਰੇ |
ਇਹੈ ਮੋਰ ਬੈਨਾਂ ਮੰਨੈ ਸੁ ਜੋਈ, ਤਿਸੈ ਇੱਛ ਪੂਰੀ ਸਭੇ ਜਾਨ ਜੋਇ।
When declaring independence from the British the Americans formed a declaration stating:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The original stating was
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of property.
The right to private property allowed people to live freely. The original founders knew that without having the right to ones own property a person will always be subjugated and forced to work under cruel condtion of a feudal lord.
The Persian word Khalsa means pure and it also means land holder. When Sri Guru Ji sent Baba Banda Singh Ji Bahadur (Baba Gurbaksh Singh) to Punjab to destroy the tyrants he also made sure Baba Ji would destory the feudal system. After destroying the feudal system the farmers and other serfs were no longer working for the Bahman Feudal Lords; instead he [the farmer] took over ownership of the land. He now had his own land and he was independent which is a true sign of soverignity. This was the first time [the] Khalsa set up its own Raj. During Baba Jis reign the Singhs never fought for property. During battles land was never coveted by [the] Khalsa.
Eventualy in this Raj, Gursikhs lost Gurmat values and they did not view private property as means to be independent from foreign rule and a fedual caste system. They forgot to live up to the Khalsa ideals as regarding dust and gold as one and the same thing. Many leaders became greedy and under the misls Gursikhs fought with one another. Raja Ranjit Singh’s misl became victorious and this ” Sikh Raj ” extended far into the East up to Kashmir and all through the West up to Afghanistan. Despite Akali Phoola Singh Ji’s advice, Ranji Singh employed the Malech (non-Sikhs/apostate) and gave them high ranks in his fauj . This fake raj eventually collpased . This was an indication that the Khalsa Raj promised by Sri Guru Ji was not yet met.
ਇਨ ਗਰੀਬ ਸਿੰਘਨ ਕੋ ਦਯੈ ਪਾਤਸ਼ਾਹੀ , ਯਹ ਯਾਦ ਰਖੈ ਹਮਰੀ ਗੁਰਿਆਈ
In Sau Sakhi, Sri Guru Ji mentions when the true Khalsa Raj is established it will become eternal. No foreign power will overthrow it. Bhai Rama Singh Ji also mentions when he received darshan of Khalsa Raj the Shaheed Singh told him Khalsa Raj will be permanent and will never end. So some questions arise when will we be free and no longer live like slaves under foreign rule? When will we be Independent? When will we be Khalsa? When will we have our own indepence day?
ਜਬ ਲਗ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਰਹੇ ਨਿਆਰਾ। ਤਬ ਲਗ ਤੇਜ ਦੀਉ ਮੈਂ ਸਾਰਾ। ਜਬ ਇਹ ਗਹੇ ਬਿਪਰਨ ਕੀ ਰੀਤ। ਮੈ ਨ ਕਰਉ ਇਨ ਕੀ ਪਰਤੀਤ।
As per the command of Guru Ji, as long as the Khalsa remains pure, it will be blessed with all mercy. But when it gives up the Khalsa values, the Guru will no longer shower blessings upon it.
