Religion and Politics
The Akali leadership has a duty to explain, with precision, the portions of Guru Granth Sahib which endorse the unity of the Church and the State and there is hardly any instance of a government that combines the Church and the State within a modern democracy. That no Guru, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh preached the defiance or overthrow of established governments except to uphold the inalienable human rights and resist tyranny and injustice.
The thrust of his argument appeared to be that (a) faith in religion, God and morality is a private matter; that it cannot be mixed with politics, i.e. the art of government, or political affairs of life which imply that politics stand free of any chain of morality; (b) Guru Granth Sahib does not sanction this combination of religion and politics, (c) the essence of Sikhism is only spiritual, and (d) no Guru preached the overthrow of an established government even if it is tyrannical and fanatical.
Let us examine these premises in the moral and historical perspective. Guru Nanak (1469-1539) was born at a time when there was considerable inter-religions conflict, strife and tension in India. Poor and innocent masses were being massacred and plundered. Guru Nanak, in one of his inspired hymns, painted a gloomy picture of that dark age wherein he likened kings to ravenous beasts, their officials to rabid dogs and their subjects to dumb driven cattle. Justice and righteousness, peace, love and amity, in Guru Nanak’s words, had ‘taken wings’ from the land.
What Guru Nanak had found lacking was not Ahimsa or non-violence, which was in abundance, but the lack of will-power and the determination to challenge and resist oppression. He, therefore, set about to build a nation of men of truth, saints at heart, full of compassion and love, as well as soldiers of God ready to fight oppression and injustice. He denounced renunciation, escapism and pessimism. He reprimanded the Siddhas and Yogis who had retreated to the Himalayas to seek shelter. He confronted Babar for crushing innocent and weak persons during his first invasion of India. He even addressed God seeking protection of the weak: ‘If two strong persons fight each other I have no grudge, but if a strong person kills the weak, Thou must intervene!".
Japuji is the key and prime Gurbani of Guru Nanak. In the Mool-Mantra the basic incantation of Sikhism - God is referred to as ‘Nirbhau’ - without fear, and ‘Nirvair’ without enmity and revenge. Apart from these two qualities Guru Nanak approvingly mentions at least four times the words ‘taan’ (strength) and ‘Jodh mahabal sur’ (brave, indefatigable, chivalrous). In stanza 17, there is a couplet ‘Asankh soor moh bhakh sar’, which means that there are countless heroes who squarely bear steely brunt of tyrants’ attack. His stress on the quality of character and strength, qua the spiritual field, is so emphatic that the first stage of human development in Japuji is called ‘Dharam Khand’ - the Realm of Righteous Action, while the fourth stage is named ‘Karam Khand’ - Realm of Grace:
‘The realm of Grace is distinguished by power. There dwell powerful beings of God’s delight. They are heroes imbued with God’s pure burning flame. They bathe in His light and they dwell in his Name’
The same theme recurs in Guru Granth Sahib. A few example are quoted hereunder:-
(i) "Jo tau prem khelan ka chao, sir dhar tali gali meri ao"
Oh ye men, whosoever desires to play in love of God, come to me with thy head on your palm. [SGGS: 1402]
(ii) ‘Gagan damama bajio……………’
-The sky resounding kettle-drum is struck, The heart is pierced with the true passion for righteousness; The hero is engaged in battle, now is the time to fight unto the last. He alone is the hero who fight to defend the downtrodden and the helpless; Who even though hacked from limb to limb; he will not flee the field. [SGGS: Kabir 1105]
(iii) "Maran munsan sooria haq hai, jai hoe maran parwano"
It is the right and the privilege of the hero warrior to fight and die for the true Cause. [SGGS:580]
The above few quotations amply demonstrate that Guru Nanak’s conception of men is not that of a recluse or a weakling who shuts his eyes at the sight of injustice, or merely takes it as a will of God. According to Guru-Prophets man is an image and representative of God an earth, God who is Almighty and Asur-sangharan. Man is a complete personality, a single unit which is not divisible to act differently under different circumstances. His religion, politics, socio-economic factors, conduct and ethics are hinged on unity of God, one-ness of humanity, truth, love and compassion. His relation with God is ‘Naam Japna’ (To remember God) for emancipation of his soul and ‘Nirmal karam’ (To do good deeds) in the service of His creation. In carrying out this role he, like God, has to be fearless (Nirbhau) and without enemity or revenge (Nirvair).
Guru Nanak’s mission fructified after 200 years when the Tenth Nanak proclaimed the Khalsa brotherhood at the point of a flashing sword. The late scholar and mystic Professor Puran Singh has remarked: "The majesty and spiritual splendour of this ideal group of Khalsa had been the dream of Guru Nanak, which Guru Gobind Singh planted in the garden of Anandpur Sahib as the root of the kingdom of righteonsness". Earlier on, the sixth Nanak had adorned two swords of Miri and Piri to signify combination of the spiritual and the empirical life. To give it a physical shape, he built the Akal Takht (Gods’ Throne) In 1609 opposite the Hari Mandir (Gods’ Abode) representing the Miri and Piri concepts. This implied that a God-centered person should live full life as a householder attending to all religious, social and political obligations.
Guru Nanak envisaged an elected Government and not an autocratic, dictatorial or theocratic rule. His conception of election is not by votes which breeds groupism, nepotism and corruption, but by consensus (Panch Parwan). He did not favour individual rule but one by "presidium" consisting of five persons (Panches). This concept is based on stanza No.16 of the ‘Japji’ "Panch parwan, panch pardhan" - the Accepted ones who faithfully follow dharma and believe the word of God, are approved leaders of humanity. The Accepted deserve and receive honour and recognition, in God’s Court. For the Accepted all greatness lies in ONE on whom they meditate". The 5th Nanak calls it a ‘Halimi Raj’. ‘Janak Raj’ And ‘Raj-yog takht’ is also mentioned in Bhatt Swaiye. Halimi Raj is based on love, compassion, justice and contentment.
In the above analysis, I have purposely not mentioned Guru Gobind Singh’s Gurbani to demonstrate that what he did was strictly in consonance with Guru Nanak’s mission: was to develop an ideal character of man, as a whole. Guru Nanak also envisaged global unity, not confined to a small area or country, but based on consensus - not unlike the United Nations. Before his death, Guru Gobind Singh had commissioned Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to chastise perpetrators of ‘Zulum’ and to establish a ‘Halimi Raj’. He did succeed initially, but could not continue the struggle against numerically superior forces.
The Sikhs firmly believe that all the Ten Gurus were Guru Nanak in spirit, they only differed in name, body and dress. A few relevant quotations from Guru Granth Sahib are given below:-
(i) "Jot oha, jugat sae, seh kaya pher palatiy"
-The same spirit, the same strategy, they only differed in body. [SGGS: 966]
(ii) "Nanak tu hai, Lehna tu hai , Gur Amar tu vichareya"
-Oh Guru Ram Das, you are Guru Nanak, You are Guru Angad, you are certainly Guru Amar Das. [SGGS: 968]
(iii) "Jot roop Har ap, Guru Nanak Kahaiyo
Moorat panch parman purukh Guru Arjun pikho nayan"
i.e.- God has named Himself as Guru Nanak; thereafter Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das and now I see you as Guru Arjun. [SGGS: 1408]
The first five Gurus who called themselves as Nanak are mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib complied by the 5th Nanak. The last five Gurus named as Nanak are mentioned in the autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh and Bhai Nand Lal Goya, The Court Poet. He records that Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Nanak are one and the same to me "Hamu Guru Gobind Singh, hamu Nanak ast….."
An overlap of religion and politics has been a part and parcel of India’s ancient culture. Parmeshar Bhakti and Desh Bhakti are two kinds of bhakti. Whilst Parmeshar Bhakti is for self emancipation and God-realisation, the Desh Bhakti is for the service of religion, country and humanity. A desh bhagat without spiritual base, like the modern politician, becomes unscrupulous, greedy, power hungry and tyrannical.
Lord Rama had to fight demons at the behest of Rishi Vishwamitra who, though spirituality advanced, could not handle them without the spirit of a warrior. Lord Krishna killed Kansa and Chandur. Guru Nanak, in a cosmic vision of the destruction of tyrants, enumerates Divine vengeance visiting each one of these in age after age of human history.
"The beloved Lord created Krishna in the form of the child hero and gave him strength to drag by hair the tyrants Kansa and Chandur. He is the true Might, Destroyer of the power intoxicated." [SGGS: 606]
The Bhagawad Gita lays stress on the duty to fight evil forces. Guru Gobind Singh goes a step further by laying down the dictum: when all possible peaceful means are exhausted it is rightful to take to the sword.
Guru Nanak’s religion is ‘dharam’ which is based on compassion and contentment (Japuji stanza 16) and its role is to remember God and to do ‘nirmal karam’ (Sukhmani). It has nothing to do with narrow mindedness, meanness; fundamentalism or parochialism, Dharamsala, now known as Gurudwara, is the fountain-head of Sikhism. Instructions, regarding maintenance of sanctity of Gurudwara are amply clear, and this was demonstrated by the 6th Nanak when he vacated Golden Temple premises whenever any threat to it was imminent. He fought all the battles outside Amritsar, and returned to it when such threat was removed. He demonstrated that a holy Gurdwara must not be arena for internal or external conflict. All proceedings in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib have to be respectful and in accordance with its teaching. Subject to this proviso, there is no bar to discussion on any matter - whether political, social or economic - effecting the security and welfare of humanity in the Gurdwaras.
