Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

RAJ KAREGA KHALSA ?53RAJ KAREGA KHALSA ?KULWANT SINGH *The Sikhs all over the world recite the following two lines :Raj Karega Khalsa Aakee Rahey Na KoyKhuar Hoyey Sabh Milengay, Bachey Sharan Jo Hoiin their daily prayers. When and how can this Sikh prayer he answered?What are the connotational implications of these prophetic words?What is the Divine Waheguru’s will behind this assertive command andwhat steps should the Sikhs take to realise this aspiration. Politicaldominance of the Khalsa over others is, perhaps, the narrowestinterpretation of these lines. The widest comprehensive connotationof these lines is the empowerment of the Sikhs in all the politicosocial,economic, cultural and moral aspects of life. How can anindividual Sikh or the Sikhs as a corporate body or distinctly religiosocialgroup empower themselves in the modern globalised andextremely competitive world. The first and foremost steps towardsSikh empowerment must be to mentally walk out of the narrow, ethnic,ghetoised compulsive mentality of remaining confined to some of theperceived grievances and feelings of hurt against some of theidentifiable forces both in the past as well as in the present. Lickingand nursing of old wounds and deriving a sort of masochistic pleasureout of those grievances would make the Sikhs more pathetic and furthervictims of exploitative politics which has been thriving on rousingthese passions and leading the Sikhs on a torturous path of senselessmorchas, violence, militancy degenerating into terrorism and counterState acts of reprisals such as genocide of the Sikhs in 1984, anddesecration of its sacred shrines. This vicious cycle of grievanceprotest-retaliation-repressionhas badly damaged the Sikh psyche ratherthan providing them their promised empowerment. The twenty-first* Lecturer, PES I (retd), 732, Phase III-B 1, SAS Nagar - 160 059