Eh Karza Kishtaan Vich ada ho raha hai -paying off the loan of the Guru in instalments, bit by bit. Battle of Chamkaur- 46 versus 1 million. No parlance till date in history. In his racy style, youth mentor Kamal Jit Singh Ahluwalia takes you on a journey into the past, touching your lives in the present to enliven your future. The craftsmanship of the Tenth Master has no parallel. His philosophy of modern management principles based on the ethos and historical legends of Sikh history is unique and exemplary. The Guru’s Khalsa had no retreat, no going back ever, and they had to fight till the end. Read and see the developments on the outskirts of Delhi today in this light and you will understand the context.

TODAY THE BATTLE OF CHAMKAUR IS HAPPENING, IN WHICH AN INCREDIBLE rewriting of valour, warfare, courage, determination, resolute spirit and supreme sacrifice is being carried out by 46 Sikhs- intoxicated with divine nectar to root out injustice.

No morsel has been taken by them till now, they are fatigued, weaponry reduced to a bare minimum, and have slept in the open sans any warm clothes and bedding. A thin cloth which is on the saddle of their horses is all they had to cover themselves in the cold biting night.

Incidentally, no water is there to drink yet they are ready, excited to pounce, on the mighty numbered enemy without a pause, without wavering without even harbouring any doubt. It’s now or never for them, it’s the present that they are looking at – they are committed to expanding the present with excellence- they are steadfast to re-create new dawn, a better one, each time, every time. For them, it’s not the moments in life that are important, critical was to infuse life in those moments.

 

An incredible spirit that Guru Gobind Singh infused in them. These are the few good men that the Master created, shall I say crafted -in whom there was not a sigh, not an iota of doubt.

Their arms were torn off, their legs ripped, but there is nothing like a sigh of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. That’s the cradle of leadership – inspirational, immersing, expanding and evolving.

Makers of man, creators of leaders, be observant of what kind of leaders the Tenth Master created. They will never sell their souls to buy their future. And that my friend is integrity. That is called courage. That’s the stuff leaders are made of. They always knew what the right path was and they took it willingly even if it was hard -very hard.

So much was their charisma and energy that the enemy camp retreated when the formations of the five were coming out of the Garhi -fort, with the door, closed behind them. There is no retreat, no going back ever, and they had to fight till the end.

This is impeccable courage – the art of living dangerously that was in their DNA, scripted at the House of Nanak.

Facing certain death, cause they understood fully that death is the bride of the brave. Their spirits were resolute, firm, unwavering; they were affixed to the path of upholding righteousness- principles that they believed, lived and were willing to die for!

And above all, it wasn’t a conflict for a woman, wealth or land- generally considered the reasons of battle; it was the conflict to uphold the right to live with dignity, honour, valour, self-esteem, self-love, self-respect by living and thinking beyond themselves. They choose death rather than compromise – they rewrote redefined, reshaped and refined history.

Their spirits were like the flight of the eagle – they believed in themselves, they focused on the larger picture and not get strangled, besieged in transactions.

Imagine Guru Gobind Singh who, as their father, is going to witness today- that both his teen-aged sons attaining martyrdom in front of his eyes. Both are creating history at the ages of 18 and 14.

History corroborates that Ajit Singh the eldest took a record 292 cuts on his body while 14-year-old Jhujharr Singh, after a valiant fight with the enemy was crushed by an elephant. Both sights, not a pleasant one for any soul and more so for any father.

Yet Sahibe Kamaal -Sovereign Par Excellence -is different – He is the rising star, an epitome of what centring is all about and divinity personified.

Yet Sahibe Kamaal -Sovereign Par Excellence -is different – He is the rising star, an epitome of what centring is all about and divinity personified. Instead of grieving, the Guru thanked the Almighty for his graciousness, blessings and the opportunity. Something unimaginable, inconceivable and unthought in the annals till date. It is this attitude that separates men from the boys.

Reflect folks how many examples there are in the past and the present. More -their bodies along with the Sikh soldiers at the end of the day will lie out in the open, unattended, no cover, no cremation to be organized, no outpouring of emotions. A sight which shakes the unshakeable too.

History recollects that the Master chose not to give any special consideration to his sons, cause he believed that all soldiers were his own sons. That’s an apt example of inspirational leadership.

Pause: how many fathers in our sphere can dream to do this? Think about it.

These soldiers rewrote the art of dying with boots on – never succumb, make things happen and not wait for things to happen. Be the change and not get changed. Be someone who is a tireless traveller, an explorer, one who is there to make a mark and not get marked. It’s a new way of living, a new way of existence, a new way of evolution.

They created an extraordinary event out of a mundane activity, where one simply never gives up in the face of adversaries. They lead a celebrative existence -beyond the ordinary, beyond the obvious, beyond self. And that’s what martyrdom is all about. It’s not giving up; it’s rising up, till eternity.

That’s what a Sikh is -one who lives totally and in totality. Am I that one? Am I the one? Think. Reflect. Ponder. Examine.

This spirit owes its seed to the martyrdom of the Fifth Master -Guru Arjan Sahib, who chose to sit on a hot plate, in the hottest month, with hot sand being poured on his body, slowly embracing death with serenity, peace and tranquillity.

Not easy -something which defies any rationale -but that’s what people with mettle are all about.

Taking this further -Ninth Master -Guru Tegh Bahadur, sacrificed his life for upholding the right of practising one’s own faith- the right to have faith in your faith. He chose death even if he didn’t believe in that faith. That’s what universalism is all about.

Guru Tegh Bahadur witnessed the horrific death of his companions -one was burnt alive in a cotton roll, one was boiled to death in a water pot, one was sawed alive, in front of his own eyes -with composure, calmness and peace.

For him inculcating the concept of the brotherhood of man and universalism of father in each, was more important. He lived and died for something beyond.

That’s what a Sikh is -one who lives totally and in totality. Am I that one? Am I the one? Think. Reflect. Ponder. Examine.

Kamal Jit Singh Ahluwalia, popularly known as K S Ahluwalia describes himself as a student of Sikhism, endeavouring to uncover, understand better the Sikh ethos. For the past two decades and more, he has been sharing insightful thoughts in print, personal interactions, workshops and talk shows on Sikh Inc. -management principles from the House of Nanak and life-transforming leadership skills.  He is a regular contributor to eminent journals and he has impacted the lives of thousands of youth with over 5.6 million man-hours across diversified audiences at more than a hundred plus global locations.