The supreme sacrifice of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Zorawar Singh, aged 9-year-old Zorawar Singh and 7-year-old Fateh Singh,  along with their grandma -Mata Gujri Ji happened at Sirhind. Two young, blooming, budding lives were consumed by a fanatical, myopic and me-mighty attitude. In gratitude, mentor-writer Kamal Jit Singh Ahluwalia, in his inimitable style and Chardikala -ever ascendant vocabulary describes the scenario of the time of martyrdom. For those who are attempting to understand the spirit of the Khalsa at the Farmers Morcha, a peep into the Sikh legacy will be a good guide.

YOU FIRST TORTURE THEM by putting them into the Thanda Burj -cold tower, near a rivulet with temperatures plummeting to sub zeros, without any warm clothing, bedding, famishing them without food and water, and each day for 3 days brow-beating them with threats of a gory death if they do not heed.

And then one had the tenacity and audacity to create a public event of this insane act.

Little they realized that one can consume the human body but no one has the power to consume the ever-expanding human spirit -a spirit that is encompassing, evolving, that is fresh and alive.

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. This 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.

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.

There was nothing like a sigh of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. That’s the cradle of a centred being -inspirational, immersing, expanding and evolving.

Makers of man, creators of leaders, be observant that these were the children of the Sahibe Kamaal. They will never sell their souls to buy their future. And that my friend is Integrity. That is courage. That’s the stuff beings are made of. They always knew what the right path was and they took it willingly even if it was hard -very hard.

Makers of man, creators of leaders, be observant that these were the children of the
Sahibe Kamaal, the sovereign par excellence.
They will never sell their souls to buy their future. And that my friend is Integrity. That is courage. That’s the stuff beings are made of.

Pity the Nawab of Sirhind -you chose an easy path, of physical annihilation and torture, but for the brave hearts, death is a bride of the brave.

Reflect, can you diminish the spirit in an 80+-year-old frail grandmother and children aged 9 and 7? You simply cannot and you know it that you are fighting a losing battle, yet you think that you will win this tide over. Irrational optimist, isn’t it?

Let’s now all revisit that space -two young boys who have been deliberately famished by Nawab of Sirhind – no food, no water, no bedding, imprisoned in the cold dreary wintery bone-chilling nights in a Burj -small tower, where they are under continuous surveillance to instil fear in their bones.

Each day death threat is given, with ferocity, immense mental, physical and psychological pressure is being exerted, a choice between conversion to Islam or death.

Easy, is it folks? Ponder. Reflect. Examine.

They remained steadfast, unwavering, untouched. During the conversation with the Nawab, they replied to him straight, on his face -pointed, concise, precise and to the point. They took the battle to his camp back by hitting him hard, exposing him totally. Never ever they had an iota of doubt or self-disbelief.

Their only companion is their grandma – frail old lady. Yet the three of them stood like a rock of Gibraltar -had the courage, conviction and resoluteness of the highest mountain peak, exhibited patience like the deepest ocean.

They remained steadfast, unwavering, untouched. During the conversation with the Nawab, they replied to him straight, on his face -pointed, concise, precise and to the point. They took the battle to his camp back by hitting him hard, exposing him totally. Never ever they had an iota of doubt or self-disbelief.

Remember threats are given by cowards and physical extinguishment is only done by those who can’t convince.

The Nawab of Sirhind was facing the Everest test of his life, his ego was getting tattered, his power was being shown the door, his stature was reduced to a nobody.

And by whom- two young kids of 9 and 7 years old. He simply couldn’t believe what was happening -his existence was at stake. He simply was reduced to a misnomer.

Yes, it happened – it’s a reality- a fact -two young boys simply made the Nawab bite dust. They reduced him in his own eyes as a liability, a parasite that preys on others. He simply had no answers for their rebuttals. All his actions failed miserably.

Imagine the scenario – you are being famished from all angles – food, sleep, water, and are being subjected to harshest of the threats each time, every time, each conversation aiming to demean you, make you feel insignificant, future being painted as dark as an alley, and in that, one exhibits such a strong resolute, a crystal clear communication, an unwavering line of sight.

Can this happen? No, it simply can’t happen.

Yes, it happened – it’s a reality- a fact -two young boys simply made the Nawab bite dust. They reduced him in his own eyes as a liability, a parasite that preys on others. He simply had no answers for their rebuttals. All his actions failed miserably.

His cronies simply had no clue how to handle these young boys. Ironically the power consumed authorities, their spirits were down in dumps and they were feeling miserable on their very own existence.

And when you can’t convince, converse, a coward -Nawab -gave a cannibal of order -brick these children alive.

Imagine yourself as a parent – who has two boys of the same age. What would happen if you are told about this order? How will the children take it? In all fairness, they would be devastated. Broken. And would have succumbed to what the Nawab wanted.

But that was not to be. Someone had decided to rewrite history all over again.

Remember you have a lineage and values to follow -the house of Nanak is a place where history is rewritten, goalposts are redefined, hence no despair, no despondency, no going back.

Both Sahibzadas chose not to be part of history but create it -to give martyrdom a new meaning -a new direction, a new flight, a new perspective. They were fully aware that they had a larger picture to accomplish -a larger objective to achieve and in doing so, this supreme sacrifice was an absolute necessity.

I now would want to take you to the evening before the execution -time when these thoughts are being penned. Just to share I am not writing, it’s happening all by itself. Simply am I a witness here.

In that cold Burj -tower -what would the scene be –-what would the grandma be feeling -she is about to witness the supreme sacrifice of her two grandsons -she witnessed her husband being executed by a fanatical power-obsessed Mogul regime.

No clue about her only son and two other grandsons. No place to rest, no food to eat, no bedding.

And execution is only some hours away. And she now is old in age.

Normally one would give up – it’s all too hard. No point fighting a losing battle.

Her two grandsons are looking up to her, they want her to exalt them, to inspire them more, to make them more resolute so that they can do the unthinkable, unfathomable.

Is it easy folks? Think. Respond. Ponder.

And Mata Gujri did the unbelievable -in that long cold, dreary light, she constantly inspired her grandsons that you are the creators of new history, you are the sons of the lion, who never gave up and who has been ordained by the Lord -to transform mortal, insipid and fragile individuals to beings of substance -those who will chart a new future for humanity, hence be prepared to face the challenge as it comes.

Kyon fiqar karte ho jannisoron
Yeh un bachon ka imitihan ho raha hai
Yeh karza kiston mein ada ho raha hai.

Remember you have a lineage and values to follow -the house of Nanak is a place where history is rewritten, goalposts are redefined, hence no despair, no despondency, no going back.

Move forward and catch the bull by its horns.

Teach this Nawab a lesson of his life that you can kill our physical self but can’t touch our spirits, our soaring vision. Forget about you executing us; tell him, we are walking towards our own execution excitedly -gleefully and in celebration.

For us it isn’t execution -its liberation -we are sons of Guru Gobind Singh who ingrained in us –that a Sikh means living life in a constant celebration.

Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Ajit Singh -are invincible -they are the rising stars, the incredible stars, the ever glowing stars. They did not die, death died in front of them; death faced its own death

Execution is a word that cowards fear, for us, it simply doesn’t exist. Hence in our going, a new dawn would emerge, a new light would pervade, a new thought would manifest, a new era would unfold and a new being would be created. And to achieve all this -this isn’t a big price to pay.

And that’s what these brave hearts did the next morning -embracing death like a companion, and that’s what separates men from boys.

Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Ajit Singh -are invincible -they are the rising stars, the incredible stars, the ever glowing stars. They did not die, death died in front of them; death faced its own death.

Kyon fiqar karte ho jannisoron
Yeh un bachon ka imitihan ho raha hai
Yeh karza kiston mein ada ho raha hai.

Can I stand in front of that wall and feel -that if both the Sahibzadas are asking me?
Sikha Sikhi rakhe tun?

And my head will bow in shame.
Your call folks!

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.