Today there was a call to action across the world in support of Bhai Paramjeet Singh Pamma who has been detained in Portugal since December 18, 2015 on false allegations via an Interpol warrant initiated by the Indian government. Canadian Gurdwaras and Sikh organizations supported by Sikh For Justice, held a meeting with the office of the Portugal Ambassador to Canada today at 3pm in Ottawa.
We met with Mr. Filipe Ramalheira (Deputy Ambassador) for approximately 45 minutes discussing Bhai Paramjeet Singh, the oppressiveness of the Indian state and what an extradition being enacted in this case would mean to both Bhai Paramjeet Singh and the Sikh nation. The Deputy Ambassador said to our delegation that he was “very impressed with the Sikh community in organizing around the world and rallying around their community member in this case…it is very impressive.” After the meeting at the Portugal Embassy we went to the national office of Amnesty International in Ottawa and dropped off material related to Bhai Paramjeet Singhs case.
Bhai Paramjeet Singh is being used as a tactic to strike fear into the hearts of Sikh activists across the world. Where torture and murder were used in the 1980s and 1990s to silence a generation of Sikhs and mutilated and tortured bodies acted as reminders of what might be, today India has resorted to a tactic of painting the Sikh activist as an extremist and radical and one who can be arrested, detained and extradited back to India if they do not silence themselves from the ongoing attacks against the Sikh people within he Indian state. We went to this meeting to represent the panth from a perspective of a nation which is out to reclaim its homeland of Punjab/Khalistan. We, like our brothers and sisters across the globe who answered this call to action, did not go to grovel or plead…we went to enact our sovereignty as representatives of our own destiny. For this to happen, the Guru Granth and Guru Panth must come before all other affiliations.
ਜਿਨਾ ਚਿਰ ਕੇਸਰੀ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਥਲੇ ਇਕਠੇ ਨੀ ਹੰੁਦੇ ਓਨਾ ਚਿਰ ਕੁੱਟ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਜੀ ਜਰੂਰ ਪਵੇਗੀ
– ਸੰਤ ਬਾਬਾ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ
Those who know Bhai Paramjeet Singh Pamma know the emphasis that he puts on gurbani within his life. It was because of gurbani that he has made it this far in life…it is because of gurbani he is staring fearlessly back at an oppressive regime like India and not backing down…and it will be because of gurbani that regardless of where he ends up in the coming month that he will continue down this path of Sangarsh and continue to raise his voice for the Sikh nation and its right to sovereignty/Khalistan. He has been a fearless servant of the Guru Khalsa Panth and a sewadar in the true sense.
ਜਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਨਹੀ ਪੜਦੇ ਦਿਲ ਠੋਸ ਨਹੀ ਬਣਦਾ। ਬਾਣੀ ਪੜਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਬੰਦ ਬੰਦ ਕਟਵਾ ਸਕਦਾ ,ਸੀਸ ਤਲੀ ਤੇ ਰਖ ਸਕਦਾ , ਮਸਤ ਹਾਥੀ ਦੇ ਮੱਥੇ ਵਿਚ ਬਰਛੀ ਮਾਰ ਸਕਦਾ, ਸ਼ਰਾਬ ਪੀਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਨਹੀ। ਨਸ਼ਾ ਇੱਕੋ ਇਕ ਵਰਤਣਾ , ਓਹ ਕੇਵਲ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ।
– ਸੰਤ ਬਾਬਾ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ
It is the acceptance of the path of Guru Nanak which leads to the jails of the oppressor. It is the acceptance of the path of Guru Arjan which leads to being boiled alive and accepting it as sweet divine will. It is the acceptance of the path of Guru Tegh Bahadur which leads to sacrifices unparalleled in history. It is the acceptance of the path of Guru Gobind Singh which leads to walking on thorns, sleeping against rocks and walking past the bodies of your children who upheld Sikh sidhant in the most difficult of times. Accepting the path may the most difficult part of it all.
ਜਨਮੰ ਤ ਮਰਣੰ ਹਰਖੰ ਤ ਸੋਗੰ ਭੋਗੰ ਤ ਰੋਗੰ ॥
If there is birth, then there is death. If there is pleasure, then there is pain. If there is enjoyment, then there is disease.ਊਚੰ ਤ ਨੀਚੰ ਨਾਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਸੁ ਮੂਚੰ ॥
If there is high, then there is low. If there is small, then there is great.ਰਾਜੰ ਤ ਮਾਨੰ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੰ ਤ ਹੀਨੰ ॥
If there is power, then there is pride. If there is egotistical pride, then there will be a fall.ਪ੍ਰਵਿਰਤਿ ਮਾਰਗੰ ਵਰਤੰਤਿ ਬਿਨਾਸਨੰ ॥
Engrossed in worldly ways, one is ruined.ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਭਜਨ ਸਾਧ ਸੰਗੇਣ ਅਸਥਿਰੰ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਭਜਨਾਸਨੰ ॥੧੨॥
Meditating and vibrating on divinity in the company of the sangat, you shall become steady and stable. Nanak acts and meditates on divinity alone. ||12||
Many of us are at interesting crossroads in our lives while participating in this movement. We see the hardships being presented at any turn but we are also understanding our response must be dictated based on Guru sidhant and not on what is expected of us in the west. Not even a century ago our daily Ardas asked that we (Sikhs) be granted darshan/deedar of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and other Gurdware and Guru-dham which were separated from the seva and sambal of the Khalsa panth. Today’s reality for many of us is that all Gurdwaras, Guru-dhams, Nishans, Bungay, etc. within India are separated from us as those of us most vocal against India and it’s oppressive stance against minorities are banned from entering the country. My Ardas now includes Sri Nanakana Sahib, Sri Harimandir Sahib athe horr Gurdware Guru-dham jere panth tho vichore gaye hunn…” The vichora is now physical and spiritual. Where the Indian government has made it physical it is SGPC and Badal who have caused the much more detrimental spiritual vichora of the Sikh from these kendhars. Like Bhai Paramjeet Singh we now have to undertake the responsibility to physically and spiritually free ourselves and our centres of power from corrupt control by any means necessary.
When I do Ardas, every time I say Harimandir Sahib there is a piece of me that is in despair knowing I will likely never walk on the dhartee where my Guru once stepped. I will never walk the parikarma where centuries of Sikh men, women and children sacrificed themselves and committed acts of unbelievable bravery to uphold Sikh sidhant for the generations to come. Where the mittee that my Gurus feet touched is worth a million times more than my existence ever will be…but I also understand that I was lifted by my Guru from the dust and raised to live and die as a sovereign.
ਆਪਣੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੋਂ ਕੁਰਬਾਨ ਜਾਵੇ,
I am a sacrifice to my perfect Guruਨਮਿਰਤਾ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਲੱਖਾਂ ਵਾਰ ਕੁਰਬਾਨ ਹੋਵੇ ॥
Thousands of times I am a sacrifice in complete humility;ਕਿਉੁਂ ਜੋ ਉੁਸ ਨੇ ਮਨ ਖਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਦੇਵਤੇ ਪ੍ਰ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੇ ਹਨ
Because he has produced spiritually enlightened beings out of the humans,ਉੁਸ ਨੇ ਮਿੱਟੀ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਨ ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਵਧਾ ਦਿੱਤੇ ॥
And bestowed honours upon these mortals of dust who are not deserving.
KHALISTAN ZINDABAD – (Written by: Moninder Singh)