Guru Tegh Bahadur
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Championing Religious Freedom
Dec 7, 2021: The Times of India
While nowhere near being the proverbial ‘dark age’, today’s world, nevertheless, amplifies serious problems and issues related to religious dogmatism and suppression of secularism. Stemming from this is violence and sustained suppression of religious and personal beliefs and human rights. The extreme importance of secularism in contemporary society can’t be overstated.
While the world is inundated with publicity and outrage at instances of religious intolerance, the sad truth is that not much has changed. It is essential to sustain and nurture peace and harmony, not just in letter and spirit but also in action.
Hindi Ki Chaddar
It is in this context that we must never forget the ninth Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, who played a pivotal role to champion secularism. Known as ‘Hind Ki Chaddar’, protector of India’s religious freedom, the Guru, in his fifty-four-year lifespan set a stellar personal example as he ceaselessly strove against tyranny and injustice. And for this he paid the ultimate price -- sacrificing his life to save Kashmiri Pandits, and to champion the right to practice one’s religion and beliefs.
This was but one noble cause he cherished and nurtured in his repertoire. His sacrifice is unparalleled in Indian history, making a monumental contribution to secularism. By giving up his life, the Guru ensured that even under a cruel, despotic regime, people had the right to religious freedom and to preserve their spiritual beliefs and cultural entity.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was a mystic and not a political theorist, and his mystic perception blended harmoniously with Indic spiritual traditions. His teachings and preaching include sublime poetry on eternal truth and beauty, which is preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism.
Mountain Of Smoke
The Guru perceived the world to be a nebulous ‘mountain of smoke’, whose dimensions could only be understood by sincere efforts to do good. Life’s true essence and meaning lay in being kind, humble, pious and compassionate, attributes that constituted real wealth.
He said that the path to fulfilment could be trodden by ignoring material wealth and applying our minds to spiritual matters. The ultimate goal and achievement of life was complete devotion and homage to God, who could be realised ‘within’ and not ‘without’, and whose name is our only enduring support.
The fact that it took the Guru’s precious life to propagate the cause of secularism is a sad and significant chapter of India’s past.
Millions have been inspired by his life and actions, which were shaped by his noble philosophy. His sacrifice and martyrdom generated a new spirit of bravery, aligned with the ideals of human dignity and freedom and building of bridges between different communities, set by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev.
Our world today owes a great debt of gratitude to Guru Tegh Bahadur. It is essential and imperative that historically, religiously, and politically, the Guru’s legacy be regularly showcased as a shining example for the betterment of a troubled and divided world.
