The other day I was reading a forward mail about Sikhism and the story behind Sardars. I felt that all the jokes and fun targeted towards this community been over-hyped and can hurt religious sentiments and it’s high time we start respecting the SIKHISM religion just like we respect our own religion. It is very common that whenever we think of foolish jokes, SARDAR JOKES get the maximum votes. In this process we fail to realize how beautiful this religion and the Sikh people are. I have never heard of a case wherein a Sardar has looted someone or raped someone or have indulged in any wrong doings. All this is because of their staunch faith in their teachings and their Gurus.
We keep teasing Sardarjis that “Barah Baj Gaye Kya?” but this particular forward mail made me realize what kind of losers we are. This mail tells the story behind Sardars and their connection with the time 12 O’Clock. The story goes this way:
During the 17th Century, when India was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated by the Mughals treating all Hindu women as their own property and forcing the Hindus to accept Islam else kill them on refusal. That time, the 9th Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadarji came forward, in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities. Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same. But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities.
Inspite of lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members, the Mughals failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life; none of them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated.
Seeing this incident the 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singhji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) founder of the Khalsa made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands. At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan’s rich treasury and nearly 2,200 Hindu women along with him. Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time heard this news and decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes. Hereafter, whenever an intruder tried to loot the Indian treasury or women, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at 12 o'clock midnight and rescued the women. After that time whenever a similar incident occurred, people started contacting the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raiders at Midnight, 12 o'clock. But, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go mad. So that’s how the “Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye Kya?” became famous.
During the 17th Century, when India was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated by the Mughals treating all Hindu women as their own property and forcing the Hindus to accept Islam else kill them on refusal. That time, the 9th Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadarji came forward, in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities. Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same. But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities.
Inspite of lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members, the Mughals failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life; none of them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated.
Seeing this incident the 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singhji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) founder of the Khalsa made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands. At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan’s rich treasury and nearly 2,200 Hindu women along with him. Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time heard this news and decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes. Hereafter, whenever an intruder tried to loot the Indian treasury or women, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at 12 o'clock midnight and rescued the women. After that time whenever a similar incident occurred, people started contacting the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raiders at Midnight, 12 o'clock. But, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go mad. So that’s how the “Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye Kya?” became famous.
Sikhs are one of the hardest working prosperous and diversified communities in the world. There is this one more beautiful story shared to me by Gayu. Once a group of young boys visited Delhi. They rented a taxi for local sight-seeing. The driver was an old Sardar and boys being boys, these pals began cracking Sardarji jokes, just to tease the old man. But to their surprise, the fellow remained calm. At the end of the sight-seeing, they paid the cab hire-charges. The Sardar returned the change, but he gave each one of them one rupee extra and said, "Son, since morning you have been telling Sardarji jokes.. I listened to them all and let me tell you, some of them were in bad taste. Still, I don't mind coz I know that you are young blood and are yet to see the world. But I have one request. I am giving you one rupee each. Give it to the first Sardar beggar that you come across in this or any other city." And till date, the one rupee coin did not shift hands as they couldn't find a single Sardar begging anywhere.
MORAL:
The secret behind their universal success is their willingness to do any job with utmost dedication and pride. A Sardar will drive a truck or set up a roadside garage or a dhaba, put a fruit juice stall, take up small time carpentry, but he will never beg on the streets. They also have strong values instilled in them.
The secret behind their universal success is their willingness to do any job with utmost dedication and pride. A Sardar will drive a truck or set up a roadside garage or a dhaba, put a fruit juice stall, take up small time carpentry, but he will never beg on the streets. They also have strong values instilled in them.
