(KP)
It is a sign of the times that the most important part of the life of the Sikh these days, conscience, is only impacted when it serves a person’s best interest and not for the sake of truth and Panthic justice. Conscience is flashed displayed publicly in sangat and society not unlike a drive-by shooter shows up and then makes a quick getaway.
Real truth typically gets neatly swept under a rug of smiles and self-satisfaction knowing that one’s reputation, the hard-won large bright home Lexus reality and one’s image as a good Sikh remain unblemished.
The thing is, that lump under the rug usually becomes so large that no amount of denial or knee-jerk attacks towards the messenger will hide it. Sitting on it won’t make it go away either. The truth has to come out no matter how inconvenient it may be, and will by its nature, chase the shadows of falsehood away.
It always amazes us as to how unrepentant people can be about doing something so horribly wrong; how one’s actions that have harmed so many are so easily buried by a good old boys network. No one wants to take the consequences of their own actions. It is easier to abruptly dismiss the sufferings of the victims of treachery such as those pointed out by Police Cats. What difference is there between this and the treatment meted to the riot victims of 84 by the central govt. of India??
The thing is, no group can be above counsel of the collective Khalsa corporate body. The Khalsa corporate body must be answered to when the grievous actions of an individual harms many innocent men, women and children as in the case of the Police Cats. Who will answer for the innocent victims of police brutality due to the Cats tunnel-vision finger pointing?
Before being considered absolved, such matters which greatly affected the Panth must also be addressed by the Panth. Even then, once absolved the perpetrator of treachery will need to live for the rest of his or her life with its consequences.
One of the most basic tenets of Sikhi, is to stand, speak and live the truth. Another is to not to become an accomplice to falsehood by covering it up because it suits. A true Singh is an individual of moral conviction then, and integrity.
A Singh is also one who has critical thinking skills based on gurmat and has a Panthic conscience. That is enough to weigh decisions carefully and make and break affiliations based on Gurmat and truth.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji always deferred to the Panth when it gave him a Hukam. So should we. All the Gurus through their teachings dispelled falsehood and upheld the truth. So should we. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji sacrificed for the truth so should we live the same way. Guru Nanak Dev Ji called the actions of Babur against innocent subjects as they truly were. So should we prepare to do so. It seems living the truth takes real courage and is not convenient.
If this weekly is trying to achieve something, it is to hit upon the conscience of the sangat so that it may begin to address real problems and situations that affect it. Change cannot occur without honest introspection and revisiting our mistakes.
If we are to be worthy of our Guru’s roop we must be ready also to set our egos aside to walk in the way of life as well.
