There has long been a heated debate regarding a separate homeland for Sikhs carved out of India and Pakistan.
It all started with a dream of a Saint-Soldier who stood for the rights of his community. A community that has given away its sons to kick out the British Raj from India. A community that made India go from starving to having a food surplus. A community whose regiment is the most powerful regiment in the Indian army. A community that has been saving India from foreign invaders since ages.
The father of this community dispelled darkness from the world by teaching the oneness of mankind, by teaching the oneness of the Creator and the creation, Guru Nanak Dev, the first ever saint who unified the entire world into a single religion called humanity not separated by Hinduism, Islam or any other exclucionary belief.
From the birth of our community till now we have been facing something very familiar to us - resistance and suppression in one way or another - and we've been overcoming it by laying down our lives and always reducing our enemies to the ashes.
We've learned from our ancestors to serve the humanity and sacrifice ourselves for the rights of others to believe as they wish. We've been able to excel in various high-tech and sophisticated professions to harmonize with modern science, but aren't we getting detached from our roots?
Aren't we forgetting the teachings of our Gurus? Aren't we becoming egomaniacs trying to defy the will of the Lord Almighty? Aren't we giving modern science more importance than our religion? Aren't we becoming victims of our false intellect over the love for our Guru?
If so, why?
Because we have been badly conditioned. We are surrounded by people who've given us assault, slaughter and mental torture whilst we gave our unconditional service to their motherland. We are badly conditioned by the people who have made our community just a branch or offshoot of theirs in the history books. We were back-stabbed during 1984 and we were given another holocaust resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent Sikhs throughout the country. And all for the greed and power of a woman from an Aristocratic family who served us as Prime Minister.
The only reason why a negative image of our community was portrayed was because Sant Jarnail Singh Ji didn't have an aristocratic image but rather a religious one. In fact, he was much more knowledgeable and sophisticated than the PM. The highly-educated lady who was very well groomed by her father and could not digest the overshadowing of a Saint over her as she established the reign of congress in Punjab, so ending up in a clash which engulfed thousands of innocents along with themselves into doom.
For one, it was for the pride, honor and identity of the entire brotherhood and for the other it was greed for more and more power.
This is what I have seen and heard from the elderly. This is what I have read and heard about my own community.
I have grown into a 25 year old adult with of this discrimination and partiality being an inseparable part of my childhood and teenage memories. I don't know exactly what can be done about it, but I don't want the same to happen with my children and the following generations.
Some wise visionaries came up with a notion of Khalistan - the pure land. a land without hate, anguish, poverty, corruption or discrimination.
A land full of science and spirituality. A beautiful land that will bring back the Sat-yug within the Kali-yug.
But, if it is meant to limit peace and harmony (with the will of Lord almighty) and restrict it to one place only, then we don't need it!
Because, Peace is meant for all - regardless of anyone's location, age, gender, education, profession, looks, color or financial status. PEACE is for all.
And if we can ensure all this in Khalistan, then I think we're already there!
We already have our country.
We already have a virtual Khalistan because every Khalsa envisions it and because Khalsa is spread throughout the world inspiring, fighting, winning and making an impact on our surroundings everywhere.
Every word and every action of every Sikh in the world that is done with the intentions of Chardi Kala (high spirits) and a motive to serve and bless all humanity (Sarbat da Bala) is making the vision of the Brave saint clearer and clearer and bringing us always closer and closer to our land... our home of Khalistan which already exists within the heart of every Khalsa.
