SAGA OF SUPREME SACRIFICES

The story of Sikhism, the youngest amongst the six major religions of the world, is fascinating as well as relevant even in this era of phenomenal technological and scientific advancements. A little over 500 years ago Guru Nanak had founded this unique faith and gave a message of universal brotherhood, love, peace, meditation, equality, justice and fair play among all human beings, to the world. The Great Guru had also emphasized on Naam Japna, meditating on or worshiping only One God, truthful living, earning one's bread through honest means and sharing one's income or wealth with the poor and the needy. Nanak said there was none higher or lower since all human beings are rays from the same Divine light, the Lord Ek Jyote se Sab Jag Upajya. Some of the social reforms like human rights, freedom to choose and follow one's religion, equal status and respect for women preached by Guru Nanak have evoked keen interest amongst the intellectuals of the world. The top thinkers and scientists find Nanak's postulates propounded 500 years ago about universe and the origin of earth in line with their own latest discoveries. The Supreme Sacrifices, which began with the martyrdoms of the highly venerated Sikh Gurus, the Fifth Guru Arjan Dev, in 1606 and the Ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur, in 1675, on orders of the Mughal Kings, Jahangir and Aurangzeb, respectively, continued down the line with the the sacrifice of four sons( Shahabzadas) of Tenth Guru Gobind Singh, Tenth Guru himself, 40 Muktas, thousands of Sikh soldiers in Khalsa Army, hundreds of thousands of ordinary Sikh devotees, villagers, farmers, etc., through the centuries, while fighting against the Mughal empire and other barbaric Muslim invading armies of Ahmed Shah Abdali, etc. The sacrifices of the Sikhs in the struggle for freedom of India from the British Empire and later for the defense of India after India became an independent country, have also been phenomenal.