It's 12-o'clock!

May 20th, 2009

"Its easy to joke on a Sardar, but it's too difficult to be a Sardar".

Ithought, again some joke on sardar ji, but finally there was plea, not to make fun of other religion. i was happy that someone has started to convey my views.

I was standing at jalandhar station when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist.

After a while, one local train arrived, which was totally packed. The Sikh youth tried to alight the train but failed to do so.

Just then a voice was heard from the back coach 'Sardarji Barah Baj gaye' (Sir it's 12 o'clock!)

The Sikh youth looked over at that voice maker who was a young Mischievous type of person and instead of showing any anger made a smile towards him.

The smile made was so enigmatic that it seemed as if some type of truth lies behind it. Not able to resist my temptation, I walked towards him and asked why did he smile at that person who teased him. The Sikh youth replied, 'He was not teasing me but was asking for my Help' . I was surprised with these words and he told me that there was a big history behind that which one should know. I was eager to know the History and the Sikh youth narrated:

During 17th Century, when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated and were treated like animals. Mughals treated the Hindu women as their own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept.That time, our ninth 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 . The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.

Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. Can anybody reading this lay down his life and that too for the protection of another 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 the them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated

Seeing this incident our 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 and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2,200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time. He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight. He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes.

It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had attacked and looted Hindustan and were trying to carry the treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, 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 when there occurred a similar incident. People started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raiders at Midnight, 12 o'clock. Nowadays, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go out of their senses. This historic fact was the reason which made me smile over that person as I thought that his Mother or Sister would be in trouble! and wants my help and was reminding me by saying  'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'

Pease don't make fun of religions. Every river is different but they all flow into the ocean. "Its easy to joke on a Sardar, but it's too difficult to be a Sardar"

Comments

JO BOLA SO NIHAL SAS SRI AKAL.

There are two ways or reacting... one with anger which leads to fight. the second way is smile or explaining the meaning of 12 O' clock... i generally follow the second way. which will educate the order person what it means and makes sure that he gives more respect to sikhism or sikh religion.....

i don't think he meant to

i don't think he meant to offend anyone by : I was standing at jalandhar station when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist. writing this no one wants to be called a terrorist! but he wrote it as a non sikh and sikhs have always been labeled this! - fact!! and he tried to put a different perspective in this article! i agree, that it was a bit wrong for you to use to word terrorist ! because a person who thinks that a sikh's appearance is similar to that of a terrorist wouldn't be concerned with why he laughed at the joke of the person who tried to tease him nor would he go upto a sikh and ask him questions! they call us terrorist because their heart feels terror just by looking at us! singhs are meant to look like real men! therefore people fear their manly image! - image of a sher!! its not to spread terror in hearts of people but to spread fear in hearts of the tyrants!!! it worked in the history works now and always will!! those who choose not to keep this identity ! don't want to stand out! or aren't strong enough to stand out and be noticed!! ! they should pray to vaheguroo for kirpa! and courage so that they could also be blessed with the look of a singh!! :) and heart of a singh!!! :)

Aggre

I Fully agree, Singhs are suppose to like like men and insite fear in all who may thing to tease him. Anywhy I will not react with anger to any person on earth, Waheguru will Judge them when they pass away so I don't need to!

Stand out or blend in

Hear this all Sikhs and friends of other beliefs - many a great men have said this and I just reiterate their words. When you raise your head and try to be different you will get an egg in the face - that is just the way of the world. It has nothing to do with Sikhi, Jesus Christ faced the same, so did Buddha, so did Nanak and Gobind Singh, so did Sant Tukaram, Namdev, Kabir... the list is endless and too longto even consider. It happens everytime and every single day, people who try to stand out are always mocked at or pulled down - let it be in religion, business, sports or any arena. The strong prevail by standing up to their beliefs - thats the strength of their character. It is very easy to blend in and copy the majority but it takes courage to stand out.

r singh wearing a kirpan

r singh wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist. Does the writer has any sense what he is writing, Why he is calling sikh a terrorist. Seems like he has no sense.

12'o'clock

SATNAAM please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjxF2_HaDRU

it is really true that it is

it is really true that it is easy to laugh at a sardar, but really difficult to follow the religious teachings of sikhi. i can totally relate to the sardar who was being teased. Living in a place where sikhs are a minority, you easily become victims of torture. But nevertheless, i am still proud of my religion and am not scared to allow poeple know that i am sikh. Though i was hesistant in the beginning, and would not wear my kara to scshool. But i slowly realized that being a sikh is something to be proud of and not ashamed of.

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