The controversy surrounding whether he is alive or not, to attach the word shaheed to his name or not to, are all merely distractions. As many promise to spend the day updating facebook statuses and tweeting about his birthday and/or arguing about whether he is shaheed or not – what many have forgotten is that the struggle against injustice, and aspirations for freedom are not contingent upon one man, or his return.
Rather, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s ambition was to inspire a generation, to evoke an urgency for freedom and attached to this urgency a spirituality that would guide the coming revolution.
In essence, today, as we celebrate Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s Birthday, we should remember that he worked to a build a movement that would reignite a passion for Sikh Spirituality and the Struggle against injustice, which would last more than a lifetime, out live him and continue even while some may await his return.
Today, February 12th, 2012 marks Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s Birthday and as we celebrate and take a moment to reflect, it is important to take away one key lesson. With his return or without it, shaheed or not shaheed, the legacy of Sant Bhindranwale lives on. Sant Ji left us with a gift that gives us no excuse to await his return, a gift, which at it’s root is an understanding of what Sikhi is. That Sikhi, can empower us all to be what we have understood him to be – we are all capable of being leaders.
Happy Birthday To the Panth…