Sikhi Sidak

After Gangu Brahman, informed the officials at Morinda, of Mata Gujri Ji and Chhote Sahibjaade’s presence in his house, in hope of being rewarded by the government; we all know of the arrest of Sahibjaade; sweet little talk by Wazir Khan, offering them riches and good positions when they grew up; all they were required to do was to become Musalman. The kids knew the difference between Islam and Sikhism, and like other Sikh children knew the history of their ancestors, who had sacrificed their lives, sticking to their own faith. They stubbornly refused, not bowing even under threats of death. Failing to persuade or startle them, aggravated and exasperated Wazir Khan ordered that they be put to death.

Nawab Sher Muhammad Khan of Malerkotla, who had accompanied Wazir Khan from Chamkaur, interceded that the children were innocent, their lives be spared. Wazir Khan, slightly mellowed, agreed to give them one more day to think over, and talk to their grandmother.

Instead of asking, they must have told their grandmother what answer they had given to the options placed before them. Even if asked, despite all the love for her grandsons whom she had brought up, since the death of their mother five years back, she, whose husband Guru Tegh Bahadur had voluntarily given his head, for sake of freedom to follow one’s own faith, could give no other advice except that they stay steadfast and not give up the true faith of their forefathers.

Yogi allah yaar khan wrote about the Shaheedi of Chhote Sahibjaade. Mentioning the third day in the Nawab's court; he writes, when constables came to Mata Gujri ji in the morning and announced that Sahibjaade came back for two days but today they are not going to come back, so go ahead, ‘do’ and ‘say’ whatever you want; to your grandsons one last time. Mata Gujri ji said –

“Oh mere laal ke laalo, aayo tumeh kangha toh kara doon
Sir pe sundar pagri saja ke, usme kalgi to lagaa doon
Tumeh jaana hai laarhi maut ko vihaane
Aao tumeh dulha to bana doon”

Such was the ‘Sikhi Sidak’ of Great Khalsa Mother; Mata Gujri Ji; who at such an old age, in spite of being hungry, thirsty, cold in the ‘Thanda Burj’ for three days, did not forget to do Kangha in sahibjaade’s kes. This was the most amazing, glorious, sad and defining moment in the history of Sikhs. We still have such amazing singhniyaan amongst us who build their children’s character by sharing such saakhies of strength and valor with their children; who transform the ‘moh-mamta’ into Guru-Piyaar.

But, where is the ‘Sikhi Sidak’ in those sikh mothers who use lame excuses like “I do not have time to do his hair in the morning before going to school”; “He is going to cut his kesh anyway when he grows up; then why should I bother?”. It is so painful to hear the mothers from Sikh families talking like that? How can they forget the Sikh mothers in the jail of Meer Mannu? How can they forget Mata Gujri ji? How can they forget that ‘death’ is inevitable not ‘cutting hair’? If she is so sure of his cutting hair at later stage, why she does not just kill him because he is going to die ‘later’ for sure?