Ranveer Singh
April 13, 2024 | 6 min. read | Opinion
Sikhs all over the world come together this month to mark Vaisakhi, I’ve been thinking about the significance of the creation of the Khalsa.
What does Vaisakhi mean today?
This question has come to mind because over recent years, but particularly so this year, I’ve noticed a growing trend towards the commercialisation of what is perhaps, the single greatest moment in the development of the Sikh tradition.
For starters, the greeting “happy vaisakhi” has been normalised and packaged as a Sikh equivalent to other festivals in the west. It feels like Vaisakhi is now simply the Sikh version of Christmas, or Eid, or Diwali, or any other “religious” celebration deemed comparable. It is largely perceived and presented as a “religious” occasion equal amongst other “world religions” marked by prayer, family and ladoo.
This observation is particularly noticeable within the rhetoric of speeches and statements from politicians, whether in Westminster or Holyrood, and more recently corporations, from multi-billion-pound football clubs to national department chain stores, which all regurgitate the same message, reutilising their teleprompters whilst substituting Vaisakhi for Christmas or Eid.
This coupled with a new wave of products which now includes dolls, advent calendars, greeting cards, and decorative items to add to the assortment of goods created to “celebrate” Vaisakhi over the years, has increased the overall sense of “festive spirit”.
In a more problematic development, except for some cities, generally Nagar Kirtans have become opportunities to open all kinds of stalls from food to jewellery, to clothing, toys and other merchandise. Perhaps this is why UK department chain retailer John Lewis was praised by many this year as it set a new precedent by displaying Khalsai attire and weaponry in its Leicester store. Hailed as a moment of recognition, the marketing campaign was lauded with calls for other stores to follow suit. What’s next, purchasing bana and kakaar from these billion-pound corporations?
Adding to the furore, elsewhere this year, on a BBC cooking show, a host of comedians, chefs and TV personalities from Sikh and Panjabi backgrounds discussed what Vaisakhi meant for them, some mis-representing Guru Nanak Patshah as a humanist, whilst others calling Vaisakhi the start of the Sikh new year, and a time for family and food – sound familiar? The BBC is a serial offender when it comes to misrepresenting Sikh values and ideals, often with regards to Khalsa mobilisation and resistance, so I didn’t expect anything different from them. It was still shocking to see someone incorrectly paraphrase Guru Nanak Patshah with the infamous words “before becoming a Sikh, be a good human” – I guess the dil saaf crew got their 15 minutes of fame.
The introduction of products and TV productions has appeared, on the surface of it, in the name of representation and recognition – that we must exhibit our identity, to compete with others, so that we and our children can firstly connect with our heritage, and secondly that non-Sikhs can understand who we are in way that is palatable to them, which often leads to the dilution and distortion of Sikhi.
Where is the nirapan of the Khalsa in all of this?
If we are merely creating “Sikh” equivalents of already established products and productions, that are almost universally synonymised with other traditions and festivities, are we honouring the true essence of the Vaisakhi in which the Khalsa was created?
Put simply, no. We’re just trying to fit Vaisakhi into current trends, into our personal lifestyle choices, to make our lives easier living in westernised society.
The creation of the Khalsa was a profound moment of fortification for the Sikhs, to preserve and further the sanctity and sovereignty of the Guru’s Darbar. It was a declaration of war against any worldly power, which sought to attack the Guru’s Darbar, and undermine the divine orders of Akal Purakh. For this reason, the Khalsa, a sovereign army, was adorned with weapons, battle standards and the Guru-ordained decree to establish Raj.
Answerable only to Akal Purakh, the Khalsa was raised from amongst the otherwise downtrodden masses, which reflected the reality of uplifting oneself out of worldly attachment and captivity that is guaranteed by the sword of Guru Nanak Patshah. The creation of the Khalsa was a moment of liberation for all peoples caught in the web of falsehood woven by egocentric rulers engrossed in materialism, duality and a personal pursuit of greed and fame.
The creation of the Khalsa marked a seismic shift in the socio-political landscape of Panjab, and beyond. Empowered by the Patshahi of the Guru, the Khalsa has stood against unjust forms of governance, protected the vulnerable and advanced the Panthic objective of Raj at every juncture in history. This is what the Khalsa has known and done since inception.
At times, this has brought it into direct conflict with the Mughal regime, Afghan sultanates, British empire and the Indian state. This is what sets the Khalsa apart.
As we celebrate Vaisakhi this year let’s not allow our personal lifestyles, living in predominantly westernised societies, to hijack the distinctive nature of Vaisakhi and the purpose for which the Khalsa was created. This type of association of Vaisakhi within the realm of modernity, commercialism, or the wider stranglehold of capitalism, will be a heavy burden to lift if we continue the trajectory we are on.
In the same token, let’s not merely historicise the Khalsa, or dilute the revolutionary spirit that has propelled Khalsai mobilisation in every century since its birth. The Khalsa is not merely an entity of the past, it exists today. It lives and breathes today. Not in corporate boardrooms seeking to deliver marketing campaigns under the guise of equality and diversity; not on political stages founded on falsehood and cheap imitation; and certainly not in the need of representation on mainstream platforms that have consistently maligned sovereign Sikh expression.
So where is the Khalsa?
The Khalsa stands alone and distinct, wherever a Sikh is positioned to uphold the mandate of the Panth; to wage war against oppression and establish governance based on the decree that reverberates from the Guru’s Darbar. That is the significance of Vaisakhi and the creation of the Khalsa.
Now some of you who are reading this will no doubt be thinking there is no harm in exchanging gifts, greeting cards, cooking a big meal to share with family, decorating our homes, wishing someone “happy Vaisakhi” and I’d agree, there isn’t anything wrong per se, especially as it will be coming from a place of joy and sharda for the Panth and a deep wish to keep ourselves and our children connected to Sikhi.
My biggest frustration, and fear, with all this worldly fanfare is when it becomes the predominant way to mark the occasion of Vaisakhi. When this representation of Vaisakhi becomes the main narrative, thus erasing or sidelining the inherently radical significance of the creation of the Khalsa, which shakes the world to its core today.
The advent of Vaisakhi demands we place our head at the feet of the Guru and pledge our unwavering allegiance to the Panth. The bar was set by the Panj Pyar-e, and in every century since the Khalsa has pursued sovereignty and opposed oppression. In living memory, the clearest realignment to that standard came from the resounding battle cries of the Guru’s beloved throughout the 1980s and 1990s. That is the Khalsai standard we ought to be aspiring towards, and if we can’t do it, we should honour them and their shaheedi, we should spend time with our children on Vaisakhi telling them how the Khalsa shook the world in 1984.
Seek strength and wisdom from the Guru’s Darbar so that one day we may be deemed worthy to serve the Panth in the way Khalsa does, with both Degh and Tegh.
Vaheguru ji ka Khalsa Vaheguru ji ki Fateh
Ranveer Singh writes from Scotland, UK, and is the co-founder of the National Sikh Youth Federation (NSYF). He is an Author and Chief Editor at Khalis House Publishing. Ranveer has a BA in Law and an MA in Philosophy. He is currently working on his fifth book, and can be find on social media at @ranveer5ingh
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