As fate would have it Mahatma Gandhi is credited with starting the non-violent movement to oust the British out of India. Gandhi deserves a lot of praise because he did implement the principles of non-violence, but he certainly was not the originator of that concept. He learnt that from the Sikhs. The same Sikhs whose Guru he called a "miguided patriot!" The Sikhs drew their inspiration from their very Gurus, two of who had suffered martyrdom in order to make their point. Over time, the principle of non-violence was used again and again.
In 1861 the British had introduced the Waqf Act which gave control and management of the holy places to their respective communities. The Hindus and Muslims were given control of their places of worship. But in the case of Sikh Gurdwaras, the Act was not applied. The British knew full well that the Sikhs drew their strength and inspiration from their scripture and ideology. They also knew that Sikhs had a long history of fighting oppression and injustice no matter what the cost. For well planned political reasons, the properties of Sikh places of worship were transferred and given over to Hindu caretakers (Udasi Mahants) and who could be more easily controlled by the British masters. Most of these caretakers had very litte understanding Of Sikh religion and its practices. These caretakers received their instructions from the Deputy Commissioner, a Britisher. The government needed to maintain the Gurdwaras as channels of indirect control of the Sikhs. Naturally the Sikhs were not happy with this arrangement. It was a major factor in the first uprising against the British.
At
that rime there was a small group of Sikhs. Ram Singh (1815 -1885) was
their leader. He once served in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In
1849 when the British annexed Punjab, his army unit was disbanded. Ram
Singh hated the British whom he called ferengis (foreigners). He was further
incensed at the takeover of the Gurdwaras in 1861 by the British, and
the fact that nobody was able to do anything about this. He was very perturbed
at the intrigue and duplicity all around him. Sikhs who fought and died
to keep the British out of Punjab were now starting to admire all things
British. The fact that they were most intolerant somehow did not register
on the conquered Sikhs. Yet in the words of Brigadier-General John Jacob
a leader of Indian cavalry, "the British were the favourites of heaven,
the civilizers of the world. They were masters of India because they were
superior beings by nature to the Asiatic. Their superiority, both in science
and religion, induced them to look down upon dark-skinned heathens".
After
the collapse of the Sikh Empire, Ram Singh turned to religion and meditation,
on God's name, hence the name Namdhari due to his intense piety, he had
many admirers. However, his military training and political preoccupation
soon emerged as the main topic of his sermons. He started the non-violent
movement to oust the British out of Punjab. He preached the Sikh gospel
with great fervour, both to fight the progress being made by Christian
missionaries, and to stop the evil political and cultural effects of foreign
rule. He asked the people to boycott all British goods. "Do not accept
service with the government; do not send children to government schools;
do not go to court of law but settle disputes by reference to panchayats
(village council); do not use foreign goods; do not use government postal
services."
His followers spun their own cloth and dressed in pure white cotton, and boycotted all that was even remotely British. His following grew very rapidly, which alarmed the British masters. The East India Company had a great monopoly going. Cotton was being shipped to England, where it was processed and made into cloth. British economy was booming. Every one had a job. The cloth manufactured in England was shipped back to India and sold at a great profit. Ram Singh's preaching was a threat to the British system. Moreover, he fed the people prophecies of a Sikh resurgence. He truly believed that it could be won by peaceful means. However, because his following grew too rapidly, he soon lost control of some members of the group.
A
small group of Kooka fanatics, murdered some Muslim butchers in Amritsar
and Raikot (Ludhiana district). For this, eight of them were hanged. Though
the passions of the Kookas were inflamed, Ram Singh was still able to
persuade his followers to return peacefully to their homes. L. Cowan,
the deputy commissioner of Ludhiana saw this as an opportunity not to
be wasted. Using the pretext, of the above mentioned incident, he captured
68 Kookas, including 27 seriously wounded as they were making their way
home. Smt. Hookmee, a popular preacher of this sect was one of two women
also captured. Cowan sent a note to his commissioner, T.D. Forsythe, and
without any further formality, or pretence of trial blew up 66 of the
prisoners by tying them to the mouths of cannons. Two were hacked to pieces
with a sword. Forsythe then joined Cowan at Malerkotla, where 16 more
Kookas were rounded up and blasted off cannons.
The
reasons for this barbarism was not the murder of Muslim butchers as is
evident in these words of Cowman: I propose blowing away from guns, or
hanging, the prisoners tomorrow morning at daybreak. Their offence is
not an ordinary one. They have not committed mere murder and dacoity;
they are open rebels, offering resistance to constitutional authority,
and, to prevent the spreading of this disease, it is absolutely necessary
that repressive measures should be prompt and stern. I act for the best,
this incipient insurrection must be stamped out at once." The commissioner
T.D. Forsythe supported the action of his deputy. He wrote in a letter
dated January 18, 1872; "My dear Cowan, I fully approve and confirm
all you have done. You have acted admirably."
For
those who may wonder just what blowing from guns means, the following
graphic description has been found- "Only those with the strongest
stomachs, however, could remain unaffected when prisoners were blown away
from the mouths of cannon, a punishment inflicted by the British in India.
This was a "frightful sight", Dr. John Sylvester thought; and
for the victims a peculiarly horrible punishment since, though hanging
in itself was sufficient to make paradise uncertain, death by mutilation
after defilement made its attainment even less likely. The victim was
latched to a gun, the small of his back or the pit of his stomach against
the muzzle, then "smeared with the blood of someone murdered by a
member of his race if such could be procured". [Sylvestees diaries]
When the gun was fired the man's body was dismembered. Usually the head,
scarcely disfigured, would fly off through the smoke then fall to the
earth, slightly blackened, followed by the arms and legs. The trunk would
be shattered, giving off "a beastly smell", and pieces of the
flesh and intestines and gouts of blood would be splashed not only over
the gunners but also over any spectators who stood too close. Vultures
would hover overhead and with grisly dexterity catch lumps of flesh in
their beaks. "The pent up feelings of the bystanders found vent in
a sort of loud gasp like Ah-h! Wrote an artillery officer who was required
to supervise such an execution. "Then many of them came across the
ditch to inspect the remains of the legs, and the horrible affair was
over." This horrendous slaughter took place on January 11 - 12, 1872.
Cowan was right. Ram Singh was a dangerous Sikh. Had he not been dealt
with promptly and sternly, he would have gone down in history as the real
father of the nation, for the British would have been thrown out almost
a hundred years sooner. Many years later, Mahatma Gandhi had only copied
the plans of Ram Singh to earn this title. Even the boycott of British
cloth was copied. The spinning of cotton, and the wearing of only white,
hand spun cotton was exactly as Ram Singh had prescribed.
The
second major non-violent revolt against the British was again enacted
by Sikhs- It was known as the Singh Sabha movement and was started in
1873, It took some time, but the Singh Sabha movement steadily gained
momentum. Things took on an added urgency when in 1919, 1,500 unarmed
civilians, mostly Sikhs were shot down in cold blood at the Jalianwalla
Bagh in Amritsar, on orders of the British General Dyer. Winston Churchill
had described the massacre: "as a monstrous event, an event which
stands in singular and sinister isolation in the annals of British history"
The
early 1920s were very difficult times for the Sikhs in Punjab. The Singh
Sabha movement organized campaigns where groups of ordinary unarmed people
would march to their places of worship and ask peaceably to be given possession
of their shrine. At the time of accession to throne on the 25th January,
1912 A.D., Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, after performing the prayer to Guru
Granth Sahib Ji, had himself donned the sword, symbolising authority to
rule. He did not get some British officer to bestow on him the symbol
to Govern as was the custom. In his state, a Singh wearing a sword and
black turban could move freely although it was banned by the British government
The
British Government was looking for an excuse to remove him from the throne..
Taking advantage of an oppurtunity, the British government dethroned the
Maharaja of Nabha on the 9th July, 1923 A.D., and sent him to Dehradun
with a yearly allowance of three hundred thousand rupees.
There
was great unrest among the people of the state on the dethronement of
the Maharaja. In this connection the Sikhs organised an 'Akhand Path'
(continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib) in Gurdwara Gangsar in Jaito
Mandi between 25th and 27th August, 1923 A.D. The police started taking
down the names of those coming to the congregation and threatened those
who brought rations for the 'langar' (free kitchen). The devotees kept
coming to the Gurdwara inspite of this kind of attitude of the police.
On the 27th August, the police arrested Sardar Inder singh Maur from the
presence of Guru Granth Sahib without any warrant. The arrest of a Sikh
in presence of Guru Granth Sahib became a religious matter for the Sikhs.
The 'Sangat' (Sikh Devotees) decided that a chain of 'Akhand Paths' should
be continued as long as the Government does not stop interference. The
Shiromani Committee started sending squads of Singhs for the 'Akhand Paths'
from Amritsar from the 1st September.
The
Sikhs took out processions in the Sikh states and the towns of Punjab
on the 9th September, 1923 A.D., to show their resentment against the
interference of the Government. On the 14th September, policemen arrested
those sitting in congregation, attendants and the reciter sitting in attendance
of Guru Granth Sahib from Gurdwara Gangsar. The Shiromani Committee stated
sending a squad of twenty-five singhs daily from Amritsar from the 15th
September. Before the departure of the squad, the Singhs were asked to
take the pledge. "My aim is to restart the interrupted 'Akhand Path'
in Gurdwara Gangsar and to keep it going in the Gurdwara independently
and collectively in the form of congregation according to Sikh tradition.
If in doing so, I have to face hardship and trouble at the hands of the
Government officials, I shall bear all very politely and without lifting
my hand to strike."
The
Government arrested those squads before they reached Gangsar. The Singhs
of the squads were beaten up, kept hungry for two days at a stretch and
lef off in the forest of Nabha. On the 13th October, the leaders of Akali
Dal were arrested on the 7th January, 1923 A.D. The Government was of
the view that the agitation would fail by the arrest of the members of
the committee but contrary to their views the agitation intensified further.
On
the 9th February, 1924 A.D., the first martyr squad of five hundred Singhs
saffron attire marched from 'Sri Akal Takht'. A band preceded the squad
followed by five beloved ones with saffron flags (Nishan Sahib). The palanquin
of Guru Granth Sahib was in the middle followed by the squad of martyrs
in the lines of four. This squad was proceeding towards Gangsar reciting
hymns, shouting slogans and holding congregations on the way. The people
were serving the squad with milk, water, sweets and fruits, etc. although
the Government was exerting great pressure on people not to serve them
When
the squad reached near Tibbi Sahib on the 21st February, a British officer
said ,"Stop, otherwise there will be firing." The squad kept
on moving forward. The officer ordered to open fire. Firing continued
from three sides for five minutes. Bearing the brunt of fire the squad
continued to advance. As firing stopped, mounted soldiers and police beat
the surviving members of the squad, tied them with ropes and took them
inside the fort. Seven hundred singhs were arrested that day, about two
hundred were injured and one hundred attained martyrdom. After the arrest
of the squad of martyrs, the rulers of Nabha set up a special torture
chamber in which the leading singhs were taken and tortured. they were
hung feet up and were hit on the genitals. They were kept naked outside
in cold. Inspite of these tortures on the Singhs, every time more Singhs
presented themselves for the next squads than were asked by the Committee.
Singhs came from as far off as Canada, Hongkong, Shanghai to join the
Squads. After firing on the first squad of martyrs, this 'Morcha' (agitation)
became an international movement.
 |
First
shaheedi jatha from the Jeto morcha. After the shooting had stopped
these Sikhs were captured and given stiff jail sentences. After
seven years in jail they were released on 12th March 1931. |
The
sixteenth squad of martyrs of five hundred Singhs started from 'Sri Akal
Takht' on the 17th April, 1925 A.D., Before that Squad had reached Gurdwara
Gangsar, Sri Malcolm Heely, the Governor of Punjab gave approval to the
Gurdwara Act on the 11th July, 1925 A.D. All the Akalis were released
on the 27th July. Freedom to hold 'Akhand Path' at Jaito was obtained
after one year and ten months.
The
struggle ended in 1925 with the passage of the Sikh Gurdwara Act. In the
last 5 years of agitation for regaining control of their places of worship,
30,000 men and women had gone to jail. 400 had been killed and over 2,000
seriously wounded. The political results were far reaching. The British
lost forever the support and loyalty of the Sikhs.
The struggle for independence continued, and Sikhs made a tremendous contribution before independence, the Sikh community was only 1.1% of the total population of India. What they achieved is nothing short of phenomenal.
Gandhi was there, watching when the Sikhs were struggling to regain control of their Gurdwaras, through non-violent means. Indeed he admired their courage and their tactics, sending congratulatory notes on more than one occasion. One such telegram dated Jan. 19, 1922 and addressed to the Sikh leadership, read: The first decisive battle for independence won. Congratulations.
The struggle for independence continued, and Sikhs made a tremendous contribution before independence, the Sikh community was only 1.1% of the total population of India. What they achieved is nothing short of phenomenal.
Gandhi was there, watching when the Sikhs were struggling to regain control of their Gurdwaras, through non-violent means. Indeed he admired their courage and their tactics, sending congratulatory notes on more than one occasion. One such telegram dated Jan. 19, 1922 and addressed to the Sikh leadership, read: The first decisive battle for independence won. Congratulations.
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