Today is the Shaheedee anniversary of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Baba Jee’s Shaheedee truly fits the Bahadur title given to him. Looking back at his life we see many achievements. There are two very different pictures painted by historians of him. You have views on both extremes with our enemies adding their bit to make the picture more distorted but if we are honest then the truth falls in between both these two extremes.
Today is not a day to look back at some of Baba Jee’s shortcomings so I will try not to go there, we know these were inevitable as he was only human.
Everything Guru Jee does has a meaning, so we should look back and think what does Guru Jee want us to take away from Baba Jee’s life.
One point which is undeniable is that clearly something went wrong in his lifetime. The Raaj that the Khalsa should have had did not last long, why?
My personal view is that Guru Jee wanted to show his Sikhs that no matter how important or great an individual can become he still can not lead the Khalsa on his own. The khalsa can not have an individual leader. This role does not exist. It is neither beneficial for the person in that role nor is it for the whole of the Khalsa.
It is human nature to look to some physical person to guide and lead them. Historians have quoted on this frequently that the community lacked a genuine leader at times to unite them. Our enemies have even played on this and made stories about waiting for a leader.
If we are honest with ourselves then I believe if Banda Singh was more successful for a longer period then surely he would have become a Guru like figure. Even know it is hard to imagine why some one will not be attracted to him. This is why Guru Jee chose him and gave him the most impossible of tasks to fulfil. Imagine how difficult of task it must be to stay humble with so much attention and then have the will power to not use his ridhia sidhia. How does one control those primal desires in this environment? You can do it but the conditions and rules to live by would have to be tough. If Baba Banda Singh Bahadur could not do this then who could? This is why Guru Jee has given the Panch system and this is why I believe when Khalsa Raaj truly comes it will be under the Five and not the one.
History has made it quite clear that the parting with Baba Binod Singh signalled the end for Banda Singh Bahadur. When it came down to fighting the enemy he just gave himself up. Why did he do this? He was neither fatally wounded nor did he expect any leniency from the enemy then why did Banda Singh Bahadur not give his Shaheedee on the battlefield. He even called out to his followers not to fight but they didn’t listen to him this time and tried to make fight of it.
ਅਬ ਹਮ ਤੁਰਕਨ ਸਿਰ ਦੇਵੈਂ, ਸੁਟ ਦੇਵੋ ਹਥਿਆਰ I
My Guess is that he realised his mistakes while under the siege by the enemy. He thought that it was best to settle his account in this world rather than the next world. The mention of settling his hisab kitab(account) was quoted when Mohamed Amin Khan asked why do you think this is happening.
Guru Jee being the way he is always keep the laaj of his bhagats even after they make mistakes because that is nature of Guru Jee’s Dyal.
Guru Jee truly kept laaj of his bhagat, after all this is his play and he gave Baba Banda Singh a glorious sending off in history.
After forcefully putting the heart of his 4 year old son in Baba Jee’s mouth, A blade was pierced into the eye of Baba Banda Singh. The eye was removed. Then the same was done on the other eye. His left leg was then cut off. Both of his arms were then cut off one after the other. Then his right leg was cut off. Hot rods were then used on the remaining body and then the rest of the body was cut into pieces.
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur kept his dharam to the last breath with Guru Jee’s Kirpa and this is why the Khalsa Panth will always remember him.