Nimrat Kaur: 15th August 1947, was one the bloodiest day of human history. And the brunt was borne by the people of Punjab. Dodging bullets and mobs, stepping over dead bodies, killing the women so as save them from being exploited, throwing young children into wells because their arms don't have the strength to carry them were the sort of horrors that experienced by the people on that day.
Not only was the land divided by rivers of blood, but uprooting from their birth place tore their hearts. To be uprooted from your home, to carry just a little bit of your life in one light bundle and to reach a place where they were directed to refugee camps to be treated as beggars was start of a different sort of trauma for Punjab.
The leadership of the day decided that Sikhs will be part of free and independent India and Sikhs too walked into India thinking that this was their country where they are going to be the rulers again. Sikhs were promised that they would be a part of the country and their rights would be secure always.
Sikhs were a big part of the freedom struggle. Bhagat Singh was just one of hundreds of young boys who gave up their life for the freedom of India. Sikhs topped in every list of sacrifice. They were the roar of entire country which wanted freedom from British rule.
Seventy years of independence has made the roar of the lion vanish into silence. Sikhs have become the voiceless community which itself feels threatened. Where 70 years ago we had a leadership that the national leaders listened too, today it doesn't even have Sikh leadership to call its own.
Seventy years of Independence has created politicians who have exploited the community for their personal benefit. The Sikhs of 70 years ago were known and recognised. Allies of the World Wars knew about the brave Sikh warriors and wanted them to fight for them. Today, in the age of social media, Sikhs are not even known and recognised.
Some mistake Sikhs for Muslims where in our own country, Sikhs are called Hindu. There is nothing wrong in any of these religions but neither is anything wrong with Sikhism. Individuality of Sikhism needs to be respected and understood by those who feel threatened about it.
Sikhs choose to be part of India and it is the duty of the majority religion to honour the promise made to the lions of Punjab. In the free India , Sikhs have an urgent need to find their voice and build a new leadership which guards the rights of the community.