GEMS OF GURBANI

National Character – 18

Awareness of evil character

Krodh – anger or wrath is another emotion that can bring out an evil in man and he can become vicious and animal like. This emotion is so strong that it can destroy the target and can cause self destruction. The origin of anger is not situation inspired or momentary but it is also subjectively inspired. When it is subjectively inspired its intensity is controlled provided the cause of anger has affected the person who has otherwise very wise and matures thinking and one who can analyze the subject under matter. I would like here to give example of Guru Nanak, who had travelled wide in India and ascertained the reason of downfall of Indian civilization and he targeted his anger that arose from this pitiable situation of Indians in his poetry as admonishes, challenges and preaching to rise against this downfall and condemnable situation. His anger was channelized and used for awakening the people. Same was the situation with Guru Gobind ji when he learned that people were afraid to pick up the body and head of his martyred father Guru Teg Bahadurji in Delhi. He also took a resolution that he will make so strong people who will not be afraid of any adversities and face the challenge with their lives. His anger of docile mentality of people culminated in creation of Khalsa. He gave another direction to his anger that is depicted in his poetry which we call Birras and traditionally the birras poetry is sung to elevate the fighting spirit of do or die. This form of anger is another form of emotions that arise from situations that are created by others like political and social systems that rule with arbitrariness and tyranny, where exploitation of certain class of people is evident and also their helplessness becomes their own trap.

The anger has other complex forms one of which is motivational. The actions taken under this are devastating that can cause permanent damages and strife. The example here can be cited that of operation blue star and consequent 1984 massacre of Sikhs in India. The arbitrary behavior of Indira Gandhi and her intolerance for non congress governments in some states created a motivational anger in her and to break up the continuous no acceptance for congress she took many unwise decisions and one of them was creating terrorism in Punjab and the weapons were supplied by the government for instigating intolerable situations in Punjab. She overlooked the fact that she chose a patriotic Sikh to spread violence in Punjab. The ire and the anger was diverted at the most holiest shrine that is revered by Sikhs as of divine lineage. The killing of innocent which is prohibited in Sikhism was another matter that affected Sikhs present all over the world. Instead of saying sorry for this heinous crime the congress government at centre ignored the problem and continued with her policy of arbitrariness and dominance. All the consequent damages that have been caused due to the anger and racial discriminations under the garb of secularism and democracy are result of motivational anger of a single person. Just imagine how this motivational anger can cause permanent damages when nations in such undemocratic crusades ignore the innocent people and make wars. We have seen bloody war of Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, and many other countries that went under the motivational anger of strong nations of the west.  India suffered under the Muslim rulers who not only wanted to occupy this country but convert it into Islam. Their motivational anger was directed at idol worshipping that caused them to behave in such intolerant tyranny. When anger leads to cause cruelties on large scale it is an evil propensity. How Sikhism deals with it? To continue……