Why is the couplet 'Raj Karega Khalsa' not recited inside the Golden Temple?

As a result of TV channels' direct telecast of Gurbani Kirtan from Sri Darbar Sahib, the Sikh devotees get an opportunity of watching closely the "maryada' being followed at the holiest and the central most Gurdwara or holy place of their religion. About some of the practices being followed there, they have been assailed by doubts also, which they have been voicing in subdued tones, to one another. They have been discussing, in private, whether or not the 'maryada' being followed at Sri Darbar Sahib is in conformity with the principles of Gurmat. Even in their failure to solicit a satisfactory reply, they have preferred not to break their silence, publicly at least, and fondly believe that their very knowledgeable and great Akali leaders and religious heads must not have committed any error of judgement of allowed any wrong practices from being followed at Sri Darbar Sahib.

However it now appears that in the name of 'maryada' a good many wrong practices are being followed. In the Khalsa Order revealed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, there was no provision for taking any decisions on the back of the Khalsa without its express approval, whereas the earlier practice had been that whatever decisions were taken by Brahmins (priests) from within the four walls of a room, were binding on the entire populance. Under the Sikh doctrine, decisions applicable to the Khalsa Panth, cannot be taken in a hush hush or arbitrary manner.

Any decision (even on 'maryada') should be deemed to be valid only when it has been taken, not by four or five personages (irrespective of the high offices they may be holding) in a not so transparent manner but has rather been taken, in the august presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Guru Panth after holding free and frank discussion. During the course of the last two centuries, this Guru-given constitution of the Khalsa has been grossly violated by those very worthies who claim to be the custodians of the Sikh religion. One such decision pertains to putting a ban to the recitation of the couplet - 'Raj Karega Khalsa' in Sri Harmandir Sahib'.

In this very issue (of the Spokesman) we reproduce the first part of the research paper presented by noted historian Dr. Sangat Singh at Oxford University on the 6th of May*. In this paper, Dr. Sangat Singh has brought out a startling fact that the reason why the above couplet is not recited in Sri Harmandir Sahib is that a so-called 'hukamnama' had been issued by the priests nominated by the English government. Through this so-called "hukamnama' or order, the British government caused a vertical split in the Sikh doctrine by slapping an embargo on the recitation of the above couplet in Sri Harmandir Sahib. While is quite disturbing is that even today, some scholars, instead of acknowledging the truth and suggesting necessary corrections, prefer to argue that the 'maryada' of Sri Harmandir Sahib was kept different because Harmandir was open to people of all religions and only a spiritual message was sought to be imparted from here. Do such wiseacres wish to say that other Gurdwaras were not open to the followers of other religions and spiritualism is not preached from there?

It is the hallmark of the Brahminical system that no time is lost in providing fake doctrinal justification to even the worst of a situation that is forced on them by the powers that be. They prefer to tread the circuitous path of conjured up religious sanction rather than to admit their own weakness. During the Mughal period, Hindu women were lifted from the marriage 'mandaps' and marriage ceremonies were disturbed in the daytime. Therefore, they decided to perform marriage rites at night so as to keep the Mughal bandits at bay. However, the Brahmins gave such a religious twist to this practice born out of their helplessness, that even today, the average Hindu thinks that performance of marriage rites after sunset is really auspicious!

At Darbar Sahib, we should follow a 'maryada' which should be emulated in all other Gurdwaras. Following a different maryada here could result in other Gurdwaras, deras and Taksals opting to follow a different maryada of their own.

If the recitation of 'Raj Karega Khalsa' is wrong it, should be banned in all Gurdwaras of the world. And if its recitation is justifiable in all other gurdwaras there is no justification why it should not be recited in the central most Gurdwara of'the Sikhs. The restriction that our own Sikh 'Brahmins' or priests have placed on its recitation in Sri Darbar Sahib should now be discussed freely and frankly by the Guru Panth. Will the restriction placed on us by an alien government through its hirelings remain binding on us for ever? The alien government placed this restriction on us through its nominated priests, with a view to curbing the urge to get back our lost kingdom. But under what notion are we continuing to chain ourselves with it and why are we following the Brahmins, trying to invent lame excuses for it?

Shall we imitate the Hindus who have blindly committed themselves, at the behest of their Brahmin path-finders, to continue with a practice reminiscent of their days of slavery, and keep the remnants of slavery a part of our own maryada?

Dr Sangat Singh has stated in his paper that ever since 1710, this couplet had always been recited as part of our ardas in Sri Harmandir Sahib. Then why, when and how did the Guru Panth decide to change the original practice? To the best of our knowledge, such a decision had never been taken by the Guru Panth. Our neo-Brahmins (priests) transformed the British sponsored maryada into Panthic maryada. Why and how did it escape the attention of our Sikh leaders and scholars, is beside the point. Anyway, this issue should now be placed before the Guru Panth in such a manner that ice gets broken on the pathway to the Panth's glory and the remnants of slavery are thrown off.