Guru of unity

November 24 will be like any other Saturday for most Indians. However, gurdwaras everywhere will have a sea of humanity thronging them.

November 24 will be like any other Saturday for most Indians. However, gurdwaras everywhere will have a sea of humanity thronging them. Being 8216;Gurpurab8217; 8212; the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith 8212; it is a special day not just for Sikhs but all Indians. Interestingly, the Sikh Guru is revered by many in neighbouring Pakistan too.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 at Rai Bhoeki Talwandi, now known as Nankana Sahib in today8217;s Pakistan. While there are numerous interpretations of the philosophy propagated by Nanak, it would be relevant to mention that 8216;Sikhism8217; was not merely a reform movement, as is often believed, yet it was influenced by the ethos of the times. The best illustration of Guru Nanak8217;s thrust on co-existence was the fact that he was always surrounded by a Hindu, Bala, and a Muslim, Mardana. In doing so, the Guru sent out a clear message that his philosophy was a bridge between two 8220;clashing8221; civilisations: Hinduism and Islam. This message of co-existence is more relevant than ever today; not only for India and Pakistan, but for the rest of the world, where the 8216;clash of civilizations8217; thesis has become a fashionable one.

In fact, it may be interesting to mention here that while the whole world is talking about Pervez Musharraf8217;s emergency in Pakistan, a large number of Sikhs from India, the US, UK and Canada, would be participating in Guru Nanak8217;s Gurpurab celebrations at Nankana Sahib. Pakistan did not stop Sikh pilgrims from paying obeisance there, even when its relations with India were strained. More recently, the Pakistan government has even given permission to build a religious corridor between Kartarpur Sahib Pakistan, a gurdwara where Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life, and Dera Baba Nanak India. This means that Sikh pilgrims can cross over to the Pakistani side without a visa, provided they return the same day.

In today8217;s world of religious obscurantism, communal violence and declining tolerance, it is imperative to comprehend the ecumenical message of philosophies such as Nanak8217;s. The priestly class of various faiths is only juxtaposing ritualism and consumerism without doing its actual job: disseminating the message of love. It has found its allies in the religious obscurantists and politicians who use 8220;faith8221; as means of creating schisms, rather than spreading goodwill, as Nanak strove to do.