Tawarikh Babbar Khalsa (Chronicles of Babbar Khalsa)
“Babbars fought the war of independence with Guru Ashe as their face. They believed the words of Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh Ji to be meaningful that we will not put any obstacle in the work of a just state, but we have to shake the roots of the tyrannical state that destroys our religious rituals, with the support of Satguru Akal Purakh.”
— Bhai Karamjit Singh Sikhanwala, Babbar Tawarikh Babbar Khalsa Volume 1
I was visiting another country, and like every trip I take to there, went by one of the local Sikh stores. Although not actively seeking any specific books, I couldn’t resist browsing the shelves and potentially purchasing something to add to my library back home. Searching and searching, my eyes were eventually drawn to two volumes sitting near the top of one of the bookshelves. Their colors were bright and bold, and familiar-looking faces graced the front of each one. Looking closer, I read the titles on each of the covers and became instantly captivated. “Babbar Khalsa.” Without much thought, I picked both of them up, and though it became quite clear that they were written in Punjabi, it didn’t throw me off one bit or in the slightest. I figured that with the help of my cell phone and the Google Translate app, I could atleast try to read the books and see if they were understandable.
Walking out of the store after purchasing them, I didn’t have any huge expectations. I found that in my past experiences regarding panthic oriented books, they either turned out to be a hit or a miss (with the hits being great and the misses turning out to be anti-Sikh or anti-militant propaganda).
Around a week or so later, I decided to begin reading the books since I had some downtime. Pulling them out of my backpack, I placed my phone in my right hand, ready to use it as my translator. I started with Volume 1. The first thing I was met with were forewords written by key figures in Babbar Khalsa or people who had close relations. Some names I recognized instantly. Others were new. And the interesting thing I caught about these forewords is that they weren’t written way back when or even 10 years ago. They were written in the present, in 2022. Which meant they were up-to-date and relevant. And what I loved about them is that they had a message. A message of sovereignty and Gurmat. Of Guru Granth and Guru Panth. Of Righteousness and Justice.
Then the next section was the profiles. I read the title of chapter 1. “Shaheed Bhai Talwinder Singh Babbar”. This instantly hooked me in. Reading profile after profile, it felt like I had hit the jackpot. It was clear that the author definitely had access to first-hand information, disclosing details that I wasn’t even aware of about the organization and the organization’s members. I kept flipping the pages, and despite having to rely on a translator, the experience felt seamless and immersive.
Reading the pages toward the end of Volume One, I came across a quote from the author that I felt spoke to the current movement of today.
‘This story will not end with the formation of commissions, committees, inquiries, distribution of relief funds, compensation, [or] simple punishment to any accused. This pain is the barrage of the human system perverted from pure human freedom. By gaining power, by achieving a clean, pure state, the day will end on the management of this state where it will be,
“No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone.”
“Sarbat da Bhala”.’
Eagerly moving on to volume two, I noticed some differences from the first volume which further enriched my reading experience. There was increased inclusivity of pictures, greater representation of women (though still more could be done), and more detailed insightful commentaries. The forewords included were from more prominent figures like Bibi Sandeep Kaur (former active fighter in BK) and Jathedar Wadhawa Singh Babbar (current leader of BKI).
At the end of the day, I can say that these two volumes have made their way into my top three [Sikh] books of all time (next to Autobiography of Bhai Randhir Singh and Bandigama by Bhai Raghbir Singh). An important piece of literature, I would highly recommend it for any Sikh’s library who is interested in panthic manners. As Bibi Sandeep Kaur says,
“It is our history that gives us the strength and courage to create a new history. Just as the history of the ancient Singhs and Singhnia who died like our ancestors while fighting with the enemy or suffering torture in the police stations in the present Sikh struggle provided strength, in the same way the history of the present Sikh struggle heroes will continue to give strength to our future generations to fight for the true religion.”
— Bibi Sandeep Kaur, Babbar Tawarikh Babbar Khalsa Volume 2
Please forgive me for any mistakes in the above translations. Original quotes can be found in the books.
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa. Waheguru ji ki Fateh.
