A two-day kids' Gurmat Camp dedicated to the martyrdom and bravery of Char Sahibzadas (four princes) of the 10th Sikh guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was held recently at Gurdwara Sahib-Sikh Society of Thompson on Goldeye Crescent.
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji's two younger sons (also known as the world’s youngest martyrs) Sahibzada Fateh Singh (six years old) and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh (nine years old) were bricked alive in a wall at Sirhind, India by Nawab Wazir Khan on Dec. 26, 1704 for standing firm by their faith with courage and determination. There's no parallel martyrdom in the annals of human history.
The guru’s two other sons Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Singh, 14, and Sahibzada Ajit Singh, 18, fought bravely and laid down their lives (they requested their father to send them for fighting in the battlefield and he armed them with weapons and sent them) in the famous battle of Chamkaur, which took place on Dec. 22-23, 1704 (one of the 10 unmatched battles of the world — 40 Sikhs versus an army of one million Mughals and Hindu hill chiefs) for justice and rights against injustice and cruelty, and attained martyrdom. There is no parallel in the world when a father had thanked God, instead of weeping, on the death of his sons witnessed in front of him.
The heroic deeds of these two elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh will keep inspiring the young Sikh generations to rise to the occasion whenever called upon to fight for justice and rights against injustice and cruelty for all times to come. It is worth mentioning here that Guru Gobind Singh Ji's father, grandfather of Char Sahibzadas, also sacrificed his life at Chandni Chowk, Delhi, India for the sake of secularism. He sacrificed his ie not for his own religion but to save another religion — Hinduism— which was in danger at that time as emperor Aurangzeb wanted to convert all of them to Islam.
Twenty-four kids participated in this first Gurmat Camp in Thompson.
On both days, camp started with the recitation of Jap ji Sahib (the first sacred text written by the first Sikh guru Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Sahib) followed by Ardas (Sikh prayer) and Hukamnama (order of the day from Sikhs' living guru Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji ). Other activities during the camp included discussion of Sikh history, Gurmat art, the practice of Gatka (a Sikh martial art), Gurbani learning, Gurmat movies, turban tying, learning the deg recipe, good habits, moral values, Gurdwara etiquette and so on.
Guru ka Langar (free food) was served to the participants and volunteers which was prepared by kids' parents themselves.
Both children and their parents were very much satisfied with such a program as everyone learnt a lot about the Sikh religion and it's rich heritage. The Sikh Society of Thompson is planning to organize a similar camp during school spring break at the end of March.
