Columnists
Here Was a Man!
When Comes Such Another?
Nelson Mandela 1918-2013
T. SHER SINGH
NELSON MANDELA
1918 - 2013
There’s a tradition in Punjab, the land of the Sikhs -- now lost in the diaspora -- around death and funerals.
When a person who has lived a long and fulfilled life dies, leaving behind several generations of flourishing descendants, the funeral turns into a celebration of his/her life, instead of a mourning. Even the funeral procession is led by a baraat-style musical band, in the fashion of local weddings … or funerals a la New Orleans.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who died yesterday at the ripe age of 95, leaves behind a better world as a direct result of his extraordinary life and personal sacrifices. He lived a life more fulfilling than anyone I know. He is survived not only by several generations of descendants -- affluent enough to be already feuding amongst themselves as to how to honour their patriarch -- but also by an entire world which has inherited his gift of courage and freedom.
Death is inevitable for each one of us. There are no exceptions, not even saints, scholars, potentates and heroes.
Hence, when Mandela died -- especially after a prolonged illness -- there is no reason to grieve. Only to celebrate an exemplary life so well lived!
He stood head and shoulders above all those who we call leaders -- both literally as well as in the highest meanings of the expression.
There has been no one like him in recent history.
There are no spins to his life story or the saga of his life’s work. No need to sift through piles of dross to find the metal. No borrowed or inherited glory. No perversions to hide. No skeletons in the closet.
His was a life of unparalleled personal sacrifice. He spent 27 years -- his entire youth -- in the dreaded prisons of a repressive and oppressive regime. When he emerged, victorious, his tormentors collectively collapsed into a heap, relegated to the dustbin of history.
Today, a mere quarter century from the day he walked out a free man from the dungeons of the abomination known as apartheid -- having progressed from Robben Island, to Pollsmoor Prison and then Victor Verster Prison -- the names of those who led and managed the boorish regime that imprisoned him and held the nation captive, are unknown. Overshadowed by Mandela and instantly forgotten. A whole population of neanderthals who claimed racial superiority has mercifully scurried out of sight and hopefully died, having proved beyond all doubt how wrong and misguided they had been.
Today, we celebrate the man who became the moral compass for not only his people but the world.
And, once given the honour that was due to him, he -- unlike all those who plague our respective countries today as politicians, leaders and religious shepherds -- did not turn it into a license to amass personal wealth.
There is so much to learn from him, to emulate from his life.
But today, we celebrate … the gift of Nelson Mandela.
Forgive me if I borrow once again from Will Shakespeare:
“…he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus …”
This article can also be viewed on The Huffington Post by CLICKING here.
December 6, 2013
Conversation about this article
1: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), December 06, 2013, 9:52 AM.
The man was great for his personal sacrifices but unfortunately his family and fellow countrymen are anything but! The poverty in South Africa has to be seen to be believed! So as Sikhs we should now start bringing to the fore our thousands of extraordinary freedom fighters ... starting with Bhai Maharaj Singh, the first freedom fighter against the British who was banished to Singapore and spent the last few years of his life in darkness and in solitary confinement! sikhchic.com should have a special article on this extraordinary man. The whole of Asia rose up to him and his stance against the British!
2: Kanwal Prakash Singh (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA), December 06, 2013, 4:30 PM.
As always, Sardar Sher Singh ji, you have eloquently spoken and beautifully portrayed the life, spirit, and legacy of an elegant man and a truly remarkable public servant: The Father of a free South Africa, President Nelson Mandela. His fight against the tyranny of apartheid and for freedom from racial oppression makes him not just a giant among world leaders but a symbol of a higher assurance that great souls like this Nobel Peace Laureate are sent to guide and enlighten us and to leave an everlasting imprint on the soul of humanity for generations to come. Nelson Mandela leaves behind lessons for all of us and a special reminder for leaders that they must and can earn public trust and honor with hard work, sweat, tears, and incredible sacrifice - a concept that seems to be alien to many leaders across the world landscape. There will be countless memorial celebrations and tributes to honor President Nelson Mandela around the world. Indiana has had a special connection with South Africa with the presence and visits of two of his personal mentors and stalwart supporters - Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr. Alan Boesak. There will be a special interfaith tribute at the Indiana State House this Sunday afternoon to honor the life and legacy of this "Gem among the Giants." May his soul rest in peace.
3: SSN (USA), December 06, 2013, 4:33 PM.
Didn't know about Maharaj Singh. Thanks for adding to my knowledge. On another note - I see a steady stream of mature comments, almost always from a select group of commentators. I often think how all of this energy can be used to help the panth, to get well-meaning Sikhs together, and achieve our goals. I yearn to connect with these commentators and other learned readers more. I'm no longer satisfied just writing comments on the wall of the articles here. Or am I thinking too much, whereas most readers come here to read articles or comment, and then forget about it? I look at many other forums and think of the bonhomie; I also see reliable constructive ends coming to many discussions on some sites, with on-the-ground practical things getting achieved.
4: Gagan Kaur (Los Angeles, California, USA), December 06, 2013, 5:16 PM.
Re SSN # 3: Aren't you yourself doing exactly what you're criticising others for? So, you're waiting for someone else to do something, start something, so that you can join in? Why don't YOU do it? Or ask sikhchic.com to let you do it? Put the idea together, put your money where your mouth is, and make it work! It's easy as that.
5: Raj (Canada), December 06, 2013, 11:41 PM.
... and the Indian government and media are bending over backwards to get mileage from Mandela's death by calling him a great "Gandhian". That is the biggest insult to a truly great soul. Historians know Gandhi was trying to side with the oppressing whites by referring to Africans as "kaffirs". Which is a derogatory term for blacks of that country. Just like Hindus in Indian society discriminate against the 'lower' castes, Gandhi was trying to fit into a similar role by discriminating against blacks and wanted to be a partner in apartheid. He never stood for freedom for blacks. The fact of the matter is, when Mandela found out about this, he started distancing himself from it and never gave the example of Gandhi in his speeches.
6: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), December 07, 2013, 7:51 AM.
Commentator #3 SSN ji ... Yes, we have thousands and thousands of freedom fighters and saviours in our illustrious history. Now, we need to revive the spirit of sacrifice ... the common good of humanity needs us!
7: Parmjit Singh (Canada), December 07, 2013, 10:00 AM.
Mandela was on the US government terrorist watch list until 2008, while Mohandas Gandhi whose view of blacks mirrored the KKK was considered a pacifist hero. Strange world we live in! The following quote from Mandela might provide partial insight as to how he became labelled a terrorist: "A freedom fighter learns the hard way that it is the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle, and the oppressed is often left no recourse but to use methods that mirror those of the oppressor. At a certain point, one can only fight fire with fire."
8: Harpreet Singh (Delhi, India), December 07, 2013, 9:35 PM.
A few years ago, Mr. Mandela came to India. Perhaps the Sikh struggle was on. As per news reports at that time, in regard to the Sikh struggle, though he rightly condemned mindless violence but he also clarified that not every armed struggle can be called terrorism. May his soul rest in peace and world leaders learn some thing from him to make this world a better place, especially in safeguarding basic human rights of people belonging to oppressed groups.
9: Ajay Goraya (Rockville, Maryland, USA), December 09, 2013, 8:20 AM.
27 years in a small cell, with hard labor, deprivation of food, two letters and two visits a year, a prison term designed to take away every dignity and self respect of a person ... and still this great soul chose to forgive and reconcile even with the authors of apartheid and showed this world a way to peace. Compare this to Gandhi and Nehru who served prison in palaces, no labor, no solitary confinement, with books and letters and visits to and from loved ones and when asked why he voted for partition Nehru replied, "We were tired". Their leadership resulted in the decimation of a culture, massive killings and future of war and communalism and not to mention a reprehensible racist mind-set; to think they are anywhere near any decent leader, much less Mandela; they deserve a noose with a fall into a bottomless pit. Theirs wasn't ignorance, it was delusion, a mental condition that has no parallel, which has no cure ...