The Temerity of Bhai Bota Singh
In those days of dire persecution, Bhai Bota Singh lived in the forest by day and would come out in search of food from sympathizers under the cover of darkness. Occasionally, he would visit Amritsar by night and take a dip in the sanctifying waters of the holy pool around the temple. One day, he was noticed from afar by some people who thought he was a Sikh. But a member of the party objected he could not have been a Sikh, for had he been one, he would not have concealed himself so.
Vexed by the observer's remark, Bhai Bota Singh set on a plan whereby he and his companion Bhai Garja Singh took up a position on the main highway. There, they proclaimed the sovereignty of Khalsa and collected a small toll from each passerby. For maximum effect, he sent a notice with a traveler for the governor. One hundred horsemen came to apprehend the two Sikhs, but they spurned the offer to surrender and died instead fighting.
Read more about this topic: Sikh Holocaust Of 1746
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“Friends, make yourselves comfortable, make yourselves at home. Eat and drink from your own supplies, and sing our praises.”
—Punjabi proverb, trans. by Gurinder Singh Mann.