I think Sikhs can benefit a lot about ‘what to do & how to do’ in current environment of hate, from what Guru Nanak Paatshah taught us. Guru Nanak was not only a contemporary of Babur, He was also witness to the destruction caused by Babur’s invasions.

In the deeply moving hymn known as the Baburvaani, Guru hearkens to God – asking him how He, the all powerful, could allow the Mughal, messenger of death to destroy Khurasan (AF) & Hindustan, about why a powerful man could at whim destroy the weaker around him, and the Master-

-(God) could do nothing to protect them.
The Baburvaani seems almost like an admonition to God, until Nanak exclaims – ‘You yourself unite, You yourself separate; I gaze upon Your Glorious Greatness.’

What is the relevance of the Baburvaani in context of minority persecution in Pak & AF?

The interpretation of the hymn guides us towards understanding, making sense of the darkest, most difficult periods in history & learning from none other than Guru Sahib about what to do.

In theological terms, the moving force of history is the will (hukam) of God, so whatever happens in history is an unfolding of divine will. In scientific terms, we might understand this as a serial multitude of causes and effects, beyond human control.

Rather than looking at the characters of individuals who are, in the end inconsequential, what does an era of invasions actually mean, in a deeper sense. Why does destruction happen – b’cz in the words of the Baburvaani it is a ‘separation’, that makes possible a new ‘unity’.

If we delve further into Baburvaani, its complaining nature changes when
Guru Nanak Sahib exclaims – ‘You yourself unite, You yourself separate; I gaze upon Your Glorious Greatness.’

From this, we can derive an understanding of history. Of why, as in a classic theological question, bad things happen to good people. And what can we do about it.
The mere fact that Guru Nanak expresses this nature of God, is a Revelation that has two consequences.-

One, we must not expect someone to come and save us.

Two, we must do so ourselves. And the way, the passage through this churn, will be shown to us, only if we know whom to ask. (The Guru.)

In the face of historical forces, to protect ourselves against it, we must look within, for faith to understand our predicament, and we must look outside, at our neighbours who are all facing the same consequences. So, through faith and through association with neighbours we win

History is a force – that breaks society and social order, but it can also be tamed to create a new form of society, and new social orders that are just, founded on and empowered by Dharma.

In a deeper sense then, God is not completely absent in the face of human suffering. Suffering is a forge, to make the ‘weak’ and the ‘helpless’ who looks for help from the outside, strong enough, to find strength within.

Guru Nanak Says,

‘Kal kati raje kasai dharma pankh kar uddarya,’

(In the Darkness, Kings are Butchers, Dharma/Righteousness has taken flight)

‘Kood amawas sach chandrama deese nahi keh chadya,’

In the rising darkness, the Moon of truth has not risen

Hau bhal vikhuni hoyi, aadheer raah na koi,

There seems to be no solution, no way out

Vich haume kar dukh royi, kaho nanak kin bidh gat hoyi

Ridden with Ego, we cry out in pain. O’ Nanak, how shall we be redeemed!

SGGS- p145

We see then, that there is a deep logic unfolding.

Kaliyuga, or the darkness, emerges from ‘false kings’, who rule society without adhering to ‘Dharam’ –or Righteousness. So, ‘a-Dharam’, or unrighteousness, flows from the top, i.e. the king, and causes suffering all the way down

In this rising tide of a-Dharm, what common people can do, is create new communities, that do not pay obeisance to the a-Dharmic ‘false kings’, but only take command (hukam), frm the true source of Dharma, i.e God. ‘God’ in Sikhi is also referred to as ‘Saccha Padshah’ True King

This trend reaches its logical conclusion in Guru Gobind Singh Singh – who in consolidating the Sangat of Nanak into the Khalsa actually proclaims that sovereign authority will now rest in the Khalsa, who will owe no allegiance to any earthly king but the One True King.

I hope Singhs & Kaurs find something worth contemplating on in my words here These ideas need to be tested by examining Sikh leadership through history & also how they are behaving in current scenario.Are we using the knowledge given by Gurus or we are just wishing for a saviour?