A revolutionary blueprint for Sikh sovereignty in the 21st century
Rather than waiting for Sikh sovereignty to reveal itself in the future, Bhai Mandhir Singh powerfully articulates Sikh sovereignty as a bottom-up praxis–to be lived and practiced today.
In this groundbreaking conversation, Bhai Mandhir Singh outlines the bold and visionary legacy of Khalsa Raj–rooted in the revolutionary history of Sikh Misls and the enduring institutions of the Guru Khalsa Panth.
At a time of global instability, Hindutva aggression, and institutional collapse today, Bhai Mandhir Singh revisits the legacy of Sikh sovereignty as bottom-up praxis–anchored in the spiritual-political principles of Miri-Piri, sarbat da bhala, and halemi raj. Through vivid storytelling and rigorous historical reflection, he demonstrates how the history of the Sikh Raj offers us a decentralized model of grassroots governance today, that is built around the protection of the gareeb (weak/disenfranchised) and the revolutionary worldview of Gurmat.
This discussion is not simply a reflection on Sikh history, but a timely exploration of Sikh sovereignty throughout history as a living reality that is forged in the fire of struggle.
Bhai Mandhir Singh is a respected Sikh thinker, writer, and political educator known for his deep engagement with the philosophical, historical, and revolutionary foundations of Sikh sovereignty. He has played a significant role in reviving Sikh political discourse over the past two decades, especially in connecting past frameworks of governance to present-day challenges faced by the global Panth.
Following the decline of the Sikh armed struggle and the Indian state’s genocidal counter-insurgency in the 1990s, Bhai Mandhir Singh was among a new wave of young leaders that reemerged in Punjab in the early 2000s. These defiant naujawan reignited public discussions around the Sikh sangarsh, Sant Jarnail Singh jee, and Khalistan after the trauma of state violence and the annihilation of an entire generation of Sikh leadership led to widespread silence in Punjab.
During his student years, he was actively involved in reviving the Sikh Students’ Federation, and played a key role in broader panthic circles and jathebandis, particularly in mass mobilizations against state-sponsored cults like Gurmeet Ram Rahim. As a result of his relentless role on the frontlines of various struggles over the past 25 years, Bhai Mandhir Singh has also been persecuted by the Indian state and spent time in Nabha’s maximum security jail under UAPA. He immediately returned to his panthic seva following his release and remains active in various morchay (agitations) and grassroots initiatives in Punjab today.
This expansive discussion grapples with the philosophical foundations of Khalsa Raj, the political theory and political institutions of Khalsa Raj, and how this legacy offers us guidance to navigate the turbulence and tension within the political scenario in India and South Asia today.
Central to this vision was the experience of developing the decentralized and grassroots Raakhi prabandh (system), a revolutionary political structure in which the Khalsa offered protection to villages from external threats, oppressive officials, and other forms of exploitation—not through the state, but through grassroots Panthic institutions. Through this, the Khalsa built an entire network of village-level sovereignty that matured into full-fledged governance in the second half of the 18th-century.
Today, at a time when mainstream politics oscillates between liberal fatigue and authoritarian resurgence, Bhai Mandhir Singh’s engagement with Panthic traditions offers a radical, grounded alternative—a model rooted not in domination, but in grassroots governance and collective sovereignty. The experience of Sikhs in the 18th century offers a revolutionary framework of decentralized governance that centers the protection of the oppressed, the dignity of the village, and the sovereignty of the Khalsa Panth.
Rather than waiting for Sikh sovereignty to reveal itself at some future point in time, Bhai Mandhir Singh powerfully articulates Sikh sovereignty (patshahi) as a bottom-up praxis–to be lived and practiced starting now. By rejuvenating our independent institutions on our own terms, he guides viewers on avoiding the pitfalls of modern state-oriented politics to proactively build political power and the institutions of Khalsa Raj today.
What makes the experience of 18th century Sikhs so radical—and so relevant—is that it reframes the “state” and political authority itself. Threading together numerous episodes of Sikh history, Bhai Mandhir Singh demonstrates that the Guru Khalsa Panth does not seek authorization from any imperial capital or political authority, it enacts justice and exercises sovereignty based solely on the authority granted by Akal Purakh to ensure sarbat da bhala (welfare/justice of all).
While this vision shares striking parallels with contemporary revolutionary movements such as Kurdish forces in Rojava or the Zapatistas in the Chiapas region of Mexico, the Sikh experience is rooted in its own unique Sikh worldview. This mode of decentralized, autonomous governance; community-led defense; and a commitment to justice beyond the nation-state is rooted in a spiritual commitment to serve Akaal Purakh that pervades the entire universe without distinction. This mode of sangarsh does not merely resist the state—it renders it obsolete by meeting people’s needs through autonomous Sikh institutions: providing food, medicine, education, shelter, protection, and justice through the local sangat, jathe, and Gurdwaras.
In the current vacuum of credible Sikh leadership, Bhai Mandhir Singh reminds us that the Khalsa doesn’t wait for permission or authorization from other powers to enact justice or erect political governance. It builds these things from the ground up, rooted in our own Sikh institutions.
This mode of decentralized sovereignty and internal self-governance, is profoundly relevant to the moment Sikhs find themselves in today—both in Punjab and globally.
Onslaught of Hindutva
The rise of Hindutva fascism under the BJP is not simply a political development—it is a civilizational project aimed at enforcing Brahminical homogenization, dismantling the plural foundations of the subcontinent, and absorbing all identities into a Hindu majoritarian nationalism. In this context, the Sikh assertion of sovereign identity—grounded not in caste or ethnic supremacy but in sarbat da bhala—is inherently subversive.
A centralized approach to resistance—dependent on party politics, co-opted institutions, or lobbying within the state—has already been proven ineffective. The Indian state has fully penetrated and compromised Panthic institutions, including the SGPC and Akali Dal. A bottom-up revival, led by local sangats and rooted in localized decision-making, is the only viable way to reclaim and protect Sikh political agency by rebuilding sovereignty and collective leadership, on Sikh terms.
This is particularly important in the context of BJP attempts to manufacture fragmentation within Sikh factions through a “divide and confuse” approach. Instead of backing one central figure, like the Congress did with Prakash Badal, the BJP is flooding the political arena with numerous leaders to foment factionalism, competition and mistrust within Sikh ranks while also hollowing out the credibility of Panthic institutions and targeting young activists through its national security apparatus and the UAPA.
The BJP’s strategy for containing Sikh resistance and neutralizing Sikh leadership today is systematic, multilayered, and deeply rooted in the Hindutva project. It aims not only to dismantle Sikh political autonomy but to absorb, fracture, or erase the distinctiveness of the Guru Khalsa Panth itself. In this moment, Bhai Mandhir Singh’s insights, grounded in the Misl-era model of decentralized sovereignty, offers both a defence against state repression and a strategic roadmap for counter-offensive reconstruction—built on Sikh terms.
Navigating Geopolitical Volatility
South Asia is becoming increasingly unstable—caught between Western imperial interests, China’s strategic expansion, and a decaying yet hyper-militarized Indian state. In this context, any centralized Sikh political formation—especially one seeking validation from foreign capitals or limited within Indian territory alone—will be fragile and vulnerable.
Instead, a transnational network of decentralized, autonomous Sikh sangats, practicing governance rooted in Gurmat, can weather geopolitical turbulence to propel us towards our political objectives. Just as the Misls coexisted and coordinated while retaining autonomy, today’s global Sikh community must think in terms of Panthic self-governance—local sovereignty with global coordination, bound by Gurmatta and collective leadership, not political opportunism.
Environmental and Health Crises
Whether it’s the recent pandemic, or eventual climate collapse, or extreme floods—our era will be marked by systemic breakdowns. In these moments, state structures fail—as we saw with the collapse of health systems during COVID or the unpreparedness in the face of extreme flooding in Punjab in recent years.
Historically, Gurdwaras were not just places of prayer, but sovereign institutions that provided food, medicine, shelter, education, and security. If we rebuild our local Sikh institutions in that original mold—grounded in the principles of the Raakhi prabandh and Guru Sahib’s vision of begampura-halemi raj—we will not need to depend on state welfare that comes with its inherent repression and subjugation. Panthic traditions already have the infrastructure and ethic for mutual aid, disaster resilience, and political dignity—we simply need to revitalize these institutions.
Revolutionary blueprint for the 21st century
The vision articulated by Bhai Mandhir Singh is not merely a historical interpretation of Sikh sovereignty—it is a living blueprint for decentralized, sovereign, and globally anchored Sikh politics in our current realities. What makes this vision so urgent and revolutionary is that it pushes the Panth beyond a narrow, Punjab-bound imagination and toward a globally coordinated but locally autonomous movement—rooted in Gurmat, disciplined through gurmatta-based decision-making, and grounded in the aspiration of sarbat da bhala.
For the Guru Khalsa Panth, politics was never just about elections or statecraft. It was—and remains—a sacred responsibility to uphold justice, protect the oppressed, and manifest the sovereignty rooted in the divine presence of Akaal Purakh. In this sense, the Sikh political imagination does not subordinate itself to or compete within the existing order—it transcends it.
Today’s global systems are collapsing under the weight of ecological catastrophe, authoritarianism, and corporate extraction. State institutions are more disconnected from human dignity than ever before. In this context, returning to and reimagining our own sovereign institutions—sangat, jathe, Gurdware—is not nostalgic or idealistic. It is revolutionary.