Gatka enthusiasts keep Punjab’s centuries-old martial tradition alive

Gatka enthusiasts keep Punjab’s centuries-old martial tradition alive

MUNISH DHIMAN  26th Jul 2014

A young student at the Baba Deep Singh Gatka Academy. atka is not new to the world. Its practice has persisted in northwestern India for centuries; it even finds mention in our ancient texts. Its structure might have changed over the years and the youth might have little time for it, but a handful of academies and individuals in this part of the world have dedicated themselves to preserving this martial art. The Punjabi expression "gatka" refers to the wooden sticks used to simulate swords in sparring matches. It also derives its name from the Punjabi expression "gat", which stands for elegance, endurance, and unflinching belief in one's own power, and the word "ka", someone who is an integral part of a group. Gatka has been an indispensable part of the Sikh ethos and religion for over 500 years. It is believed that Guru Angad Dev wanted his followers to train themselves to keep physically, mentally and spiritually fit and made gatka an integral part of their daily routine. Later, it was Guru Hargobind Singh who emphasised the need for practising gatka as a vehicle of self-defence. The SGPC-affiliated Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Gatka Academy is one of the most active academies in the region, with five centers across Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. Gurpreet Singh Khalsa, now 72, a retiree from the Military Engineering Service, founded the academy in 1982 to maintain the heritage of this rare art form. "Gatka is our heritage and something that we should feel proud of," says Khalsa, who has practised gatka for over 35 years. "Our aim behind founding this academy was to encourage the younger generation to know about our rich history and consider its survival a moral responsibility." Besides our day-to-day material needs and mundane duties this is something that infuses life into our soul. We are trying to contribute our mite to protect and preserve our rich inheritance. — Narinder Pal Singh Gatka Co The academy has so far trained hundreds of youngsters and has more than 100 learners at present, who are being trained at the different centres of the academy. It also takes part in various competitions held in different parts of the country from time to time. "Besides our day-to-day material needs and mundane duties this is something that infuses life into our soul," says Narinder Pal Singh, an employee of the UT's horticulture department who is a coach at the academy's Mohali centre. "We are trying to contribute our mite to protect and preserve our rich inheritance." Is it open to all religions, sex and age? And what else can be termed as essential for learning and performing Gatka? "Yes", he promptly replies. "No discrimination is made on the basis of religion, but yes, for learning gatka, one must follow the guidelines of Sikhism. You can't cut your hair or shave off your beard and whatever we follow in Sikhism, the same is retained in gatka. Age is no bar to learn; I believe anyone who is passionate about it can be a part of it. We have kids who are as young as four years old, and they perform on the national stage as well. It is not gender specific either. Both boys and girls perform it side by side."  The staff and students of Baba Deep Singh Gatka Academy The practice and performance sessions vary from place to place. Students comprise people from all walks of life — including theatre artists, students, servicemen and doctors — hence the daily practice session starts at 6 p.m. and ends around 9 p.m. The performance is always platform-based, as these Gatkas can be performed for 10 minutes on stage or for as long as two hours in a nagar kirtan. While elaborating about the importance of Gatka in his life Khalsa says that gatka "is a source of meditation, a mode of exercise that increases your stamina and fitness. It also infuses the sportsman spirit in you." "In this hi-tech age," says Pal, "our kids stay glued to television and computer screens but can rarely be seen doing physical activities, leaving their parents no option but to send their kids to do other physical activities to keep themselves fit. In the era of nuclear weapons, gatka techniques help you to have control over your mind in order to fight better in different domains of life. It is the need of the hour to find out ways to remember and keep the art alive." http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/gatka-enthusiasts-keep-punjabs-centuries-old-martial-tradition-alive-2 http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/gatka-enthusiasts-keep-punjabs-centuries-old-martial-tradition-alive