Chak De Phatte -though loosely translated as pick up the floorboards is more of a war
cry than a housekeeping call. The origins of the phrase lie in the times when the Khalsa i.e. the original warrior Sikhs were formed, they would cross canals and attack Mughal camps in a blitzkrieg attack and then just as they came would retreat leaving the enemy helpless. The
sport of tent
pegging also evolved from this camp raiding where the riders would remove the pegs of the tents trapping the occupants under, what then used to b a very
heavy fabric. While escaping back to their
base the Khalsa warriors would dismantle any temporary bridges constructed by them (made out of "Phatte") to prevent the Mughals from chasing them and sometimes to prevent the enemy from escaping, hence the
cry "Chak De Phatte". The phrase then acquired the meaning: to complete the route. And is
now used as in the figure of "Bring the house down!".
