Akali Phoola Singh

Eternal Voice
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Eternal Voice
Guru Granth Sahib as interfaith
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Education - A Kaur’s Perspective
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August - October, 2009
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From the editor’s desk...
“Does God exist?” is a question that everyone asks. “Is it
possible to see God?” And all religions strive to answer this
question in their own way. Languages may vary; thought
process can be different but the answer of all religions is
unique and the same. Every religion aims at providing succor
to its seekers. Varied in expression, one principle of life
pervades everywhere.
It is universally true that the words ‘God’ and ‘Mother’ are
correlated. Mother may be called by different words in
different languages and still she is ‘The Mother’. God may,
likewise, be known by different words in different languages
and yet He is the same Eternal Force, that provides security,
salvation and peace to one and all. The eternal needs of the
humans are the same and God fulfills these in many ways.
It is the petty minds who demarcate man and religion; and
create water-tight compartments. God is one and it is the
various religions and sects that seek to establish their own
identity in the name of religion. They use religion as a power
tool. Left to themselves, common men have just faith in God
with no bias to any particular religion. The Eternal Truth or the
Brahm Gyan leads man to the same knowledge - God is within
us and we need to seek him within only. Then why do we keep
looking for him without? There is a story, which tells us that
once God thought of creating a place of residence for Himself.
He mulled over the thought for some time and came to the
conclusion that if he established a physical home for Himself,
different religions and sects would split the place into pieces in
the name of owning Him up. So God decided that He would
reside in the hearts of all human beings and in that manner it
would not be necessary for anyone to split the residence of God.
That is how God came to be within all forms of life.
All religions acknowledge the presence of Atma (soul). Words
and languages may differ, but the essence is the same - God is
enlightenment in everybody. Enlightenment can be attained
only through inner illumination. No one from outside can help
us unless we kindle the inner light to see the path for
ourselves. In Ram Chrita Manas, it is called Prakash; in
Gurbani, we know it as Jyoti; in Koran, it is called Noor, while
in Bible, we address it as Divine Spark.
There is no point to emphasize the need for tolerance. The
word ‘tolerance’ is redundant and superfluous, when we get
educated and enlightened. Thus, what we need today are the
truly educated and enlightened minds, who acknowledge the
supremacy of God in all, with no bias to caste, creed or
religion. The world needs teachers in the true sense. Did not
Guru Nanak say it emphatically?
Gur saakhi jyot pargat ho-e. (13)
(Through the Guru's teachings, the Light shines forth.)
Satguru, or a true teacher shows us the way to know our
innerself. This awareness leads us to peace and submission.
The darkness of ignorance is dispelled. That is why it is said:
Satguru mahima anant hai Anant kee-aa upkaar
Lochan anant ughaa-ree-aa Anant dikhaavan haar.
(The Satguru’s greatness is endless and inexhaustible; His
compassion is infinite and has no limit whatsoever. He not
only preaches, but also shares his vision.)
In this context, it becomes imperative that there should be an
active inter-faith dialogue. It is all the more important when
divisive forces are rampant all over. No religions divides
human beings. No saint has ever done so. Only the zealots do
it and they are not the real men of religion. They only wear
the mask of religiosity. Therefore, a continuous inter-fath
dialogue alone can control violence and madness that is being
perpetuated in the garb of religion.
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2
Eternal Voice
August - October, 2009
31
Contents
Feedback
Swami Vivekananda page 38
Guru Granth Sahib as a Maharashtrian Deity
Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh Gill, USA
'An Extraordinary Tale of Faith' depicting Gurdwara Sri Birdh
Baba in Maharashtra, is a great article. It will be a news for
many, thanks for the same.
Taking care of our mother earth
Mile. S, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
Beautiful article from a beautiful soul! In Judaism, we call our
Torah (holy book), our tree of life - it grounds us to life and it helps
us to soar heavenwards.
Page for page information in Baru News
Narinder Pal Singh Arora, Amravati
‘Baru News’ is a uniformly well-written and page for page better
information on the activities of The Kalgidhar Trust. One only
wishes you give a little more regular space to whole lot of things
happening out there. It will be great if you could start the Punjabi
version of ‘Eternal Voice’ also.
Religion, a powerful tool
Indranil Banerjee, Mumbai
The thought-provoking stories in ‘Eternal Voice’ about
spirituality reveal that religion has emerged as a powerful
influence in the public sphere all over India. People are taken for
a ride in the name of religion by vested interests. The use of
religion for petty ends has substantially increased during the last
few decades. It is true that violence is often committed in the
name of religion. However, religion has a dual legacy in the
human history of peace and violence. The illusion of God and
religion is used by politicians to hoodwink voters. In a
democracy, religion cannot overrule a nation's politics,
administration and development. Yet, for strategies of peacemaking to be effective, systematic decision-making by religious
leaders is a must. Let's be aware of all the conflicts in the world
today and do everything in our power to bring peace to our
communities in India.
Love for Nature
Prakash Kaur, New Delhi
The first person story 'Our Fig Tree' in May-July, 2009 volume
by Gurmeet Kaur reminds me of my personal experiences in my
kitchen-garden.
Panorama Galore
Parveen, Dehradun
I enjoyed 'Virtues in Guru Granth Sahib' compiled by Inderjeet
Kaur. I feel it gave an interesting insight what Guru Granth Sahib
reveals to humanity. The May-July issue contains an interesting
blend of subjects. The feature on Kabir made an interesting
reading. It is impressive how ‘Eternal Voice’ finds new ways to
showcase the different auras of Sikh faith.
Broaden the horizon
Kavita Guliani, Jamshedpur
Too much religion tends to bore a reader. ‘Eternal Voice’ should
strive to broaden its sphere by including articles on sports,
current affairs, tours and travels and on youth.
Excellent distinctive information
Sukhjeevan Kaur, Amritsar
I always enjoy reading ‘Eternal Voice’ and associate it with high
quality. It is the only magazine I read seriously. The ideas
published in it are distinctive, well-documented, informative and
impeccably reproduced. 'My Memories of Everest' by Capt.
M.S. Kohli, as also the earlier articles on Himalayas were really
fascinating.
22
Eternal Voice
Guru Granth Sahib as Interfaith Divine Scripture 4
..............................................................
9
Crossing the Water
..............................................................
10
Interfaith Discussions and Sikh Faith
..............................................................
The Way to Establish Everlasting Peace
14
..............................................................
16
Guru Manyo Granth Jagriti Yatra
..............................................................
20
The Guru & the Granth
..............................................................
28
Vices Negated in Guru Granth Sahib
..............................................................
31
The Book of Poems
..............................................................
Jagriti Yatra page 16
32
Criticism - Helpful or Otherwise
..............................................................
34
Education - A Kaur’s Perspective
..............................................................
Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts on Religion & Ethics 38
..............................................................
42
Janaka, the Great
..............................................................
Gatka, The Sikh Martial Art
44
..............................................................
Kudos!
Moneydeep Singh, New Delhi
‘Eternal Voice’ is an ambitious guide to spiritual upliftment. The
brick-bats and bouquets will keep pouring in. Keep up your pace.
The piece on Anand Karaj is truly informative.
Green Gurdwara
Sonny, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
Beautiful piece that will hopefully inspire more of our
community to be thinking like environmentalists, which, as you
powerfully show, is at the very heart of Sikhi. It disappoints me
each time to see the use of foam plates and cups in the
Gurdwaras - a practice, which I know, carries on every day. We
need a campaign to go back to steel Thaalis in our Gurdwaras.
Akali Phoola Singh page 60
Akali Phoola Singh page 56
Have your say...
Get your candid/critical
comments published.
Mail your feedback at : [email protected]
48
Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai
..............................................................
52
Environment Protection in Sikhism
..............................................................
56
Akali Phoola Singh, the Saint Soldier
..............................................................
Book
Review - Scorched White Lilies of ’84
60
..............................................................
Redemption...Amidst
the Drug Wars
62
..............................................................
67
Hope
..............................................................
Can You Really Forgive & Forget?
68
..............................................................
Assamese
Sikhs
70
..............................................................
Gatka, The Sikh Martial Art page 44
Tourism
in Jammu & Kashmir
76
..............................................................
August - October, 2009
33
For the Brahmin, the Guru has this to suggest:
So Brahmin jo Braham beechaar-ei. (662)
(He alone is a Brahmin, who contemplates God.)
Guru
Granth Sahib
And for the Vaishnav, he has this to offer:
Baisno so jis oopar suparsann Bisan kee maa-e-aa t-ai hoe bhinn. (274)
(The true Vaishnav, the devotee of Vishnu, is the one, with whom
God is thoroughly pleased.)
For the Jogi he says:
Satgur s-aiv-ai so Jogi hoe. (223)
(Those, who serve the True Guru, are the Yogis.)
For a Muslim, the Guru says:
Musalmaan mo-am dil hov-ei Antar kee mall dil t-ai dhov-ei. (1084)
(To be Muslim is to be kind-hearted and wash away pollution
from within the heart.)
Similarly to a Mullah, the Guru suggests:
as interfaith divine scripture
So Mullah jo mann se-ou larh-ei Gur updes kaal sio jur-ei. (1159)
(He alone is a Mullah, who struggles with his mind and through
the Guru's teachings, fights with death.)
For a Qazi, the Guru says:
Sach kamaav-ei soyee Qazi. (1084)
(He alone is a Qazi, who practices the Truth.)
By Iqbal Singh (Baba)
For a Sheikh, the Guru has this to offer:
Soee S-aikh masaa-ik Haji So bandaa jis najar naraa. (1084)
S
ikhism is not an 'ism', as such, but a spiritual way of life for
the entire mankind to become divine.
Guru Granth Sahib the holy Sikh scripture, contains the divine
'Words' (hymns) of those God-conscious persons, who merged
with the divine by treading on the divine path and by meditating
on the Divine Name.
The divine concept of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, is:
Shabad Guru surt(i) dhun chela. (943)
{The Divine 'Word' is the Guru and the Surt(i) (tune of mind),
which is egoistic, is the disciple of the Divine 'Word'.}
The Surt(i), by meditating on the divine 'Word', would shed its
ego and become divine. One divine sentence incorporated in
Guru Granth Sahib, sums up this concept:
Dubidha chhod Bha-ai Nirankari. (685)
{O Man! Shed duality (ego) and you will realize the virtues of
Nirankar (God).}
In Mathematical equation it will be:
MAN - EGO = GOD
Eternal Voice
This is the universal truth and the divine path treaded by the
mankind to become divine, irrespective of any caste, creed,
religion, region, age or sex.
Today, we hold many conferences and seminars for interfaith,
but few have tried to explain the world that Guru Granth Sahib
itself is the divine scripture of the 35 God-conscious persons,
who belonged initially to different castes, creeds, religions and
regions. The magnanimity of Guru Granth Sahib, in which the
divine verses of six Sikh Gurus out of the ten Sikh Gurus, in
addition to the divine hymns of 15 Saints, belonging to different
castes, creeds, cultures, religions and social status have been
incorporated, is beyond description. The Eternal Guru has
advice for one and sundry.
To an ascetic, the Guru preaches:
So san-e-aasee jo Satgur s-aiv-ei vichhau aap gava-ai. (1013)
(He alone is a Sannyaasi, who serves the True Guru, and removes
his self-conceit from within.)
For the Pandit, he says:
So Pandit jo mann parbhod-ei Ram Naam Aatam meh sodh-ei. (274)
(He is a true Pandit, a religious scholar, who instructs his own
mind.)
(He alone is a Sheikh, a preacher, a Haji and he alone is God's
slave, who is blessed with God's grace.)
And to a Haji, the Guru preaches:
Jo dil sodh-ei soee Haji. (1084)
(He alone is a Haji, a pilgrim to Mecca, who purifies his heart.)
Of the 35 contributors to the holy Granth, four were following
the Muslim faith. Then we have high caste Brahmins, a King;
and also a barber, cobbler, weaver, calico printer and a butcher,
who were considered belonging to low castes. Besides, the
divine verses of 11 Bhatts (high-caste Brahmins), who became
divine after great struggle in search of truth, also figure in Guru
Granth Sahib. These Bhatts met the Sikh Guru in Amritsar and
they were enlightened by the Guru.
No divine scripture of any religion has a single divine 'Word', by an
individual belonging to the other religion, caste, creed or region.
The reader may be astonished to know that whenever a Sikh
bows before Guru Granth Sahib, he is not only showing respect to
the Sikh Gurus but also to all those divine souls, who were born in
different communities, castes and creeds. Guru Nanak has, thus,
inculcated the gist of spirituality amongst his followers, i.e., Sikhs,
who are the students of spirituality or seekers of truth. Any seeker
of truth (Jagiasoo - student) belonging to any religion, caste, creed,
age or sex can tread on the divine path by reciting Naam with full
devotion and dedication.
In short, submitting completely to the divine by shedding one’s
ego, one can attain the stage of divine wisdom, i.e., helm of the
Nirankar (figureless form, which is called all-pervading
Almighty God). Whosoever reaches this stage, merges with
God and gets the supreme divine bliss:
Nirankar ke des jaahe taa sukh laheh mahal. (595)
{When you arrive in the sphere of the Formless Lord, you will lose
your identity (ego) and merge in the Divine.}
Whosoever, reaches this stage of life, rises above the
bondage of caste, creed, rituals and customs and merges
with the Lord. All the God-conscious persons reach this
stage even by following initially their own religious customs
and way of meditation.
This is the gist of the theme of spirituality. Whosoever
follows the divine teachings and principles of Guru Granth
Sahib, will become a member of the interfaith community,
who have reached the kingdom of the Divine (Nirankar ke des),
which has been aptly described as Begumpura (the city without
sorrow) by Bhagat Ravidas, who was though a cobbler
by profession, attained this kingdom and merged with
the divine.
Hence we pray with folded hands to the entire mankind that they
should accept Guru Granth Sahib as interfaith divine scripture.
On 10 December, 1948, United Nation's General Assembly
passed resolution No. 217-A on human rights, stating, “All
human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act
towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
Guru Granth Sahib already preaches all this vehemently and in
much clearer and stronger terms. Guru Nanak had declared as
early as 16th Century:
Sabh meh jyot jyot h-ei so-e Tis k-ei chaanan sabh meh chaanan ho-e. (663)
(The divine light is within everyone; it is that Light which shines
within one and all.)
Guru Nanak considered everyone else better than himself. He
gave them equal respect and regard, as he considered all having
been created by the same Lord, whose light enlivened all His
creation. The Guru had Bhai Bala, a Hindu and Bhai Mardana,
a Muslim, as his companions for most part of his four long
Udasis (spiritual travels). For him, no one was lowly:
Sab kau oochaa aakhee-ai neech na dees-ai koe
Iknai bhaand-ai saaji-ei ik chaanan tih loe. (62)
{Call everyone exalted; no one seems lowly. The one Lord has
fashioned the vessels (human bodies) and One Light pervades in
all the three worlds i.e., this planet and all the planets above and
below this earth.}
August - October, 2009
5
History is witness to the period, when Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb's army unleashed awful cruelty and tyranny on
downtrodden and innocent people of the country. To defend the
human rights of the weak and save the masses from these miseries,
Guru Gobind Singh fought several battles with the Mughal army. In
the battlefield, the tenth Master deputed his most devoted Sikh, Bhai
Kanhaiya to serve water to the injured soldiers from both sides,
irrespective of their religion, caste, creed or allegiance. The injured
Mughal soldiers, after getting water, used to gain strength to fight the
Sikh soldiers, which was not relished by the later, who complained to
the Guru. When the so-called 'traitor' was summoned before the
Guru, Bhai Kanhaiya humbly submitted:
That is why the great patriot and a revered leader of the
Hindus, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya after consulting
several Rajas, Maharajas and the renowned Saints requested
the great Saint of the era, Sant Attar Singh to lay the
foundation of the Banaras Hindu University. So much so that
he went to Mastuana from Sangrur railway station barefooted by covering 8 kilometers to bow before the Saint and
request him to lay the foundation, which the latter accepted.
Again, on a specific request, he sent his beloved devotee Sant
Teja Singh as the Principal of the Teachers' Training College
for sometime. Later, Sant Teja Singh took over the reigns of
Akal College, Mastuana.
Sabh-ai saa(n)jheewaal sadaa-i-n Toon kis-ei na diseh baaharaa jeeo. (97)
After Guru Gobind Singh, Sant Attar Singh was the first, who
felt the need of holistic education and opened the first girls'
school in the far-flung backward area, known as Mastuana in
Punjab, a hitherto unknown remote place. Later on, a boys'
school was also opened. He laid great stress on value-based
education. Sant Teja Singh, M.A. L LB. (Punjab) A.M.
(Harvard), following the footsteps of his mentor, continued the
good work by carrying forward the mission. Sant Teja Singh
discovered Baru Sahib, which was blessed by Guru Gobind
Singh, when he visited Nahan with the hill Raja Medni Prasad.
In the year 1956, Santji laid the foundation of the Brahm Vidya,
which will become the Brahm Vidya center under the aegis of
(All humans form a common fellowship and are partakers of your
grace. O Lord! You are alien to no one. )
This is a unique example in the world, where a friend and a foe
are treated alike. In fact through the gracious deeds of Bhai
Kanhaiya, Guru Gobind Singh laid the foundation of the Red
Cross, which is beyond the imagination of the present day Red
Cross, founded by Sir Henry Durant about 160 years later,
because the present day Red Cross is a separate neutral
organization accepted by all, which treats the injured in the
battlefield of both the armies of the fighting countries.
If everybody follows the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib in
letter and spirit, then there will be universal brotherhood and
divine peace on this earth. We can only pray and hope that those
days are not far when we, the entire world community, would
tread on this divine path to establish heaven on this planet.
In this context, we may cite the example of Sant Attar Singh
Mastuana Wale, who was considered a divine person by one and
all. He was born in 1866 and after meditating on Naam merged
with the Almighty Lord and served mankind irrespective of any
religion, caste or creed. He perceived that scientific era is fast
approaching and it would lead mankind to distraction from the
divine path. He visualized that the Western world is teaching
mere 'literacy' to explore scientific discoveries, which would
ultimately tamper with Nature. He felt the need for combining
the spiritual values and teachings (literacy) so that it becomes
value-based 'education' (Vidya) for the betterment of future
generations. A 'literate' person may be the most duffer, if he is
selfish and egoistic. 'Literacy' without spirituality has been
vehemently condemned in Guru Granth Sahib:
Parhi-aa moorakh aakhee-ei Jis lab lobh ahankaaraa. (140)
(That scholar who is full of greed, avarice, pride and ego, is
known to be a fool.)
On the other hand, Vidya (value-based education) has been
eulogized in Guru Granth Sahib:
Vidi-aa veechaaree taa(n) par-upkaaree. (356)
(True learning induces in the mind, the service of mankind.)
6
Eternal Voice
The Kalgidhar Trust.
The most striking aspect of Sikhism as interfaith is that the
Sikh Gurus never encouraged conversions. They always
preached the followers of other faiths to remain committed to
the values propagated by their respective religions and
thereby become real seekers of truth. Again, whatever the
Gurus preached to the Sikh disciples, they likewise preached
their Hindu and Muslim brethren also. If Guru Nanak had
Bala and Mardana as his companions, Lehna, a petty trader
and a staunch follower of Mata Vaishno Devi, became his
disciple and ultimately, owing to his sheer obedience became
Guru Nanak's successor, as the second Sikh Guru. Similarly,
Sain Mian Mir, a renowned Muslim Faqir was attracted by
Guru Arjan and served him so much that he was asked by the
Guru to lay the foundation-stone of Harmandir Sahib, in
Amritsar. Guru Hargobind adopted Pende Khan, a young
Muslim orphan, who subsequently became a great warriorGeneral of the Guru's army, by remaining a Muslim. History
is witness to the fact that when the Guru developed a new
township, Hargobindpura and established a Gurdwara for the
benefit of the Sikh devotees, he also got a Masjid built for
the Muslim community. Guru Tegh Bahadur scaled new
heights, when, as a benefactor, he sacrificed his life for saving
the Hindu religion. Guru Gobind Singh fought several
battles, but did not annex an inch of the enemy's land. His
followers included many Muslims, including Pir Bhikhan
Shah, Pir Budhu Shah, Sayyad Beg and Sayd Khan.
Another striking feature of the holy Granth is the use of many
languages within the same text – a multilingual phenomenon
typical of South Asia. It may be pointed out that another
remarkable aspect of this text is its functional use of many
languages, making it a text that signifies multilingual India even
in the Middle Ages.
By Sri Ramakrishna
All the saints and sages used different languages to define
spirituality. The dominant languages used are the Saadhu
Bhaashaa, with Braj as base code and Punjabi - both
Western and Eastern varieties. Then we find the use of
Sanskrit, termed as Sahiskriti, a variety believed to have
been the universal India-wide medium of exchange of
serious thought between different saints. Persian, Arabic,
Sindhi, Marathi, Bengali and various dialects of Hindi,
particularly Braj have also been made use of.
Guru Granth Sahib, thus, reveals a symphony of different
languages of the sub-continent. The numerous linguistic
variations manifest the state of flux in which the Indian
languages were, before they got stabilized into their present
modern form.
The selection of the Baani with cosmic ramifications
from amongst the saint-poets hailing from different parts
of the sub-continent not only makes this great Granth
a pan-Indian text but also indirectly highlights the
geographical boundary of India. Further, these selections
spanning a period of around 500 years provide a unique
philosophical depth that link the contemporary to the
ancient times. All this makes Guru Granth Sahib as
interfaith divine scripture.
Hence Guru Granth Sahib is the only truly interfaith
scripture of the whole world and can be said to be belonging
to the entire humanity.
The Flow
(Spirit-2)
T
he duty of a farmer's daughter was to carry
fresh milk to customers in various villages;
one of whom was a priest. To reach his house,
the milkmaid had to cross a good-sized stream.
People crossed it by a sort of ferry raft, for
a small fee.
One day, the priest, who performed worship daily
with the offering to God of fresh milk, finding it
arrived very late, scolded the poor woman. "What
can I do?" she said, "I start out early from my
house, but I have to wait a long time for the
boatman to come."
The rule of Lao Tzu
From Freedom by Osho
L
ao Tzu became very famous; a wise man and he was without doubt,
one of the wisest men ever. The Emperor of China asked him very
humbly to become his chief of the supreme court, because nobody could
guide the country's laws better than he could. He tried to persuade the
Emperor, "I am not the right man," but the Emperor was insistent.
Then the priest said (pretending to be serious),
"What! People have even walked across the ocean
by repeating the name of God, and you can't cross
this little river?" The milkmaid took him very
seriously. From then on she brought the priest's milk
punctually every morning. He became curious
about it and asked her how it was that she was never
late anymore.
Lao Tzu said, "If you don't listen to me... just one day in the court and you
will be convinced that I am not the right man, because the system is
wrong. Out of humbleness I was not saying the truth to you. Either I can
exist or your law and order and your society can exist. So... let us try it."
"I cross the river repeating the Name of the
Lord," she replied, "just as you told me to do,
without waiting for the ferry." The priest didn't
believe her, and asked, "Can you show me this,
how you cross the river on foot?" So they went
together to the water and the milkmaid began to
walk over it. Looking back, the woman saw that
the priest had started to follow her and was
floundering in the water.
The first day a thief who had stolen almost half the treasures of the
richest man in the capital was brought into the court. Lao Tzu listened to
the case and then he said that the thief and the richest man should both
go to jail for six months.
The rich man said, "What are you saying? I have been stolen from, I have
been robbed - what kind of justice is this, that you are sending me to jail
for the same amount of time as the thief?"
"Sir!" she cried, "You are uttering the Name of
God, yet all the while you are holding up your
clothes from getting wet. That is not trusting
in God!”
By Reema Anand
Every moment,
particle - finite, infinite
breathes, flows with life:
My spirit yearns
completeness, fluidity
an onward momentum in you.
82
Eternal Voice
Lao Tzu said, "I am certainly being unfair to the thief. Your need to be in
jail is greater, because you have collected so much money to yourself,
deprived so many people of money... thousands of people are downtrodden
and you are collecting and collecting money. For what? Your very greed is
creating these thieves. You are responsible. The first crime is yours."
A short story
A short story
August - October, 2009
39
Experience shows that in many cases the participants do not
represent the mainstream of their faith, hence the masses
generally remain unconcerned.
References to the proceedings of some major interfaith
gatherings are mentioned briefly for the benefits of the readers:
Parliament of world religions
i. The first formal interfaith dialogue, Parliament of
World Religions, was arranged by Rev. Jankin Lloyd Jones
of the Unitarian Church in Chicago, USA in 1893. Hinduism
was explained by Swami Vivekananda. No one represented
Sikh faith.
ii. Prof. (later Sant) Teja Singh visited Chicago in 1910 on his
way to Vancouver, B.C., Canada and met Rev. Jones. During the
discourse, Prof. Teja Singh told him about the revelation
received by Guru Nanak. Listening to him, Rev. Jones was
charged with emotions. Holding the hand of the professor, he
involuntarily uttered, “Brother Teja Singh! Light shall again
come from the East. We, in the West, are quite unfit for it.” After
occupying his chair again, he told him (Teja Singh), “Congress of
World Religions is being held in Berlin. You must share this
revelation with the delegates there.”
Interfaith discussions
and Sikh Faith
By Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh
T
he interfaith dialogue provides a chance to
know the beliefs of other faiths. It can,
therefore, help to create better understanding
among the followers of different traditions and
build goodwill in society. Interfaith gatherings,
thus, can prove useful for maintaining peace;
even if they do not succeed in developing the
desired mutual love, they reduce mutual hatred.
The first world-level interfaith meeting was held
in Chicago more than a century ago. Today
about a dozen interfaith organizations, some of
them recognized by the U.N.O., conduct their
2
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Eternal Voice
meetings at the interval of a couple of years by rotation in
different countries. Their major objective is to build mutual
regards between believers of different faiths so that interfaith
clashes may be avoided or at least decreased to check the bloodshed of innocent people.
We have not been able to achieve the desired success so far.
Political leaders are sometimes accused to whip up anticommunal feelings to serve their vested interests. Religious
leaders also want to maintain the superiority of their faith and
they are not willing to sincerely accept members of other faiths
at equal level. Local interfaith gatherings are held regularly in
some major cities to develop goodwill among the people.
During his short after-dinner speech to the delegates of the
Berlin Congress, Sant Teja Singh said, “There is only one
Almighty Lord, the Father-Mother, who is reflected in every
human being. We all are, therefore, brothers and sisters. It is
our ego, which conceals this truth from our minds. This egobased ignorance leads us to mutual cockfights and thus
makes us suffer unnecessarily. Unless we realize these facts,
there cannot be peace in the world.” In his talk, he explained
the message of the hymn:
Awal Allah Noor upaa-e-aa Kudrat k-ai sabh band-ai
Ek Noor t-ai sabh jagg upje-aa Kaun bhal-ai kou mand-ai. (1339)
(The whole universe sprang from one Divine light. Therefore,
no one can be labeled as good or bad, high or low.)
While he was still talking, one German professor got up and
held his right hand firmly; shaking it, he uttered, “This is the
thing we want.”
Next day in the Conference, Sant Teja Singh talked about
Gurbani as the revelator of the Reality. After describing the
contributions of the Sikh Gurus to the Indian society to develop
mutual love among the followers of different faiths, he told them
that those revelations were recorded in the Sikh scriptures,
Guru Granth Sahib. He narrated hymns revealing the equal
grace of God for all people irrespective of their faith or social
differences. After he completed his speech and went to his chair,
his neighbor delegate told him, “When you talked about the
hymns, it set a special wave of peace in my mind. I wish, instead
of discussing your paper, you could continue reciting and
explaining hymns, the paper could be taken as read and handed
over to the Chairman.”
iii. The First Centennial of the Parliament of World Religions
was held in 1993 again at Chicago, in which the Sikhs took
active part. More than one dozen papers were read by the
Sikh scholars.
The author was one of them who spoke on The five centuries of
the Interfaith - Sikhism. The paper stated that the proponents of
different faiths have come together today as a necessity to avoid
inter-religious clashes, arising out of misunderstandings. Guru
Nanak revealed that whole humanity was created by the
Almighty Lord, who may be addressed by any name; Allah,
Ram, Gobind, Guru, God, etc.; all refer to the same Reality. All
humans are His children. All are equal; no one is high or low and
no one is alien.
iv. Another gathering of the Par1iament was held in 2004 at
Barcelona, Spain. The institutions of Sangat and Pangat,
which equate all people whatever their caste or creed, were
effectively demonstrated by the large contingent of the Sikhs,
the most visible participating community. All delegates and
local residents were welcome to eat Langar together as equals.
The gathering celebrated the fourth centennial of the first
installation of Guru Granth Sahib in 1604, thus accepting it as a
scripture for all people.
Sikh faith in other interfaith world forums
i. The theme for the 30th World Congress of the International
Agency for Religious Freedom was 'Peace on Earth'. It was held in
1999 at the University of British Columbia, B.C., Canada. The
topic chosen was Humanity - An Earth Community - Religious
View. The Sikh view, submitted by the author of this article, was
approved for this topic, while other speakers were assigned to talk
of repression of minority communities and the treatment of native
people by the aggressive immigrants to different lands, etc.
The author stated, “Today, we are convinced that it is a necessity
for us to accept that we humans all over the globe are one big
family, who has jointly inherited this earth. However, it is my great
pleasure to share with you that for Sikhs, it is their faith founded
five centuries ago in Punjab. The Guru revealed that we all,
whatever our religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, language,
etc., are equal children of the Father-Mother, the Creator. The
earth is our joint inheritance; therefore, service to society,
irrespective of the above identities of the people, is the noblest
religion.” The statement was greeted with thunderous applause.
During the break many members of different faiths met me
to appreciate the talk and thanked me for endorsing the
August - October, 2009
131
mission statement of the Congress very logically and in
impressive terminology.
ii. I had already experienced the uniqueness of this philosophy
while teaching at the Khalsa School (first of its kind),
Vancouver, B.C., Canada during the mid-eighties. A T.V.
reporter visited the school to interview me, being the Sikh
Heritage teacher in the school. In her very first question, she
criticized the opening of that school, “It will put the clock of
integration of your community back by one generation; these
children will not develop the feelings of being Canadian
children and thus remain segregated from the mainstream.”
The reporter got awakened to this truth and responded,
“I am sorr y, I did not k now it.” Finally, in response to my
question, “Would you dare to relay it on T V, what you
have felt today?” she murmured, “Watch the 6 O' clock
news”, and gave me an assuring smile. My statement was
relayed during prime news time. The positive response
from many Canadians appreciating my comments
confirmed the acceptabilit y of this Gurmat philosophy
by them.
iii. Russia and some other members of the dismembered
empire, too, have also introduced Sikh studies in their countries,
though many of us are not aware of it. A delegation from Russia,
Ukraine, and Belarus, which were part of the former Soviet
When probed what had impressed them in the philosophy
of Guru Nanak, many members of the delegation said,
“The philosophy of Guru Nanak was based on the principle of
hard work, sharing and faith in God. Though Socialism was
also based on such a principle, yet it was full of distortions”:
Kirt karo, wand chhako and Naam japo.
(Work honestly, share your earnings and recite God's name.)
iv. The article, Sikhism: The Religion of the Third Millennium
by Marcus Braybrooke, Joint President of the World
Congress of Faith, Patron of the International Interfaith
Center, Oxford, UK, endorses the universality of the
message of Gurbani. The author, after giving many
references, in the end of the article states:
“The truth that has been at the heart of Sikhism, that all
people are loved by God enables us to value the other in his or
her otherness....... We can give thanks that as we enter the
third Millennium, the central message of Sikhism of our
human unity in God's love, which as I believe, the interfaith
movement has helped us to recognize as the message at the
heart of all faiths, is now increasingly acknowledged by many
of those who hold political and economic power. The
challenge perhaps of this new Millennium is not only to hear
that message but now at last to act upon it and to shape a world
society which reflects the will of God.”
Choose a
healthy oil!
NEW
A caution for interfaith dialogue
Union, visited Punjab during April, 1997. It included writers,
artists, musicians, and academicians.
My response in her terminology was, “Madam,
Canadian clock is out of order. You do not accept
Russians, Vietnamese, Indians, and other nations
as equal partners of humanity; your belief in this
philosophy causes mutual problems and even
wars among the countries. Recently, Americans
bombed Vietnam mercilessly, making hundreds of
thousands of their children orphans, for no fault of
theirs. Thousands of soldiers did not return home,
making their own children orphans. “In this school
we teach students the truth that whole humanity is
one earth community; therefore, we should love all
people and respect their different cultures.
Political boundaries of the countries are for
administrative convenience, they are not to divide
humanity into superior or inferior nations. These
bounda ries a re ma n-made a nd a re not
permanent, they continue to change.”
2
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Eternal Voice
“Socialism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere was devoid
of spiritualism and that is why it failed,” said Valentin
M. Sidorov, President of the International Association
of Peace Through Culture and Yury A. Ageshin, President
of the Legal Chamber of Inter-regional Association of
Central Russia.
“We had an atheist model of Socialism, whereas we needed a
spiritual model of Communism”, continued Sidorov.
The members of the delegation said they were moving
around the world to find out what sort of spiritualism would
suit the people of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, who had
remained without it for over 80 years after the October
Revolution of 1917.
“Principles of Sikhism and its founder Guru Nanak and
Guru Gobind Singh are appealing to us more than any other
spiritual way of life. These principles are very close to the
philosophy of those, who propounded theories of Socialism”,
concluded Prof. Sidorov.
Some interfaith discussions aim to create peace by searching
out common denominators among different religions. They
are more likely to fail. Basic principles of morality are
common to all cultures. The differences arise regarding the
description of the Supreme Reality and the mission of human
life preached by different faiths. Even if we can find 90% beliefs
to be common among all faiths, just one thought, my God
(faith) is superior to those of the others, is enough to destroy
peace. The belief of the inferiority of the other Gods and hence
other faiths, will generate strong mutual hatred and result in
violence and wars, the way it is happening today.
To create mutual love among different religions/traditions
practiced in the world, the belief in one common FatherMother of humanity (of course, with multiple names
and multiple rituals depending upon the culture of a
region/community) is the practical approach. This exactly is
the message preached by the holy people who had communed
with God. Their hymns in original were compiled four
centuries ago (1604) in the scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.
Mutual love among different sections of society was actually
demonstrated for the first time in the world through the
institution of Sangat and Pangat.
Jivo matlab health bhi, taste bhi
August - October, 2009
133
The way to
establish
everlasting
peace
By Dr. Khem Singh Gill
M
an has reached the moon but has not been able to know
his own self. Deep seas have been explored by him but not
the fathoms of his own consciousness. Science has shrunk the
physical boundaries of the world but has not been able to control
Man's ego, lust, greed, anger and attachment; which are
detrimental to his own peace within and without, i.e., the peace
of the world. As a result, Man faces problems, stresses and
strains at individual, family, national and international levels.
There are a number of problems confronting the world to-day,
the sharp dichotomy between affluence and poverty, between
nations and within nations; the problems of the benignant and
malignant use of the forces of sciences, the conflict between the
necessity for the emergence of the world order and the oldfashioned traditional Nationalism. There are many such
conflicts in the world today. The causes, of course, are many:
Historical reasons, geographical factors, economic and social
determinants and political and ideological differences. Then,
how can we bring peace to this strife-ridden world?
This could only be achieved through training of mind with
spiritual education and honest search for the Eternal Reality,
both within and without. The worldly education, therefore, needs
to be suitably synthesized with spiritual education. It is through
such a process that growth of the spirit and realization of self as
well as the higher values of life could be achieved.
Sant Teja Singh, in his keynote address at the Eighth Congress of
Religions for the World Peace at Shimizu city in Japan, in 1956,
brought out the role of spiritual education for establishing
permanent peace in the world. The main theme of the lecture
was that religion is a subjective research. He said, “It is as
scientific, may be more exact in its realization than even the
objective research called science. The whole material world is
the manifestation of the Eternal Divine. In other words, the
whole physical world is the physical frame of God. The scientific
research deals with this frame. For long, science classified
matter and spirit as two distinct things but now its ultimate
research has found the truth.”
In the words of JBS Haldane: “The material world, which has
been taken for a world of blind mechanism, is in reality a spiritual
world seen very partially and imperfectly.”
The only real world is the spiritual world. The truth is that
neither matter, nor force nor any physical thing, but mind and
personality is the central fact of the universe. This is now
supported by all the renowned physicists, like Albert Einstein
and Kirtler F Mather.
Unfortunately the Real looking within, and the Realization of the
Divinity in the human heart have not been focused by most of the
religious cults. Rituals and forms have taken the first place, and
the essentials of the Divine Research, meditation on Naam,
daily Hari Kirtan (singing hymns in the divine praise), the
practice of the religious Truths in our daily life, have been
relegated to a secondary place.
It is the duty of all the religionists to come on a common platform
and give to the world the message, so simply and forcefully given
by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru Nanak, in Sukhmani Sahib
(The Jewel of Peace and Atonement):
The various religions, countries and races, need to lay stress on
the realization of the Divine by meditating on Naam, singing His
praises and selfless service of mankind, coupled with sweet
humility and righteousness in dealing with the fellow-men. Then
the day foretold by all prophets, seers, sages and Gurus will
come, when mankind, realizing its true spiritual kinship, would
live in an atmosphere of mutual trust, love, goodwill and
interfaith. The sword will be turned into the plough-share and
Heaven filled with peace and bliss will come down to this Earth.
Sarabh Dharam meh sreshta Dharam Har ko Naam jap nirmal karam. (266)
{The purest and highest Dharma (Religion) is: Meditation on
the Divine and performing righteous and selfless actions in our
daily life.”}
Guru Arjan Dev brings on the same spiritual platform all
those, who meditated on Naam, without any distinction of
caste, creed, race or color, on the Indian soil. Not only did he
bring them on the same platform as equal co-partners in the
Spiritual Realm, but he also demonstrated scientifically for
the first time in the history of religion, that the Sphere of God's
consciousness or the Realization of the Divine within is a real
permanent and fixed stage. A seeker after truth can realize it if
he sincerely carries on the research and goes on the path of
devotion and prayer without falling into the pitfalls which come
in the way of this long and arduous journey.
Guru Arjan Dev has, side by side, with the hymns of the Gurus,
in Guru Granth Sahib, placed the hymns of various Bhagats
(God-conscious persons) of the medieval period, who followed
the path of devotion and prayer and realized the Divine within.
These Bhagats belonged to various castes and religions and in
the beginning, followed the rites and rituals of their own sect, but
as they went on, all rituals and forms dropped off and they all
with one voice proclaimed the same Truth, the existence and the
realization of an all-pervading and all-embracing divine reality
‘the one-in-all and all-in-one’. Thus, establishing once for all that
the sphere of God-consciousness is a live realization and he,
who honestly searches after it in all humility and keeps the
company of God-conscious persons, reaches it.
God is the subject matter of consciousness. He is beyond the
scope of the limited intellect of man. He can be realized but
cannot be expressed in words. Just as joy and sorrow are felt,
but are inexpressible in spoken language.
August - October, 2009
15
S
Guru Manyo Granth
Jagriti Yatra
By Rajinder Singh Chadha
(1708-2008)
300 Saal Guru De Naal
ikhs have, in life and history, done everything in style. The
tercentenary celebrations, last year, were no exceptions.
Of the 20 million Sikhs the world over, almost two million are
supposed to have paid their obeisance during the year 2008,
which is slated to go down as golden year for the Sikhs in the
pages of history. It means some 10% of the Sikh population
traveled to Takhat Sri Hazur Sahib during these festivities.
(Some over-zealous devotees put this figure at more than five
million.) It is hoped that a new tourist attraction in India shall
emerge on the tourism map of the world and Sri Hazur Sahib
will no longer remain a small and sleepy place that it has so far
remained. Several projects of great proportions are, therefore,
being undertaken to cash the highly successful celebrations. It
shall not just be a brick-and-mortar affair. The city of Nanded,
where the fifth Takhat (center of religious and spiritual power of
the Sikh Panth) is located, should pulsate with a new life ever
afterwards in an endeavor, underlying these celebrations.
Besides, it has to be a planned and co-ordinated effort to
harmonize the spirit of Sikhism. Two percent of Indian
population is comprised of Sikhs, who are known for their
bravery. Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the
world. Nanded, hitherto an unknown destination, thus, should
become a place of pride.
Guru Manyo Granth Jagriti Yatra (Journey of awakening or
enlightenment regarding Guru Granth Sahib), true to its name,
was aimed at creating an awakening to impart the message of
one God and the welfare
of the entire mankind,
irrespective of religion,
caste or creed. It was also
a imed at spreading the
message of equality of mankind
a nd secula r ism. T he whole
rationale was to unify and solidify the people, who have been
stricken by various castes and differing faiths. To that extent it
has received an unprecedented response. The year-long
festivities began as Simran Diwas on 15 November, 2007,
when the devotees across the globe meditated, participated
and celebrated together for 15 minutes by reciting the
Mool Mantra, the creedal statement.
Mounted on a specially designed Rath (bedecked vehicle),
a hand-written Guru Granth Sahib in a Palki (palanquin)
commenced its all India journey befittingly from this place,
i.e., Takhat Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded in the state of
Maharashtra, on 15 November, 2007, to commemorate the twin
events - 300 years of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib
(Gurta Gaddi Diwas) as also the Parlokgaman (merging with
the Divine Light) of Guru Gobind Singh. The Yatra provided
the humanity in general and Sikhs in particular, an opportunity
to see for the first time in Sikh history rare medieval weapons
(Shastras), relics and other articles of the Tenth Master, as also
of the contemporary Sikh martyrs, used by them to fight the
Agya bhaee Akal ki Tabhi chalaayo Panth
Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai Guru manyo Granth
Guru Granth ji manyo Pargat Guran ki deh
Jo Prabh(u) ko milbo chaahe Khoj Shabad mein le
Raj karega Khalsa Aaqee rahei naa koe
Khwar ho-e sabh milenge Bache sharan jo hoe.
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Eternal Voice
August - October, 2009
137
Mughal oppressors and taken out of the sanctum sanctorum of
Takhat Sri Hazur Sahib for the first time. The Yatra achieved its
purpose prior to the final showdown.
It was the first time that the Sikh community was celebrating the
centenary, as during the first 100 years, India was under the
Mughal rule and for the following 200 years, the British ruled us.
Hence, for the first time, free India celebrated the centenary
event of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib, all over the world
with religious fervor and added vigor. Attracting people from all
faiths, the Yatra achieved the task of interfaith as well as national
integration too, besides achieving other objectives.
Passing through almost all the states of India across
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Orissa,
Jha rkha nd, We st Benga l, Biha r, Utta r Prade sh,
Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab,
Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir etc., the Yatra covering more
than 200 cities, culminated finally on 10 August, 2008 in
Nanded amidst great fanfare. The Yatra moved in a massive
procession and was welcomed everywhere with fer vor and
fireworks. People from all walks of life and religions,
especially Sikhs, gathered in large numbers to welcome the
Yatra. At several places aircrafts and helicopters showered
flower petals during the journey. The colorful Yatra included
Kirtani Jathas, rendering hymns from the holy books, all
along the route; Gatka (Sikh martial art) performers,
displaying extraordinary skills in martial arts; a fleet of
buses, trucks, cars, two-wheelers and several other modes
of transport; at some places even bullock-carts and tractors;
Panj Piaras (the five beloved ones), in their traditional
saffron attire etc. At the tail of the huge procession was the
tastefully decorated Palki, the center of attraction, adorned
with orchids. It had the gold plated domes on the top and a
glass screen on all sides, through which, one could see the
weapons of the Guru and the hand-written Guru Granth
Sahib. At several places people used to gather along the
roads much before the Yatra arrived. While the female Sangat
swept the divine pathway of the Yatra, the men-folk formed a
human chain to felicitate the smooth progress of the Yatra.
2
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Eternal Voice
Serpentine queues of devotees, sometimes running into a
couple of kilometers, were seen receiving and then joining the
slow-moving Yatra to keep up with the frenzy of the Shabadchanting Sangat, who wished to bow their heads in reverence for
Guru Granth Sahib and making their cash contributions. Some
ladies were seen taking off their gold ornaments and offering
them with reverence. An endless distribution of Parshad of
different varieties, was on throughout the route and the
Sewadars did their very best to control the huge crowds. All
roads leading to the on-the-way Gurdwaras, were decorated with
illuminated gates, festive lights and buntings to receive the Yatra.
Thousands of hoardings proclaiming the arrival of the Yatra
were seen on the roads all over India. People reached in
processions from nearby areas on all modes of transport and
displaying horse-carriages, floats, Gatka (Sikh martial arts)
and music bands. School children at several points made their
presence conspicuous by their uniforms. Milk, tea and snacks’
stalls were set up at every nook and corner. Guru-ka-Langar
(free community meal) was served all along the route.
Gurbani Kirtan, Dhadi Varaan, Gatka and Aatishbaazi (display
of fire-works) was a common sight everywhere.
At every night halt for the Jagriti Yatra, special congregation
was arranged, where Kirtan Darbar was invariably held
followed by Guru-ka-Langar and Aatishbaazi. At several
places, Military and Police bands were also in attendance for
their gallant and royal performances. Almost all the
Governments organized state-level functions. Several
Governors, Chief Ministers and the Government machinery
participated profusely and whole-heartedly. Guards of honor
were given to the Yatra at several places.
The revolution of devotion that started with the Jagriti Yatra
did not end with its culmination. It once again touched and
replenished millions of lives during the historical week-long
Shatabadi Samagam at Hazur Sahib. From 29 October to
4 November, 2008, Nanded resonated with the devotion of
millions celebrating 300 Saal Guru de Naal.
The main reason for the all-round participation and the
unprecedented response of one and all was that the holy Guru
Granth Sahib is a universal scripture, with hymns of the venerated
Sikh Gurus, Hindu Bhagats (God-conscious persons) Muslim
Sufis (mystics) and enlightened saints from different faiths, sects
and religions, giving a universal message of brotherhood,
goodwill, mutual trust, peace, harmony and interfaith.
The Sikh faith, founded in 1469 by Guru Nanak, came to be
established with the birth of Khalsa Panth three Centuries ago,
after 239 years of evolving under the ten Gurus. Guru Gobind
Singh, the tenth Master, anointed Guru Granth Sahib as the
Guru Eternal in the year 1708 at Nanded and thereby ended the
chain of the individual Guru to Panj Piare Guru and the
elevation of the Shabad ('Word') Guru Granth-Guru Panth
philosophy (one without the other becomes meaningless).
Sikhs around the world regard Guru Granth Sahib as the
ultimate spiritual authority and endeavor to live under its
guidance. No Sikh ceremony is deemed to be completed without
its presence. It guides humans with moral, spiritual and ethical
values, vital to form an ideal society.
Nanded is one of the historical places in Marathwada region of
Maharashtra. It is situated on the north bank of river Godavari
and is a town of great antiquity, famous for Gurdwaras, built in
memory of Guru Gobind Singh. It is accessible by train from
Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Nanded airport is likely to
become operational soon, although some odd flights from
Mumbai trickle in presently. In the year 1708, a year following
the death of Aurangzeb, the tenth Master traveled to Nanded, his
final worldly abode. Maharaja Ranjit Singh got a beautiful
Gurdwara constructed around 1835, at a place where the Guru
merged with the divine light. It has an imposing golden dome,
akin to Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, with intricate carvings
and a breathtakingly beautiful art work.
Nanded became a part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state in 1725,
when the Nizam permanently opted for the Deccan and it
continued to be a part of the Nizam's dominions until 1948. After
partition, the district forming part of the Marathwada region
of Hyderabad state became
part of the then bilingual
Bombay state. Consequently,
upon the creation of Maharashtra
in 1956, the district continues to form
a part of the state of Maharashtra. Although Guru Gobind
Singh did not spend more than a month of his worldly journey at
Nanded, yet some great events marked his last days:
i.
He exalted Guru Granth Sahib to the status of the 'Word'
(Shabad) Guru, that places every Sikh into immanent
protection of the Guru himself, making him deathless in
defence of truth and justice;
ii. He put an end to his own worldly journey, yes, of his
own volition;
(This explains why the exalting of Guru Granth Sahib is
called Gurta Gaddi in the Sikh tradition and the second
event is called Parlokgaman or heavenly journey of the
Guru. The two events took place on 5 October and
7-8 October, 1708 respectively.)
iii. Also, it was from Nanded that the Guru sent Baba Banda
Singh Bahadur as the first Jathedar of the Sikh Panth to
Punjab to fight the Mughals. It was Banda Bahadur, who
shook the Mughal empire to its very foundation.
The year-long celebrations culminated, but the devotees are still
in the process of celebrating the great event. Akhand Paaths,
Sehaj Paaths and Shabad Kirtans continue to be performed
regularly, in continuation, by individuals as well as institutions,
all over the world. This year-long extended program is likely to
culminate on 22-23 October, 2009, at Nanded. The concluding
Simran Diwas is scheduled for 15 November, when the
devotees across the globe will once again recite Mool Mantra
for 15 minutes. The wheel of celebrations will thus have
completed a full circle and will culminate the same way, as it
began exactly two years ago.
All said and done, for Sikhs, 300 Saal Guru de Naal – the
tercentenary celebrations of these twin great events in 2008,
should mean re-dedicating themselves to the Guru. The outer
journey to celebrate the great event might have ended, but
it should lead us into a more important inward journey of
spiritual awakening.
As a fruitful conclusion of this celebration, let the community:
i. Remove the bad image of being drunkards and addicts
ii. Start spending, as mandated, 15-20 minutes everyday with
Guru De Naal (read Gurbani)
iii. Feel proud to be Sikhs and respect the appearance
commanded by the Guru
iv. Strive to depict Sikhi as the foremost interfaith religion.
August - October, 2009
139
T
he significance of the Gurdwara in the minds of the Sikhs is
best understood in the context of the humane and moral
ideas which established Sikhism as a major presence on India's
religious and social landscape.
These ideas and philosophic concepts were contained in Guru
Granth Sahib, the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs and because
the Gurdwara was built to house them, it came to represent the
inspiring ideals enshrined in them.
In the Gurdwara and around it, a new rhythm of life began to
revolve for people of the Sikh faith; for that matter, people of all
faiths - since none were excluded from this house of God.
People were inspired by the concept of the Sangat: a
congregation assembled to celebrate the philosophy of
togetherness, of universality.
People came to the Gurdwara in search of clarity as well, to
find convincing answers to the contradictions and chaos
around them. They found these in the verses of the scriptures,
which wanted life to be celebrated in all its manifestations.
Which stressed the logic and beauty of a collective conscious,
free of caste, creed and other distinction. Which sought to
elevate - and not diminish - all creations in the cosmos and
acknowledged the meaning and purpose of the different
strands of life that exist around us.
As was inevitable, Guru Granth Sahib - a perennial source of
wisdom, balanced thought and humane beliefs - became the
magnetic center of each Gurdwara. The raison d'etre for its
unique position in the hearts and minds of the Sikhs.
As calligraphy gave way to new print technologies, which
enabled standardized editions of Guru Granth Sahib to be
produced and acquired easily, Sikhs started setting aside a
special place for it in their homes. It, too, was called the
Gurdwara - a room hallowed by the holy book and used for
communion with God.
The Guru & the Granth
A view through world's Gurdwaras
By Patwant Singh
The earliest of the Gurdwara's social functions, which in a sense
predates even its own advent in its present form, is the Langar;
the community kitchen attached to every Gurdwara in which all
are welcome to eat. The Langar - like so many other practices of
the Sikh faith - was a far-sighted move aimed at eradicating the
pernicious custom of preventing the higher and lower castes
from eating together. The tradition of the free kitchen continues
to this day. Most Gurdwaras also have places for pilgrims and
travelers to stay in. In time, schools, colleges and clinics were
also added - each addition an extension of the tradition of Sewa,
the practice of voluntary service, established by the Gurus.
Much remains to be written about the old traditions and others
now in the making. My aim is to trace the Gurdwara's evolution;
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Eternal Voice
to narrate the circumstances, which have made it the
redoubtable standard-bearer of the Sikh faith. Only a historical
approach can explain how the Gurdwara-going tradition
developed in the lives of the Sikh people and how past
associations and events have influenced the intensity of the
present relationship between the Sikhs and their Gurdwara.
Despite the resoluteness with which Sikhs have risen to every
challenge throughout history, they have still to face up to the
challenge of conserving their own heritage. Many of the original
structures of beautiful old Gurdwaras, whose bricks, walls and
columns were witnesses to the most moving epochs in Sikh
history, have been demolished through sheer insensitivity and
lack of concern. Paintings, frescos, murals and arabesques have
been obliterated. Rare manuscripts are virtually disintegrating.
No authentic inventory of the incredible range of evocative
symbols from the earliest times exists, which could be a source
of invaluable research for scholars and historians and provide
an incentive to those who want to see what is left - and where - of
our priceless heritage.
It is necessary to give urgent thought to this neglected aspect of
our many-splendored heritage by establishing a Conservation
Fund, along with a purposeful program for conserving the
remaining artefacts of our history before they too are destroyed or
disappear without trace. While it is good to build new Gurdwaras,
the destruction of the old is ill-advised. The new is another link in
the continuum of history and the two have to co-exist with each
other. One cannot replace the other. As people around the world
become increasingly conscious of the need to conserve their
heritage and are perfecting new techniques and skills for the
preservation restoration of history's artefacts, it will be tragic if we
continue to neglect the relics of our rich past.
The images which come to mind are of lime-washed buildings.
Dazzling white. The austere aesthetics of their walls
unrelieved by ‘religious art’: their domes and cupolas
silhouetted against the cobalt blue of the Indian skies. And
fluttering high on the highest of flag-masts, the Nishan Sahib
(flag), an inspiring symbol for the Sikhs. A beacon to the house
of God. To their Gurdwara.
The images, in turn, stir many emotions. Sharp, intense,
indefinable. A yearning for the comforting sense of peace in its
sacred precincts. A longing or the fragrance of garlands. Of
marigolds and rose petals and the many other flowers laid with
reverence before Guru Granth Sahib. Or showered on it to honor
the sages, savants and scholars whose insights illuminate it.
With these images surfaces the ever-abiding longing to listen to
the Shabads. The passages from Guru Granth Sahib set to the
ragas and rendered in the robust, resonant voices of the Ragis.
An experience so elevating as to bring tears to many eyes.
August - October, 2009
231
Then there is the urge to savor again the Karah Parshad - the
sacramental food blessed by the Lord and given to all, who
visit a Gurdwara.
The images and emotions are unending. Each sustained by the
inner well-spring of inspiration, belief, hope, commitment, pride,
passion and ecstasy: that rich mix of feelings which imbues
people with love and confidence in their faith.
Sikhism evolved during the stormiest period of Indian
history and the amazing affinity of the Sikhs with their
Gurdwara is best understood in the perspective of time.
From the time Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith,
began his philosophic and spiritual quest to synthesize the
subcontinent's two warring religions - Hinduism and Islam - to
when Sikhism itself took to the sword after its fifth Guru,
Arjan Dev was savagely put to death by the Mughal Emperor
Jehangir. The entire quality and complexion of Hindustan's
social, political and religious configurations would change in
the aftermath of that event. What the journey back into time
would reveal is how the Gurdwara emerged out of these
changes. A new edifice on India's religious landscape. An
indestructible symbol of the Sikh faith.
While the story of Sikhism commences with Guru Nanak's
birth in 1469: that of the Gurdwara - as Sikhism's house of
prayer, piety and probity - begins with Hargobind, the sixth
Guru, who took over the stewardship of the faith in 1606.
The concept of the Gurdwara, in this context, is generally
attributed to him, though the word is at times used in the
Gurbani the Guru's scriptures in another sense. There very
broadly it is used to convey ‘by God's grace’, or, ‘because of
God's will’, or even, ‘God willing’.
Though Sikhism and the Gurdwara were not synchronous
at their incept ion, they would g radua lly become
indistinguishable from each other following the violence
visited on the fifth Guru. In the four centuries since, the
Gurdwara has provided the Sikhs with the most intense and
elevating moments of their lives. In turn, they have responded
to the Gurdwara with their love, loyalty, wealth and devotion.
But this relationship was still in the future.
Guru Nanak's efforts during the bloodiest period of Indian
history were directed at a search for an alternative to the
uncompromising and endless religious wars of the time. The
welter of bloodshed had, in fact, gone beyond religious hostility,
as different Mohammedan invaders of India fought even
bloodier battles with each other in their drive to acquire the
limitless wealth of Hindustan. Given the prevailing culture of
intolerance, Guru Nanak applied his inquiring mind to a search
for more humans and just ways to overcome the prejudices,
passions and hatred, which were destroying the land. To that
end he traveled extensively to seek out men of reason and
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Eternal Voice
rational thought of different religious persuasions, including
mystics, philosophers and poet-saints.
While it was natural that the environment in the orthodox family
into which he was born had led him to study the Vedas and
the Brahminical Shastras, Guru Nanak's own. search for
knowledge drew him to the works of Vaishnavite philosopher
Namdev, the Sufi mystic Sheikh Farid, the Muslim poet-saint
Kabir and many others. He made no distinction between them.
He was inspired by their vision and wisdom. To achieve his goal
of unifying and synthesizing two seemingly irreconcilable
religions, Guru Nanak was not about to distance himself from
one or the other on the basis of preference of prejudice. Thus his
close study of the Koran.
In time his studies, exchanges and travels led him to write a
great deal on subjects that ranged from the spiritual and
devotional to the social and philosophic. As was inevitable, his
impeccable secular credentials and scholarship drew an
increasing number of people of different faiths to Kartarpur, on
the Ravi to join the new community which had begun to settle
around him in this setting of rural Punjab. It is here that he lived
the last eighteen years or so of his life. What appealed to his
followers was not only his wisdom but also the social concerns
to which he gave clear and courageous expression. He rejected
rituals, superstition and widespread idolatry; the role of an
entrenched priesthood and the pernicious caste system. They
were incompatible, in his view, with the compassion of
Hinduism, just as the destruction of idols in Hindu places of
worship was not in consonance with the Islamic concept of the
essential brotherhood of Man.
Guru Nanak's thoughts on the religious bigotry prevailing
then - along with his other perceptions - were expressed in over
900 hymns which his successor, Angad, compiled in a book,
that also included some of his own writings. All of these would
find a place of honor in Guru Granth Sahib.
Since Nanak neither aimed at establishing a new religion, nor
aspired to a divine status for himself, an edifice to enshrine his
ideals was not on his agenda. The Gurdwara would fulfil that
role much later, as Sikhism evolved into a distinct religion in its
own right. Even then, god-ship would not be conferred on an
individual, but on Guru Granth Sahib.
And the Gurdwara, built to enshrine it, would become a house of
God because of the sanctity accorded to it by Guru Granth
Sahib, after its compilation by the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev.
The use of the word 'Guru', in the vocabulary of the Sikhs, was
not meant to elevate or exalt a human being to the level of
divinity. It was simply a way of addressing a teacher, and since
Guru Nanak had planted and fostered the seeds of Sikhism at
Kartarpur, his followers looked on him as the Guru to the new
August - October, 2009
233
movement - its teacher. The word Sikh was itself derived from
Sikhya, which in turn is a variation of the Sanskrit word Shishya,
meaning a disciple or devoted follower.
There would be ten successive Gurus before the tenth and
the last, Gobind Singh, ended the office of Guru for all time.
He told his followers before he merged with the divine light
that after him the supreme Guru of the Sikhs would be Guru
Granth Sahib, whose uniqueness lies in its authenticity.
Neither based on interpretation-tradition nor reconstruction,
it is rendered in the very words the Gurus used in their
teachings and writings and which form the major portion of
Guru Granth Sahib. While the message of Christ was made
possible through the works of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John;
and of the Buddha and Confucius through several rungs of
their disciples and scholars: the compositions of the Sikh
Gurus were handed down unchanged to their followers. The
only other scripture which has remained unchanged though it
was revealed to rather than written by the Prophet is the
authenticated version of the Koran which was finalized in the
time of the third Caliph, Uthman.
The idea of elevating a book of scriptures to the highest level
of leadership and investing it with the authority usually vested
in individuals, was to prove amazingly successful in providing
the Sikhs with inspiration, spiritual direction and self-renewal.
They have turned to it for counsel ever since, all through
their lives, finding reassurance and comfort in the writings of
the towering figures of the faith whose observations still retain
their relevance. Especially as society's social and human
predicaments have not lessened with time.
Guru Nanak's successors were equally committed in their zeal
for reform. The third Guru, Amar Das, also rejected abstract
conceptions which sought legitimacy in myth and fantasy - in
favor of direct practical action. Through the Langar
(community kitchen), Sikhs were encouraged to eat together
whenever they congregated, ending the invidious social practice
which prevented the higher and lower castes from doing so.
He forbade Sati - by which widows immolated themselves on
their husband's pyres - allowed widows to remarry; stopped
the veiling of women, and reversed the existing practice of
excluding women from preaching by appointing women
preachers. Equality between men and women in the Sikh
culture owes a great deal to his foresight.
Alongside these profound social and philosophic changes the
Gurus were adding a new devotional perspective and intensity
to Sikh beliefs. Its aim was to discourage the deification of
human Gurus by emphasizing the supreme ideal of Sat-Guru
(God) as the personification of virtues like purity, piety, wisdom
and truth. This also helped to prevent the places in which the
first three Gurus had lived (Kartarpur, Khadur and Goindwal),
and where so many people had experienced the uplifting vision
of new moral and spiritual possibilities, from becoming houses
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Eternal Voice
of God - or places of worship. Since the concept of the Gurdwara
was still to be conceived, its precursors were called
Dharammandir, Dharamsala and such. This, in the broadest
sense, means places founded by those with shared beliefs and a
commitment to truth, duty and community service.
A giant step towards building a permanent fountainhead of
the Sikh faith was taken by the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev. Even
though the site of what would become the future city of Amritsar
was selected by the third Guru, who built a modest mud house
for himself at the edge of a serene stretch of water in a
wooded setting and work on the holy township was started by
the fourth Guru, the contribution of Arjan Dev is of great
significance. With intuitive foresight he had understood the need
to develop a place which would become the core of the Sikh
faith. To which all Sikhs would feel connected in the umbilical
sense; a source from which they could draw spiritual
sustenance, no matter how distant they were from it physically.
Clearly, the first step was to build a structure which was more
than a mere symbol. But how? What would make it an
embodiment, of the emotions, sentiments, self-esteem, spiritual
goals and compassion of the Sikhs? A repository of those very
elements of the faith which were drawing an increasing
number of people to it?
Guru Arjan Dev began by concentrating his energies on
developing a concept for the physical design of the hallowed
shrine. It had to be simple yet powerful in its symbolism, with
each of its design elements conveying a message. Set in the
center of the pool which many believed had miraculous powers
of healing, he wanted it built at a level lower than the land around
it. And it must have four entrances. The location of the structure
in the pool would represent Nirgun and Sargun, the spiritual
and temporal realms of human existence. The aim of reversing
the prevailing practice of building high temple plinths was to
drive home the point that it was Sikhism's inner strength - not
the scale of its place of worship - which must impress its
adherents. And the four entrances, one on each side of this
holiest of all Sikh shrines, would highlight the fact that all four
castes were welcome to the Sikh faith. In Guru Arjan Dev's
words “the four castes of Kshatriyas, Brahmins, Sudras and
Vaisyas are equal partners in divine instruction”:
Guru Arjan wanted this place of worship in the Sarovar (pool)
to be called the Harmandir.
The challenge now was to make the Harmandir the very
heart of Sikhism.
The Sikhs, who left their homeland to make new lives for
themselves in distant parts of the world, have built many
beautiful Gurdwaras in the cities they live in. These provide
eloquent proof of their pride in their faith and their undying
resolve to raise noble edifices in its honor.
August - October, 2009
235
What is equally praiseworthy is how many of them have
continued the practice of Sewa or voluntary service, which runs
like a continuous thread through Sikh history. Though they
have still to start colleges and hospitals on an appreciable scale,
the tradition of the free kitchen continues to flourish.
26
Eternal Voice
With their distinctive appearance, adventuresome spirit, sense
of service and exemplary work ethic, Sikhs have created a
powerful impact in all those countries which have opened up for
people of their faith to settle in. And wherever they have put their
roots down, there stands the abiding symbol of their pride and
devotion - their Gurdwara.
Vices negated in
Guru Granth Sahib
Adultery
Attachment
pr Gir cIqu mnmuiK folwie ]
hy Aijq sUr sMgRwmM Aiq blnw bhu mrdnh ]
gx gMDrb dyv mwnuK´M psu pMKI ibmohnh ]
Par ghar cheet manmukh dolaa-e. (226)
(An apostate mind is lured by another's wife.)
ry nr kwie pr igRih jwie ]
kucl kTor kwim grDB qum nhI suinE Drm rwie ]
R-ai nar kaa-e par greh jaa-e
Kuchal katthor kaam gardhabh Tum nahee(n) suni-o Dharam raa-e. (1001)
{O man! Why do you go out to the households of others
(to entice their women)? You filthy, heartless and lustful
donkey! Haven't you heard of the Divine advice of
The Almighty Lord of Divine justice?}
Anger
H-ai ajitt soor sangraam-aN Att balnaa bah-au maradneh
Gann gandharab dev maanukh-aN Pas pankhee bimohneh. (1358)
(O emotional attachment, you are the invincible warrior
of the battlefield of life; you totally crush and destroy
even the most powerful. You entice and fascinate
even the heavenly heralds, celestial singers, gods,
mortals, beasts and birds.)
mohu Aru Brmu qjhu qum@ bIr ] swcu nwmu irdy rvY srIr ]
Moh ar bharam tajah-au tum beer Saach Naam rid-ai rav-ei sareer. (356)
(Do not be angry or jealous with anyone; rather search your
inner-self to remove the evil.)
kwmu k®oDu kwieAw kau gwlY ] ijau kMcn sohwgw FwlY ]
Kaam karodh kaa-i-aa ka-o gaal-ei Ji-au kanchan sohaagaa dhaal-ei. (932)
(Lust and anger destroy body, health and virtues
as borax melts the gold.)
PrIdw bury dw Blw kir gusw min n hFwie ]
dyhI rogu n lgeI plY sBu ikCu pwie ]
Farida bur-ai daa bhalaa kar Gusaa mann na hadhaa-e
Dai-hee rog na laga-ee Pal-ei sabh kichh paa-e. (1381-82)
(Farid, render holy help to others and do not bear anger in
your mind. Your body shall not suffer from any disease and
you shall obtain everlasting bliss.)
grB vws mih kulu nhI jwqI ]
bRhm ibMdu qy sB auqpwqI ]
ijau kUkru hrkwieAw DwvY dh ids jwie ]
loBI jMqu n jwxeI BKu ABKu sB Kwie ]
Garabh vass meh kull nahee(n) jaatee
Brahm bind t-ai sabh utpaatee. (324)
Ji-o kookar harkaa-i-aa Dhaav-ei deh dis jaa-e
Lobhee jant na jaan-ee Bhakh abhakh sabh khaa-e. (50)
(In the womb of the mother, neither caste nor family pride
exists. It is from the Lord's seed that every body
comes into being.)
(Like the mad dog running around in all directions, similarly,
the greedy person does not know what type of rubbish and
filthy material he is eating indiscriminately.)
jwiq kw grbu n kir mUrK gvwrw ]
iesu grb qy clih bhuqu ivkwrw ]
Dunee-aa labh pa-i-aa Khaat andar aglee gal na jaanee-aa. (1020)
Jaat kaa garabh na kar moorakh gavaaraa
Is garabh t-ai chaleh bahut vicaaraa. (1127-28)
{O fool! Don't be proud of your (high) caste,
for, many sins flow out of this pride.}
Galee(n) asee(n) changee-aa(n) Aachaaree buree-aah
Manh-au kusudhaa kaalee-aa(n) Baahar chitvee-aah. (85)
Ego
Jetaa moh pareet su-aad Sabhaa kaalakh daagaa daag. (662)
qIrQ nwqw ikAw kry mn mih mYlu gumwnu ]
sBu ko aUcw AwKIAY nIcu n dIsY koie ]
ieknY BWfy swijAY ieku cwnxu iqhu loie ]
Sabh ko oochaa aakhee-ei Neech na dees-ei ko-e
Ikn-ei bhaa(n)d-ai saaji-ei ik chanann teh lo-e. (62)
(Call everyone noble; none should be considered lowly.
The One Lord has fashioned everyone and His
Divine Light pervades all creatures.)
Hypocrisy
Jaat janam neh poochee-ei Sach ghar lai-hau bataa-e
Saa jaat saa patt h-ei Jehe karam kamaa-e. (1330)
jyqw mohu prIiq suAwd ] sBw kwlK dwgw dwg ]
Caste
(Through worldly greed, you have fallen into the pit;
you know nothing about the divine virtues for which
you have come in this world.)
glNØI AsI cMgIAw AwcwrI burIAwh ]
mnhu kusuDw kwlIAw bwhir ictvIAwh ]
(That alone is a man's caste and that is his glory,
as are the deeds done by him.)
(These worldly attachments, loves and pleasurable tastes,
all are just black stains.)
dunIAw lib pieAw Kwq AMdir AglI gl n jwxIAw ]
jwiq jnmu nh pUCIAY sc Gru lyhu bqwie ]
sw jwiq sw piq hY jyhy krm kmwie ]
(Renounce your attachments and doubts, O brother,
and recite the True Name within
your heart and body.)
rosu n kwhU sMg krhu Awpn Awpu bIcwir ]
Ross na kaahoo sang kar-hau Aapan aap beechaar. (259)
Greed
Tirath naataa ki-aa kar-ai Mann meh m-eil gumaan. (61)
(What is the use of bathing at sacred pilgrimages, when the
filth of stubborn pride is kept in the mind?)
(We are good at talking, but our conduct is bad.
Our minds are awfully imbued with all sins,
but outwardly, we appear to be pure and pious.)
ikAw jpu ikAw qpu ikAw bRq pUjw ]
jw kY irdY Bwau hY dUjw ]
Ke-aa japp ke-aa tapp ke-aa barat poojaa
Jaa k-ei rid-ei bha-au h-ei doojaa. (324)
(What use is chanting and what use is penance, fasting or ritual
worship, to one, whose heart is imbued with duality i.e., ego?)
Awps kau jo Blw khwvY ] iqsih BlweI inkit n AwvY ]
sIis invwieAY ikAw QIAY jw irdY kusuDy jwih ]
Aapas k-au jo bhalaa kahaav-ei Tiseh bhalaa-ee nikat na aav-ei. (278)
Sees nivaa-i-ei ki-aa thee-ei Jaa rid-ei kusudh-ai jaah-e. (470)
(Goodness does not touch him, who pretends to be good.)
nwnk sy nr Asil Kr ij ibnu gux grbu krMiq ]
Nanak s-ai nar asal khar Je bin gunn garabh karant. (1246)
(Guru Nanak says. “The real asses are those persons,
who pride, without any virtue.”)
(What is the use by bowing the head before God,
when the heart is full of filth?)
swD Bly AxnwiqAw cor is corw cor ]
Saadh bhal-ai ann-naati-aa Chor se choraa chor. (789)
(The holy man is blessed, even without bathing,
while a thief is a thief, no matter how much he bathes.)
A poem be read several times in order to ‘hear’ it and feel its emotions.
Jealousy
Rituals
ijsu AMdir qwiq prweI hovY iqs dw kdy n hovI Blw ]
jIvq ipqr n mwnY koaU mUeyN isrwD krwhI ]
ipqr BI bpury khu ikau pwvih kaUAw kUkr KwhI ]
Jis andar taat paraa-ee hov-ei Tis daa kad-ai na hovee bhalaa. (308)
(One, who is jealous of others, never becomes pious.)
AihrK vwdu n kIjY ry mn ]
Ahirakh vaad na keej-ei r-ai mann. (479)
(O my mind! Do not indulge in jealousy.)
Jeevat pitar na maan-ei kau-oo Moo-ain siraadh karaahee
Pitar bhee bapur-ai kahau ki-au paaveh Ka-oo-aa kookar khaahee. (332)
(He does not honor his ancestors while they are alive, but holds
feasts in their honor after they have died. O duffer! How can
the ancestors receive the same, which has been
eaten by the crows and dogs.)
Aiq fwhpix duKu Gxo qIny Qwv BrIfu ]
Att daahpann dukh ghanno Teen-ai thaav bhareed. (1091)
(Man suffers a lot of pain due to jealousy and is cursed
throughout the whole universe.)
Lust
krm Drm kI sUl n shhu ]
Karam dharam kee sool na sah-hau. (343)
(Don't endure the torture of rituals and religious rites.)
bhu swdhu dUKu prwpiq hovY ] Boghu rog su AMiq ivgovY ]
sqIAw eyih n AwKIAin jo miVAw lig jlµin@ ]
nwnk sqIAw jwxIAin@ ij ibrhy cot mrMin@ ]
Bah-au saadhau dookh paraapat hov-ei
Bhog-hau rog su antt vigov-ei. (1034)
Satee-aa(n) ai-h-e na aakhee-ann Jo marhi-aa lag jalan-nh
Nanak satee-aa(n) jaanee-anh Je birh-ai chot maran-nh. (787)
(Excessive pleasures lead to suffering. Sexual pleasure
curses the person and one is ultimately ruined.)
hy loBw lµpt sMg isrmorh Aink lhrI klolqy ]
DwvMq jIAw bhu pRkwrM Aink BWiq bhu folqy ]
H-ai lobhaa lampat sung sirmoreh Anik lahree kalolat-ai
Dhaavant jee-aa bah-au parkaar-aN Anik bhaant bah-au dolt-ai. (1358)
(O lust! You have clung even to the great and by your waves
played many pranks. Through you, the beings run about in
many directions and greatly wobble in multiple manners.)
Omen
sgun Apsgun iqs kau lgih ijsu cIiq n AwvY ]
Sagun apsagun tis k-au lageh Jis cheet na aav-ei. (401)
(Good omens and bad omens affect him, who forgets the Lord.)
gix gix joqku kWfI kInI ] pVY suxwvY qqu n cInI ]
sBsY aUpir gur sbdu bIcwru ]
(A devoted woman is not one, who burns herself on the pyre of
her husband. Nanak! A devotee is one, who dies with the
shock of separation from her divine husband.)
Slander
Keep Fast Your Vision
(Ram naam ur mai gehio Ja ke sam nahee koe)
Keep fast,
In your vision!
The immutable faith
In God!
Catch tight,
In your mental grip,
The firm Trust in God,
There is nothing
Equivalent,
To this Immovable faith!
There is nothing
At par with firm
Belief in God!
Says Nanak,
With faith in heart,
You come out victorious!
From the extreme crisis.
With trust in God,
You come out glorious
From the unfavourable trials,
God, Himself,
Shows the way!
Lost
a sadness unlike sadness
a solitude tinged with grey
caged whispers hound the heart
a soundless mourning chokes
......................................
and the greens shy away;
life could not be more chequered
black and white never more clear
numbness is so graphic today:
The spirit shall ask no questions
for there are no answers today.
AsMK inMdk isir krih Bwru ]
baljeet kaur tulsi
reema anand
Asankh nindak sirr kar-eh bhaar. (4)
-120-
-121-
{Innumerable are the slanders, who carry on their heads
load of sins (of slandering others.)}
inMdw BlI iksY kI nwhI mnmuK mugD krMin ]
muh kwly iqn inMdkw nrky Goir pvMin ]
Nindaa bhalee kis-ei kee naahee Manmukh mugadh karann
Muh kaal-ai tinn nindkaa(n) Nark-ai ghor pavann. (755)
(It is not good to slander anyone, only the foolish egocentrics
do it. The slanders are condemned and they fall into
the most horrible hell.)
The book of poems
Gann gann jotak kaandee keenee Parh-ei sunaav-ei tatt na cheenee
Sabhs-ei oopar Gur Shabad beechaar. (904)
{(O Priest) You calculate the auspicious day and time and
advise others, but do not realize that the Supreme Being is
above and beyond these.}
Compiled by Inderjeet Kaur
August - October, 2009
31
Rarely, however, is a person pulled aside and told such things
for his own benefit. Far more often, a hidden agenda is at work.
Criticism often acts as an effective cover for more troubling
feelings. If your sister accuses you of being self-absorbed and
self-important, you are neither, but she's probably so
envious of your professional success that she wishes you'd
never mention it. Your friend wisecracks about your hair,
your weight, the shape of your nose; the problem isn't you
at all; it's him.
He doesn't see you as a person, but as an object. If you do have
a fault, it is letting him berate you like that.
Criticism
Fear of the unknown can also impel criticism; your mother
warns you against traveling alone to Chennai, predicts every
calamity and accuses you of being irresponsible, She'd never
have dreamed of living so adventurously, and she is threatened
by your verve.
Some critics are, of course, simply arrogant. Your friend tells
you that your job-search techniques are old-fashioned and
out-of-touch, and she says it so authoritatively, you're tempted to
believe her and start all over. Then you remember that this
friend is a know-it-all with an opinion about everything. Her only
purpose is to aggrandize herself.
By Gita Hari
C
an friends be impartial when they 'review' your
personality? Not usually- but learn to brush away their
emotional bias and you may spot true, helpful messages
lying underneath!
will give you feedback about your interaction with them. If you
live with someone, your tastes, your behavior in certain
situations, your goals, the way you manage your day - all come
under careful scrutiny.
Joseph Conrad once said, “I don't want to be criticized. I want to
be praised”- a sentiment that is probably shared by most of us.
And yet, as painful - and sometimes futile - as it is, we try to
maintain our cool and remain open to criticism, because, in
some way, we know that growth can't proceed without it.
If you're lucky, you'll get sensitive, usable criticism. In the best
relationships, criticism plays an important role, because it helps
you to grow. As the great Elbert Hubbard once said, the only
way to avoid criticism is to “do nothing, say nothing, be nothing”.
Your boss has to tell you whether your work is up-to-the-mark or
if it should improve. Your co-workers, if they're conscientious,
Criticism often acts as an effective cover for more troubling
feelings. If your sister accuses you of being self-absorbed
and self-important, you are neither, but she's probably
so envious of your professional success that she wishes
you'd never mention it.
2
32
Eternal Voice
How, though, can you distinguish criticism that's fair from
criticism that's foul? How do you know whether to be open or to
fight back? And how do you know when to be fully receptive,
even though the words that you hear sting and chafe?
Ideally, criticism is feedback. “You're wearing too much
make-up”, “Try to do the dance step more like this”, “You might
not want to go to a business meeting in such a seductive dress”;
all these statements are ones that friends, can make to one
another - tenderly, lovingly, confidentially or matter-of-factly without a hint of scorn or irritation, with no ulterior motive.
If offered that way, they should be accepted as gifts.
Distinguishing between constructive criticism and these sneaky
expressions of competitiveness, hostility or disapproval can
be tricky, particularly when friends are involved. Because you
care about their opinions, you may forget that their views be
insidiously entwined with grievances, hurt feelings and
unspoken resentments.
Telling someone she has a flaw - sloppiness, overeating,
lateness, poor taste in clothes, undependability, rudeness - is a
delicate task, requiring compassion, insight and diplomacy.
To see a person's weakness - some trait that will, if exposed,
hurt her chances in life or cause her shame - is to be in
possession of powerful information. Delivering it is a difficult
responsibility. Consider the timing carefully, and choose a
moment that's otherwise calm and secure for the recipient.
Blurting out explosive information in the heat of irritation is
like trying to train puppy with a cattle prod.
What if you're the 'puppy'? Well, custom being open to
criticism, but there are many remarks to which you cannot
respond openly and shouldn't even try. Try to sort out
legitimate advice from the criticism that's crooked - and then
react accordingly.
What should you do if a friend or relative makes the right
criticism for the wrong reasons? For the moment, the best thing
to do is to block it out. As long as you're unfairly attacked the
accuracy of the shots is irrelevant.
Often, people who criticize you - “You've got a problem with
being late” are actually complaining about how you affect them.
What they really mean to say is, “You're frequently late with me
and I don't like it.”
The ideal approach when you suspect a critic of concealing her
true motive is to try to smoke it out.
Even legitimate criticism hurts. People get so defensive about
who they are and what they do that many folks avoid doling out
criticism altogether.
Criticism makes us feel inadequate. Responding well to
legitimate criticism means not just lowering defenses but
acknowledging and even thanking your critic. You may not
agree with everything he's said. You may want to redefine the
message in a way that's palatable. But learning to appreciate
and use well-meaning criticism is one secret to personal
growth and better relationships. A sensitively executed
criticism is so rare, it deserves to be protected like an
endangered species. Even if the beast bites, you want to make
sure it sticks around.
Essence of Sikhi
BSR
Truth, that one is a part of the whole and the
Absolute is immanent, is realized by submitting to
the 'word' of the Guru. Gurbani gives the knowledge
and shows the path whereby the truth is revealed
within. Constantly ruminating on the Shabad, living
in full accordance with Divine Order (Hukam)
fulfils one. To be vigilant about what hinders and
what helps one in one's spiritual quest is something
that disciplined learning of Gurbani makes possible.
August - October, 2009
33
Education is not an option for a Sikh woman of the 21st century. It is the
need of the time.
:Some concerned Sikhs fear and argue that education sets a
woman free and she may no longer live by the cultural and
ritualistic by-laws prescribed to her for generations. That she
will be less docile, trade family responsibilities for a profession.
That she may chose her own life partner outside of the caste,
class, religion or racial boundaries prescribed for her or that she
may quit being a Sikh altogether.
First of all, to deprive any female (or male for that matter) of her
opportunity to be a free and self sufficient individual by taming
her mind and spirit for a particular role or interest is deplorable.
“The most deadly of all sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit”,
says a highly regarded developmental psychologist of the
Century, Erik Erikson.
Education
A Kaur's Perspective
Sikh history as long as 500 years ago produced
documented examples of educated women commissioned
to be missionaries by the Gurus. Even if you look around
today you will see that educated Sikh women have given
back to the community manifold. There is a reason for
that. When an educated Sikh woman takes any initiative
to learn about Sikhism, she derives a whole new meaning
to be a Sikh. Sikh faith makes sense in a completely
holistic dimension of knowledge, practicality and truth.
Once she understands and believes in Gurbani, she is
more empowered to educate her future generations of it.
She has the tools and conviction to deal with life's
challenges herself and can pass on those skills to her
children. She has the conviction to achieve the state, Guru
envisioned for the mankind. Someone has rightly said
“Educate a man and you educate an individual – educate a
woman and you educate society.”
On the flip side; a Sikh woman brought up in ignorance and
subjugation will someday lose the reasoning of being a Sikh to
the pressures of the times and is susceptible to be easily led
away from Sikhism at one time or the other because she does
not truly understand it. She will have no capability to teach her
children the meaning of Sikh faith; nor the capability to
empower them with tools to fend for their values in the world full
of materialistic pressures.
Another common argument against educating women is the
expenses involved. Parents would rather save for their weddings
and dowry rather than spend on their education. If they think
education is expensive; they just have no idea what price they
are going to pay for ignorance in both material and non-material
ways. Times have changed. There are no guarantees that a
lavish dowry and wedding will secure the future of the young girl.
Giving her the sustenance tools, confidence and values is the
best guarantee for a secured life the parents can buy. “If a man
empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him.”
– Benjamin Franklin
By Gurmeet Kaur
“Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive;
easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.” - Lord Brougham
E
ducation alone has the power to break centuries' long
subjugation whether it is the subjugation by a ruling
authority, of society or of one's own mind. It empowers us to
see beyond stereotypes, gives meaning to why we do the
things we do and enriches our lives by exposing our minds to
new dimensions. In addition, it creates new avenues in a much
needed field – that of plain survival. We all know that
dynamics of survival are shifting; no longer can half the
humanity (women) sit in dark corners to please the rest of the
controlling-half and not contribute to the economic, intellectual
and spiritual development of the society.
2
34
Eternal Voice
Ironically, even in the Sikh community, today we still come
across the contention; 'To educate or not to educate a Sikh
woman'. Even the ones who have voted for education have
managed to keep the spiritual education out of the way of
mainstream or temporal education as I call it. Let us see if
education is an option for a Sikh woman today and how
spiritual education not only complements the temporal
education but is in fact a must for a more fulfilling life. Also let
us explore some ways to make the combination happen for
our younger generation.
August - October, 2009
35
Morally and practically considering there should not even be a
question about our girls availing the opportunity to quality
education. Even looking from the Sikh perspective, the most
important thing that I would point out for the sustenance of Sikh
faith as the faith of new age is – the education of the Mothers with
not only temporal but spiritual knowledge as well.
Temporal and Spiritual Education complement each other:
Sikh philosophy demands a perfect balance of temporal and
spiritual education:
Jan Nanak binn aapaa cheen-ei Mitt-ei naa bharam kee kaa-ee. (684)
{Says Nanak, without realizing the self, the moss of doubts
(ignorance) can not be eradicated.}
Where the Gurus formalized the Gurmukhi script and
insisted on the formal education of the common people,
including women, they also declared that no education is
complete without introspection and contemplation of the
true essence of being:
So parhiaa so Pandit beena Gur shabad kare veechaar
Andar khoj-ei tatt lahe Paa-ei mokh-duaar. (650)
step of learning, and finally applies that knowledge or
profession to serve the creation, then one would not only do
service to mankind, he will derive utmost satisfaction in his
personal life.
Application of temporal education in conjunction with spiritual
introspection can alone reap positive rewards both personally
and socially. An educated person devoid of any spiritual
contemplation (Vichaar) may choose to use his or her skills in
destructive areas. We all have heard of the doctors engaged in
organ stealing, female fetus abortions and false amputations
just to make big money; industrialists engaged in fake drug
manufacturing; nuclear engineers selling technologies to
terrorist organizations; biotech engineers and agro corps
modifying food genes for profits resulting in depletion of pure
genes and health problems; influential lobbyists manipulating
environmental laws to their benefits; the list goes on.
It is not uncommon to see Sikhs today who are professionally
unhappy because they chose their fields without introspection
and consciousness. At one time, every one wanted to be a
Computer Scientist because that was the fad. We discarded our
love for art, farming, music and literature to be IT professionals.
A spiritual introspection at the time of choosing our field would
have come in handy. If I were to re-live the choice of my field,
I would have studied sustainable farming. I wish I had a guidance
counselor in school or a parent who would have linked my field
of education to the purpose I felt I had in life, to the things that
enlivened my spirit – the nature, the earth and the water – and
that of producing healthy food that nourished the creation while
promoting ecologically viable infrastructure for the
communities around.
{He alone is educated, and he alone is wise (Pandit), who
contemplates the 'Word' (Shabad). He searches within himself,
finds the true essence and reaches the door of salvation.}
On the other hand, apply any field of knowledge to the
touchstone of consciousness and you get nothing short of a
miracle. Take nursing and apply the passion of Henry Dunant
and you get the Red Cross. Take agriculture and add
consciousness of keeping the nature unaltered and you get one
of the only two non-genetically modified wheat species
remaining in the world because of the Jewish agricultural
practices. Take literature and add the nectar of Guru's love and
you get Bhai Vir Singh, who rules the heart of every Punjabi
through his literary renditions.
If one does introspection on the purpose in life, chooses the
educational field consciously, applies consciousness to each
2
36
So what can we do to inculcate temporal education in our new generation?
“A child educated only at school is an uneducated child,”
- George Santayana.
We can start with introducing Gurmat (which totally relates to
the consciousness) to our children at an early age. Knowing
their essence and their purpose will help them make right
decisions in life pertaining to their education and beyond. Care
has to be taken in how we introduce Gurmat to our children.
Human beings truly learn only from the things they love.
Cultivate love for the Guru in their heart. Teach by love and in
love of the Gurbani. Teach by example.
Play with your child's creativity. Let her explore her purpose
herself with your loving guidance. Your role is to connect her
with her own consciousness. Khalil Gibran says, “If a teacher is
indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom,
but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”
Help cultivate their interests consciously. Respect their ideas
and thoughts. Serving the creation does not mean everybody
has to be a doctor or work for a relief organization.
Consciousness can be practically incorporated into any field.
Talk about the ways; explore them yourself.
In conclusion, Education for a Sikh woman is not only the dire
need of our society; it is the moral obligation of our society to her
as well. Temporal Education enables one to achieve their
purpose in life and must be complemented with spiritual
contemplation to realize our fullest potential:
Pranvat Nanak giani kaisaa ho-ei Aap pachhan-ei boojh-ei so-ei. (25)
(Nanak begs to know, of what kind is the knowledgeable being?
He is the one, who realizes his own self and comprehends Him.)
For a truly educated person in the Sikh concept, thus, the inner
and outer life is a continuum of pure consciousness. Their
temporal education then becomes a source to serve the
creation, to bind with it and to raise its consciousness as well.
As the educated Sikhs of today, let us give a new direction and
meaning to our new generation by cultivating their consciousness
and letting it guide them through their journey of education. In the
process, let's not forget ourselves… we all are seekers of the truth
and eternal students. “I was still learning when I taught my last
class” says Claude Fuess, after 40 years of teaching.
August - October, 2009
37
Religion is the idea, which is
raising the brute unto man;
and man unto God.
Swami Vivekananda's
thoughts on religion & ethics
loving, but without the weakness of human love, without the
feeling of misery. (VI. 112)
Unselfishness is God: One may live on a throne, in a golden
palace, and be perfectly unselfish; and then he is in God.
Another may live in a hut and wear rags, and have nothing in the
world; yet, if he is selfish, he is intensely merged in the world. (I. 87)
The first sign that you are becoming religious is that you are
becoming cheerful. When a man is gloomy, that may be
dyspepsia, but it is not religion...... Misery is caused by sin and by
no other cause. What business have you with clouded faces? It is
terrible. If you have a clouded face, do not go out that day, shut
yourself up in your room. What right have you to carry this
disease out into the world? (I. 264-65)
Do you not know from the history of the world where the
power of the prophets lay? Where was it? In the intellect? Did
any of them write a fine book on philosophy, on the most
intricate ratiocinations of logic? Not one of them. They only
spoke a few words. Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel
like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the
life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of
intellectual activity can reach God. (II. 307)
(1863 - 1902)
T
he basic aim of religion is to bring peace to man. It is not
a wise thing for one to suffer in this life so that one can
be happy in the next. One must be happy here and now.
Any religion that can bring that about is the true religion
for humanity.
(Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, pp. 45-46)
Religion is the idea, which is raising the brute unto man; and
man unto God. (V. 409)
The definition of God and man: Man is an infinite circle, whose
circumference is nowhere, but the center is located in one spot;
and God is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere,
but whose center is everywhere. (II. 33)
The difference between God and the devil is in nothing except
in unselfishness and selfishness. The devil knows as much as
God; is as powerful as God; only he has no holiness - that
makes him a devil. Apply the same idea to the modern world:
Excess of knowledge and power, without holiness, makes
human beings devils. (I. 425)
Virtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice to our
degeneration. Man is made up of three qualities - brutal, human,
and godly. That which tends to increase the divinity in you is
virtue and that, which tends to increase brutality in you is vice.
You must kill the brutal nature and become human, that is,
loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and become
pure bliss, Sachchidananda, fire without burning, wonderfully
In one word, the ideal of Vedanta is to know man as he really is,
and this is its message, that if you cannot worship your brother
man, the manifested God, how can you worship a God who is
unmanifested? (II. 325-26)
If you are really pure, how do you see the impure? For what is
within, is without. We cannot see impurity without having it
inside ourselves. This is one of the practical sides of Vedanta
and I hope that we shall all try to carry it into our lives. (II. 327)
Your godhead is the proof of God Himself. If you are not a
prophet, there never has been anything true of God. If you are
not God, there never was any God, and never will be. This, says
the Vedanta, is the ideal to follow. Every one of us will have to
become a prophet, and you are that already. Only know it. Never
think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest
heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin – to say that
you are weak, or others are weak. (II. 308)
The Vedanta says, there is nothing that is not God. ... The living
God is within you and yet you are building churches and temples
and believing all sorts of imaginary nonsense. The only God to
worship is the human soul, in the human body. Of course, all
animals are temples too, but man is the highest, the
Taj Mahal of temples. If I cannot worship in that, no other
temple will be of any advantage. (II. 321)
The secret of religion lies not in theories but in practice.
To be good and do good – that is the whole of religion.
'Not he that crieth “Lord”, “Lord”, but he that doeth the will
of the Father.' (VI. 245)
Anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness,
touch it not with the toes of your feet. Religion is the
manifestation of the natural strength that is in man. A spring of
infinite power is coiled up and is inside this little body, and that
spring is spreading itself. This is the history of man, of religion,
civilization, or progress. (VIII. 185)
Whenever any religion succeeds, it must have economic value.
Thousands of similar sects will be struggling for power, but only
those who meet the real economic problem will have it. Man is
guided by the stomach. He walks and the stomach goes first and
the head afterwards. Have you not seen that? It will take ages for
the head to go first.... When children's dreams begin to vanish
and you begin to look at things the way they are, the head goes.
Just when the head goes first, you go out. (I. 454-55)
Religion deals with the truths of the metaphysical world just as
chemistry and the other natural sciences deal with the truths of
the physical world. The book one must read to learn chemistry
is the book of nature. The book from which to learn religion is
your own mind and heart. The sage is often ignorant of physical
science because he reads the wrong book - the book within; and
the scientist is too often ignorant of religion, because he too
reads the wrong book - the book without. (VI. 81)
You will find many persons in this world who will say: 'I wanted to
become religious, I wanted to realize these things, but I have not
been able, so I do not believe anything.' Even among the educated
you will find these. Large number of people will tell you, 'I have
tried to be religious all my life, but there is nothing in it'. At the same
The only definition that can be given
of morality is this: That which is selfish
is immoral and that which is unselfish
is moral.
The first sign that you
are becoming
religious is that you
are becoming
cheerful.
time, you will find this phenomenon: Suppose a man is a chemist,
a great scientific man. He comes and tells you this. If you say to
him, 'I do not believe anything about chemistry, because I have all
my life tried to become a chemist, and do not find anything in it', he
will ask, 'When did you try?' 'When I went to bed, I repeated,
“O chemistry, come to me”, and it never came.' That is the very
same thing. The chemist laughs at you and says: 'Oh! That is not
the way. Why did you not go to the laboratory and get all the acids
and alkalis and burn your hands from time to time? That alone
would have taught you.' Do you take the same trouble with
religion? Every science has its own method of learning, and
religion is to be learned the same way. (VI. 14-15)
We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the
Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by
harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible, and the Koran. Mankind
ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions
of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may
choose the path that suits him best. (VI. 416)
Be moral. Be brave. Be a heart-whole man - strictly moral, brave
unto desperation. Don't bother your head with religious theories.
Cowards only sin, brave men never, no, not even in mind. (V.1)
The only definition that can be given of morality is this: That which
is selfish is immoral, and that which is unselfish is moral. (I.110)
One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thought,
but they do not impress people; another man speaks neither
beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm.
Every movement of his is powerful. That is the power of Ojas. ...
It is only the chaste man or woman who can make the Ojas rise
and store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always been
considered the highest virtue. A man feels that if he is unchaste,
spirituality goes away; he loses mental vigor and moral stamina.
That is why in all the religious orders in the world, which have
produced spiritual giants, you will always find absolute chastity
insisted upon. (I.169-70)
Ethics always says, 'Not I, but thou.' Its motto is: 'Not self; but
non-self.' The vain ideas of individualism, to which man clings
when he is trying to find that infinite Power or that infinite
Pleasure through the senses, have to be given up - say the laws of
ethics. You have to put yourself last and others before you. The
senses say, 'Myself first'. Ethics says, 'I must hold myself last'.
Thus, all codes of ethics are based upon this renunciation;
destruction, not construction, of the individual on the material
plane. That Infinite will never find expression upon the material
plane, nor is it possible or thinkable. (II. 62-63)
Swami Vivekananda was born in an aristocratic Kayastha family of Calcutta in 1863.
His parents influenced the Swami's thinking – the father by his rational mind and
the mother by her religious temperament. From his childhood, he showed
inclination towards spirituality and God realization.
Utilitarian standards cannot explain the ethical relations of
men, for, in the first place, we cannot derive any ethical laws
from considerations of utility...... The utilitarian wants us to give
up the struggle after the Infinite, the reaching-out for the
Supersensuous, as impracticable and absurd and, in the same
breath, asks us to take up ethics and do good to society. Why
should we do good? Doing good is a secondary consideration.
We must have an ideal. Ethics itself is not the end, but the means
to the end. If the end is not there, why should we be ethical? Why
should I do good to other men, and not injure them? If happiness
is the goal of mankind, why should I not make myself happy and
others unhappy? What prevents me? In the second place, the
basis of utility is too narrow. Utilitarian theories can only work
under present social conditions. Beyond that they have no value.
But a morality, an ethical code, derived from religion and
spirituality, has the whole of infinite man for its scope. It takes up
the individual, but its relations are to the Infinite, and it takes up
society also - because society is nothing but number of these
individuals grouped together. (II. 63-64)
Be moral. Be brave. Be a heartwhole man - strictly moral,
brave unto desperation. Don't
bother your head with religious
theories. Cowards only sin,
brave men never, no, not even
in mind.
W
hen the
s a g e s
churned the body
of Nimi, a child had
manifested, who
was named
Janaka. Since he
was not born of a
motherly body, he
was also called
Videha. A ll the
descendants of his
dynast y were a lso
known as Videha and
Janaka. By the grace of the sage Yagyavalkya, all of them
achieved enlightenment. In this very dynasty, Sita was born to
'Seeradhwaja'.
Janaka was a great scholar and an enlightened person – a ruler
with a noble soul. Generally we all have a low mentality. There
may be a few exceptions, having achieved self-realization, but by
and large humans worship the body, caring little about the soul.
We remain busy for the upkeep of the body – for its nourishment
and ornation. All our activities are guided by the needs of the
body and above all, sadly, we try to excel over others. It is said
that what we do from the core of the heart is better than the
outward rituals. We go to holy places and pretend that we are
religious. A person with noble deeds is better than us. In fact he is
more likely to be one with the Lord some day:
Parh parh Pandit jotki thak-ai Bh-ai-khee bharam bhul-aa-e. (68)
(The Pandits and astrologers have grown weary of extensive
reading and the sectarians go amiss in skepticism)
A strange query stroked kind Janaka's noble mind. The doubt in
a pure mind is better than the ritualistic religion. Janaka had
read in the Vedas, Shastras and had heard the God-conscious
persons say that God exists, but had never seen Him. He
thought that unless some one brings him face to face with God,
he won't believe His existence. Poor Janaka! Just as happiness
and despair exist in life but we can't express the feelings,
similarly the existence of the Almighty can only be felt and not
expressed. We can feel His existence in every particle, but can't
write in words:
Roop naa r-aikh naa rang kitchh Tr-eh gunn t-ai Prabh bhinn
Tis-h-e bhujaa-ai Nanaka Jis hov-ei suprasann. (283)
(The Lord has neither form, nor outline, nor any color. He is
exempt from three attributes. O Nanak! With whom He is well
pleased, He causes him to understand Him.)
God in the wink of an
eye, he would take him
as his Guru. The
King's message was
conveyed far and
wide. Living in a
remote corner and
wo r s h i p i n g t h e
Lord in his thatched hut,
Ashtavakra got to know Janaka's message through telepathy
(wireless of Shabad):
Shabad milaavaa hov-ei D-aih mailaavaa naaheen.
(Union is possible through Shabad and not through body)
He felt that if Janaka turned atheist, the entire kingdom would
follow the King and it would be catastrophic. Hence he decided
to present himself for providing the existence of God.
Sixty thousand great intellectuals, assembled at the invitation of
the King, sat motionless and silent and whoever would give
Janaka the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an eye would be
his Guru. Among them was Rishi Ashtavakra, who had a
deformed body, thus the name Ashtavakra – eight physical
deformities. When he was in the mother's womb, he heard his
father say that the King had asked him a question, which he
could not answer. The unborn child told the answer to his father,
who, instead of being grateful, got agitated and could not tolerate
the unborn to outsmart a learned man like him. Out of sheer
ego, he admonished that there would be eight deformities in his
body. To his father's outburst, Ashtavakra spoke from the
womb, that although there are deformities in the body, the soul
would remain unaffected:
Jeh praneee haum-ei tajee Kartaa Ram pachhaan. (1427)
(The mortal who forsake ego, realizes his Creator Lord.)
The highly decorative stage was arranged, but the prominence
was given to the place, where the person offering to prove the
existence of God would sit. Nobody gathered the courage to
occupy the throne. The learned men had only read the holy
books, but were hollow within. Ashtavakra came, stooping over,
to the Guru-seat, which Janaka had prepared. All the
intellectuals burst into laughter.
“Why have you gathered the cobblers here?” thundering
Ashtavakra said to Janaka.
Janaka took a vow: “He who can give me the knowledge of
2
42
Brahma, in the wink of an eye, will be my Guru, or else I will turn
an atheist.” To acquire the knowledge of Brahma, which can't be
“How cobblers Sir? They are all the honorable intellectuals of
the society”, replied the King.
had, even after doing penance for many a lifetime, in the wink of
an eye, is impossible. In order to clear the doubt, Janaka made it
known to all, that if someone could show him the existence of
“They are no better than the cobblers, because they have known
me by my body”, retorted back, the disfigured sage.
Eternal Voice
Then the Rishi explained,
“Rajan, the knowledge of God,
which you are getting in the wink
of an eye, we chant everyday in
the following words:
King Janaka probed, “Will you be
my Guru?”
Rishi Ashtavakra said, “Yes, I will be
your Guru.”
“Will you give me the knowledge of Brahma in the
wink of an eye?” The King enquired.
Guru Brahma GururVishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshat Para Brahma
Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha.
“Indeed, I will give you that”, replied the Rishi.
Then Janaka continued, “So will you give me initiation?”
The Rishi answered, “Yes, I will give you initiation. But first you
must give me Gurdakshina (the Guru-fee), because after
I have become your Guru, I cannot take any fee from you. Our
Vedantic religion and the Hindu Sanatan Dharma, are very strict.
There is no getting the Guru unless offering the teacher's fee.”
Ashtavakra continued, “Rajan, there are three things you must give
me for the Guru-fee. The first is the body, the second is the mind, and
the third is your wealth. You have to give me all these things first.”
In the presence of those sixty thousand intellectuals, Janaka
promptly and ungrudgingly offered these gifts. First, he gave his
body, meaning the physical body. Secondly, he gave his mind.
And thirdly, he gave all his wealth – physical as well as material.
These riches, King Janaka gave ungrudgingly.
After taking the gifts, the Rishi, resuming the Guru-seat, said,
“Tell me now, Janaka, just who will take this knowledge of
Brahma? Who will receive this knowledge of God?”
Calling for the horse, Janaka exclaimed, “What? I, Sir!” And
again repeated, “I”.
Before the King could put his foot in the saddle Ashtavakra
shouted, “You cannot put your foot in the cradle because your
body belongs to me. What does 'I' mean? All that you have
already given me: your body, your mind, your riches, if this is not
‘I' then where else is 'I'?, Now pay attention to the one, who is
close to your body and soul:
(Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of
ignorance. I salute such a Guru.)
It goes on to say:
Dhyaanamoolam Gurur Moorthihi
Poojamoolam Guroh Padam
Mantramoolam Guror Vaakyam
Moksha Moolam Guru Krupa.
(The Guru's form is the best to meditate upon; the Guru's feet are
the best for worship; the Guru's word is the mantra; and the
Guru's grace is the root of liberation.)
King Janaka had the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an
eye. What was it? Guru God, Guru Bhagwan and the pious King
kept meditating for a long time:
Mein naahee Prabh sab kitchh tera (827)
(I am nothing, everything is yours, O Lord!)
You cannot get that knowledge of Brahma without the Guru's
blessings and the Guru's grace. Just as we cannot see our own
face, we need a mirror to see it. This looking glass is the
Guru's blessing. We cannot see our own face by ourselves.
We can see the face of another, but we cannot see our own
face. But with the help of the mirror, we can see. Similarly we
need the Guru to assess ourselves. That is why the following
famous comparison between the Guru and God succinctly
summarizes the pre-eminence of Guru:
Jagat mithyamn, Brahama satyam, jeev-ei Brahamaee kewal.
(Totally false is the world. Only Lord is true and the Godly
only lives.)
Janaka became thoughtful and felt the existence of God, as he
had already given up the ego of body and mind:
Jab hovat Prabh kewal dhanni
Tab bandh mukt kahu kis kau ganni (292)
Guru Gobind do-oo khad-ei, ka-kei laag-oon paa-ei
Balihaari guru aapne jin Gobind deeyo milaa-ei.
(Both Guru and God are standing in front of me and I am in a fix
whose feet I should touch first. In this, I would like to approach
Guru first because it is on account of the Guru's grace that I have
been able to see God.)
(When Lord was the sole Master, then, say, who was accounted as
bound or liberated.)
August - October, 2009
433
G
atka is an Indian martial art created by the Sikhs of Punjab.
It is defensive as well as offensive and focuses on infusing the
physical with both the spiritual and mental. Though essentially
weapon-based, Gatka also sometimes incorporates wrestling as
part of its empty hand training. It was used by Sikh forces against
the Mughals, primarily in reaction to oppressive or aggressive
policies. Though rarely used in combat today, Gatka is still
popular as a sport and is often shown during Sikh festivals.
The word 'gat' means grace, liberation, and respect in one's own
power while 'ka' means someone who belongs or is part of a group.
Gatka therefore means ‘one whose freedom belongs to grace’. It is
also a term of reference for the stick used in sword training.
Gatka
The Sikh Martial Art
By Nidar Singh & Rajinder Singh Chadha
Gatka owes its early development to the Shastar Vidya, literally
meaning knowledge of the arms. This was a warrior curriculum
used by the Sikhs for military training, which was essential for the
historical Sikh warriors. The present day heirs of this centuries-old
tradition, the Buddha Dal, trace the roots of this system to Baba
Buddha, who trained the devotees in this martial art. The Baba
trained the sixth Guru, Hargobind in the Shastar Vidya system and
also taught the 2200-odd saint-soldiers of the Akal Bunga, the
'Immortal' Fort, built in 1606. They came to be known as Akalis
(immortals). Guru Hargobind propagated the theory of the warriorsaint, and emphasized the need for his followers to practice fighting
for self-defence. Arrangements for combat training were made and
the Guru himself learnt the use of weapons.
This Akali army was called the Akal Fauj, but was informally
known as the Buddha Dal meaning the army of Baba Buddha.
Guru Hargobind, with his army of Akalis, engaged the Mughal
forces in four battles and gained victory on each occasion.
With the successive Gurus after Guru Hargobind, the Akal Fauj
was maintained in its original form until the time of Guru Gobind
Singh, who was trained in martial arts in Punjab. One of his
numerous achievements was the founding of Khalsa, the
collective society that galvanized the martial energies of the
Sikh community. In regards to training the Khalsa, he pledged
that he would "teach the sparrow to fight the hawk". Both men
and women were known to have practiced the art; there were
and are no gender restrictions iterated by Sikh teachings or the
Gurus. Sometime before the creation of the Khalsa in 1699, he
altered its structure with the effect that, from then on, only a high
ranking-soldier was to be known as an Akali, whereas the lowranking soldier was designated Nihang, meaning the one, who
neither is attached to life nor fears death. The tenth Master
realized that in order to defend Sikhism, it would not be enough
just to rely on the Akal Fauj. So, he decided to make the whole of
the Sikh nation (with the exception of certain groups, such as
Udasis, Sewa Panthis and the Nirmalas) into a martial nation.
Thus, in 1699, the Khalsa came into being.
Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa was a body of warriors dedicated
to the Guru, outwardly defined by the uncut hair and other Sikh
August - October, 2009
45
Gatka, the Shastar Vidya in its new Avatar, was no longer the
lethal art designed to produce soldiers to defend the Sikh
nation. Instead during the 1860s, it had evolved into an
inoffensive and ritualistic martial art. Gatka was mainly
practiced in the barracks of the British Indian army and was
diligently taken up by Sikh and other Indian soldiers.
As Sikh colleges opened in Punjab during the 1880s, European
rules of fencing were applied to Gatka, resulting in further
alteration. This led to the formation of two Gatka branches,
Rasmi (ritualistic) and Khel (sport).
Combat Principles
The basic principle of combat can be traced in the Zafarnama,
in which Guru Gobind Singh addresses Aurangzeb:
Chunkar az hama heelate darguzasht Halal ast burdan ba shamseer dast:
{When all stratagems employed for (solving) a problem are
exhausted, (only) then taking your hand to the sword is legitimate.}
Manas ki jaat sabhe eke pehchanbo.
(Recognize all humanity as one race.)
It was originally created along the following three principles:
symbols. The Khalsa served as an armed wing to defend people
of the region in the face of increasingly aggressive and intolerant
Mughal policies. The Khalsa was involved in armed struggle
against the armies of Emperor Aurangzeb and his local allies.
The men and women of the Khalsa were skilled fighters, and in
many conflicts came out ahead despite being severely
outnumbered. Khalsa was accustomed to view military service in
terms of individual and collective honor. According to the
teachings of Guru Gobind Singh, extreme courage and even death
in the heat of battle was said to bring honor to the Sikh community.
They successfully captured areas of the Mughal Empire.
After Guru Gobind Singh, it was a successful Khalsa, led by the
Akalis, who fought a life-and-death struggle for nearly a hundred
years, against both the Mughal Empire and the invading
Afghans. They forged a series of independent kingdoms
throughout Punjab, by the closing decades of the 18th Century.
Even when the great Sikh kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
fell to the British in the hard-fought 'Anglo-Sikh Wars' (1845-46
and 1848-49), the majority of Sikhs to this day know it was not
the martial prowess of their ancestors that let the nation down.
Historical evidence unequivocally points to the fact that the Sikh
army actually won on the battle-fields but lost the wars due to the
betrayal of their treacherous Dogra generals.
Annexation of Punjab following the second Anglo-Sikh war and
the establishment of the British Raj, the Sikh martial traditions
and practitioners suffered greatly. The British ordered effective
disarmament of the entire Sikh community; even tools and
2
46
Eternal Voice
farming equipment were banned. Those, who refused to surrender
the weapons were punished severely by the British authorities.
The traditional martial knowledge of Sikhs, previously preserved
to a high standard, almost ceased to exist in Punjab.
It had to be easy to learn.
It had to make use of every possible weapon.
It had to allow for fighting multiple opponents at once.
Movement Patterns
In 1857, the Indian mutiny erupted. By that time, the British had
significantly crushed all resistance to their rule in Punjab, with
the help of soldiers from other states around the sub-continent.
Thus during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Sikhs assisted the
British in crushing the mutiny.
The foundation of the art is a movement methodology for use of
the feet, body, arms and weapons in unison. Gatka favors
rhythmic movement, without hesitation, doubt or anxiety. The
attacking and defence methods are based upon the positions of
the hands, feet and weapon(s) during the dexterity regimen.
As a consequence of this assistance, restrictions on fighting
practices were relaxed in Punjab. However, the Punjabi martial
arts, which re-emerged after 1857, had changed a great deal.
Instead of producing soldiers for warfare, the Shastar Vidya had
developed during the 1860 into a new fighting style called Gatka
(from the name of its primary weapon, the sword training stick),
which was mainly practiced by the British Indian Army. This
new form was a product of the changing times, which had also
seen the general Sikh populace of that period begin to
accommodate the British Raj by divorcing itself from the Sikh
practices of the pre-British period. There was a stark contrast
between this pluralistic and undeveloped phase (consisting in
the main of Udasis, Sewa Panthis, Nirmalas and Akali Nihang
Singhs) and the renaissance, which was later initiated and
encouraged by the Tatt Khalsa and the Singh Sabha Movement.
It is worth mentioning that this was the first extended period of
peace and consolidation of its institutions by the Sikh
community-at-large since its very inception under the Gurus.
Chanting holy verses may accompany these exercises. The
three-beat-per-cycle played by a drummer adds to the
coordination during practice.
Weapons
The correct use of melee weapons is central to Gatka,
with techniques depending on the nature of the weapon. The
single-edge sword is Gatka's main weapon and is often paired
with a shield; the staff is also commonly used. Weapons used
in Gatka include:
Talwar: Curved sword
Laathi: Stick of bamboo from one to three meters in length
Flexible weapons: Whips and chains etc.
Chhuri: Knife
Bow and arrow: Either traditional Indian steel recurve bows or
true composite bows made of wood, horn and sinew. Arrows
used are usually with tanged steel points.
Barchha: Spear
Khanda: Traditional Sikh and Rajput straight sword
Peshkarj: Dagger
Kukri: Bent sword which broadens towards the point
Tabar: Axe
Chakram: Circular edged weapon that can be thrown. Smaller
specimens can be worn like bangles and used as brass
knuckles.
Bagh Nakh: Leopard's claw, a spiked weapon worn on the hand
similar to the Japanese shuko
Katar: Dagger able to pierce armor .
Training
With its strong link to the Sikh faith, Gatka groups may train
in a religious or semi-religious situation, such as in a
Gurdwara. Akharas, usually associated with wrestling have
also been founded with the exclusive purpose of teaching
Gatka, which emphasizes having something in both hands
e.g., two sticks; a stick and a sword; a sword and a shield or
any other combination. Training with 'both hands full' is
believed to be an excellent exercise for coordinating the two
halves of the body, a concept also found in many Filipino
martial arts. The individual's preference for weapons,
combination of weapons and movement patterns leads to the
development of individual fighting methods.
Outside India
Among the European colonists, Sikhs became well known
for their fighting prowess and they were often brought in to
other British colonies as soldiers or security guards. Even
today Gatka is practiced by the Sikh communities of other
Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Hong
Kong. Indian immigrants eventually brought the art to
England and North America.
The system devised by Captain William Ewart Fairbairn and
Captain Eric Anthony Sykes borrowed methodologies from
Gatka, Jujutsu, Chinese martial arts and 'gutter fighting'. This
method was used to train soldiers in close-combat techniques
at the Commando Basic Training Center in Achnacarry,
Scotland. Gatka also is performed as a stick-fighting dance
by the Indian community of Trinidad.
Gatka was famously displayed during the celebrations of
Hola Mohalla in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Hounslow,
West London; Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall was visibly
shaken after the display of Gatka. It was also performed
on the 2005, July 4 Independence Day parade on Constitution
Avenue in Washington DC, United States.
August - October, 2009
437
T
he Guru Nanak Darbar will be an architectural
distinctive structure located on the 25,400 square
feet plot in Jebel Ali, Dubai, along Sheikh Zayed Road
connecting Dubai to U.A.E. capital Abu Dhabi. It is, at
the same time, a functional complex, an avenue for
community events and marriages.
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Makhtoum
Gratitude
We are grateful to His Highness
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Makhtoum
UAE Vice-President,
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai
for bestowing his benevolence in allowing the Sikh Community
to establish the Guru Nanak Darbar, Sikh Temple in Dubai.
By Darshan Singh Abbott
Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai is located at Jebel Ali Gardens, along the
freeway that connects the city to Abu Dhabi
The Guru Nanak Darbar is a multi-storey facility,
spread over 100,000 sq. ft. building area located at
T- Junction of two large accessible roads. The building
has two basements, a ground floor and a first floor, plus
an intermediate terrace floor. Each basement is
measured 25,000 square feet that can contain parking
space for up to 100 cars. The 21,000 square feet ground
floor houses the dining hall, kitchen, pantry, and store
room. The reception desk and the Gurdwara office are
also on the ground floor, complimented with wash room
and shoe storage facilities.
As one roams the complex, one will be heartened and in
awe. There is a 54 meter Parikarma covered with
traditional grill work. The water body flowing around
the road frontage is inspired by the Sarovar of the
Golden Temple. It casts a surreal reflection of the
building facade with the cascade feature lending the
sound of flowing water. There are two main entrances
to the complex, one from each access road. Each
having wash rooms and shoe storage facilities, that is
also designed to cater the special needs of senior
citizens. The grand staircase is designed to hold a huge
traffic of people going up and down. It is flattered by tall
windows radiating natural light from stained glass that
perfectly magnifies space.
The Prayer Hall has two doors and two Parshad
(porridge) counters, in the lobby area. The 7.2 meter
soaring ceiling is elegantly crowned by the astounding
18 meter diameter dome roof. The column free hall is
surrounded in circular form by the classical arch
windows. An aisle runs diagonally across the hall to the
Palki Sahib (Palanquin). One will be left in pure
reverence and feel grandeur in experiencing the
ambience of the hall.
Map of
City of Dubai
The function room that overlooks prayer hall is of great
utility. It boasts to service 900 people, also having a
stage best suitable for matrimonial ceremonies. The
dining area asserts to accommodate 600 people and
prepare 1800 rotisserie per hour and wash 1200 plates
and glass per hour.
We are waiting for the completion of the grand Guru
Nanak Darbar in 2009.
Other Arab countries could replicate Dubai’s gesture.
How to reach Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai, UAE
Guru Nanak Darbar - Dubai is located at Jebel Ali Gardens, on a 24,400 square feet plot
along Sheikh Zayed road connecting Dubai to U.A.E. capital Abu Dhabi.
T
Environment
Protection in
Sikhism
By Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewal
he Akal Takhat is the highest temporal and spiritual body
of Sikhs. On Sunday July 26, 2009, Jathedar Gurbachan
Singh, the Head of the Akal Takhat made a public statement
saying that caring for the environment is a Sikh's, “moral and
religious duty.” This is a welcome declaration of going green.
Speaking to the community, which had gathered for the
ongoing efforts at cleaning the polluted Kali Bein, a river which
runs through Sultanpur, the Jathedar advised all Sikhs,
"Wherever in the world you may be, your focus should now
be on cleaning up of natural water resources rather than
building Gurdwaras." This is a great order given by the
head of any religious body for environment protections. It is
extremely important; more so, when it is a binding order.
Kali Bein is the rivulet of Beas which had been polluted by
industrial waste and public refuse. A Sikh leader Baba Balbir
Singh Seechewal undertook to clean the rivulet with the help of
the people. He also created a green belt along the
Bein River. He created awareness among the masses about the
protection of environment. Taking a cue from these events, the
President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(SGPC) ordered that the Gurdwaras should start distributing
trees in place of Prashad and this was literally followed. This is
a great change towards the protection of environment.
Sikh religious and political leaders from India and abroad,
met in New Delhi to underline the Sikh community's
commitment to save the environment from threats posed by
the climate change and global warming. The event was titled
EcoSikh Conclave, which was organized at India Habitat
Center in New Delhi on July 4, 2009.
Sikh leaders unveil 'Green' Plan, Community Response to Check Climate Change
EcoSikh, a five-year plan crafted by SCORE, envisages the
dissemination of environment-related knowledge among the
Sikh community in India and abroad to develop environmental
activism. This Sikh summit on environment, organized by the
USA-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE),
was attended by UN Assistant Secretary-General Olav Kjorven
and Victoria Finlay of the UK-based Alliance of Religions and
Conservation (ARC), among others. Addressing the EcoSikh
conclave, Olav Kjorven said “Throughout history religions have
helped people and civilizations interpret and understand events
around them and to respond to new challenges in the light of
their spiritual heritage and moral compass… the leadership of
religions is now required to meet challenge of climate change.”
He quoted from Guru Nanak's verse that likened the sky to a
platter and the sun and moon to lamps:
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
Dilmegh Singh; President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna; Former
Supreme Court Judge, Justice Kuldeep Singh; Tarlochan
Singh, Member Parliament; and Vikramjit Singh Sawhney of
World Punjabi Organization. They endorsed a five-year
‘greening’ plan, which includes a long-term commitment to
transform Gurdwaras and schools into ecologically sound
buildings in terms of energy and the types of building material
used, besides incorporating environmental education into Sikh
education curricula. Justice Kuldeep Singh, known as 'Green
Judge', in his opening remarks, said he was delighted that Sikh
community was taking upon itself the noble service of forging
environment-friendly practices. “As Sikhs, we have a
responsibility to revere the environment. A Sikh's life is
incomplete if he does not revere Nature,” he said.
“Environmental ethics have always been inherent parts of
India's precepts and philosophy and the environment has
always been given an honorable place,” he added. “But now we
are only polluting it,” Justice Singh concluded. Sikhs have thus
been bound to the duty of environment protection.
Environment refers to what makes up the atmosphere or
background against which someone or something is seen.
Environment may refer either to actual physical surroundings
or to social or cultural background factors.
Environment is termed as:
1. The circumstances or conditions that surround one's
surroundings.
2. The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or
group of organisms, especially:
a. The combination of external physical conditions that
Gagan mah(i) thaal rav(i) chand deepak ban-ai, Tarika mandal janak moti. (13)
(In the sky's salver, the sun and the moon are lamps and the stars
with their orbs are the studded pearls.)
Those, who attended and presented their views were Union
Cabinet Minister of India Dr. Manohar Singh Gill; Secretary,
August - October, 2009
53
affect and influence the growth, development and
survival of organisms:
"We shall never understand the natural environment
until we see it as a living organism" (Paul Brooks).
b. The complex of social and cultural conditions affecting
the nature of an individual or community.
Earth, air, water, life and all activities connected with life come
under the umbrella of environment.
Saach-ai t-ai pawnaa bha-e-a Pawn-ei t-ai jal ho-e
Jal t-ai tribhavann saajea Ghat ghat jot(i) smo-e. (19)
(The air originated from the True Lord; and from air originated
the water and from the water originated the entire universe; and
in each being Lord's light is enthused.)
Thus air, water, earth and life all originated from the true Lord,
who resides in each in the form of light energy. When we harm
any of these, we in turn, harm the true Lord. Therefore earth, air,
water and life are all sacred for the Sikhs.
Every Sikh child learns along with Japji, the sacred hymn of
Guru Nanak, which starts with the word Ik Omkar meaning
there is only One God, who is the creator, the Karta Purakh of
all. Here it includes the entire universe; men, animals, plants,
trees, the planets, the earths and the like. It also considers all to
be belonging to the One and the same; and hence to be
considered as equal. The One Creator pervades all creation. In
Asa-di-Vaar, the early morning spiritual ballad , the Guru states:
Apeen-ei aap saajeo Apeen-ei racheo naou
Duee kudrat saajee-ei Kar aasan dittho chaou. (463)
(Upon creating Himself, God created Naam, the divine
Name, the first expression of His sacred presence. Secondly
He created Kudrat or Nature, which is sustained and totally
infused by Naam.)
So, the Creator observes creations and dwells within it. Both
are interconnected. You will find this is something stressed
especially by the Eastern faiths. One cannot help but live in
gratitude and respect for the gifts of nature which are marks of
God's grace:
Balehaaree kudrat vase-aa Tera antt na ja-ee lakhea. (469)
(I am totally indebted to you, Oh Infinite Lord, who dwells within
nature and whose limits cannot be told.)
Last lines of Japji say:
Pavan Guru paani pitta maata dharat mahatt
Divas raat du-e da-ee da-e-aa khel-ai sagal jagat. (8)
(Air is our Guru, water our father and great earth is our mother:
Day and night are the male and female nurses, in whose lap the
whole world plays.)
Paun paani dharti akaas Ghar mandar har baani. (723)
(Air, water, earth and sky – the Lord has made these His home
and temple.)
The importance of air, water and earth to life, are emphasized
over and over again in Guru Granth Sahib. The earth is referred
to as the mother and as such requires our respect. Great care
needs to be taken to ensure that no damage occurs to it while the
Sikh is going about his daily life. The pollution of these three
elements is against the principles laid down by the Gurus.
Having created this universe, God directs them. All actions take
place within God's order (Hukam). God alone knows how and
why. God, however, not only directs this vast and massive
theater, but also watches over with care and kindness - the
benign, supportive parent!
Purkhaan birkhaan teerthaan tataan maighaan khaitaanh
Deepaan lo-aan mandlaan khandaan varbhandaanh
Andaj jairaj ut-bhujaan khaannee saitjaanh
So mitt jaan-ei Nanaka saraan mairaan jantaah
Nanak jant upaa-iy kei sammaalai sabhnaah. (467)
(Men, trees, pilgrimage places, banks of sacred streams, clouds, fields.
Islands, spheres, universes, continents, solar systems, the sources of
creation, egg-born, womb-born, earth-born, sweat-born, oceans,
mountains and sentient being; He, the Lord, knows their condition,
O Nanak. Having created beings, the lord takes care of them all.
The Creator who created the world, He takes care of it as well.)
The world, like all creation, is a manifestation of God. Every
creature in this world, every plant, every form is a manifestation
of the Creator. Each is part of God and God is within each
element of creation. God is the cause of all and He is the primary
connection between all existences:
Aap-ai pirh baadhee jag kh-ail-ei aap-ai keemat paa-ee hai
Aap-ai bhavar ful fal tarvar
Aap-ai jal thal saagar sarvar
Aap-ai machh kachh karneekar tairaa roop na lakh-naa jaa-ee hai. (1020)
(The Creator created himself ... And created all creation in which
He is manifest. You Yourself are the bumble-bee, flower, fruit and
the tree. You Yourself are the water, desert, ocean and the pond.
You Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes.
Your form cannot be known.)
In the world, the God created, he has also provided each species
and humans with means of support and nurturing:
Khaak noor kard-aN aalam duniae Asmaan jimi darkhaat ab paidaes khudaa-e. (723)
(The Lord infused His Light into the dust and created the world,
the universe. The sky, the earth, the trees and the water - all are
the Creation of the Lord.)
Narnarah namaskaraaN Jalan thalan basudh gagan ek ekaNkaraaN. (901)
(I humbly bow to the Lord, the Supreme Being. The One, the One
and Only Creator Lord permeates the water, the land, the earth
and the sky.)
Guru Nanak considered no difference between the created and
the creature - Nature and God - and saw God in Nature itself.
If he would have seen how today's world is polluting Nature, he
really would have wondered at the change towards the negative.
Rabindra Nath Tagore was so impressed by description of
relationship of nature and God given in the hymn, Aarti that he
described it as the best piece of poetry he has ever read:
(In the sky's salver, the sun and the moon are lamps and the stars
with their orbs are the studded pearls. The fragrance of
sandalwood makes Your (God's) incense; wind makes Your fan
and all the vegetation Your flowers, O Luminous Lord! What a
beautiful worship with lamps is being performed? This is Your
present adoration: the remover of the fear! The celestial strain is
the sounding of the temple drums. Thousands are Your eyes, yet
You have no eyes; Thousands are Your forms, yet You have no
form; Thousands are Your feet, yet You have no foot; Thousands
are your noses, yet You have no nose. I am bewildered by Your
play. Amongst all, there is light and all that light is Yours. By your
light, the light shines within all the souls.)
What a wonderful description of the Creator and His
relationship with his Creation! The hymn describes the
greatness of the nature of the true Lord which performs prayerworship to the God. He compares the sky to a platter in which
Sun and Moon are the lighting pearls. The sunshine enlightens
the entire atmosphere and the air moves to remove any
unwanted pollution, the entire natural creation appears as
spread out light. This is how the real prayer to God is done.
Guru Nanak's deep love with nature creates his link to God and
takes one to sublime heights. During his itineraries the world over;
where ever he went he established himself under a tree in a nearby
jungle and did not prefer to stay in any constructed house.
Guru Har Rai, the seventh Sikh Guru developed Kiratpur Sahib
as a town of parks and gardens. Located on the banks of
tributary of the Sutlej, he planted flowers and fruit-bearing trees
all over the area. This created a salubrious environment,
attracting beautiful birds to the town and turning it into an idyllic
place to live in.
In Sikh beliefs, a concern for the environment is part of an
integrated approach to life and nature. As all creation has the
same origin and end, humans must have consciousness of their
place in creation and their relationship with the rest of creation.
Humans should conduct themselves through life with love,
compassion and justice. Becoming one and being in harmony
with God implies that humans endeavor to live in harmony with
all of God's creation.
It is in this context that the Head Priest of Akal Takhat and
President SGPC have issued orders to all Sikhs to preserve
nature and it is now binding on all Sikhs that they must protect
the environment. Sikhs have thus been bound to the duty of
environment protection.
Gagan m-ei thaal rav(i) channd deepak ban-ai Tareka mandal janak moti
Dhoop malianlo pawan chavro kar-ai Sagal banaraai foolant joti
Kaisi aarti hoe Bhav khandnaa teree aarti Anhata sabd vajant bhai-ree
Sahas tav nein nann nein hah(i) toh(i) kau sahas moort(i) nanna ek tuhee
Sahas padd bimal nann ek padd gandh bin(u) Sahas tav gandh iv chalat mohee
Sabh mah(i) jot(i) jot(i) hai soe Tis dei chaanann(i) sabh mah(i) chaanann(u) hoe. (13)
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535
A
great general and an organizer of victories, a rare
example of selfless service and sacrifice, a zealous
custodian of the Sikh ideals and institutions and guardian of the
Sikh holy places, Akali Phoola Singh occupies a unique place in
the history of the Sikhs. He was born in the year 1761 at Shihan,
a remote village in the present state of Haryana. Phoola Singh
inherited his love and admiration for the Sikh values and
Gursikh living from his father, Bhai Ishar Singh, who himself
was a devout Sikh and well known in his area for his high moral
and spiritual values. Along with many other Sikhs of the area,
Bhai Ishar Singh also joined the heroic bands of the Sikhs, who
challenged the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Abdali, during his
sixth invasion of India in 1762. Ishar Singh was seriously
wounded in the battlefield and later succumbed to injuries. But
before his death, Ishar Singh managed to leave his young son to
the affectionate care of Baba Narain Singh, popularly known as
Akali Naina Singh. It was in the pious environs of the Dera of
Baba Narain Singh that young Phoola Singh received his early
instruction in Sikh scriptures and later his practical training in
warfare. As a young lad, Phoola Singh showed signs of
greatness and impressed his preceptor by his brilliance and his
dedication to whatever was entrusted to him.
Akali Phoola Singh
The saint-soldier
By Dr. Mohinder Singh
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During his campaign again Qutubdin Khan, the Governor
of Kasur, in 1807, Maharaja Ranjit Singh sought the
assistance of Akali Phoola Singh and his Jatha. In the fierce
battle that ensued, Qutubdin Khan was defeated but
pardoned and was given a Jagir for his maintenance. During
this campaign, Phoola Singh impressed the Maharaja
with his rare qualities of a warrior and earned the
reputation of an organizer of victories. On return from this
campaign, Phoola Singh and his Jatha moved to Damdama
Sahib in the winter of 1809, in order to carry out some
improvements in the administration of the Sikh shrines
there. While at Damdama Sahib, Akali Phoola Singh heard
a rumor about an attack on Punjab by the British forces.
In order to forestall the enemy move, Phoola Singh marched
with his band of Akalis and attacked the British troops under
Captain White, encamped at Fatoh-ke Village near Nabha.
In his anxiety to save the Khalsa Raj, which he cherished
most, Akali Phoola Singh seems to have quite ignored the
political expediencies and was prepared to risk his life to
defend the Sikh kingdom against the evil designs of the
British rulers in India.
After completing his early education and training in traditional
warfare, young Phoola Singh began his career at Anandpur
Sahib as a custodian of the Sikh shrines there along with other
members of Baba Narain Singh's Jatha. During his stay at
Anandpur, he was often sent in the Jathas to repel enemy attacks
and thus he gained valuable experience in actual warfare.
Because of his ability and complete dedication to his mission,
Phoola Singh became very popular with his preceptor and his
colleagues in the Jatha. After the death of Akali Narain Singh,
young Phoola Singh was elected leader of his Jatha. At his
elevation to the position of Jathedar, Phoola Singh paid attention
to the holy places of the Sikhs and carried out a number of
improvements in their administration and daily routine.
In 1800, Phoola Singh and other members of his Jatha moved
to Amritsar to eliminate unhealthy and un-Sikhlike practices
that had slowly crept into the Sikh holy places there. With the
help of his dedicated band of followers, Akali Phoola Singh was
able to bring about some major improvements in the
administration of the Golden Temple, the Akal Takhat and other
important shrines in Amritsar. It was during his stay at
Amritsar that Akali Phoola Singh first met Maharaja Ranjit
Singh who had led an invasion against the Bhangi chief in
possession of that city. Phoola Singh's love for his community
did not allow him to helplessly watch this fratricidal war
between the two Sikh chiefs. Accordingly, he intervened and
with his influence and sagacity brought about a peaceful
settlement between Ranjit Singh and the Bhangi chief.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was highly impressed by Akali Phoola
Singh's love for his community and his deep involvement for the
Sikh causes. Then onward, the Maharaja became a great
admirer of this fearless Akali leader.
August - October, 2009
537
encouragement and help to Ranjit Singh in his major military
campaigns. The fearless leadership of Akali Phoola Singh
provided indispensable support to Maharaja Ranjit Singh
during his military campaigns against the rulers of Multan,
Bahawalpur and Sind. The important role played by Akali
Phoola Singh during the Maharaja's campaign against Multan
has been thus recorded in a near contemporary account:
“Ranjit Singh's whole army would have been repulsed from
Multan had not Phoola Singh, a mad Akali, borrowed
from Bacieline, the courage to lead a storming party against
the breach.”
The growing popularity of Akali Phoola Singh along with his
bold and fearless nature and frank criticism of the acts of
omission and commission of the high officials at the Lahore
Darbar, seem to have encouraged some vested interests to join
against Phoola Singh. It led to poisoning the ears of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh against this powerful Akali chief. Thus, when
Phoola Singh went to Lahore to meet the Maharaja and to warn
him against the intrigues of his courtiers, who were trying to
create a rift between him and his son and heir-apparent, Prince
Kharak Singh, these selfish officials of the Maharaja managed
to delay Akali Phoola Singh seeking an audience with the
Maharaja. After a long wait, Phoola Singh took the initiative of
walking into the Maharaja's palace without waiting for a formal
appointment. During his meeting with the Maharaja, Phoola
Singh boldly pointed out the danger involved in Maharaja's
policy of entrusting responsible positions to persons with
doubtful credentials and warned him against the intrigues of his
selfish nobles, who were trying to create a rift between the father
and son for selfish gains. When asked to partake of food with the
Maharaja, the fearless Akali refused to accept anything at his
hands till the Maharaja made the necessary amends.
During Ranjit Singh's campaign against Peshawar in 1818,
when his forces had suffered heavy losses and chances of
victory were bleak, the fearless Akali Phoola Singh was sent by
the Maharaja to save the situation. The timely arrival of Akali
Phoola Singh on the battlefield turned this impending rout into a
grand victory and the ruler of Peshawar surrendered before this
great general of the Maharaja. In subsequent years, Phoola
Singh and his contingent helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh in his
conquest of the beautiful valley of Kashmir. Ranjit Singh was so
much impressed with the rare qualities of Akali Phoola Singh
that after the victory of Kashmir, he requested him to stay in his
constant company at the Lahore Darbar. But given, as he was,
to an independent life, away from the grandeurs of the royalty,
he refused this invitation and returned to his camp at Amritsar
to devote himself to the service of Sikh holy places there.
In 1823, Akali Phoola Singh was called upon to join the
Maharaja in his campaigns against the frontier tribes. It was
during these campaigns that Akali Phoola Singh
demonstrated, not only his proverbial bravery and loyalty to the
Khalsa Raj but also his adherence to the Sikh prayer. He died
fighting, rather than retreat and thus go back from the promise
made in the solemn presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. In the
battle of Naushehra, Akali Phoola Singh marched after saying
his prayer and in spite of repeated efforts of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and other high officials refused to halt till reinforcements
had arrived. In the fierce battle even after having been pierced
with bullets all over his body, he continued the fight and
breathed his last only after ensuring victory for the Khalsa.
Akali Phoola Singh was cremated at Pirsabak, four miles east
of Naushehra, with full military honors, with Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and other high officials attending the funeral. To
perpetuate the memory of this grand old man, the Maharaja got
a Samadhi made at the place of his cremation and attached a big
Jagir for its maintenance. Another memorial, known as Burj
Akali Phoola Singh, was later erected in the sacred city of
Amritsar, where Akali Phoola Singh had spent most his time
when free from military campaigns. While the Samadhi of
Phoola Singh has been left in Pakistan after the partition of the
country, the Burj at Amritsar has developed into a sort of
headquarters for the Nihangs for whom Phoola Singh remains
their beau ideal.
Because of Akali Phoola Singh's significant contribution in
almost all the important military campaigns of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and in view of his role in ensuring victories therein, Phoola
Singh was honored with the befitting title of the builder and
defender of the Khalsa Raj.
A rare example of selfless sacrifice, a fearless fighter and
organizer of victories, a genuine lover and builder and
defender of the Khalsa Raj; a devout Sikh and zealous
guardian of the Sikh morals, Phoola Singh occupies a unique
place in history of the Sikhs.
After this incident, Akali Phoola Singh marched to Anandpur
Sahib along with other members of the Jatha. The Maharaja,
who was fully convinced of the Akali leader's genuine love for the
Sikh kingdom and his uncompromising nature, brought Akali
Phoola Singh back to Amritsar through the good offices of a
revered Sikh sage, Baba Sahib Singh Bedi. As a token of his
gratitude and love for the Akali leader, the Maharaja offered
elephants, horses and other materials for use by the members of
Phoola Singh's Jatha. The Maharaja also got regular barracks
made at Amtisar for lodging his Jatha, which later developed as
headquarters of the Nihang Singhs and came to be known as the
Akalian-di-Chhauni or the Akali cantonment.
Good relations being restored between the Maharaja and Akali
Phoola Singh, this great general became a source of immense
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539
Book review
By Prof. Lakhmir Singh
A
lot has been written about the Sikh massacre of
November, 1984, following the assassination of Indira
Gandhi. Many books and monographs by writers, journalists
and human rights activist have appeared about the catastrophe
but still the magnitude of those tragic happenings have not been
told in its totality. It is, therefore, not surprising that books and
articles about the black November of '84 still continue to appear.
Reema Anand's Scorched White Lilies of '84, however, is not just
another book picturing the anti-Sikh carnage of 1984, when 4000
Sikhs were massacred in cold blood in the national capital of Delhi
alone and manifold rendered homeless. It aims at not just giving a
picture of those first three days of November '84, when marauding
mobs of lumpens lunatically shouting revenge, rampaged
throughout Delhi and plundered Sikh homes, shops and
establishment at will; desecrated their places of worship, killed,
butchered and burnt alive thousands of innocents, who had not
even the remotest relation with the assassins of the Prime
Minister except that they just happened to belong to the same faith.
This book is more concerned with the trying circumstances in
which the surviving victims of the massacre have lived during the
last 25 years and who are yet to recover from that trauma.
The scorched white lilies of this book are the women, who lost
their fathers, husbands or brothers in the '84 riots and are still
struggling to find their moorings in an otherwise insensitive
society. As of now, they live in dirty and drab one-room
tenements in an ever expanding slum called Tilak Vihar, which
the Government established to herd a thousand uprooted
families from various parts of Delhi. Reema rightly chooses 20
of these unfortunate women as her adopted girls, for, it is after all
a woman who pays a colossal price in such tragic happenings as
the one witnessed in 1984. Of the women who become a part of
his self-help NGO Hope, Mataji, the eldest of them all, lost no
less than seven male members in that carnage; Gurdeep saw
her husband and sons murdered in front of her own eyes and
was gang-raped; Maina had survived with five siblings to
support and Puppy lost her father. Rest of them had also gone
through similar harrowing experiences – Kalu, Harvinder,
Baby, Lali, Seema – to name a few. None had known what
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childhood was or what playfulness and vibrancy of youth was
like. Their lives have long relentless struggle for a bare survival.
Reema first engages these women in Papar-making, a venture
that does not meet success. Then she involves them in Masalamaking, helping them to sell these at congregation, Gurdwaras
and other places. They are also engaged in hand-made Sevians.
Actually what she aimed at was to make them self-dependent
and independent; develop the ethics of work culture in them and
shed their dirty behavior and uncouth language.
Reema's effort about the change in the lives of these women meet
only partial success in the beginning as they are intransigent to
any change in their lives and refuse to be persuaded to get out of
their self-created grooves. But once, she succeeds in relating to her
adopted girls, they tell her all that happened to them on those three
fateful days of November. But the years that followed the carnage
were equally harrowing. Now with their children growing up, they
see only a dark sinister future staring at them as their offsprings
never got the benefit of quality education.
Reema's efforts for the well-beings of these scorched lilies are
obstructed by those, who have thrived on the tragedy of these
unfortunates and do not want them out of their stranglehold. But
at the same time, there was some positive help from certain wellmeanings groups and individuals. That is how Scorched White
Lilies of '84 brings to fore the enormity of tragedy.
Scorched White Lilies of '84 raises many questions with a telling
effect. Who gives license to a uniformed Seva Ram to act so
blatantly against a particular community? Why do those men,
who are supposed to maintain law and order allow mobsters a
free run? Who gives a right to political leaders to mobilize
lumpens? Why are these uniformed men and political big wigs,
who are in collusion with the goons not punished? The judiciary
wants circumstantial evidence to proceed. But will not fear of
reprisals prevent an ordinary citizen to give evidence against a
Seva Ram or a Bhagat? This book raises such questions about
the system itself with great insistence.
Reema Anand, a Sikh herself, displays a rare moral courage to
look at the carnage '84 objectively. The book raises questions
about the Sikh leadership too. What exactly have they done to
rehabilitate the unfortunate widows and orphans of the
November '84 carnage? Did the victims get all the compensation
meant for them? What did the leaders do to heal their emotional
wounds and infuse positive feelings in them? Couldn't they do
something to change their mindset to help them overcome their
parasitical dependence on aids and donations? A Sikh never
begs. But didn't we make them virtual parasites?
If Reema with her non-descript NGO called Hope could instill a
sense of dignity and work culture in 20-odd women, why couldn't
we as a community reach out to each and every victim?
Scorched White Lilies of '84 is an outstanding book that deals
with the excruciating experiences of the victims of November
'84 anti-Sikh carnage; their anguish and agony; and their
continuing tragedy in a simple and forceful manner. The
books of this nature generally tend to be rhetorical or
pontifical, but rhetoric and melodrama are conspicuous by
their total absence in Scorched White Lilies of '84. This is an
immensely readable book with simplicity and intensity of style
being its main aspects.
Scorched White Lilies of '84 is a book that grips our mind,
disturbs us and sets us thinking raising a question that Hamlet in
Shakespeare's Hamlet asked, “What is this man? Why does he
act like an angel? Why does he act like a beast?”
The tragic tale of the massacre of nearly
5,000 Sikhs following the assassination
of Mrs Gandhi on 31 october 1984 has not
yet ended.
We shall have no clear account of what
happened to the survivors of the holocaust.
Thousands of families lost all they owned
along with their breadwinners. Many
more thousands were scarred for life.
Wounds inflicted have yet to be healed.
Reema Anand has carried the tale to its
conclusion by telling us how the victims are
coping with life, what is being done for
them and how much remains undone.
Highly informative and readable.
- Kushwant Singh
The determination of Reema Anand can be gauged
from the fact that towards the end of the book,
she dreams that the haunted area ‘Tilak Vihar’
is wiped out from the map of Delhi.
- Editor
Schorched White Lilies of '84 by Reema Anand
August - October, 2009
631
M
y fingers were trembling as I dialed his number. I had
promised him that I would call once I returned to the
USA. It would be perfect timing; he would be out of the center by
then. An entire month had passed following my return before
I had gathered the courage to call Mahinder. Of all the people at
the center I had met, I had connected with him the most, perhaps
because he was a repeat or perhaps because I had successfully
negotiated a huge redemption from him. He had promised me
that to every extent possible, he would undo his wrong doings.
We spent good 3 hours talking…and not a day has passed by
since then that I don't think of Mahinder and his promise.
Today my expectations are flying high as I hold the phone,
hoping to hear his voice - healthy, fighting the drug war,
redeeming the hundreds of others in his district to which he
introduced Smack - or heroin, that white angel of death.
The odds were against hope that Mahinder had managed to
succeed in keeping his promise; maybe that is why I had delayed
making the phone call until this morning.
During my trip to Punjab this past summer, Dr. Balwant Singh
Sekhon arranged for my teenage son, Angad Singh and me, to
visit the Akal De-addiction Center at Cheema Sahib in district
Sangrur. “Biba Ji” he told me, “You should visit and write about the
drug issue in Punjab”. Much has already been written about it,
I thought, what new information or perspective could I have to offer?
As I traveled on the road from Muktsar to Cheema, I did not
realize what was going to come out of this visit was not a story
or a report but rather new bonds and connections of hearts.
After our visit, as we returned to Muktsar, all Angad and
I could talk about was our drowning brothers. We felt
powerless to change a thing in the lives of our brothers but the
visit had surely changed us. We prayed that they saw and
understood the message in our sad parting eyes, “Please be
well our brothers; our nation needs you.”
Redemption
... amidst the drug wars
By Gurmeet Kaur
Bustling with devotional energy centered around the
intimidated us, the sight and sounds of a recovering addict
reciting from Guru Granth Sahib in an adjacent room calmed
our fears and brought us to ease.
This experience marked my first encounter with drug addicts,
some of whom were criminals in addition to their addiction.
I had no idea about what I was going to write or whether any of
them would even agree to speak with us. In Angad Singh, I had
the perfect helper. He quickly mingled, making the patients
laugh with his awkward ways and accented Punjabi. In no time
they were friendly and ready to share their stories. It was evident
in their eyes that they begged only for acknowledgment in return
and appreciation of the fact that they had taken steps toward
bettering their lives… bold steps indeed.
The hope I saw in their eyes was so calming yet painful. I was
told that even though this center has a high success rate, close to
a quarter of them would relapse and when they did, it would be
far worse than before. A lot of the men were on a quick road
to death as the 42 day program at the center came to an end.
The very qualified Dr. Sanjeev Kumar the Medical Officer in-charge of the Center first told us about the center and its
activities followed by an in-depth expose on the drug issue in
Punjab, including demographics, causes, cures, social and
anatomical effects and more.
We were not only very impressed with his knowledge, but the
purity of his intentions to help this worthwhile cause clearly
demonstrated his dedication. When asked what promotes such
an incredible success rate for the program, he summed it up
simply yet powerfully by answering “Spirituality, of course.”
In addition to the Government mandated protocol, the center
heavily supplements by daily diet and exercise with an
Ayurvedic regimen designed to restore organ damage such as
that of the kidneys, liver and lungs which tends to be common
among substance abusers. There is individual, group and family
Gurdwara Janam Asthan (birth place) of Sant Attar Singh of
Mastuana, Cheema is also a home to one of the oldest Akal
Academies that is fighting the drug war at the grass roots level
by instilling value based education and responsibility in the
local youth. It is mind-blowing to see the 'Desi Sharab Thekas'
(Government licensed country alcohol shops) share the same
street as the Gurdwara and the Academies not too far away
from each other… A silent war that the two institutions have
declared against each other; with the Akal De-addiction
Center, as the DMZ (the Demilitarized Zone), where the two
make peace with each other.
Complete with iron bars, armed security guards and
supervisory staff, the center gave us a nervous thrill; we had no
idea what to expect when we entered. Whereas the vacant
staring eyes of some of the inmates from within locked cells
August - October, 2009
63
“This whole year has been very peaceful. No police cases, no
family quarrels, more money for the necessities”, he reports.
Yet, Baldev is not a worry-free man. His son is 16 years old and
during the time Baldev was in and out of prisons and centers, his
son dropped out of school. Baldev constantly worries about the
dark shadows that surround both him and his son, waiting to
pounce on them at a weak moment.
The land, Baldev worked, was contracted out by his brothers
for the period in which he was away and although there is
income to get by, there is no real purpose in life for him other
than acting as a watch dog protecting his son. “That's why
I call my situation a success story on the edge. Getting hooked
on drugs is a sure death warrant”, he told me. “If you do drugs
they will eventually kill you; and until you quit for good, you
experience death over and over.”
counseling service supervised by specialized psychologists.
“The real edge is provided by Catharsis that takes place through
meditation and reflection. We have a full Gurbani based
regimen that inspires the inmates towards introspection and
committed action”, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar explained.
Baldev Singh, aged 45, from Cheema, who now volunteers at
the local Gurdwara testifies to the fact. He comes down very
often to motivate other patients; it was a joy to meet with the
man responsible for many success stories. Ever since he has
been drug-free, the opportunity to contribute his time at
the Gurdwara and to counsel other patients at the Akal
De-addiction Center has created a sense of sanctuary for Baldev.
‘Success on the Edge’ is what he calls his case. A Punjabi
farmer from generations before him, Baldev became addicted in
his early 20's. The person who introduced him to opium was
none other than his grandfather.
It is common for farmers and labors in the region to use any of
the easily available drugs (poppy husk, opium, even a tobacco
and alcohol combination) for increased performance in the
fields. At first it wasn't bad he told me; he got married and had
a child. But as it started getting worse, life became a living hell.
He became unable to farm. He would steal family money and
his married life soon became marred in daily quarrels. He
started taking refuge in alcohol at nights. The need for opium
to rid of alcohol hangovers intensified and one day he found
himself lifeless and sick to near death. It was then that he was
brought to the center some three years ago. He rebelled by
running away within the first 20 days. It was no surprise that
he relapsed. His second admission was voluntary in May of
2008, at the invitation of a recovered alcoholic; this time it
seems to have worked.
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Eternal Voice
I have hope that Baldev will be okay but I wasn't so sure about
Sarab from Delhi who was a successful business man until he
found himself in a repeat of a drunken violent rage, beating his
wife and children and getting into trouble with law. The guilt on
his face was clear and pleading. “All I want to do is get better and
get my family back. Do you know my son is about your son's age
and I almost killed him”, he narrated with tears in his eyes.
Whereas poppy husk (Bhukki), tobacco (Tambaku), opium
(Afeem) and smack (Charas) engulf Punjabi villages especially
those of the working farmers, the very legal weapon of mass
destruction, Alcohol, is silently drowning the lives of the elites as well.
Alcohol consumption is a very acceptable thing in the Punjabi
Circles and as the business man Sarab is, what are the chances
he will not relapse? How long can he stay away from alcohol, I
wondered. Close to half the addicts in the center are abusers of
two perfectly legal substances – alcohol and tobacco.
When Mahinder said that tobacco was the first thing he got
hooked to; I posed an irresponsible question: “Since when did it
become acceptable for Sikhs to chew tobacco?” “Ever since it
became acceptable for them to gulp alcohol!” my teenage
assistant interrupted.
If alcohol and tobacco are easily available at every corner in
Punjab, smack and opium are not far away and nearly as
easy to obtain.
Much shockingly, Mahinder's latest smack supplier is an
elderly woman from his village and with the assistance of
Mahinder's family I was able to speak with her. She reiterated
the question when reminded of the ethical values. “When
everybody from the ministers in India to the local contractor
draw their salaries off the Thekas (alcohol shops) why can't I
provide for my family off a few Puris (bits) of Charas?” she
countered me. “What's the difference Bibi? They both kill.”
I had no answer for her.
There are other legal options for the more sophisticated.
A trend among young college-bound boys and girls finds the use
of synthetic derivatives of opium which are much cheaper,
easily available at both chemist shops and drug peddlers.
Morphine is also readily available without prescription. Lomotil
(Di-phenoxlylate) has the same effect as opium and is legally
available everywhere. It takes only seven days to get addicted.
Just as with opium and heroin, side-effects including headaches,
palpitations, restlessness, loss of appetite, mood swings,
aggressiveness, and diarrhea will become increasingly severe
until more of the drug is consumed.
you'd call…He spoke about you and the promise he made. He
was so excited when he got back from the Center. The Center
did a really good job. His health improved much, his
complexion...like it used to be…”
I was relieved to hear all and now I wanted to hear his voice
even more. But her voice seemed like she wanted to cling to
me and never let go of the call so I just listened as I tried to
picture her on the other end; a beautiful young woman,
educated and intelligent. I recalled how Mahinder had a spark
in his eyes when he spoke about his beloved and how they
were madly in love with each other and got married without
the families' consent.
Akal De-addiction Center sees all kinds of addictions in all ages
and education levels. Since it serves mostly rural population,
the Center's patients comprise mostly males. In the month of
June, during our visit, the Center admitted 39 men of all ages.
The popularity of the Center with its affordable cost and high
success rate approaching 80% has driven growth (primarily
through word of mouth) beyond its intended capacity. However,
since there are minimal rehabilitation services at the Center, many
patients succumb back to their old debilitating lifestyle as they
return to the same environment and influences that reclaim them
faster than any follow up volunteer from the center is able to.
Dr. Sanjeev attributes the reason for drug prevalence in Punjab
to many factors such as peer pressure, pleasure seeking
attitude, elevated workloads, inability to deal with social issues,
but he does not deny that political reasons such as high
unemployment rate and post-1984 blues have played a big role.
“Ultimately it all comes down to money”, he says, “Alcohol and
the drug business are the easiest ways to get rich”. The profits
are very attractive and the risks in peddling are few. One Puri
(bit) of smack can be purchased for Rs. 20 in Delhi. It is so easily
accessible that the villagers make routine trips to get them. They
then resell the Puris for Rs.100 each. Payments as little as ten
thousand a year in bribes to officials ensure the traffickers can
go about their business uninterrupted.
This desire to get rich quick got young Mahinder into drug
dealing, but before long the money fizzled out in Police cases
and treatment centers. I wondered how his wife and children
were handling it all.
So here I was at my home in the USA making the call I promised
him I would. My heart was beating fast in anticipation. After a
couple of rings, the phone was answered with a burst of
enthusiasm at his home in Mansa. I introduced myself to his
mother, who then handed off to Preeti, Mahinder's wife.
She started as if she had always known me and was waiting for
the call. I too felt surprisingly close to her. She said, “He said
August - October, 2009
635
whole family had suspended their lives in a hope to get him back,
to will him back - the one who had slipped yet again to ever
deeper depths and they hoped a stranger far away has some
kind of power.
“You cannot rest until you help all those people you caused to
become addicted to Smack”, I had said when we were saying our
good byes at the Center, and he had agreed. Perhaps the
redemption I had negotiated with him was too heavy for him to
bear. Perhaps, he was only serving his destiny…
I did not have the strength to call the other two numbers.
The names of the patients have been changed to protect their
privacy.
A handsome national level soccer player pursuing college in
Physical Education, Mahinder couldn't wait to return to her in
Punjab and marry her as he finished his degree at University
in Nagpur. Sadly, by the time he was ending college, he was
already hooked on tobacco; Smack was not far behind,
introduced to him by his 'friends'. He was in the early stages
then and she suspected as much, even before they married.
But she was in love. Shortly after their marriage, he and a
friend introduced hundreds, if not thousands, in the Mansa
district to Smack. Mahinder made a lot of money. He wanted
to give her the best.
hope
By Izzy
“He said he wanted to help other addicts. He came back with a
mission but then one evening his friend called him…. That's all it
took! Sister, maybe you can bring him back! Please, call him! He
is in a center in Mullanpur at such an such number. He'll listen to
you…you never know…what will bring him back… Please!” she
pleaded persistently. The trembling in my fingers spread to the
rest of the body. My throat parched and it seemed to take all my
strength to hold the phone to my ear.
I walk down this endless road
Lost on a path I thought I had always known
I find myself in a city of lost souls
No companion, no one there giving me hope.
Yet again, doubts slowly enter my mind
Am I doing the right thing by trying?
I have done this many a times before
Getting nothing but broken hopes and dreams.
Hope sounds like a dream that once used to be
Now fading away into the empty streets
Traffic of my mind is my life's beat
Seeing all this junk, life seems obsolete.
The path is tough, I am fatigued
But something tells me to keep going
And so I trek, and trek deep
Slowly, slowly hope's rekindling.
Her voice told me she was still in love with him, so desperate to
have him back. Taking care of his parents, their children and
dealing with his addiction, treatments and remissions, she
embodies a typical Punjabi woman's life; her only dream and
aspiration is to get her husband back from this death trap.
To the Heavens above I yell and scream
Save me, save me as I continue to dream
Hoping Heaven's arms will come grab me in my sleep
Oh Lord, save me from this life of hell, I plea.
The road is hilly; I see:
Ups and downs, Bends and cracks
Thorn beds and poisonous mushrooms
Everything there to make me turn back.
I gain consciousness; I feel a deep pang within
Feel my body and soul shaking and trembling
Like I've lost something that was in my hand's grasp and given
What is taking so long, oh so long, beloved Heaven?
But this Light in the distance is too intense
Brain says there's no logic in this, it makes no sense
Somehow this Light is making everything inside me bend
Bending my hopes in such a way that I cannot comprehend.
I wander around this city; I catch a glimpse
There, afar: shining, gleaming, brightly in the distance
Alas, I've become weary, yet something pulls me yonder
Maybe hope rekindling, even if for an instant my mind ponders.
My hope now, has become too strong
Mind now says, in dying trying, there's nothing wrong
Even if Heaven doesn't accept me with open arms
At least I wasn't trapped in Hell's palms.
“We have not left any center in Punjab - Mohali, Chandigarh,
Bathinda, Patiala, Cheema… he has been everywhere… This
time it was extremely severe because he did 20 bits of smacks
all at once. He fell unconscious, turned white and his eyes
rolled over. I thought I had lost him….but he is alive and I am
not giving up. Please tell him that his family needs him…Will
you?” she begged.
I could hear her children of seven and four years screaming in
the background, hoping it was their father on the phone and
wanting to talk to him. She eventually fell silent, not sure if I was
still on the other end. The quite moments felt heavy as if the
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Akal Charitable De-addiction Center is a non-profit center run by
The Kalgidhar Trust/Society (www.barusahib.org). Any substance
abuser with a positive identification is eligible for treatment.
The Center can be reached by calling (91)-1676-284272.
Eternal Voice
August - October, 2009
637
human reaction in this age of rage, when all around us,
newspaper articles, TV serials and films are full of victims
burning with the Badle ki aag!
But brace yourself for a surprise: Some experts have found out
that the best way to feel better Is not through revenge, but the
opposite of that - forgiveness. It turns out that one of the most
ancient Injunctions - forgive your enemy - offers tremendous
psychological and even physical benefits. In fact, saying the words
'I forgive you' could be the most powerful thing you'll ever do.
Can you really
forgive & forget?
By Shanta Sharma
Though to most of us forgiving is synonymous with
giving in, forgiving according to experts, is all about
letting go of grudges and freeing yourself.
A
ll of us have been hurt, betrayed or humiliated. More often
than not by someone whom we trust and are close
to - maybe a parent, a sibling, a spouse or a dear friend. And
when that happens, when someone we love and trust hurts us,
It rankles, It festers like gangrene and swells into a grudge.
And this grudge sits there, deep within our hearts, growing and
growing like a benign tumor, for years together.
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Eternal Voice
We want to feel better. We want to feel vindicated. So we catch
hold of whoever has hurt us, and say the worst possible things
we can think of to them. Or brood over the things we wish we'd
said, and will say - one day. In some extreme cases, we want to
extract our pound of flesh - we want revenge.
This anger, this unquenchable desire for revenge, is a perfectly
Thus can forgiveness free you, whether you're the ex-wife who
remains bitter about her former spouse's walking out on her,
or the worker passed over for promotion, or the aunt not
invited to a wedding.
The ultimate irony is that, while your whole life is colored with
ideas of revenge and bitterness, in many cases, the other person
is blissfully unaware of your misery and doesn't feel a thing.
Of course, to most of us, forgiving is synonymous with giving in.
But it isn't - forgiving is all about letting go.
And that's why forgiving is good for the body as well as the soul.
“Reliving past hurts over and over again is bad for your health”,
says an expert. “Simply remembering an incident that made a
person angry has proven to be stressful for the heart.”
“When you forgive, you no longer go through life emotionally
handcuffed to the person who hurt you,” explains author Robin
Casarjian, who managed to forgive the man who raped her.
It's also a proven fact that negative feelings are always linked to
high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and increased
susceptibility to other illnesses.
Only when you forgive do you realize that you have better
things to do than perpetuate your own victimization.
According to one victim of child molestation, “Forgiveness
extricates you from someone else's nightmare and allows you
to live in a state of grace.”
While terrible hurts can take only minutes to inflict, forgiving them
often requires more time, because it's a journey through various
stages. “At first, you experience anger, sadness, shame or other
negative feelings,” says a psychiatrist. “Then, you begin to reevaluate what happened, to reframe it and try to make sense of it.”
But if forgiveness has so much going for it, why do so many of us
insist on lugging around blame and resentment? One reason
may be because we equate forgiveness with weakness or
capitulation. According to Jacqui Bishop, co-author, with Mary
Grunte of 'How to Forgive When You Don't Know How',
“People think that forgiving means saying that they were wrong
and someone else was right, letting him go scot-free or
condoning what he did.”
“You learn to see the person who hurt you through new eyes”,
adds Maureen Burns, an incest survivor and author of
'Forgiveness: A Gift You Give Yourself'. “Before, you saw her as
the bad person who hurt you. Later, you see her in greater
perspective as somebody who was flawed, weak, sick, needy or
ignorant.” Unfortunately, some people may never reach the final
stages of forgiveness. This is especially true of children
molested or sexually abused by people they loved and trusted.
Yet, for Individuals who have been brutalized in body or spirit,
even partial forgiveness can be beneficial.
Another more important reason for not forgiving is that it
helps you compensate for the helplessness you felt when
you were hurt.
This phenomenon is explained by psychologist Sidney Simon,
co-author, with his wife, Suzanne, of 'Forgiveness: How to Make
Peace with Your Past and Get On With Your Life', “While
keeping the people who 'hurt you locked in the prison of your
mind, you feel omnipotent, since no one can force you to stop
holding a grudge.”
Grunte agrees, “People may feel more powerful when they're
filled with anger. But forgiving instills a much greater sense of
power. A rabbi who lost his wife, child and parents in the
holocaust told us he forgave, because he chose not to bring Hitler
with him to America. When you forgive, you reclaim your power
to choose. It doesn't matter whether someone deserves
forgiveness; you deserve to be free.” Grunte continues,
“Forgiveness isn't about letting the other person off the hook.
It's about pulling the knife Out of your own gut.”
“Accept imperfect forgiving. We don't do anything else perfectly;
probably we won't forgive perfectly either”, adds an expert.
Sometimes, in cases of incest, assault and other criminal acts,
the victims may avoid forgiving the perpetrator because they feel
a confrontation isn't safe. But what the victims don't seem to
realize is that they needn't face that person at all. Forgiveness
can occur without anyone else's involvement or awareness.
“The people you forgive may never realize how much they've
wronged you or never know that you've forgiven them,” says a
rape survivor. “The perpetrator may be dead or he may be alive
and still deny everything. What's important is that you let go of
your anger and open your heart to understanding.”
What we must work towards is healing ourselves rather than
focusing on forgiving the other person. Forgiveness is the
reward that comes from the process of healing.
August - October, 2009
639
A
ssam is a North-Eastern state of India with its capital at
Guwahati. Located South of the Eastern Himalayas,
Assam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleys
and the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills with an area
of 30,285 square miles (78,438 km²). Assam is surrounded by
the other six of the Seven Sister States: Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. These
states are connected to the rest of India via a narrow strip in
West Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor or "Chicken's Neck".[2]
Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan and
Bangladesh; and cultures, peoples and climate with South-East
Asia - important elements in India's Look East policy.
Assam became a part of India after the British occupied the
region following the Treaty of Yandaboo of 1826. It is known for
Assam tea, large and old petroleum resources, Assam silk, for
its rich bio-diversity and Kaziranga and Manas are both World
Heritage Sites.[3]. A land of high rainfall, Assam is endowed
with lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, whose
tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with a unique
hydro-geomorphic and aesthetic environment.
Two later dynasties, the Ahoms and the Koch left larger impacts.
The Ahoms, a Tai group, ruled Assam for nearly 600 years
(1228–1826) and the Koch, a Tibeto-Burmese, established
sovereignty in 1510. The Koch kingdom in Western Assam and
present North Bengal was at its zenith in the early reign of
Naranarayana (1540-1587). It split into two in 1581, the
Western part as a Moghul vassal and the Eastern as an Ahom
satellite state. Since 13th Century, the nerve center of Ahom
The connection of Assam with Sikhs dates
back to Guru Nanak's visit to Assam.
Kamroop, the interior district of Assam and
Noor Shah, the famous witch have been
mentioned in Janamsakhis; the Sikh
historical chronicles.
polity was upper Assam; the kingdom was gradually extended
till Karatoya river in the 17th and 18th Centuries. It was at its
zenith during the reign of Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu Rudra
Simha (1696-1714). Among other dynasties, the Chutiyas ruled
the North-Eastern Assam and parts of present Arunachal
Pradesh and the Kacharis ruled from river Dikhow to Central
and Southern Assam. With expansion of Ahom kingdom, by
1520, the Chutiya areas were annexed and since 1536, Kacharis
remained only in Cachar and North Cachar more as an Ahom
ally than a competing force. Despite numerous invasions,
mostly by the Muslim rulers, no Western power ruled Assam
until the arrival of the British. The most successful invader Mir
Jumla, a governor of Aurangzeb, briefly occupied Garhgaon
(1662-63), the then capital, but found it difficult to control people
making guerrilla attacks on his forces, forcing them to leave.
The decisive victory of the Assamese led by the great General
Lachit Borphukan on the Mughals, then under command of
Raja Ram Singha at Saraighat (1671) had almost ended
Mughal ambitions. Mughals were finally expelled in 1682 from
lower Assam.
Ancient Assam known as Kamarupa was ruled by powerful
dynasties: the Varmanas (350-650), the Salstambhas
(Xalostombho, 655-900) and the Kamarupa-Palas (900-1100).
In the reign of the Varman king, Bhaskaravarman (600–650),
the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visited the region and recorded
his travels. Later, after weakening and disintegration (after the
Kamarupa-Palas), the Kamarupa tradition was somewhat
extended till 1255 by the Lunar I (1120-1185) and Lunar II
(1155-1255) dynasties.[16]
Assamese
Sikhs
By Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal
Cultural reminiscences of its past are ancient monuments which
include a ferocious lion excavated in Madan Kamdev close to
Baihata Cariali in Assam representing the powerful KamarupaPalas (9th and 10th Centuries) and Rang Ghar, a pavilion built
by Pramatta Singha (also Sunenpha; 1744–1751) in Ahom
capital Rongpur, now Sibsagar; the Rang Ghar is one of the
earliest pavilions of outdoor stadia in South Asia.
Sikhs in Assam
The connection of Assam with Sikhs dates back to Guru
Nanak's visit to Assam. Kamroop, the interior district of Assam
and Noor Shah, the famous witch have been mentioned in
Janamsakhis; the Sikh historical chronicles. During Guru
Nanak's visit to the state, Noor Shah the witch enticed Mardana
and converted him into a lamb. Guru Nanak explained her the
importance of real spell in God's name recitation and the real
deed to serve humanity. She and her companions became
followers of Guru Nanak.
The new states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram were
formed in the 1960-70s. From Shillong, the capital of Assam
was shifted to Dispur, now a part of Guwahati. After the IndoChina war in 1962, Arunachal Pradesh was also separated out.
All these states were part of Assam during Guru Nanak's visit,
when he is stated to have visited, Lumpung, Tawang,
Menchukha, Tato, Walong, Lohit Lake, Tinshukhia, Dibrugarh,
Golaghat and Guwahati. Gurdwaras at Golaghat and
Menchukha remind us of his visit to Assam. With his religion,
being a proselytizing one, it was but natural that he had footed
through the dense forest tracts of Assam and met various tribes
in the course of his journey. Guru Nanak must have diffused his
message - the message of love and unity and gospel of universal
tolerance - amongst the populace.
After Guru Nanak, the ninth Guru, Tegh Bahadur, was the next
to come to Assam. He came along with the Mughal forces,
commanded by General Raja Ram Singh in 1670, sent by
Emperor Aurangzeb to launch a full scale invasion of Assam to
avenge an earlier defeat at the hands of Assamese. Guru Tegh
Bahadur visited along with Raja Ram Singh's forces at later's
request as General Ram Singh may have believed that the
presence of a Guru in the Mughal ranks might serve as a moral
booster to them in their fight against the Assamese.
The fourth important connection is the army of 500 Sikhs, sent
by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to help the Ahom King. They settled
in Assam and married locals and raised families. These
families are now known as the Assamese Sikhs.
rituals, relative to the Punjabi Sikhs. Their features have
become Mangoloid due to cross marriages and their beard is
sparse. They however wear turbans, though not exactly the
same way as do the Sikh in Punjab.
According to a tradition of these Assamese Sikhs, their
fore-fathers came from Punjab on an invitation from the Ahom
King to defend Assamese liberty against the Burmese. King
Viswanarayan Singh (Chandra Kanta Singha) of the Ahom
tribe then deposed ruler of Assam, sought Maharaja Ranjit
Singh's help to defeat the Burmese army. It was around that
time when 500 soldiers were sent under the leadership of
General Chetan Singh (local known and revered as General
Chaitanya Singh). The Ahom ruler, Chandra Kanta Singha,
built up defenses at Hadirachaki, with armies under the
command of the Sikh General Chetan Singh, the Ahom
General Charu, the Muslim General Mirdaulla and the
Assamese General Krishna Ram. They crossed the
Brahmaputra and Kalang rivers and reached Chaparmukh.
General Chetan Singh, along with his army, fought gallantly
against the Burmese in a pitched engagement at Hadirachaki
and laid down his life in the battle of Hadirachaki (1820-1822)
for the cause of Assam. According to local tradition,
Chaitanya Singh, on the eve of the battle, said to the Ahom
King, "Maharaj, I shall lay down my life along with my army
for upholding your cause." True to his words, Chaitanya kept
his promise. Assam remembers him with gratitude and honor
even to this day. This poignant saga has been mentioned in the
monumental novel 'Monomati' written by Rajani Kanta
Bordoloi, a leading novelist of repute.
Culture and Traditions: The companions, whom Chetan Singh had
left behind, subsequently married Assamese women and fused
with Assamese life and culture. The new generation of
Assamese is truly wedded to Assamese culture and language
though they maintain their Sikh identity rigidly and do not have
knowledge of Punjabi in general. Their names too have
Assamese accent. Displaced from their place of origin centuries
ago, this community does not follow Punjabi traditions or
wedded to Punjabi. About 10,000 Assamese Sikhs are mainly
concentrated in Nowgaon district. They feel proud of their Sikh
background and maintain all rituals, including going to
Gurdwara regularly and performing marriages according to
Sikh traditions. "Our fore-fathers came to Assam Centuries ago
to rescue the Assamese people from foreign invasion and that
makes us feel proud. As far as our religion is concerned, we have
been following it with utmost devotion," says one of the
Assamese Sikhs. Visit any of the families in Borkola and you
are likely to hear this line over and over again: "When Giani Zail
Singh visited Borkola in 1975, he was surprised at the way we
are following Guru Granth Sahib.”
These Assamese Sikhs began to settle permanently only after
the battle of Hadirachaki. After defeating the Burmese, those
who survived did not return to the Punjab, got settled there and
have now been in Assam for more than two hundred years.
They married Assamese women and regard themselves
distinctly as Assamese Sikhs and do not generally belong to the
Punjabi Sikh community of Assam, many of whom are
landowners or skilled labors. The two Punjabi Sikh
Guru Tegh Bahadur and Ram Singh reached Rangamati and
then came to Dhubri. Guru Tegh Bahadur helped Raja Ram
Singh, the Mughal General who had attacked Assam and the
Ahom Ruler to arrive at an amicable settlement. As a mark of
respect to the Guru, the two forces joined together and raised a
platform at Dhubri, where the first Gurdwara was established
by the Mughal soldiers as a memorial of the Guru.
The third major connection is that of Raja Ratan Rai, who
presented an elephant, a large tent known as tambol and a Baaj
(falcon) to Guru Gobind Singh.
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Assamese Sikhs taking out procession on Gurpurab
Guru Teg Bahadur brought about peace between Raja Shankar Dhwaj of Assam and
Raja Ram Singh. As a result the fighting forces of both Rajas erected a monument of
peace with their weapons lying down thereby vindicating the Guru's exhortation that
hatred divides and love unites; and all disputes can be settled through mutual
discussions and peaceful negotiations.
communities associate themselves with distinct organizations
and maintain separate identities.
History of settlement: The settlement of this community in Assam
can be traced back to the third Burmese attack.
Present settlements: General Chetan Singh died in the war but his
wife, who is known as 'Mataji', survived. Following the decade at
Hadirachaki and the loss of her dear husband in the thick of battle,
'Chaitanya's widowed consort, accompanied by the remainder of
the Sikh forces, proceeded upstream by the Brahmaputra and via
Kajalimukh, passed through the Kapili river and the Titiamari
Khuti, and encamped at Chaparmukh in the Nawgaon district.
They carried with them a few copies of religious scriptures, two
cannons and a number of swords (Kirpans). These articles have
since been carefully preserved in the Gurdwara Mataji,
Chaparmukh Singh Gaon, Nowgaon (Assam). Gurdwara Mataji
is the second historical Gurdwara in Assam.
They have not assimilated themselves into the Assamese
society to a large extent as well as they have remained loyal to
their religion. They celebrate both Mag Bihu and Lohri, which
fall on the same day - January 13. With equal enthusiasm they
celebrate both Gurpurab and Shankar Dev's tithi, as well as
participate in Bohag Bihu and Durga Puja, the two most widely
The Sikhs first settled at Chaparmukh and later on they moved
to Barkola, Hatipara, Lanka (all in Nowgaon district of Assam).
The largest numbers of Assamese Sikh families (about 150)
now live at Borkola. Most of the Sikhs of Assam are
descendants of Mataji and considered as upper class Sikhs for
their pure lineage. There is yet another branch of Assamese
Sikhs with different lineage. One Ram Singh, who went to
Assam in the year 1823, got married to an Assamese girl and
settled in Borkola. It is popularly believed that Sardar Ram
Singh was the first Sikh Sardar, who came to Borkola to reside.
The Population of Assamese Sikhs in the State is at present
about 10,000.
Physical features: There is also a sharp break in their physical
structure. The Punjabi Sikhs are well-built while the
Assamese Sikhs have slighter physiques. The Assamese
Sikhs are mainly rice-eaters while the Punjabi Sikhs primarily
eat wheat. Assamese Sikhs are often closer to local Hindu
Gurdwara Thara Sahib/Damdama Sahib
August - October, 2009
733
Gurdwaras in Jorhat, a place situated nearly two hundred miles
from Guwahati, the capital of Assam.
The religious Practices: It would not be out of place to mention here
that under the auspices of the Assamese Sikh Association and
able leadership of Dhyan Singh, President of the Association,
the work of renovation of Gurdwara Mataji has been taken up
with kind donations from Saadh Sangat. The occasion of Guru
Tegh Bahadur's visit to Assam is celebrated every year at this
historical Shrine.
Gurdwara Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Dhubri)
celebrated festivals of Assam. Thus their culture can be said as
an amalgam of Sikh and Assamese culture.
The Punjabi Sikhs have not assimilated with Assamese Sikhs
and maintain differences due to the two differing cultures and a
superiority feeling among the Punjabi Sikhs; which has
unnecessarily created barriers. "We have never felt that we are
not a part of the Assamese society and at the same time we
have been faithful to our religion," says S. K. Singh, president of
the Assam Sikh Association. "But it hurts us when we are called
'duplicate Sikhs' or 'second class Sikhs' by our counterparts in
Punjab," he adds. "In fact, in some respects, we are stauncher
than the Punjabi Sikhs," says Jaswant Kaur. "We may not speak
the language but we follow our religious book very seriously.
Most of us are Amritdharis, as it is our custom to partake of
Amrit before we get married," she adds. And they are proud of
their heritage too.
The Assamese Sikhs speak Assamese and marry local girls
from their own communities (generally Punjabi-speaking Sikhs
do not give their daughters to them). The process of assimilation
was so decisive that they embraced their land of occupation as
their homeland. They played a significant role in their efforts to
defend and serve the cause of the State at various levels from
time to time.
These Sikhs don't feel nostalgic about being away from Punjab,
its culture and its people. "We are Assamese who are following
the Sikh religion. We have adopted this place as our own, as we
have been living here for generations." You may not be greeted
with a glass of water or soft drink as per Punjabi culture but with
a Sarai containing betel nut and Paan - the traditional offering
made by the Assamese. Even the lady of the house looks like
just any other Assamese married women - adorned with
Sindoor and clad in Mekhla-Chaddar, the traditional Assamese
dress - till your eyes rest on the tiny Kirpan tucked under the
Chaddar. Of course, these generalizations do not hold for all the
Punjabi-speaking Sikhs. Those who have long been here say
those who settled here during the twentieth century, namely the
skilled labors, who have long been associated with the local
flourishing technical aspects of the tea industry, have become
closer to Assamese culture. They maintain separate
2
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Eternal Voice
Although the Assamese Sikhs have their own Gurdwaras, they
have been maintaining fraternal cohesion and amity with the
people of other religious persuasions in their neighborhoods.
Their participation in all Assamese festivals and institutions
like Bihu (the most important and popular festivals in Assam,
signaling the harvest and marking the advent of spring and
autumn), the birth and death anniversaries of Shankar Dev and
Madhav Dev, Rang Utsav, weddings and other festivals speak
eloquently of their integrated life with the mainstream of the
Assamese people.
Mataji Gurdwara in Borkola village is the most popular Sikh
Gurdwara in this region. The site where a Gurdwara now
stands in Dhubri district was visited by Guru Teg Bahadur.
However, the ultimate pilgrimage for them still is the Golden
Temple in Amritsar.
Sri Himadri Banerjee writes, “I came across at least three
distinct trends among Assamese Sikhs:
1. A sizable section of them nowadays show their keenness to
learn more about the Punjabi Sikh tradition, e.g. learning to read
Punjabi in order to gain direct access to the sacred text. This
leaning toward Punjabiyat is increasingly coming to the
forefront. Earlier this was not that popular, particularly among
those who have long left their ancestral villages and have settled
in distant urban areas of Assam and beyond. Perhaps they
unconsciously claim a superior status relative to their
Assamese Sikh forefathers. Recently, this point was repeatedly
articulated by residents of Chaparmukh village. It creates a
sharp differentiation within the community. Their readiness to
follow the Punjabi Sikh model reminds us of the Sanskritisation
model suggested by Professor Srinivas nearly four decades
ago. The rich marry their daughters to Bihari Sikhs. The rest
marry their daughters locally.
2. A small section - albeit part of what appears to be a
growing trend - does not keep Kes (unshorn hair) subsequent
to marriage with Assamese women and identif y themselves
as Assamese rather than Assamese Sikhs.
3. The majority, however, identifies themselves as Assamese
Sikhs and are not all that attached to the Punjabi Sikh tradition.
They claim to be sons of the soil (Assam) and, therefore, do not
feel much affinity towards Punjab.
Considering all circumstances, problems, constraints and
challenges, the Assamese Sikh Community has been facing for
ages, they are in the danger of becoming extinct. Following steps
could be taken immediately in favor of the community:
1. Granting the Status of Minority and Scheduled Caste, which
the community deserves badly for uplift of their status socially
and economically.
2. Financial support to educate the new generation of Assamese
Sikhs on Sikhism in Assamese language.
3. Organization of Excursion tours to Punjab and other parts of
the Country for the Assamese Sikhs so that they learn and
identify themselves with the history and teachings of Sikhism.
4. To teach Gurmukhi language to Assamese Sikhs so that
they are able to read and write the language in which the
religious scriptures are written.
5. Maintenance of the historical Gurdwaras of Assam, which
could be important tourist destination for the Sikhs living
outside Assam.
Professions and Progress: By and large an agrarian society, the
new generation of Assamese Sikhs has come out of its shell to
take up responsible positions in government and private
sector. They are now teachers, businessmen, and officers in
the civil services. Though now they have begun picking up
jobs in other parts of the state, they are still plagued by feelings
of insecurity. And this is the reason behind the formation of
the Assam Sikh Association.
A Sikh family from Nowgaon
"We are the smallest minority community in the region
but we have not been granted minority status so far",
The tree under which Guru Teg Bahadur rested on his visit to Dhubri
says S. K. Singh. "The Association is going to demand
minority status and along with that representation in local
bodies and state assembly", he adds. Till they get this status,
Assamese Sikhs have a tough fight ahead to assimilate into
the local society and also to prove to the Punjabi Sikhs that
they too are respectable Sikhs. Since, now the fourth
connection with Sikhs in Punjab is the Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, who is the MP from Assam, for both of
his tenures; these Sikhs look towards him to do something
worthwhile and memorable.
When I first reached one of these Assamese Sikh villages,
I was surprised to discover that these men had maintained
their Sikh identity over the centuries despite the tremendous
distance from the Punjab and the prevalent non-Sikh
culture around them. I found many who are confident of their
Sikh identity. It is, therefore, unfortunate that Assamese
Sikhs who have maintained their identity should still be
referred to as Kacha (incomplete) Sikhs by a section of
Punjabi Sikhs of the region.”
- Dr Himadri Bannerjee on Assamese Sikhs
August - October, 2009
735
Tourism in
Jammu&Kashmir
By Mohammad Ashraf
K
ashmir valley situated in the heart of Himalayas is studded
with many sparkling freshwater lakes, numerous brooks,
foaming streams and dashing cascades, dancing through
countless meadows surrounded by lofty peaks and massive
glaciers. The eternal beauty of the valley was the inspiration
behind James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon of Shangri-La. This
valley represents the most famous and important part of the
State of Jammu & Kashmir, which has three distinct regions of
Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu. The State starts in Jammu,
which is neighboring the plains of Punjab. The first range of
mountains after the plains is the Shivalik hills and Pir Panjal
range. After the valley, start the mountains of Zanskar and
Ladakh range finally ending with the Karakoram range
neighboring China and Pakistan. Thus the State of Jammu &
Kashmir is, in the true sense, a land of the mountains. Each
mountain range has its peculiarities. The mountains in the
valley are truly alpine and resemble European Alps. One of the
famous peaks in the valley Kolahoi, 17799 ft above sea level is
known as Matterhorn of Kashmir. It truly resembles the famous
European mountain and is a very good climb. Next to it comes
Haramukh, 16870 ft, whose North face resembles Eiger.
Traveling to different valleys and mountain areas of Kashmir,
one has the feeling of being somewhere in Austrian Tyrol.
Climbing and trekking in the valley of Kashmir is of alpine
standards. The valley receives dozens of small expeditions both
from within the country and abroad of alpine style climbers. In
addition thousands of visitors trek the famous high altitude
areas of the valley. Some of the famous treks are the lake trek of
Kashansar-vashansar and Gangabal area in Sonamarg,
Pahalgam-Aru, Lidderwat-Tarsar-Marsar trek in Pahalgam
area and Aharbal- Kounsarnag trek in the Pir Panjal range.
More challenging opportunities of Himalayan trekking and
climbing are there in the mountains of Ladakh. Some of the
most tough mountain peaks and treks in Suru, Zanskar and
Nubra valleys are there in Ladakh. The peaks of Nun and Kun in
Suru valley, which are probably nearest peaks to a road-head,
have become tremendously popular among the climbers and
receive on an average 20 to 25 foreign expeditions. In the same
As already pointed out the State of Jammu & Kashmir has
three distinct regions. All the three regions have some of the
most attractive landscape in the form of mountains, meadows,
lakes and mountain rivers. There are four distinct seasons and
each season has its own attraction. While in summer Kashmir
valley has the most salubrious climate, the winter carpets the
whole valley especially the upper reaches with snow, which
gives it the largest possible skiable snow area in the world. In
Ladakh there are highest mountain peaks, most difficult rock
faces, huge glaciers, challenging mountain rivers, largely
unexploited. In fact this is the largest untapped resources for
development of adventure tourism anywhere in the world. Apart
from the sweet water lakes of Dal, Nagin and Wular in the valley,
there are a large number of high altitude mountain lakes such as
Gangabal, Krishansar Vishansai Tarsar, Marsar and
Kounsarnag. The lakes in Ladakh, though saline, are huge and
in one case (Pangong lake), 150 km long, almost like a high
altitude sea. Apart from the main Kashmir valley, there are
valleys of Wardwan, Gurez and Tilel, still to be exploited for any
tourist activity. There are meadows many times bigger than
famous Gulmarg which are yet to be reached such as Bungus
valley in Lolab. Among the rivers, Indus which gave India its
name flows through Ladakh. The other mountain rivers which
have extensive potential are Zanskar Suru and Chenab All
these mountain rivers present extensive possibilities for rafting,
Zanskar range there are other more than a dozen peaks in the
range of six to seven thousand meters, also popular with foreign
climbers. In the Leh area, Stock Kangri, about six thousand
meters high, is the most sought after peak amongst the foreign
climbers. In view of its popularity the foreign expeditions obtain
permission within a week compared to few months time
required for climbing peaks in the Himalayas. The ultimate
challenge is in the Karakoram range, where only joint
expeditions are allowed.
The regions of Jammu & Kashmir are divided by
Kishtwar mountains among which medium height peaks
of Brahma, Sickle Moon and Baranaj are very popular
with British climbers.
All the mountain ranges in the State have some of the most
dramatic and fast rivers such as Chenab, Suru, Zanskar, Indus,
Shyok and Nubra. These rivers represent ultimate challenge in
white water sports.
The mountains in the State are populated by people of different
cultures. Jammu is known as the land of Dogras. Kashmir valley
is inhabited by Kashmiris with a 5000-year-old history. Ladakh
has different shades of the Tibetan and Mongol cultures.
Kashmir has been synonymous with tourism from ancient
times. Some of the famous travelers like Hieun Tsang have
spoken about the beauty of Kashmir in their travelogues. In fact,
most of the explorers who passed through Kashmir have been
impressed with its beauty, charm, climate and the people.
Mughals had converted Kashmir into the summer retreat of
their empire. Some of the present day attractions in the form of
Mughal Gardens are their contributions. In fact during Mughal
times, Kashmir received a poetic description:
Gar Firdaus ba ru-e zameen ast...Hami ast, hami ast, hami ast.
(If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.)
The British had developed Gulmarg as the most important
tourist resort east of Suez. In fact Gulmarg Golf Course was
started in 1902 and Ski Club of India was established by the
British at Gulmarg in 1927. After Independence, Kashmir had
become the prime destination for tourists both from within the
country and abroad. Tourist arrival figure was 7.22 lakh
(including 67,000 foreigners) in 1989.
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Eternal Voice
August - October, 2009
739
50 years or so. About sixty thousand people have created
artificial islands in the body of lake and are residing in illegal
localities set up in these islands. The most parts of the lake are
threatened by the growth of massive weeds. So far all efforts
made locally to save the lake have not shown any appreciable
results. This problem requires international intervention by
declaring it a World Heritage to save it for posterity.
The other environmental problem apart from the threat of
green forests, is the pollution of mountain trails and treks. The
famous trek to Holy Amarnath Cave is facing extreme pollution
conditions due to human waste and plastics. A number of
mountain treks in Ladakh such as Padum-Lamayuru and
Markha valley etc. have become garbage trails. There is urgent
need to have some mandatory check of these treks to prevent
their destruction
The Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering & Hiking Club as
well as Adventure Wing of the State Tourism Department are
much concerned about the need to keep the mountains and
trekking trails clean and green, and are taking all possible steps
in this direction.
kayaking and other white water sports, in some Cases more
difficult and challenging than the world famous Colorado river in
the Grand Canyon of USA. The snow conditions and weather in
the Pir Panjal range which presently has only one ski resort of
Gulmarg, has the potential of locating more than a dozen ski
resorts. During winter, on high altitude there are more sunny
days than any ski resort in Europe or America In addition there
are excellent snow conditions, dry powder on high altitude and
soft snow in the valleys.
The network of mountain roads throughout the region including
the one crossing Khardungla Pass in Leh 18,380 ft above mean
sea level (highest motorable road in the world) present an
excellent opportunity for motor safaris.
talking of tourism in the State, its sustainable development is to
be kept in view, otherwise the very potential which gives rise to
tourism activity in the region will be lost. The environmental
concern is a very serious issue present in the valley of Kashmir.
The first priority is the Dal lake, which is very seriously
threatened. After Independence, most of the foreign traffic to
Kashmir has been attracted by the luxurious houseboats, which
is the unique selling proposition of Kashmir. However, the
uncontrolled growth of hotels on the banks of the lake and
mushrooming of houseboats dumping raw sewage into the lake
has resulted in its slow destruction. In addition extensive grazing
in the catchment area and indiscriminate felling of trees has
dumped tons of silt in the lake. The clear water body of the lake
has been reduced from 50 sq. km to almost 12 sq. km in last
The other important aspect of tourism potential is the existence
of shrines, monasteries, temples and cave temples in all the
three regions. The shrines of Kashmir are a tribute to the Sufi
and mystic school of Islam for which the valley is famous
throughout the world. The monasteries in Ladakh are temples
of Buddhism in their original environment and have remained
unchanged for centuries. The temples and the cave shrines in
Jammu such as Mata Vaishno Devi are attracting more than
5 million pilgrims every year.
Even though the State has probably the best potential for
tourism development found anywhere in the world, it has not
been exploited as yet. The first and foremost reason for the
same is the absence of an international airport. However, while
2
80
Eternal Voice
August - October, 2009
831
Baru News
Bargain Offer!
August - October, 2009
Gurmat Camps at Birmingham and Southall
on Lifetime
A Quarterly Newsletter of The Kalgidhar Trust
Akal International Youth Camps - 2009
The USA, Canada and Norway Camp
Mr Richard Silver of the US Embassy, New Delhi and
Mrs & Mr Andrew Lam of Canadian High Commission,
New Delhi were the Chief-Guest and the Guests of Honor,
respectively on the occasion of inauguration of Akal
International Youth Camp, which was held from 3 July to
25 July, 2009. The inauguration of the camp was followed by
the celebrations of the American Independence Day by
the overseas students of Akal Academy and 29 American,
18 Canadian and 6 Norwegian campers. By the time the
Camp got over, not only could the students read Punjabi but
also perform the Nitnem. Almost every camper learned to
recite Gurbani Kirtan.
The UK Camp
40 students hailing from various parts of England attended
the Akal International Youth Camp from 1 August to
26 August, 2009. The syllabus and coaching schedule at this
camp were similar to the preceding camp. The background of
knowledge of all the participants for Punjabi, Gurbani and
Shabad Kirtan was assessed in the beginning of the camp and
teaching was followed accordingly.
All the campers displayed great deal of improvement in their
proficiency to read Gurbani, perform Ardas and Shabad Kirtan
with harmonium and Tabla. The participants, who had average
knowledge of reading Gurmukhi, were able to recite Gurbani,
Hukamnaama and perform Ardas before and after the meals.
The campers, who had proficient knowledge of Gurmukhi,
could fluently recite Gurbani, take Santhya of Guru Granth
Sahib in addition to Hukamnaama and Ardas. Besides, they
improved their proficiency in performing Shabad Kirtan and
learning Tabla. A few of them learnt to recite Shabads on
string-instruments like Dilruba, Taus and Sarangi.
Baru Sahib Akhand Paaths
3024
Akal Academy Sehaj Paaths
1954
Paaths by the Saadh Sangat
1210
Total
6188
The program received a world-wide acclaim. It enabled the
Sangat to recite Gurbani correctly and imbibe its message of
the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of all human beings,
helping in the spiritual and moral upliftment of humans.
Considering the overwhelming response of the devotees, the
PTC and The Kalgidhar Trust have decided to telecast the
Sehaj Paath in another unique form in which the students of
Akal Academy will sing the entire Gurbani in prescribed
Ragas of Guru Granth Sahib, using the string-instruments.
The daily telecast of this unique program will commence
shortly.
S . Ta r l o c h a n S i n g h , M e m b e r
Parliament and former Chairman,
National Minorities Commission, was
the Chief-Guest to commemorate the
conclusion of this solemn occasion.
After visiting Baru Sahib, he writes,
“What I had heard, it is much more
than that. This is a place worth visiting
and taking part in this movement.
Students of villages are being given free
education and all other facilities. Akal Academy’s results are
highly impressive. Government of India, State Governments
and Punjab Chief Minister should adopt this as a model.
Foreign students are happy. Baba Iqbal Singh is a blessed
soul. May Satguru give all success to The Kalgidhar Trust.”
on Annual
Subscriptions
Sehaj Paath by students of Akal Academy Baru Sahib
As part of the ongoing Gurta-Gaddi Tercentenar y
celebrations, The Kalgidhar Trust in collaboration with PTC
News Channel launched a unique initiative - Sehaj Paath,
in which 4-5 pages of Guru Granth Sahib had been recited per
episode by the students of Akal Academy, Baru Sahib and
telecast daily, since 9 August, 2008. The Bhog (completion) of
the Sehaj Paath was performed on 16 July, 2009. In a largely
attended congregation at Gurdwara Baru Sahib, the
concluding episode was telecast live in a glittering ceremony.
Along with the telecast of Sehaj Paath, 6188 Paaths of Guru
Granth Sahib were completed, in all, during the year:
50% off & 25% off
Please fill this form and send to
For the propagation of Gurmat, several overseas youth camps
are being organized by The Kalgidhar Trust from time to time.
Two such camps were organized recently in United Kingdom
at Birmingham and London. Bhai Harpal Singh from Baru
Sahib visited specially to conduct these camps.
The month-long camp was organized at the largest
Guru-Ghar of Europe; Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha with
the cooperation of Saadh Sangat at Khalsa Primary School,
Norwood Hall, Southall, which is also known as mini Punjab
in England. A great enthusiasm was shown by the campers in
learning Punjabi language, Gurbani Santhya (correct
pronunciation of Gurbani) and Gurbani Kirtan. The classes
were held from 5am to 9pm daily, which were attended by the
campers as well as their parents. Several non-Sikhs, who
wanted to learn Punjabi language, also participated in this
youth camp. More than 50 campers attended the classes
regularly throughout the camp.
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The closing ceremony was held on Sunday, 21 June, 2009, in
which all the campers were given certificates. Bhai Harpal
Singh and Gen. Secretary S. Surinder Singh Purewal were
blessed with Siropao by the management of Gurdwara Sahib.
The management thanked The Kalgidhar Trust for providing
the selfless services of Bhai Harpal Singh for the successful
completion of the youth camp, as the young campers were
able to speak and write Punjabi in a short span of just 15
days. Bhai Ranbir Singh Attwal also thanked the Gurdwara
Management Committee and Saadh-Sangat for holding the
youth camp, which benefitted the young campers in a big way.
A humble request
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08-09
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The foundation stone of 53rd Akal Academy laid at
village Jandiali Kalan, Distt. Ludhiana, Punjab
A revitalizing
cup of tea with Kesar...
The foundation stone of 53rd Akal Academy was laid at
village Jandiali Kalan, Distt. Ludhiana, Punjab on 9 August,
2009; this being the 31st in the ongoing plan of establishing
150 Akal Academies during the next few years, as envisaged
by The Kalgidhar Trust.
The 4.5 acres of land for the Academy (Akal Educational
Mata Avtar Kaur Institute) has been donated by S. Gurbachan
Singh Arora of Delhi and his family in memory of Bibi Avtar
Kaur. The solemn occasion began with the rendering of
Shabad Kirtan and Dhadi Varaan by the students of Akal
Academy, Cheema.
Blessing the gathering, Baba Iqbal Singh said, “The Akal
Academies are tapping the energy of rural youth showing
them right direction, so that the ideal social fabric is
maintained. Our aim is that youth stay away from drugs and
follow the path of righteousness.”
Akal Academy student wins Gold Medal
in Taekwondo competition in Thailand
Pa r vinder Singh, a student of
Akal Academy, Ratia in Haryana
won Gold Medal in International
Taekwondo competition, held in
Thailand.
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Parminder Singh won laurels for the
country by topping the list in 45 Kg
category. Two other students of the
same Academy; Mandeep Singh and
Samarpal Singh also won Bronze Medals in 30 Kg and
35 Kg categories.
The girl students of Akal Academy, Ratia also excelled in the
State level open competition for girls held in Distt. Fatehabad,
Haryana. In this competition; Kriti Sharma, Kirti Grover,
Ripanpreet Kaur and Mehakpreet Kaur stood first in different
categories in Table Tennis competition. In Lawn Tennis,
Jeevanjot Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Jajaldeep Kaur and
Ramneet Kaur topped the list in their respective groups. In
Badminton, Jeevanjot Kaur, Kriti Sharma, Gagandeep Kaur
and Lovepreet Kaur attained second position in different
categories of the competition.
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