In Gods Care - The Unwanted Girls Of Punjab

[shaheediyan]

Please, please help this cause. There is nothing more imortant than this - this subject is reality of Punjab rather the utopia many people feel religiously and culturally. Its a slap in the face of every man and woman who have association with Punjab. We are all to blame for this complex and monsterous issue.

http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?cat=8&id=831

Unique House Serves Unique

... And Urgent Need!

by MANVIR SINGH

Punjab is land of the Great Gurus, the land of prosperity, and the land of great saints and warriors.

Yet, inexplicably, it is stained with the sin of killing it's baby daughters.

According to the Punjabi University, every fifth household in Punjab commits female foeticide.

During a recent trip to India, we went to the local gurdwara in Preet Nagar in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Bhai Parminder Singh from Amritsar (a parchaarak - preacher - sent by the Dharam Parchaar Committee, Amritsar) was doing kathaa (discourse) that evening. His kathaa was very simple, but effective. The way he spoke was very easy to understand and he got across our Guru's message really well.

Bhai Sahib said something which echoed in my ears: "Mothers have made their wombs into graveyards."

Bhai Sahib was speaking about abortion and how many Punjabis - not to mention the greater, all-pervasive problem across India - are killing their baby daughters before being born. I was glad to hear this active parchaar being done in the gurdwaras of Punjab.

The next day, my mum and I went to visit a place called "Unique Home", which is being run by the Bhai Ghanayya Ji Charitable Trust.

The Trust was established in 1993 with the goal of working towards the "Moral, Social, Cultural and Economic uplift of orphan children without any distinction of Caste, Creed and Religion".

The Unique Home looks after unwanted, unclaimed or orphaned children who have been discarded or neglected by society. Baby girls are found by road sides, dumped near streams, or even left during the night in a baby cradle outside the Home.

The Unique Home is currently looking after 52 girls, mostly young children.

The main spirit behind this institution is Bibi Prakaash Kaur whose aim is to rehabilitate those people whom society has disowned. The current seva is being done by Bibi Gurdip Kaur who is the President of Bhai Ghanayya Ji Charitable Trust. Despite her old age, she is fully devoted to the service of the children.

Even though we had visited the Home without advance notice, we received a very warm welcome from the sevadaars.

When we entered, a young girl, probably 11 years old, shared a GurFateh with us and asked us to take a seat in the office room for visitors. Bibi Gurdip Kaur was away that day; another Sardarni was looking after all the children alone.

She came downstairs and warmly greeted us. She offered to get the children ready for us to meet them. Whilst we waited, a young girl aged perhaps 13 or so, came and asked us "What would you like to drink?"

I replied, "We are fine, thank you."

The girl then said, "We don't have anything to offer you. But can you kindly accept a cup of tea made by me as a form of parshaad (gift) from all the children?" I was left speechless and moved by the young girl's innocent love and accepted to drink a cup of tea made by her.

After a little while, the Bibi in charge came to get us and took us upstairs.

The home itself was much smaller than I had expected. She took us to a room that had a number of metal baby cradles. Inside the cradles were babies that had been abandoned or dropped off and were now being cared for at the Home.

It was really sad to see that there were at least a dozen or so, and I thought: how does one or two of these Sardarnis manage to change all their nappies and look after them all, in addition to looking after the elder children.

There was one little girl with down-syndrome, standing there, smiling away at us. The Bibi hugged the girl and began to do simran with her. It was beautiful to see the down-syndrome child hugging the elder woman and repeating "Waheguru ... Waheguru ..." after her.

I was amazed at the seva of these women who have given up their own lives, their own families, and their own aspirations, to live in the Guru's Hukam (Will) and dedicate their lives to rebuilding the lives of children who otherwise wouldn't have any life.

We learnt that the older girls in the home took care of the younger babies and they all supported each other as one large family. It was amazing to hear how some of the elder girls of the Home had been inspired by the dedication of Bibi Gurdip Kaur, elected not to get married and commit their own lives to the care of the younger children.

Waheguru! These were the hidden gems of Punjab that were quietly going about, doing their seva.

After spending some time talking to the Bibi, we learnt about the astounding work they did by ensuring that all the girls were educated in English schools and, at a later stage, married into suitable homes.

All of this is done without any government support or funding, which is an immense challenge for the founder; Bibi Prakash Kaur and the other Gursikh caregivers.

Near the end of our visit, all the children got together and repeated the punj pauriaan of Japji Sahib and had a group photo taken with us. It was so nice to see the children get excited over seeing their own photo in the camera. There was one young girl (less than 2 years old), who had tears in her eyes.

But when you wiped them, the tears still didn't seem to disappear. It was as if the girl had permanent tears in her eyes. It was sad to see.

Despite our attempts to cheer her up, she looked like very, very sad. Only the Guru knows what trauma the child had gone through. May Waheguru do kirpaa (shower His blessings) on all these children and the sevadaars.

Please do support the Bhai Ghanayya Ji Charitable Trust and the Unique Home by visiting the Home and giving a small donation or donating some clothes. Any help and support would be greatly appreciated by the sevadaars.

And please pass this request on to all your relatives and friends who are going to visit Punjab in the near future.

Their address is: The Unique Home, 1082-B Model House, Taran Wali Gali, Jalandhar, Punjab. Tel: 01.81.227.6066

[Manvir Singh lives in the United Kingdom.]

May 10, 2009

[Mithar]

Words can't even begin to express how sad this situation is in Punjab. Female infanticide is the silent genocide (Ghalukara) of Sikhs. People who take Dowry are largely responsible for this crime, since a lot of Punjabi Sikh parents kill their daughters because they don't want to or can't afford to pay the huge dowries during marriage.

My request to all single men here, if you decide to go to India to marry please do not take a single Paisa from the girl’s family. Please do not take jewellery. You will just contribute to this culture of female infanticide. Marriages need to be inexpensive for the girl's family. We need to take an active role personally to do prachar against this Ghalukara of Sikh females. Make this into an active issue amongst your relatives in India, speak against it, tell them how it’s a sin in Sikhi and how it’s a crime against humanity to kill/abort a child simply because it’s a girl.

[shaheediyan]

To add, the change needs to be made here - in the west. It is our elaborate culture that is killing Punjab (though influence), in more ways than one.

Because of our well to do brothers in the west building palaces in their pinds left right and centre, as well as many wannabe developers builnig supposed modern housing for NRI investment - the poor people of Punjab are no longer able to afford homes.

There are many things that man does and is blind to after affects.

Immediately - these girls and these God blessed institutions needs help - please donate generously and regularly - these girls are our daughters - our responsibility.

[G.Kaur]

Vaheguroo

Please also see

Stop killing the Future of Kaurs

http://www.4shared.com/dir/13648782/b8c19a..._of_Kaurs_.html

Pardesan Dhee - The Foreign Daughter, Moving videos of the Sick Reality within the Panjabi community

Articles:

India 'loses 10m female births'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4592890.stm

Where a baby girl is a mother's awful shame

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/23/india-gender

UK Indian women 'aborting girls'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7123753.stm

India listens after a child bride says 'I won't.'

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0424/p06s07-wosc.html

She was the ticket to a better life‏

http://www.thestar.com/article/580236

[G.Kaur]

[G.Kaur]

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Aasaa on Ang 473 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee

mÚ 1 ]

ma 1 ||

First Mehla:

BMif jMmIAY BMif inMmIAY BMif mMgxu vIAwhu ]

bha(n)dd ja(n)meeai bha(n)dd ni(n)meeai bha(n)dd ma(n)gan veeaahu ||

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.

BMfhu hovY dosqI BMfhu clY rwhu ]

bha(n)ddahu hovai dhosathee bha(n)ddahu chalai raahu ||

Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.

BMfu muAw BMfu BwlIAY BMif hovY bMDwnu ]

bha(n)dd muaa bha(n)dd bhaaleeai bha(n)dd hovai ba(n)dhhaan ||

When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.

so ikau mMdw AwKIAY ijqu jMmih rwjwn ]

so kio ma(n)dhaa aakheeai jith ja(n)mehi raajaan ||

So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.

BMfhu hI BMfu aUpjY BMfY bwJu n koie ]

bha(n)ddahu hee bha(n)dd oopajai bha(n)ddai baajh n koe ||

From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.

nwnk BMfY bwhrw eyko scw soie ]

naanak bha(n)ddai baaharaa eaeko sachaa soe ||

O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman.

ijqu muiK sdw swlwhIAY Bwgw rqI cwir ]

jith mukh sadhaa saalaaheeai bhaagaa rathee chaar ||

That mouth which praises the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful.

nwnk qy muK aUjly iqqu scY drbwir ]2]

naanak thae mukh oojalae thith sachai dharabaar ||2||

O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the True Lord. ||2||

[shaheediyan]

[dalsingh101]

Thanks for highlighting.

Shame of Panjab! We have become a nation of kuri maars!

[Kaljug]

Fateh!

Do any of you who are in the UK want to send any gifts or unwanted clean clothes to this home as seva?

I shall be sending toys, clothes, and books next week, and if you would like to send something small I can pop it in the same box.

Any ideas as to what we can send them would be appreciated also. I would be pretty cool if you wrote a letter, or just a brief note, addressed to the Bibi and to the children there, just to let them know that their brothers and sisters in other countries are thinking of them.

Regards,

K.

[ishvar2]

Kaljug,

I don't know if you can contact them but it might be worth asking what they need. Beyond the obvious things, there maybe something that will mean a great deal to them ... I don't know maybe something like a fridge, or something.

Just some thoughts.

[shaheediyan]

Good idea Ishvar Singh, what would be good is if a number of us here committed to donate a said amount, and the next one of us to travel to Punjab, met with the charity, established what they need, and put our collective funds towards that objective...

It would be good if after all the condemnation that has been demonstrated on this forum, if this forum could collectively work towards donating towards/helping this most important charity.

Any further ideas/thoughts welcome...

Edited August 5, 2009 by shaheediyan

[ishvar2]

Latest info:

http://www.uniquehomeforgirls.co.uk/

[Kaljug]

Kaljug,

I don't know if you can contact them but it might be worth asking what they need. Beyond the obvious things, there maybe something that will mean a great deal to them ... I don't know maybe something like a fridge, or something.

Just some thoughts.

Fateh, veer ji!

I will do that as well, but the purpose was really just to send some things for the children there that they would appreciate and not necessarily need. Sometimes it is just nice to receive a nice letter and a few goodies that you might not otherwise even think of having, especially for kids.

Thanks for the link, veera. I will send them an email and ask if there is anything in particular that the home needs.

Regards,

K.

[HSD1]

dear god. its like a shining light in a sea of darkness. in england, white kids from middle-class/upper-class backgrounds go to 3rd world countries to build orphanages and run camps for the kids there. our lot mope around in 'sikhi' camps during the summer, wishing they were somewhere else. its time to mobilise and actually do more than simple charity. but to do that we would need a lot of money to run it. why dont gurudwaras do things about situations like this?

also, either asking for what they need or sending them luxuries will help us do something in the short term. if you get any feedback from them, please post it up on here.

[dalsingh101]

why dont gurudwaras do things about situations like this?

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe Gurdwara politics (and perhaps politics in general) usually attracts the self serving? It's like ANY dynamism or philanthropy has left the building when it comes to our leaders.

But this is really good to see. It is inspirational. As HSD posted, please let us know of any feedback you get from contacting the organisation regarding their needs.