Harbhajan

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070515/main1.htm SGPC, dera men clash: 12 injured Magisterial probe to focus on police role Chander Parkash Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 14 As many as 12 persons were injured, two of them seriously, when activists of the SGPC and various Sikh religious bodies clashed with activists of Dera Sacha Sauda near the deputy commissioner’s office before noon here today. Rahul Bhandari, district magistrate, who along with SSP Naresh Arora reached the spot after getting the information and tried to bring the situation under control, said he had ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. He added that ADC (general) M.P. Arora had been asked to conduct the probe within four days with focus on the police role in today’s incident. He added that as per his information the Punjab government had also ordered a probe into today’s incident. The state government had asked inspector-general (IG), Punjab Police, Patiala zone, to conduct the probe. The sword and lathi-wielding activists of various Sikh organisations and Dera Sacha Sauda clashed on the Bathinda-Mansa main road when about 200 members of various Sikh religious organisations led by two members of the SGPC tried to burn the effigy of Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim, head, Dera Sacha Sauda, to lodge their protest against the action of the Baba. He had allegedly tried to copy the ceremonies once performed by Guru Gobind Singh at Salabatpura village of this district in the recent past. The dera activists, who were already present in large number near the deputy commissioner’s office gave tough resistance to the activists of various Sikh organisations and succeeded in snatching the effigy of the baba from them. In the clash 12 persons, including a sewadar of the SGPC and five activists of the dera, were injured. The policemen present at the spot responded very late and resorted to a lathi charge. Following this the activists of the dera blocked traffic on the Bathinda-Mansa main road, demanding registration of criminal cases and subsequent arrest of those members of the Sikh organisations who were involved in the attack and who had tried to burn the effigy of the baba. Ram Singh, a senior functionary of Dera Sacha Sauda, while talking to media persons alleged that various Sikh organisations on the instigation of members of the SAD had decided yesterday to burn the effigy. On the other hand, the members of various Sikh organisations alleged that they were attacked with swords and lathis by the activists of the dera when they tried to hold a peaceful protest. Bhandari pointed out that on getting information he had sent the SDM and SP(D) to the spot. Meanwhile, Civil Hospital sources said only 10 had got injured, one of them seriously. Jathedars to meet at Akal Takht today Balwant Singh Nandgarh, jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, while predicting that the situation could turn ugly said a meeting of the Sikh clergy would be held at Akal Takht tomorrow to take a decision in this connection. He said a strong decision was expected to be taken by the Sikh clergy.

[align=center:13d584e33d]A Mother's Love There is no love, like a mother's love, no stronger bond on earth... like the precious bond that comes from God, to a mother, when she gives birth. A mother's love is forever strong, never changing for all time... and when her children need her most, a mother's love will shine. God bless these special mothers, God bless them every one... for all the tears and heartache, and for the special work they've done. When her days on earth are over, a mother's love lives on... through many generations, with God's blessings on each one. Be thankful for our mothers, for they love with a higher love... from the power God has given, and the strength from up above. by Jill Lemming[/align:13d584e33d]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Pr...f4-184fc761ae60 Hemendra Singh Bartwal New Delhi, May 03, 2007 SGPC reacts on RSS statement on sikh religion The RSS’ attempt to put at rest earlier controversies by redefining its stand on the Sikh faith, saying that it is a separate religion but part of the larger Hindu samaj, has only complicated matters further with the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) adopting a hard stance and objecting to this view. “We regard the Sikh religion as a separate religion, but we regard the Sikh people as belonging to our samaj.When we say that they are a part of the one great Hindu samaj, we do not deny the existence of their separate religion and separate beliefs.The Hindu samaj is a commonwealth of many religions,†it was stated on the RSS official website while clarifying their stand on minorities. It stated that the RSS held the belief that the Hindu Code Bill is applicable to Sikhs , Jains and Buddhista alike and it should be applicable to others like Christians and Muslims too. Reacting sharply to the RSS statement, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar asserted that the Sikhs have their own separate identity and are not a part of the Hindu samaj. Speaking to HT, he questioned the RSS authority for raising such controversies time and again. “How can the RSS claim that Sikhs are part of the Hindu samaj.We believe only in Guru Granth Sahib and are ordered by the highest Sikh temporal seat,†he said while advising the Sangh not to expand their domain unnecessarily. On the issue of applicability of the Hindu Code Bill to all minorities as well,the veteran Sikh leader pointed out that they had been opposed to the idea for long. “The Sikhs should not be covered under the Hindu Marriage Act.The government should implement the Anand Marriage Act while accepting Sikhs as a separate community,†he said. In what may not be to the liking ot the Akalis, allies of the BJP, the Sangh has also expressed the view that it sees a “problem†of minorities assume a political character. “The majority-minority distinctions must be restricted to the bases on which the minority character is sought to be claimed ... The problem arises when a particular minority transgresses the basis of its minority character and assumes a political one,â€it said. A heated controversy had broken out on the RSS view of the Sikh identity some years ago when the Sangh leaders had described Sikhism as a part of the Hindu religion saying that they did not consider it as a separate entity.On strong protests from Sikh religious leaders, the RSS had then sought to tone down their stand. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Pr...f4-184fc761ae60 © Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/02rss.htm Sikhism part of 'great Hindu samaj': RSS PTI | May 02, 2007 | 15:38 IST The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh�has described the Sikh faith as a separate religion belonging to 'one great Hindu samaj'. In a view that may not go well with Bharatiya Janata Party's ally Akali Dal, the Sangh says it sees a 'problem' if minorities assume a 'political' character. Spelling out its stand on minorities on its website under a mission header, it says it believes the Hindu Code Bill is applicable to Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists and that it should be applicable to all, including the Christians and the Muslims. "The RSS believes in the plural structure of society. Therefore, it recognizes that there is bound to be a majority-minority syndrome, and hence each group, whether in the majority or minority, will have a distinct identity and distinct character," it says. But minorities, according to the Sangh, should restrain themselves from overstepping their 'basic character'. "...the majority-minority distinctions must be restricted to the bases on which the minority character is sought to be claimed...the problem arises when a particular minority transgresses the basis of its minority character and assumes a political one," it says. In its stand on Sikhism, the Sangh has called it a separate religion but its followers part of Hindu samaj. "We regard the Sikh religion as a separate religion, but we regard the Sikh people as belonging to our samaj. When we say that they are a part of the one great Hindu Samaj, we do not deny the existence of their separate religion and separate beliefs. The Hindu samaj is a commonwealth of many religions," it says. The samaj, it adds, includes idol worshippers as well as those who oppose idol worship and those who accept the authority of the Vedas as well as those who do not. They are all included in the wider Hindu conceptualisation, the Sangh says. "Many Sikhs attend RSS Shakhas, but nobody is asked to remove his beard or his turban. The RSS will never try to obliterate the identity of the Sikhs. That will be against the very grain of the RSS," it says.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070430/punjab1.htm#3 COOL OFF SGPC likely to drop plan to install AC Varinder Walia Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 29 Following world-wide criticism the SGPC is likely to drop the move to install AC in the sanctum sanctorum of Harmander Sahib. Indications to this effect was given by SGPC Chief Avtar Singh while talking to The Tribune today. He informed that the report of the sub-committee would be presented in the meeting scheduled to be held on May 3 at Chandigarh. He said the feelings and aspirations of the Sikh sangat would be kept in mind while taking any decision regarding air conditioning of the sanctum sanctorum. He said he himself was a heritage lover and won't allow anything that would damage the ancient structure of Harmander Sahib. Renowned conservationist Gurmit Rai has warned that the air conditioning system, if introduced in Darbar Sahib, would be an extremely destructive intervention. Sounding a note of warning, she informed the air conditioning system comprises a blower and a compressor and hence while the blower would need to be placed on the floor or mounted on the walls inside the building, the compressor will need to be fixed outside. These blowers cannot be mounted on the walls or roof without damaging the structure and decorations because of drilling holes or inserting mounting system. Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, a senior SGPC member, who is also a member of the sub-committee, has also expressed reservations over the move to install AC in the sanctum sanctorum of Golden Temple. Veteran SGPC member Manjit Singh Calcutta described the move as “ill-conceivedâ€. He said air conditioning would earn the wrath of Sikh sangat who visit the holiest Sikh shrine for spiritual solace and not for physical comforts . Conservationists said the walls of Harmander Sahib are made of burnt bricks and lime mortar. The roofing system too is a masonry vaults. The surfaces are extremely decorative, with in-layed marble panel, frescoes, or clad with gilded copper embossed sheets. Not even a square inch of plain space can be found on the walls and ceilings to place the AC without damaging the original structure and decorations. Decorations would also be at risk due to the variation in the micro climate zones (in temperature and humidity) that would be created inside the building as the doors have to be kept open.

http://www.thestar.com/article/207038 MP Bains: A `charter child' CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR ( Canada ) Outspoken critic of government's role in Afghanistan is representative of the new Canada, says political consultant Apr 26, 2007 04:30 AM At 29, Navdeep Bains is a rising star in the federal Liberal caucus. He's outspoken, highly regarded and seen by senior Liberals as having the potential, as one put it, "to be the first Canadian prime minister in a turban." The Brampton-born MBA is also what's known as a "charter child." It's the term for the growing number of young Canadian politicians who matured under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and consider it a reflex responsibility to speak out on important issues of human rights. So it should come as no surprise that Bains (Mississauga-Brampton South) lived up to his reputation for outspokenness last week during a trip to Pakistan, making an issue of the sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in neighbouring Afghanistan. Bains wasn't in Lahore to talk about Afghanistan. The Liberal trade critic was part of a delegation, headed by International Trade Minister David Emerson, in the Pakistani city (not far from his maternal grandfather's birthplace) for World Trade Organization talks on agriculture. But on the eve of the trip, another eight soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, and Bains asked Canadian diplomats to arrange a briefing for him with leading Pakistani journalists. He wanted to talk about the lack of border security between Pakistan and Afghanistan (making it porous to Taliban fighters), as well as the Afghan military coalition, which operates under NATO control. What he heard disturbed him. "I was very disappointed at their lack of knowledge of the Canadian role in Afghanistan," Bains told the Toronto Star, after his return to Canada on the weekend. The journalists thought the only foreign nations fighting in Afghanistan were the United States and Britain. Bains explained to them that Ottawa is "very serious" about its Afghan mission and talked about the heavy loss of Canadian lives, which stands at 54 soldiers and one diplomat. He faults the Conservative government for failing to publicize the significant cost to Canada. "We need to... make sure there is a strong awareness – particularly in the region – of the sacrifices Canada has made," said Bains. "And the government has to be more aggressive in insisting upon being part of the decisionmaking process in NATO." Bains is also angry that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has refused to release the written report of a recent fact-finding mission by Wajid Khan, the PM's special adviser on the Middle East and Afghanistan. Khan, the MP for Mississauga-Streetsville, joined the Conservatives earlier this year after Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion warned he couldn't serve as Harper's adviser and stay in the Liberal caucus. On Jan. 5, the day Khan was supposed to discuss his situation with Dion, he crossed the floor, skipping his meeting with the Liberal leader. "What is Khan doing? We don't know. It's a secret," said Bains. "It's incumbent on the prime minister to better explain the situation to the Canadian public... It's not good enough for Khan to say that he can't comment." Bains' outspokenness after his trip to Pakistan was typical of a man used to being at the centre of public controversy. Politics is in his blood: his paternal grandfather Jaswanl was a municipal politician in India; his own interest began in high school in Brampton; and he won a hotly contested nomination in a newly created riding in December 2003, getting elected six months later. In last year's Liberal leadership race, Bains supported Gerard Kennedy. When Kennedy threw his support to Dion, Bains went too, soon becoming a favourite among Dion Liberals. Though he is touted as a possible future PM, Bains won't comment on his leadership ambitions, insisting: "I'm still learning the ropes." He's bilingual, speaking English and Punjabi, but he hasn't mastered French – yet. He spent the first week of the recent Easter break studying French in Montreal. "Nav is representative of the next generation of Canadians," said Toronto political analyst Rob Silver, a veteran Kennedy organizer. "This is the new Canada. He's from a family of immigrants and he grew up in the suburbs. It will be people like Nav who will lead the country and determine where Canada is going over the next 50 years." Last week was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' 25th anniversary. A framed copy of the charter hangs in Bains' riding office in Brampton and he has made copies available in several languages to his constituents. Fighting for Charter rights has been at the heart of his short political career. It's the reason he supported same-sex marriage legislation, despite opposition in the conservative Sikh community. Bains received anonymous telephone threats his career was over – "not death threats" – but he didn't back down. Even his grandmother, Ajit, 72, who lives with his parents in Brampton, picked up the phone to hear her grandson pilloried. "I am proud of him," she said on a recent Friday, before her regular visit to the Gurdwara Temple in Brampton. In a white chuni and tunic, she sat with Bains' niece Rumeet, 5, and talked about her grandson. "It is a very honourable profession," she said in Punjabi with Bains translating. She watches Question Period on TVand complains when he's absent. Bains explained the significance of the Charter of Rights after he heard her talking about "somebody called Charter." There have been other difficult times. In January, Harper rose in the Commons to ask for a Liberal response to a report in the Vancouver Sun that Bains' father-in-law, Darshan Singh Saini, was "on the RCMP's potential list of witnesses" for the Air India investigation and was a former spokesperson for a terrorist organization advocating Sikh nationhood. Saini, who now drives cab in Toronto, told the Star he has been questioned by the RCMP and CSIS and long ago severed ties to the Babbar Khalsa Panthak. "I have nothing to hide. If they need to talk to me again, all they have to do is ask and they will be guests in my home." Liberals felt the issue was used by the Conservatives to insinuate Saini was somehow a suspect. According to Silver, it was meant to smear Bains. "They can smear him or paint caricatures as much as they want but it's too easy and it's cheap... Nav is much better than that." Meanwhile, Bains is upbeat about his political future. Dion called him last December to ask what role he would like in the shadow cabinet. His interest in business and foreign affairs brought him the international trade post. "The life of an MP is awesome," said Bains, before kissing his grandmother goodbye at his parents' home and giving his young niece Rumeet a cuddle. It was practice for an upcoming role in October. That's when his wife, Brahamjot, is expecting their first child.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070425/43/6ezrk.html Punjab appoints senior official to probe immigration By IANS Wednesday April 25, 06:45 PM Chandigarh, April 25 (IANS) The Punjab government Wednesday announced that an officer of the rank of an additional director general of police will probe all cases pertaining to illegal immigration and sham marriages of non-resident Indians (NRIs). Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said such cases would be investigated with top priority and decided within a time frame. He said that cases of girls from Punjab being duped by NRIs for marriage and youth being conned by travel agents were increasing and would be dealt with strictly. 'Travel agents, immigration consultants and marriage bureaus taking youths and daughters of Punjab for a ride would be dealt with strictly as per law,' Badal announced. He added that advertisements issued by these agents in the media would be scrutinised so that the youth are not duped in the name of greener pastures abroad or lucrative jobs, study or settlement offers in other countries. Badal referred at least four cases, brought to his notice by Lok Bhalai Party leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia Wednesday, to the state police chief for investigation. The chief minister, who has already announced that the state government would have a ministry of non-resident Indian (NRI) affairs, said that fast track courts should be set up to deal with cases of marriage frauds committed by NRIs

I consider Vasakhi as one of the most spiritual events in the Sikh annals ! But due to lack of religious/spiritual knowledge and practice of teachings of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, we use "josh" (brawn) instead of "hosh" (brain) ! Common sense is not too common these days ! Through regular naam simran a Sikh learns to control: anger, lust, greed, worldly attachments & ego ! Alas most of us do not have the time for meditation and thus WALK the spiritual path, instead of TALKING the path ! Unfortunately all our religious functions have become mere social events, rather than spiritual and religious events to renew our commitments to the Sikh way of life ! Our religious /spiritual leaders have not only failed us, but our new generations too ! Our new generations are going to pay a very heavy price for survival in this era of Kaljug ! These days politics take precedence over religion at all levels. The solution is to return to the basic teachings of Sikism as taught by our Gurus as per Guru Granth Sahib Ji ! Setting a personal example would be a great start . With Divine Love & Blessings of Waheguru Ji, may you all enjoy: peace, love, light (enlightenment), health, happiness and prosperity in life always! Humbly, Harbhajan

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=231921 From freedom struggle to political stage Amrita Chaudhry Monday , April 16, 2007 Ludhiana, April 15: The Naamdharis, better known as the Kukas, take the credit for starting India's first freedom struggle in 1857, a month before the Sepoy Mutiny. This movement gradually transformed into a sect, which, in the last few years, has gained a lot of political importance. While in the last regime, member of the community HS Hanspal was chosen the PPCC chief, now SAD Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is wooing the Kukas by announcing a state function on the 150th anniversary of the movement. Interestingly, at the function organised today at Bhaini Sahib, the spiritual centre of the sect, the Chief Minister shared the stage with controversial Nihang chief Ajit Singh Poohla, VHP president Ashok Singhal and leaders of the Shiv Sena. The Kukas call Satguru Jagjit Singh their 12th Sikh Guru, against the basic tenets of the Sikhism. Dr Kehar Singh, a Sikh scholar, tracing the Kuka movement, says, "This contradiction of Kukas with Sikhism will always remain. As per Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh was the last Guru. They also practice rituals which are not part of Sikhism. However, the Kukas have contributed a lot to the nationalistic movement, Gurbani recitation, sports, classical music, agriculture and health services." "As far as the CM wooing them is concerned, all I can say is that he is trying to project himself as a leader of all Punjabis and not just the Sikhs," he adds. Dr Gurtej Singh, another Sikh scholar, says, "The Akalis courting the Kukas shows that they are trying to attract all communities as they have lost their Sikh base." He says, "I have the letters written by the first Naamdhari Guru, Guru Ram Singh, in which he has announced that he is not Guru and the Guru Granth Sahib is the only Sikh Guru. However, after he passed away, the Kukas have spent all their time consolidating the 'Gurudom'. In this process, they have established the titles like 'Guru Gadhi' and 'Sache Patshah'." Lambasting Akalis, Patiala-based scholar Dr Balkar Singh says, "By holding a state function, the Akalis have accepted their (Kuka's) version of Sikhism."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/we...84-1c0a8400b868 Music, colour honour holy day Kim Bolan Vancouver Sun (Canada) Monday, April 16, 2007 VANCOUVER - Twenty people in Hardeep Kaur Dhillon's family spent hours preparing curry and rice for some of the thousands of people who trekked past their home at 49th and Sophia Saturday. It was the first time the family, who lives on the route of Vancouver's Vaisakhi parade, decided to cook for the masses. Their white plastic tent was one of the most popular spots on the strip as tens of thousands waited for hours to see the colourful floats of the caravan organized by Vancouver's Khalsa Diwan Society. As she filled Styrofoam cups with chai, Dhillon explained that Vaisakhi is important to Sikhs "because our Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Khalsa today." That was back in 1699 and it is when the first Sikhs were baptized and adopted symbols of the religion including unshorn hair, a steel bracelet and a kirpan, the ceremonial dagger. Dhillon said the people lining up for food, many of whom were non-Sikh, were grateful for the family's contribution. Certainly Dave Lai and his two young sons were enjoying the food. Lai, who lives in Vancouver, had never attended the parade before. "We just wanted to see the culture and all the people out," Lai said. "It certainly seems to be a very big family thing." Society leaders and Vancouver police said the parade was the biggest ever in the city with crowd estimates topping 100,000. Vancouver police Supt. Kash Heed said despite the extraordinary size of the event, everything went smoothly and without incident. "It's just been a perfect day," Heed said. "Everyone has been out enjoying the event." Organizer Jarnail Singh Bhandal, former president of the Ross Street temple, said he thinks the crowds were so large because the parade was held on a different weekend than one hosted by a Surrey temple on April 7. Over the last few years, the temples have held simultaneous events, forcing community members to choose which one to attend. "In future, we'll always have two different dates," Bhandal said. Like the Surrey parade a week earlier, politicians of every stripe and government level were out in force Saturday, making speeches at the Ross Street temple and later at a stage at 50th and Main. Most donned traditional Indian clothes and all spoke -- or attempted to speak -- at least a few words in Punjabi. Mayor Sam Sullivan wore a blue and orange turban, a royal blue tunic and gave his speech entirely in Punjabi. Premier Gordon Campbell peppered his two speeches with Punjabi and also wore a tunic, but no turban. "For over 100 years, the Sikh community in British Columbia has been shaping our province, shaping it in every walk of life," Campbell said. "On behalf of all British Columbians, let me say how important it is to each of us that you invite us to join us in this Vaisakhi celebration." Two national party leaders -- Liberal Opposition leader Stephane Dion and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton -- flew to B.C. to attend Vaisakhi. Dion repeated promises to the Indo-Canadian community that if elected prime minister, he would finance the construction of "India gates" in both Surrey and Vancouver "to formally recognize the contribution of the South Asian community in helping shape and build Canada." "I also spoke of my commitment to offering an official apology for the tragic events of the Komagata Maru," Dion said. "I want a richer Canada, a fairer Canada and a greener Canada." Layton said the Khalsa was formed to fight injustice, something the Sikh continue to do in Canada today. "This community is an inspiration to the rest of Canada in so many ways having built this country over the last hundred years," Layton said. kbolan@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2007

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070416/punjab1.htm 150 years of Kuka Movement Namdharis can have whatever they want: CM Tribune News Service Bhaini Sahib (Ludhiana), April 15 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today regretted that the national heroes were gradually being forgotten. He said a fresh movement needed to be started across the country for creating awareness among the masses, particularly the youth, about national heroes like Satguru Ram Singh. Addressing a function organised by the state government in the presence of Satguru Jagjit Singh, head of the Namdhari sect, here today to mark 150 years of the Kuka movement, Badal pointed out that these heroes had made great sacrifices for the whole country. But unfortunately it was being made out as if they belonged to Punjab only. He pointed out functions in memory of other heroes like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai and others remain restricted to Punjab. Although Badal made no announcement about any special scheme today, he said whatever orders there would be from the darbar, he would abide by them. Later he told reporters, “I have given them a signed blank paper and they can have whatever they want.†Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal while appreciating the path set by the Namdharis, said it was high time that the modern and future generations were told about their great sacrifices for the freedom of the country. Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary Ashok Singh lauded the contribution of the Namdhari darbar towards social awareness and cow protection, in particular. Prominent among those present included Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Satpal Gosain, minister Hira Singh Gabria, local Akali leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, SAD general secretary Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, state BJP president Avinash Rai Khanna, chief parliamentary secretary Jagdish Sawhney. Interestingly, Satguru Jagjit Singh left the function while Badal was still delivering his presidential address.

Non-Sikhs on Sikhism Some thoughts of modem writers on Sikhism and Gurbani. Rev. H. L. Bradshaw After thoroughly studying the philosophy of Sikhism, Rev. H. L. Bradshaw observed: Sikhism is a Universal world Faith, a message for all men. This is amply illustrated in the writings of the Gurus. Sikhs must cease to think of their faith as just another good religion and must begin to think in terms of Sikhism being the religion for this New Age … It completely supplants and fulfils all the former dispensations of older religions. Books must be written proving this. The other religions contain the truth, but Sikhism contains the fullness of truth. Bradshaw also writes: The Guru Granth Sahib of all the world religious scriptures, alone states that there are innumerable worlds and universes other than our own. The previous scriptures were all concerned only with this world and its spiritual counterpart. To imply that they spoke of other worlds, as does the Guru Granth Sahib, is to stretch their obvious meanings out of context. The Sikh religion is truly the answer to the problems of the modern man. Archer Archer, in his book on the Sikh faith comments: The religion of the Guru Granth is a universal and practical religion … Due to ancient prejudices of the Sikhs it could not spread in the world. The world needs today its message of peace and love. Dorothy Field Another scholar, Dorothy Field in her book, "The Sikh Religion," writes: Pure Sikhism is far above dependence on Hindu rituals and is capable of a distinct position as a world religion so long as Sikhs maintain their distinctiveness. The religion is also one which should appeal to the occidental mind. It is essentially a practical religion. If judged from the pragmatical standpoint which is a favorite point of view in some quarters, IT WOULD RANK ALMOST FIRST IN THE WORLD. (Emphasis by the author). Of no other religion can it be said that it has made a nation in so short a time. Macauliffe In his book, "The Sikh Religion," Macauliffe writes: Unlike the scriptures of other creeds, they do not contain love stories or accounts of wars waged for selfish considerations. They contain sublime truths, the study of which cannot but elevate the reader spiritually, morally, and socially. There is not the least tinge of sectarianism in them. They teach the highest and purest principle that serve to bind man to man and inspire the believer with an ambition to serve his fellow men, to sacrifice all and die for their sake. Macauliffe deems it necessary to draw the reader's attention to another significant feature of Sikhism which distinguishes it and separates it from other philosophical and religious systems of thought: The Sikh religion differs as regards the authenticity of its dogmas from most other great theological systems. Many of the great teachers the world has known, have not left a line of their own composition, and we only know what they taught through tradition or second-hand information. If Pythagoras wrote any of tenets, his writings have not descended to us. We know the teachings of Socrates only through the writings of Plato and Xenophon. Buddha has left no written memorials of his teaching. Kungfu-tze, known to Europeans as Confucious, left no documents in which he detailed the principles of his moral and social systems. The Founder of Christianity did not reduce his doctrines to writing, and for them we are obliged to trust to the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark. Luke, and John. The Arabian Prophet did not himself reduce to writing the chapters of the Quran. They were written or compiled by his adherents and followers. But the compositions of the Sikh Gurus are preserved and we know first hand what they taught. They employed the vehicle of verse, which is generally unalterable by copyist, and we even become in time familiar with their different styles. No spurious compositions or extraneous dogmas, can therefore be represented as theirs. The author of the 'Vie de Jesus' was a great admirer of Jesus Christ. Greatly impressed as he was of the spiritual message delivered by Christ and those of the Semitic thinkers that preceded him, he posed the question: "Whether great originality will again arise or the world be content to follow the paths opened by the daring creators of the ancient ages?" Bearing Sikhism in mind, Macauliffe answers the above question in the following words: Now there is here presented a religion totally unaffected by Semitic or Christian influences. Based on the concept of the unity of God, it rejected Hindu formalities and adopted an independent ethical system, ritual, and standards, which were totally opposed to the theological beliefs of Guru Nanak's age and country. As we shall see hereafter, it would be difficult to point to a religion of greater originality or to a more comprehensive ethical system Macauliffe continues: Guru Nanak was not a priest either by birth or education, but a man who soared to the loftiest heights of divine emotionalism, and exalted his mental vision to an ethical ideal beyond the concept of Hinduism or Mohammadanism. Dr. W.O. Cole Dr. W.O. Cole, of the U.K. wrote more than half a dozen books on Sikhism. In 1985, he visited India where communal disturbances had created a virtual turmoil and thousands of people were killed. In a key note lecture by him on the Mission and Message of Guru Nanak Dev, he gave a message to the Sangat there and through them to all of humanity: Remember the tenets of Guru Nanak, his concepts of oneness of God and Universal Brotherhood of man. If any community holds the key to national integration of India, it is the Sikhs all the way. After the lecture, he was asked what drew him to the study of Sikhism, he replied: Theologically, I cannot answer the question what drew me to the study of Sikhism. You may call it, the purpose of God. But to be more specific, the unique concept of universality and the system of Langar (free community meal) in Sikhism are the two features that attract me towards the study of Sikhism. Langar is the exclusive feature of Sikhism and found nowhere else in the world. Sikhism is the only religion which welcomes each and everyone to its Langar without any discrimination of caste, creed, color, or sex. Swami Nitya Nand The opinions of some Hindu mystics also should be quoted to understand their experiences with the Sikh faith. Swami Nitya Nand (expired at the age of 135 years) writes in his book "Gur Gian": I, in the company of my guru, Brahma Nand Ji, went to Mathra ... While on pilgrimage tour, we reached Panjab and there we met Swami Satya Nand Udasi. He explained the philosophy and religious practices of Nanak in such a way that Swami Brahma Nand Ji enjoyed a mystic lore. During the visit to the Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar, his soul was so much affected, that he became a devotee of the Guru. After spending some time in Panjab he went to Hardwar. Though he was hail and hearty, one day I saw tears in his eyes. I asked the reason for that. He replied, "I sifted sand the whole of my life. The Truth was in the House of Nanak. I will have to take one more birth in that house, only then I will attain Kalyan." After saying that the soul left his body. Swami Nitya Nand also wrote of his own experience: I also constantly meditate on Waheguru revealed by Nanak. I practiced Yoga Asanas under the guidance of Yogis and did that for many years; the bliss and peace, which I enjoy now, was never obtained earlier. Spiritual Triage Finally, here are some excerpts from the proceedings of a seminar on the life of Guru Nanak Dev. It was conducted at Simla, now in Himachal Pardesh, by the Panjab Historical Society Lahore, before World War I. The seminar was presided over by the lieutenant governor of Panjab. After hearing the lecture by Joginder Singh, Pundit Ramsaran Das, a prominent Hindu intellectual observed that Guru Nanak was a great reformer of the Hindu faith. Nawab Zulfkar Ali Khan of Malerkotla disagreed with Mr. Das and commented that Guru Nanak was a great Muslim fakir, his best friend was Bhai Mardana, a lowly Muslim. His best devotee was a Muslim, Rai Bular, the village chief. The governor, in his presidential remarks disagreed with both and said that according to what had been told by the speaker, Guru Nanak was a great Christian. Guru Nanak, however, states in Gurbani: "I am neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, I am a human being." SOURCE: http://www.sikh.com/Philosophy/Phil_5.html

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.h...c-7ad4-4436-995 Husband of slain Surrey teacher now facing murder charge in her death Camille Bains Canadian Press Monday, March 12, 2007 DELTA, B.C. (CP) - A Surrey, B.C., high school teacher has been charged with second-degree murder charge in the death of his pregnant wife, also a teacher, police said Monday. The charge against 35-year-old Mukhtiar Panghali follows an investigation spanning several months. The charred remains of 30-year-old Manjit Panghali were found beside a road in this Vancouver suburb last October, several days after she had disappeared. Police said the accused's 27-year-old brother, Sukhvinder, is charged with being an accessory after the fact, and both men are accused of improper or indecent interference with a body. "Today would have been my sister's due date," Manjit's sister Jasmine Bhambra told a police news conference. "We should be in the hospital right now welcoming the newest member of our family," she said as Manjit's father held up a picture of his daughter and wiped away tears. She said it was a bittersweet moment for her family. "While we are relieved to some degree with recent developments we are still processing through the realities of this nightmare that we have been living since Manjit's death. "The gruesome murder of Manjit and her unborn baby has left us and the entire local community shocked and horrified. "Vibrant, funny, devoted, inspiring, honest and gentle, that was our Manjit who has been taken away from us so senselessly." Police spokesman Const. Sharlene Brooks said police are recommending charges of assaulting a police officer and attempting to flee custody against Sukhvinder. "One of our investigators was injured and he's currently recovering from surgery that he went through overnight," Brooks said. "He sustained significant injuries to his shoulder." Manjit Panghali's death was among three attacks on Indo-Canadian women in the Vancouver area in a two-week period last fall, two of them fatal. The incidents led to renewed concerns about domestic violence in the South Asian community and prompted well-attended forums for people to voice their concerns. Brooks read a statement on behalf of Chief Const. Jim Cessford. "I extend my deepest and most sincere sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Manjit Pangali. "The past few months have been very difficult for everyone affected by this terrible tragedy." © The Canadian Press 2007

International Women's Day International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage. The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. The Role of the United Nations Few causes promoted by the United Nations have generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women. The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. Since then, the Organization has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. Over the years, United Nations action for the advancement of women has taken four clear directions: promotion of legal measures; mobilization of public opinion and international action; training and research, including the compilation of gender desegregated statistics; and direct assistance to disadvantaged groups. Today a central organizing principle of the work of the United Nations is that no enduring solution to society's most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, of the world's women. http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

SOURCE: http://www.sikh.net/SIKHISM/GURUS/index.htm The word Guru is so popular in India that in order to understand the fundamental concept of 'guru' in Sikhism, one must first completely drive out of one's mind the prevalent popular notion of a guru. The popular term 'guru' often used for a Brahman, a yogic teacher or a guide or even a school teacher, has made the Guruship so cheap that a scholar describes these gurus as 'wicks which smell foul after the lamps are extinguished.' The term 'Guru' in Sikhism is not used for a teacher or a guide or an expert or even a human body. The word Guru is composed of two terms- GU- means darkness and RU- means Light. In Sikhism the word 'Guru' is, thus, defined as the Light that dispels all darkness, and that is called JOT (Divine Light). Guru Nanak was, therefore, the EMBODIMENT of Divine Light: 'Gur Nanak Dev Govind roop.' (Basant Mohalla 5, p-1192, Guru Granth Sahib) 'Guru Nanak is embodiment of the Light of God.' (Translation of the above) The Guru in Sikhism is a perfect Prophet or Messenger of God in whom the Light of God shines fully, visibly and completely. Guru is in union with Divine. Thus he ushers the devotees, the seekers of Truth into a spiritual birth. Through him the Glory of the Lord is transmitted to humanity. On account of his Divine prerogatives, the Guru, though human in form, is Divine in Spirit. Literally Guru Nanak's body was a platform from which God Himself spoke and delivered His message- Gurbani (Divine Word). God manifested Himself through Guru Nanak: 'Gur meh aap samoai sabad vartaya.' (Var Malar ki Mohalla 1, p-1279) 'In the true Guru (Nanak) He installed His Own Spirit Through him, God speaketh Himself.' (Translation of the above) In another place in Gurbani it is said 'Gur meh aap rakhaya kartare.' (Maru Mohalla 1(15), p-1024) 'In the body of Guru (Nanak) God revealeth Himself.' (Translation of the above) God is in the Guru and Guru is in God. Though God is everywhere and in everybody but His traits are illuminated through the Guru. The Jot (Divine Light) that enshrined Guru Nanak's body and the Primal Jot of God are, therefore, one and the same: 'Gur Nanak Nanak har soai.' (Gaund Mohalla 5, p-865) 'O Nanak, Jot of Nanak and God are one.' (Translation of the above) Again the Janamsakhis (biographies) reveal that God spoke to Guru Nanak and said: 'Mei aad parmeshar aur tu gur parmeshar.' 'I am the Primal God and thou art Guru God.' (Translation of the above) Guru Nanak never claimed that only his disciples or devotees could get salvation or go to heaven. Since he was the embodiment of Divine Light, and as the Divine Light does not belong to any particular sect or religion, so he stood guarantee for the entire humanity, and said, "Whosoever meditates upon One God, the Formless, will get salvation." 'Jo jo japai so hoi punit Bhagat bhai lavai man hit.' (Gauri Sukhmani Mohalla 5, p-290) 'He shall become pure whosoever repeateth His Name With devotion, affection and heartfelt love.' (Translation of the above) When Guru Nanak conferred Guruship on Bhai Lehna (later called Guru Angad), the JOT was passed on and Guru Angad too became the embodiment of Divine Light. In the same way all the nine Gurus were the embodiments of Gur Nanak Jot. The tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh then conferred the Guruship on Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scripture), which too became the embodiment of Divine Light. Gur Nanak JOT is, therefore, enshrined and preserved in Guru Granth Sahib (it is no longer the Adi Granth, but only the Guru Granth), and it is the Living Guru for ever. For the Sikhs, the Guru Granth is the manifestation of the Guru's Spirit and through it, Guru Nanak lives on in the Sikh Faith. Sikhism endeavors to uplift the human soul from the shackles of Maya (materialism). It aims at a virtuous life which leads to the ultimate realization of a state of Eternal Bliss. The objective of Guru Nanak's Guruship was to give instructions in the True Name, to save humanity from immersing in the ocean of distress and misery arising out of worldly life, and to blend the human souls with their Creator, thus, emancipating them from the cycle of transmigration breaking all barriers and bonds of sufferings. This is the essential character of Sikh faith. The law of Karma or fatalism is repugnant to Sikh Religion as it does not reconcile with the merciful trait of the Almighty Lord. There is no such thing in Sikhism as eternal damnation or an everlasting pit of fire created by the revengeful God. Guru's grace erases the blot of thousands of evil deeds of the past and the present. It is also the savior of the future. Meditation on Nam burns countless sins. Singing the glory of the Lord through the Divine Word, can redeem a repentant sinner and, thus, doctrine of Karma ceases to operate. Such is the splendor of Guru Nanak's doctrine of God's Grace and Compassion.

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20070227&fname=assemblypolls&sid=1 Outlookindia.com Web| Feb 27, 2007 Resurgent BJP It's a bitter sweet harvest for the Shiromani Akali Dal–BJP combine in Punjab. They've won alright, but even as alliance partner BJP won a record 19 seats, much of the SAD's own top leadership stands decimated in the election. CHANDER SUTA DOGRA It's a bitter sweet harvest for the Shiromani Akali Dal–BJP combine in Punjab. They’ve won alright, but victory in the assembly elections has come with a touch of bitterness. Victory for the Akalis comes with the realization that its support base in its traditional strongholds is fast eroding and that anti incumbency of a different kind can dog even leaders who have spent five years in the opposition. If there is any one message that comes across clearly from the verdict in Punjab, it is that long established roles and territory holds of political parties have reversed sides in this border state. And, though the smiles were in place in the Badal camp as they munched on ladoos, victory hasn’t been that sweet. For one, even as alliance partner BJP won a record 19 seats, much of the SAD’s own top leadership stands decimated in the election. Chief minister designate Prakash Singh Badal too has won his Lambi seat with a modest margin of just about 9000 votes as against his rival and ousted chief minister Amarinder Singh who won from Patiala with about 32000 votes. And, almost all of this loss is from the SAD’s traditional stronghold of southern Punjab—the Malwa belt, where, from 27 seats in 2002, it is down to 23 seats whereas the Congress has added another 9 to its kitty from here. The SAD has now emerged as a party of the Majha and Doaba areas of the state, conceding much of its traditional hold in Malwa to the Congress. Many of its top leaders like Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Tota Singh and others lost because they neglected their constituencies while in the opposition. Also, if it weren’t for a resurgent BJP, the SAD could have been in trouble because the party has improved its own tally by just 7 seats from last time. All this was weighing heavily with the SAD leadership as did the victory lap, seeing many of its party stalwarts losing the election including charismatic former SGPC head Bibi Jagir Kaur who lost from Bholath. This election has been all about role reversals, development and governance where, though Punjab’s well worn ‘panthic’ issues took a backseat with the Sikh peasantry, it has had its effect on the urban Hindus with devastating consequences for the Congress. Consider this: Throughout his five year tenure Amarinder Singh wooed the rural Jat Sikh, projecting himself as the true protector of the Sikh panth. He not only organized the extravagant 400th anniversary of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib but got a bus route opened for pilgrims to Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak in Pakistan. Amarinder’s glittering ‘palki’ procession to Nankana Sahib where he took a gold palki to the Sikh shrine was also aimed at seizing the ‘panthic agenda’ from the Akalis. Though this did win him some good will from rural Punjab, it effectively alienated the urban Hindus who quietly shifted to the BJP. "It’s a subtle undercurrent of apprehension which has manifested itself in the BJP’s rich haul of 19 of the 23 seats contested by it," says Dr Pramod Kumar, a Chandigarh based analyst. The very same urban Hindus who voted for the Congress in 2002 shifted with vengeance to the BJP fold, because the Congress under Amarinder Singh became known more for its pro sikh stance. Both he and PCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo are turbaned Sikhs. Of the record 76% turnout on polling day the voting by urban Punjab increased by 33%. The dalits too who have traditionally voted for the Congress were fragmented. Sadly for the Congress, the nation’s first Sikh PM in Manmohan Singh too has proved to be more of a liability for it. The Congress’s rubbing in of Manmohan’s Sikh credentials for the last two years has clearly not gone down well with the urban Hindus who have sided with the BJP at a time when the latter does not have any leaders of note in Punjab.Manmohan Singh did not evoke much interest even among the Sikhs of Punjab and his two thinly attended rallies during the election campaign have been a source of much embarrassment for the Congress. "The man has not given anything substantial to Punjab even though he has visited the state several times after he became PM. We don’t feel as if he is one of us because he cannot even speak good Punjabi," said a disgusted Sohan Singh in Balachaur. Amarinder’s undoing many say, is that he tried to steal into Akali strongholds to beat the Akalis at their own 'panthic' game but failed to cover his flanks. Yes, he has endeared himself to the farmers by ensuring smooth procurement during all the five years, introducing the lucrative BT cotton in southern Punjab and abrogating the water sharing agreement with neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan. He has succeeded in blurring the differences between the SAD and the Congress, forcing the Akalis to adopt a more inclusive stance by giving more seats to Hindus. He has dented the Akalis’ base, but his fate was sealed because, in the end, the Punjabi’s desire for change overrides all else. As Balwant Singh a farmer in Libra (Khanna) puts it, "Everybody wants change. We don’t want one party to get complacent or arrogant." As a dejected Amarinder Singh sought to put the blame for his defeat on the price rise and the policies of the central government which have led to it, he cannot absolve his government of much of the responsibility. It’s not for nothing that around 10 of Amarinder’s incumbent ministers have lost including strongmen like Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and Avtar Henry. PCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo lost from Khanna while deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal managed to get in by the skin of her teeth winning by just 254 votes. If there is any consolation for the Congress camp it is the dent that it has been able to make amidst the rural peasantry, something which will stand it in good stead during the Lok sabha elections. The party is also satisfied that it shall form a strong opposition with 44 seats and gave the Akalis a tense run for their money. The alliance meanwhile is gearing up to take up the reins. Though Badal is certain to be the next chief minister, it is common knowledge in Punjab that the real power will be wielded by his son and Lok Sabha MP Sukhbir Badal. With foreign educated Sukhbir calling the shots, will the Akalis finally be able to deliver a government free of dogmatic jathedars and their old fashioned style of governance? In his hour of defeat, Amarinder predicted that the Akalis will push Punjab back by 25 years. The alliance though has come to power on the strength of its development promises and claims to have a blueprint for Punjab’s progress. With many senior Akali leaders having lost, Badal will find it difficult to find suitable people for the cabinet. A resurgent BJP too will want its pound of flesh in governance. The coming months will test this out ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Win For BJP in Punjab Feb 27, 2007 - 4:28:59 PM The Akali Dal, led by Parkash Badal, got the dubious distinction of returning to power with the lowest-ever number of seats in its kitty. The Akalis could do it this time only with the help of alliance partner BJP that won 19 seats. The combined tally of the alliance is 67. Knowing full well that it holds the key to the formation of the Badal-led government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, will stake claim for the post of Deputy chief minister. It is for the first time in Punjab that the BJP will hold a position of importance on the political scene. “Everybody, including the media, underestimated usâ€, said a relieved Avinash Rai Khanna, chief of the BJP’s Punjab unit. At one point of time, its alliance partner had expressed reservations on allotting 23 seats for the BJP . The turnaround is such that the BJP will now aid the SAD in forming the government. Khanna said after due consultation with the party high command the demand for deputy chief ministership will be raised and “we will have a fair share in the government.†Senior BJP leader R.P. who is close to BJP chief Rajnath, was candid enough to admit over the phone from Delhi that “we will stake claim for the post.†The BJP leaders tipped for the post are Mohan Lal, Satpal Gosian, Swarna Ram and Manoranjan Kalia, party sources said. Senior BJP leaders would express their anguish in private at the “lack of respect†shown to them. It is also through the BJP and the Sangh Parivar that the Badal clan have formed an inseperable tie with the RSS and its ideology. The return of the Badal clan to Punjab will inevitably bring with it the bad history of promoting Anti-Sikh practices openly carried out on a regular basis by them. Be it the "havan" Hindu fire ritual performed by Badal senior or the worship of Noormehal Anti-Sikh Ashutosh by Surinder Badal there is no doubt that such negative actions will be a regular occurance. Badal also visits Mandirs often to pray to Kali. Parkash Badal went back on every major promise made to the Sikhs from before 1984 to the present. He strolled out of Sri Darbar Sahib Complex during the massacre of innocent Sikh pilgrims in June 1984. Parkash Badal and his associates are also believed to have given the 'green light' to conduct Operation Bluestar. Since 1984, Parkash Badal received ongoing help from Anti-Sikh agencies in exchange for supporting negative activities against the Panth. During his regime, thousands of innocent youths and entire families were brutally killed. The central government of India was ready to release many innocent Sikh youths from jail during the regime of Badal but he stopped this from happening as he said it would create problems for his 'rule' in Punjab. It is also alleged Badal provided financial assistance to police officials who were involved in the killing Sikhs in fake encounters, so that they could arrange advocates to contest their cases. The Badal clan have worked hard to earn the reputation of the biggest traitors of the Sikhs in modern history. SSNews, Ajay Banerjee © Copyright 2006 SikhSangat.org

Yahoo in Punjabi: http://in.punjabi.yahoo.com/

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4465604c.html Spirituality studied from a neurological perspective Sun Jan 28 2007 By Joann Loviglio PHILADELPHIA -- Religion and science can combine to create some thorny questions: Does God exist outside the human mind, or is God a creation of our brains? Why do we have faith in things that we cannot prove, whether it's the afterlife or UFOs? The new Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania is using brain imaging technology to examine such questions, and to investigate how spiritual and secular beliefs affect our health and behaviour. "Very few are looking at spirituality from a neurological side, from the brain-mind side," said Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of the centre. A doctor of nuclear medicine and an assistant professor at Penn, Newberg also has co-authored three books on the science-spirituality relationship. The centre is not a bricks-and-mortar structure but a multidisciplinary team of Penn researchers exploring the relationship between the brain and spirituality from biological, psychological, social and ideological viewpoints. Founded last April, it is bringing together some 20 experts from fields including medicine, pastoral care, religious studies, social work and bioethics. "The brain is a believing machine because it has to be," Newberg said. "Beliefs affect every part of our lives. They make us who we are. They are the essence of our being." Spirituality and belief don't have to equate to religious faith, Newberg said. The feelings of enlightenment and well-being some derive from religion can come to others through artistic expression, nonreligious meditation, watching a beautiful sunset or listening to stirring music. "Atheists have belief systems, too," Newberg said. How does the centre test the relationship between the mind and spirituality? In one study, Newberg and colleagues used imaging technology to look at the brains of Pentecostal Christians speaking in tongues -- known scientifically as glossolalia -- then looked at their brains when they were singing gospel music. They found that those practising glossolalia showed decreased activity in the brain's language centre, compared with the singing group. The imaging results are suggestive of people's description that they do not have control of their own speech when speaking in tongues. Newberg said scientists believe that speech is taken over by another part of the brain during glossolalia, but did not find it during the study. Other recent studies looked at the brains of Tibetan Buddhists in meditation and Franciscan nuns in prayer, then compared the results to their baseline brain activity levels. Among other changes, both groups showed decreased activity in the parts of the brain that have to do with sense of self and spatial orientation -- which suggests the description of oneness with God, of transcendence sometimes experienced in meditation or prayer. Prayer and meditation also increase levels of dopamine, often referred to as the brain's pleasure hormone. "The mind and the body are the flip side of the same coin," said Dr. Daniel Monti, head of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's integrated medicine centre. "Now we know some of the mechanisms by which that occurs, and it's becoming better and better understood." -- Associated Press -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2007 Winnipeg Free Press. All Rights Reserved

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/specia...5b-ef0699f46064 Question: Do you encourage your congregation to be blood donors? Kiran Kaur Bhinder's answer Ottawa Citizen Saturday, December 09, 2006 A: The Sikh philosophy and teachings place great emphasis on the importance of giving and putting others before oneself. One of the three cornerstones of the Sikh faith is to share with others. Assisting those less fortunate includes offering whatever resources or services possible: monetary, emotional, intellectual, spiritual or practical. Blood donations are an important example of how Sikhs perform practical and spiritual service. Many Gurdwaras (places of holy congregation), and Sikh Student Associations across Canada host or support annual blood donor drives for their congregation and community. Sikh communities have also made specific efforts during tragedies like the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. “The true servants of God are those who serve Him through helping others.†(Guru Nanak, Guru Granth Sahib) Every minute of every day someone in Canada somewhere needs blood. Despite the ever increasing need for blood products and organs for transplant — only 31ž2 per cent of eligible Canadians donate, one of the worst records internationally. There remains a considerable shortage in supply of organs and blood products. For many, donating blood is a practical means of bringing communities together in service, to help alleviate the pain and suffering of others. As a form of honoring those whose blood was shed, we can donate our own and save the lives of many who are still in desperate need. Kiran Kaur Bhinder is a founding trustee of the Sikh National Archives. © Ottawa Citizen 2006

This Shabad is by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree on Pannaa 192 gourree mehalaa 5 || gur kaa sabadh raakh man maahi || naam simar chi(n)thaa sabh jaahi ||1|| bin bhagava(n)th naahee an koe || maarai raakhai eaeko soe ||1|| rehaao || gur kae charan ridhai our dhhaar || agan saagar jap outharehi paar ||2|| gur moorath sio laae dhhiaan || eehaa oohaa paavehi maan ||3|| sagal thiaag gur saranee aaeiaa || mittae a(n)dhaesae naanak sukh paaeiaa ||4||61||130|| Gauree, Fifth Mehla: Keep the Word of the Guru's Shabad in your mind. Meditating in remembrance on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, all anxiety is removed. ||1|| Without the Lord God, there is no one else at all. He alone preserves and destroys. ||1||Pause|| Enshrine the Guru's Feet in your heart. Meditate on Him and cross over the ocean of fire. ||2|| Focus your meditation on the Guru's Sublime Form. Here and hereafter, you shall be honored. ||3|| Renouncing everything, I have come to the Guru's Sanctuary. My anxieties are over - O Nanak, I have found peace. ||4||61||130|| http://www.sikhitothemax.com/Page.asp?Sour...81&Format=2

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061230/main5.htm Help for women deserted abroad Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 29 In a much-needed move, the Centre has prepared a scheme to provide counselling and legal services to Indian women deserted by their husbands in foreign countries. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has finalised the scheme wherein counselling and legal aid would be provided to the distressed women by a panel of community advocates through credible Indian associations and women's organisations empanelled with the country's Missions, sources said. To begin with, the service would be provided in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf, where majority of the Indian expatriate community lived, they said. Under the scheme, finalised at a high-level meeting in the ministry recently, organisations and NGOs would enlist Indian community advocates to do voluntary work and provide legal assistance and counselling services. The scheme would cover women deserted in India or overseas within one year of the marriage or in the case of divorce proceedings initiated by the spouse within one year of the marriage. Legal aid would also be provided if there was an ex-parte decree of divorce or annulment of the marriage was obtained by the spouse and a case of maintenance or alimony was required to be filed. A sum of upto $ 1,000 would be paid to the NGO or organisation concerned to undertake the initial work or documentation required for the legal proceedings on the woman's behalf. The scheme would be circulated among the Indian community associations by the Missions concerned for information and publicity and sent to the women's groups and NGOs inviting them to apply for empanelment under the scheme. The applications received from women seeking assistance would be examined by a committee in the Ministry. Based on this scrutiny and approval of the Ministry, the cases would be recommended to the Missions for giving assistance to the women in distress. The government's decision to put in place the assistance mechanism comes in the wake of an increasing number of complaints by Indian women, who go in for NRI marriages, of being abandoned by their husbands.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/st...591&k=28089 Scientists study how religion affects behaviour Emerging scientific field studies how belief in God can promote intolerance or altruism Wency Leung Vancouver Sun Friday, December 29, 2006 VANCOUVER - The science of religious belief is a relatively new field of study that is gaining in popularity as researchers seek to explain behaviour such as violent martyrdom, or altruism, University of B.C. professor Ara Norenzayan said in recent interview. Norenzayan, a social psychologist who has been studying behaviour related to religious belief for five years, said scientists are interested in finding explanations for peoples' belief in religion, and in determining the consequences of faith. Norenzayan's work is spotlighted in The Next Big Thing in 2007, and Beyond, UBC's annual survey of experts. "My research doesn't really speak to [the question], 'Is religion true?'" he said. "I don't think science can really answer that question." However, he said, science can try to explain what motivates faith. He and fellow researchers have been conducting experiments to test how and if belief in God can promote religious hatred or apparently irrational behaviour. Psychologists and philosophers have long linked religious belief with people's anxieties about mortality, Norenzayan said, but recent scientific studies have been able to demonstrate that link, he said. Research participants, who were reminded of their mortality either by writing about what happens when they die, or by reading stories in which the character died, were more inclined to believe in religious or supernatural explanation, he said. And reminders of mortality, such as seeing death on television, or passing a funeral parlour, "can temporarily elicit religious sensibility in people," Norenzayan said. The science of faith and spirituality is growing at a time when fundamentalism is on the rise across the spectrum of religions, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism, he said. He also noted that the U.S., the most powerful, and among the most highly educated countries in the world, is also one of the most religious, with over 80 per cent of the population believing in God. There's a growing need for an understanding of fundamentalist movements based on observation, rather than on intuition or faith, because of fundamentalism's apparent link with violence, Norenzayan said. "Here, it becomes really critical to break down religion to its components -- what aspect of it, if any, leads to violent behaviours," he said. From Norenzayan's research, he found faith in God does not make people less tolerant of those who don't share their beliefs. Rather, so-called "boundary-setting" tendencies, or dogmatism, seem to be the culprits, he said. Research participants who agreed with the statement: "My God or belief is the only true one," were more likely to support violence. In another study, Norenzayan and fellow researchers found that Muslim Palestinians who prayed frequently were no more or less likely to support suicide attacks than those who did not. However, he wrote in the UBC report: "Those who frequently attended mosque were more likely to endorse violent martyrdom." Norenzayan said attendance at a synagogue or mosque likely contributes to boundary-setting. "It's 'my group versus the other group,' whereas prayer [itself] doesn't have that affect on people," he said. Secularization, however, doesn't make people more tolerant, he said, especially if they are emphatic in their belief that God does not exist. "Are we better off in a world where people believe in God less? I don't think so," Norenzayan said. He added that in other experiments on altruistic behaviour, reminders of the presence of God increased people's generosity toward strangers. wleung@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2006

http://www.sikhsundesh.net/gandhi.htm Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity By G. B. Singh Reviewed by Baldev Singh "Truth comes out breaking the walls of a fortress" is a Punjabi saying. For the lovers of truth G. B. Singh has exploded the Gandhi myth – apostle of peace, emancipator of untouchables and liberator of India by peaceful means from the British yoke – by publishing his labor of love, Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity. G. B. Singh studied Gandhi for over twenty years collecting Gandhi’s speeches, writings and other documents, which the promoters of Gandhi left out intentionally to create a twentieth century messiah by fusing Jesus Christ and Vishnu. The oppressors – the proponents of colonialism, slavery, racism and casteism - have imposed their own version of history on the victims through manipulation, deception and hypocrisy. For example there is holocaust museum in the capital of United States in the memory of six million Jews who fell victim to the atrocities of Nazis in World War II. It is commendable and such museums should be built in every capital in the world to remind people of the heinous crimes of the Nazis. But why not a museum about the genocide of native Americans or a museum about slavery in the capital of United States? It takes moral courage to look into the face of truth! In order to avoid the obligation to intervene in Rwanda, the Western powers led by President Clinton put pressure on the United Nations Security Council not to characterize the mass murder of Tootsies as genocide. The making of Gandhi myth stared in South Africa by white Christian clergy. Rev. Joseph J. Doke, a Baptist Minster was the first to write the biography of M. K. Gandhi. Soon many other European and American clergymen and writers rushed in to make their input. John H. Holmes, a Unitarian pastor from New York praised Gandhi in his writings and sermons with titles like: Gandhi: The Modern Christ, Mahatma Gandhi: The Greatest Man since Jesus Christ, Mahatma Ji: Reincarnation of Christ and Gandhi before Pilate. Romain Rolland, French Nobel Laureate in literature looked at Gandhi not only as a Hindu saint, but also another Christ. He wrote Gandhi’s new biography in French. The English translation of this book opens with: He is the One Luminous, Creator of All, Mahatma. Impressed with lavish propaganda about Gandhi in the West, the Hindu propaganda machine came into action and it churned out a plethora of literature to elevate Gandhi to the status of twentieth century Hindu god – "The seventh reincarnation of Vishnu, Lord Rama," proclaimed Krishnalal Shridharni. Portraits of Gandhi depicted him as Hindu avatar and Christian saint. The Indian government under Prime Minister Indra Gandhi financed one-third the cost of the production of the movie "Gandhi" for the portrayal of Gandhi as "an absolute pacifist." The Christian clergy had an ulterior motive in building the Gandhi myth. They thought that by elevating Gadhi to a 20th century messiah and then converting him would open the flood gate for evangelizing Hindu masses. Little did they realize that Gandhi hoodwinked them with his insincere statements about Christianity? He was a die-hard Hindu, a true believer and defender of the caste order – the essence of Hinduism? Gandhi apologists indulged in gross deception by claiming that Gandhi’s Satyagrah in South Africa was in the defense of the rights of native people. Nothing could be further from truth than this bald lie. How could Gandhi, a diehard supporter of the caste system think of the welfare of African blacks he regarded lower than the Untouchables of India - slightly above the animal level? His Satyagrah was for the better treatment of Indians, who, according to Gandhi were treated the same way as savage Kaffirs (native people) were. In his stay of twenty years in South Africa, he had no social contacts with the Kaffirs, as he did not see any common ground with them in the daily affairs of life. He was horrified when he was lodged with "natives" in the same jail ward. He did not like wearing the same clothes with label "N" born by the natives, nor he liked their food and sharing lavatory with them. It was the jail experience, which brought out his racism in the open. " Kaffir and Chinese prisoners are wild, murderous and given to immoral ways. Kaffirs are as a general rule uncivilized – the convicts even more so. They are troublesome, very dirty and live almost like animal." He proclaimed that the British Empire was for the welfare of the whole world and he accepted the superiority and predominance of white race. But he reminded the white people that upper caste Indians share with the Europeans a common heritage – the blood of the noble Aryan race. According to him it is Aryan blood, which is responsible for the advancement of human civilization. He suggested to Rev, Doke to civilize the Kaffirs by converting them to Christianity and by infusing Aryan blood into their race. He told the white colonists that the preservation of racial purity (Apartheid) was as important to the Indians as to Europeans. He urged the colonial authorities to raise a volunteer militia of Indians to fight for the Empire. He told the Natal authorities that it would be a "criminal folly" if they did not enlist Indians for the war. He was rebuffed with sarcastic and derogatory comments about the fighting ability of people like Gandhi. However, his persistence persuaded the authorities to form a volunteer ambulance corps of Indians under the command of Sergeant-Major Gandhi during the Boer War and Zulu Rebellion. He urged the Indian community to show their loyalty to the British Empire by raising funds for the War. He reminded them that they were in South Africa due to the courtesy of the Empire. It is not for us to judge whether the Kaffir revolt is justified or not. We are co-colonists with whites of this land whereas the black savages are as yet unfit to participate in the political affairs of the colony. He was a mean spirited parochial Hindu. Sergeant- Major Gandhi selected only Gujrati Hindus as his assistants, three Sergeants and one Corporal in spite of the fact the ambulance corps (20-24 men) was made up mostly of non-Gujratis with substantial number of Muslims. The Russian Revolution of 1914 spurted national movements against colonial rule. The British brought Gandhi back to India to sabotage Indian national movement against British rule. The congress Party dominated by Gandhi was set up under the patronage of the British authorities. The "apostle of peace" urged the Indian people to support the British by enlisting in the army during World War I. In his letter he wrote to the Viceroy in1930, he said, " One of his reason for launching the Civil Disobedient Movement is to contain the violence of revolutionaries." On the advice of white promoters of Gandhi, black clergy and civil rights leaders traveled to India to seek Gandhi’s advice about solving the problem of segregation and civil rights of blacks. How little did they know that Gandhi regarded the black people slightly above the animal level? Moreover, they were ignorant of the fact that caste system was originally imposed, as racial discrimination (Varna Ashrama Dharma) similar to the Apartheid system, on the black natives of India by their Caucasian conquerors. But later on due to emergence of new racial groups due to miscegenation between the two groups, Varna Ashrama Dharma evolved into caste system tied to hereditary occupations. Untouchabilty is as integral a part of Hindu faith as anti- Semitism of the Nazis. It is noteworthy that not a single black leader met Dr. B. R. Ambedkar – M. A. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, M.Sc. and D.Sc. degrees from London University and Bar-at-Law from Grey’s Inn, London - who was the undisputed leader of the Untouchables at that time. Gandhi propaganda machine manipulated the visit of black leaders, as it did not want them to find truth about Gandhi’s views on the caste system. "I believe in Varnashrama (caste system) which is the law of life. The law of Varna (color and / or caste) is nothing but the law of conservation of energy. Why should my son not be scavenger if I am one? He, Shudra (lowest caste) may not be called a Brahmin (uppermost caste), though he (Shudra) may have all the qualities of a Brahmin in this birth. And it is a good thing for him (Shudra) not to arrogate a Varna (caste) to which he is not born. It is a sign of true humility." In 1921, Gandhi delivered violent speeches inciting racial hatred against the British. During bloody demonstrations and riots against the visit of Prince of Wales, William Francis Doherty, an American citizen working in Bombay was murdered. Gandhi personally got involved in the cover up of this gruesome murder through bribery and intimidation, as he was concerned that the details of this murder would tarnish Gandhi’s image in the West. It is a cruel joke and one of the biggest fabrications of the twentieth century that Gandhi won Indian freedom without spilling a drop of blood. The truth is that it was the devastating effect of World War II that forced the British government to dismantle its Colonial Empire. Moreover, it was Gandhi and his Hindu dominated Congress party that engineered the partition of the country on communal lines, as the Muslim dominant states stood in the way of high caste Hindus to set up their Ram Raj (mythical Hindu kingdom) based on caste ideology. Additionally, the Partition of India in 1947 is one of the major upheavals of the twentieth century. In the State of Punjab alone, 11-12 million people lost their homes and hearths where their ancestors had lived for centuries. May be as many as one million people perished in the communal frenzy and thousands of young women were kidnapped while Gandhi was reciting the murderous sermons from his favorite scripture – Bhagvad Gita. He kept insisting up to the last moment that the country would be partitioned only over his dead body! The ascetic in loincloth used to sleep in buff with naked young girls to perform experiments to test his celibacy. Dr. Sushila Nayar told Ved Mehta that she used to sleep with Gandhi as she regarded him as a Hindu god. The man, who had taken vow of poverty, demanded and got even in jail the same comforts enjoyed by British high officials in India. The "apostle of peace," who counseled a Jewish delegation" to oppose the evil of Nazism by "soul force" - by committing mass suicide, was all praise for annexing Kashmir by armed aggression. He told his Sikh followers that rusty sword is useless in the age of Atom Bomb. The development of nuclear weapons by India - a country that ranks among the poorest in the world and is near the bottom of human development index chart of the United Nations – exposes the real face of the "absolute pacifist" and the nation that calls him "father." After all didn’t lord Krishna tell Arjana during the battle of Mahabharata "Victory is truth." Although, the Indian people have started peeking at the man behind the mask of divinity, there is no let up in the perpetuation of Gandhi myth in the West, especially the United States. G. B. Singh rightfully deserves the accolades for bringing out the truth about Gandhi from Gandhi’s own mouth.

http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112005/decides.htm Who Decides One’s Religion Editorial Abstracts of Sikh Studies Freedom of faith is universally recognized as a fundamental human right. The United Nations Charter leaves no doubt about it, and the Constitution of India fully endorses it. One can profess and practice a religion of one’s choice in complete freedom. This freedom obviously covers the choice of one’s own religion only, and does not grant anyone the right to choose a religion for others. In India, some veteran leaders of the majority community, particularly in the VHP, have, however, assumed suo moto the role of determining the religion of minority communities like the Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. They continue to declare from time to time that the Sikhs are Hindus. These irksome statements cause understandable anxiety and concern to the proud and self-respecting Sikh community, since these tantamount to a denial of their distinct identity and refusal to recognize Sikhism as a sovereign religion. Taking a favorable view of this strange attitude, one could argue that these statements indicate their love for the Sikhs and a desire for closeness with them. Such probably was the case, when, in the past, some great Hindu leaders like Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, impressed by the valiant struggles waged by the Sikhs and their unparalleled sacrifices in the cause of freedom and defence of the poor and the helpless, advised the Hindus of the Punjab to bring up atleast one of their sons as an amritdhari Sikh. His advice did not fall on deaf ears. Many Hindus converted to Sikh religion and became staunch followers, and even leaders of their new faith. Master Tara Singh, whose daring saved a large part of the Indian union from going to Pakistan, and Dr Sahib Singh, the famous gurbani grammarian, were among countless such converts. If the spirit that motivated Pandit Malaviya had continued to prevail, there should have been no problems. Although the Sikhs are Sikhs and not Hindus, the bonds of kinship and affinity between the two communities would have been so strong that the controversy as to whether the Sikhs are Hindus, would appear completely irrelevant. But that spirit died with Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and his contemporaries. Although present leadership claims loudly that the Sikhs are Hindus, but organize their massacre in thousands in broad day light. They no longer ask the Hindu families to bring up any of their members as amritdhari Sikhs. They would rather make sure now that all Sikhs return to Hindu fold, and to absorb the brave Khalsa created by the Gurus, that liberated India from centuries-old slavery of foreign invaders, into the same society that had tolerated that slavery without any protest. Macauliffe had warned against the possible extinction of the Khalsa a hundred years ago. He says, “Truly wonderful are the strength and vitality of Hinduism. It is like the boa constrictor of the Indian forests. When a petty enemy appears to worry it, it winds round its opponent, crushes it in its folds and finally causes it to disappear in its capacious interior. In this way... Hinduism disposed of Buddhism..... it absorbed the religion of the Scythian invaders in Northern India, it has converted uneducated Islam in India into a semi-paganism, and in this way it is disposing off the reformed and once hopeful religion of Baba Nanak, still the comparatively young religion is making a vigorous struggle for life, but its ultimate destruction is, it is apprehended, inevitable without state support.†Macaulliffe’s fears were not ill founded. He was aware of the intentions and plans of the Arya Samajists and their Guru, Swami Daya Nand Sarswati, who ridiculed the prophets of all other religions including Guru Nanak. He met with some initial success and managed to create a dent in the Sikh following. Even Giani Ditt Singh was taken in earlier. But he soon discovered his real intentions and he, along with Prof Gurmukh Singh and others, organized the Singh Sabha Movement, and put up a formidable resistance to the foul propaganda against the religion of the Gurus. It is not necessary to go into the details of the subsequent history. It is clear, however, that the efforts to mislead the Sikh masses continued with increased vigor. The onslaught has now assumed a subtle form through a renewed emphasis on the slogan ‘Sikhs are Hindus’. Volumes have been written to show that Sikhs are Sikhs and not Hindus. They believe only in the Ten Gurus and their teachings enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Himself declared that he was neither a Hindu, nor a Musalman. How can his followers be called Hindus? Mircea Eliade writes in Encyclopaedia of Religion: “Guru Arjun was fully conscious of the new role he was planning for his community. In a passage from the Adi Granth, he mentions the separate identity the Sikhs had acquired in their hundred years of existence: I do not keep the Hindu fast, nor the Muslim Ramzan; I serve Hari alone who is my refuge. I serve the One Master who is also Allah. I have broken with the Hindu and the Muslim, I will not worship with the Hindu, nor like the Muslims go to Mecca. I shall serve Him and no other. I will not pray to idols, nor heed the Muslim Azan. I shall put my heart at the feet of the One Supreme Being. For, we are neither Hindu nor Muslim. – Guru Granth Sahib, p 1136 Besides the author of Dabistan-e-Mazahib, a contemporary of Guru Hargobind, and a host of Persian chroniclers of the Guru period and the post-Guru period, have recorded that Sikhs are not Hindus and that their religion is different. Among several Western scholars of Sikh history, we may quote only two: J D Cunningham: “A living spirit possesses the whole Sikh people, and the impress of Gobind has not only elevated and altered the constitution of their minds, but has operated materially and given amplitude to their physical frames.†Macauliffe: “Now there is here presented a religion totally unaffected by Semitic or Christian influences. Based on the concept of unity of God, it rejected Hindu formularies, and adopted an independent ethical system, rituals and standards which were totally opposed to the theological beliefs of Guru Nanak’s age and country. As we shall see hereafter, it would be difficult to point to a religion of greater originality or to a more comprehensive ethical system.†As early as 1899, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha wrote his famous book, Ham Hindu Nahin. Since then countless volumes have appeared on the subject. The Institute of Sikh Studies has produced a huge body of literature to show that Sikhism is an independent and original religious dispensation, and that it is a radical departure from all earlier religious traditions in India. For, it is a whole-life system and does not recognize any dichotomy between spiritual and temporal life. Internationally, Sikhism is recognized among the five major world religions. Those who say that the Sikhs are Hindus have obviously not studied either of the two systems. But if they have and still insist, it is an outright mischief, and is carried on for ulterior motives. The intention is to absorb the minorities into the Hindu fold through the ‘boa constrictor’ technique referred to by Macauliffe. Sikhs are the major stumbling block in the designs aimed at ‘Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan’, and are, therefore, a special target. Although the threat has been constantly dangling over our heads, not many Sikhs were inclined to take it seriously, thinking that only a few ambitious people in the V.H.P. and R.S.S. backed it. The Supreme Court Judgment A recent Supreme Court judgment, however, has added a new dimension to the problem, so that the threat of the ‘boa constrictor’, has become real and can no more be taken with complacency. The relevant extract is reproduced below: “The so-called minority communities like Sikhs and Jains were not treated as national minorities at the time of framing the Constitution. Sikhs and Jains, in fact, have throughout been treated as part of the wider Hindu community, which has different sects, sub-sects, faiths, modes of worship and religious philosophies. In various codified customary laws like Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act and other laws of pre- and post-Constitution period, definition of ‘Hindu’ included all sects, sub-sects of Hindu religion including Sikhs and Jains. “Thus, ‘Hinduism’ can be called a general religion and common faith of Indians, whereas ‘Jainism’ is a special religion formed on the basis of quintessence of Hindu religion.†The judgment refers to Sikhs and Jains as ‘so-called’ minorities, and reduces them to sub-sects of Hindu religion (not even sects), so that even the nominal minority rights provided in the Constitution can be denied to them. The judgment leaves no doubt about it, in the following paragraph of the same judgment with reference to the role of the Minority Commission, it says: “The Commission, instead of encouraging claims from different communities for being added to a list of notified minorities under the Act, should suggest ways and means to help create social conditions where the list of notified minorities is gradually reduced and done away with altogether.†The judgment obviously draws upon Section 25 of the Indian Constitution which clubs Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists with the Hindus for the purpose of various acts that form parts of the Hindu Code Bill. It, however, ignores the following facts: a. The Sikh representatives of the Constituent Assembly refused to sign the Constitution in 1949, simply because of the above reason. b. The Sikhs represented against the above provisions before the Constitution Review Commission a couple of years ago. The Commission accepted the Sikh view, and has recommended deletion/amendment to the Section 25. c. Prior to the adoption of the Indian Constitution (without the consent of the Sikhs) the Sikhs had always been treated as a separate entity. The Cabinet Mission plan which led to the Independence of India Act, recognized the Sikhs as one of the three contending parties, the other two being Muslims and others. In fact, Hindus were not even mentioned as a party. They formed a part of ‘others’. The judgment has some other serious implications, which deserve immediate notice: – Minority status of a community will be determined at state level, and not at national level where the real power is concentrated. As a result, the Sikhs will practically receive no benefit, because they are not a minority in Punjab where their vast majority lives. – Even otherwise, no benefit is to be expected in the long run in view of the clear hint that the list of minorities is to be gradually reduced and done away with altogether. – Minorities look to the Supreme Court for protection. But when the latter wants the list of minorities done away with altogether, God help the minorities in India! Existence with Sikh identity is threatened not only through cultural absorption by the ‘boa-constrictor’ syndrome hinted by Macauliffe, but even through organized violence like the one witnessed during massacre of thousands of Sikhs, including women and children in 1984, engineered by top leaders and unashamedly condoned by the Govt. as well as the judiciary. We are indeed in the midst of a very disturbing situation. The Institute of Sikh Studies has expressed its deep concern through a resolution reported in the Abstracts of Sikh Studies, in which the SGPC has been requested to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the judgment, besides initiating action for the required legislation. Besides the Sikhs, other minorities should see this warning. It is high time all the minorities sat together to find ways to ensure their survival and an honorable existence. The situation also demands a serious thought on the part of leaders of all political parties to allay the fears of the minorities. India is a multicultural and multi-religious country. It is necessary to create conditions in which all cultures and religions can live harmoniously and contribute their mite towards its greatness. Attempts on the part of any community to dominate over others, can only lead to disaster. This is a lesson from our history. Let us not forget it. International community is watching. The 1984 genocide of the Sikhs and the more recent massacre of Muslims in Gujarat have brought enough bad name and disgrace to India. These have neither been forgotten nor forgiven. There are agencies to keep a watch over violations of human rights. World has shrunk into a single global village, where Modis, Tytlers and Sajjan Kumars will not be tolerated indefinitely. As far as the Sikhs are concerned, India is their homeland. They love it, they have made tremendous sacrifices for it, and will continue to do so. They want to live here as equal partners, and respectable citizens as followers of an independent religion, and not as a sub-sect or an adjunct to another religion. We trust that responsible leaders of the majority community also want peace and harmony, and are keen to strengthen the bonds of kinship with the Sikhs. That objective can be achieved only through recognizing and respecting their distinct identity. Thoughtless assertions like ‘Sikhs are Hindus’ are counterproductive. The edifice of goodwill and friendship can only be raised on the foundation of understanding and mutual respect as equals. Given that spirit, it will not be difficult to answer the question raised earlier — ‘Who decides the religion of the Sikhs? The Sikhs, the Supreme Court, or others? The right answer can only be — The Sikhs themselves!

Makkar re-elected SGPC chief, SAD rival expelled from party Amritsar, Nov.25 (ANI): Avtar Singh Makkar was on Saturday re-elected as president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) after defeating his nearest Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rival, Gurvinder Singh Shampura, by 104 votes. Makkar secured 139 out of the 175 votes cast, while Shampura got only 35 votes. The SGPC has 185 votes in all. Makkar's name was proposed by former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur and seconded by Mohinder Singh Romana. Raghujit Singh Virk, a relative of the SAD chief, Prakash Singh Badal, and a resident of Karnal, was appointed senior vice-president and Kawel Singh Badal was appointed as the junior vice president. Sukhdev Singh Bhoor was appointed as the General Secretary of the SGPC. Shampura's poor show in the SGPC polls led to his expulsion from the SAD. After the elections, the general house of the SGPC unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central Government to make suitable amendments in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 so that they could co-opt ten Sikh representative from various countries. Presently, the SGPC co opts fifteen members from different Indian states. Addressing reporters at the Teja Singh Samundri Hall after his win, Makkar said that the inclusion of Sikh representatives from different parts of the world would help solve major Sikh community-related issues faced by Sikhs living abroad. He also confirmed that the SGPC has written to the Central Government to ensure that Sikhs living in Afghanistan get sufficient security.On the SGPC's stand vis-a-vis the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Makkar said relations between the two Sikh representative bodies are cordial, and added that SGPC would soon send a delegation to Pakistan for the construction of a Sarai (Inn) at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. Makkar also expressed his objections over moves to register a separate Sikh body in Haryana, describing it as a state government ploy to divide Sikhs there. He said the SGPC is a representative body of the entire Sikh community, and the move to form a separate committee was in violation of the pact signed between Jawaharlal Nehru and Master Tara Singh in 1959. Meanwhile, the Sikh diaspora has reacted to Makkar's re-election as an attempt to woo the urban voter in Punjab ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections. The election is likely be held in the state in the first week of March. Makkar's re-appointment as SGPC chief has been criticised. merican Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee's (AGPC) coordinator DR. Pritpal Singh alleged that Makkar had failed to address serious issues during his first tenure as SGPC chief. He said that the SGPC has failed to approach the governments of various countries for stopping hate crimes against Sikhs. He also said that the confrontation with the Akalis has disappointed the Sikh Diaspora. Showing their concern over the Afghanistan issue, he said that AGPC would soon give a representation to the U.S.State Department for the protection of Sikhs in Afghanistan. Talking to ANI over phone, Karn Singh, the President of the Sikh Foundation in Switzerland, also criticised Makkar's re-appointment as SGPC chief. He said the SGPC had failed to address the turban removal issue in France. "The election of Avtar Singh Makkar is insignificant, and a confirmation of the Badal Dal Plan to continue its loot of golak money through a non-descript leader like Makkar," said. Kanwarpal Singh a spokesperson of the Dal Khalsa. The SGPC has failed to achieve the basic purpose of religious propagation, which has resulted in apostasy in large numbers, he added. (ANI)