Harbhajan

http://www.indiaedunews.net/International/..._2857/print.asp Don't take kirpans to school - Sikh Council of Australia December 14, 2007 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sydney: School students should not be allowed to carry the kirpan, says the Sikh Council of Australia, the apex representative body of Sikhs in the country, about the dagger worn as an article of faith by baptised Sikhs. Bawa Singh Jagdev, secretary of the council, told IANS, "Kirpans should not be allowed at schools at all. The wearer or the initiate must understand its (kirpan's) significance, utility and consequences if used for any purpose other than what it is meant for. Now the question of student wearing this kirpan in the school, does he understand the significance or its utility?" "The council is of the view that although it's an article of the Sikh faith and if some family wants his 10 or 12 year old to be initiated, they can leave the kirpan at home and go to school, come back and wear it. The reason being it can be harmful to the wearer. Suppose two or three boys get together and remove his kirpan, they can harm him," he adds. In one of the most multicultural countries in the world, it can be a challenging task to strike a balance between protection of religious freedoms and the safety of other students. An inquiry into dress codes and uniforms in schools in Victoria by the Education and Training Parliamentary Committee recommended "that the Department of Education and Early Childhood development require all Victorian schools to accommodate clothing and other items with religious significance where appropriate, within a framework developed by the Department". The Committee received a substantial body of evidence, during its yearlong inquiry, addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly with respect to clothing and other items with religious significance for the wearer. The two items most frequently mentioned throughout the inquiry were the hijab (Islamic headscarf) and the kirpan. The Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria in its submission to the Committee said: "We believe having a common school uniform is important in promoting school identity and integration. However, it is also important to recognise that there is no hindrance to the practice of various cultures and faiths. Students should be able to wear their significant religious symbols and articles of faith ... Christian crosses, hijab, yaramulka (Jewish caps), kirpans." Chairperson of the committee, Geoff Howard, told IANS: "We accepted that the kirpan could be carried by a small group of baptised Sikhs. We are certainly not in favour of banning kirpans as such, but if there are safety concerns, the department of education can work with the schools to develop a solution." Despite the recommendation of the committee, Victoria's Department of Education is unlikely to allow carrying kirpans in schools. A spokesperson for the department told IANS: "The overarching guideline is that weapons are not permitted in schools, but individual uniform policies are developed by schools in consultation with parents. The department is not aware of any of government schools in the state that allows the kirpan." "The parliamentary committee has submitted the report and the department will provide responses to each of the recommendations, including kirpans, within the six month deadline," the spokesperson added. The president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, Brian Burgess, told the Sun Herald that the kirpan could be used as a weapon. He said: "I would not support this in any way, shape or form. It's not appropriate that something that can be used as a weapon is brought into school." Kirpans are worn only by initiated Sikhs under the shirt and must not be exposed. "Approximately eight percent of the total Sikh population in Australia are initiated or baptised Sikhs, who always carry the kirpan on him or her. However, the Council has no information on the number of baptised Sikh students in the country," says Bawa Singh. According to the 2006 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 26,429 Sikhs in Australia with the largest number of 11,637 residing in New South Wales followed by 9,071 in Victoria, 2,636 in Queensland, 1,393 in Western Australia and 1,226 in South Australia. IANS

source: http://www.tehelka.com/story_main36.asp?fi...relief_1984.asp 1984 Riot Relief Claimed By Fraud Twenty five Sikh families from Jharkhand are found to have got Rs 1.25 crore on false claims. Some are absconding ANAND ST DAS Bokaro WHEN SIKHS in various parts of the country were taking out protest rallies on October 31 demanding justice to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, there was no such outpouring of emotion in Bokaro, the famed Steel City which had witnessed one of the worst carnages of Sikhs outside Delhi in the aftermath of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Reduced now to one-third of its pre-1984 population but still sizeable in this part of Jharkhand, the Sikh community in Bokaro and the nearby towns of Chas and Gomia had just a few months back received compensation cheques from the government. What seems like just redressal has, in fact, emerged as a travesty. Many of those who received the compensation in April and August this year had fraudulently magnified their claims before the district administration. Of the Rs 1.5 crore disbursed to 25 Sikh families in Bokaro, Chas and Gomia, a significant part was obtained by submitting fake documents. The district administration has now registered three FIRs after an official probe into allegations of fraud. The deceit comes across as even more shocking because thousands of Sikh families affected in the 1984 riots are still awaiting compensation. Details of the raud in Bokaro reveal that district administration officials and doctors assessing claims of injury were equally complicit. When the irregularities came to light, the district administration issued notices to the 25 Sikhs that the compensation amount be returned. FIRs were lodged after the notices evoked no response. Following this, 13 Sikhs in Bokaro and Chas, who had received Rs 1.25 lakh each for physical injuries suffered during the riots, handed the money back to the government. The district administration’s probe had found that the claimants had submitted fake medical certificates and medicine bills. Sarbjeet Singh Kalsi, who used to head the peace committee negotiating with the administration on behalf of the riot-affected Sikhs, is accused of having swindled the largest sum. Kalsi earlier used to run a loss-making scrap metal industry as an ancillary unit of the Bokaro Steel Plant. He is absconding after receiving Rs 71 lakh in April on the basis of an FIR lodged by his late father, Sardul Singh Kalsi, for loss of property that the administration now estimates to be worth no more than Rs 2.29 lakh. Kalsi is also accused by many riotaffected Sikhs to have made almost Rs 2 lakh in bribes taken for including names in the list of those seeking compensation. In his FIR (112/84) lodged at Balidih police station in November 1984, Kalsi’s late father had said that his property destroyed in the riots included “35 tolas of gold worth about Rs 70,000; cash of Rs 19,000 kept in a box; clothes, bed, utensils etc worth Rs 40,000; and steel-made material worth Rs 1 lakhâ€. But neither he nor Sarbjeet ever got these claims verified by a government official. The Kalsis were not even paid the ex-gratia that was given to hundreds of riot-affected Sikhs days after the bloodshed in Bokaro. The report of a probe team headed by Bokaro District Rural development Agency (DRDA) Director, Christina Hansda, says: “In such circumstances, if Kalsi’s FIR is taken as true, there is no proof of his losses exceeding Rs 2.29 lakh. While SarbjeetRs 16.30 lakh on the basis of this FIR.“ Kalsi also received Rs 55 lakh in April on the FIR lodged by his father. Both the payments were made to him by Chas Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Xavier Herenz, who is presently posted as an under secretary at the secretariat in Ranchi. The Bokaro district administration’s probe has found that these payments were made in total violation of rules laid down by the Union home ministry for distribution of compensation money to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and their kin. TARSHEM SINGH, president of the gurdwara at Chas, told TEHELKA: “It is a shame on our community that people like Kalsi and my predecessor at the gurdwara, Harbhajan Singh, turned their social responsibility into a business. When I was elected the gurdwara president a year and a half back, I found that photocopies of compensation claim forms were being sold even at the gurdwara for prices ranging between Rs 300 and Rs 500. I immediately stopped this practice, but much harm had been done by then to the honesty of the Sikhs in Bokaro and Chas.†Singh, who is likely to face charges for identifying the wrong beneficiaries who received compensation money, says he identified them merely by their faces without knowing about the nature of their claims. “I think both government officials and members of the local Sikh community have been responsible for such large-scale fraud. A CBI inquiry would lead to the real culprits,†says Singh. The former gurdwara chief, Harbhajan Singh, who runs a popular dhaba on the Bokaro-Dhanbad National Highway and owns a fleet of trucks, refused to comment. Manjit Singh Kalsi, the son of Sarbjeet, has found himself facing the ire of the Sikh community in the absence of his absconding father. He may also be interrogated by the police. Manjit says his father is innocent and is being targeted by the corrupt Bokaro deputy commissioner (DC). “My parents are presently visiting our relatives in the UK. The entire set of allegations against my father is baseless and has resulted from my father’s refusal to pay the Bokaro deputy commissioner a percentage of the compensation money. We will expose the DC’s gameplan soon after my father secures bail,†Manjit told TEHELKA over phone. Bokaro DC Pravin Kumar Toppo dubbed Manjit’s allegations as a “desperate man’s easy and last excuse†to appear innocent till he is punished. “Our discoveries of the fraud are only the tip of the iceberg, and our probe is still on. It is unfortunate that we received allegations of fraud only after distributing the cheques to the beneficiaries of the relief package,†he said. Toppo took charge as Bokaro DC in the first week of August and handed over many compensation cheques on August 15. “I just had no idea that I was distributing cheques to people who had forged their documents to seek compensation,†Toppo says. Balwinder Singh, a young Sikh who runs a departmental store near the Chas gurdwara, is one of the 13 Sikhs whose families had to return the Rs 1.25 lakh compensation. Balwinder’s father Harcharan Singh had submitted medical records for an “internal injuryâ€. But these records, like those of the 12 other “internally injured†Sikhs, were found to be forged. Ask Balwinder about it and he only speaks of atrocities against Sikhs in Chas and Bokaro in 1984 led by Congress leaders. Like all the Sikhs named in the FIRs, Balwinder remains completely tight-lipped about the affair. Reports of the probe say that medical records of the claimants were found to have been extensively doctored and that the prescriptions of medicine were incompatible with the injuries cited. The probe report, a copy of which is in possession of TEHELKA, has therefore questioned the integrity of doctors who examined the claimants. In Gomia, a town 55 km off Bokaro and known for the Indian Explosives Limited’s (IEL)manufacturing facility, six Sikhs have been charged in another FIR for swindling compensation funds. Harjinder Singh, owner of an auto store, received Rs 8.07 lakh as compensation in April from the sdo of Bermo (Tenughat) for damage to his shop during the riots. As per the rules laid down by the Union Home Ministry, he was entitled to receive only Rs 3.82 lakh. Worse, the probe report says Harjinder, son of Bachchan Singh, was paid the amount even though the compensation was released in the name of Harjinder Singh, son of Jasbir Singh. Similarly, Bhajan Singh, proprietor of Arora Motors at Gomia, received Rs 14.5 lakh for damage to his shop even though he was entitled to receive only Rs 4.5 lakh. Inderjit Singh, owner of a shoe store and an employee with the IEL, received Rs 5.7 lakh when he could receive only Rs 2.7 lakh. Toppo says there is a possibility that names of genuine claimants may have been impersonated after such families shifted out of the state years ago. OFFICIAL FIGURES say 78 Sikhs were killed in three days of rioting in and around Bokaro in November 1984. The Bokaro riots did not figure in the Nanavati Commission’s probe. The men who orchestrated the murder of Sikhs here were prominent local Congress leaders like PN Tripathy and Krishna Singh, who were never arrested. Of the nearly 8,000 Sikh families living in these areas in 1984, only about 2,500 remain. The rest have migrated mostly to Punjab over the years. Former Jharkhand Assembly Speaker and noted Sikh scholar Inder Singh Namdhari says,“When the compensation money was announced by the UPA government, I asked the Sikhs of Bokaro to refuse it as a protest against the injustice. Now, after this scam, I would demand that the guilty Sikhs be excommunicated. Nothing can be more shameful for the Sikh Panth than what the Bokaro Sikhs have done.†Sewa Singh, president of the Jharkhand Sikh Welfare Society, has also demanded a CBI probe. From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 4, Issue 48, Dated Dec 15 , 2007

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Columnists/M...23/4678232.html Making sense of the senseless By EARL McRAE - OTTAWA SUN "Our religion views suicide as a cowardly act." -- Dr. Harpreet Kochhar, Ottawa Sikh Society And none of the world's great religions condones cold-blooded murder of the innocent. But no matter how devout a person might be to one's religion, no matter who that passionate adherent might be, evil has shown its ability to invade the human mind, trumping the precepts of love and peace and goodwill. Is the Pope himself -- head of the world's largest religion -- immune to his mind suddenly or slowly snapping, with him committing an act of unspeakable violence simply because of his transcendent religious devoutness, simply because he's the Pope? Popes are not God. Popes are human beings. Four human beings who belonged to another of the world's great religions, Sikhism, are dead today -- the murderer of three of them then murdering himself -- and while we don't know how religiously devout the murderer was, Harpreet Kochhar does know that what happened in the house at 175 Grandpark Circle went against all the canons of the religion, one of the reasons he expresses the feelings of Ottawa's Sikh community: "We are all shell-shocked." Sikhism believes in human death as a liberation, that one is reincarnated, that there are multiple lives to the soul, "but human life is the most cherished form." Sikhism, he said, is a religion of caring for others, of "protecting the weak and downtrodden in society," a religion of "strong, loving, family values where women are equal to men." Death, as a liberator from this life to another life "means through natural causes" and not --in the case of the Sikh father who shot to death his wife and two daughters -- his suicide by turning the rifle on himself. Sikhism, says Kochhar, regards the body as a temple built by God to be cared for, respected, and maintained. And that suffering is understood and accepted without complaint as part of life's journey. "Our religion views suicide as a cowardly act. If somebody murders, or commits suicide, we consider it a very, very, inhumane act. Our religion is to be a protector, not a destroyer." What motivated the father at 175 Grandpark to kill his wife and two young daughters before killing himself is still a mystery, and it's also a mystery why he had a rifle, bullets, and where and when he got them. There would seem to be only three reasons any person has a rifle: He's a collector. He's a hunter. He's planning a murder. Dr. Harpreet Kochhar, senior adviser in animal research with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, says Sikhism does not have a position against ownership of guns. "It's not encouraged or discouraged, it's a personal choice. But, we are a peace-loving religion." Culture clash? Owning a rifle for hunting? "We're not necessarily against hunting. But what is very, very much discouraged in our religion is killing for pleasure, killing for sport, or killing for no reason. If a gun is used to protect your life from an animal, that's different, that's okay." Sikhism is a religion of strict dress codes, abstinence from alcohol and smoking, and being that there are heretics in every religion, is it possible a cultural clash was behind the slayings at 175 Grandpark? "I would not venture an opinion. None of us knows. We've done some networking, and haven't found anyone who knew them. They were not members of our society. They kept to themselves." Does the Sikh religion provide for so-called "honour killings," as some religious sects have been known to condone, even though misguided conscience assuagers? "No. It is not considered. It is not seen as normal in the Sikh religion. It is not encouraged at all. As I said, we are the ones who should be the protectors. Our religion teaches a non-violent approach to life." Murder-suicide. Four people dead. People are talking about the weather. Life moves on.

source: http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/sur...gurus_name.html ER gets guru's name By Jeff Nagel - Surrey North Delta Leader - November 15, 2007 Part of the planned Surrey Memorial Hospital ( Surrey, B.C. Canada ) expansion will be named after the founder of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak Dev Ji's name will adorn the main entrance of the new emergency centre in recognition of the importance of Surrey's South Asian community and its support of hospital fundraising efforts. "The guru reminded us all that devotion of thought and excellence of conduct is our first duty," said Premier Gordon Campbell, who announced the name of the future ER entrance Thursday. "By naming the entrance of this Surrey Memorial Hospital centre after Guru Nanak Dev Ji, we are saying this is a place for everyone." The premier called it an important way to recognize South Asian contributions to society "in a way that's positive and constructive and so people can see that the contributions they've made are important to everyone in the community." It's unusual for a public facility to be named after a religious leader, although numerous church-sponsored hospitals and care homes in Canada bear the names of Catholic saints. And two other hospitals serving large Sikh populations – in Edmonton and Brampton, Ontario – have recently named new wings after Guru Nanak. Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation officials proposed the name, which was approved by the Fraser Health Authority and the provincial government. Neither Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts nor foundation president Jane Adams expect any opposition. "We don't anticipate a backlash," Adams said. "Unquestionably, because the guru is so universally revered and he was and continues to be an individual that's had such a positive impact, it really wasn't a point of debate." She said Sikh patients will be reassured as they enter the ER and look up at the guru's name. The decision is expected to further fan donations from the South Asian community. Adams estimated more than 40 per cent of donations to the foundation come from South Asians. Rather than choose an individual living donor or a corporate backer, Adams said the choice of the guru is one much of the community can collectively celebrate. "I cannot express the pride I feel," said Red 93.1 FM radio station founder Kulwinder Sanghera, who committed the station to raise $2 million for the campaign. (An all-day radio fundraiser takes place Nov. 23). The hospital foundation is two-thirds of the way to its $15-million target, money that will help outfit the new ER with equipment beyond the basics provided in the government's $88-million budget. Construction is slated to begin next year. The new emergency centre, which will include a mental health and addictions unit and a separate children's ER, will be triple the size of the existing one, which sees 70,000 patients per year – way over its capacity. NDP MLA Jagrup Brar backed the Guru Nanak naming. But he accused the province of repeatedly promising improvements at Surrey Memorial while delaying the required work.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp...+%28F%29&sid=1 Magazine - Oct 22, 2007 punjab fiscal crisis Hell Has Five Rivers The sunshine state is staring at a debt trap CHANDER SUTA DOGRA - Diminishing Returns - Punjab's outstanding debt is a staggering Rs 52,764 crore - 76% of revenue receipts goes towards salaries, pensions, interest - Annual subsidy bill: Rs 4,000 crore - The Planning Commission says Punjab will be the slowest growing state in 2007-12. Projected growth: 5.9% against national average of 9%. - Education sector in a shambles. Rural youth unemployable; few industries means fewer jobs. *** Punjab, in this shining new century, is not any more the land of milk and honey. And that other enduring image, the happy farmer singing on his tractor, is also somewhat dated. Going by state government figures, 30 per cent of the population is now BPL (below the poverty line) and surviving on subsidised wheat and dal. This is the latest in a string of subsidies the cash-strapped government has been forced to provide—as part of fulfilling its election promises. Add to this falling agricultural incomes, a huge salary bill, mounting farmer suicides, growing unemployment and outstanding debts of a staggering Rs 52,764 crore. Punjab has clearly lost its plot. Which is why state finance minister Manpreet Badal had to do some tough talking when he presented the budget earlier this year. According to him, 76 per cent of the revenue receipts was being consumed by salaries, pensions and interest payments. "The situation is so grim that the state has no resources of its own for funding its annual plan," Badal told the assembly. The finance minister has now reiterated these concerns to Outlook (see interview). The Planning Commission's projections for the Eleventh Plan reflects the state's poor financial health. Unless a miraculous turnaround happens, Punjab will be the slowest growing state in 2007-2012. Against an all-India growth of 9 per cent, it will grow at 5.9 per cent. This is much below the expected 9.8 per cent growth target for Jharkhand, Nagaland's 9.3 per cent or even neighbouring Haryana's 11 per cent. Punjab, which boasted the highest per capita income in 2000-01, is expected to slide to number seven at the end of the 11th Plan. During this period, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Haryana will overtake Punjab. What has happened to the country's sunshine state? Explains economist Dr Sucha Singh Gill: "Successive governments have failed to harness the gains of the green revolution, invest it in social development. The result is that at a time when agriculture is in decline in Punjab, our education and health systems too are in a shambles. If there are few jobs within the state, Punjabi youth are unfit for jobs in other states too because of the poor quality of education. There is also a growing exclusion of our rural students from university education. The entire problem is further compounded by massive subsidies in power, water and now wheat and dal...which just get political parties cheap publicity." Incidentally, growth rates for agriculture have slipped to less than 2 per cent this year, from 6.27 per cent in 2003-04. A recent report by the state council for science and technology says the successes of the green revolution in Punjab are now history. To quote from the report: "In the past five years, production of foodgrains has increased by just 2 per cent and the state's population has grown by 8.6 per cent. Massive use of nitrogenous fertilisers has reduced the soil's fertility and led to widespread soil erosion. Intensive irrigation, especially from the over million tubewells, has depleted the water table to the extent that between 1993-03 it fell by 55 cms each year." The prognosis looks grim. But mounting debt has not prevented Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from going ahead with the subsidised wheat and dal plan for 14 lakh BPL families.This will mean an additional Rs 1,200 crore burden on the state exchequer. As it is, the state's power subsidy bill is Rs 2,700 crore for the current year and the electricity board is in trouble because the state government has not been compensating it for the free power. Any question on how he proposes to fund the growing subsidy bill is quick to anger the CM. His nephew and finance minister, Manpreet Badal, is more pragmatic and can see the danger of sinking deeper into the debt trap. "I feel humiliated at inter-state meetings to see relatively backward states making rapid strides compared to Punjab. If timely corrective steps are not taken, Punjabis will have to look for jobs in Haryana, Rajasthan, MP and Karnataka," he told Outlook. Is Badal Sr listening?

source: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/18/india17103.htm HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH India: Time to Deliver Justice for Atrocities in Punjab Investigate and Prosecute Perpetrators of ‘Disappearances’ and Killings (Delhi, October 18, 2007) – The Indian government must take concrete steps to hold accountable members of its security forces who killed, “disappeared,†and tortured thousands of Sikhs during its counterinsurgency campaign in the Punjab, Human Rights Watch and Ensaaf said in a new report released today. In order to end the institutional defects that foster impunity in Punjab and elsewhere in the country, the government should take new legal and practical steps, including the establishment of a commission of inquiry, a special prosecutor’s office, and an extensive reparations program. The 123-page report, "Protecting the Killers: A Policy of Impunity in Punjab, India," examines the challenges faced by victims and their relatives in pursuing legal avenues for accountability for the human rights abuses perpetrated during the government’s counterinsurgency campaign. The report describes the impunity enjoyed by officials responsible for violations and the near total failure of India’s judicial and state institutions, from the National Human Rights Commission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to provide justice for victims’ families. Beginning in the 1980s, Sikh separatists in Punjab committed serious human rights abuses, including the massacre of civilians, attacks upon Hindu minorities in the state, and indiscriminate bomb attacks in crowded places. In its counterinsurgency operations in Punjab from 1984 to 1995, Indian security forces committed serious human rights abuses against tens of thousands of Sikhs. None of the key architects of this counterinsurgency strategy who bear substantial responsibility for these atrocities have been brought to justice. “Impunity in India has been rampant in Punjab, where security forces committed large-scale human rights violations without any accountability,†said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “No one disputes that the militants were guilty of numerous human rights abuses, but the government should have acted within the law instead of sanctioning the killing, ‘disappearance,’ and torture of individuals accused of supporting the militants.†A key case discussed in detail in the report is the Punjab “mass cremations case,†in which the security services are implicated in thousands of killings and secret cremations throughout Punjab to hide the evidence of wrongdoing. The case is currently before the National Human Rights Commission, a body specially empowered by the Supreme Court to address this case. However, the commission has narrowed its efforts to merely establishing the identity of the individuals who were secretly cremated in three crematoria in just one district of Punjab. It has rejected cases from other districts and has ignored the intentional violations of human rights perpetrated by India’s security forces. For more than a decade, the commission has failed to independently investigate a single case and explicitly refuses to identify any responsible officials. “The National Human Rights Commission has inexplicably failed in its duties to investigate and establish exactly what happened in Punjab,†said Adams. “We still hold out hope that it will change course and bring justice to victims and their families.†The report discusses the case of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a leading human rights defender in Punjab who was abducted and then murdered in October 1995 by government officials after being held in illegal detention for almost two months. Despite credible eyewitness testimony that police chief KPS Gill was directly involved in interrogating Khalra in illegal detention just days prior to Khalra’s murder, the Central Bureau of Investigation has thus far refused to investigate or prosecute Gill. In September 2006, Khalra’s widow, Paramjit Kaur, filed a petition in the Punjab & Haryana High Court calling on the CBI to take action against Gill. More than a year later, she is still waiting for a hearing on the merits. “Delivering justice in Punjab could set precedents throughout India for the redress of mass state crimes and superior responsibility,†said Jaskaran Kaur, co-director of Ensaaf. “Indians and the rest of the world are watching to see if the current Indian government can muster the political will to do the right thing. It if fails, then the only conclusion that can be reached is that the state’s institutions cannot or will not take on the security establishment. This has grave implications for Indian democracy.†Victims and their families seeking justice face severe challenges, including prolonged trials, biased prosecutors, an unresponsive judiciary, police intimidation and harassment of witnesses, and the failure to charge senior government officials despite evidence of their role in the abuses. Tarlochan Singh described the hurdles he has faced in his now 18-year struggle before Indian courts for justice for the killing of his son, Kulwinder Singh: "I used to receive threatening phone calls. The caller would say that they had killed thousands of boys and thrown them into canals, and they would also do that to Kulwinder Singh’s wife, kid, or me and my wife... "The trial has been proceeding ... with very little evidence being recorded at each hearing, and with two to three months between hearings. During this time, key witnesses have died." After Mohinder Singh’s son Jugraj Singh was killed in an alleged faked armed encounter between security forces and separatists in January 1995, he pursued numerous avenues of justice. He brought his case before the Punjab & Haryana High Court and the CBI Special Court, but no police officer was charged. A CBI investigation found that Jugraj Singh had been killed and cremated by the police. However, 11 years and a few inquiry reports later, the CBI court ended Mohinder Singh’s pursuit for accountability by dismissing his case in 2006. Mohinder Singh describes his interactions with the CBI: “On one occasion when [the officer] from the CBI came to my house, he told me that I wasn’t going to get anything out of this. Not justice and not even compensation. He further said that: ‘I see you running around pursuing your case. But you shouldn’t get into a confrontation with the police. You have to live here and they can pick you up at any time.’ He was indirectly threatening me.†Human Rights Watch and Ensaaf expressed concern that the Indian government continues to cite the counterinsurgency operations in Punjab as a model for preserving national integrity. “The government’s illegal and inhuman policies in the name of security have allowed a culture of impunity to prevail that has brutalized its police and security forces,†said Kaur. The report suggests a comprehensive framework to address the institutionalized impunity that has prevented accountability in Punjab. The detailed recommendations include establishing a commission of inquiry, a special prosecutor’s office, and an extensive reparations program. “The Indian government needs to send a clear message to its security services, courts, prosecutors, and civil servants that it neither tolerates nor condones gross human rights violations under any circumstances,†said Adams. “This requires a comprehensive and credible process of accountability that delivers truth, justice, and reparations to its victims, who demand nothing more than their rights guaranteed by India’s constitution and international law.â€

source: http://www.bpnews.net/printerfriendly.asp?ID=26541 Prayer partners essential for reaching India's Jatt Sikhs By Kari Wynn* = BAPTIST PRESS Oct 3, 2007 DELHI, India (BP)--"There is but one god. True is his name, creative his personality and immortal his form. He is without fear, sans enmity, unborn and self-illumined." This plausibly may sound like worship of the God of Christianity, but then comes these words: "By the Guru's grace he is obtained." Drawn from the "Guru Granth Sahib" –- the book which Sikhs consider the holy and inspired words of their gurus -- this passage is recited regularly by devout Sikhs, and they sing it aloud at their gurdwaras, or temples. Most Sikhs, however, have never heard about the gift of grace offered to them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jatt Sikhs (pronounced jut SIKS) make up 42.5 percent of the population of the Indian state of Punjab and are the least evangelized people group among the Punjabis of India. "When I learned that the Jatts were the largest of the Punjabi-speaking people groups in India and one of the least reached, I got a real burden for them," said Irene Wayne*, the Southern Baptist strategy coordinator for the Jatt Sikh people group. "They are so key to reaching all of the Punjabis of India," she added. Oct. 3 is the third annual Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Jatt Sikhs. "Prayer has to undergird everything we do," Wayne said. "I view the prayer supporters as a key part of the team. 'The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful'" (James 5:16 HCSB). Christians among this people group already have seen a difference since missions strategists initiated the day of petition and intercession for the Jatt Sikh on the first Wednesday of October two years ago. "Prayer is saturating the hard ground so that the seed of the Word can take root," said Sydney Singh*, a Jatt Sikh-background believer. "Prayer supporters are helping us and are part of this whole mission." "Jatt" refers to an Indian caste, and the Jatt Sikh people are those who follow the Sikh religion. The majority of the 11 million Jatt Sikhs in India live in Punjab, a state in northern India. Traditionally, Jatt Sikhs are farmers and landowners who tend to be influential in their spheres of life. "They are very hospitable. I've found my Jatt Sikh friends to be quite friendly," Wayne said. "It is impossible to know them and not like them." The Jatt Sikh cultural identity also can act as a barrier to their acceptance of the Gospel. Jatt Sikhs take great pride in their Sikh heritage and traditions and never come to see that Jesus is different from their own gurus, or teachers. They do not understand that He came to die for them. To them, Jesus is a foreign guru. "Society is so mixed with the culture," Sydney said. "One barrier is the belief that 'Christians are not people like us.' For them, Christianity is so different from their culture." Wayne said that one friend has told her, "Your way is good for you, and our way is good for us." "They view Christianity as a foreign religion that has no bearing on them as followers of the Sikh religion," Wayne said. Sikhism teaches that there is one god. Sikhs follow the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, the first guru and founder of Sikhism, along with the nine Sikh gurus who followed him and the Sikh scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib, which they consider the final and living guru. Barriers are being overcome as Christians use references to grace in the Sikh scriptures as a bridge into conversations about how Jesus is the way to grace and salvation. Also, Jatt Sikh-background Christians are implementing a "satsang" style of worship that more closely relates to their culture. Satsang, which literally means "true company," is a lecture and reflection style of worship. Someone reads a Bible passage and then the group discusses it. Along with the prayers of intercessors, these new methods are bringing a growing number of Jatt Sikhs to a saving knowledge or Christ. "We've really seen more happen over the past couple years since there has been global, focused, intentional prayer for the Jatt Sikhs," Wayne said. Sydney agreed. "Three years back there was no revival of sorts among the Jatt Sikhs, but now people are becoming aware of the Jatt Sikhs and more are working among them, and more Jatt Sikhs are coming to faith," he said. "People are getting to know this people group because they are praying for them." The need for prayer for the Jatt Sikhs is still great. "The primary prayer need is for the Jatts to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus," Wayne said. "Along with this, a real need is prayer for faithful men and women who have come to the Lord to be bold in sharing their story with others, and for more house churches. Also for men of peace who will become the ones sharing and starting new house churches." --30-- *Names changed for security purposes. Kari Wynn is a writer stationed in south Asia. For more information about the Jatt Sikhs of India, visit www.go2southasia.org/peoples/p_jatt_sikh.html. © Copyright 2007 Baptist Press Original copy of this story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26541

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...c5-257499c33610 Critics attack Allen's Olympics role Fiery radio comments spark cries of racism, calls for removal John Colebourn The Province (Vancouver, B.C.) Sunday, September 23, 2007 Calls for the dismissal of Bruce Allen from a key position on the 2010 Olympics ceremonies committee continued yesterday following a storm of controversy over the concert promoter's radio comments -- comments some have labelled as racist. "He is a person who will have important influence in the opening and closing ceremonies and, judging from his comments, I don't think he will reflect Canadian values," said MLA Harry Bains, the NDP Olympics critic, last night. "His comments are very, very disappointing and have left a lot of people angry," added Bains. "He is not the right person to be representing Canadian values at our opening and closing ceremonies and if he has any influence we will be embarrassed." Allen, a veteran music-industry heavyweight and manager of a stable of Canadian music stars, including Michael Bublé and Bryan Adams, was introduced Thursday as one of 10 members on a creative team shaping the ceremonies and entertainment at the Vancouver and Whistler Olympic Games. In his regular Reality Check radio comment on CKNW Sept. 13, Allen stated "special interest groups" expect rules for themselves. "There is the door. If you don't like the rules, hit it," said Allen. "We don't need you here. You have another place to go. It's called home. See ya." Added Allen: "This is simple. We have laws in this country. They are spelled out and easy to get a hold of. If you're immigrating here and you don't like the rules in place, you have the right to choose not to live here. If you choose to come to Canada, shut up and fit in. We are a democracy, but it seems more and more that we are being pilloried by special interest groups that want special rules for themselves." Indira Prahst, a sociology instructor at Langara College who specializes in race and ethnic relations, said she was "shocked" when she first heard Allen's comments. She also said Allen's subsequent appearance on Christy Clark's CKNW show last week would have been an opportunity to show his remorse at the comments. "He could have apologized," she said. "I think the people representing the Olympics should be culturally sensitive. I think there should be some very serious consideration about his role with the Olympics." Allen, in a lively exchange with Clark, was unrepentant over his comments. He called the controversy "a bunch of crap dredged up by some people who don't get it. I'm not hate-mongering. I'm an editorialist. I hate people playing the race card . . . I make people think. That's my job." Both the CRTC and CKNW have been sent letters of concern from some in the South Asian community regarding Allen's comments. Calls to VANOC's media department were not returned. jcolebourn@png.canwest.com OFFENDING REMARKS In his commentary on Christie Clark's CKNW show, Allen also talked about the "turban-wearing Mounties" who complain about having to wear motorcycle helmets over their headdress. Although he did not make it clear in his commentary, Allen said to Clark that he opposed the refusal of Canadian passport officials to accept photos of three Sikh youths who wore religious headgear. And he thought immigration bureaucrats were wrong to refuse admission to prospective Sikh immigrants who used only Singh or Kaur as their surnames. "That's race-bashing, and I don't like it," Mr. Allen said. Radio India talk-show host Harpreet Singh last night said there have been 1,200 letters written to the CRTC about Allen's commentary. "We believe this is hate-mongering," he said. "We are also proud Canadians so, who is he to say anything about turbans?" Singh said they will lobby to have Allen removed from his Olympic position. "We are demanding he be removed from the Olympic committee," said Singh. "This is an insult -- who's he to say we should go back to where we came from?" © The Vancouver Province 2007

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/R...how/2377526.cms RSS on Granth Sahib: Sikhs seek constitutional amendment 17 Sep 2007, 1815 hrs IST,PTI - THE TIMES OF INDIA NEW DELHI: Sikh religious leaders, who accuse the RSS of attempting to portray their faith as part of Hinduism, on Monday pressed their demand for a constitutional amendment to classify their faith as a distinct religion. They denounced the Sangh for stating in its mouthpiece Organiser that the Guru Granth Sahib is known for its salutations to Lord Ram. "The RSS has been repeatedly trying to portray Sikhism as part of the Hindu religion and we have been repeatedly condemning these statements. "We would request the government to amend Article 25 of the Constitution to establish that Sikhism is a separate religion," Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) leader Harvinder Singh Sarna told reporters in New Delhi. He also demanded a separate marriage law to govern Sikh weddings. The DSGMC leader, whose party is opposed to the BJP and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, rejected suggestions that Sikh religious texts carried praise of Lord Ram. "They are those scholars who, for their own vested interests, have denied the role of a Brahmin courtier in the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth Guru). Sikh doctrine is solely based on monotheism," Sarna said when asked that some Sikh scholars do agree with what the Sangh journal has written in its latest issue. Last year, the DSGMC had called for a Sikh boycott of the BJP over senior party leader Sushma Swaraj's comments endorsed by some prominent Sikh scholars, that Chandu, a Hindu courtier, had no major role in the execution of Guru Arjan Dev under Mughal order. Chandu, it said, was the main conspirator.

The Four Wives There was once a rich merchant who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant was always in fear that she might run away with some other men. He loved his 2nd wife too. She was a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife as he loved the other three; and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the merchant fell ill, and before long, he knew that he would soon die. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have four wives with me. But when I die, I will be alone. How lonely I will be!" So he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "Absolutely not!" she replied and walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the man's heart. So he then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is good, and I have so much to live for! In fact, I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant was heart broken; but he asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, but I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "I will bury you and weep for you, but that is all." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out to him: "I will leave with you. I will follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved and remorseful, and now recognizing the depth and sincerity of her love, the merchant said, "I now wish I had taken much better care of you all these years - while I could have!" In a sense, we all have four 'wives': Our 4th 'wife' is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will certainly leave us when we die. Our 3rd 'wife' is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. Regardless of how close they might have been to us while we are alive, they can only remain with us until we die. But our 1st wife is our soul - our spiritual partner, forever - often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and worldly pleasure, our soul is with us always. So maybe it would be a good idea to care for it now; while we still can - rather than to wait until it's too late. ~ Author Unknown ~

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/5644/38/ Bid to rape female devotee in Golden Temple complex, SGPC takes action JAGMOHAN SINGH Thursday, 13 September 2007 AMRITSAR: Shriomnai Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee (SGPC) Wednesday suspended the incharge of the periphery of the Golden temple Lakhbir Singh and terminated services of his assistant involved in an attempt to rape a female devotee who has come to pay obeisance. Talking to the Punjab News Line Manager Golden Temple Harbhajan Singh said that with the approval of SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar, one SGPC employee has been suspended and another terminated when they were found allegedly involved in an attempt to rape with the female devotee to Golden Temple. Harbhajan Singh said that the strict actions against the two SGPC employees were taken today and their entry in and around the Golden Temple has also been banned. Giving the detail of unfortunate incident happened with the female devotee who has come to Golden Temple from out of Punjab to pay obeisance, Harbhjan Singh said the two days back incharge of Golden Temple Lakhbir Singh and his assistance Narinder Singh attempted to rape but lady devotee escaped unhurt when she managed to come out of the room where she was locked. The identity of devotee is not revealed. "Immediate after the incident lady devotee came to me and narrated the whole incident. I ordered the high level enquiry and two alleged accused were found guilty and the matter was also brought into the notice of SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar who approved the suspension of Lakbir Singh and termination of Narinder Singh", said Harbhajan Singh.

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=503007 Bhagwad Gita, the nationa 'dharama shastra'? NEW DELHI, SEP 11 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court's observations that Bhagvad Gita should be made the national 'dharma shastra' today evoked strong reactions from Government which said the remarks should be ignored and scriptures of all religions should be respected. Legal experts also came out against the observations of Justice S N Srivastava in an August 30 judgement that Gita should be made the national 'dharma shastra'. Law Minister H R Bhardwaj asked: "For Muslims, it is the Quran and the Christians have the Bible. Every religion has its own dharma shastra, so how can we say it (Geeta) is for the entire nation?". "We have to respect the scriptures of other religions. Therefore, the observation needs to be ignored. It does not apply to everybody," he said. "No judge can think like this, that there should be no freedom of religion or conscience," Bhardwaj said. In Lucknow, Member of Muslim Personal Law Board Maulana Khalid Rashid said "we and our religious leaders are also shocked at this Constitutional expert's judgment". Noted media personality Sayeed Naqvi said "Bhagvad Geeta is a part of our culture and they are trying to make it a religious text". Former Chief Justice of India V N Khare said "it is a personal view which you (the judge) cannot impose in a judgement". "What he (the judge) says is not Constitutional," he added. A leader of the saffron brigade, B P Singhal, came to the rescue of Justice Srivastava and said the remarks were "not made as a Hindu but as a judge, he has justice in his mind". Justice Srivastava's observation on Gita were made while hearing a petition filed by a priest of Varanasi temple over a dispute involving a temple property. He had said the Gita had greatly inspired those involved in the freedom struggle and continues to inspire people from all walks of life. "Hence, it is the duty of every citizen of India under Article 51-A of the Constitution of India, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to follow dharma as propounded by the Geeta," he said.

Bhagvad Geeta be made national 'dharma shastra': HC Allahabad, Sep 10 (PTI) : In a judgement that may ruffle many feathers, the Allahabad High Court has said that Bhagvad Geeta should be made the national 'dharma shastra' of the country and it should be considered a fundamental duty of all citizens to follow the 'dharma' as propounded by it. "As India has recognised its national flag, national anthem, national bird, national animal and national flower, Bhagvad Geeta may be considered as national (rashtriya) dharma shastra," Justice S N Srivastava has observed. In an order dated August 30, he said the Bhagvad Geeta had greatly inspired those involved in the freedom struggle and continues to inspire people from all walks of life. "Hence, it is the duty of every citizen of India under Article 51-A of the Constitution of India, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to follow dharma as propounded by the Geeta," he said. The observation came while hearing a petition filed by Shyamal Ranjan Mukherji, a priest of Gopal Thakur Mandir in Varanasi, who had moved the court challenging the sale of the properties of the temple by his brother. Significantly, a flutter was caused by another order passed by Justice Srivastava on April 5 this year, in which he had ruled that Muslims were not a minority group in Uttar Pradesh and hence educational institutions run by them were not entitled for benefits enjoyed by minority institutions. The order was, however, stayed the very next day by a division bench of the High Court. It was argued on behalf of the state government before the division bench, that "the question of minority status for Muslims was neither before the single judge nor any relief was sought on the basis thereof. It was, therefore, not necessary to adjudicate on the issue". Justice Srivastava had retired on September 4 last, five days after passing the latest order. source: http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_print.asp?id=502754

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070813/punjab1.htm#4 Takht Patna Sahib calls SGPC chief Another jolt for Maryada uniformity move Varinder Walia Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 12 Even as Takhts at Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib have not yet implemented the Nanakshahi Calendar approved by Akal Takht and Shiromani Committee, the summoning of SGPC president at Takht Patna Sahib would further cause complications in forging uniformity of Maryada (Sikh traditions) of all takhts. The Maryada of Takhts Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib is different from that of Akal Takht, Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib. While the recitation of Dasam Granth is a part of the daily Maryada of Takhts Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib, it is not done at the Takhts of Punjab. It is not for the first time that Giani Iqbal Singh, Jathedar Patna Sahib, has embarrassed Jathedar Akal Takht or the SGPC. In May 2003, an emergency meeting of five Sikh high priests held at Takht Patna Sahib had declared that Akal Takht had no right to declare any ‘hukamnama’ (edict) issued from any Takht as ‘null and void’. The ‘hukamnama’ signed by the Sikh high priests of Patna Sahib read: “The Sikh clergy of Takht Patna Sahib were competent to issue any directive or edict and hence Akal Takht could not challenge its authorityâ€. The edict further stated that: “If Akal Takht would take any decision against the ‘hukamnama’ issued from Takht Patna Sahib, it would be considered most unfortunate and anti-Panthicâ€. He had claimed: “Takht Patna Sahib is the supreme Takht established by Guru Gobind Singh. Hence any directive issued from Takht Patna Sahib cannot be challengedâ€. Sounding a note of warning, Giani Iqbal Singh had stated that if Jathedar Vedanti initiated any action against him, he (Jathedar Vedanti) could also be summoned at Takht Patna Sahib. In an unprecedented move in June 2004, the Sikh clergy of Patna Sahib had summoned the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Giani Gurdit Singh, then member of the SGPC’s Dharam Parchar Committee, and another Sikh scholar, Mohan Singh Guard. They were asked to personally clarify their position regarding the book “Mundawniâ€, authored by Giani Gurdit Singh. It was for the first time that the jathedar of Akal Takht had been summoned by the Sikh clergy of another Takht . The next year, i.e. in 2005, Giani Iqbal Singh had threatened to boycott the meetings of Akal Takht after jathedar Vedanti said that the clergy would discuss the charges of polygamy received at Akal Takht secretariat. However, jathedar Iqbal Singh is reportedly annoyed with the SGPC because he had not included the jathedar and deputy jathedars of Takht Patna Sahib in the committee constituted for appointing four granthis of the Golden Temple. However, it is learnt that jathedar Iqbal Singh had the tacit support of jathedar Vedanti and Giani Gurbachan Singh, head granthi of the Golden Temple, who would be removed as granthis after the new appointments because they are on extension.

http://worldsikhnews.com/index.php?option=...1&Itemid=29 All India Sikh Gurdwara Act: Deviousness in a hurry by World Sikh News Thursday, August 09, 2007 Not withstanding the several gapaing holes in the 1925 SIkh Gurdwara Act, the various exercises at hammering out an all India Act to govern and administer all gurdwaras in India have had a certain component attached which was more a pointer of the deviousness involved than a genuine attempt to help the community to have a statute for its shrines. In 1999, the Union Home Ministry sent the proposed amendments in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925, as received from Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, Chandigarh, to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), Punjab government, National Commission for Minorities, Central Ministries of Welfare and Justice for their in-depth examination and comments. The ostensible reason was that after receipt of their detailed comments, the matter was to be examined by Ministry of Home Affairs, in consultation with Ministry of Law. It may be mentioned that a draft of the All India Sikh gurdwara Bill was also received from Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections which has also been sent to the above-mentioned agencies and the concerned State Governments for their in-depth examination and comments. "Government of India does not want to act in haste on these proposals. Action on these proposals will depend ultimately on the views expressed by the Sixth Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Amritsar, Government of Punjab, Minorities Commission and other concerned State Governments and the evolution of a consensus in the Sikh community on these issues," an official statement of the Centre said. But what exactly was at the root of the entire thing. The 1999 bill draft. Now that the Parkash Singh Badal government has once again stirrred the cauldron and appointed a committee on the matter, with the CM himself in chair (see previous issue of WSN), it is time for a thorough re-look at the 1999 draft. The WSN is in possession of the draft and is even aware of much of the exertion that has already happened on the matter within the committee set up recently. But we will for the time beign limit ourselves to a discussion of the draft bill clause by clause. First of all, a clarification. In 1999, the then Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections (GEC) Harbans Singh prepared two separate documents. One was a draft notification proposing certain far reaching amendments in the existing Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 and the other was the draft bill 1999 aimed at replacing the 1925 Act altogether. The Draft Notification was sent to the Union Home Ministry on August 9, 1999, which sent it to the SGPC on August 31 that year for information and comments. What is not clear is at whose directive did the GEC prepare the draft at all? Though the draft notification had many welcome features, like removal of sehajdharis from voters' list, it also removed the bar on alcoholics and patits from becoming voters and members, repectively. There were many detrimental and disparaging changes in the definition of the Sikh. Almost all the amendments suggested in this draft notification now find a mention in the 1999 draft bill with further dilution. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Definition of the Sikh Read the brief note of the GEC, the author of the 1999 draft bill, himself on the matter: "The definition of the Sikh should be the same as in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act 1971 and right of vote at the election should be given only to the "Sikhs" so defined, and right to vote given to Sehajdharis for the first time in 1959 on Pepsu Gurdwara being brought under the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925, be omitted." Now to the reality. The 1999 draft bill of course dropped the Sehajdharis from the voters' list. But then also went back on its own praise of the definition of the Sikh in the 1971 Delhi Act. The ddefinition, as per known academic and scholarly norms, must be definitive, free from ambiguity or misrepresentation. Here are the definitions in various acts reproduced: + Existing clause in Punjab Gurdwara Act 1925 2.(9) Sikh means a person who professes the Sikh religion or, in the case of a deceased person, who professed the Sikh religion or was known to be a Sikh during his lifetime. If any question arises as to whether any living person is or is not a Sikh, he shall be deemed respectively to be or not to be a Sikh according as he makes or refuses to make in such manner as the (state) Government may prescribe the following declaration:- I solemnly afffirm that I am a Sikh, that I believe in the Guru Granth Sahib, that I believe in the Ten Gurus, and that I have no other religion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971 2 (n) "Sikh" means a person who professes the Sikh religion, believes and follows the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the ten Gurus only and keeps unshorn hair. For the purposes of this Act, if any question arises as to whether any living person is or is not a Sikh, he shall be deemed respectively to be or not to be a Sikh according as he makes or refuses to make in the manner prescribed by rules the following declaration:- "I solemnly affirm that I am a Keshadhari Sikh, that I believe in and follow the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the ten Gurus only, and that I have no other religion." (Emphasis added) + Sikh Gurdwara Bill 1999 (Draft) 2(9) : 'Sikh' means a person who professes the Sikh religion, believes in the teachings of the Ten Gurus and Sri Guru Granth Sahib and in the Khande-ka-Amrit bequeathed by the Tenth Guru and keeps unshorn hair and does not use tobacco in any form. The inference is clear. Even though the GEC claimed to have borrowed the definition from the 1971 Delhi Act, look what has been changed/omitted: n The words "only" and "follows" from "believes and follows the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Ten Gurus ONLY" n 'I have no other religion' from the declaration The definition of the Sikh which could be made part of the statute with concerted effort of the entire panth is now sought to be withered away with the stroke of the pen +++ Why the change in the 1971 Act definition? The 1925 Act definition said in the affirmation that "I have no other religion". Similarly, the 1971 definition, also says that the person making declaration must state that he not just believed in teachings of Sikh Gurus but believed in them ONLY and must also state that "I HAVE NO OTHER RELIGION". The proposed definition drops, without much ado, the words ONLY and the words that I HAVE NO OTHER RELIGION. What is more, the note on the draft bill which are an integral part of the bill so far say that these were MINOR MODIFICATIONS. So, is there no difference between believing in a particular thing and ONLY believing in that one thing and NO other: Why, for the love of God, must the panth accept these 'minor modifications'? Why is one Kurahit about use of tobacco included in the definition of a Sikh? Why not other don'ts about alcohol, about cohabiting, about? Pray, why only tobacco? Of course it would be virtually impossible to include every Don't in the definition. So why not return to the Sikh Rehat Maryada. Therein, the definition of the Sikh goes like this: "ANY HUMAN BEING WHO FAITHFULLY BELIEVES IN (I) ONE IMMORTAL BEING, (ii) TEN GURUS, FROM GURU NANAK DEV TO GURU GOBIND SINGH, (iii) THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB, (iv) THE UTETERANCES AND TEACHINGS OF THE TEN GURUS AND (v) THE BAPTISM BEQUATHED BY THE TENTH GURU, AND WHO DOES NOT OWE ALLEGIANCE TO ANY OTHER RELIGION, IS A SIKH." Is there a problem with this definition? Further, as per the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the Ardas of a Patit (apostate) and a tankhaiya is forbidden at the Akal Takht. However, the Patit is cleared for contesting the election of the SGPC. The condition for a voter, not to be taking alcohol, is also proposed to be deleted in the proposals. It is argued that for all practical purposes this is a superfluous clause. However, we are of the view that in case this becomes a part of the statute it may open the floodgates for a negative approach. Any amendment to the said act is proposed to be done with only consultation of the SGPC. So, practically consent is not required. This may also prove to be disastrous in case of a malicious intent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other anomalies + The Akal Takhat Sahib is the symbol of the concept of Miri-Piri and it is not a Gurdwara but the Bill has declared it to be just another Gurdwara. (Section 45) + It is proposed in the Bill that the Jathedar of the Akal Takhat will have to take oath by appearing before the President of the Board or its nominee. (Section 78 (5)) + A Patit committing any of the foru Kurahits was disqualified to become a member. Now out of the four, two have been removed, thus giving concession on this count too. (Section 33) + No new Gurdwara will be established without prior permission of the Registering Authority. Violation of this will make the person liable for imprisonment. (Section 5 and 6) + Disqualification of an alcoholic and a Patit apostate for becoming voter has been removed (Section 31 and 64 (iii)) +The definition of the Sikh has been made too loose and will now include groups openly propagating against Sikh scriptures (Section 2 zb) + Now, only "believing" and not "following" the teachings is essential + If a Gurdwara is not being used as a Gurdwara the same will not be recognised as a Gurdwara. (Does this mean that the Gurdwaras of Pakistan for which the ardas is done are no more Gurdwaras?) (Section 2zc(iv)) +It has to be proved that the Gurdwara has been established by the Sikhs. If the found/er of a Gurdwara is held to be not conforming to the definition of Sikh will that mean that with him the Gurdwara will also be declared as a non-Gurdwara. Will it not encourage the unscrupulous people to get themselves declared as non-Sikhs to take the gurdwaras out of the purview of the Act? (Section 2 zc (iv)) +Before the formation of a regular board, the interim board will be constituted by the Government. (Why govt?) (Section 124) + As per Sikh traditions, any Sikh can approach the Akal Takht. Now a multi-layered system of committees and sub-committees is being sought to be created between a Sikh and the Akal Takht Sahib. (Section 76) + The concept of Gurmata, Sangat, Panj Piaras, Guru Panth, Sikh Rahit Maryada do not find a place anywhere in the Act. (Section 83 (3)) + In a situation of failure on the part of the committee to pay revenue to the Central Board it will be recovered as land revenue. So, the historic gurdwara may be open to the concept of 'kurki'! (Section 113(3)) + The historic name SGPC has been removed and instead new name Kendri Gurdwara Prabandhak Board has been prescribed. (Section 17(2) and 156) + The rules for the management of the Gurdwaras will be made by the Government. (Section 147 and 152) + The basic Sikh principle is of Puja Akal Ki, Parcha Shabad Ka, Didar Khalsa Ka. But contrary to this the Act has declared the Gurdwaras as a place of worship of Guru Granth Sahib. (Section 2zc(v))

http://worldsikhnews.com/index.php?option=...3&Itemid=29 Badal makes himself chairman of All India Gurdwara Act Panel Written by WSN Bureau Friday, August 03, 2007 WSN Network CHANDIGARH: Secular Akali Dal's president and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has made himself the Chairman of the committee which will make recommendations in the draft of the All-India Sikh Gurdwaras Bill-1999. As per orders issued by the Governor of Punjab, the other members of the committee will be Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Kharak Singh, Jodh Singh, Jaspal Singh, Balwant Singh Dhillon, Jasbir Singh Sabar, Wariam Singh, and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur. President of the SGPC, legal rememberancer, advocate-general will also be its members. Chief Secretary will be a member secretary of the committee. With this, the solely religious issue now becomes part of the governmental thinking framework, and the danger is all the more because the last time the issue had come to the fore when SGPC presidentship was with Bibi Jagir Kaur and Shiv Basant was joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, a number of objections had been raised. The entire All-India Sikh Gurdwaras Bill-1999 is so full of holes that any attempt to plug a few holes and turn it into a statute will be a mockery of the Sikh sensitivities. Some of those currently in the committee were also among the critics of the earlier draft, and some were also proactive during the formulation of the Dalam Committee report which never saw the light of the day. The All-India Sikh Gurdwaras Bill-1999 is meant to replace and enlarge the scope of the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 and the SGPC will lose its existence under the new bill. The bill has problems right from the definition of the Sikh, the way the Central Board is envisaged, the issue of powers of the Central Board and its relations with regional boards, the powers of the regional boards to merge with each other and the relationship with the government. The WSN will soon bring to the fore detailed discussion of the draft bill 1999.

Dera chief held, freed on bail Passport Seized Kiran Deep Tribune News Service Sirsa, July 30 Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was today arrested and released on bail at the same time by the Punjab Police, in a case registered against him in Bathinda for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs through his blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh and enacting the religious baptism ceremony. The dera chief was released on a personal bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. Police officials also took the passport of the dera chief in their possession along with some documents related to the case from the dera officials. All the formalities were completed by the police in the residential complex of the dera chief called ‘guffa’. Inspector Harvinder Singh Virk accompanied by Sub Inspector Ram Singh conducted the inquiry. The police reached here in compliance of the court order as the dera chief had been granted interim bail in the case by the high court on June 29 with certain conditions. However, the police official first completed the legal formalities of mentioning the case and purpose of their visit in the Daily Diary Report (DDR) in police station, Sadar, under which the dera territory falls. Thereafter, the Haryana Police accompanied by the two members of the dera management committee took only four police personnel of the Punjab Police into the dera. The rest of the 16 stayed at sadar police station only. The SP, Vikas Arora, confirming the development said Sirsa police fully cooperated with Punjab police. Inspector Harvinder Singh said the dera chief had joined the investigation. The case against the dera chief was registered on May 20 under Section 295-A IPC on a complaint of Rajinder Singh Sidhu, the president of the local Khalsa Diwan. Sidhu had alleged that by inserting advertisements in various newspapers showing Ram Rahim Gurmit Singh imitating Guru Gobind Singh the dera chief hurt the sentiments of Sikhs.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStorie...t_deaths_070725 Oscar the nursing home cat can sense death 26/07/2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His name is Oscar. He's not the friendliest cat. But he has an uncanny knack for predicting within hours when nursing home patients with whom he lives are about to die. Oscar lives at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and is the subject of a fascinating essay in this week's issue of the prestigious medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine. What makes Oscar special is his ability to sense when one of the hospice's residents is about to die. Every day, Oscar makes his rounds among the patients, entering each room and giving each patient a sniff. When he senses that someone is near the end of his or life, he will hop onto their bed and curl up beside them. Within hours, without fail, the patient will die. Oscar has demonstrated his prognostication skills at least 25 times. He's considered so accurate that nursing home staff will immediately call family members once Oscar has chosen someone, since it usually means they have less than four hours to live. Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician from Brown University in Providence, tells Oscar's story, noting that the feline has never been wrong yet. "His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death," Dosa writes. Raised at the nursing home since he was a kitten, Oscar is described as aloof -- even, at times, grouchy. But when he is on a death watch, he is as warm as can be. He will nuzzle a dying patient and purr, perhaps trying to offer whatever comfort he can. "For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves," Dosa writes. The staff appreciates Oscar so much, a local hospice agency has even erected a plaque to him that reads: "For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat."

Grandmother guilty of murder plot A 70-year-old grandmother and her son have been found guilty of murdering his wife in a so-called "honour killing". Bachan Athwal and her son Sukhdave, 43, arranged the murder of Surjit Athwal to defend the family honour. Surjit, 27, who wanted a divorce, went missing in 1998 after going to the Punjab with her mother-in-law. An Old Bailey judge remanded the mother and son from Hayes, west London, into custody and told them to expect a life term when sentenced in September. Mother-of-two Surjit, originally from Coventry, never returned from a trip with Bachan Athwal to a family wedding in India in December 1998. Later, the grandmother of 16 children boasted she had got rid of her by getting a relative to strangle her and throw her body into a river in the Punjab. Her body has never been found. Frightened relatives The pair were only caught when "frightened" members of their own family reported them to police. "They were frightened that if they told anybody, the same sort of thing might happen to them as they believed happened to the victim," Michael Worsley QC, prosecuting, said. Mr Worsley said "family honour was at stake" when it was discovered Surjit was having an affair with a married man and wanted a divorce. Bachan vowed a divorce would could only take place "over my dead body". Bachan called a family meeting to discuss killing Surjit a month before she vanished, the court heard. Sarbjit Athwal, another daughter-in-law, said: "My mother-in-law said she wasn't getting on and it was causing too much confusion and problems in the family - and they were going to get rid of Surjit." After having her killed, Bachan and Sukhdave then pretended Surjit had run away. They forged letters supposed to be from the Metropolitan Police to their Indian counterparts to try and fool them. Mother and son also faked a document transferring ownership of the home Surjit part-owned into their names. Sukhdave took out a £100,000 insurance policy on his wife the day she left for India. It was never paid out. He later divorced Surjit in her absence, claiming she deserted him, and then he married someone else, said Mr Worsley. Surjit first met her Sikh husband on her wedding day in 1988, when she was just 16. She had worked as a customs officer at Heathrow Airport and married Sukhdave, who worked as a driver at the airport. Judge Giles Forrester remanded the mother and son in custody for sentencing on 19 September. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n...don/6906735.stm Published: 2007/07/26 11:44:59 GMT © BBC MMVII

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/07/25/...ation-name.html Sikh name-change letter 'poorly worded': Immigration Canada Wednesday, July 25, 2007 |CBC News An Immigration Canada letter that said people with the common Sikh surnames Singh or Kaur have to change their last names before coming to Canada was "poorly worded" and is not government policy, a spokeswoman from the department says. "Permanent resident applicants with the surnames Singh or Kaur are not required to change their names in order to apply," Karen Shadd-Evelyn, a spokeswoman with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said in an e-mail to CBC News Wednesday. "In no way did CIC intend to ask applicants to change their names. The letter that was previously used to communicate with clients was poorly worded. We are making changes to ensure there will be no misunderstandings in the future." The controversy erupted after Tarvinder Kaur, waiting for her husband Jaspal Singh to arrive in Canada, learned his application to become a permanent resident had been delayed for well over a month because of his last name. A letter from the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to Singh's family stated that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada." When first asked about the letter, immigration officials said the policy to ask for a third name was put in place 10 years ago to help officials identify people's files quickly, efficiently and accurately. Singh and Kaur are common names in the Sikh community. In a tradition that began more than 300 years ago, the name Singh is given to every baptized male and Kaur to every baptized female Sikh. There are millions of Singhs and Kaurs around the world. Shadd-Evelyn acknowledged Wednesday that the government does ask applicants to provide a surname in addition to Singh or Kaur "to improve client service and reduce incidents of mistaken identity." But she added: "This was not a mandatory requirement. There is no policy or practice whereby people with these surnames are asked to change their names," she said. "CIC recognizes that previous communications with clients may not have been clear on this issue and regrets any inconvenience this may have caused," she said.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/200...mmigration.html Common Sikh names banned under Canada's immigration policy Last Updated: Monday, July 23, 2007 - CBC News A Calgary woman waiting for her husband to arrive in Canada is upset by a long-standing immigration policy that forces people with the surname Singh or Kaur to change their last names. Tarvinder Kaur, who is pregnant, said her husband Jaspal Singh's application to become a permanent resident has been delayed for well over a month because of his last name. He has no choice but to legally change his name in India so he can get to Calgary before she gives birth next month, she said. CBC News has obtained a copy of a letter sent from the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to Singh's family stating that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada." "Why are we needing to make a different last name?" said Kaur. "You choose what your last name is going to be and if it's always been a certain way, then why should you have to change it?" Traditional Sikh names Singh and Kaur are common names in the Sikh community. In a tradition that began more than 300 years ago, the name Singh is given to every baptized male and Kaur to every baptized female Sikh. The names are used differently by different people. Some use Singh or Kaur as middle names, while others use them as their last names. Karen Shadd-Evelyn, a spokeswoman with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said the policy preventing people from immigrating to Canada with those last names has been in place for the last 10 years. "I believe the thinking behind it in this case is because it is so common. [With] the sheer numbers of applicants that have those as their surnames, it's just a matter for numbers and for processing in that visa office." Citizenship and Immigration Canada says there is no such policy against other common last names. Kaur, who was born in Canada, says that's unacceptable. "If it's going to be a standard policy it should be standard with all common last names. Why is it that it's only Singh or Kaur that's being attacked by this?"

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/ed...3b-c4ded7f10033 Offering sanctuary has to go hand in hand with respect for the law EDITORIAL : Vancouver Sun Wednesday, July 11, 2007 There's been an outpouring of sympathy for Laibar Singh, a paralysed man taking sanctuary in a Sikh temple in Abbotsford to avoid a deportation order. Unable to dress, feed or bathe himself, Singh requires total care, which his supporters are selflessly providing. Singh, 48, entered Canada in 2003 using false documents and subsequently claimed refugee status, saying he'd been wrongfully accused of being involved with a terrorist group in India. He suffered a brain aneurysm that left him paralysed last year, a few weeks after he fled to Vancouver to avoid a deportation order handed down in Montreal. His applications for refugee status, including an exemption on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, have been rejected and a pre-removal risk assessment ruled that his fears of cruel and unusual punishment if he were returned to India, where his four children live, were based on facts that were not credible. His last resort is the political route -- intervention by Immigration Minister Diane Finley, who holds the power to overrule the deportation order on compassionate grounds. Until it is known whether she will allow Singh to stay, he intends to remain in the Gurdwara Kalgidhar Darbar Sahib Society Temple. This is the first time someone has sought sanctuary in a temple in Canada. The Canada Border Services Agency has made it clear that it does not plan to enter the house of worship to remove him -- at least, not yet. The principle of sanctuary has a long and mostly honourable history. In medieval times, it offered protection for those to whom the king, or emperor or other absolute ruler took an intense dislike. Today, due process protects the individual from arbitrary measures. Canada's system is far from perfect, but it has given Singh ample opportunity to plead his case. He has run the course over four years of applications and appeals, including a judicial review of his failed refugee claim by Federal Court, all of which have been refused. Canada is a compassionate country. It accepts about 50 per cent of refugee claimants for permanent residence, compared with an average of 14 per cent among 17 other Western countries. When rates are adjusted for population, it admits five times as many as other nations. Canada has nothing to be ashamed of in its treatment of refugees. On the other hand, Singh came to Canada using a fake passport and, despite claims by some groups that "no one is illegal," presenting false papers is an offence in Canada that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Singh's situation is not the same as Ji-Won Park, the 22-year-old South Korean student left in a vegetative state after a brutal attack in Stanley Park. Although her student visa expired, the then immigration minister Denis Coderre allowed her to stay on compassionate grounds. No removal action was ever taken. Nor is Singh's case similar to that of Amir Kazemian, who spent two years in St. Michael's Anglican Church to avoid deportation to his home country, Iran. There was little doubt that Kazemian was tortured before he left Iran and even less that he'd be tortured on his return. What's more, his mother had come to Canada as a refugee years before and was granted permanent residency in 2001. Singh's fate is now in the hands of the immigration minister. If he is denied refugee status and the deportation order is upheld, he should voluntarily offer himself up to authorities. Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples have an obligation to ensure that people they shield from law enforcement agencies have well-founded fears of persecution and to respect the rules regarding refugee claimants. Otherwise, they'll erode public support for the convention of sanctuary, putting legitimate refugee claimants in jeopardy. © The Vancouver Sun 2007

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...PStory/National AVOIDING DEPORTATION Refugee seeks asylum in Sikh temple Supporters of claimant say it's cruel to send the recently disabled man back to India, where the level of care is uncertain JANE ARMSTRONG July 9, 2007 VANCOUVER -- A failed refugee claimant, left disabled from an aneurysm, has dodged another deportation order by moving into a Sikh temple in the Fraser Valley city of Abbotsford. Laibar Singh, 48, who is paralyzed, in a wheelchair and needs regular dialysis treatment, left a Vancouver long-term care centre over the weekend for the sanctuary of the Kalgidhar temple in Abbotsford, about an hour's drive east of Vancouver. He was to have been deported to India yesterday on a jet chartered by Canadian authorities to accommodate his health needs. Instead, Mr. Singh will stay at the Abbotsford temple indefinitely, said Harpal Singh Nagra, a spokesman for a B.C.-based South Asian human rights group. "He's not ever going to leave," Mr. Nagra said. "He said he wants to die there."r. Singh has been trying to obtain legal status in Canada since 2003 when he entered the country in Toronto using a false passport. The widowed father of four made a refugee claim, saying he would face torture by Punjab police if he were returned to India because he's been falsely linked to a Khalistan nationalist group whose goal is to form a Sikh state. Mr. Singh's case has been championed by some members of British Columbia's Sikh community, who said it's cruel to deport a disabled man to India, where the level of his care is uncertain. A rights group for the disabled also backed Mr. Singh's bid to stay in Canada, saying a man in his condition should not be sent to India. Until his move to the temple, Mr. Singh was at a Vancouver long-term care home, which costs about $400 a day. Prior to that, he was at Vancouver General Hospital for five months. Mr. Nagra said Mr. Singh's health-care costs have been paid by taxpayers, although his supporters have pledged to cover his health-care needs while in the temple. A throng of supporters yesterday turned out when Mr. Singh was wheeled into the temple. Mr. Nagra said the community has arranged for medical staff to treat him inside the temple. Faith St. John, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Border Services Agency, said staff aren't permitted to discuss individual cases. However, she said Ottawa doesn't condone hiding in a place of worship as a means of evading deportation. "There are other safeguards in place to ensure people in need are protected," Ms. St. John said. After his refugee claim was rejected, Mr. Singh appealed, but a judicial review rejected his claim. He later made an appeal to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds but that too was rejected. Last year, a deportation order was handed down in Montreal, but Mr. Singh fled to Vancouver. He found construction work, but late last year was felled by the aneurysm. Mr. Singh's children are all in India.

source: http://www.sikhreview.org/february2006/tsr73.htm Self-empowerment through spirituality Dr. Amrit Kaur Raina* * M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D. Research Scholar, Major Research Project U.G.C. Spirituality is a wide term which encompasses the entire vista of man’s life, i.e. physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social. Self-empowerment through spiritualism means that man is endowed with great inborn potentialities and capacities and if they are developed and blossomed fully, he can scale the heights higher and higher. Swami Vivekanandl believes that all the souls are potentially divine and education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man. Such is the divine play of the creator, That he has reflected the whole cosmos In the human body (SGGS: 117) The body is the temple of God in which are revealed precious pearls of knowledge (SGGS:1346) and if these precious pearls of knowledge are explored and developed with the help of a true Guru, the harmonious development of personality takes place. Man is carved in the image of God. The drop is contained in the ocean, the ocean in the drop. (SGGS: 1318). The human body is not a mere body. In the body, there is divine light which has been placed there by great God. “Oh! My body the lord imbued thee with light and then thou comest into this world. (SGGS: 921) That is why Guru Amar Das asks man to recognise his essence i.e. know thyself in the modem words. “You are the embodiment of light oh! Man Recognise thy essence. (SGGS: 441) Within the mind are the jewels and the rubies, whose worth is infinite (SGGS: 754). Man has got a storehouse of energy. He has great potentialities to solve his own problems. He can carve out his destiny through his own efforts. If guided and inspired properly he can work wonders that is why lord Buddha asks man to become his own lamp of knowledge to guide his own path. On the basis of his actions and qualities, the Gurus have divided man into two categories, ‘Gurmukh’ and ‘Manmukh’. The Gurmukh or Brahmagyani (A man having divine knowledge and experience) or Khalsa (the pure) is the ideal man of the Gurus whom they tried to carve in their own image through moral, spiritual training. If a man controls his evil impulses, his haumai (ego) and attunes himself to God he becomes a ‘Gurmukh’, a God-dedicated soul. But if he forgets God and does not control his evil impulses he degenerates and becomes a ‘Manmukh’, self-willed egoist away from God. The Manmukh is attached to worldly wealth, worldly allurements and sensual enjoyments. He is bound by the whirlpool of desires. Getting and spending he lays waste his powers. He is enveloped by the darkeners of ignorance. He is tossed in bondage from birth to birth. He writhes in pain day and night And the noose of death is round his neck. He gets no peace even in his dreams, And anxiety tears at his heart. (SGGS: 30) In Gurbani the example of Ravana is quoted to distinguish between ‘Gurmukh’ and ‘Manmukh’. He was a great scholar and had mastered all the Shastras and Vedas and yet he could not control his lust for revenge and sex. For away from real spiritualism, the animal in him took the better of him and led to his destruction and degeneration. In Sukhmani Sahib, Guru Arjun Dev has described the character, personality and spiritual powers of Brahmagyani or Gurmukh in detail. His spiritual powers are developed. He is the purest of the pure rays, serene. His mind is illumined and nourished by divine knowledge. Meditating over the name of God he enjoys supreme bliss. He is compassionate and works for the welfare of humanity at large. He lives like a lotus flower, fully blossomed, who scatters his fragrance around to beautify the world. There is peace and contentment in his life. In Gita too Krishna depicts in detail two types of men, the one possessing divine nature, sattvic disposition and the other possessing a demonic disposition. The sattvic qualities are all divine attributes of God. They constitute man’s spiritual wealth. They are fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness, charity, right study of scriptures, self-discipline, truth, peace, compassion towards all beings, forgiveness, cleanliness of body and purity of heart and mind. The development of these sattvic qualities lead a man to self-realization and self-manifestation. This is what Christ says in Bible, “Be ye, therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.†Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, conceit, anger, ignorance of mind are the marks of a man with demonic disposition (XVI/IV) He is given to greed, lust and anger. He strives hard to amass wealth by unfair means and use it for sensuous pleasures. Lust, anger and greed constitute the threefold gate of hell leading him to destruction. Due to his demonical nature he is cast again and again into demonical wombs by the Lord. Now the question arises how the powers of body, mind and soul can be developed through spiritualism to strengthen and empower oneself. In the beginning of Japji one important spiritual question is asked “How can one become sachiara (true)†in the court of God and how the veil of ego can be torn asunder? Prompt comes the reply, “Follow the Hukam, the ordinance and discipline of God and thou can achieve your goal.†The Gurus ask their disciples to discipline their physical, mental, moral and spiritual faculties. It is the training of the body, mind and soul to act according to rules and regulations. It means moderation, control, sublimation and balance in our thoughts, words, deeds and desires. Body is the gift of God and taking care of the body and keeping it in a healthy and sound condition by regular habits and good diet taken in moderation is the first Dharma of man. Live for hundred years performing your duties well and taking good diet, say the Vedas. The constitution of a man’s mind is determined by the kind of food he takes. Purity of mind follows from purity of diet earned by rightful means. In Gita lord Krishna insists on taking sattvic diet to develop a sattvic mind. Physical chastity is emphasized. Smoking and use of intoxicants are prohibited in Gurbani. “Avoid such foods which cause pain to the body and arouse passion in the mind. Avoid such dresses which cause pain in body And arouse passion in the mind. (SGGS: 16) For physical fitness - life of action, hard labour and service to humanity is emphasized. Perfection in action is the real yoga, says lord Krishna in Gita, which depends on a strong and stout body. That is why Vivekanand prefers to build a strong body by playing football than to study Gita passively. His towering physical personality cast a spell on the western people. He conquered west through his spiritual power. “Sport and play are the mind’s amusement†(SGGS: 465) says Guru Nanak. In Siddhagosht he admonishes the Sidhas not to torture and starve their bodies in the hope of finding salvation. Body is the vehicle of the soul and must he kept in a fit, strong and healthy condition by hard physical labour, earning one’s livelihood through the sweat of one’s brows, says the fifth Guru. “You live your life making earnest efforts, And make your life happy through rightful earnings. Meet the lord through contemplation. And your anxieties will be dispelled.†(SGGS: 522) For the physical fitness of their disciples, the Gurus emphasized games, sports and training in arms. There was blend of Bhagti and Shakti in their educational curriculum. Guru Har Gobind was a saint soldier, whom Guru Arjun, the first martyr of the Sikh religion admonished to sit fully armed on the throne. Guru Gobind Singh turned the Sikhs into a martial community through games, sports and training in arms. He raised the dormant energies of the vanquished people and filled them with rare spirit of valour and confidence. “Men who had never2 touched a sword or shouldered a gun were empowered by him to become heroes and soldiers in the battle of life. Confectioners and washermen, sweepers and barbers became leaders of armies before whom the Rajas quailed and the Nawabs cowered down with terror.†“The Sikhs whom you see around3 are men of sturdy built, handsome countenance, of tough strength and unflinching courage. They are Sishyas, disciples of Guru Nanak. It is through his teachings that their temper is fearless. They keep their heads erect. Their character and countenance are brightened with magnanimity†These physical qualities of the Sikhs based on spiritualism have empowered them to carve a niche for themselves in the whole world. “He alone is learned and educated who gains self knowledge through self enlightenment.†(SGGS: 25) Ignorance is a spiritual bondage. Gurus emphasize acquisition of knowledge for mental enlightenment. “Of all elements, the most significant is the element of knowledge.†(SGGS: 152) “Of all the Yajnas, the most divine is the Gyan Yajna†says lord Krishna (4/38). It is Avidya (Ignorance) which forges fetters to bind the mind. It is divine wisdom which enlightens the mind. Goutama, became Buddha (the enlightened one) by the acquisition of knowledge. Just as darkness disappears when the lamp is lighted, similarly through the study of books of wisdom, ignorance of mind is removed. It becomes clean and does not get dirty again. “One can clean the mind with the jewel of wisdom And there after it is soiled not again. (SGGS: 992) Knowledge not only illumines the mind, it gives its seeker divine happiness. Guru Nanak has described in Japji, the domain of Knowledge (Gyan Khand) which is illumined by the waves of knowledge. In this realm, there is abundance of knowledge, ‘Gyan Prachand’ where a seeker can enjoy millions of wonderful sights and sounds. It is full of divine music (Nada), joyous spirit (Vinod) and abounds with vibrations of happiness. In the domain of knowledge, knowledge abounds, Myriad kinds of joys, sights and sounds. (SGGS: Japji, P.7) According to some thinkers the battle field of Kurukshetra in Mahabharata is an allegory. The body is the chariot. The senses are the horses. The mind, the reins. The intellect is the charioteer, the controlling power which holds the reins of the horse in hand and checks it to run ruthlessly. The same allegory is given in kathopanishad. By controlling the mind, we conquer the world, says Guru Nanak. This magic transformation of Arjuna takes place through this lengthy spiritual discourse between him and lord Krishna which empowers him to shed off his weakness of mind and strengthens him to fight valiantly in the battle field of life. The vibrations of fear are reversed by this intellectual discourse. And when the fear of death is removed, it becomes easier to fight in war. That is why Guru Gobind Singh asks his disciples to remove the dirt of cowardice with the broom of knowledge. (Dasam Granth P-570) He declares emphatically, “Blest is his life in this world who repeats God’s name on his lips and contemplates war in his heart (Dasam Granth, P.570) He selected the five beloveds on the day of Baisakhi, removing cowardice with the broom of knowledge, waving sword in the air, he said. “If thou desires to play the game of love with me. Come my way with thy head in the palm of thy hand Put thy feet on the road, Give thy head and care not others opinion (SGGS: 1412) “I need such soldiers†said Guru Gobind Singh, “who fight to protect the helpless. Though cut limb by limb, flee not the field.†(SGGS: 1412) The musical narration of heroic stories filled the Sikhs’ hearts with urge for social freedom and national ascendancy. These divine songs and singing of heroic ballads in his court created such mighty soldiers like Baba Deep Singh, Taru Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa, Banda Bahadur who were cut to pieces limb by limb and his own sons who were bricked alive and died fighting but never surrendered and compromised with the unjust, cruel rulers and oppressors of their times. This spiritual power empowered Guru Arjun Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur, Mati Dass, Sati Dass, Bhai Dyala to sacrifice their lives calmly for the sake of justice with divine glow on their faces singing the divine name with their lips “Oh! God thine sweet will be done.†These heroic sacrifices of the Gurus have inspired many Bhagat Singhs to die valiantly on the altar of motherland singing the songs of bravery “Oh! Mother dye my garments with the divine colours of spring.†Mere intellectual development without the development of character, learning without piety, proficiency in the sacred lore, with a deficiency in practice may pervert the very goal of spiritualism. Ethical conduct is the basis of spiritual life. Truth is high but higher still is truthful living. There can be no worship without good actions. The mark of an educated person is that he contemplates upon the higher values of life. “He alone is a wise man, Who gains spiritual knowledge, Through meditation upon the divine virtues.†(SGGS: 931) Divine knowledge can be obtained through the practical evolution of higher values alone. And these virtues like our friends help us to overcome vices. “Nanak as many are the vices, So many are the chains round our neck Ye, one removes the vices with the cultivation of virtues in life. As virtues are our only friends.†(SGGS: 62) A person may read a large number of books and acquire degrees but he will not be considered an educated person if he suffers from selfishness, greed and ego. “An educated person is a fool If he indulges in ego, greed and lust.†(SGGS: 140) Man is bound by the law of Karma. The body is a field (Gita-13/1). As we sow so shall we reap. A man sattvic in character possesses divine disposition. The fruit of sattvic actions is harmony and purity. The fruit of rajasic actions is pain. The fruit of tamasic actions is ignorance. Lust, wrath and avarice are the threefold ways to hell. Evil impulses are to be controlled and sublimated otherwise delusion and destruction will be the result. The more we run after sensory pleasures, the less bright becomes the flame in our hearts. Control your senses and the flame will go stronger and stronger. When godly virtues dominate, heart becomes pure and man hears the gentle voice of his conscience, the inner self and treads on the right path: My mind is the Guru who has instructed me in wisdom. So that desire, its mother has turned Away from me. (Guru Gobind Singh: Dasam Granth, P-73) Man cannot live by bread alone. He needs spiritual food for his sustenance. From times immemorial India has been a land of spiritual consciousness. Spiritual books like ‘Vedas’, ‘Upanishads’, ‘Ramayana’, ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, the revealed books of God have been giving spiritual food to millions of people. Indian sages, saints and educationists consider self-realization and self-manifestation as the ultimate goal of life. In the light of Ish Upanishad “Education helps in Salvation ‘Sa vidya ya vimuktaya’ is a well-known Indian saying. “An educated man, a scholar or a seer is one who puts the garland of Ram Nam round his neck.†(SGGS: 1288) In Japji Guru Nanak has described five stages of mental and spiritual journey of the individual. These stages mark the development of scientific outlook, artistic vision, creative attitude, moral and spiritual strength which help to realize the divine truth. These five grades of spiritual journey are Dharam Khand (The realm of perceptual truth) Gyan Khand (The realm of knowledge) Saram Khand and Karam Khand (The realms of action or divine grace), Sach Khand (The Realm of Divine Truth). The disciple has to pass through these realms to become fully accomplished. It is the path of knowledge, action and devotion, all the three combined together. This blend of Gyan (knowledge) Karam (action) and Bhakti (devotion) lead to balanced spiritual development. Then the disciple reaches the ultimate, the abode of the Formless lord and is united with him. It is condition of peace, of consummate joy and perfect tranquility, a condition transcending all human telling. The ray is united with the sun. Water blends with water. Light blends with light. Perfection is achieved. There is complete identification of the self with the higher self. For spiritual development, self-purification by the development of virtues, love, devotion, concentration and meditation on God’s name, singing of God’s praises in sadh sangat, service of mankind have been emphasized by our sages, saints and scriptures. The Sikh Gurus attach great importance to the role of the Guru in the spiritual development of a person. One cannot think of any spiritual, moral, mental or social development without the kindly help of the Guru. The ennobling touch of the enlightened divine personality transforms the life of the disciple. He is a light kindling other lights, an awakened soul awakening other souls. It is with the help of the true Guru that the mind of the disciple is cleansed and emancipated. The veil of ego is torn asunder and he sees God everywhere. The egg of superstition hath burst, The mind is illumined. The Guru hath cut the fetters of the feet, And freed the captive (SGGS: 1002) Besides the human Guru, the enlightened and the perfect teacher, the Sikh Gurus consider God, Self, Word, Guru Granth Sahib, Nature and Sangat as ‘Guru’. In Siddhagosht, the yogis ask Guru Nanak, “who is your Guru, Whose disciple you are?†the Guru replies. “The word (shabad) is the Guru, And the mind attuned to the shabad is the disciple The Shabad is the Guru, teacher, fathomless and calm, Without the shabad the people wander astray Attune your mind to the word, Guru.†(SGGS: 942) The idea of shabad as Guru is found in Vedas, Upanishadas and Gita. Word (the living voice of God) imparts knowledge and truth to man. God is identified with the word. In Gita lord Krishna describes in detail the repetition of the word ‘Om’ for name meditation. “Thou art the word and thou art its expression.†(SGGS: 795) It is ‘Trai Lok Dipak’ shabad chanan. Incorporated word in the form of holy books is the Gyan Guru in which are enshrined all the nectars of life. “The Bani is the Guru and Guru is the Bani For all the nectars are enshrined in it.†(SGGS: 982) That is why the Gurus emphasize the reading and reciting of Gurbani and name meditation in the ambrosial hours of the morning. Name meditation is the panacea for all ills. Musical singing of Gurbani is a precious jewel, It produces unfathomable joy, And all the sorrows depart. (SGGS: 213) Music is the food for soul. It sweetens life. Singing of Gurbani gives spiritual joy and transcendental bliss. It becomes a means of communication with God. “The generous lord has given us this gift, Through it light merges into light.†(SGGS: 366) Musical singing of Gurbani gives emotional food. With emotionally balanced and stable mind one marches ahead on the path of life. Singing of God’s name elevates his character and brings strength and solace to his mind in the sorrows and struggles of day to day life. Why to worry? Guru is there to protect and help us. “Who so ever hears the kirtan of Hari. Who so ever hears the kirtan of Hari. Near that person, no misery can ever come.†(SGGS: 190) This sense of indwelling presence of the Guru in Guru Granth Sahib has shaped the course of Sikh history and led to many noblest endeavours in the annals of mankind in the cause of humanity, dignity and freedom. The teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and other holy books have been a source of life and light to millions of people. To make Guru Granth Sahib as a vehicle of mass-education, the Gurus made Sangat and Pangat an integral part of the lives of their disciples. God dwells in the company of saints. (SGGS: 72) The society of the saints is the School where one is instructed in the merits of God (SGGS: 1316). One is purged of one’s evil impulses in saintly company. Sajjan Thug, Koda Raksash and Noorshah came into the company of Guru Nanak and were transformed. How sangat trains one in social and civic efficiency and in social behaviour is very beautifully described by the fifth Guru. “I have forgotton to speak ill or think ill of any one, Ever since I learnt to live in the company of good and holy saints, No one is my enemy nor is any one stranger to me, I get on well with one and all.†(SGGS: 1299) By holy association, lamp of divine light is lit. One is blessed with wisdom. There is kirtan, katha, discussions and discourses, where problems are solved and doubts removed. All the seekers after truth are united both in word, deed and thought for noble purposes of life. It was on the historical Baisakhi day when a large number of sangat had assembled when Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, an army of saint soldiers to fight against cruelty, oppression and injustice and the freedom of the motherland. Sadh Sangat not only helps in spiritual progress but social development also. In Sadh Sangat and Pangat (community dining), there is no difference between man and man. The barriers of caste, creed, high and low are removed. God is one and we all are his children. Recognise all mankind as one, says the Guru. Service of Sangat becomes service of God. The Gurus taught this service of man by their personal examples by sacrificing their all for the welfare of society. They emphasize the sharing of one’s earnings with the needy for the upliftment of society and reconstruction of a new social order. He alone, O Nanak, knows the right path of life Who earns his livelihood with the sweat of his brow, And shares it with his fellow human beings. (SGGS: 1245) This is what Lord Krishna says in Gita:Those who are devoted to the welfare of all attain me and endear themselves to me.(12/4) Strengthened by these spiritual virtues of body mind and soul, man attains such spiritual heights that his own inner self, his conscience, Atma awakens, he recognizes himself and his own inner self becomes the Guru, the guiding star of his life. When man recognizes his higher self, the divinity in himself, he undergoes a wonderful change. This divine consciousness helps him to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vice. His will power and character are developed. He develops strength to resist temptations. This divine consciousness gives him mental balance and keeps him on the right track. It prevents him from becoming acquisitive, over ambitious or greedy. It inspires him to be kind and helpful to the less fortunate ones. “When this4 God-consciousness becomes a part of conscience, a monitor, a deep and all pervasive sentiment in man’s every day life, influencing and guiding his behaviour as a second nature, man under goes a wonderful change,†says Guru Nanak. Empowered by this spiritual awakening his daily prayer becomes to die fighting valiantly and heroically in the battlefield of life to save his own honour and the honour of his countrymen. “Give me this power O Almighty, From righteous deeds I may never refrain Fearlessly may I fight all the battles of life. With confident courage claiming the victory May my highest ambition be to sing thy praises. And may thy glory be ingrained in my heart, When this mortal life reaches its end, May I die fighting with limitless courage, In the battle of life.†(Guru Gobind Singh, Dasam Granth, P-99) References 1. T.S. Avinashilingam, Educational Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, Coimbatore, 1964, P.2l 2. G.C. Narang, Transformation of Sikhism P. 84 3. Tagore on Sikhs, Prof. Amlendu Bose, The Sikh Review, Aug. 2003, P. 45 4. R.L. Ahuja, The Sikh Review, Aug. 1958, P.14.

http://www.asianpacificpost.com/portal2/ff...ll_wife.do.html Husband fakes car crash to kill wife Thu, July 05 2007 By Mata Press Service He had an affair. She found out. He wanted her university educated sister to marry his illiterate nephew. She refused. So he took his wife to India and arranged for her murder. That’s the accusation by police in Moga, Punjab who have arrested and charged a Canadian for hiring a contract killer to murder his wife. Moga Senior Superintendent of Police Devinder Singh Garcha identified the suspect as Canadian Jagtar Singh Mallhi, 32 from Calgary. He was arrested while on a bus to Delhi to catch a flight to Toronto. His wife was 26-year-old Kiranpal Kaur from Chuga Kalan village in Punjab. The couple has a three-year-old daughter. Also accused in the murder plot were Jagtar’s brothers Jagdish Singh, who resides in Canada, and Malkit Singh, nephew Davinder Singh and brother-in-law Sukha Singh. Their hometowns were not released. Jagtar’s family has denied any role in the murder. Kiranpal Kaur’s parents Shamsher Singh, a farmer and mother, Balbir Kaur told the South Asian Post in an interview that the conspiracy to kill their daughter was hatched in Canada. They claim a Canadian politician is helping the family of the accused. The couple’s other daughter Jaspal Kaur, said her sister was constantly beaten and thrown out of the family home in Canada. “My sister was thrown out of her house in the chilly winter when the snow was falling…she was constantly beaten and they had threatened take her daughter away and send her to India,†said Jaspal. “In the last few months, everything changed and the in-laws became very sweet to Kiranpal….Her husband brought her to India “This was all part of the plan to bring her to India and kill herâ€. Jaspal said there was a lot of pressure on her to marry a nephew of the accused, Jagtar Singh. "I hold two post graduate degrees in English and Computers. I am now doing a third degree in Information Technology,†she said. “The suggested groom was illiterate, I think. How could I have agreed." Her refusal led to Kiranpal Kaur being beaten at her home in Canada and thrown out of the house. To save her sister from further torment, Jaspal agreed to the wedding. "But my father stamped down his foot. He said when his first daughter was suffering after marrying in the family of the accused, how can I hope for the happiness for my second daughter." Police said Jagtar Singh and his wife Kiranpal Kaur arrived in India nearly a month ago from Canada. They stayed at Chuga Kalan village where the murder conspiracy was allegedly finalized. Garcha said Kiranpal had confronted her husband about an affair he was allegedly having in Canada. He said Jagtar Singh was helped in the murder plan by his relatives, already irked by Kiranpal Kaur's refusal to get her newly graduated younger sister married to her husband's illiterate nephew. Police accused the family of striking a deal with contract killer Gurcharan Singh alias Channi for 200,000 rupees (about C$5,200). Channi was given an initial payment of 50,000 rupees (about C$1,300). The contract killer is on the run. In court documents, police allege that on the night of June 26, Jagtar Singh asked his wife to drive the family car to an area called Lohara Chowk. Channi, the hired killer who was waiting by the road signaled for the car to be stopped. Kiranpal Kaur was dragged out of the vehicle and attacked with sharp-edged weapon. Her body was then placed back in the driver’s seat. Jagtar, police said, had blood on him but showed no injuries. The next morning, a Highways Police patrol found Jagtar Singh along with his wife lying inside a vehicle parked near Lohara Chowk on the Moga-Jalandhar road. Jagtar Singh, was rushed to the local civil hospital where he claimed that his wife died when a truck hit their vehicle from behind. A forensic examination found the wounds on Kiranpal Kaur were not consistent with accident related injuries. Investigators then pieced together the plan to kill Kiranpal Kaur. Jagtar Singh, on hearing police were closing in on him, fled the hospital but was caught on a bus heading to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport. Police have arrested and charged six people in connection with the case so far.