A REAL Gurmukh

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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I used to go to the sikhsangat messageboard every now and then and I used to read posts by Rochak Malang. I always wanted to know who that person was. So this August me Manjot Singh and two other singhs were going to Manjot Singh's house after the Friday morning kirtan. I was sitting in the front passenger seat. The two singhs were sitting in the back. And I was impressed at how much knowledge those two singhs had. After about 10 minutes I turned around and asked them what their names were. The skinny singh told me that he was Mehtab Singh. I asked him is he was the same Mehtab Singh that posts on sikhsangat. I had finally met Rochak Malang. He has made a slideshow of himself turning into a gurmukh from a manmukh. I ask guru sahib to bless him with chardi kala.
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

RSS: DEADLY

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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Here is an interesting article about the RSS:

Slowly and steadily the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is growing across Punjab. JAGTAR SINGH reports on the Sangh's attempt to co-opt the Sikhs.

IT is the khaki invasion of Punjab. The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh did not go the Akali way once it joined the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa in April last. The Akalis virtually forgot all about it and continued to be busy with their infighting. It was the RSS which took upon itself the responsibility of propagating the ideas and ideals of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru who founded the Khalsa, in the interiors of Punjab countryside.

It is a different matter that the radical Akalis have demanded a ban on this organization.

Till date, the RSS has covered 4,000 of about 12,000 villages and by the time the state-level function is organised at Amritsar as part of the tercentenary celebrations on April 2, the target is to establish contacts in about 8,000 villages. According to the RSS leaders, out of the 500 shakhas being organised in this border state, about 250 are in villages.

Not only that, huge quantity of publicity material has been brought out, including one lakh calenders. They have been distributed all over the country. For the people in Punjab, the literature is in Punjabi in Devnagari script. "For us, Guru Gobind SIngh is a national hero. He integrates the Punjabi society. What we are doing is also for the integration of that society," explained an RSS leader.

Radical Sikh leaders interpret the RSS designs as an attack on the exclusive Sikh identity. "In this integration, there is negation of a seperate Sikh identity," said an Akali leader. These leaders go back to earlier similar attempts when Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, a Sikh scholar, brought out a pamplhet, "Hum Hindu Nahin."

At one stage in Punjab, the Punjabi Hindus disowned their mother tongue to confront the Akali demand for a Punjabi suba. The RSS move is now being seen as an attempt to decommunalise that sectino of Hindu society also.

The members of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an organisation affiliated to the RSS, recently approached the Damdami Taksal, the Sikh seminary once headed by Sant Jarnail SIngh Bhinderanwale, to get their men trained in Sikh religion and philosophy.

"We told them we admit only Amritdhari Sikhs. They did not approach us again," said Taksal spokeseman Mohkam Singh.

"We will become Amritdhari also," says the RSS leader. The RSS treats the Khalsa as a sect of the Hindus created by Guru Gobind Singh to confront Islam, as apparent from the literature. Hence the objection by the radical Sikhs to the designs of the RSS in this border state who assert their exclusive identity.

The agend of RSS in Punjab is: "The RSS is actively pursuing the philosophy and the path shown by Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. The RSS has the same perception of a healthy society and an ideal nation as that of the Guru Khalsa. Both these streams are flowing to get assimilated in the same ocean. The need is to integrate both these streams for speedier flow of the national mainstream."

The RSS extensively quotes Guru Gobind Singh to hammer the point that the Khalsa was created to strengthen the Hindu society. The Sikhs are described as yet another Hindu shakti kendra. Even the setting up of the RSS is claimed to be in accordance with the ideals of Guru Gobind Singh.

RSS leaders say the Panj Piaras (five beloved ones) who were the first to partake amrit were rom all over the country on the analogy of the Hindu maths set up by the Shankaracharaya earlier. The RSS writings also refer to Bachittar Natak, considered to be an autobiography of the 10th Guru to point out that the Sikh Gurus were Suryavanshi and descendants of Lav and Kush, the sons of Bhagwan Ram.

Giani Puran Singh, the Jathedar of Akal TAkhat, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, received a lot of flak from Sikh scholars when he dwelt on the theme of the Sikh gurus being descendants of Lav and Kush.

Then there is the questionnaire prepared by RSS for the school-level competitions which has generated a lot of controversy. Now some of the questions:

-To which caste Bhai Mardana belonged?
-Which of the Sikh Gurus were Sodhis?
-What was the name of the Pathan who stabbed Guru Gobind Singh?
-Which Mughal emperor detained Guru nanak?
-Name the Guru who deputed forces to liberate Ram Janambhumi.
-Name India's first bachelor Prime Minister.
-In which war with Pakistan not an inch of land was allowed to be occupied?

CPI veteran Satya Pal Dang has expressed strong reservation about the questionnaire and has brought under the notice of Cheif Minister Parkash Badal. Meanwhile, the attempt of "assimilation" continues.
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Bhai Balbir Singh Jee Coming Home!!!!!

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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This press release is from the www.Tapoban.org website about Bhai Balbir Singh Jee.

I first heard about this singh's detention at the New Delhi airport over 5 years ago. In 2002 I was at the Bibeaksar Raensbyee at Amritsar Sahib and I immediately recognized him and said fateh. He asked me if I was from Canada. I told him that I was from Surrey. We talked for about 10 minutes. Then his brother was there too, he had gone from England to Punjab. I got to know him too. I saw him in India two more times. He is one of the most gentle and friendly people that you will ever meet. He has done enormous sewa in India since his release a couple of years ago. He was severely tortured while he was in prison. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that he will finally be back home in the UK. So here is the official press release:

BRING HOME BALBIR SINGH BAINS
Return this INNOCENT man home to his family
www.bsbcampaign.org

FREEDOM AT LAST FOR BALBIR SINGH!

MK GILL SOLICITORS IN GRAVESEND KENT SECURE THE JOURNEY HOME BACK TO THE UK AFTER 5 YEARS IN EXILE FOR A DEVOTED FATHER OF 5 CHILDREN!!!!

Balbir Singh Bains, who was falsely arrested in Delhi, India in June 1999, will finally place his feet on British soil after a long-running campaign and legal battle.

His story is one of victimisation, false imprisonment, frustrating delays and most of all; it is a story of determination in the face of draconian and heartless treatment at the hands of both the Indian authorities and the British Home Office.

It all began when Balbir arrived at Delhi International airport only to be confronted by Indian police officers who arrested him as he left the main lobby without any explanation whatsoever. This began a chain of events which culminated with Balbir being imprisoned in the notorious Tihar jail as he awaited trial. The court case took place 3 years later! The Judge then proceeded to expose the complete fabrications inherent within the CBI's case against him.

The Judge's actual words in his summation were that the case was "A balloon of falsehoods". His treatment was declared a miscarriage of justice. It was later revealed that the explosives allegedly 'found' on Balbir were in fact from the Indian Secret Service's own supply. They had in fact been planted on him!

Having been completely vindicated, Balbir was finally a free man, only to be told that the UK Home Office was handling his Visa application. Imprisoned in the country that held him captive, he was now told that he would not be immediately reunited with his family.

After his acquittal in May 2002, and having been totally exonerated, Balbir naturally expected to be immediately reunited with his long-suffering family here in the UK, where he has been a model citizen for over 25 years. However, to his absolute shock and horror he discovered that he was yet to face another two years of heart-wrenching separation from his wife and five children. Amazingly, the UK Home Office considered him a threat to national security despite the glaring fact that the Indian authorities had openly declared him a completely innocent individual.

Mrs Manjit Kaur Gill (From Gravesend-based MK Gill Solicitors), who represent Balbir Singh Bains, appealed to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission ( SIAC) on the 18th August 2003 against the decision to exclude Mr Bains from the UK for reasons of National Security. Mr. Bains Solicitors presented such a strong case to SIAC in that substantive evidence in response to the Secretary of States evidence was filed in June 2004 as a result of which the Home Office had no other option but to completely withdraw the case against him and immediately issue him a returning resident visa to stay here at home in the UK.

Finally his five-year ordeal is over, and he will now be reunited with his family back in Southall, UK. The 'Bring Home Balbir Singh Bains Campaign Group', which is acting upon his behalf, will organise a press conference in the imminent future, details of which will be made available in the coming weeks. There will be serious questions asked of those who have contributed to this tragic travesty of justice.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Insane like Bush

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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Caption: International Truck and Engine Corp. is producing what it calls the world's biggest production pickup, a 14,500-pound monster capable of towing 20 tons. The 5- passenger 5-passenger CXT is nine feet tall, eight feet wide, 21 1/2 feet long and gets about seven miles on a gallon of diesel. The truck is manfactured in Garland, Texas. (AP Photo/Ketchum Communications, File)
________________________

Growing up I was never the guy who liked to look at cars in the road and track magazine at the school library. But a few years ago the new Hummer H2 came out. And I wanted that no matter what. I was crazy about it for a few weeks. But then I realized that there are better things than monster vehicles. I just wanted a car that gave good gas mileage and looked decent, not to extravagant or grand.

Early this year I finally got a car after soo many years of waiting. I got a 4-door 2003 Honda Civic I am happy with it for the most part except when I have to pay for the gas. Gas prices have shot right up in the past few years. I remember the good old days when gas used to be under 25 cents a liter. When you tell someone that gas was really that cheap, they don't believe you.

This new Yankee craze with full size SUV's is taking its toll on the gas market and the environment. An SUV guzzles upto 3 times more gas than a car. I know a lot of people that have sold their SUV's. I think the government is right to put a SUV tax for non-farm use. Majority of the people never use an SUV for the purpose it was designed for. They never take it off-road or tow a boat. It's all for show. People really have become way too materialistic nowadays.

I went for a jog today and decided to go on 72 Ave, which is one of the most used roads in surrey and I could feel the thick smoke traveling through my nose. It was horrible! And that smoke in lesser concentrations goes into the cars that people drive. This could have severe implications. No wonder so many kids now have asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

The point I wanted to make is that these Yankees don't think. Why should they, they are from Bush's state, Texas. The gas prices are outrageous, there are crammed parking stalls, the roads are narrow, will this truck really be practical? I don't think so. I don't understand the appeal to have huge trucks.

I think they are still at my age 4-5 years ago and haven't grown up...
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Meeting Bhai Sahib

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ

To view the fateh and Gurmukhi text you need to download the font-pack.

I came from the kirtan in the morning and went straight to bed. In my sleep I had a very powerful dream. I want to mention something here. Ever since I could remember I have had the most amazing and wonderful dreams that anyone could have. Everything from lions to the battle of bhangani. Sometimes when I am in a really deep sleep I have great "epic" dreams. I have learned many things from dreams. When I was living in Abbotsford I had visions of two people whom I really met when moving to Surrey.

Recently I was having a conversation with Bhai Balpreet Singh Jee about a few dreams that I had been having for a few days. I had a feeling that the dreams that I had will eventually become reality one day. But then what Bhai Balpreet Singh Jee said made me rethink my belief. He said,"Are you dreaming these dreams because of your kamaayee, or based on thoughts and perceptions?" Then I told him that I don't any kamaayee nor any spiritual experiences, but just an overactive imagination. If I had consistent amritvela I could easily become the next Bhai Rama Singh Jee. I have so many of my dreams remembered that I could write blogs about them for the next two years.

Back to today's dream: Ok so in my sleep I was going on a yatra(pilgrimage) in some beautiful mountains. The landscape was serene and the air was refreshing. When I got to the top there was a beautiful gurdwara there. It wasn't too big or elaborate, but was just a good looking gurdwara. I reached at the door steps and washed my feet in the foot wash. When I entered the gurdwara complex, I read "Vah Pargatao mardh agamara viryam ekilaa, Vah Vah gobind Singh appay gur chela" I still remember the golden lettering of the pangti.

I walked in and there was a beautiful palkee and chandooaa, and on the far wall there was sign saying "gurdwara patshai dasvee." there was a large window behind the palkee. I did parkarma and bowed down to shri guru granth sahib jee. Then I decided to take hukamnamma, so i went out and did panj ishnaanaa. When I sat down and picked up the choar. Singhs started to walk into the darbaar hall. They matha taked and started to stand behind me. I didn't pay any attention to them and started the manglacharan. When I said gurparsaad, i paused to catch my breath. then one guy pocked me with his fist and told me to read the rest of the mool manter. I started from ik onkar again and they started to cause some commotion behind me

A singh with a teer then walked in and started to beat up the other singhs with the teer. I kept on doing mool manter and finally the elder singh made them sit down and motioned for me to take a hukam. This was the hukam:

 ਸੋਰਠਿਮਹਲਾ੩ਦੁਤੁਕੀ॥
ਨਿਗੁਣਿਆਨੋਆਪੇਬਖਸਿਲਏਭਾਈਸਤਿਗੁਰਕੀਸੇਵਾਲਾਇ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਕੀਸੇਵਾਊਤਮਹੈਭਾਈਰਾਮਨਾਮਿਚਿਤੁਲਾਇ॥੧॥
ਹਰਿਜੀਉਆਪੇਬਖਸਿਮਿਲਾਇ॥
ਗੁਣਹੀਣਹਮਅਪਰਾਧੀਭਾਈਪੂਰੈਸਤਿਗੁਰਿਲਏਰਲਾਇ॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
ਕਉਣਕਉਣਅਪਰਾਧੀਬਖਸਿਅਨੁਪਿਆਰੇਸਾਚੈਸਬਦਿਵੀਚਾਰਿ॥
ਭਉਜਲੁਪਾਰਿਉਤਾਰਿਅਨੁਭਾਈਸਤਿਗੁਰਬੇੜੈਚਾੜਿ॥੨॥
ਮਨੂਰੈਤੇਕੰਚਨਭਏਭਾਈਗੁਰੁਪਾਰਸੁਮੇਲਿਮਿਲਾਇ॥
ਆਪੁਛੋਡਿਨਾਉਮਨਿਵਸਿਆਭਾਈਜੋਤੀਜੋਤਿਮਿਲਾਇ॥੩॥
ਹਉਵਾਰੀਹਉਵਾਰਣੈਭਾਈਸਤਿਗੁਰਕਉਸਦਬਲਿਹਾਰੈਜਾਉ॥
ਨਾਮੁਨਿਧਾਨੁਜਿਨਿਦਿਤਾਭਾਈਗੁਰਮਤਿਸਹਜਿਸਮਾਉ॥੪॥
ਗੁਰਬਿਨੁਸਹਜੁਨਊਪਜੈਭਾਈਪੂਛਹੁਗਿਆਨੀਆਜਾਇ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਕੀਸੇਵਾਸਦਾਕਰਿਭਾਈਵਿਚਹੁਆਪੁਗਵਾਇ॥੫॥
ਗੁਰਮਤੀਭਉਊਪਜੈਭਾਈਭਉਕਰਣੀਸਚੁਸਾਰੁ॥
ਪ੍ਰੇਮਪਦਾਰਥੁਪਾਈਐਭਾਈਸਚੁਨਾਮੁਆਧਾਰੁ॥੬॥
ਜੋਸਤਿਗੁਰੁਸੇਵਹਿਆਪਣਾਭਾਈਤਿਨਕੈਹਉਲਾਗਉਪਾਇ॥
ਜਨਮੁਸਵਾਰੀਆਪਣਾਭਾਈਕੁਲੁਭੀਲਈਬਖਸਾਇ॥੭॥
ਸਚੁਬਾਣੀਸਚੁਸਬਦੁਹੈਭਾਈਗੁਰਕਿਰਪਾਤੇਹੋਇ॥
ਨਾਨਕਨਾਮੁਹਰਿਮਨਿਵਸੈਭਾਈਤਿਸੁਬਿਘਨੁਨਲਾਗੈਕੋਇ॥੮॥੨॥

Then When I got up to leave I noticed some familiar faces. It turned out that the singh who was punching me from the back was none other than Gurpreet Singh Panesar. I couldn't control my laughter. The singh behind me patted my shoulder and i turned around and i was SHOCKED. It was none other than Bhai Jarnail Singh Jee Bhindranwale in a Blue choala and a damala. I got very excited. But then as I was about to ask him questions, someone called my cellular and i woke up.

I have been thinking about this all day. Could this be a sign that Bhai Sahib jee is about to make a return to mainstream sikhi? Who knows.

I did learn one thing, my dream and the beating of jasbir singh rode by Bhai Sahib jee after he read Raagmala at Akhal Takhat Sahib was strikingly similar. Waheguru works in mysterious ways.

FYI: The taksaal, Which Bhai Sahib jee headed, believes that the mool manter is up to hosi bhee saach. While the rest of the panth reads it up to gurparsaad, as written in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee many times.

ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਮੂਲ ਮੰਤਰ ਇਹ ਹੈ:
ੴਸਤਿਨਾਮੁਕਰਤਾਪੁਰਖੁਨਿਰਭਉਨਿਰਵੈਰੁਅਕਾਲਮੂਰਤਿਅਜੂਨੀਸੈਭੰਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ

Just Like Punjab!

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

Today I got a feeling that I was really in India. Another singh and I got a motorbike and rode it in the streets after dark. It felt really great. The wind was blowing across my face and the lights were going past like crazy. Although it lasted only about 15 minutes it was one of the most amazing experiences I ever had. In fact is was even better than India. That's because in India the roads have bumps and potholes on them, and it makes for a very bumpy ride and you can't go too fast. The ride today was excellent.

Now I definitely have my mind set on getting a motorcycle license before winter sets in. I only know how to ride a scooter, I have never rode a bike before. I think that a scooter is much more fun than a bike, because of the posture of a person sitting on a scooter is much better than on a motorcycle. The position of the hands/arms is more comfortable as well. I have only seen this, never rode a bike before to actually see how it compares to a scooter.

Oh and by the way, not those 23cc scooters that you see people riding in Newton. I am talking about the real deal one of the big Vespa's, and chetaks.

About two months ago I saw a scooter auction by accident and was completely obsessed with buying a scooter. I looked at a scooter that was a good buy and inexpensive too. But then I went to Toronto for the smagam and forget all about it when I came back.

So yeah, I am going to get my motorbike license after all. :D

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

The Most Important Terrorism Is 'Ours'

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

I don't have time to write up a post today, so I'm giving an article by John Pilger which I found interesting:

The world is dividing into two hostile camps: Islam and "us". That is the unerring message from western governments, press, radio and television. For Islam, read terrorists. It is reminiscent of the cold war, when the world was divided between "Reds" and us, and even a strategy of annihilation was permissible in our defence. We now know, or we ought to know, that so much of that was a charade; released official files make clear the Soviet threat was for public consumption only.

Every day now, as during the cold war, a one-way moral mirror is held up to us as a true reflection of events. The new threat is given impetus with every terrorist outrage, be it at Beslan or Jakarta. Seen in the one-way mirror, our leaders make grievous mistakes, but their good intentions are not in question. Tony Blair's "idealism" and "decency" are promoted by his accredited mainstream detractors, as the concocted Greek tragedy of his political demise opens on the media stage. Having taken part in the killing of as many as 37,000 Iraqi civilians, Blair's distractions, not his victims, are news: from his arcane rivalry with treasurer Gordon Brown, his Tweedledee, to his damascene conversion to the perils of global warming. On the atrocity at Beslan, Blair is allowed to say, without irony or challenge, that "this international terrorism will not prevail". These are the same words spoken by Mussolini soon after he had bombed civilians in Abyssinia.

Heretics who look behind the one-way mirror and see the utter dishonesty of all this, who identify Blair and his collaborators as war criminals in the literal and legal sense and present evidence of his cynicism and immorality, are few; but they have wide support among the public, whose awareness has never been higher, in my experience. It is the British public's passionate indifference, if not contempt for the political games of Blair/Brown and their courts and its accelerating interest in the way the world really is, that unnerves those with power.

Let's look at a few examples of the way the world is presented and the way it really is. The occupation of Iraq is presented as "a mess": a blundering, incompetent American military up against Islamic fanatics. In truth, the occupation is a systematic, murderous assault on a civilian population by a corrupt American officer class, given licence by its superiors in Washington. Last May, the US Marines used battle tanks and helicopter gunships to attack the slums of Fallujah. They admitted killing 600 people, a figure far greater than the total number of civilians killed by the "insurgents" during the past year. The generals were candid; this futile slaughter was an act of revenge for the killing of three American mercenaries. Sixty years earlier, the SS Das Reich division killed 600 French civilians at Oradour-sur-Glane as revenge for the kidnapping of a German officer by the resistance. Is there a difference?

These days, the Americans routinely fire missiles into Falluja and other dense urban areas; they murder whole families. If the word terrorism has any modern application, it is this industrial state terrorism. The British have a different style. There are more than 40 known cases of Iraqis having died at the hands of British soldiers; just one soldier has been charged. In the current issue of the magagazine The Journalist, Lee Gordon, a freelance reporter, wrote, "Working as a Brit in Iraq is hazardous, particularly in the south where our troops have a reputation (unreported at home) for brutality." Neither is the growing disaffection among British troops reported at home. This is so worrying the Ministry of Defence that it has moved to placate the family of 17-year-old soldier David McBride by taking him off the AWL list after he refused to fight in Iraq. Almost all the families of soldiers killed in Iraq have denounced the occupation and Blair, all of which is unprecedented.

Only by recognising the terrorism of states is it possible to understand, and deal with, acts of terrorism by groups and individuals which, however horrific, are tiny by comparison. Moreover, their source is inevitably the official terrorism for which there is no media language. Thus, the State of Israel has been able to convince many outsiders that it is merely a victim of terrorism when, in fact, its own unrelenting, planned terrorism is the cause of the infamous retaliation by Palestinian suicide bombers. For all of Israel's perverse rage against the BBC - a successful form of intimidation - BBC reporters never report Israelis as terrorists: that term belongs exclusively to Palestinians imprisoned in their own land. It is not surprising, as the recent Glasgow University study concluded, that many television viewers in Britain believe that the Palestinians are the invaders and occupiers.

On 7 September, a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 16 Israelis in the town of Beersheba. Every television news report allowed the Israeli government spokesman to use this tragedy to justify the building of an apartheid wall - when the wall is pivotal to the causes of Palestinian violence. Almost every news report marked the end of a five-month period of "relative peace and calm" and "a lull in the violence". During those five months of relative peace and calm, almost 400 Palestinians were killed, 71 of them in assassinations. During the lull in the violence, more than 73 Palestinian children were killed. A 13 year old was murdered with a bullet through the heart, a five year old was shot in her face as she walked arm in arm with her two-year-old sister. The body of Mazen Majid, aged 14, was riddled with 18 Israeli bullets as he and his family fled their bulldozed home.

None of this was reported in Britain as terrorism. Most of it was not reported at all. After all, this was a period of peace and calm, a lull in the violence. On 19 May, Israeli tanks and helicopters fired on peaceful demonstrators, killing eight of them. This atrocity had a certain significance; the demonstration was part of a growing non-violent Palestinian movement, which has seen peaceful protest gatherings, often with prayers, along the apartheid wall. The rise of this Gandhian movement is barely noted in the outside world.

The truth about Chechyna is similarly suppressed. On 4 February 2000, Russian aircraft attacked the Chechen village of Katyr Yurt. They used "vacuum bombs", which release petrol vapour and suck people's lungs out, and are banned under the Geneva Convention. The Russians bombed a convoy of survivors under a white flag. They murdered 363 men, women and children. It was one of countless, little known acts of terrorism in Chechnya perpetrated by the Russian state, whose leader, Vladimir Putin, has the "complete solidarity" of Tony Blair.

"Few of us", wrote the playwright Arthur Miller, "can easily surrender our belief that society must somehow make sense. The thought that the state has lost its mind and is punishing so many innocent people is intolerable. And so the evidence has to be internally denied."

It is time we stopped denying it.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

The Power of Nature

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

In the past few days I have come to realize some things about nature that I never noticed before. We know that the natives of North America and other parts of the world have a very tight relationship with nature. They depend on nature for the three basic necessities: food, clothing, and shelter. I have just come to realize how dis-associated we really are from nature and how it works.

First this past weekend I was going for a walk and I saw a medium sized tree planted in the sidewalk through a little hole in the concrete. The tree was growing bigger and the small hole and the concrete had many cracks in it and the pavement was all uneven. This was the first time that I put into perspective how powerful nature really is. I never realized this before. Even though I saw the same thing about a 100 times. That really made me wonder if nature could be ever contained. Water could erode away huge rocks by chipping at it drop after drop.

Another thing that I found interesting was something similar to this. There was a kind of a moss that was growing between someone's driveway and the sidewalk. And that growth of moss had made the sidewalk all deformed and out of place. That was amazing how a little plant could dislodge a concrete structure that man(women) had made thinking that it would withstand the test of time.

It also made me realize that this body of ours is many times less secure than that concrete sidewalk. That it takes less than the wink of an eye when the human body is no more. It was through these lines that came to realize that the hukam is all powerful and dictates everything. And waheguru above all is the single thing that make the universe "tick."

Powerful still are the forces of weather. Volcano's, earth quakes, typhoons, tsunami's, storms, lightening, floods, droughts, hurricanes.... When anyone tries to mess with any of these the results can be devastating. Man/woman has not created any kind of a technology that would stop or start any of these events. No one can claim to cause rain, or stop it when it is raining. It just doesn't happen. Why? Because its the will of nature/Waheguru. But I never thought about this before. I think its cool that I realized this.

In class today I recalled something from Feb. 1996. That month there was a science fair at Khalsa School Surrey. When the awards day for it came Dr. Hardyal Singh gave a lecture that I still remember. He talked about how the mind is all powerful. And powerful still is the brain. And powerful still is Waheguru that has made all that. So anyway I was in my computer science class. And the teacher was talking to us about the Japanese program to make humanlike AI(artificial intelligence) from computers. He told us about how it miserably failed. Right then I remembered that speech by Dr. Sahib.

In PSYC 1100 I am learning about the brain. I have already learnt of the amazing memory capabilities that the human brain has. There is more that will be revealed to me in the near future. I never thought that college would be such fun. I am actually enjoying studying now.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Great Personalities

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

Starting in the next few days I will make posts about the people that have influenced me, my thinking, my personality, and the way I think. That should be quite interesting. Today I don't have the time or the energy to write up a long entry. I have a lot of stuff to catch up on. I need to post the answers to some questions online for my "partially online" History class.

All I can say is that today's lecture on memory by my PSYC 1100 professor was WIKKID!

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Kulwant College

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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Today I went to three classes for the first time this year. They were Political Science, History and English. Despite having three classes in one day I was really motivated, interested and most of all not tired. The History class was at Kwantlen Langley, and the other two were at the Surrey campus.

For those that don't know I am attending Kwantlen University College and go to school at all three locations: Surrey, Richmond, and Langley. If you are wondering about the title of this blog(Kulwant College) let me explain... In 2001 I was in grade 12 and going to PM. At the beginning of the year someone called Kwantlen "Kulwant" college. It soon caught on and by the end of the year everyone said it.

Ok so I had the history class in the morning. I drove to Langley and got there in about 20 minutes, and got to class about 10 minutes late. I did not miss too much. The instructor made the course look quite interesting. I was excited to know that there are going to be quite a few group things. I was not a "group" sort of a person to begin with, but today I was really looking forward to that. I can't figure out why. Maybe it's my strong communication skills that make me want to do things in groups. I don't know... Class was surprisingly not boring, as I expected it to be. I thought that the professor really knew his stuff and seemed like a very helpful guy. I turns out that this guy also co-authored a book, which is out textbook for the class. So he is one of the very best.

I then went to the Surrey Kwantlen library to study with a friend. I read a little handbook on how to write essays on history and how to cite items used in history. That was alright. I did start to yawn near the end.

At about 3:45 I proceeded to the lecture hall in the E building. I was about the fifth person to enter the room. Everyone else was sitting down, and I took a seat too. When it struck 4:00, I was wondering why the teacher had not shown up. Still more people were coming in and sitting down on the desks. When it was 4:30 one girl got up and read the note posted on the door. It told us to go to room # G2535. The whole class felt so stupid for not taking a look at the sign beforehand. So we proceeded up to the classroom. It was empty, there was no one there, and we found a note on the chalkboard telling us to go to the library. By this time everyone was a little annoyed. So we went down to the library and the teacher was waiting for us. We had a little 45 minute class after which we were dismissed. In this class I did learn of very good researching tools that are available to Kwantlen students.

After that I went to my fuffor's(uncle's) house for about an hour.

After that I had my English class at 7:00pm. I do not have any comments about that class except that it will be a very easy year....

Its been a week since school started and still I feel really into it with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism. I think that it will continue throughout the semester. Most of my teachers are really good and have shown signs that they will really help me if I ever get lost in any of the classes. The only thing that I worry about is the computer class. I am good at everything that has to do with computers but one. That is programming. There is a Visual Basic unit in the computer class and that will be hard, I know it. I got 12% in IT 12 at PM, and that was all VB. Yeah that is how bad I really am.

Overall I think that my two years at "Kulwant College" will be a breeze...

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Sept. 11: MAJOR THUGGI

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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September 11th 2001 has been etched into the minds of millions worldwide. Etched because it was a defining moment in modern history. This was totally unexpected and un-provoked. It was a day that saw 4 planes come crashing down to a fiery doom. It will be remembered as a day when the US was attacked. A horrible, despicable, cowardly act by Islamic terrorists headed by the mastermind, Osama Bin Ladan himself.

But the law of nature/karma states that what goes around comes around. If you do something to someone, it's likely that they will do something back to you. And that could be said about what happened on that Tuesday morning in September... Actions do cause reactions. The truth is that the US for far too long did both encourage and do terrorist acts that for years that the Western World was oblivious to. For far too long the US caused pain and suffering in the middle east and third world countries. The events of September the 11th 2001, was a direct result of that.

Osama Bin Ladan and his supporters are no angels, but their ideology holds sufficient weight. And to pull off something like that they needed to have a great deal of support and loyalty among many different people. The US claims that Osama Bin Ladan is a Madman who wants to destroy humanity as we know it. If that really is the case he would not have a strong network that he has now. If you ask a kid from any Arab country what he wants to be. He is going to tell you that he wants to be like Osama. He is today the George Washington of the oppressed.

I really feel for the Muslims that have been oppressed for decades because of the US. I think that the USA has become too powerful and too blind that they put their own interests before riotousness. They want to have influence everywhere. And that has already cost them. They know that they should not put military bases in areas that are holy to Muslims. But they still choose to do this. This is the main reason why the Arab world hates the US. This and other stupid US foreign policies has turned the majority in the Middle East into US hatters. Whatever the US does they want to do the opposite.

I have been reading about Osama Bin Ladan for about 8 years now. In 1998 I read in a Readers Digest magazine that was the most wanted man by the CIA and had a $10 million bounty on his head. After that his name was mention quite often after that. But he became gupt after that for some time. Until the September 11 attacks... He was the first person to be blamed for the attacks. It was as if the US state department was just waiting for something to happen, and when something did happened they would blame this guy and send troops after him.

So on September the 11th, I had an English test. The night before I forgot to study for it. I found out in the morning that I was supposed to study for it. So I decided to skip that class. I had cable interned then, and I thought that I would download some kirtan from the internet. I ate some fruits with milk and nuts. Then I went to my brother's room and stated to download some kirtan. Then I thought that I should watch the news. I had a full version of realplayer and started to watch the msnbc network. There was a story about Bush doing a rally or something. I turned up the volume and came to get a drink of water. When I came back real player crashed. I turned it back on and there was a little window showing a huge building being hit by a plane.

It had happened. This was the first plane that hit. It was 9:**am PST when that happened. I was in total shock. Totally in disbelief. I could not believe when was being shown. I thought that this was a prank. I turned on the TV in the family room. And there too there was the same horrifying image. And all channels had stopped regular broadcast and were covering this event.

From the time between the first plane crash to the second one in new York. The impression the reporters gave to the viewer was that this was an accident. That the plane had accidentally crashed into the WTC. But then as the second one and the one that hit the pentagon came to knowledge, it was certain that this was no accident-it was a terrorist act.

That reality would not sink in. I could not believe what had just happened. It took time for me to realize what had just happened. Finally I know that this was planned by someone. Within a few hours reports came to surface that this was an Al-Quida operation led by Osama Bin Ladan. Initially I did not believe that. A man sitting in a cave with no power, no resources, no logistics, few men, a man with no connections, a man cut off from the world could even attempt to do something like this. I was quite skeptical about this whole blame Osama thing. I did not buy this for some reason.

Then the way that the third place crashed in a field looked fishy too. I thought that it was shot down by F-14's. They knew that it was headed towards another target and they wanted to shoot it down before it ever got there. I think some people reported that too, but then they made up a lie that "Oh some guy called his family on his cell phone and told them that he is getting ready to 'roll'..."

First of all when the plane is at cruising altitude cell phones do not work! Where did they get this from? This just proves that the American public takes everything at face value and never bother to critique the "facts".

The next day I went to class and I had a lot to talk about. There was a big discussion about what happened. Israel was discussed. It was me on one side and the teacher and the rest of the class on the other. I took the stand that it was a Jewish conspiracy that they caused it and planted evidence against Osama. The rest of the class said that it was done by no other than the Islamic Terrorists. There were no Muslims in the class, so I decided to defend them. It was really fun. In the end I came out victorious. It was because I had gone to this one site and read all the material there. I think it was this. By the end of the day I had convinced many people in the class that it was indeed a Jewish conspiracy to give Muslims a bad name.

The fallout from this event was bitter. Some Sikhs also felt the heat in the US. A few were killed in cold-blood. The brunt of this was faced by amritdhari singhs.

This one event has changed the 21st century as pearl harbor changed the 20th starting with Afghanistan and Iraq. More is sure yet to come...

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Trip to the US

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

Today I went to get my brother's computer parts from my Uncle's house in Lynden(WA). I went with my parents and I really enjoyed the drive there. While driving today I felt like how I felt when I first got my license. Driving was actually interesting and exciting. 16th ave is very scenic and has a lot of rolling hills, which I just love. It is all farmlad from White Rock until 264th Ave.

Today is September the 11th and every single house in that little city had a US flag lowered. I was thinking that the people in the US are way more patriotic than Canadians. We would never do that, especially Punjabis.

I have finally got my computer back from my brother after about a year. I am so excited!

I don't want to write too much because I need to back up my ikirtan site. There is a hurricane headed towards Florida, and the host doesn't have a backup :S I will try to write the Sept. 11 2001 special tomorrow... So that is all for today....
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Eating and Sleeping Less

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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Today I went to the Gurdwara Sahib Singh Sabha Surrey. I reached there at about 7:00pm. As I climbed the front steps I could see Bhai Balbir Singh sitting there at the receipts "chonkee." I said fateh to him from a distance and went to take off my shoes in the rack area.

I came out and sat next to Bhai Balbir Singh. We talked about a few things and then the President of the Gurdwara, Joginder Singh came and sat down next to us. He told Balbir Singh that why doesn't this singh do a raul(two hour paath shift). I explained that my legs fall asleep and start to hurt really badly. He asked me if I had become a buda, and old man, already. I told him yes. Jokingly he asked me if I had turned 70 yet. I told him that I only turned 22 a few weeks ago. He asked me to get married. I told him that I don't want to get married. I got a little offended by that and left to sit in the main hall.

In the main hall there were dhadis doing the katha of Mata Ganga Jee and Baba Bhudha Jee. And out of nowhere He said a pangati from Bhai GurDaas Jee's Vars. Hun tis ghool kamayea thoora sovee thoora he khavvaae. That just hit right home and I was submerged into deep thoughts about this. After a few minutes I finished thinking and I made a commitment to not sleep or eat in excess. After that I started to listen to the dhadi vaars and katha and enjoyed it quite a bit. Only until a few years ago I started to understand what the dhadhi's sing. Before that I had no clue what the loud singing with dhad-sarangi was about. So yeah I liked that quite a bit.

Then when they dhadhis were about to finish off their session, a "sant" that was going to do a kacchi bani session next came and as soon as the dhadi guy saw him he said: now sant jee has entered the building and they will enlighten the sangat with priceless "bachans." I didn't like that very much and decided that I should walk out and head home.

Then I made myself sit for another 20-25 minutes. This baba had a huge white instrument that was something like a beefed up version of an electronic keyboard. One of his chele took like 10 minutes to set everything up. So that was a huge distraction. Finally the baba sat on the stage and I was surprised that he looked nothing like a "sant." He looked very "desi."

One thing bugged me, they weren't wearing any Huzooryae, no one except for one chela, who I thought we the "sant", he looked like one. He had good things to say. And he didn't look like a thug to me. He seemed alright. He did some kacchi bani, which by the way was expected of him. It wasn't that bad. I picked up some things about him as well. He was talking about how the human body/soul is like a dirty pot, in which you want to carry milk/gurmanter, and in order to do that you need to really clean that body-roopi pot. He told one or two good sakhis.

My legs went to sleep and they went to hurt and when I was not able to bear the pain I left. On the way out I met an old friend, asked him how he had been, said fateh, got my shoes and walked out the door.

On the way home I kept thinking about how I should eat and sleep less. By the time I reached home, I was certain that I will follow this new eat+sleep less theory.

So day one of this(tonight), coming home from the gurdwara, I did not eat anything but 2 apples. I have made it for day one. And I hope to sleep about 6 hours today. We'll see how it goes....
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

An Act of Pure Hate

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

Just about half an hour ago I found out something that I knew I would have to come to know sooner or later. My friend from California was kicked out of the website team for a leading panthic organization. I really felt hurt when I heard about this. Not because they kicked him out, but by what the reason behind it was.

The person in question is Manjot Singh a truly panthic sewadaar, who has been doing a lot of good for sikhi for the past five years. He is the man behind W!N, a youth organization. He has put in literally 100's of hours on panthic projects.

About a year ago one very popular site(I won't name it) at the time made him an administrator. Everything went well until mid July when they asked him to disassociate himself from Tapoban Sahib for reasons unknown.

And today his account was disabled by these "panthic" sewadars. Actually I don't feel too angry, because Manjot singh is a person who is above all this and doesn't care about this. He didn't need to be there in the first place. I now understand what kind of people these guys are. They have a deadly, venomous agenda that they are pushing for. Their intentions are evil. This is all I have to say...
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Dastaar Ban in France

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.
I was just reading the below on the CBC website:

France's hijab ban
CBC News Online | September 7, 2004

France's ban on religious symbols and apparel in public schools took effect Sept. 2, 2004. The ban includes all overtly religious dress and signs (including Muslim headscarves, Sikh turbans, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses). However, the furor over the ban has focused mainly on the banning of Muslim headscarves or hijabs.

There are about five million Muslims in France – five to 10 per cent of the population – the largest Muslim population in Europe.

Some have boiled the debate over the law down to a battle of individual freedom of religious expression against unity and political neutrality.

Support for the ban

France has placed an emphasis on laïcité, or secularism, in modern society. As part of this desire to separate religion and government, religion is given no special status though it is respected and can be freely practised. This system was initially established to prevent religion from interfering in government affairs.

Today, the same concept is being applied in support of the ban on religious symbols in France's public schools.

Some also believe that this ban will help prevent the division of society into ethnic communities, and promote integration into French society.

"Secularism is one of the great successes of the Republic," said President Jacques Chirac in an address to the nation in December 2003. "It is a crucial element of social peace and national cohesion. We cannot let it weaken."

Arguments against the ban

In December 2003, shortly after the French government announced its intention to ban religious attire, about 3,000 demonstrators marched in the streets of Paris. A global protest followed in January 2004, with demonstrations occurring in cities across Europe and North America.

"We live in a country which is supposed to defend human rights, and to practise one's religion is a human right," said Betayeba Hayet, one of the French protesters.

Opponents of the ban say that it violates international laws on the rights to freedom of religion and expression, and that religious practices should only be limited when there is a public safety concern or the practices affect the rights of others.

In addition, some say that this law disproportionately affects those for whom the wearing of religious symbols is considered an obligation, not a choice, such as the wearing of the hijab for women of the Muslim faith. There is also concern that this could discourage school attendance by Muslim women.

Finally, there is also some debate over the fact that the law does not ban all religious symbols, only "obvious" religious symbols. However, whether the fact that this law is selective means that it is also discriminatory has not yet been decided.
-----------------------------
I feel really sorry for the sikh students that have to put up with this nonsense in France. The French government is clearly racist towards minorities like sikhs and Muslims. This is going to infuriate the likes of Bin Ladan and will result in more attacks against the French and Germans.

I'm surprised why they need to get this bill passed in the first place. What was the need to ban religious symbols? Oh they are saying that they want to separate church and state. That's alright. But how could someone wearing a turban interfere with a free society. And these people making policies like these are supposed to be the brains of the country?!?!?!? The way I see it the future of the French people looks very grim. They need a new governmnet that represents all people equally. I am surprised why the UN is not doing anything. I think that the UN is becoming a lost cause day by day....

I wear a Dastaar(turban) and wear the traditional Punjabi cloths, with a Kirpan on top. Now tell me how I would be a problem for someone that goes to the same school as mine... Everyone at school accepts me for who I am, no one gives me a weird look. The majority thinks that my attire is pretty cool even. Even though I don't like every law in Canada, the ones concerning personal rights are perhaps the best in the world. Only in Canada you can be proud of who you are. Canada is the best place for a sikh to live. You can smell the freedom.

Another related point... Say if the French government wants to take a look at legalizing the dastaar in French schools, one obvious question they will have about sikhs is, why don't all sikhs, male and female wear the turban. They will say that if a sikh woman doesn't need to wear a dastaar, why do the men need one. And sikhs will have no answer. In sikhi there is no distinction between what a man and a woman's code of conduct.

This is all happening because some British backed Jatehdar in the 1920's laxed in the dastaar being a mandatory kakaar for sikh women. We are paying the price for that today. If the Khalsa kept this rahit and all other rahits from the beginning situations like this would never rise. There is still time, Akal Takhat Sahib should issue a hukamnaama ordering all women to wear a dastaar all the time.

I can't believe the hypocrisy of some "sikhs." I was at the Abbotsford nagar kirtan and in the very front after the nagara there were about 20 women who all had saffron Dastaars and were holding little nishaan sahibs. And that got me thinking, why couldn't they have just normal women without dastaar. It made me realize that the gurdwara management actually felt that the dastaar indeed does have significant value and importance. But I knew that there were not 20 dastaardhari bibbian in Abbotsford and that they had just tied them for the nagar kirtan. As a costume. But if they had any love for sikhi they would wear them everyday. So that was a little hypocritical. Wearing a dastaar just for show, not as a rahit...

If there is a sikh bibi without a dastaar, she feels out of place and that something is missing for some reason. I dont get why sikhs take the sexist approach towards women. And on the other hand they claim how Shri Guru Nanak Dev Jee gave such great status to women. Oh yeah he gave it, but there are only some who have adopted that unique and godly staus by tying a dastaar.

If anyone is more interested in reading the book on the Dastaar by Bhai Uday Singh Jee let me know antipanchain@hotmail.com...

LONG LIVE THE DASTAAR!!!!!

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Chechnya: The Next Punjab?

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.
First of all what happened in this state is truly sad, secondly this seems to have many similarities to what went on in Punjab, BUT Sikhs did not ever kill any innocents. This was way out of line.

A few hundred children were blown up by the hostage takers inside of a school. The majority of them were children.

geographically Chechnya is quite similar to Punjab, but a bit colder. Apparently there is oil in the region, but Punjab is known for its farming and hydro power.

There has always been a spertist movement going on in Chechnya since the 1900's. In 1994 Boris Yeltsin ordered in 40,000 troops there so that it could remain a part of Russia. The Russian Army underestimated the power of the Chechens who fought back but were defeated. But it took 13 months for the Russians to take complete control. Over 100000 people were killed in the campaign.

Bloodshed has been going on there ever since. Before this incident I used to consider the sepritists as heros who were fighting a just cause. But this was an act of pure stupidity.

But this latest thing that they did was just stupid, They should not have taken innocent children hostage like that. This has given the Chechnya rebels a very bad name and they will never be forgiven for what they have done to little kids. Little kids are considered a form of god. And that was an act of total evil. I don't think that these guys have any brains at all. They will surely lose the fight to get an independent state.
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

First Day of School

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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I have always hated the first day of school for some reason. I felt very nervous in lower grades on the first day of school. Then in grade five or six I began to develop into a stronger person and my 'first day of school' phobia disappeared. But still I did not like the first day of school. I really didn't have any feelings for the first day of school. For a while I really hated school, I couldn't wait to be freed from the confines of the building.

Now, for the first time in a very long time I am actually looking forward to going to school. For me school starts tomorrow at 4:00pm. I have taken a full load of five subjects and can't wait to get the semester started. I am more excited than ever as the countdown to school nears the first class... I can't put this upbeat feeling in words.

Just now I was asked by someone what I am going to wear to school tomorrow... I told them that I would wear the same thing that I always wear everyday: a kurta pajama. I don't know why so many people are into this evil called fashion. It completely baffles me. Can't people stop being such showoffs. Why can't everyone stop following hollywood/bollywood. Why can't people see that these two institutions is pure and 1000% EVIL! I don't care what others see when they look at me. That's the last thing I worry about. We go to school to study not look at other people's cloths. Who came up with that?

I just hope that everyone realizes that life does not revolve around fashion and that there are greater things to worry about...

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

SOCIAL-Kirtan or Nagar-SOCIAL??

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vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

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Hardeep Singh,Japnaam Singh and I met up on Mt. Lehman Rd. and then made our way to the gurdwara sahib. It was about 11:30 then and the procession had just made its way across the front gates. We started to walk with the sangat and then Hardeep Singh met up with Govind Singh and they disappeared off to somewhere. Me and Japnaam Singh stayed behind the main float for about half an hour. A wikkid kirtanee jatha was doing kirtan. The Singh that was doing kirtan sounded just like Bhai Manmohan Singh Jee of San Jose. And the kirtan was very good despite the constant dhunni that the singh did in kirtan.

It seems that I was to blame too for making the "nagar kirtan" into a social kirtan. That was the only time in the whole nagar kirtan that I listened to kirtan with deep concentration. But I think that was enough, I had my dose of kirtan didn't need any more :D

Anyway after that we met a singh with whom we discussed gurmat and current issues. Then we moved on and kept going. Until we came to the gurdwara sahib. At the end of it Japnaam Singh was "a little tired." He had to go to work, so he left and I listened to Kirtan inside the gurdwara sahib for the next 3 hours. That was very good kirtan also, by the same jatha too. Then I looked out the window to see where the procession was at, it was right near the gurdwara sahib. So I went out to see the nagar kirtan at its smapti.

Now this nagar kirtan, as compared to the many I have been to over the past years, topped off everything in terms of manmutt. A large number of men, women and children did not have their heads covered. That is just sikhi 101, actually that's sikhi, and punjabi culture. Punjabi culture teaches you to cover your head. By the looks of it, this "sangat" didn't have any signs of sikhi, or punjabi culture, they seem to have morphed into something totally different. Really sad.

I thought that the Surrey Nagar kirtan was bad, but this was worse...

For the most part about 90%, this nagar kirtan was indeed a "nagar social" and I was a part of it too. Nagar kirtans have just become social gatherings now. People are eating pakorrai and talking about waheguru knows what. And I saw a lot of that from the beginning to the very end. But what would you expect when you put together 30000 punjabis in one place?

I don't want to forget mentioning the positive aspects of this nagar kirtan. There were many people that had genuine shardha and dedication. I was very happy to see that. It inspired Japnaam Singh to try walking barefoot one year for the nagar kirtan.

There was a group of Singhs and Babbian that walked the whole distance without shoes and they had Nishan Sahibs that they carried all the way. Now I know what holding a Nishaan Sahib is like. It is very hard and painful but they still held them all the way.

The nagar kirtan route was very very long this time. And a lot of people would have been tired when they got to the middle, but I did not see anyone feeling tired. This is one of the best things about sangat and the company of gursikhs.

I saw groups of sangat just going on groups of 30-40 people and doing waheguru jaap, that was good to see too

But compared to the surrey nagar kirtan the sangat behind the main float was significantly less. I found that a little hard to comprehend.

All and all I think that the nagar kirtan was a good thing, but the social thing made it a little annoying...
vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

"Nagar Kirtans"

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

To view the fateh you need to download the font-pack.

For a WIKKID post by Bhai Japnaam Singh Jee on this subject. I have a exponentially greater radical view on the nagar kirtans that happen in the UK, US and Canada. But I will try to be a little less harsh in the way I express myself. I have seen videos and pictures of nagar kirtans that happened at these places over the years. One thing seems to be perfectly clear: there is no respect for sikhi, sikh values, or Guru Sahib.

We have turned this into a shameful punjabi mela. As Japnaam Singh points out, there is no emphisis on real gursikhi values. It is just way to sad to think that all this money is pumped to this event that lasts only 4 hours. Once someone does a little comparison of the pros and cons it becomes crystal clear to them that there is no gain in doing this. But sadly no one does this. Me and Japnaam Singh are the only ones who are doing this. But I hope that the prabandhiks can see through the blinds and rise over this total waste of resources.

The way it is right now. No one becomes a sikh by the gurdwara parchaar, well maybe .3% of the sangat became sikh through the gurdwara parchaar. The gurdwara system in Canada is so inefficient that its scary. If you think that the gurdwara does parchaar about 5096PH(parchaar-hours) total(this is Dashmesh Darbaar)and only maybe 3-4 people take amrit because of direct parchaar. This is unacceptable, plain and simple. But the gurdwara management expects to perform miracles in the 4-5 hour nagar kirtan. A nagar kirtan where there is no maryada. No Rahit. No SIKHI for the most part. A nagar kirtan does not make a case for itself, not by a longshot.

The setup that they have there is not good either. It may be good for about 200 people because they can hear what is being sung and sing along, but what about the 6000+ strong who roam the streets talking, eating, laughing, doing nindia-chuggali, and the ones that look at peoples suits, what color it is etc. Its funny, maybe they should change the name after all. The Vasakhi nagar kirtan in Vancouver in April must be the biggest combination of manmutt, paap and evil. I haven't been to one since 1997, but hear that its BAD.

I just think that the money and resources could be better spent. For example, a sikh community center could be built, maybe a sports complex, or a library, or a crisis line for youth.

I want to ask Guru Sahib Jee to give the western Sikh world some common sense and the ability to actually THINK, to think beyond, beyond where their thinking gets stuck and doesn't budge...........

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw
vwihgurU jI kI Piqh

Dangers of Television

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Television has come a long way since the dawn of this technology, some 75 years ago. Television (TV) is a major marketing tool big corporations use to reach and influence viewers. This method of indoctrinating people has proved to be the most successful thus far. I am not concerned so much about the inculcation of children, although serious as I am worried about having to endure watching hours upon hours of cartoon violence running in all time slots.

When I was exposed to TV in the early 90’s there was not a trace of anything graphic in nature on regular channels. Society has degraded exponentially over the past decade. TV programming is a stark reflection of just that.

A few summers ago I had a project for summer school and I chose to do a report on the CRTC summit in Banff. I don’t have the actual essay, but I did find the notes. So I’m just going to restate them below.

Teens and children that watch violent programs on television are inclined to engage in aggressive and sometimes dangerous behavior. This was a prime concern to the National Institute of Mental Health as far back as 1982, when they submitted a report to the various broadcasters and later to the government informing them and the public of the potential dangers that viewing violence on television can have for children.

Psychological research has shown three major effects of seeing violence on television:
1) They may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others
2) They may be more fearful of the world around them
3) They may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others.
4) They who watch a lot of TV are less aroused by violent scenes than are those who only watch a little; in other words, they're less bothered by violence in general, and less likely to see anything wrong with it. For example in several studies, those who watched a violent program instead of a nonviolent one were slower to intervene or to call for help when, a little later, they saw younger children fighting or playing destructively.

Studies have shown that on average, children's TV shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour and also that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place.

After watching TV kids often behave differently after they have been watching violent programs on TV. In one study shows that about 100 preschool children were observed both before and after watching television; some watched cartoons that had a lot of violent acts in them, and others watched shows that didn't have any kind of violence. The researchers noticed big differences between the kids who watched the violent shows and those who watched nonviolent ones.

It seems as if all the watchdogs of TV are either sleeping or blind. Studies that warn of heightened amounts of violence on TV come out often and these people don’t seem to get the message. Day by by the violence in kids’ programming goes up one notch. I remember back in 1990-1991-1992 G.I. Joe used to be my favorite TV show. There was very little violence in it and it was very enjoyable to watch. At the end of the episode, one of the characters used to act out a scene that had a moral in it and then used to explain to the viewer for instance that drugs are bad. And I know, that had a positive impact on me. If it had an impact on me it would have for sure had an impact on everyone else who watched.

But today, the situation is frightening! This pokimon, digimon, yoh-gee-oh stuff is too much to stomach. I don’t know how these kids can sit there and watch that jerky animation. If the producers behind the cartoons really want to display violence they should at least use good graphics/animation. Kids programming should have at least have some teaching aspect. I remember reboot was the first computer animated show, and that was really good. It exposed young kids to computer terminology early. A few students in my grade 12 class were Sailor Moon addicts. And that show was unbearable! Looks like some people never grow up…

I think that parents should watch at least one episode of the programs their children watch. This way they'll know what their children are watching and be able to talk about it and discuss the dangers of what not to watch with them. When they see a violent incident, parents should discuss with their child what caused the character to act in a violent way. They should also tell them that this kind of behavior is not the way adults solve their problems in the REAL WORLD. They can ask their children to think about other ways the character could have reacted, or other nonviolent solutions that could have applied to that specific problem. Something along these lines makes for a TV experience that is truly a learning experience. The TV should teach the kid something not bombard them with violent nonsense until they become desensitized.

Parents should completely ban any programs that think are too offensive. They should encourage and make them watch shows that are more beneficial, such as documentaries, educational shows and so on. Most TV’s today have the interactive programming option. This should be used to limit which channels the kids watch. Some could be completely blocked off altogether. Kids should be taught to watch the news, CBC news at 9 perhaps, this has many benefits (although this is indoctrination too).

I think the best thing to do is to throw the TV out. This may sound talibanistic but many great people have done this. It pays off BIG TIME!

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Exercise

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Today I went to get my books from Kwantlen(college). I could not believe that the students were so obese. The majority of the females were considerably overweight. I don't remember seeing that many obese people in high school. But high school was four years ago...

When I went to India in 1992, all the people there were really fit. The only people that were a little "fat" were the the very old women that could not walk. One thing that came into play for the Punjabi people was the natural environment of the state. Just the fresh air that they breathe did wonders to their body. The other thing was the water that they drank. Water levels were significantly higher than they are now. The quality of the water was excellent. One thing that made people fit in Punjab was the lifestyle of the villages where the houses were big and to do usual tasks like drinking water and going to the bathroom required walking a fair distance. So at the end it the day all that exercise would all add up and the result was a fit Punjabi person.

However for the past 10 years things have changed dramatically. Cereal, chocolate candy, gum, chips, pop, and other junk food has infiltrated into the Punjabi household. Extravagant things like pizza and cake have become routine on Punjabi dining tables. As people have moved away from the traditional foods and turned to western ones, the typical person has been affected greatly.

Hypertension(blood pressure), strokes, heart attacks, and cardiovascular diseases have shot through the roof. If you asked a Punjabi 15 years ago what a heart attack was, they would stare at you. These problems were unheard of back then.

Another thing that has changed is that the labor force in Punjab today does not consist of what it used to. Today all the farmers son's are sitting around doing nothing, while the laborers are from other states like Bihar.

obesity is a global trend, first it happened in North America, then in Europe, then in Japan and China and more recently it has happened in India.

Most of the people I know are not fit. I too feel like I am a little overweight. Not a lot but noticeable overweight. I try to exercise regularly throughout the week. My weight has remained constant for the past 4-5 years.

I have been exercising since I was around 16 years old. I went to the local gym for over a year. But then I got weights at home. It was at that time that I found a passion for running. And I started running quite regularly. Then I started to play hockey with my friends, about twice a week. I was doing loads of exercise, and the right kinds of exercise but I was not losing any weight. It seemed strange at the time but now I have learned to live with the few extra pounds.

Now I have a new passion, or obsession ignited within me. One that wants me to loose those 10 pounds no matter what the cost. So I go running with a friend every day and do mat exercises and pushups.

This passion for fitness was inspired by a line in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee. The line was "Nanak so prabh simariaae is dehi ko pal" which means: remember god and nurture this body that has been given to you.

No wonder Guru Sahib used to get the singhs to wrestle each other and play war games.

I think that everyone should take care of their body, because when you grow older health is the only thing that will help you out. Besides healthcare and prescription costs are going up. Keep yourself fit!........

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee is the 11th living guru of the sikhs. 400 years ago today Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee was installed in Harmander Shaib(Golden Temple) , Amritsar for the first time. Today this occasion is being celebrated by millions and millions worldwide. Many political, social, and religious icons have gathered at the holy city of Amritsar.

Below is a picture of pilgrims gathered in front of Akal Takhat Sahib, in the Golden Temple complex.



It is estimated that over 3 million pilgrims have gathered at Amritsar Sahib today for this occasion.

Guru Granth Sahib is a refuge that a person can take when all other means of peace have failed. It offers a way to ferry across this sin filled furious ocean of worldly existence. It helps a person to live by certain directives and moral codes which guarantee the achievement of salvation.

Shri Guru Granth Sahib Jee teaches us respect, love, tolerance and peace for all. If the would nations adopt these golden principles, all hate, wars, fighting and racial discrimination would disappear forever and we would have heaven on earth!

The Shri Guru Granth Sahib is the living embodiment of the 10 gurus. The first edition was compiled Shri Guru Arjan Dev Jee and written by Bhai Gurdass at Amritsar Sahib. This Bir is known as the Aad Bir or Add Granth. The second edition was recited by Shri Guru Gobind Singh and written by Baba Deep Singh Jee at Damdama Sahib, Bathinda. This is called the Damdami bir.


^The handwritten large format bir of Shri Guru Granth Sahib at Harmandir Sahib in the second storey.

The present day bir has 1429 pages and contains the bani"hyms" of the first 5 and the 9th gurus. Also included is the writing of various "bhagats", holy saints of the gurus.

The method used to write Gurbani is very special and unique. A new set of grammar was invented by the Guru Sahib to write bani. This kind of grammar is only used in the Guru Granth Sahib and no where else. All gurbani was written in a larivaar or continuous format, which means that all the words are joined together without any spaces.

Every Gurdwara(Sikh Temple) has a copy of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. It is kept with great respect on a raised platform in the main hall of a gurdwara. Many devotees keep a copy to recite gurbani in their homes.



Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!

Above: The bhoora(basement) where baba Deep Singh Jee wrote the Damdami bir
Below: Baba Deep Singh Jee's burej