Torn Granth: a shame for humanity

I have always believed that "Rationalism" is the best ideology for life and one must question the establishment for satisfying one's own intellectual pursuits and one's inquisitiveness helps to have a better knowledge about oneself and surroundings. I never blindly believed in "Guru Maanyo Granth" as the words of Guru Gobind Singh ji until I applied my own mind to it and then concluded that these words of wisdom are of much more benefit to me than I expected initially.

Now as a person having a middle class background without any political affiliation, I know that this is not the right time to resort to writing and choosing this as a line of career when many renowned thinkers, writers and rationalists are feeling so much insecure in the system. Some of them have been victimized by violence and others are returning their awards and honors out of a feeling of infringement of their constitutional right of free thinking and expression. All in all an atmosphere has been generated in India where attempts are being made to curb the "power of words" in order to make the establishments more secured.

"Word" may be a very simple concept to understand but if we look deeper on the same "word/ shabad" has been the very basic foundation of the sikh philosophy. Usually people think that it was Guru Gobind Singh ji, the founder of Khalsa panth, who introduced this revolutionary concept of abolition of the human Guru and making "Adi Granth" - an epitome of divine wisdom, as the guru. But we fail to recognize that Guru Nanak, who dispelled darkness with his revolutionary thinking was the messenger behind the introduction of "Shabad Guru" and it was very much a part of his philosophy. The foundation stone of the embodiment of Guru Granth Sahib had started from the time of Guru Nanak and maybe much prior to him.

The greatness of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) not only lies in giving space to the wisdom of the sikh Gurus but also the non-sikh saints and seers prior to them. Hence, SGGS does not only symbolizes the guiding light for sikhs but for the entire humanity. It is extremely painful to see that guiding light, the messenger of universal brotherhood, being disrespected and shattered. I feel more than painful to share this photo.

Somewhere having heard the news of the same does not only make me feel deeply pained and disgusted about such ghastly acts but I pity the malefactors instead of getting infuriated at them. Those who were directly or indirectly involved in the sacrilege, failed to realize that this act committed by them would not only add a vice to their deeds but it would vitiate the atmosphere of the entire state. I would not like to elaborate more on this issue because then there won't be much difference between me and those hypocritical leaders who try to take mileage out of everything. I firmly believe that the omnipresent, almighty GOD will have better plans to restore the pride and dignity of the Holy Granth. At the personal level, I CURSE the malefactors !! 

Open letter for the Ex-PM of India on why he should look forward to attend "Sarbat Khalsa"

Dear Dr. Singh,

Realizing the fact that you still hold the no. 3 position in the constitutional power hierarchy of the country, I feel that it is my responsibility to inform you about an important upcoming political and religious event likely to be held in our country at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar. As you might be aware of the fact that since its inception, "Sarbat Khalsa" was held at a time whenever sikh community went through survival-crisis. Similar crisis-like situation has occurred in our history when it is not just the external pressure curbing our existence but also the internal factionalism and conspiracies have acquired a center stage.

Please excuse me if I cross the line in conveying my message but this issue has be addressed with a strongly worded message to make happen the unthinkable. I know that some sikh organisations like SAD (Badal) who have acquired power at the state level have always bashed your affiliation with the Congress, a party that has been the prime accused for the 1984 anti-sikh riots that claimed thousands of lives, but even then, they find it hard to challenge your personal morality and integrity. I am of the view that even if some Congress leaders like Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and HKL Bhagat who have been accused of inciting violence against sikhs, may not have been punished by the law of land, they cannot escape their own conscious and almighty's wrath. Even if Gandhi Dynasty doesn't share a good equation with the sikh community, your one gesture can help fill the chasm between the sikhs and the family's successors who are not the prime offenders of Sikh faith. Your institutional loyalty may not be permitting you to go over-board and serve your own community, but your community-spirit could be useful to rebuild the reputation of the institution you are affiliated with.

While parties like SAD (B) claim that anyone not affiliated to them is not even a sikh and SGPC simply acting as a second fiddle to them, the "Jathedars" are reduced to being powerless actors devoid of any decision-making authority. On the other hand, radical outfits like SAD (Amritsar), SAD (Panch Pardhani), SAD (United) are propagating a separatist philosophy within our community. The philosophy of a separate sikh state seems irrational and vision-less without the acceptance of a more powerful and a rational philosophy of the "One World Government". Just like the international issues of "Israel's Gaza strip" and "Kashmir", the issue of "Sikh identity crisis" has maintained its status quo for the last 6-7 decades and no breakthrough has been achieved in it for more than half a century. Different governments have come and gone, many dynasties have gained and lost power, people have lost their lives, but in vain.

Your presence at the event will epitomize the fact that India is not anti-sikh and sikhs have risen to the highest level in the country. At the personal level it will give you a deep sense of being re-connected to your roots. At the global level , the sikhs residing across the globe will get a message that India, the land of origin of Sikhism, has nurtured sikh-personalities with a global vision. Your participation in the process will help pass the community-friendly as well as country-friendly resolutions.

Looking forward for a wise and a bold gesture from you.

Yours Truly

Sarbat Khalsa (Presumptions and Expectations)

Our generation may not be aware of the term "Sarbat Khalsa". It means the congregation of the entire Khalsa Panth that is scattered all over the globe. "Sarbat Khalsa" came into existence after the demise of Banda Singh Bahadur when the entire community was divided into 12 jathas or misls namely: 

1. Bhangi misl
2. Ramgarhia misl
3. Kanhaiya misl
4. Ahluwalia misl
5. Sukarchakkia misl 
6. Nakai misl
7. Dalewalla misl
8. Nishanwalia misl
9. Karorsinghia misl
10. Shahid or Nihang misl
11. Faizalpuria misl
12. Phulkian misl

Each misl had a prominent Jathedar having a unique personality trait. Dal Khalsa was a loose confederacy of these misls. The misls were subject to the control of the Sarbat Khalsa, the biannual assembly of the Panth at Amritsar. The frequent use made of the Sarbat Khalsa converted it into a central forum of the panth. It had to elect leader of the Dal Khalsa, and to lay down its political goal and plans of its military strategy. It had also to set out plans for strengthening the Khalsa faith and body politic, besides adjudicating disputes about property and succession. The Akal Takht was the symbol of the unity of the Dal Khalsa which was in a way the Sikh state in making.

From the origin of the "Sarbat Khalsa" we draw an image about a community event in our mind which is held with really high esteem. But fact of the matter is that all the sikh misls were subject to infighting in that era just like the different sikh organizations and political parties are subject to infighting out of their different ideologies and different political ambitions. Last time when "Sarbat Khalsa" was held in 1986, it was the time when the sikh community was going through one of the darkest periods of the modern history and it was a period of extreme crisis for sikhs and also the Khalsa Panth. Last time it happened twice in 1986. This is what happened then:

After the 1980's Sant Baba Thakur Singh Jee Served the khalsa panth and the khalistan movement in various ways, under the guidance of Damdami Taksaal and Baba Jee the Panth Observed the Sarbat Khalsa in 1986. Baba Jee helped the families of the shaheeds and inspired many thousands of youth into the khalsa fold. On 26th of January 1986 the Damdami Taksal organized a Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh national gathering) at the Akal Takht in Amritsar, Punjab where a resolution for Khalistan was passed.

Later that same year on April 29 a second Sarbat Khalsa was held, also at the Akal Takht in Amritsar, where a declaration of the independence of Khalistan was made and a 5 member Panthic Committee was constituted in order to carry out the objective of overseeing the independence of Khalistan.

Initially after the demolition of the government sponsored Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib, different Sants were given the seva of re-building it, but none of them were up to the humongous task ahead of them. The re-building had a stop and start fashion to it and in the end Baba Jee took on the leadership of the re-construction project, after which, the re-construction made steady progress. 

In short, the following resolutions were passed at Sarbat Khalsa 1986:

• SGPC was disassembled
• Panthic Commitee chosen
• Independence of Khalistan was declared
• Jathedars of Takhts chosen
• "Sarkarreee Thakht" made by Government and touts was not accepted and was torn apart
• Akaal Takht Sahib seva was restarted as kar seva by the taksal.

It is also worth watching some videos of the same on youtube. The following is video of Declaration of Khalistan by Sarbat Khalsa in 1986:

There are many more video available on the same subject on youtube. 

Now the Sarbat Khalsa is scheduled to be held this Diwali. It is because various sikh outfits feel that pardoning of the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for impersonating like Guru Gobind Singh ji was an anti-sikh decision and as a revolt of which they have given a call for the Sarbat Khalsa. This can be read in detail on the following link:

http://sikhsiyasat.net/2015/09/27/sikh-bodies-hold-to-announce-sarbat-khalsa-on-diwali/

Interestingly after this announcement, this news hasn't featured in any of the Indian newspapers or any news-channels. And after the announcement, the very next day there was an interim meeting called upon by the SGPC where 80 out of the present 90 members (out of a house of 185 where 170 are elected and 15 are nominated members), supported the Akal Takht Jathedar for his decision. Though the appointment of the Jathedars of various Takhts have always been under a shadow of doubt and skepticism, the role and responsibilities of a Jathedar can somehow be defined and I tried to do it in my article "Jathedar- the CEO of takht" the link to which is:

http://mysikhism.blogspot.in/2015/04/jathedars-ceos-of-takhats.html

Now in the present scenario we can clearly see the community divided into two factions. One comprises the SGPC owing allegiance to the government and the mainstream political party SAD (Badal) which is in power in the state. On the other hand, the faction consists of various radical outfits like Damdami Taksaal, Babbar Khalsa, United Akali Dal, SAD (Amritsar) that aren't a part of the government. And there is a clear indication that the former group will try to snub the event best under their capacity whereas the latter group will give it everything they have to make it a success and hype it as much as they can. But what should a common sikh like me do under such circumstances ?? My answer is simply maintain a neutral opinion and adopt a balanced approach to the series of events.

Though the venue of the Sarbat Khalsa has not been announced yet but it is most likely to be held at Akal Takht sahib in the Golden Temple complex which is considered to be a territory of the SGPC task force but as per the last Sarbat Khalsa's resolution, SGPC is a non-entity for them but I believe that SGPC is important to carry out the day to day activities and the maintenance of the holy shrines. Hence, I can foresee a huge congregation at the event and heavy deployment of police and para-military forces around Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib.

I'm sure that some really aggressive decisions are likely to be announced at the congregation and it will be interesting to see how aggressive they can get. One such resolution that is likely to be passed is "Ostracism of Parkash Singh Badal from Khalsa Panth or Scrapping away the honor of "Panth Rattan" from him". Another aggressive decision could be "Scrapping away the title of "Jathedar" from Giani Gurbachan Singh, an alleged Badal loyalist." But if I'm allowed to give an honest opinion on this subject, I do not want to see any social unrest or ruthless courage to be shown at the gathering. The entire Sikh diaspora and the Khalsa Panth should realize that the whole world will be having eyes on us and we need to pass resolutions which are in the greater interest of humanity and not just sikh community or Khalsa panth and our ethics, morality, long-term vision and foresight should be reflected from those resolutions. Hence ''Sarbat Khalsa" should not be reduced to just a ceremonial event which is low on substance and high on flamboyance. Though I'm not affiliated to any political party or a right-wing "Jathe-bandi" but I'm just a concerned sikh about my community trying to do something for its welfare by writing this article.

On Gurmeet Ram Rahim, I want to say that both the Indian and the NRI sikhs should realize how regressive is the state of affairs in Punjab where "religion and spirituality" is still, one of the most lucrative industries and cult leaders like Gurmeet Ram Rahim are still among the economic elites of Punjab. I've written an article dedicated to this subject and the link is:

http://mysikhism.blogspot.in/2015/04/cult-leaders-economic-elites-of-punjab.html

Though I have also mentioned about the other Deras like Nirankaris operating in Punjab which are even more powerful than Dera Sacha Sauda but something which is worth mentioning here is that in any industry an upcoming product or a brand is subject to criticism, once it gets established it is never challenged by anyone. The same has happened here but as a collateral damage some people have even lost their lives in order to provide resistance to the uprising of these Deras and it's upsetting to see their deaths going in vain. 

During Baptism, every sikh is educated about a few institutions that he has to boycott and these deras lead that list. But I want to convey a message to all the separatists who believe in Khalistan- Somewhere in my heart I believe that Khalistan is a fantasy that may come true one day but why is it that the struggle to attain it gets diluted every time ?? I don't think that this movement which otherwise has some substance attached to it gets diluted by unnecessary violence or assassinations.

Now looking at the picture from the perspective of being a sikh as well as an Indian, I don't need to live in dilemma about whether to support the separatists or whether to support nationalist forces. Being a rational human being, I would support logic and my religious sentiments make sure that I stay sensitive to my own and other people's religious beliefs. As an Indian, I know that there are many extra-constitutional authorities that operate in the Indian polity and as a sikh I ask that question to myself "why can't Akal Takht be one of them" ?? As an Indian I know that Khalsitan is a demand of separatists and has little rational value in our lives and there are many ambiguities in multiple theories floating about Khalistan, but as a sikh, why can't I convince my fellow sikh brothers to shed-off that spirit of separatism or come out with a crystal clear theory of Khalistan ?? As an Indian I know that government holds the power to arrest anyone indulging into anti-national activities and it's always a bad idea to mess with the government, but as a sikh, I know that there are my fellow community brothers sitting on very high constitutional offices of the government and they will save me in the name of the community when I need them ??

On the whole if we take pride in being Indians, we have the right to take pride in being sikhs and we can think and contribute for the betterment of our community whether we are in or out of the government. Hence, it is my heartiest wish to see everyone shedding-off their differences, getting along and making "Sarbat Khalsa" constructive and successful to pave way for a better future for our community and the rest of the world.

Lesser known Visionaries

It is a great challenge for me as a writer to draw a snapshot of some very revered visionaries of the sikh community and project their visoin in a way understandable the non-sikh world as well. I don't feel shy to announce that I've been deeply influenced by Bhai Rama Singh ji's work "Roop Gobind da... Ral Khalse da.... Sikka Sone da" and Bhai Randhir Singh ji's work "Andithi Duniya- The mystical invisible world". And the experience of reading and feeling these books is really worth sharing.

Bhai Rama Singh ji's work has been made available with the title "In search of the True Guru" as the English translation of it, but I read its Punjabi version. Both English and Punjabi titles somewhere change the context and presumption of the content of the book itself.

Though from the mystical perspective, such works should not be critically examined but I would definitely like to point out things that I found interesting in a totally positive context. One such thing is that Bhai Rama Singh ji has been a man of God throughout his life and has shown great enthusiasm to enchant the name of God since the tender age of 8 years. The best part is that he hasn't concealed any facts in his book about his family background and the belief system of his parents. According to the book he belonged to a Hindu family and was a clean shaven youth until his 20's and used to enchant the name of god as "Hare Rama... Hare Rama...". He has even stated that his father consulted a horoscope as he was worried about his future but found out that he was born to enchant the name of the the lord and travel places throughout the globe. Though his passion for enchanting the name of the true lord and his quest for finding the true guru was settled with his exposure to sikhism. He not only became a devout sikh but a renowned preacher who devoted his life in propagation of sikhism and the message of sikh Gurus throughout the world. His mystical experiences, visions and dreams that he has shared in his book are really inspiring and one such vision is that of the "Khalsa Raj" in the last chapter. Though he hasn't talked much about the political apprehensions or the state of governance in Khalsa Raj but he has drawn a snapshot of the achievements of the Khalsa in various fields especially philanthropy and somewhere his vision seems a bit fantasized as he has drawn a picture too rosy and hasn't talked much about he ground realities of Indian/ Punjab polity.

Bhai Rama Singh ji has also shown his great reverence for Bhai Randhir Singh ji in his book as he is considered to be an authority in the field of  traditional sikhism called "Sanaatan/ Puraatan Sikhi" in Punjabi. Thinkers like Bhai Randhir Singh ji gave a completely different dimension to sikhism by writing over 20 revered books on sikh mysticism and spiritualism that helped in the transition of the community's image from being the martial race to the one with the intellectual prowess as well.

Though I have read the English translation of "Undithi Duniya", it would be very difficult for the contemporary Punjabi youth to read and comprehend his work in Punjabi because the modern language of Punjab has 30-40 % influence of the English language accounting to the IT revolution that the world has seen. But sticking to his work, the technicality with which he has executed his writings cannot be expected from the modern day preachers and requires a huge amount of religious acumen to be understood. The list of Bhai Sahib's works is shown below.

Though both the thinkers I have mentioned about in this article have relied heavily on their other-worldly experiences and visions but somewhere we too believe in the presence of the other world but the level of our sensitivity to the other-world is no where close to these thinkers and visionaries. It is also worth mentioning here that there is already a trust in the name of "Bhai Randhir Singh ji" and there are people who have already devoted their lives to his vision and also Bhai Rama Singh ji's vision. But, the recognition at the global level hasn't been equal to the other non-sikh renowned thinkers like Karl Marx.

Though I personally feel that Karl Marx gave some very powerful theories regarding religion, capitalism, socialism and his vision of a "Communist society" was revolutionary but I never feel like devoting my life to his vision. Some hardcore religious thinkers reject his theories out-rightly stating that they lack sensitivity and spiritual insight but they never see his theories operating in the religious shrines as well. The flow of money and commercialization of Gurudwaras show the practicality and logic behind his theories.

I would wind up this article by simply writing down my innermost feelings about the well-being and the longevity of the "Khalsa panth" and a hope to see the evils, that have crept in, getting destroyed. The onus is on the sikh youth especially in Punjab, to find the middle path.

Projection of Sikh personality in the media

This is one of the most hotly debated topic in the Sikh diaspora across the globe. We must have a clear vision before proceeding with the article that it is always good to have a balanced and a neutral opinion not favoring any particular side.Thinking logically may prove to be practical for ourselves but a little blunt to the people and personalities I'm going to talk about, but it will be of immense worth to the intellectuals reading this article for having a concrete opinion.

Let  me start with a singer-turned-actor who has made a big name for himself in a short span. Diljit Dosanjh started his career as a singer who turned to acting later and made it big in show-business. However, even he may be a bit embarrassed to see his own videos from his first album "Pyaar daa Oora Aira"  released around 14-15 years back. After his success from "Jatt & Juliet" series, he won critical acclaim for "Punjab 1984" and has turned out to be a rare turbaned-celebrity of a very powerful stature with a fame acknowledged across various nations.

However, an improved projection of sikh identity in films cannot be attributed to celebrities and actors alone. All the people who protested against the buffoonery image of sikhs in films deserve the credit. One such organisation that fought for the better projection of sikhs in the media was APKF (Akaal Purakh Ki Fauj) with the leading face of 3-time member of SGPC- Jaswinder Singh Advocate.

APKF organised Mr. Singh International event four times in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2012 where thousands of sikh boys participated and brought forward four winners i.e. Harpreet Singh, Parmeet Singh, Damandeep Singh and Tajinderpaul Singh respectively. Only Harpreet Singh successfully hunted the job of news-anchor in PTC and Damandeep Singh got a few endorsements of various brands. But none of the winners or participants could turn into a successful celebrity who could create fortunes through show-business. Though APKF claims that their main motive was religious and wanted a more dignified projection of sikhs in the media, the question remains that does APKF feel a sense of achievement after the success of Diljit Dosanjh ??

Besides Diljit, there are many turbaned sikhs in the industry who have adopted singing and acting as a full time profession. Inderjit Singh Nikku, Ravinder Garewal, Ranjit Bawa, Malkit Singh are a few good examples. Daler Mehandi is also a good example if we look beyond Punjabi film industry. Though the main issue with all these singers is that none of them are "Saabat-surat" sikhs (Sikhs with fully grown beards). Though, it is worth mentioning here about a celebrity singer who became famous when he was clean-shaven but later on grew his beard, started wearing a turban and became a fully baptized sikh. KS Makhan has set an example of its kind.

Though the frequency of his albums has drastically reduced after he became a fully baptized sikh, he never talked much about his experiences and feelings that made him change his mind about his way of life. Though, it is also worth mentioning that his entire family including his parents and children are fully baptized sikhs. Besides KS Makhan, I've personally noticed many people posting the photos of their personal transition on social networking websites. But the question that haunts my mind is that whether such transition is permanent or reversible over a period of time and if it is permanent, I'm sure KS Makhan must be feeling privileged or must be enjoying a privilege. Of course, change of heart and feelings cannot be termed as "Opportunism" but some conservatives even believe that Diljit would have a similar transition one day. God know why ?? If someone has become very successful in one way, why would he change the way he looks or why would he change his lifestyle?? But the way Diljit is strongly marching ahead, I don't expect any "Change-of-heart" ("Hirday-Parivartan") from him at least for the next 20-25 years.

Though both the phenomenons i.e. Conservatism and Modernity are at the loggerheads, most of the time, they have also shown a great sense of co-existence since the inception of the society. Sikhs should understand that both conservatism and modernity working in tandem can help us have a better projection of ourselves globally in the media as well as out of it, in real life. Even in the remotest of the remote village in Punjab, we can spot on these two phenomenons co-existing e.g. a clean shaven child of baptized parents living with them. Then why can't such people co-exist on public platforms ?? E.g. (Mark my words) Diljit will never be honored on a religious platform, even on the stage of Mr. Singh International (in case it is organised again). If it happens, I'll genuinely be the happiest person, because I believe in peace and co-existence. But I'm sure that fanaticism on one side and egomania on the other side, won't let me be happy so easily :-)

It is worth mentioning of another "Saabat-surat" sikh who dared to enter show-business as a leading actor and featured in a few films -Manpreet Singh Banga.

Though Manpreet gave a reasonable performance in Punjabi films like "Sat Sri Akaal", he totally disappeared from the screen after the film "Chheva'n Daryaa" and for sure, couldn't achieve fame and stardom like Diljit or anywhere close to him. Though he has been very active in promoting the sikh identity by organizing various pageants like "Mr. Singh India" which are definitely of a smaller stature and are less competitive than "Mr. Singh International". I can authorize this claim being a finalist of Mr. Singh International 2009 myself where I met the winner of "Mr. Singh India 2009" as a co-finalist and various other "saabat-surat" sikh boys pursuing modelling seriously.

Now, the gist of the article is that all the people whom I have mentioned as yet, though belong to a completely different sphere, have a common belief system and share a religious affiliation. But how can a media-savvy person forget about the contribution of non-sikh actors in projection of a sikh-personality on screen. The names are enough if I talk about Akshay Kumar's work in "Singh is King" and Farhaan Aktar's work in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".

Though "Singh is King" was highly criticized by the sikh hardliners on the projection of sikh-identity, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" didn't attract much controversy being a biopic. Something in common about both the films besides having a sikh character as a protagonist is that both these films crossed 100-crore mark at the box office. Now this is the critical issue that needs to be addressed w.r.t the Punjabi film industry.... Budget !!

Though I'm not a film-crazy person but even if someone having a good general knowledge keeps himself active while coming across the box-office collections of Punjabi films, Bollywood films and South Indian films, and does a comparative analysis of the same, the reality of Punjabi cinema would stare right in your face. The cost of the most expensive Punjabi film till date has been 14-15 crores and the total revenue (including overseas) has been around 50 crores. And now kindly consider the figures of Bollywood and Tollywood films where the input cost for some projects goes to a whooping 100-150 or even 200 crores and the total revenue collected sometimes touches 500 crores e.g. PK. These figures are worth mentioning from the perspective of development and industrialization. If we think that Punjabi film industry is very flourishing and lucrative and is a dream destination for many aspiring actors and artist, why is that the economics is leading us to a different conclusion ??

Where Bollywood mega-stars make huge fortunes from the films and endorsements of various brands, Punjabi mega-stars like Diljit are busy creating fortunes from their overseas shows by capitalizing on their singing talent. Though these celebrities (both Punjabi or Non-punjabi) are in no dearth of money or resources, let me say it firmly for one time that "Sikh identity" is an issue about which actors can do absolutely nothing accounting to their duplicity and superficiality. If we turn to politicians, they're already there to take credit of even what the actors are doing. I simply do not want to get into the technical detail about the constitutional amendment required to empower the "sikh identity" which has its vulnerability exposed in the age of media and Information Technology.

SIMRAN

In Sikhism, it is very interesting to make a differentiation between "Jap" and "Simran". Though in English language, "Jap" would simply mean enchanting the name of God and "Simran" would mean contemplating on it. Sikhism teaches us to meditate on the holy word "Waheguru" which is also referred to as a "Guru-mantra". Some preachers emphasize on the word "Waheguru" as an acronym with the following expansion:

Wa - Vishnu

He - Hare Krishna

G - Gobind

R - Raam

This expansion is interesting because all the prophets mentioned belong to different ages or "yugs" of Indian mythology which classifies the time into four "Yugs".

1) Sat-yug

2) Treta-yug

3) Dwapar-yug

4) Kali-yug

Each yug has different timeline and age and also different messiahs or "Avatars". Though one year of demigods or "Devtaas" is equal to 360 years of humankind, hence the age of different yugs can be calculated as:

Satyug - 48000 x 360 = 1,72,80,000 years

Tretayug - 36000 x 360 = 1,29,60,000 years

Dwaparyug - 24000 x 360 = 86,40,000 years

Kaliyug - 12000 x 360 = 43,20,000 years

Though all these yugs have a specified timeline and are assumed to occur in circulation, realization of GOD is considered easiest in Kaliyug- "The Dark Age" which is currently going on. And the way of realizing god as recommended by most of the prophets of various religions is by meditating on his name.

In Sikhism, some devotees practice a very powerful and effective technique called "Swaas-Giraas Simran" which is often propagated by various "Jathas". In this technique, the word "Waheguru" is bifurcated into two words i.e. "Wahe" or "Wah" + "Guru". In order to preform "Swaas-Giraas Simran" one must inhale with the sound of "Wah" and exhale with the sound of "Guru". On repeating this process consciously for some time, one realizes that the human body automatically responds to this word and a sound of "Wah" or "Wahe" is produced while inhaling breath with full vigor and the sound of "Guru" is produced while exhaling breath with the same amount of vigor.

One simply needs some practice to adopt this technique for changing his/ her life as it is a very useful technique for meditating on lord's name and practically too, it's a wonderful stress buster. One could experience the universe within oneself with the help of this technique. It is definitely worth trying and adopting for a better and more spiritual life.

Money & Wealth in Sikhism

This is the issue around which the modern day life revolves. How to make money ?? How to accumulate wealth ?? And we're so much dipped in earning our livelihoods and paying our bills that we have no time to sit and think which way our life is going. Though religion has a primary role in giving a purpose and a direction to human life, it certainly has laid down some guidelines for its followers about making money and accumulating wealth. Usually, sikhs in general think of having money as a positive thing and simply call it "Babe di kirpa" as it is generally believed that more the money, more is the "kirpa" but once having understood the technicality of Sikhism, this notion gets mirror opposite. Money or wealth are usually referred to as "Maya" in both Sikhism and Hinduism, though "Maya" is a much wider term and in technical terms means something which creates illusion or an illusion itself. So, can we consider wealth as something which creates an illusion ??

Actually, this topic is very well studied and analysed by eminent sociologists like Karl Marx and Max Weber and there are various sociological facts that can be stated in detail to elaborate on this topic but I would prefer to keep things more generalized in order to make the issue interesting and widely discussed.

Though Guru Nanak did teach us about making a truthful living by saying "kirat karo" or "dasaa'n- nauaa'n di kirat karo" but Sikhism is a religion that believes in the "other-worldly asceticism" just like Hinduism and Islam. Though we can also say that Sikhism teaches one to live a truthful life and the way baptized sikhs live is really austere and constrained as they are taught to live a simple life, away from glamour and extravagance, focusing more on the needs of oneself and the family. Ideally, a sikh should be selfless in spending his money and should give priority to the needs of his family and should also give away one-tenth of his earnings (called "Daswandh") for religious cause. "Daswandh" is similar to the concept of "Tithing" in Christianity where the followers (Catholics or Protestants) are instructed to give one-tenth of their earnings for the Church or the Cathedral. Unlike the Eastern philosophies Protestantism believes in "this-worldly asceticism" where protestants are instructed to consider work as worship and live a life of austerity in order to create and accumulate wealth and create the "Kingdom of GOD" on this world through their righteous earnings.

Though Sikhism has the features of both "this-worldly" as well as the "other-worldly" asceticism, there are verses in Gurbani which consider the accumulation of wealth as a sin. On Page 417 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated that:

ਇਸੁ ਜਰ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਘਣੀ ਵਿਗੁਤੀ ਇਨਿ ਜਰ ਘਣੀ ਖੁਆਈ ॥

ਪਾਪਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਮੁਇਆ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥

For the sake of this wealth, so many were ruined; because of this wealth, so many have been disgraced.

It was not gathered without sin, and it does not go along with the dead.

Hence, we can conclude that the accumulation of wealth somehow carries a negative notion as per the religion. Some eminent sociologists like Marx and Weber did conclude that  the religion of the Indian subcontinent i.e. Hinduism primarily is not fit for the framework of Capitalism hence, India needed some exposure to the protestant ethics of Christianity to open doors for Capitalist economy. And in Sikhism, we have also seen the growing tolerance for Capitalism as there are some highly successful capitalists who have huge fortunes amounting to even hundreds or thousands of crores living within and outside India. And surprisingly, these capitalists having huge fortunes have much more say in the working of religious or political institutions. In sikhism, Gurudwaras or the community centers are the places where religion and politics converge. This indicates that Sikhism is somehow losing its democratic or egalitarian spirit where a common sikh, not having huge fortunes is finding it hard to make his/her voice heard even in the day-to-day panthic affairs.

In order to reflect a real life picture, it is worth mentioning here about the sycophancy and favoritism of the managing committees of the religious shrines for the rich and powerful. Actually, they're more concerned with the monetary offerings at the temples or gurdwaras regardless of the religion being critical of wealth as it can cover-up all the worldly-sins committed in order to accumulate it. In the end, I would say that the need of the hour is to strike the right chord and find a balance in the governance of the holy shrines where everyone has the right to contribute and have a say, regardless the size of his/ her fortune.

Science behind Baptism

Ever wonder that there is a scientific aspect to baptism ?? To understand the concept thoroughly, let's start with the basic concept of science i.e. three states of matter namely:

1) Solid
2) Liquid
3) Gas

But a Lehman may not be aware of the other states of matter that exist in the universe. These states are named as:

4) Plasma
5) Ether

Plasma in most general terms is defined as a gas that has been energized to the point that some of the electrons break free from, but travel with, their nucleus. Gases can become plasmas in several ways, but all include pumping the gas with energy. A spark in a gas will create a plasma.

Now, ether in scientific terms is described as an oxygen atom bonded with two hydrocarbons. In scientific terms, it is described as:

1) A classical physical element, considered as prevalent in the heavens and inaccessible to humans. In some versions of alchemy, this was the fifth element in addition to air, earth, fire and water.

2) (archaic, physics, uncountable) A substance (aether) once thought to fill all space that allowed electromagnetic waves to pass through it and interact with matter, without exerting any resistance to matter or energy. 

Ether is usually referred to as "Amrit Rass" in Sikhism and Hinduism.

Though, Albert Einstein disproved the presence of Ether in his "Theory of Relativity" by showing that the speed of light in vacuum is exactly the same as in some other medium. Though this theory of Einstein may discard the presence of any such element but his "Theory of Everything" (close to Guru Nanak's words of "Ik Onkaar") does give some margin to believe in the existence of spirituality and metaphysics.

Now my personal deduction on this entire process is that a Bulgarian philosopher called Omraan Mikhael Aivanhov in his books did emphasize on this transition of the matter from one state to another as from Solid => Liquid => Gas => Plasma => Ether. He illustrated this transition by the simple phenomenon of ingestion of food where he said the one mouthful of bread can produce the energy to pull a hundred wagons around the world thrice.

Though Baptism somehow is considered to happen in the spiritual realm in every religion, I believe that it happens naturally in the Cosmos as well. If we consider the ceremonial aspect of baptism which is present in every religion in the world, "water" is the element used in every baptism ceremony across various religions e.g. "Holy water" in Christianity, "Zam Zam"  in Islam, "Amrit Sanchaar" in Sikhism, "Mata rani da chhita" (for Durga-worshippers) in Hinduism etc. Now this ceremony is just another ceremonial/ symbolic display of that conversion of the matter to ether or simply based on an individual's personal experience that enlightens him/ her about the existence of such phenomenon, about the conversion of matter from one state to another, in the universe.

What your physical body is today was "zygote", a liquid formed by the fusion of sperm and ovum once and the day when it gets cremated, the flesh will melt into liquid in the first instance. So the bi-directional transition i.e. Liquid=> Solid => Liquid is clear. Maybe, the entire chain of the material transition is bi-directional and is centered around ether as:

Solid=> Liquid => Gas => Plasma => ETHER => Plasma => Gas => Liquid => Solid

This may not be a standard deduction but more of my imagination somehow supported by a geographical phenomenon called the "Water cycle". In the end, I would just say that we must keep alive our spirit of mysticism because that would unveil many things we wish to know in our life time.

Guru Arjan Dev- Gandhi's inspiration

Actually, there are no written records available to substantiate the fact that Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies have a considerable influence of Guru Arjan Dev ji's teaching's. Though Sikhs, especially youth are considered to be against Gandhi's ways out of an assumption that, by default, they are aggressive and rebellious. But there are some noticeable similarities between their ideologies that cannot be ignored. Though, this comparison may itch a sikh fundamentalist and gandhian too may find it a little uncomfortable to digest but this is the truth.

Though Gandhi always advocated simplicity, selflessness, non-violence etc. but the fifth sikh guru went too far ahead of Gandhi in not only preaching it but also practicing it. There's no bigger example of patience, tolerance, self-sacrifice and surrender to almighty's will, than the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev but Gandhi's teachings are no more than a reflection of Guru Arjan's in a different century.
Though, it would be idiotic to compare the stature of a political personality to that of a spiritual guru who is more of a messiah than a just a political leader, I still want to put forward this comparison in an attempt to pacify sikh radicals and anti-sikh forces operating in India. Though some intellectuals can very well prove the anti-sikh nature of Gandhi but let's not look at him for only religious perspective but also from political and nationalistic view.

But a fact worth mentioning here is that I want to put forward a striking similarity between Gandhi's and Guru Arjan's political ideology which are almost identical.
Fifth Guru has said:

ਰਾਜ ਬਿਨਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਧਰਮ ਚਲੈ ਹੈਂ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਸਭ ਦਲੈ ਮਲੈ ਹੈਂ ॥
which is very Similar to Gandhi's thought:

"Politics bereft of religion is the death of conscience."

So! I believe such an analogy has never been made by any religious preacher or a political leader in the past, anywhere in the world. Those people like me, who believe in communal harmony and universal brotherhood should come up with more such analogies to defeat religious fundamentalism which is one big reason behind communal tensions in the country.

"Bhapa"- an offensive & derogatory term for sikhs

I have already covered the existence and operationality of caste discrimination in my article "Caste System in Sikh community" where I highlighted the major caste types in Punjab. Though personally a strong critic of the "Caste system" and an individual who is always against caste-bias, I feel an utmost need to address this issue in my writings as it is a harsh social reality and truth about it should not be left unsaid. As the title suggests I will try to highlight the discriminatory use of the term "Bhapa" and the historical aspects of this caste.

In the cities, Khatri and Arora dominate the sphere of business activities. Khatri and Aroras are essentially identical caste and are primarily a caste of traders, shopkeepers and accountants. Sometimes people belonging to these castes are called "Bhapa Sikhs". Khatris and Aroras are equivalent of Baniyas found elsewhere in India. Please note there are also Agarwal Baniyas in Punjab too but they are almost 100% Hindu. All of the Sikh Gurus were born in Khatri caste. Guru Nanak's father Mehta Kalu was also a shopkeeper and he tried his best to make his son follow his caste profession of shopkeeping. But Guru Nanak rejected his teachings and became a man of spirit.

Please note that although the word Khatri appears to be a vernacular form of Sanskrit "Kshatriya", the caste is exclusively composed of cloth merchants, grocers, perfume sellers (or "Gandhis") and traders. Some eminent historians, have described this caste as probably a "pratiloma" or ritually inferior mixed caste created through union of "Kshatriya fathers and brahmin mothers" or "Shudra fathers and Kshatriya mothers". Though Rajputs , the bonafide Hindu Kshatriya caste, disown all connection with them and treat them as one of the Baniya castes, Aggarwal Baniyas, a reputable vaishya caste of Hindus, also deny any link with them.

Some speculate that the word Khatri is derived from the word "Khata" or accounting scroll . Before the partition of Punjab, Khatris were largely concentrated in West Punjab where they were the subordinates of Pathans and were employed in a rather humble way by Pathans as their accountants. It could be that Arora caste which came under patronage of Pathans and Khokhars in NWFP (North-West Frontier Province) and upper western Punjab as their accountants came to be called "Khatri" because of maintaining "Khatas" or accounting books of their patrons.

As stated before, sphere of Khatri and Arora influence in Punjab is the urban centers where they dominate the shopkeeping profession. Being connected with commerce and trading, their literacy rate is among the highest in Punjab and they were also the earliest beneficiaries of colonial education system being located in urban areas. Khatris are a forward caste in Punjab but as we have seen that neither their social standing nor their occupations are uniform across the country, it is no surprise that they are enlisted among Other Backward Castes (OBC) in many other states like Gujrat, Tamil Nadu, etc. Though Punjabi "Arora/ Khatri sikh" community has produced some of the most prominent political and religious personalities of the country like the former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and the famous sikh scholar Giani Sant Singh ji Maskeen who has been honored with the "Panth Rattan" decoration. The famous Punjabi singer Daler Mehandi is also belongs to this caste.

Among the Dalit caste groups prominent ones "Chamars" and "Chooras". Both communities are called "Balmiki/ Mazhabi Sikhs". The word Chamar is derived from Charmakar or leather tanner. They used to be expert shoe-makers. Some poor men and women of this caste also work as laborers in the farms of traditional landowning castes like Jat, Mahton, Saini, etc. Discrimination against them unfortunately still exists in Sikh society. For this reason , Mazhbi Sikh brethren are extended reservation as SC (Scheduled Caste) . Mazbi Sikhs have in the past made sterling contribution to Sikhism both as mystics and soldiers. Bhagat Ravidas belonged to Chamar caste but is accorded highest respect in Sikhism with his poetry being included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Akali Phoola Singh wan another "Mazhabi Sikh" who acquired the top post of the "Akal Takhat Jathedar" and is known for his uprightness and bravery.

Now, I would like to use the reference of the historical aspect of "Balmiki/ Majhabi sikh" community and their socio-political and a legal achievement in the contemporary times to make the usage of the discriminatory term "Choora" as a  legal offense punishable as per the court of law. I expect some intellectuals from "Arora/ Khatri sikh" community to take a constructive lesson from the the B/M sikh brethren and pursue a legal/ political course to make the discriminatory usage of the term "Bhapa" too, a legal offence punishable in the court of law.

Hindus and Sikhs- Oneness and infighting

This is one of the most crucial and controversial topics of Indian politics. Though writing down about it on a blog may not get it the kind of attention that it deserves and may not be read with the seriousness  that it should be, but that won't stop me from verbalizing it for the greater good of the country and the humanity. It's a common century old phenomenon that Hindu radicals keeps on claiming the Hindutva of the sikh gurus on various grounds and sikh radicals keep on rubbishing their claims with their counter-arguments and we, the normal and the neutral Indians follow them blindly out of our faiths and get slaughtered for them like scapegoats, serving to the best of their vested interests.

I firmly believe that the normal citizens of the country shouldn't fight in the name of religion especially Hindus and Sikhs because there are dedicated militant organizations in both the communities who are solely prepared for this purpose. Hindus have their RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal etc. etc. and sikhs have their Nihangs, Dal Khalsa, Taksalis and even SGPC task force can do the job of paid goons very well. So if there are such organizations present around you, who serve the purpose of conditioning tender minds to fight and die for religion till the last breath, then there's no point for a common man to pick up sword to protect his religion.

Even there are fanatic preachers in both the communities who make hollow predictions as "There won't be any sikh left one day and all the sikhs will come back to the hindu fold" or "One day the hindus will realize their mistakes and fall in guru's feet for repentance and convert to sikhsim".... Rubbish and Hilarious.... Isn't it ?? Though many of the radical Hindus try their level best to project Sikhism as the offshoot of Hinduism, there are Sikh radicals who try their level best to project Sikhism as a refined and a superior form of  Hinduism. If we just rubbish all these statements and try to be rational in addressing the issue, we can address it better if we try and figure it out from a socio-political perspective rather than a religious perspective.

Though I do not want to use that old reference of the word "Hindu" being a geographical term rather than a religious one, I just want to point out that fact that both the religions have emerged on their own and can take care of themselves, we just need to look after ourselves not our religions for that matter. I believe that the ultimate solution for Hindu and Sikh masses is peaceful coexistence. Because both these communities have diverted from their basic tenants if they introspect.

Where sikhs assume that hindus have snubbed them being a majority community in India and tried their level best to curb their separate and original identity, their real individuality, Hindus especially in Punjab accuse sikhs for alienation. Though, it may be in the best interest of the masses that the Article 25 of the constitution (which recoganizes sikhs as hindus) gets cancelled or repealed, but I feel that it may be in the best interest of the ruling class to keep the dilemma going in order to use the insecurity of "identity crisis" to bank on the sikh dominated vote bank in Punjab.

I have touched the issue of separate sikh identity in my article "Sehajdhari rights and sikh quota" but if such a law is passed it will have some ripple effects in the centuries old cohesive existence of the two communities. Honestly, being a liberal sikh, not associated with any radical or a separatist outfit, a law should be passed to establish the separate identity of sikhs, purely on humanitarian grounds. One has the right to be oneself and no one can take away his/ her individuality and religious identity is a vital part of a person's individuality and making it subservient to some other religious identity directly effects that person' zeal for life.

Though I have not mentioned about the work of a famous sikh encyclopedist Kahn Singh Nabha called "Hum Hindu Nahin" (Sikhs are not Hindus) written in 1898 whereby he technically proved by using references from both sikh and hindu scriptures that these are two different communities. But one thing is clear that this book is 117 years old and hasn't been able to achieve its objective yet in the Indian polity, then we can definitely say that either something is wrong with the book or something is wrong with the Indian polity ;-)

Jathedar- The CEO of Akal Takhat

That's not an odd comparison if you just make an effort to compare the Jathedar of a Takhat and the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of an MNC (Multi-National Company). I'm doing it completely in the positive light as in my article "Cult leaders: The economic elites of Punjab", I proved that religion is also an industry like the other industries and people who have acquired offices in religious institutions ought to play a key role and discharge the duties attached to that office. CEO is one of top notch positions in an MNC just like the "Jathedar" in a religious institution called "Takhat" which is a temporal seat for co-ordination between religious and political affairs.

Just like the saying goes that,"With great power comes great responsibility", we can easily figure out that the job of a "Jathedar" isn't easy like that of a CEO. Though primarily associated with the policy-making, the nature of policies made by "Jathedars"(usually called "Singh Sahibaan" out of reverence by the sikhs) has to keep some very critical facts and conditions in mind before making a policy and issuing an edict or a diktat for the community across the globe to follow. These factors are:

1) Political pressure: "Jathedars" have to work in harmony with the govt. Majority of the Jathedars of the modern era succumb to the political pressure but there are examples of Jathedars like "Akali Phoola Singh" who dared to issue a diktat against Maharaja Ranjit Singh out of his multiple marriage alliances as this was against sikh tenants and the "tankha" (religious punishment) announced for Ranjit Singh was 20 slashes of hunter on his back and the Maharaja literally took it. Nowadays, the CEO's are also under immense political and market pressure to keep the organization going.

2) Dress Code: Just like a CEO adheres to a dress code like formals or semi-formals, Jathedars too have a dress code to adhere to. Though next generation CEO's like Mark Zuckerberg defies such protocols, the Jathedars too have somehow brought relevant changes in their dress-code to suit contemporary requirement. It's simple "kurta" & "chooridaar payjama" with a pointed turban nowadays unlike a "chola" and a "Dumala-dastaar" in the olden days.

3) Appeasement of radicals: Well, the CEO may not have to face any radicals or fanatics but he definitely has to figure out the institutional loyalty of his employees and act accordingly, similarly, for the "Jathedar" the fanatics and the radicals are the most loyal of the people associated with the institution and he cannot afford to make them angry as they have the militant like tendencies to rebel and the CEO has to make sure about the retention of institutionally loyal employees.

4) Projection of a universal image: Just like a CEO makes sure that the society in general, and not just employees, get benefited from his corporate house and launches various schemes in the name of "Corporate Social Responsibility", Jathedar also has to make sure that the projection of sikhism remains tolerant and universal and gives a nod to various philanthropic activities.

5) Carry forward the glorious legacy: Both the Jathedar and the CEO very well know that they are the temporary incumbents of their posts and the institution is above them, they have to make sure that the sanctity of the institution stays in tact. Both the seats are subject to corporate or a perpetual succession.

Though both these positions i.e. a CEO and a Jathedar are highly empowered and fetch immense social status and power, there is another aspect to it. Focusing wholly-solely on religious institution now, the Jathedar is also an ex-officio member of SGPC which is otherwise, a house of 180 members (now reduced due to the formation of separate SGPC by Haryana) democratically elected through adult franchise.

Now this is where the powers of a Jathedar take a jolt, when the decision on most of the financial matters are taken by the President of SGPC who is more like the MD (Managing Director) of all the gurdwaras falling under his jurisdiction. Actually, the SGPC President decides how much money should be spent on which project. Hence, the principle of "Unity of command" gets violated leaving a scope for the diversion and embezzlement of funds. Some intellectuals claim that the funds are used lesser for panthic or religious interests and more for the purpose of political party funding, hence going directly in the pockets of the ruling family of the state. And this is exactly what weakens the institution of "Akal Takhat".

This is the major grudge of the contemporary sikhs that "Akal Takhat" was above politics at the time of its establishment by the sixth guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib ji. Acquisition of the post of Jathedar by religious leaders subservient to the politicians has immensely reduced the sanctity and the powers of "Akal Takaht" and has made it an institution inferior to even the ministerial positions of the state govt. Though I have used the picture of the incumbent Jathedar of Akal Takhat in my article but this is purely for reference purpose and not a personal attack.

As Punjabis or Indians, we are very well aware of the fact that extra-constitutional authorities operate in the Indian polity. I have already referred to such authorities in my other articles and if as sikhs we have failed to make "Akal Takhat" an authority of that stature then we need to introspect. What is holding us back ?? Have we failed to bring forward a 20th century leader and a strong individual like Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir, who held various top positions i.e. of a Jathedar Akal Takhat, 3 time MP, CM of Punjab and Rajya sabha member in his lifetime. We need somebody who is religiously and constitutionally right to acquire this position and take the sikh community to the acme of glory.

Farmer Suicide menace in Punjab

Its always a matter of pride to associate yourself with a land that symbolizes divinity, culture, valour and abundance. This is exactly the same feeling that over-whelms us when we say that we belong to Punjab, the state known as bread-basket of India. The north Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and UP feed over 1.2 billion Indians. But now things are different as it is really hurtful to know the ground realities that have made Punjab a mere graveyard of the meek and helpless feeders of society. The issue that needs to be addressed immediately is unbelievably dreadful for the presenters in a way
that every single aspect verbalized on it resonates through the ears of the dead farmers and instead of acting as a sigh of relief for their dependents, it acts like salt over their wounds.

The Punjab that we all know, is no more the same place to live for those who're aware of the bitter truths of the faulty governance and inefficient administration. Rising above this blame game, it's a matter of those thousands of dead who've been victimized by either poverty or ignorance. Their plight never seems to be self-induced but exemplify the tyranny of suppressed class that has been the outcome of social evils like poverty, unemployment, illetracy, ignorance and social-stratification propagating through the ages.

Whether the Ministers in central govt. or state govt., Whether MP's or MLA's, Whether IAS or PCS officers. They all must realize that every moment wasted in exaggerating the issue about the causes, consequences and statitics is adding to the plight of the "have-nots"who've surrendered in front of the system which has taken away the lives of the bread-winners in their families. The lavish offices of beaureucrats and ministers, the legislative assembly of the state and the Parliament of India seems too far away for the poor farmers who've shed every drop of their sweat and blood to feed them.

There is an utmost need to awaken the entire nation about the fact that how can the starved bellies perform their jobs in the IT hubs, silicon vallies, Corporate offices, Flamboyant shopping malls, multiplexes or Special Economic Zones (SEZ's). Everyone needs food to live whether rich or poor, educated or illetrate. How can the nation flourish if it is running after embellishing itself with infrastructural landmarks at the cost of an emptied bread basket ??

Now the question arises whether Punjab needs a boost in the primary sector i.e. agriculture & allied activities, that has brought laurels to it in the past or does it need to grow in the more employment and revenue-generating sector i.e.industry and the service sector. Though several media outlets
in the country still claims that agriculture accounts for 70% employment and just over 20% revenue generation. Apart from this poor input-output ratio, agriculture is worst hit by poor storage and distribution of food grains and hundreds of millions of tonnes of food grains rot due to poor administration.

Now! Apart from the role of govt. officials/ agencies and the NGO's working on this menace. The key lies in the hands of the nextgen youth of Punjab. Does the nextgen youth obsessed with urban lifestyle, spiky hair cuts, fashion, accessories, music & dancing and SUV's will be able to come up with a solution or even care about understanding the horrible things happening (in the name of agriculture) over their ancestral land or will they prefer to rationalize on the issue and prefer to live in denial in the name of urbanization or modernization.

Will we ever see the Punjab that once we were proud of ?? or, Are we going through a crisis situation, that we never expected, to see a whole new Punjab ?? Let's pray to the almighty to give us strength to save its honor in the uncertain and enigmatic future.

Marriage and sexual conduct in Sikhism

I decided to touch this topic because, we Indians have actually forgotten our glorious heritage and have become too much regressive. Sexual conduct not only is a critical topic to discuss in order to make a better atmosphere within the county but also to educate youngsters about the rising cases of rapes and sexual violence. Unless, the future generations are not thoroughly educated about this issue, there is a minimal chance to check crime against women, children and and helpless people.

Sexual energy of the young generation definitely needs to be regulated but in a country where live-in relationships have been legalized, there should not be any sexual violence, but this has not happened even after legalization of live-in relationships. Sometimes, we Indians are so much consumed with the belief of the superiority of the western culture that we assume that there's no sexual frustration in the west or there's no violence against women and children in the west, but that is not true. Though statistics have shown that the sale of porn video DVD's and photos is maximum in the conservative middle eastern countries but their draconian laws that even go to the extent of crippling the offender from his private part induces a very high degree of fear in the minds of the criminals. We cannot afford to have such laws in India which I believe is also a conservative nation.

First we need to have a clarity on the fact that it's not just the unstable teenagers who commit this crime, it could be anyone, it could be a mentally disturbed adult committing it out of a broken marriage or separation. We also need to reinvent our roots where talking about "sex" was never a taboo and I've already mentioned about the presence of Ajanta & Ellora caves and Maharishi Vatsyayana's work. Though I want to highlight a fact here that there are some full-time brothels working in major cities of India and prostitution is an absolutely legal business in the cities of- Allahabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Muzaffarpur, Nagpur, New Delhi and Pune. But these red-light areas have a limited outreach confined to their surrounding urban and rural areas only. But the presence of these brothels do not ensure a complete absence of sexual violence in these areas. Neither it is possible to have govt. approved brothels in the conservative places of India having a religious heritage like Varanasi, Haridwaar, Amritsar etc. Hence, I would rather take a neutral but a conservative stand on checking the sexual violence in the country by just saying that the legal punishment of a sexual offender should be increased and adequate measures should be taken to rehabilitate the victim with full dignity.

Now talking about the sikh rehat-maryada, it has been clearly defined in the rehatnama that a sikh should limit himself/ herself to only his/her spouse and pre-marital or extra-marital sex accounts to a major "kurehat".  The unmarried are advised to practice celibacy and marriage is solemnized in the presence of the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib and sikhs strictly practice monogamy.

No forceful seduction into marriage is allowed, neither bride capturing or stealing is allowed neither a custom of paying a bride price persists. This tradition was present in the tribal parts of India and is still practiced in some areas. Though, Guru Nanak always advocated that householder's life is the best form of worship and encouraged his sikhs to have a "grihasthi" because only in such a condition i.e. "grihasthi", the person can know the true meaning of selfless service. Though some radical sikh preachers say that sikh couples should have sex only for procreation (i.e. only to have kids) but their logic seems redundant in front of the fact that "sex" is not just a physical phenomenon happening due to the secretion of hormones. It's a psycho-somatic phenomenon strengthening an emotional bond between the couple.

Unlike Islam, which allows its followers to have multiple wives at one instance of time, sikhism allows subsequent marriage only in case of death of a previous spouse. Though there are some intellectuals who claim that polygamy was practiced by the tenth guru but there are some accounts to prove that guru sahib solemnized second marriage after losing the first wife and the third wife was symbolically named as the mother of Khalsa and wasn't the biological mother of any of the sahibzadas. Though both Lord Ram and Guru Nanak taught us the same thing i.e. to be loyal to our spouses and the practice of monogamy becoming a standard tradition followed by hindus and sikhs across India based on their teachings but Guru Nanak didn't ever subject his better half to "Agni pareeksha".

Weaponization and civility

Sikhs are considered as one of the greatest martial races ever in the history of the world. Though the nature of religion and purity of its culture has been diluted over the years but one thing is for sure that there people who are trying to keep this glorious tradition alive. Undoubtedly, Guru Nanak Dev ji started a new philosophy of oneness of the creator and the creation and equality of all the humanity, never posed a threat of ceasing the political power to his contemporary ruling class. As, Sikhism was in the nascent stage it never got violent repression. Most of the time, Guru Nanak only has to rely on logic and common sense to prove the practicality of his philosophy. but as the time passed and sikhism started to gain ground, its repression too was started openly and the fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev ji had to sacrifice his life to defend the faith. The era of making sikhs a martial community started with the sixth guru who encouraged his followers to hold wrestling bouts and get trained with the sharp edged-weapons.

But the martial character became utmost important by the time the tenth sikh guru assumed guruship and hence he had to formally institutionalize the martial character of sikhism by creating the "Khalsa". Though, he transferred guruship to Guru Granth sahib but there was another important religious text contained the actual heritage of the martial sikh history. "Dasam granth" or "Bachittar Natak" is the granth solely written by Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji unlike Sri Guru Granth Sahib which contains the verses of various sikh gurus and other non-sikh sages or seers.There are clear cut "banis" in "dasam granth" which prove that Guru Gobind Singh ji considered weapons or "shartra" to be the ultimate source of empowerment of his followers and some hymns are dedicated solely for the worship of weapons. Hymns like "Chandi di Vaar" and "Shastra Naam Mala" were written for purpose of weapon-worship as weapons were considered to be the ultimate protectors of the life and honor of the community. The nature of these hymns isn't at all aggressive but very moving and inspirational. The spirit behind these hymns clearly show that Guru sahib never advocated bloodshed but always inspired his sikhs to be ready to make war to restore peace. Even the olden days sikh warriors used to recite these hymns before going to the battlefield in-order to have that "Bir Rass" (also known as adrenaline rush in scientific terminology) to fearlessly

Now that the nature of society has changed so has nature of weapons. Some people even question the validity and existence of religion and consider it irrelevant and out-dated. Now the modern day weapons are far more destructive and hence there needs to be a mechanism to keep a check on its usage by the govt. In India, the civilians are only allowed to carry licensed NPB (Non-Prohibited Bore) weapons for self-defense. These weapons are much lesser in potency as compared to the PB (Prohibited Bore) weapons which are specifically meant for the armed forces.

Now, if we take the current scenario into account and realize the insecurities that a common man has to go through in day to day life, it is justified for him to carry a weapon for self-defense. Weapon doesn't only makes the person feel more secured physically but the weapon-holder also feels emboldened to express himself freely. The freedom of expression is definitely curbed many
 a times by either the religious fundamentalists or authoritarian govt. regimes. But, weaponization of civil society would ensure the empowerment of the common citizen provided there is some sort of moral guidelines attached with its usage. Those guidelines may not only be the provisions given in the Arms Act of 1959 or the Arms act of 1962, they could somehow be clubbed with the traditional religious values.

Now, militarization has been an Indian tradition much before the birth of Khalsa. The last names of "Singh" and "Kaur" derived from "Kuwar" were used primarily by the "Kshatriyas" of north India. Hence, there is sizable Indian population including both sikhs and non-sikhs that has weapons as a part of their heritage and they should be allowed to carry them out of their sentiments to carry forward their legacy.

Guru Gobind Singh ji has clearly said that "Shastran ke adheen hai Raj." which clearly shows that the political power of a country is directly dependent on its arms. We can clearly see the validity of his words if we consider the case of hegemonic domination of USA over the rest of the world. It is ruling the world because of its biggest artillery, maximum number of nuclear weapons and WMD's. Even the governments spending higher on their defense budgets are considered to be bolder than those who spend in some other areas. I'm quoting such examples because I can clearly see the validity of Guru Gobind Singh ji's wisdom in it and some other country else than India is taking advantage of that wisdom.

Guru sahib also said in Zafarnama written to Aurangzeb:
"Choo'n kaar az hamah heeltay dar guzasht,
Halaal ast buradan ba shamsheer dast."  which means,
"When all the other means fail, it is righteous to pick up sword (use force)"
but the motive behind the words of the prophet (known as "Sarbans-Daani") who sacrificed everything for the community and the country is based on complete selflessness.