Final EV .cdr - Eternal Voice

Licence No. F.2 (E-2) Press/2009 dtd. 6/3/2009Fast, affordable IT Serviceright at your doorstep.Eternal VoiceVol.1 No.3 August-October, 2009 Rs. 100/$10/£5A Quarterly Magazine of Universal BrotherhoodOnsite Support Phone Support Remote SupportN eed help fast?Call us4650 3500W e Serviceal l MajorBrandsFast, Affordable IT ServiceEternal Voice Vol. 1 No. 3 A Kalgidhar Trust Publication August - October, 2009One divinityGuru Granth Sahib as interfaithEducation - A Kaur’s Perspectivepervades all that existsGhat ghat vaaj-ei kinguree ann-dinn shabad subhaa-e.(In each and every heart, the music of the Lord's flute vibrates,night and day, with sublime love for the ‘Word’.)Ethics & ReligionGatkacr s ftC E R T I F I E DPartnerCall: (011) 4650 3500www.akalservice.comCERTISO 9001:2000 CertifiedAKAL SERVICE is a Registered Trademark of AKAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS LTD. All Rights ReservedA KALGIDHAR TRUST PUBLICATIONJagriti Yatra

PatronAdvisorsEditorsCreativeGraphicsMarketingPhotographyPublisherBaba Iqbal SinghRatanjit S. SondheDr. Isher Judge AhluwaliaJagat S. Mehta, IFSSaran Singh, IASDr. Khem Singh GillRajinder Singh ChadhaHardev SinghArti SapraAvtar SinghSarabjit SinghJasbir Singh SethiCharanjit Singh(www.cjsphotography.com)Dr. Davinder SinghRegd. OfficeThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru SahibDistt. Sirmore, Himachal Pradesh-173101, IndiaPhones: 9816033303/4Fax: 91-1799-276041 Email: ev@barusahib.orgDelhi OfficeEternal Voice, F-3, Rajouri GardenNew Delhi-110027, IndiaPhone: 9810548548Fax: 91-11-25100982 Email: ev@barusahib.orgFor circulation in IndiaBaru Sahib 9816033303 Email: ev@barusahib.orgDelhi 9810548548 Email: ev@barusahib.orgMumbai 9821006103 Email: gurmeet_kalra@rediffmail.comKolkata: 9830799453 Email: preengfab@vsnl.netBangalore 9845238013 Email: jasjeet27@yahoo.co.inFor overseas circulationUS: 804-615-6705 sekhon@barusahib.org702-396-5114 deep@akalconstruction.usCanada: 604-724-6070 info@akalacademy.caUK: 777-860-5187 kaka@cleversocks.co.ukAll rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in anymanner is prohibited.The Kalgidhar Trust does not take responsibility for returningunsolicited publication material.The management of Eternal Voice may not concur with theviews expressed by various authors in this journal.Website: www.barusahib.orgEmail: ev@barusahib.orgSponsor aChild’s EducationFor Rs. 500/- per month• Rs. 500 can sponsor the monthly education of a rural child.• Rs. 3,500 per month can sponsor an old age citizen.• Rs. 4,000 can cure and restore life back to a drug-addict.• Rs. 5,000 per month can buy the complete development andresidential education of an orphan child.• Rs. 1,25,000 can sponsor the construction of a classroomin rural area.To provide a helping hand for this noble causeDonate by Credit Cardwww.barusahib.orgorhttps://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=17647Donate by Cash/Cheque/DraftDeposit at any branch of HDFC Bank in favour of"The Kalgidhar Trust"SB/Ac No. : 2921000041554Donate by PostIn favour of 'The Kalgidhar Trust'F-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi - 110 027Ph. : 011-25105459, 41005459From the editor’s desk...“Does God exist?” is a question that everyone asks. “Is itpossible to see God?” And all religions strive to answer thisquestion in their own way. Languages may vary; thoughtprocess can be different but the answer of all religions isunique and the same. Every religion aims at providing succorto its seekers. Varied in expression, one principle of lifepervades everywhere.It is universally true that the words ‘God’ and ‘Mother’ arecorrelated. Mother may be called by different words indifferent languages and still she is ‘The Mother’. God may,likewise, be known by different words in different languagesand yet He is the same Eternal Force, that provides security,salvation and peace to one and all. The eternal needs of thehumans are the same and God fulfills these in many ways.It is the petty minds who demarcate man and religion; andcreate water-tight compartments. God is one and it is thevarious religions and sects that seek to establish their ownidentity in the name of religion. They use religion as a powertool. Left to themselves, common men have just faith in Godwith no bias to any particular religion. The Eternal Truth or theBrahm Gyan leads man to the same knowledge - God is withinus and we need to seek him within only. Then why do we keeplooking for him without? There is a story, which tells us thatonce God thought of creating a place of residence for Himself.He mulled over the thought for some time and came to theconclusion that if he established a physical home for Himself,different religions and sects would split the place into pieces inthe name of owning Him up. So God decided that He wouldreside in the hearts of all human beings and in that manner itwould not be necessary for anyone to split the residence of God.That is how God came to be within all forms of life.All religions acknowledge the presence of Atma (soul). Wordsand languages may differ, but the essence is the same - God isenlightenment in everybody. Enlightenment can be attainedonly through inner illumination. No one from outside can helpus unless we kindle the inner light to see the path forourselves. In Ram Chrita Manas, it is called Prakash; inGurbani, we know it as Jyoti; in Koran, it is called Noor, whilein Bible, we address it as Divine Spark.There is no point to emphasize the need for tolerance. Theword ‘tolerance’ is redundant and superfluous, when we geteducated and enlightened. Thus, what we need today are thetruly educated and enlightened minds, who acknowledge thesupremacy of God in all, with no bias to caste, creed orreligion. The world needs teachers in the true sense. Did notGuru Nanak say it emphatically?Gur saakhi jyot pargat ho-e. (13)(Through the Guru's teachings, the Light shines forth.)Satguru, or a true teacher shows us the way to know ourinnerself. This awareness leads us to peace and submission.The darkness of ignorance is dispelled. That is why it is said:Satguru mahima anant hai Anant kee-aa upkaarLochan anant ughaa-ree-aa Anant dikhaavan haar.(The Satguru’s greatness is endless and inexhaustible; Hiscompassion is infinite and has no limit whatsoever. He notonly preaches, but also shares his vision.)In this context, it becomes imperative that there should be anactive inter-faith dialogue. It is all the more important whendivisive forces are rampant all over. No religions divideshuman beings. No saint has ever done so. Only the zealots doit and they are not the real men of religion. They only wearthe mask of religiosity. Therefore, a continuous inter-fathdialogue alone can control violence and madness that is beingperpetuated in the garb of religion.Owned and printed by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru SahibAll Donations qualify for Tax deductionsRajinder Singh ChadhaEternal Voice August - October, 20092 31

ikhism is not an 'ism', as such, but a spiritual way of life forSthe entire mankind to become divine.Guru Granth Sahib the holy Sikh scripture, contains the divine'Words' (hymns) of those God-conscious persons, who mergedwith the divine by treading on the divine path and by meditatingon the Divine Name.The divine concept of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, is:Shabad Guru surt(i) dhun chela. (943){The Divine 'Word' is the Guru and the Surt(i) (tune of mind),which is egoistic, is the disciple of the Divine 'Word'.}The Surt(i), by meditating on the divine 'Word', would shed itsego and become divine. One divine sentence incorporated inGuru Granth Sahib, sums up this concept:Dubidha chhod Bha-ai Nirankari. (685){O Man! Shed duality (ego) and you will realize the virtues ofNirankar (God).}In Mathematical equation it will be:MAN - EGO = GODGuruGranth Sahibas interfaith divine scriptureBy Iqbal Singh (Baba)This is the universal truth and the divine path treaded by themankind to become divine, irrespective of any caste, creed,religion, region, age or sex.Today, we hold many conferences and seminars for interfaith,but few have tried to explain the world that Guru Granth Sahibitself is the divine scripture of the 35 God-conscious persons,who belonged initially to different castes, creeds, religions andregions. The magnanimity of Guru Granth Sahib, in which thedivine verses of six Sikh Gurus out of the ten Sikh Gurus, inaddition to the divine hymns of 15 Saints, belonging to differentcastes, creeds, cultures, religions and social status have beenincorporated, is beyond description. The Eternal Guru hasadvice for one and sundry.To an ascetic, the Guru preaches:So san-e-aasee jo Satgur s-aiv-ei vichhau aap gava-ai. (1013)(He alone is a Sannyaasi, who serves the True Guru, and removeshis self-conceit from within.)For the Pandit, he says:So Pandit jo mann parbhod-ei Ram Naam Aatam meh sodh-ei. (274)(He is a true Pandit, a religious scholar, who instructs his ownmind.)For the Brahmin, the Guru has this to suggest:So Brahmin jo Braham beechaar-ei. (662)(He alone is a Brahmin, who contemplates God.)And for the Vaishnav, he has this to offer:Baisno so jis oopar suparsann Bisan kee maa-e-aa t-ai hoe bhinn. (274)(The true Vaishnav, the devotee of Vishnu, is the one, with whomGod is thoroughly pleased.)For the Jogi he says:Satgur s-aiv-ai so Jogi hoe. (223)(Those, who serve the True Guru, are the Yogis.)For a Muslim, the Guru says:Musalmaan mo-am dil hov-ei Antar kee mall dil t-ai dhov-ei. (1084)(To be Muslim is to be kind-hearted and wash away pollutionfrom within the heart.)Similarly to a Mullah, the Guru suggests:So Mullah jo mann se-ou larh-ei Gur updes kaal sio jur-ei. (1159)(He alone is a Mullah, who struggles with his mind and throughthe Guru's teachings, fights with death.)For a Qazi, the Guru says:Sach kamaav-ei soyee Qazi. (1084)(He alone is a Qazi, who practices the Truth.)For a Sheikh, the Guru has this to offer:Soee S-aikh masaa-ik Haji So bandaa jis najar naraa. (1084)(He alone is a Sheikh, a preacher, a Haji and he alone is God'sslave, who is blessed with God's grace.)And to a Haji, the Guru preaches:Jo dil sodh-ei soee Haji. (1084)(He alone is a Haji, a pilgrim to Mecca, who purifies his heart.)Of the 35 contributors to the holy Granth, four were followingthe Muslim faith. Then we have high caste Brahmins, a King;and also a barber, cobbler, weaver, calico printer and a butcher,who were considered belonging to low castes. Besides, thedivine verses of 11 Bhatts (high-caste Brahmins), who becamedivine after great struggle in search of truth, also figure in GuruGranth Sahib. These Bhatts met the Sikh Guru in Amritsar andthey were enlightened by the Guru.No divine scripture of any religion has a single divine 'Word', by anindividual belonging to the other religion, caste, creed or region.The reader may be astonished to know that whenever a Sikhbows before Guru Granth Sahib, he is not only showing respect tothe Sikh Gurus but also to all those divine souls, who were born indifferent communities, castes and creeds. Guru Nanak has, thus,inculcated the gist of spirituality amongst his followers, i.e., Sikhs,who are the students of spirituality or seekers of truth. Any seekerof truth (Jagiasoo - student) belonging to any religion, caste, creed,age or sex can tread on the divine path by reciting Naam with fulldevotion and dedication.In short, submitting completely to the divine by shedding one’sego, one can attain the stage of divine wisdom, i.e., helm of theNirankar (figureless form, which is called all-pervadingAlmighty God). Whosoever reaches this stage, merges withGod and gets the supreme divine bliss:Nirankar ke des jaahe taa sukh laheh mahal. (595){When you arrive in the sphere of the Formless Lord, you will loseyour identity (ego) and merge in the Divine.}Whosoever, reaches this stage of life, rises above thebondage of caste, creed, rituals and customs and mergeswith the Lord. All the God-conscious persons reach thisstage even by following initially their own religious customsand way of meditation.This is the gist of the theme of spirituality. Whosoeverfollows the divine teachings and principles of Guru GranthSahib, will become a member of the interfaith community,who have reached the kingdom of the Divine (Nirankar ke des),which has been aptly described as Begumpura (the city withoutsorrow) by Bhagat Ravidas, who was though a cobblerby profession, attained this kingdom and merged withthe divine.Hence we pray with folded hands to the entire mankind that theyshould accept Guru Granth Sahib as interfaith divine scripture.On 10 December, 1948, United Nation's General Assemblypassed resolution No. 217-A on human rights, stating, “Allhuman beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should acttowards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”Guru Granth Sahib already preaches all this vehemently and inmuch clearer and stronger terms. Guru Nanak had declared asearly as 16th Century:Sabh meh jyot jyot h-ei so-e Tis k-ei chaanan sabh meh chaanan ho-e. (663)(The divine light is within everyone; it is that Light which shineswithin one and all.)Guru Nanak considered everyone else better than himself. Hegave them equal respect and regard, as he considered all havingbeen created by the same Lord, whose light enlivened all Hiscreation. The Guru had Bhai Bala, a Hindu and Bhai Mardana,a Muslim, as his companions for most part of his four longUdasis (spiritual travels). For him, no one was lowly:Sab kau oochaa aakhee-ai neech na dees-ai koeIknai bhaand-ai saaji-ei ik chaanan tih loe. (62){Call everyone exalted; no one seems lowly. The one Lord hasfashioned the vessels (human bodies) and One Light pervades inall the three worlds i.e., this planet and all the planets above andbelow this earth.}Eternal Voice August - October, 20095

History is witness to the period, when Mughal EmperorAurangzeb's army unleashed awful cruelty and tyranny ondowntrodden and innocent people of the country. To defend thehuman rights of the weak and save the masses from these miseries,Guru Gobind Singh fought several battles with the Mughal army. Inthe battlefield, the tenth Master deputed his most devoted Sikh, BhaiKanhaiya to serve water to the injured soldiers from both sides,irrespective of their religion, caste, creed or allegiance. The injuredMughal soldiers, after getting water, used to gain strength to fight theSikh soldiers, which was not relished by the later, who complained tothe Guru. When the so-called 'traitor' was summoned before theGuru, Bhai Kanhaiya humbly submitted:Sabh-ai saa(n)jheewaal sadaa-i-n Toon kis-ei na diseh baaharaa jeeo. (97)(All humans form a common fellowship and are partakers of yourgrace. O Lord! You are alien to no one. )This is a unique example in the world, where a friend and a foeare treated alike. In fact through the gracious deeds of BhaiKanhaiya, Guru Gobind Singh laid the foundation of the RedCross, which is beyond the imagination of the present day RedCross, founded by Sir Henry Durant about 160 years later,because the present day Red Cross is a separate neutralorganization accepted by all, which treats the injured in thebattlefield of both the armies of the fighting countries.If everybody follows the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib inletter and spirit, then there will be universal brotherhood anddivine peace on this earth. We can only pray and hope that thosedays are not far when we, the entire world community, wouldtread on this divine path to establish heaven on this planet.In this context, we may cite the example of Sant Attar SinghMastuana Wale, who was considered a divine person by one andall. He was born in 1866 and after meditating on Naam mergedwith the Almighty Lord and served mankind irrespective of anyreligion, caste or creed. He perceived that scientific era is fastapproaching and it would lead mankind to distraction from thedivine path. He visualized that the Western world is teachingmere 'literacy' to explore scientific discoveries, which wouldultimately tamper with Nature. He felt the need for combiningthe spiritual values and teachings (literacy) so that it becomesvalue-based 'education' (Vidya) for the betterment of futuregenerations. A 'literate' person may be the most duffer, if he isselfish and egoistic. 'Literacy' without spirituality has beenvehemently condemned in Guru Granth Sahib:Parhi-aa moorakh aakhee-ei Jis lab lobh ahankaaraa. (140)(That scholar who is full of greed, avarice, pride and ego, isknown to be a fool.)On the other hand, Vidya (value-based education) has beeneulogized in Guru Granth Sahib:Vidi-aa veechaaree taa(n) par-upkaaree. (356)(True learning induces in the mind, the service of mankind.)That is why the great patriot and a revered leader of theHindus, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya after consultingseveral Rajas, Maharajas and the renowned Saints requestedthe great Saint of the era, Sant Attar Singh to lay thefoundation of the Banaras Hindu University. So much so thathe went to Mastuana from Sangrur railway station barefootedby covering 8 kilometers to bow before the Saint andrequest him to lay the foundation, which the latter accepted.Again, on a specific request, he sent his beloved devotee SantTeja Singh as the Principal of the Teachers' Training Collegefor sometime. Later, Sant Teja Singh took over the reigns ofAkal College, Mastuana.After Guru Gobind Singh, Sant Attar Singh was the first, whofelt the need of holistic education and opened the first girls'school in the far-flung backward area, known as Mastuana inPunjab, a hitherto unknown remote place. Later on, a boys'school was also opened. He laid great stress on value-basededucation. Sant Teja Singh, M.A. L LB. (Punjab) A.M.(Harvard), following the footsteps of his mentor, continued thegood work by carrying forward the mission. Sant Teja Singhdiscovered Baru Sahib, which was blessed by Guru GobindSingh, when he visited Nahan with the hill Raja Medni Prasad.In the year 1956, Santji laid the foundation of the Brahm Vidya,which will become the Brahm Vidya center under the aegis ofThe Kalgidhar Trust.The most striking aspect of Sikhism as interfaith is that theSikh Gurus never encouraged conversions. They alwayspreached the followers of other faiths to remain committed tothe values propagated by their respective religions andthereby become real seekers of truth. Again, whatever theGurus preached to the Sikh disciples, they likewise preachedtheir Hindu and Muslim brethren also. If Guru Nanak hadBala and Mardana as his companions, Lehna, a petty traderand a staunch follower of Mata Vaishno Devi, became hisdisciple and ultimately, owing to his sheer obedience becameGuru Nanak's successor, as the second Sikh Guru. Similarly,Sain Mian Mir, a renowned Muslim Faqir was attracted byGuru Arjan and served him so much that he was asked by theGuru to lay the foundation-stone of Harmandir Sahib, inAmritsar. Guru Hargobind adopted Pende Khan, a youngMuslim orphan, who subsequently became a great warrior-General of the Guru's army, by remaining a Muslim. Historyis witness to the fact that when the Guru developed a newtownship, Hargobindpura and established a Gurdwara for thebenefit of the Sikh devotees, he also got a Masjid built forthe Muslim community. Guru Tegh Bahadur scaled newheights, when, as a benefactor, he sacrificed his life for savingthe Hindu religion. Guru Gobind Singh fought severalbattles, but did not annex an inch of the enemy's land. Hisfollowers included many Muslims, including Pir BhikhanShah, Pir Budhu Shah, Sayyad Beg and Sayd Khan.Another striking feature of the holy Granth is the use of manylanguages within the same text – a multilingual phenomenon6Eternal Voice

typical of South Asia. It may be pointed out that anotherremarkable aspect of this text is its functional use of manylanguages, making it a text that signifies multilingual India evenin the Middle Ages.All the saints and sages used different languages to definespirituality. The dominant languages used are the SaadhuBhaashaa, with Braj as base code and Punjabi - bothWestern and Eastern varieties. Then we find the use ofSanskrit, termed as Sahiskriti, a variety believed to havebeen the universal India-wide medium of exchange ofserious thought between different saints. Persian, Arabic,Sindhi, Marathi, Bengali and various dialects of Hindi,particularly Braj have also been made use of.Guru Granth Sahib, thus, reveals a symphony of differentlanguages of the sub-continent. The numerous linguisticvariations manifest the state of flux in which the Indianlanguages were, before they got stabilized into their presentmodern form.The selection of the Baani with cosmic ramificationsfrom amongst the saint-poets hailing from different partsof the sub-continent not only makes this great Grantha pan-Indian text but also indirectly highlights thegeographical boundary of India. Further, these selectionsspanning a period of around 500 years provide a uniquephilosophical depth that link the contemporary to theancient times. All this makes Guru Granth Sahib asinterfaith divine scripture.Hence Guru Granth Sahib is the only truly interfaithscripture of the whole world and can be said to be belongingto the entire humanity.The Flow (Spirit-2)By Reema AnandEvery moment,particle - finite, infinitebreathes, flows with life:My spirit yearnscompleteness, fluidityan onward momentum in you.The rule of Lao TzuFrom Freedom by Oshoao Tzu became very famous; a wise man and he was without doubt,Lone of the wisest men ever. The Emperor of China asked him veryhumbly to become his chief of the supreme court, because nobody couldguide the country's laws better than he could. He tried to persuade theEmperor, "I am not the right man," but the Emperor was insistent.Lao Tzu said, "If you don't listen to me... just one day in the court and youwill be convinced that I am not the right man, because the system iswrong. Out of humbleness I was not saying the truth to you. Either I canexist or your law and order and your society can exist. So... let us try it."The first day a thief who had stolen almost half the treasures of therichest man in the capital was brought into the court. Lao Tzu listened tothe case and then he said that the thief and the richest man should bothgo to jail for six months.The rich man said, "What are you saying? I have been stolen from, I havebeen robbed - what kind of justice is this, that you are sending me to jailfor the same amount of time as the thief?"Lao Tzu said, "I am certainly being unfair to the thief. Your need to be injail is greater, because you have collected so much money to yourself,deprived so many people of money... thousands of people are downtroddenand you are collecting and collecting money. For what? Your very greed iscreating these thieves. You are responsible. The first crime is yours."A short storyA short storyBy Sri Ramakrishnahe duty of a farmer's daughter was to carryfresh milk to customers in various villages;Tone of whom was a priest. To reach his house,the milkmaid had to cross a good-sized stream.People crossed it by a sort of ferry raft, fora small fee.One day, the priest, who performed worship dailywith the offering to God of fresh milk, finding itarrived very late, scolded the poor woman. "Whatcan I do?" she said, "I start out early from myhouse, but I have to wait a long time for theboatman to come."Then the priest said (pretending to be serious),"What! People have even walked across the oceanby repeating the name of God, and you can't crossthis little river?" The milkmaid took him veryseriously. From then on she brought the priest's milkpunctually every morning. He became curiousabout it and asked her how it was that she was neverlate anymore."I cross the river repeating the Name of theLord," she replied, "just as you told me to do,without waiting for the ferry." The priest didn'tbelieve her, and asked, "Can you show me this,how you cross the river on foot?" So they wenttogether to the water and the milkmaid began towalk over it. Looking back, the woman saw thatthe priest had started to follow her and wasfloundering in the water."Sir!" she cried, "You are uttering the Name ofGod, yet all the while you are holding up yourclothes from getting wet. That is not trustingin God!”Eternal Voice August - October, 200982 39

Interfaith discussionsand Sikh FaithBy Dr. Gurbakhsh SinghExperience shows that in many cases the participants do notrepresent the mainstream of their faith, hence the massesgenerally remain unconcerned.References to the proceedings of some major interfaithgatherings are mentioned briefly for the benefits of the readers:Parliament of world religionsi. The first formal interfaith dialogue, Parliament ofWorld Religions, was arranged by Rev. Jankin Lloyd Jonesof the Unitarian Church in Chicago, USA in 1893. Hinduismwas explained by Swami Vivekananda. No one representedSikh faith.ii. Prof. (later Sant) Teja Singh visited Chicago in 1910 on hisway to Vancouver, B.C., Canada and met Rev. Jones. During thediscourse, Prof. Teja Singh told him about the revelationreceived by Guru Nanak. Listening to him, Rev. Jones wascharged with emotions. Holding the hand of the professor, heinvoluntarily uttered, “Brother Teja Singh! Light shall againcome from the East. We, in the West, are quite unfit for it.” Afteroccupying his chair again, he told him (Teja Singh), “Congress ofWorld Religions is being held in Berlin. You must share thisrevelation with the delegates there.”During his short after-dinner speech to the delegates of theBerlin Congress, Sant Teja Singh said, “There is only oneAlmighty Lord, the Father-Mother, who is reflected in everyhuman being. We all are, therefore, brothers and sisters. It isour ego, which conceals this truth from our minds. This egobasedignorance leads us to mutual cockfights and thusmakes us suffer unnecessarily. Unless we realize these facts,there cannot be peace in the world.” In his talk, he explainedthe message of the hymn:Awal Allah Noor upaa-e-aa Kudrat k-ai sabh band-aiEk Noor t-ai sabh jagg upje-aa Kaun bhal-ai kou mand-ai. (1339)(The whole universe sprang from one Divine light. Therefore,no one can be labeled as good or bad, high or low.)hymns, it set a special wave of peace in my mind. I wish, insteadof discussing your paper, you could continue reciting andexplaining hymns, the paper could be taken as read and handedover to the Chairman.”iii. The First Centennial of the Parliament of World Religionswas held in 1993 again at Chicago, in which the Sikhs tookactive part. More than one dozen papers were read by theSikh scholars.The author was one of them who spoke on The five centuries ofthe Interfaith - Sikhism. The paper stated that the proponents ofdifferent faiths have come together today as a necessity to avoidinter-religious clashes, arising out of misunderstandings. GuruNanak revealed that whole humanity was created by theAlmighty Lord, who may be addressed by any name; Allah,Ram, Gobind, Guru, God, etc.; all refer to the same Reality. Allhumans are His children. All are equal; no one is high or low andno one is alien.iv. Another gathering of the Par1iament was held in 2004 atBarcelona, Spain. The institutions of Sangat and Pangat,which equate all people whatever their caste or creed, wereeffectively demonstrated by the large contingent of the Sikhs,the most visible participating community. All delegates andlocal residents were welcome to eat Langar together as equals.The gathering celebrated the fourth centennial of the firstinstallation of Guru Granth Sahib in 1604, thus accepting it as ascripture for all people.Sikh faith in other interfaith world forumsi. The theme for the 30th World Congress of the InternationalAgency for Religious Freedom was 'Peace on Earth'. It was held in1999 at the University of British Columbia, B.C., Canada. Thetopic chosen was Humanity - An Earth Community - ReligiousView. The Sikh view, submitted by the author of this article, wasapproved for this topic, while other speakers were assigned to talkof repression of minority communities and the treatment of nativepeople by the aggressive immigrants to different lands, etc.he interfaith dialogue provides a chance toTknow the beliefs of other faiths. It can,therefore, help to create better understandingamong the followers of different traditions andbuild goodwill in society. Interfaith gatherings,thus, can prove useful for maintaining peace;even if they do not succeed in developing thedesired mutual love, they reduce mutual hatred.The first world-level interfaith meeting was heldin Chicago more than a century ago. Todayabout a dozen interfaith organizations, some ofthem recognized by the U.N.O., conduct theirmeetings at the interval of a couple of years by rotation indifferent countries. Their major objective is to build mutualregards between believers of different faiths so that interfaithclashes may be avoided or at least decreased to check the bloodshedof innocent people.We have not been able to achieve the desired success so far.Political leaders are sometimes accused to whip up anticommunalfeelings to serve their vested interests. Religiousleaders also want to maintain the superiority of their faith andthey are not willing to sincerely accept members of other faithsat equal level. Local interfaith gatherings are held regularly insome major cities to develop goodwill among the people.While he was still talking, one German professor got up andheld his right hand firmly; shaking it, he uttered, “This is thething we want.”Next day in the Conference, Sant Teja Singh talked aboutGurbani as the revelator of the Reality. After describing thecontributions of the Sikh Gurus to the Indian society to developmutual love among the followers of different faiths, he told themthat those revelations were recorded in the Sikh scriptures,Guru Granth Sahib. He narrated hymns revealing the equalgrace of God for all people irrespective of their faith or socialdifferences. After he completed his speech and went to his chair,his neighbor delegate told him, “When you talked about theThe author stated, “Today, we are convinced that it is a necessityfor us to accept that we humans all over the globe are one bigfamily, who has jointly inherited this earth. However, it is my greatpleasure to share with you that for Sikhs, it is their faith foundedfive centuries ago in Punjab. The Guru revealed that we all,whatever our religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, language,etc., are equal children of the Father-Mother, the Creator. Theearth is our joint inheritance; therefore, service to society,irrespective of the above identities of the people, is the noblestreligion.” The statement was greeted with thunderous applause.During the break many members of different faiths met meto appreciate the talk and thanked me for endorsing theEternal Voice August - October, 200910 2 311

mission statement of the Congress very logically and inimpressive terminology.ii. I had already experienced the uniqueness of this philosophywhile teaching at the Khalsa School (first of its kind),Vancouver, B.C., Canada during the mid-eighties. A T.V.reporter visited the school to interview me, being the SikhHeritage teacher in the school. In her very first question, shecriticized the opening of that school, “It will put the clock ofintegration of your community back by one generation; thesechildren will not develop the feelings of being Canadianchildren and thus remain segregated from the mainstream.”The reporter got awakened to this truth and responded,“I am sorry, I did not know it.” Finally, in response to myquestion, “Would you dare to relay it on TV, what youhave felt today?” she murmured, “Watch the 6 O' clocknews”, and gave me an assuring smile. My statement wasrelayed during prime news time. The positive responsefrom many Canadians appreciating my commentsconfirmed the acceptability of this Gurmat philosophyby them.iii. Russia and some other members of the dismemberedempire, too, have also introduced Sikh studies in their countries,though many of us are not aware of it. A delegation from Russia,Ukraine, and Belarus, which were part of the former SovietWhen probed what had impressed them in the philosophyof Guru Nanak, many members of the delegation said,“The philosophy of Guru Nanak was based on the principle ofhard work, sharing and faith in God. Though Socialism wasalso based on such a principle, yet it was full of distortions”:Kirt karo, wand chhako and Naam japo.(Work honestly, share your earnings and recite God's name.)iv. The article, Sikhism: The Religion of the Third Millenniumby Marcus Braybrooke, Joint President of the WorldCongress of Faith, Patron of the International InterfaithCenter, Oxford, UK, endorses the universality of themessage of Gurbani. The author, after giving manyreferences, in the end of the article states:Choose ahealthy oil!“The truth that has been at the heart of Sikhism, that allpeople are loved by God enables us to value the other in his orher otherness....... We can give thanks that as we enter thethird Millennium, the central message of Sikhism of ourhuman unity in God's love, which as I believe, the interfaithmovement has helped us to recognize as the message at theheart of all faiths, is now increasingly acknowledged by manyof those who hold political and economic power. Thechallenge perhaps of this new Millennium is not only to hearthat message but now at last to act upon it and to shape a worldsociety which reflects the will of God.”NEWA caution for interfaith dialogueMy response in her terminology was, “Madam,Canadian clock is out of order. You do not acceptRussians, Vietnamese, Indians, and other nationsas equal partners of humanity; your belief in thisphilosophy causes mutual problems and evenwars among the countries. Recently, Americansbombed Vietnam mercilessly, making hundreds ofthousands of their children orphans, for no fault oftheirs. Thousands of soldiers did not return home,making their own children orphans. “In this schoolwe teach students the truth that whole humanity isone earth community; therefore, we should love allpeople and respect their different cultures.Political boundaries of the countries are foradministrative convenience, they are not to dividehumanity into superior or inferior nations. Theseboundaries are man-made and are notpermanent, they continue to change.”Union, visited Punjab during April, 1997. It included writers,artists, musicians, and academicians.“Socialism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere was devoidof spiritualism and that is why it failed,” said ValentinM. Sidorov, President of the International Associationof Peace Through Culture and Yury A. Ageshin, Presidentof the Legal Chamber of Inter-regional Association ofCentral Russia.“We had an atheist model of Socialism, whereas we needed aspiritual model of Communism”, continued Sidorov.The members of the delegation said they were movingaround the world to find out what sort of spiritualism wouldsuit the people of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, who hadremained without it for over 80 years after the OctoberRevolution of 1917.“Principles of Sikhism and its founder Guru Nanak andGuru Gobind Singh are appealing to us more than any otherspiritual way of life. These principles are very close to thephilosophy of those, who propounded theories of Socialism”,concluded Prof. Sidorov.Some interfaith discussions aim to create peace by searchingout common denominators among different religions. Theyare more likely to fail. Basic principles of morality arecommon to all cultures. The differences arise regarding thedescription of the Supreme Reality and the mission of humanlife preached by different faiths. Even if we can find 90% beliefsto be common among all faiths, just one thought, my God(faith) is superior to those of the others, is enough to destroypeace. The belief of the inferiority of the other Gods and henceother faiths, will generate strong mutual hatred and result inviolence and wars, the way it is happening today.To create mutual love among different religions/traditionspracticed in the world, the belief in one common Father-Mother of humanity (of course, with multiple namesand multiple rituals depending upon the culture of aregion/community) is the practical approach. This exactly isthe message preached by the holy people who had communedwith God. Their hymns in original were compiled fourcenturies ago (1604) in the scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.Mutual love among different sections of society was actuallydemonstrated for the first time in the world through theinstitution of Sangat and Pangat.Jivo matlab health bhi, taste bhiEternal Voice August - October, 200912 2 313

an has reached the moon but has not been able to knowhis own self. Deep seas have been explored by him but notMthe fathoms of his own consciousness. Science has shrunk thephysical boundaries of the world but has not been able to controlMan's ego, lust, greed, anger and attachment; which aredetrimental to his own peace within and without, i.e., the peaceof the world. As a result, Man faces problems, stresses andstrains at individual, family, national and international levels.There are a number of problems confronting the world to-day,the sharp dichotomy between affluence and poverty, betweennations and within nations; the problems of the benignant andmalignant use of the forces of sciences, the conflict between thenecessity for the emergence of the world order and the oldfashionedtraditional Nationalism. There are many suchconflicts in the world today. The causes, of course, are many:Historical reasons, geographical factors, economic and socialdeterminants and political and ideological differences. Then,how can we bring peace to this strife-ridden world?This could only be achieved through training of mind withspiritual education and honest search for the Eternal Reality,The way toestablisheverlastingpeaceBy Dr. Khem Singh Gillboth within and without. The worldly education, therefore, needsto be suitably synthesized with spiritual education. It is throughsuch a process that growth of the spirit and realization of self aswell as the higher values of life could be achieved.Sant Teja Singh, in his keynote address at the Eighth Congress ofReligions for the World Peace at Shimizu city in Japan, in 1956,brought out the role of spiritual education for establishingpermanent peace in the world. The main theme of the lecturewas that religion is a subjective research. He said, “It is asscientific, may be more exact in its realization than even theobjective research called science. The whole material world isthe manifestation of the Eternal Divine. In other words, thewhole physical world is the physical frame of God. The scientificresearch deals with this frame. For long, science classifiedmatter and spirit as two distinct things but now its ultimateresearch has found the truth.”In the words of JBS Haldane: “The material world, which hasbeen taken for a world of blind mechanism, is in reality a spiritualworld seen very partially and imperfectly.”The only real world is the spiritual world. The truth is thatneither matter, nor force nor any physical thing, but mind andpersonality is the central fact of the universe. This is nowsupported by all the renowned physicists, like Albert Einsteinand Kirtler F Mather.Unfortunately the Real looking within, and the Realization of theDivinity in the human heart have not been focused by most of thereligious cults. Rituals and forms have taken the first place, andthe essentials of the Divine Research, meditation on Naam,daily Hari Kirtan (singing hymns in the divine praise), thepractice of the religious Truths in our daily life, have beenrelegated to a secondary place.It is the duty of all the religionists to come on a common platformand give to the world the message, so simply and forcefully givenby Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru Nanak, in Sukhmani Sahib(The Jewel of Peace and Atonement):Sarabh Dharam meh sreshta Dharam Har ko Naam jap nirmal karam. (266){The purest and highest Dharma (Religion) is: Meditation onthe Divine and performing righteous and selfless actions in ourdaily life.”}Guru Arjan Dev brings on the same spiritual platform allthose, who meditated on Naam, without any distinction ofcaste, creed, race or color, on the Indian soil. Not only did hebring them on the same platform as equal co-partners in theSpiritual Realm, but he also demonstrated scientifically forthe first time in the history of religion, that the Sphere of God'sconsciousness or the Realization of the Divine within is a realpermanent and fixed stage. A seeker after truth can realize it ifhe sincerely carries on the research and goes on the path ofdevotion and prayer without falling into the pitfalls which comein the way of this long and arduous journey.Guru Arjan Dev has, side by side, with the hymns of the Gurus,in Guru Granth Sahib, placed the hymns of various Bhagats(God-conscious persons) of the medieval period, who followedthe path of devotion and prayer and realized the Divine within.These Bhagats belonged to various castes and religions and inthe beginning, followed the rites and rituals of their own sect, butas they went on, all rituals and forms dropped off and they allwith one voice proclaimed the same Truth, the existence and therealization of an all-pervading and all-embracing divine reality‘the one-in-all and all-in-one’. Thus, establishing once for all thatthe sphere of God-consciousness is a live realization and he,who honestly searches after it in all humility and keeps thecompany of God-conscious persons, reaches it.God is the subject matter of consciousness. He is beyond thescope of the limited intellect of man. He can be realized butcannot be expressed in words. Just as joy and sorrow are felt,but are inexpressible in spoken language.The various religions, countries and races, need to lay stress onthe realization of the Divine by meditating on Naam, singing Hispraises and selfless service of mankind, coupled with sweethumility and righteousness in dealing with the fellow-men. Thenthe day foretold by all prophets, seers, sages and Gurus willcome, when mankind, realizing its true spiritual kinship, wouldlive in an atmosphere of mutual trust, love, goodwill andinterfaith. The sword will be turned into the plough-share andHeaven filled with peace and bliss will come down to this Earth.August - October, 200915

Mughal oppressors and taken out of the sanctum sanctorum ofTakhat Sri Hazur Sahib for the first time. The Yatra achieved itspurpose prior to the final showdown.It was the first time that the Sikh community was celebrating thecentenary, as during the first 100 years, India was under theMughal rule and for the following 200 years, the British ruled us.Hence, for the first time, free India celebrated the centenaryevent of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib, all over the worldwith religious fervor and added vigor. Attracting people from allfaiths, the Yatra achieved the task of interfaith as well as nationalintegration too, besides achieving other objectives.Passing through almost all the states of India acrossMaharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Orissa,Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab,Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir etc., the Yatra covering morethan 200 cities, culminated finally on 10 August, 2008 inNanded amidst great fanfare. The Yatra moved in a massiveprocession and was welcomed everywhere with fervor andfireworks. People from all walks of life and religions,especially Sikhs, gathered in large numbers to welcome theYatra. At several places aircrafts and helicopters showeredflower petals during the journey. The colorful Yatra includedKirtani Jathas, rendering hymns from the holy books, allalong the route; Gatka (Sikh martial art) performers,displaying extraordinary skills in martial arts; a fleet ofbuses, trucks, cars, two-wheelers and several other modesof transport; at some places even bullock-carts and tractors;Panj Piaras (the five beloved ones), in their traditionalsaffron attire etc. At the tail of the huge procession was thetastefully decorated Palki, the center of attraction, adornedwith orchids. It had the gold plated domes on the top and aglass screen on all sides, through which, one could see theweapons of the Guru and the hand-written Guru GranthSahib. At several places people used to gather along theroads much before the Yatra arrived. While the female Sangatswept the divine pathway of the Yatra, the men-folk formed ahuman chain to felicitate the smooth progress of the Yatra.Serpentine queues of devotees, sometimes running into acouple of kilometers, were seen receiving and then joining theslow-moving Yatra to keep up with the frenzy of the ShabadchantingSangat, who wished to bow their heads in reverence forGuru Granth Sahib and making their cash contributions. Someladies were seen taking off their gold ornaments and offeringthem with reverence. An endless distribution of Parshad ofdifferent varieties, was on throughout the route and theSewadars did their very best to control the huge crowds. Allroads leading to the on-the-way Gurdwaras, were decorated withilluminated gates, festive lights and buntings to receive the Yatra.Thousands of hoardings proclaiming the arrival of the Yatrawere seen on the roads all over India. People reached inprocessions from nearby areas on all modes of transport anddisplaying horse-carriages, floats, Gatka (Sikh martial arts)and music bands. School children at several points made theirpresence conspicuous by their uniforms. Milk, tea and snacks’stalls were set up at every nook and corner. Guru-ka-Langar(free community meal) was served all along the route.Gurbani Kirtan, Dhadi Varaan, Gatka and Aatishbaazi (displayof fire-works) was a common sight everywhere.At every night halt for the Jagriti Yatra, special congregationwas arranged, where Kirtan Darbar was invariably heldfollowed by Guru-ka-Langar and Aatishbaazi. At severalplaces, Military and Police bands were also in attendance fortheir gallant and royal performances. Almost all theGovernments organized state-level functions. SeveralGovernors, Chief Ministers and the Government machineryparticipated profusely and whole-heartedly. Guards of honorwere given to the Yatra at several places.The revolution of devotion that started with the Jagriti Yatradid not end with its culmination. It once again touched andreplenished millions of lives during the historical week-longShatabadi Samagam at Hazur Sahib. From 29 October to4 November, 2008, Nanded resonated with the devotion ofmillions celebrating 300 Saal Guru de Naal.The main reason for the all-round participation and theunprecedented response of one and all was that the holy GuruGranth Sahib is a universal scripture, with hymns of the veneratedSikh Gurus, Hindu Bhagats (God-conscious persons) MuslimSufis (mystics) and enlightened saints from different faiths, sectsand religions, giving a universal message of brotherhood,goodwill, mutual trust, peace, harmony and interfaith.The Sikh faith, founded in 1469 by Guru Nanak, came to beestablished with the birth of Khalsa Panth three Centuries ago,after 239 years of evolving under the ten Gurus. Guru GobindSingh, the tenth Master, anointed Guru Granth Sahib as theGuru Eternal in the year 1708 at Nanded and thereby ended thechain of the individual Guru to Panj Piare Guru and theelevation of the Shabad ('Word') Guru Granth-Guru Panthphilosophy (one without the other becomes meaningless).Sikhs around the world regard Guru Granth Sahib as theultimate spiritual authority and endeavor to live under itsguidance. No Sikh ceremony is deemed to be completed withoutits presence. It guides humans with moral, spiritual and ethicalvalues, vital to form an ideal society.Nanded is one of the historical places in Marathwada region ofMaharashtra. It is situated on the north bank of river Godavariand is a town of great antiquity, famous for Gurdwaras, built inmemory of Guru Gobind Singh. It is accessible by train fromDelhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Nanded airport is likely tobecome operational soon, although some odd flights fromMumbai trickle in presently. In the year 1708, a year followingthe death of Aurangzeb, the tenth Master traveled to Nanded, hisfinal worldly abode. Maharaja Ranjit Singh got a beautifulGurdwara constructed around 1835, at a place where the Gurumerged with the divine light. It has an imposing golden dome,akin to Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, with intricate carvingsand a breathtakingly beautiful art work.Nanded became a part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state in 1725,when the Nizam permanently opted for the Deccan and itcontinued to be a part of the Nizam's dominions until 1948. Afterpartition, the district forming part of the Marathwada regionof Hyderabad state becamepart of the then bilingualBombay state. Consequently,upon the creation of Maharashtrain 1956, the district continues to forma part of the state of Maharashtra. Although Guru GobindSingh did not spend more than a month of his worldly journey atNanded, yet some great events marked his last days:i. He exalted Guru Granth Sahib to the status of the 'Word'(Shabad) Guru, that places every Sikh into immanentprotection of the Guru himself, making him deathless indefence of truth and justice;ii.He put an end to his own worldly journey, yes, of hisown volition;(This explains why the exalting of Guru Granth Sahib iscalled Gurta Gaddi in the Sikh tradition and the secondevent is called Parlokgaman or heavenly journey of theGuru. The two events took place on 5 October and7-8 October, 1708 respectively.)iii. Also, it was from Nanded that the Guru sent Baba BandaSingh Bahadur as the first Jathedar of the Sikh Panth toPunjab to fight the Mughals. It was Banda Bahadur, whoshook the Mughal empire to its very foundation.The year-long celebrations culminated, but the devotees are stillin the process of celebrating the great event. Akhand Paaths,Sehaj Paaths and Shabad Kirtans continue to be performedregularly, in continuation, by individuals as well as institutions,all over the world. This year-long extended program is likely toculminate on 22-23 October, 2009, at Nanded. The concludingSimran Diwas is scheduled for 15 November, when thedevotees across the globe will once again recite Mool Mantrafor 15 minutes. The wheel of celebrations will thus havecompleted a full circle and will culminate the same way, as itbegan exactly two years ago.All said and done, for Sikhs, 300 Saal Guru de Naal – thetercentenary celebrations of these twin great events in 2008,should mean re-dedicating themselves to the Guru. The outerjourney to celebrate the great event might have ended, butit should lead us into a more important inward journey ofspiritual awakening.As a fruitful conclusion of this celebration, let the community:i. Remove the bad image of being drunkards and addictsii. Start spending, as mandated, 15-20 minutes everyday withGuru De Naal (read Gurbani)iii. Feel proud to be Sikhs and respect the appearancecommanded by the Guruiv. Strive to depict Sikhi as the foremost interfaith religion.Eternal Voice August - October, 200918 2 319

The Guru & the GranthA view through world's GurdwarasBy Patwant Singhhe significance of the Gurdwara in the minds of the Sikhs isTbest understood in the context of the humane and moralideas which established Sikhism as a major presence on India'sreligious and social landscape.These ideas and philosophic concepts were contained in GuruGranth Sahib, the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs and becausethe Gurdwara was built to house them, it came to represent theinspiring ideals enshrined in them.In the Gurdwara and around it, a new rhythm of life began torevolve for people of the Sikh faith; for that matter, people of allfaiths - since none were excluded from this house of God.People were inspired by the concept of the Sangat: acongregation assembled to celebrate the philosophy oftogetherness, of universality.People came to the Gurdwara in search of clarity as well, tofind convincing answers to the contradictions and chaosaround them. They found these in the verses of the scriptures,which wanted life to be celebrated in all its manifestations.Which stressed the logic and beauty of a collective conscious,free of caste, creed and other distinction. Which sought toelevate - and not diminish - all creations in the cosmos andacknowledged the meaning and purpose of the differentstrands of life that exist around us.As was inevitable, Guru Granth Sahib - a perennial source ofwisdom, balanced thought and humane beliefs - became themagnetic center of each Gurdwara. The raison d'etre for itsunique position in the hearts and minds of the Sikhs.As calligraphy gave way to new print technologies, whichenabled standardized editions of Guru Granth Sahib to beproduced and acquired easily, Sikhs started setting aside aspecial place for it in their homes. It, too, was called theGurdwara - a room hallowed by the holy book and used forcommunion with God.The earliest of the Gurdwara's social functions, which in a sensepredates even its own advent in its present form, is the Langar;the community kitchen attached to every Gurdwara in which allare welcome to eat. The Langar - like so many other practices ofthe Sikh faith - was a far-sighted move aimed at eradicating thepernicious custom of preventing the higher and lower castesfrom eating together. The tradition of the free kitchen continuesto this day. Most Gurdwaras also have places for pilgrims andtravelers to stay in. In time, schools, colleges and clinics werealso added - each addition an extension of the tradition of Sewa,the practice of voluntary service, established by the Gurus.Much remains to be written about the old traditions and othersnow in the making. My aim is to trace the Gurdwara's evolution;to narrate the circumstances, which have made it theredoubtable standard-bearer of the Sikh faith. Only a historicalapproach can explain how the Gurdwara-going traditiondeveloped in the lives of the Sikh people and how pastassociations and events have influenced the intensity of thepresent relationship between the Sikhs and their Gurdwara.Despite the resoluteness with which Sikhs have risen to everychallenge throughout history, they have still to face up to thechallenge of conserving their own heritage. Many of the originalstructures of beautiful old Gurdwaras, whose bricks, walls andcolumns were witnesses to the most moving epochs in Sikhhistory, have been demolished through sheer insensitivity andlack of concern. Paintings, frescos, murals and arabesques havebeen obliterated. Rare manuscripts are virtually disintegrating.No authentic inventory of the incredible range of evocativesymbols from the earliest times exists, which could be a sourceof invaluable research for scholars and historians and providean incentive to those who want to see what is left - and where - ofour priceless heritage.It is necessary to give urgent thought to this neglected aspect ofour many-splendored heritage by establishing a ConservationFund, along with a purposeful program for conserving theremaining artefacts of our history before they too are destroyed ordisappear without trace. While it is good to build new Gurdwaras,the destruction of the old is ill-advised. The new is another link inthe continuum of history and the two have to co-exist with eachother. One cannot replace the other. As people around the worldbecome increasingly conscious of the need to conserve theirheritage and are perfecting new techniques and skills for thepreservation restoration of history's artefacts, it will be tragic if wecontinue to neglect the relics of our rich past.The images which come to mind are of lime-washed buildings.Dazzling white. The austere aesthetics of their wallsunrelieved by ‘religious art’: their domes and cupolassilhouetted against the cobalt blue of the Indian skies. Andfluttering high on the highest of flag-masts, the Nishan Sahib(flag), an inspiring symbol for the Sikhs. A beacon to the houseof God. To their Gurdwara.The images, in turn, stir many emotions. Sharp, intense,indefinable. A yearning for the comforting sense of peace in itssacred precincts. A longing or the fragrance of garlands. Ofmarigolds and rose petals and the many other flowers laid withreverence before Guru Granth Sahib. Or showered on it to honorthe sages, savants and scholars whose insights illuminate it.With these images surfaces the ever-abiding longing to listen tothe Shabads. The passages from Guru Granth Sahib set to theragas and rendered in the robust, resonant voices of the Ragis.An experience so elevating as to bring tears to many eyes.Eternal Voice August - October, 200920 2 321

Then there is the urge to savor again the Karah Parshad - thesacramental food blessed by the Lord and given to all, whovisit a Gurdwara.The images and emotions are unending. Each sustained by theinner well-spring of inspiration, belief, hope, commitment, pride,passion and ecstasy: that rich mix of feelings which imbuespeople with love and confidence in their faith.Sikhism evolved during the stormiest period of Indianhistory and the amazing affinity of the Sikhs with theirGurdwara is best understood in the perspective of time.From the time Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith,began his philosophic and spiritual quest to synthesize thesubcontinent's two warring religions - Hinduism and Islam - towhen Sikhism itself took to the sword after its fifth Guru,Arjan Dev was savagely put to death by the Mughal EmperorJehangir. The entire quality and complexion of Hindustan'ssocial, political and religious configurations would change inthe aftermath of that event. What the journey back into timewould reveal is how the Gurdwara emerged out of thesechanges. A new edifice on India's religious landscape. Anindestructible symbol of the Sikh faith.While the story of Sikhism commences with Guru Nanak'sbirth in 1469: that of the Gurdwara - as Sikhism's house ofprayer, piety and probity - begins with Hargobind, the sixthGuru, who took over the stewardship of the faith in 1606.The concept of the Gurdwara, in this context, is generallyattributed to him, though the word is at times used in theGurbani the Guru's scriptures in another sense. There verybroadly it is used to convey ‘by God's grace’, or, ‘because ofGod's will’, or even, ‘God willing’.Though Sikhism and the Gurdwara were not synchronousat their inception, they would gradually becomeindistinguishable from each other following the violencevisited on the fifth Guru. In the four centuries since, theGurdwara has provided the Sikhs with the most intense andelevating moments of their lives. In turn, they have respondedto the Gurdwara with their love, loyalty, wealth and devotion.But this relationship was still in the future.Guru Nanak's efforts during the bloodiest period of Indianhistory were directed at a search for an alternative to theuncompromising and endless religious wars of the time. Thewelter of bloodshed had, in fact, gone beyond religious hostility,as different Mohammedan invaders of India fought evenbloodier battles with each other in their drive to acquire thelimitless wealth of Hindustan. Given the prevailing culture ofintolerance, Guru Nanak applied his inquiring mind to a searchfor more humans and just ways to overcome the prejudices,passions and hatred, which were destroying the land. To thatend he traveled extensively to seek out men of reason andrational thought of different religious persuasions, includingmystics, philosophers and poet-saints.While it was natural that the environment in the orthodox familyinto which he was born had led him to study the Vedas andthe Brahminical Shastras, Guru Nanak's own. search forknowledge drew him to the works of Vaishnavite philosopherNamdev, the Sufi mystic Sheikh Farid, the Muslim poet-saintKabir and many others. He made no distinction between them.He was inspired by their vision and wisdom. To achieve his goalof unifying and synthesizing two seemingly irreconcilablereligions, Guru Nanak was not about to distance himself fromone or the other on the basis of preference of prejudice. Thus hisclose study of the Koran.In time his studies, exchanges and travels led him to write agreat deal on subjects that ranged from the spiritual anddevotional to the social and philosophic. As was inevitable, hisimpeccable secular credentials and scholarship drew anincreasing number of people of different faiths to Kartarpur, onthe Ravi to join the new community which had begun to settlearound him in this setting of rural Punjab. It is here that he livedthe last eighteen years or so of his life. What appealed to hisfollowers was not only his wisdom but also the social concernsto which he gave clear and courageous expression. He rejectedrituals, superstition and widespread idolatry; the role of anentrenched priesthood and the pernicious caste system. Theywere incompatible, in his view, with the compassion ofHinduism, just as the destruction of idols in Hindu places ofworship was not in consonance with the Islamic concept of theessential brotherhood of Man.Guru Nanak's thoughts on the religious bigotry prevailingthen - along with his other perceptions - were expressed in over900 hymns which his successor, Angad, compiled in a book,that also included some of his own writings. All of these wouldfind a place of honor in Guru Granth Sahib.Since Nanak neither aimed at establishing a new religion, noraspired to a divine status for himself, an edifice to enshrine hisideals was not on his agenda. The Gurdwara would fulfil thatrole much later, as Sikhism evolved into a distinct religion in itsown right. Even then, god-ship would not be conferred on anindividual, but on Guru Granth Sahib.And the Gurdwara, built to enshrine it, would become a house ofGod because of the sanctity accorded to it by Guru GranthSahib, after its compilation by the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev.The use of the word 'Guru', in the vocabulary of the Sikhs, wasnot meant to elevate or exalt a human being to the level ofdivinity. It was simply a way of addressing a teacher, and sinceGuru Nanak had planted and fostered the seeds of Sikhism atKartarpur, his followers looked on him as the Guru to the newEternal Voice August - October, 200922 2 323

movement - its teacher. The word Sikh was itself derived fromSikhya, which in turn is a variation of the Sanskrit word Shishya,meaning a disciple or devoted follower.There would be ten successive Gurus before the tenth andthe last, Gobind Singh, ended the office of Guru for all time.He told his followers before he merged with the divine lightthat after him the supreme Guru of the Sikhs would be GuruGranth Sahib, whose uniqueness lies in its authenticity.Neither based on interpretation-tradition nor reconstruction,it is rendered in the very words the Gurus used in theirteachings and writings and which form the major portion ofGuru Granth Sahib. While the message of Christ was madepossible through the works of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John;and of the Buddha and Confucius through several rungs oftheir disciples and scholars: the compositions of the SikhGurus were handed down unchanged to their followers. Theonly other scripture which has remained unchanged though itwas revealed to rather than written by the Prophet is theauthenticated version of the Koran which was finalized in thetime of the third Caliph, Uthman.The idea of elevating a book of scriptures to the highest levelof leadership and investing it with the authority usually vestedin individuals, was to prove amazingly successful in providingthe Sikhs with inspiration, spiritual direction and self-renewal.They have turned to it for counsel ever since, all throughtheir lives, finding reassurance and comfort in the writings ofthe towering figures of the faith whose observations still retaintheir relevance. Especially as society's social and humanpredicaments have not lessened with time.Guru Nanak's successors were equally committed in their zealfor reform. The third Guru, Amar Das, also rejected abstractconceptions which sought legitimacy in myth and fantasy - infavor of direct practical action. Through the Langar(community kitchen), Sikhs were encouraged to eat togetherwhenever they congregated, ending the invidious social practicewhich prevented the higher and lower castes from doing so.He forbade Sati - by which widows immolated themselves ontheir husband's pyres - allowed widows to remarry; stoppedthe veiling of women, and reversed the existing practice ofexcluding women from preaching by appointing womenpreachers. Equality between men and women in the Sikhculture owes a great deal to his foresight.Alongside these profound social and philosophic changes theGurus were adding a new devotional perspective and intensityto Sikh beliefs. Its aim was to discourage the deification ofhuman Gurus by emphasizing the supreme ideal of Sat-Guru(God) as the personification of virtues like purity, piety, wisdomand truth. This also helped to prevent the places in which thefirst three Gurus had lived (Kartarpur, Khadur and Goindwal),and where so many people had experienced the uplifting visionof new moral and spiritual possibilities, from becoming housesof God - or places of worship. Since the concept of the Gurdwarawas still to be conceived, its precursors were calledDharammandir, Dharamsala and such. This, in the broadestsense, means places founded by those with shared beliefs and acommitment to truth, duty and community service.A giant step towards building a permanent fountainhead ofthe Sikh faith was taken by the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev. Eventhough the site of what would become the future city of Amritsarwas selected by the third Guru, who built a modest mud housefor himself at the edge of a serene stretch of water in awooded setting and work on the holy township was started bythe fourth Guru, the contribution of Arjan Dev is of greatsignificance. With intuitive foresight he had understood the needto develop a place which would become the core of the Sikhfaith. To which all Sikhs would feel connected in the umbilicalsense; a source from which they could draw spiritualsustenance, no matter how distant they were from it physically.Clearly, the first step was to build a structure which was morethan a mere symbol. But how? What would make it anembodiment, of the emotions, sentiments, self-esteem, spiritualgoals and compassion of the Sikhs? A repository of those veryelements of the faith which were drawing an increasingnumber of people to it?Guru Arjan Dev began by concentrating his energies ondeveloping a concept for the physical design of the hallowedshrine. It had to be simple yet powerful in its symbolism, witheach of its design elements conveying a message. Set in thecenter of the pool which many believed had miraculous powersof healing, he wanted it built at a level lower than the land aroundit. And it must have four entrances. The location of the structurein the pool would represent Nirgun and Sargun, the spiritualand temporal realms of human existence. The aim of reversingthe prevailing practice of building high temple plinths was todrive home the point that it was Sikhism's inner strength - notthe scale of its place of worship - which must impress itsadherents. And the four entrances, one on each side of thisholiest of all Sikh shrines, would highlight the fact that all fourcastes were welcome to the Sikh faith. In Guru Arjan Dev'swords “the four castes of Kshatriyas, Brahmins, Sudras andVaisyas are equal partners in divine instruction”:Guru Arjan wanted this place of worship in the Sarovar (pool)to be called the Harmandir.The challenge now was to make the Harmandir the veryheart of Sikhism.The Sikhs, who left their homeland to make new lives forthemselves in distant parts of the world, have built manybeautiful Gurdwaras in the cities they live in. These provideeloquent proof of their pride in their faith and their undyingresolve to raise noble edifices in its honor.Eternal Voice August - October, 200924 2 325

What is equally praiseworthy is how many of them havecontinued the practice of Sewa or voluntary service, which runslike a continuous thread through Sikh history. Though theyhave still to start colleges and hospitals on an appreciable scale,the tradition of the free kitchen continues to flourish.With their distinctive appearance, adventuresome spirit, senseof service and exemplary work ethic, Sikhs have created apowerful impact in all those countries which have opened up forpeople of their faith to settle in. And wherever they have put theirroots down, there stands the abiding symbol of their pride anddevotion - their Gurdwara.26Eternal Voice

Vices negated inGuru Granth SahibAdulterypr Gir cIqu mnmuiK folwie ]Par ghar cheet manmukh dolaa-e. (226)(An apostate mind is lured by another's wife.)ry nr kwie pr igRih jwie ]kucl kTor kwim grDB qum nhI suinE Drm rwie ]R-ai nar kaa-e par greh jaa-eKuchal katthor kaam gardhabh Tum nahee(n) suni-o Dharam raa-e. (1001){O man! Why do you go out to the households of others(to entice their women)? You filthy, heartless and lustfuldonkey! Haven't you heard of the Divine advice ofThe Almighty Lord of Divine justice?}Angerrosu n kwhU sMg krhu Awpn Awpu bIcwir ]Ross na kaahoo sang kar-hau Aapan aap beechaar. (259)(Do not be angry or jealous with anyone; rather search yourinner-self to remove the evil.)kwmu k®oDu kwieAw kau gwlY ] ijau kMcn sohwgw FwlY ]Kaam karodh kaa-i-aa ka-o gaal-ei Ji-au kanchan sohaagaa dhaal-ei. (932)(Lust and anger destroy body, health and virtuesas borax melts the gold.)PrIdw bury dw Blw kir gusw min n hFwie ]dyhI rogu n lgeI plY sBu ikCu pwie ]Farida bur-ai daa bhalaa kar Gusaa mann na hadhaa-eDai-hee rog na laga-ee Pal-ei sabh kichh paa-e. (1381-82)(Farid, render holy help to others and do not bear anger inyour mind. Your body shall not suffer from any disease andyou shall obtain everlasting bliss.)Attachmenthy Aijq sUr sMgRwmM Aiq blnw bhu mrdnh ]gx gMDrb dyv mwnuK´M psu pMKI ibmohnh ]H-ai ajitt soor sangraam-aN Att balnaa bah-au maradnehGann gandharab dev maanukh-aN Pas pankhee bimohneh. (1358)(O emotional attachment, you are the invincible warriorof the battlefield of life; you totally crush and destroyeven the most powerful. You entice and fascinateeven the heavenly heralds, celestial singers, gods,mortals, beasts and birds.)mohu Aru Brmu qjhu qum@ bIr ] swcu nwmu irdy rvY srIr ]Moh ar bharam tajah-au tum beer Saach Naam rid-ai rav-ei sareer. (356)(Renounce your attachments and doubts, O brother,and recite the True Name withinyour heart and body.)jyqw mohu prIiq suAwd ] sBw kwlK dwgw dwg ]Jetaa moh pareet su-aad Sabhaa kaalakh daagaa daag. (662)(These worldly attachments, loves and pleasurable tastes,all are just black stains.)CastesBu ko aUcw AwKIAY nIcu n dIsY koie ]ieknY BWfy swijAY ieku cwnxu iqhu loie ]Sabh ko oochaa aakhee-ei Neech na dees-ei ko-eIkn-ei bhaa(n)d-ai saaji-ei ik chanann teh lo-e. (62)(Call everyone noble; none should be considered lowly.The One Lord has fashioned everyone and HisDivine Light pervades all creatures.)grB vws mih kulu nhI jwqI ]bRhm ibMdu qy sB auqpwqI ]Garabh vass meh kull nahee(n) jaateeBrahm bind t-ai sabh utpaatee. (324)(In the womb of the mother, neither caste nor family prideexists. It is from the Lord's seed that every bodycomes into being.)jwiq kw grbu n kir mUrK gvwrw ]iesu grb qy clih bhuqu ivkwrw ]Jaat kaa garabh na kar moorakh gavaaraaIs garabh t-ai chaleh bahut vicaaraa. (1127-28){O fool! Don't be proud of your (high) caste,for, many sins flow out of this pride.}jwiq jnmu nh pUCIAY sc Gru lyhu bqwie ]sw jwiq sw piq hY jyhy krm kmwie ]Jaat janam neh poochee-ei Sach ghar lai-hau bataa-eSaa jaat saa patt h-ei Jehe karam kamaa-e. (1330)(That alone is a man's caste and that is his glory,as are the deeds done by him.)EgoqIrQ nwqw ikAw kry mn mih mYlu gumwnu ]Tirath naataa ki-aa kar-ai Mann meh m-eil gumaan. (61)(What is the use of bathing at sacred pilgrimages, when thefilth of stubborn pride is kept in the mind?)Awps kau jo Blw khwvY ] iqsih BlweI inkit n AwvY ]Aapas k-au jo bhalaa kahaav-ei Tiseh bhalaa-ee nikat na aav-ei. (278)(Goodness does not touch him, who pretends to be good.)nwnk sy nr Asil Kr ij ibnu gux grbu krMiq ]Nanak s-ai nar asal khar Je bin gunn garabh karant. (1246)(Guru Nanak says. “The real asses are those persons,who pride, without any virtue.”)Greedijau kUkru hrkwieAw DwvY dh ids jwie ]loBI jMqu n jwxeI BKu ABKu sB Kwie ]Ji-o kookar harkaa-i-aa Dhaav-ei deh dis jaa-eLobhee jant na jaan-ee Bhakh abhakh sabh khaa-e. (50)(Like the mad dog running around in all directions, similarly,the greedy person does not know what type of rubbish andfilthy material he is eating indiscriminately.)dunIAw lib pieAw Kwq AMdir AglI gl n jwxIAw ]Dunee-aa labh pa-i-aa Khaat andar aglee gal na jaanee-aa. (1020)(Through worldly greed, you have fallen into the pit;you know nothing about the divine virtues for whichyou have come in this world.)HypocrisyglN ØI AsI cMgIAw AwcwrI burIAwh ]mnhu kusuDw kwlIAw bwhir ictvIAwh ]Galee(n) asee(n) changee-aa(n) Aachaaree buree-aahManh-au kusudhaa kaalee-aa(n) Baahar chitvee-aah. (85)(We are good at talking, but our conduct is bad.Our minds are awfully imbued with all sins,but outwardly, we appear to be pure and pious.)ikAw jpu ikAw qpu ikAw bRq pUjw ]jw kY irdY Bwau hY dUjw ]Ke-aa japp ke-aa tapp ke-aa barat poojaaJaa k-ei rid-ei bha-au h-ei doojaa. (324)(What use is chanting and what use is penance, fasting or ritualworship, to one, whose heart is imbued with duality i.e., ego?)sIis invwieAY ikAw QIAY jw irdY kusuDy jwih ]Sees nivaa-i-ei ki-aa thee-ei Jaa rid-ei kusudh-ai jaah-e. (470)(What is the use by bowing the head before God,when the heart is full of filth?)swD Bly AxnwiqAw cor is corw cor ]Saadh bhal-ai ann-naati-aa Chor se choraa chor. (789)(The holy man is blessed, even without bathing,while a thief is a thief, no matter how much he bathes.)

A poem be read several times in order to ‘hear’ it and feel its emotions.Jealousyijsu AMdir qwiq prweI hovY iqs dw kdy n hovI Blw ]Jis andar taat paraa-ee hov-ei Tis daa kad-ai na hovee bhalaa. (308)(One, who is jealous of others, never becomes pious.)AihrK vwdu n kIjY ry mn ]Ahirakh vaad na keej-ei r-ai mann. (479)(O my mind! Do not indulge in jealousy.)Aiq fwhpix duKu Gxo qIny Qwv BrIfu ]Att daahpann dukh ghanno Teen-ai thaav bhareed. (1091)(Man suffers a lot of pain due to jealousy and is cursedthroughout the whole universe.)Lustbhu swdhu dUKu prwpiq hovY ] Boghu rog su AMiq ivgovY ]Bah-au saadhau dookh paraapat hov-eiBhog-hau rog su antt vigov-ei. (1034)(Excessive pleasures lead to suffering. Sexual pleasurecurses the person and one is ultimately ruined.)hy loBw lµpt sMg isrmorh Aink lhrI klolqy ]DwvMq jIAw bhu pRkwrM Aink BWiq bhu folqy ]H-ai lobhaa lampat sung sirmoreh Anik lahree kalolat-aiDhaavant jee-aa bah-au parkaar-aN Anik bhaant bah-au dolt-ai. (1358)(O lust! You have clung even to the great and by your wavesplayed many pranks. Through you, the beings run about inmany directions and greatly wobble in multiple manners.)Omensgun Apsgun iqs kau lgih ijsu cIiq n AwvY ]Sagun apsagun tis k-au lageh Jis cheet na aav-ei. (401)(Good omens and bad omens affect him, who forgets the Lord.)gix gix joqku kWfI kInI ] pVY suxwvY qqu n cInI ]sBsY aUpir gur sbdu bIcwru ]Gann gann jotak kaandee keenee Parh-ei sunaav-ei tatt na cheeneeSabhs-ei oopar Gur Shabad beechaar. (904){(O Priest) You calculate the auspicious day and time andadvise others, but do not realize that the Supreme Being isabove and beyond these.}RitualsjIvq ipqr n mwnY koaU mUeyN isrwD krwhI ]ipqr BI bpury khu ikau pwvih kaUAw kUkr KwhI ]Jeevat pitar na maan-ei kau-oo Moo-ain siraadh karaaheePitar bhee bapur-ai kahau ki-au paaveh Ka-oo-aa kookar khaahee. (332)(He does not honor his ancestors while they are alive, but holdsfeasts in their honor after they have died. O duffer! How canthe ancestors receive the same, which has beeneaten by the crows and dogs.)krm Drm kI sUl n shhu ]Karam dharam kee sool na sah-hau. (343)(Don't endure the torture of rituals and religious rites.)sqIAw eyih n AwKIAin jo miVAw lig jlµin@ ]nwnk sqIAw jwxIAin@ ij ibrhy cot mrMin@ ]Satee-aa(n) ai-h-e na aakhee-ann Jo marhi-aa lag jalan-nhNanak satee-aa(n) jaanee-anh Je birh-ai chot maran-nh. (787)(A devoted woman is not one, who burns herself on the pyre ofher husband. Nanak! A devotee is one, who dies with theshock of separation from her divine husband.)SlanderAsMK inMdk isir krih Bwru ]Asankh nindak sirr kar-eh bhaar. (4){Innumerable are the slanders, who carry on their headsload of sins (of slandering others.)}inMdw BlI iksY kI nwhI mnmuK mugD krMin ]muh kwly iqn inMdkw nrky Goir pvMin ]Nindaa bhalee kis-ei kee naahee Manmukh mugadh karannMuh kaal-ai tinn nindkaa(n) Nark-ai ghor pavann. (755)(It is not good to slander anyone, only the foolish egocentricsdo it. The slanders are condemned and they fall intothe most horrible hell.)Compiled by Inderjeet KaurKeep Fast Your Vision(Ram naam ur mai gehio Ja ke sam nahee koe)Keep fast,In your vision!The immutable faithIn God!Catch tight,In your mental grip,The firm Trust in God,There is nothingEquivalent,To this Immovable faith!There is nothingAt par with firmBelief in God!Says Nanak,With faith in heart,You come out victorious!From the extreme crisis.With trust in God,You come out gloriousFrom the unfavourable trials,God, Himself,Shows the way!baljeet kaur tulsiThe book of poemsLosta sadness unlike sadnessa solitude tinged with greycaged whispers hound the hearta soundless mourning chokes......................................and the greens shy away;life could not be more chequeredblack and white never more clearnumbness is so graphic today:The spirit shall ask no questionsfor there are no answers today.reema anand-120- -121-August - October, 200931

an friends be impartial when they 'review' yourCpersonality? Not usually- but learn to brush away theiremotional bias and you may spot true, helpful messageslying underneath!Joseph Conrad once said, “I don't want to be criticized. I want tobe praised”- a sentiment that is probably shared by most of us.And yet, as painful - and sometimes futile - as it is, we try tomaintain our cool and remain open to criticism, because, insome way, we know that growth can't proceed without it.Your boss has to tell you whether your work is up-to-the-mark orif it should improve. Your co-workers, if they're conscientious,Criticism often acts as an effective cover for more troublingfeelings. If your sister accuses you of being self-absorbedand self-important, you are neither, but she's probablyso envious of your professional success that she wishesyou'd never mention it.CriticismBy Gita Hariwill give you feedback about your interaction with them. If youlive with someone, your tastes, your behavior in certainsituations, your goals, the way you manage your day - all comeunder careful scrutiny.If you're lucky, you'll get sensitive, usable criticism. In the bestrelationships, criticism plays an important role, because it helpsyou to grow. As the great Elbert Hubbard once said, the onlyway to avoid criticism is to “do nothing, say nothing, be nothing”.How, though, can you distinguish criticism that's fair fromcriticism that's foul? How do you know whether to be open or tofight back? And how do you know when to be fully receptive,even though the words that you hear sting and chafe?Ideally, criticism is feedback. “You're wearing too muchmake-up”, “Try to do the dance step more like this”, “You mightnot want to go to a business meeting in such a seductive dress”;all these statements are ones that friends, can make to oneanother - tenderly, lovingly, confidentially or matter-of-factly -without a hint of scorn or irritation, with no ulterior motive.If offered that way, they should be accepted as gifts.Rarely, however, is a person pulled aside and told such thingsfor his own benefit. Far more often, a hidden agenda is at work.Criticism often acts as an effective cover for more troublingfeelings. If your sister accuses you of being self-absorbed andself-important, you are neither, but she's probably soenvious of your professional success that she wishes you'dnever mention it. Your friend wisecracks about your hair,your weight, the shape of your nose; the problem isn't youat all; it's him.He doesn't see you as a person, but as an object. If you do havea fault, it is letting him berate you like that.Fear of the unknown can also impel criticism; your motherwarns you against traveling alone to Chennai, predicts everycalamity and accuses you of being irresponsible, She'd neverhave dreamed of living so adventurously, and she is threatenedby your verve.Some critics are, of course, simply arrogant. Your friend tellsyou that your job-search techniques are old-fashioned andout-of-touch, and she says it so authoritatively, you're tempted tobelieve her and start all over. Then you remember that thisfriend is a know-it-all with an opinion about everything. Her onlypurpose is to aggrandize herself.Distinguishing between constructive criticism and these sneakyexpressions of competitiveness, hostility or disapproval canbe tricky, particularly when friends are involved. Because youcare about their opinions, you may forget that their views beinsidiously entwined with grievances, hurt feelings andunspoken resentments.Telling someone she has a flaw - sloppiness, overeating,lateness, poor taste in clothes, undependability, rudeness - is adelicate task, requiring compassion, insight and diplomacy.To see a person's weakness - some trait that will, if exposed,hurt her chances in life or cause her shame - is to be inpossession of powerful information. Delivering it is a difficultresponsibility. Consider the timing carefully, and choose amoment that's otherwise calm and secure for the recipient.Blurting out explosive information in the heat of irritation islike trying to train puppy with a cattle prod.What if you're the 'puppy'? Well, custom being open tocriticism, but there are many remarks to which you cannotrespond openly and shouldn't even try. Try to sort outlegitimate advice from the criticism that's crooked - and thenreact accordingly.What should you do if a friend or relative makes the rightcriticism for the wrong reasons? For the moment, the best thingto do is to block it out. As long as you're unfairly attacked theaccuracy of the shots is irrelevant.Often, people who criticize you - “You've got a problem withbeing late” are actually complaining about how you affect them.What they really mean to say is, “You're frequently late with meand I don't like it.”The ideal approach when you suspect a critic of concealing hertrue motive is to try to smoke it out.Even legitimate criticism hurts. People get so defensive aboutwho they are and what they do that many folks avoid doling outcriticism altogether.Criticism makes us feel inadequate. Responding well tolegitimate criticism means not just lowering defenses butacknowledging and even thanking your critic. You may notagree with everything he's said. You may want to redefine themessage in a way that's palatable. But learning to appreciateand use well-meaning criticism is one secret to personalgrowth and better relationships. A sensitively executedcriticism is so rare, it deserves to be protected like anendangered species. Even if the beast bites, you want to makesure it sticks around.Essence of SikhiBSRTruth, that one is a part of the whole and theAbsolute is immanent, is realized by submitting tothe 'word' of the Guru. Gurbani gives the knowledgeand shows the path whereby the truth is revealedwithin. Constantly ruminating on the Shabad, livingin full accordance with Divine Order (Hukam)fulfils one. To be vigilant about what hinders andwhat helps one in one's spiritual quest is somethingthat disciplined learning of Gurbani makes possible.Eternal Voice August - October, 200932 2 333

EducationA Kaur's Perspective By Gurmeet Kaur“Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive;easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.” - Lord BroughamEducation is not an option for a Sikh woman of the 21st century. It is theneed of the time.:Some concerned Sikhs fear and argue that education sets awoman free and she may no longer live by the cultural andritualistic by-laws prescribed to her for generations. That shewill be less docile, trade family responsibilities for a profession.That she may chose her own life partner outside of the caste,class, religion or racial boundaries prescribed for her or that shemay quit being a Sikh altogether.First of all, to deprive any female (or male for that matter) of heropportunity to be a free and self sufficient individual by tamingher mind and spirit for a particular role or interest is deplorable.“The most deadly of all sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit”,says a highly regarded developmental psychologist of theCentury, Erik Erikson.Sikh history as long as 500 years ago produceddocumented examples of educated women commissionedto be missionaries by the Gurus. Even if you look aroundtoday you will see that educated Sikh women have givenback to the community manifold. There is a reason forthat. When an educated Sikh woman takes any initiativeto learn about Sikhism, she derives a whole new meaningto be a Sikh. Sikh faith makes sense in a completelyholistic dimension of knowledge, practicality and truth.Once she understands and believes in Gurbani, she ismore empowered to educate her future generations of it.She has the tools and conviction to deal with life'schallenges herself and can pass on those skills to herchildren. She has the conviction to achieve the state, Guruenvisioned for the mankind. Someone has rightly said“Educate a man and you educate an individual – educate awoman and you educate society.”On the flip side; a Sikh woman brought up in ignorance andsubjugation will someday lose the reasoning of being a Sikh tothe pressures of the times and is susceptible to be easily ledaway from Sikhism at one time or the other because she doesnot truly understand it. She will have no capability to teach herchildren the meaning of Sikh faith; nor the capability toempower them with tools to fend for their values in the world fullof materialistic pressures.Another common argument against educating women is theexpenses involved. Parents would rather save for their weddingsand dowry rather than spend on their education. If they thinkeducation is expensive; they just have no idea what price theyare going to pay for ignorance in both material and non-materialways. Times have changed. There are no guarantees that alavish dowry and wedding will secure the future of the young girl.Giving her the sustenance tools, confidence and values is thebest guarantee for a secured life the parents can buy. “If a manempties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him.”– Benjamin Franklinducation alone has the power to break centuries' longEsubjugation whether it is the subjugation by a rulingauthority, of society or of one's own mind. It empowers us tosee beyond stereotypes, gives meaning to why we do thethings we do and enriches our lives by exposing our minds tonew dimensions. In addition, it creates new avenues in a muchneeded field – that of plain survival. We all know thatdynamics of survival are shifting; no longer can half thehumanity (women) sit in dark corners to please the rest of thecontrolling-half and not contribute to the economic, intellectualand spiritual development of the society.Ironically, even in the Sikh community, today we still comeacross the contention; 'To educate or not to educate a Sikhwoman'. Even the ones who have voted for education havemanaged to keep the spiritual education out of the way ofmainstream or temporal education as I call it. Let us see ifeducation is an option for a Sikh woman today and howspiritual education not only complements the temporaleducation but is in fact a must for a more fulfilling life. Also letus explore some ways to make the combination happen forour younger generation.Eternal Voice August - October, 200934 2 335

Morally and practically considering there should not even be aquestion about our girls availing the opportunity to qualityeducation. Even looking from the Sikh perspective, the mostimportant thing that I would point out for the sustenance of Sikhfaith as the faith of new age is – the education of the Mothers withnot only temporal but spiritual knowledge as well.Temporal and Spiritual Education complement each other:Sikh philosophy demands a perfect balance of temporal andspiritual education:Jan Nanak binn aapaa cheen-ei Mitt-ei naa bharam kee kaa-ee. (684){Says Nanak, without realizing the self, the moss of doubts(ignorance) can not be eradicated.}Where the Gurus formalized the Gurmukhi script andinsisted on the formal education of the common people,including women, they also declared that no education iscomplete without introspection and contemplation of thetrue essence of being:So parhiaa so Pandit beena Gur shabad kare veechaarAndar khoj-ei tatt lahe Paa-ei mokh-duaar. (650){He alone is educated, and he alone is wise (Pandit), whocontemplates the 'Word' (Shabad). He searches within himself,finds the true essence and reaches the door of salvation.}Application of temporal education in conjunction with spiritualintrospection can alone reap positive rewards both personallyand socially. An educated person devoid of any spiritualcontemplation (Vichaar) may choose to use his or her skills indestructive areas. We all have heard of the doctors engaged inorgan stealing, female fetus abortions and false amputationsjust to make big money; industrialists engaged in fake drugmanufacturing; nuclear engineers selling technologies toterrorist organizations; biotech engineers and agro corpsmodifying food genes for profits resulting in depletion of puregenes and health problems; influential lobbyists manipulatingenvironmental laws to their benefits; the list goes on.On the other hand, apply any field of knowledge to thetouchstone of consciousness and you get nothing short of amiracle. Take nursing and apply the passion of Henry Dunantand you get the Red Cross. Take agriculture and addconsciousness of keeping the nature unaltered and you get oneof the only two non-genetically modified wheat speciesremaining in the world because of the Jewish agriculturalpractices. Take literature and add the nectar of Guru's love andyou get Bhai Vir Singh, who rules the heart of every Punjabithrough his literary renditions.If one does introspection on the purpose in life, chooses theeducational field consciously, applies consciousness to eachstep of learning, and finally applies that knowledge orprofession to serve the creation, then one would not only doservice to mankind, he will derive utmost satisfaction in hispersonal life.It is not uncommon to see Sikhs today who are professionallyunhappy because they chose their fields without introspectionand consciousness. At one time, every one wanted to be aComputer Scientist because that was the fad. We discarded ourlove for art, farming, music and literature to be IT professionals.A spiritual introspection at the time of choosing our field wouldhave come in handy. If I were to re-live the choice of my field,I would have studied sustainable farming. I wish I had a guidancecounselor in school or a parent who would have linked my fieldof education to the purpose I felt I had in life, to the things thatenlivened my spirit – the nature, the earth and the water – andthat of producing healthy food that nourished the creation whilepromoting ecologically viable infrastructure for thecommunities around.So what can we do to inculcate temporal education in our new generation?“A child educated only at school is an uneducated child,”- George Santayana.We can start with introducing Gurmat (which totally relates tothe consciousness) to our children at an early age. Knowingtheir essence and their purpose will help them make rightdecisions in life pertaining to their education and beyond. Carehas to be taken in how we introduce Gurmat to our children.Human beings truly learn only from the things they love.Cultivate love for the Guru in their heart. Teach by love and inlove of the Gurbani. Teach by example.Play with your child's creativity. Let her explore her purposeherself with your loving guidance. Your role is to connect herwith her own consciousness. Khalil Gibran says, “If a teacher isindeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom,but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”Help cultivate their interests consciously. Respect their ideasand thoughts. Serving the creation does not mean everybodyhas to be a doctor or work for a relief organization.Consciousness can be practically incorporated into any field.Talk about the ways; explore them yourself.In conclusion, Education for a Sikh woman is not only the direneed of our society; it is the moral obligation of our society to heras well. Temporal Education enables one to achieve theirpurpose in life and must be complemented with spiritualcontemplation to realize our fullest potential:Pranvat Nanak giani kaisaa ho-ei Aap pachhan-ei boojh-ei so-ei. (25)(Nanak begs to know, of what kind is the knowledgeable being?He is the one, who realizes his own self and comprehends Him.)For a truly educated person in the Sikh concept, thus, the innerand outer life is a continuum of pure consciousness. Theirtemporal education then becomes a source to serve thecreation, to bind with it and to raise its consciousness as well.As the educated Sikhs of today, let us give a new direction andmeaning to our new generation by cultivating their consciousnessand letting it guide them through their journey of education. In theprocess, let's not forget ourselves… we all are seekers of the truthand eternal students. “I was still learning when I taught my lastclass” says Claude Fuess, after 40 years of teaching.August - October, 200936 2 337

Religion is the idea, which israising the brute unto man;and man unto God.Swami Vivekananda'sthoughts on religion & ethicshe basic aim of religion is to bring peace to man. It is notTa wise thing for one to suffer in this life so that one canbe happy in the next. One must be happy here and now.Any religion that can bring that about is the true religionfor humanity.(Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, pp. 45-46)Religion is the idea, which is raising the brute unto man; andman unto God. (V. 409)The definition of God and man: Man is an infinite circle, whosecircumference is nowhere, but the center is located in one spot;and God is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere,but whose center is everywhere. (II. 33)(1863 - 1902)The difference between God and the devil is in nothing exceptin unselfishness and selfishness. The devil knows as much asGod; is as powerful as God; only he has no holiness - thatmakes him a devil. Apply the same idea to the modern world:Excess of knowledge and power, without holiness, makeshuman beings devils. (I. 425)Virtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice to ourdegeneration. Man is made up of three qualities - brutal, human,and godly. That which tends to increase the divinity in you isvirtue and that, which tends to increase brutality in you is vice.You must kill the brutal nature and become human, that is,loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and becomepure bliss, Sachchidananda, fire without burning, wonderfullyloving, but without the weakness of human love, without thefeeling of misery. (VI. 112)Unselfishness is God: One may live on a throne, in a goldenpalace, and be perfectly unselfish; and then he is in God.Another may live in a hut and wear rags, and have nothing in theworld; yet, if he is selfish, he is intensely merged in the world. (I. 87)The first sign that you are becoming religious is that you arebecoming cheerful. When a man is gloomy, that may bedyspepsia, but it is not religion...... Misery is caused by sin and byno other cause. What business have you with clouded faces? It isterrible. If you have a clouded face, do not go out that day, shutyourself up in your room. What right have you to carry thisdisease out into the world? (I. 264-65)Do you not know from the history of the world where thepower of the prophets lay? Where was it? In the intellect? Didany of them write a fine book on philosophy, on the mostintricate ratiocinations of logic? Not one of them. They onlyspoke a few words. Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feellike Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is thelife, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount ofintellectual activity can reach God. (II. 307)In one word, the ideal of Vedanta is to know man as he really is,and this is its message, that if you cannot worship your brotherman, the manifested God, how can you worship a God who isunmanifested? (II. 325-26)If you are really pure, how do you see the impure? For what iswithin, is without. We cannot see impurity without having itinside ourselves. This is one of the practical sides of Vedantaand I hope that we shall all try to carry it into our lives. (II. 327)Your godhead is the proof of God Himself. If you are not aprophet, there never has been anything true of God. If you arenot God, there never was any God, and never will be. This, saysthe Vedanta, is the ideal to follow. Every one of us will have tobecome a prophet, and you are that already. Only know it. Neverthink there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatestheresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin – to say thatyou are weak, or others are weak. (II. 308)The Vedanta says, there is nothing that is not God. ... The livingGod is within you and yet you are building churches and templesand believing all sorts of imaginary nonsense. The only God toworship is the human soul, in the human body. Of course, allanimals are temples too, but man is the highest, theTaj Mahal of temples. If I cannot worship in that, no othertemple will be of any advantage. (II. 321)The secret of religion lies not in theories but in practice.To be good and do good – that is the whole of religion.'Not he that crieth “Lord”, “Lord”, but he that doeth the willof the Father.' (VI. 245)Anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness,touch it not with the toes of your feet. Religion is themanifestation of the natural strength that is in man. A spring ofinfinite power is coiled up and is inside this little body, and thatspring is spreading itself. This is the history of man, of religion,civilization, or progress. (VIII. 185)Whenever any religion succeeds, it must have economic value.Thousands of similar sects will be struggling for power, but onlythose who meet the real economic problem will have it. Man isguided by the stomach. He walks and the stomach goes first andthe head afterwards. Have you not seen that? It will take ages forthe head to go first.... When children's dreams begin to vanishand you begin to look at things the way they are, the head goes.Just when the head goes first, you go out. (I. 454-55)Religion deals with the truths of the metaphysical world just aschemistry and the other natural sciences deal with the truths ofthe physical world. The book one must read to learn chemistryis the book of nature. The book from which to learn religion isyour own mind and heart. The sage is often ignorant of physicalscience because he reads the wrong book - the book within; andthe scientist is too often ignorant of religion, because he tooreads the wrong book - the book without. (VI. 81)You will find many persons in this world who will say: 'I wanted tobecome religious, I wanted to realize these things, but I have notbeen able, so I do not believe anything.' Even among the educatedyou will find these. Large number of people will tell you, 'I havetried to be religious all my life, but there is nothing in it'. At the sameThe only definition that can be givenof morality is this: That which is selfishis immoral and that which is unselfishis moral.

The first sign that youa r e b e c o m i n greligious is that youa r e b e c o m i n gcheerful.time, you will find this phenomenon: Suppose a man is a chemist,a great scientific man. He comes and tells you this. If you say tohim, 'I do not believe anything about chemistry, because I have allmy life tried to become a chemist, and do not find anything in it', hewill ask, 'When did you try?' 'When I went to bed, I repeated,“O chemistry, come to me”, and it never came.' That is the verysame thing. The chemist laughs at you and says: 'Oh! That is notthe way. Why did you not go to the laboratory and get all the acidsand alkalis and burn your hands from time to time? That alonewould have taught you.' Do you take the same trouble withreligion? Every science has its own method of learning, andreligion is to be learned the same way. (VI. 14-15)Swami Vivekananda was born in an aristocratic Kayastha family of Calcutta in 1863.His parents influenced the Swami's thinking – the father by his rational mind andthe mother by her religious temperament. From his childhood, he showedinclination towards spirituality and God realization.We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither theVedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done byharmonizing the Vedas, the Bible, and the Koran. Mankindought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressionsof THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each maychoose the path that suits him best. (VI. 416)Be moral. Be brave. Be a heart-whole man - strictly moral, braveunto desperation. Don't bother your head with religious theories.Cowards only sin, brave men never, no, not even in mind. (V.1)The only definition that can be given of morality is this: That whichis selfish is immoral, and that which is unselfish is moral. (I.110)One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thought,but they do not impress people; another man speaks neitherbeautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm.Every movement of his is powerful. That is the power of Ojas. ...It is only the chaste man or woman who can make the Ojas riseand store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always beenconsidered the highest virtue. A man feels that if he is unchaste,spirituality goes away; he loses mental vigor and moral stamina.That is why in all the religious orders in the world, which haveproduced spiritual giants, you will always find absolute chastityinsisted upon. (I.169-70)Ethics always says, 'Not I, but thou.' Its motto is: 'Not self; butnon-self.' The vain ideas of individualism, to which man clingswhen he is trying to find that infinite Power or that infinitePleasure through the senses, have to be given up - say the laws ofethics. You have to put yourself last and others before you. Thesenses say, 'Myself first'. Ethics says, 'I must hold myself last'.Thus, all codes of ethics are based upon this renunciation;destruction, not construction, of the individual on the materialplane. That Infinite will never find expression upon the materialplane, nor is it possible or thinkable. (II. 62-63)Utilitarian standards cannot explain the ethical relations ofmen, for, in the first place, we cannot derive any ethical lawsfrom considerations of utility...... The utilitarian wants us to giveup the struggle after the Infinite, the reaching-out for theSupersensuous, as impracticable and absurd and, in the samebreath, asks us to take up ethics and do good to society. Whyshould we do good? Doing good is a secondary consideration.We must have an ideal. Ethics itself is not the end, but the meansto the end. If the end is not there, why should we be ethical? Whyshould I do good to other men, and not injure them? If happinessis the goal of mankind, why should I not make myself happy andothers unhappy? What prevents me? In the second place, thebasis of utility is too narrow. Utilitarian theories can only workunder present social conditions. Beyond that they have no value.But a morality, an ethical code, derived from religion andspirituality, has the whole of infinite man for its scope. It takes upthe individual, but its relations are to the Infinite, and it takes upsociety also - because society is nothing but number of theseindividuals grouped together. (II. 63-64)Be moral. Be brave. Be a heartwholeman - strictly moral,brave unto desperation. Don'tbother your head with religioustheories. Cowards only sin,brave men never, no, not evenin mind.

h e n t h es a g e s Wchurned the bodyof Nimi, a child hadmanifested, whow a s n a m e dJanaka. Since hewas not born of amotherly body, hewas also calledV i d e h a . A l l t h edescendants of hisdynast y were alsoknown as Videha andJanaka. By the grace of the sage Yagyavalkya, all of themachieved enlightenment. In this very dynasty, Sita was born to'Seeradhwaja'.Janaka was a great scholar and an enlightened person – a rulerwith a noble soul. Generally we all have a low mentality. Theremay be a few exceptions, having achieved self-realization, but byand large humans worship the body, caring little about the soul.We remain busy for the upkeep of the body – for its nourishmentand ornation. All our activities are guided by the needs of thebody and above all, sadly, we try to excel over others. It is saidthat what we do from the core of the heart is better than theoutward rituals. We go to holy places and pretend that we arereligious. A person with noble deeds is better than us. In fact he ismore likely to be one with the Lord some day:Parh parh Pandit jotki thak-ai Bh-ai-khee bharam bhul-aa-e. (68)(The Pandits and astrologers have grown weary of extensivereading and the sectarians go amiss in skepticism)A strange query stroked kind Janaka's noble mind. The doubt ina pure mind is better than the ritualistic religion. Janaka hadread in the Vedas, Shastras and had heard the God-consciouspersons say that God exists, but had never seen Him. Hethought that unless some one brings him face to face with God,he won't believe His existence. Poor Janaka! Just as happinessand despair exist in life but we can't express the feelings,similarly the existence of the Almighty can only be felt and notexpressed. We can feel His existence in every particle, but can'twrite in words:Roop naa r-aikh naa rang kitchh Tr-eh gunn t-ai Prabh bhinnTis-h-e bhujaa-ai Nanaka Jis hov-ei suprasann. (283)(The Lord has neither form, nor outline, nor any color. He isexempt from three attributes. O Nanak! With whom He is wellpleased, He causes him to understand Him.)Janaka took a vow: “He who can give me the knowledge ofBrahma, in the wink of an eye, will be my Guru, or else I will turnan atheist.” To acquire the knowledge of Brahma, which can't behad, even after doing penance for many a lifetime, in the wink ofan eye, is impossible. In order to clear the doubt, Janaka made itknown to all, that if someone could show him the existence ofGod in the wink of aneye, he would take himas his Guru. TheKing's message wasconveyed far andwide. Living in aremote corner andworsh iping theLord in his thatched hut,Ashtavakra got to know Janaka's message through telepathy(wireless of Shabad):Shabad milaavaa hov-ei D-aih mailaavaa naaheen.(Union is possible through Shabad and not through body)He felt that if Janaka turned atheist, the entire kingdom wouldfollow the King and it would be catastrophic. Hence he decidedto present himself for providing the existence of God.Sixty thousand great intellectuals, assembled at the invitation ofthe King, sat motionless and silent and whoever would giveJanaka the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an eye would behis Guru. Among them was Rishi Ashtavakra, who had adeformed body, thus the name Ashtavakra – eight physicaldeformities. When he was in the mother's womb, he heard hisfather say that the King had asked him a question, which hecould not answer. The unborn child told the answer to his father,who, instead of being grateful, got agitated and could not toleratethe unborn to outsmart a learned man like him. Out of sheerego, he admonished that there would be eight deformities in hisbody. To his father's outburst, Ashtavakra spoke from thewomb, that although there are deformities in the body, the soulwould remain unaffected:Jeh praneee haum-ei tajee Kartaa Ram pachhaan. (1427)(The mortal who forsake ego, realizes his Creator Lord.)The highly decorative stage was arranged, but the prominencewas given to the place, where the person offering to prove theexistence of God would sit. Nobody gathered the courage tooccupy the throne. The learned men had only read the holybooks, but were hollow within. Ashtavakra came, stooping over,to the Guru-seat, which Janaka had prepared. All theintellectuals burst into laughter.“Why have you gathered the cobblers here?” thunderingAshtavakra said to Janaka.“How cobblers Sir? They are all the honorable intellectuals ofthe society”, replied the King.“They are no better than the cobblers, because they have knownme by my body”, retorted back, the disfigured sage.King Janaka probed, “Will you bemy Guru?”Rishi Ashtavakra said, “Yes, I will beyour Guru.”“Will you give me the knowledge of Brahma in thewink of an eye?” The King enquired.“Indeed, I will give you that”, replied the Rishi.Then Janaka continued, “So will you give me initiation?”The Rishi answered, “Yes, I will give you initiation. But first youmust give me Gurdakshina (the Guru-fee), because afterI have become your Guru, I cannot take any fee from you. OurVedantic religion and the Hindu Sanatan Dharma, are very strict.There is no getting the Guru unless offering the teacher's fee.”Ashtavakra continued, “Rajan, there are three things you must giveme for the Guru-fee. The first is the body, the second is the mind, andthe third is your wealth. You have to give me all these things first.”In the presence of those sixty thousand intellectuals, Janakapromptly and ungrudgingly offered these gifts. First, he gave hisbody, meaning the physical body. Secondly, he gave his mind.And thirdly, he gave all his wealth – physical as well as material.These riches, King Janaka gave ungrudgingly.After taking the gifts, the Rishi, resuming the Guru-seat, said,“Tell me now, Janaka, just who will take this knowledge ofBrahma? Who will receive this knowledge of God?”Calling for the horse, Janaka exclaimed, “What? I, Sir!” Andagain repeated, “I”.Before the King could put his foot in the saddle Ashtavakrashouted, “You cannot put your foot in the cradle because yourbody belongs to me. What does 'I' mean? All that you havealready given me: your body, your mind, your riches, if this is not‘I' then where else is 'I'?, Now pay attention to the one, who isclose to your body and soul:Jagat mithyamn, Brahama satyam, jeev-ei Brahamaee kewal.(Totally false is the world. Only Lord is true and the Godlyonly lives.)Janaka became thoughtful and felt the existence of God, as hehad already given up the ego of body and mind:Jab hovat Prabh kewal dhanniTab bandh mukt kahu kis kau ganni (292)(When Lord was the sole Master, then, say, who was accounted asbound or liberated.)Then the Rishi explained,“Rajan, the knowledge of God,which you are getting in the winkof an eye, we chant everyday inthe following words:Guru Brahma GururVishnuGuru Devo MaheshwarahaGuru Saakshat Para BrahmaTasmai Sree Gurave Namaha.(Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds ofignorance. I salute such a Guru.)It goes on to say:Dhyaanamoolam Gurur MoorthihiPoojamoolam Guroh PadamMantramoolam Guror VaakyamMoksha Moolam Guru Krupa.(The Guru's form is the best to meditate upon; the Guru's feet arethe best for worship; the Guru's word is the mantra; and theGuru's grace is the root of liberation.)King Janaka had the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of aneye. What was it? Guru God, Guru Bhagwan and the pious Kingkept meditating for a long time:Mein naahee Prabh sab kitchh tera (827)(I am nothing, everything is yours, O Lord!)You cannot get that knowledge of Brahma without the Guru'sblessings and the Guru's grace. Just as we cannot see our ownface, we need a mirror to see it. This looking glass is theGuru's blessing. We cannot see our own face by ourselves.We can see the face of another, but we cannot see our ownface. But with the help of the mirror, we can see. Similarly weneed the Guru to assess ourselves. That is why the followingfamous comparison between the Guru and God succinctlysummarizes the pre-eminence of Guru:Guru Gobind do-oo khad-ei, ka-kei laag-oon paa-eiBalihaari guru aapne jin Gobind deeyo milaa-ei.(Both Guru and God are standing in front of me and I am in a fixwhose feet I should touch first. In this, I would like to approachGuru first because it is on account of the Guru's grace that I havebeen able to see God.)Eternal Voice August - October, 200942 2 343

atka is an Indian martial art created by the Sikhs of Punjab.GIt is defensive as well as offensive and focuses on infusing thephysical with both the spiritual and mental. Though essentiallyweapon-based, Gatka also sometimes incorporates wrestling aspart of its empty hand training. It was used by Sikh forces againstthe Mughals, primarily in reaction to oppressive or aggressivepolicies. Though rarely used in combat today, Gatka is stillpopular as a sport and is often shown during Sikh festivals.The word 'gat' means grace, liberation, and respect in one's ownpower while 'ka' means someone who belongs or is part of a group.Gatka therefore means ‘one whose freedom belongs to grace’. It isalso a term of reference for the stick used in sword training.GatkaThe Sikh Martial ArtBy Nidar Singh & Rajinder Singh ChadhaGatka owes its early development to the Shastar Vidya, literallymeaning knowledge of the arms. This was a warrior curriculumused by the Sikhs for military training, which was essential for thehistorical Sikh warriors. The present day heirs of this centuries-oldtradition, the Buddha Dal, trace the roots of this system to BabaBuddha, who trained the devotees in this martial art. The Babatrained the sixth Guru, Hargobind in the Shastar Vidya system andalso taught the 2200-odd saint-soldiers of the Akal Bunga, the'Immortal' Fort, built in 1606. They came to be known as Akalis(immortals). Guru Hargobind propagated the theory of the warriorsaint,and emphasized the need for his followers to practice fightingfor self-defence. Arrangements for combat training were made andthe Guru himself learnt the use of weapons.This Akali army was called the Akal Fauj, but was informallyknown as the Buddha Dal meaning the army of Baba Buddha.Guru Hargobind, with his army of Akalis, engaged the Mughalforces in four battles and gained victory on each occasion.With the successive Gurus after Guru Hargobind, the Akal Faujwas maintained in its original form until the time of Guru GobindSingh, who was trained in martial arts in Punjab. One of hisnumerous achievements was the founding of Khalsa, thecollective society that galvanized the martial energies of theSikh community. In regards to training the Khalsa, he pledgedthat he would "teach the sparrow to fight the hawk". Both menand women were known to have practiced the art; there wereand are no gender restrictions iterated by Sikh teachings or theGurus. Sometime before the creation of the Khalsa in 1699, healtered its structure with the effect that, from then on, only a highranking-soldier was to be known as an Akali, whereas the lowrankingsoldier was designated Nihang, meaning the one, whoneither is attached to life nor fears death. The tenth Masterrealized that in order to defend Sikhism, it would not be enoughjust to rely on the Akal Fauj. So, he decided to make the whole ofthe Sikh nation (with the exception of certain groups, such asUdasis, Sewa Panthis and the Nirmalas) into a martial nation.Thus, in 1699, the Khalsa came into being.Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa was a body of warriors dedicatedto the Guru, outwardly defined by the uncut hair and other SikhAugust - October, 200945

symbols. The Khalsa served as an armed wing to defend peopleof the region in the face of increasingly aggressive and intolerantMughal policies. The Khalsa was involved in armed struggleagainst the armies of Emperor Aurangzeb and his local allies.The men and women of the Khalsa were skilled fighters, and inmany conflicts came out ahead despite being severelyoutnumbered. Khalsa was accustomed to view military service interms of individual and collective honor. According to theteachings of Guru Gobind Singh, extreme courage and even deathin the heat of battle was said to bring honor to the Sikh community.They successfully captured areas of the Mughal Empire.After Guru Gobind Singh, it was a successful Khalsa, led by theAkalis, who fought a life-and-death struggle for nearly a hundredyears, against both the Mughal Empire and the invadingAfghans. They forged a series of independent kingdomsthroughout Punjab, by the closing decades of the 18th Century.Even when the great Sikh kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singhfell to the British in the hard-fought 'Anglo-Sikh Wars' (1845-46and 1848-49), the majority of Sikhs to this day know it was notthe martial prowess of their ancestors that let the nation down.Historical evidence unequivocally points to the fact that the Sikharmy actually won on the battle-fields but lost the wars due to thebetrayal of their treacherous Dogra generals.Annexation of Punjab following the second Anglo-Sikh war andthe establishment of the British Raj, the Sikh martial traditionsand practitioners suffered greatly. The British ordered effectivedisarmament of the entire Sikh community; even tools andfarming equipment were banned. Those, who refused to surrenderthe weapons were punished severely by the British authorities.The traditional martial knowledge of Sikhs, previously preservedto a high standard, almost ceased to exist in Punjab.In 1857, the Indian mutiny erupted. By that time, the British hadsignificantly crushed all resistance to their rule in Punjab, withthe help of soldiers from other states around the sub-continent.Thus during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Sikhs assisted theBritish in crushing the mutiny.As a consequence of this assistance, restrictions on fightingpractices were relaxed in Punjab. However, the Punjabi martialarts, which re-emerged after 1857, had changed a great deal.Instead of producing soldiers for warfare, the Shastar Vidya haddeveloped during the 1860 into a new fighting style called Gatka(from the name of its primary weapon, the sword training stick),which was mainly practiced by the British Indian Army. Thisnew form was a product of the changing times, which had alsoseen the general Sikh populace of that period begin toaccommodate the British Raj by divorcing itself from the Sikhpractices of the pre-British period. There was a stark contrastbetween this pluralistic and undeveloped phase (consisting inthe main of Udasis, Sewa Panthis, Nirmalas and Akali NihangSinghs) and the renaissance, which was later initiated andencouraged by the Tatt Khalsa and the Singh Sabha Movement.It is worth mentioning that this was the first extended period ofpeace and consolidation of its institutions by the Sikhcommunity-at-large since its very inception under the Gurus.Gatka, the Shastar Vidya in its new Avatar, was no longer thelethal art designed to produce soldiers to defend the Sikhnation. Instead during the 1860s, it had evolved into aninoffensive and ritualistic martial art. Gatka was mainlypracticed in the barracks of the British Indian army and wasdiligently taken up by Sikh and other Indian soldiers.As Sikh colleges opened in Punjab during the 1880s, Europeanrules of fencing were applied to Gatka, resulting in furtheralteration. This led to the formation of two Gatka branches,Rasmi (ritualistic) and Khel (sport).Combat PrinciplesThe basic principle of combat can be traced in the Zafarnama,in which Guru Gobind Singh addresses Aurangzeb:Chunkar az hama heelate darguzasht Halal ast burdan ba shamseer dast:{When all stratagems employed for (solving) a problem areexhausted, (only) then taking your hand to the sword is legitimate.}Manas ki jaat sabhe eke pehchanbo.(Recognize all humanity as one race.)It was originally created along the following three principles:It had to be easy to learn.It had to make use of every possible weapon.It had to allow for fighting multiple opponents at once.Movement PatternsThe foundation of the art is a movement methodology for use ofthe feet, body, arms and weapons in unison. Gatka favorsrhythmic movement, without hesitation, doubt or anxiety. Theattacking and defence methods are based upon the positions ofthe hands, feet and weapon(s) during the dexterity regimen.Chanting holy verses may accompany these exercises. Thethree-beat-per-cycle played by a drummer adds to thecoordination during practice.WeaponsThe correct use of melee weapons is central to Gatka,with techniques depending on the nature of the weapon. Thesingle-edge sword is Gatka's main weapon and is often pairedwith a shield; the staff is also commonly used. Weapons usedin Gatka include:Talwar: Curved swordLaathi: Stick of bamboo from one to three meters in lengthFlexible weapons: Whips and chains etc.Chhuri: KnifeBow and arrow: Either traditional Indian steel recurve bows ortrue composite bows made of wood, horn and sinew. Arrowsused are usually with tanged steel points.Barchha: SpearKhanda: Traditional Sikh and Rajput straight swordPeshkarj: DaggerKukri: Bent sword which broadens towards the pointTabar: AxeChakram: Circular edged weapon that can be thrown. Smallerspecimens can be worn like bangles and used as brassknuckles.Bagh Nakh: Leopard's claw, a spiked weapon worn on the handsimilar to the Japanese shukoKatar: Dagger able to pierce armor .TrainingWith its strong link to the Sikh faith, Gatka groups may trainin a religious or semi-religious situation, such as in aGurdwara. Akharas, usually associated with wrestling havealso been founded with the exclusive purpose of teachingGatka, which emphasizes having something in both handse.g., two sticks; a stick and a sword; a sword and a shield orany other combination. Training with 'both hands full' isbelieved to be an excellent exercise for coordinating the twohalves of the body, a concept also found in many Filipinomartial arts. The individual's preference for weapons,combination of weapons and movement patterns leads to thedevelopment of individual fighting methods.Outside IndiaAmong the European colonists, Sikhs became well knownfor their fighting prowess and they were often brought in toother British colonies as soldiers or security guards. Eventoday Gatka is practiced by the Sikh communities of otherAsian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and HongKong. Indian immigrants eventually brought the art toEngland and North America.The system devised by Captain William Ewart Fairbairn andCaptain Eric Anthony Sykes borrowed methodologies fromGatka, Jujutsu, Chinese martial arts and 'gutter fighting'. Thismethod was used to train soldiers in close-combat techniquesat the Commando Basic Training Center in Achnacarry,Scotland. Gatka also is performed as a stick-fighting danceby the Indian community of Trinidad.Gatka was famously displayed during the celebrations ofHola Mohalla in Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Hounslow,West London; Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall was visiblyshaken after the display of Gatka. It was also performedon the 2005, July 4 Independence Day parade on ConstitutionAvenue in Washington DC, United States.Eternal Voice August - October, 200946 2 347

he Guru Nanak Darbar will be an architecturalTdistinctive structure located on the 25,400 squarefeet plot in Jebel Ali, Dubai, along Sheikh Zayed Roadconnecting Dubai to U.A.E. capital Abu Dhabi. It is, atthe same time, a functional complex, an avenue forcommunity events and marriages.Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-MakhtoumGratitudeWe are grateful to His HighnessSheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-MakhtoumUAE Vice-President,Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubaifor bestowing his benevolence in allowing the Sikh Communityto establish the Guru Nanak Darbar, Sikh Temple in Dubai.The Guru Nanak Darbar is a multi-storey facility,spread over 100,000 sq. ft. building area located atT- Junction of two large accessible roads. The buildinghas two basements, a ground floor and a first floor, plusan intermediate terrace floor. Each basement ismeasured 25,000 square feet that can contain parkingspace for up to 100 cars. The 21,000 square feet groundfloor houses the dining hall, kitchen, pantry, and storeroom. The reception desk and the Gurdwara office arealso on the ground floor, complimented with wash roomand shoe storage facilities.As one roams the complex, one will be heartened and inawe. There is a 54 meter Parikarma covered withtraditional grill work. The water body flowing aroundthe road frontage is inspired by the Sarovar of theGolden Temple. It casts a surreal reflection of thebuilding facade with the cascade feature lending thesound of flowing water. There are two main entrancesBy Darshan Singh AbbottGuru Nanak Darbar, Dubai is located at Jebel Ali Gardens, along thefreeway that connects the city to Abu Dhabi

to the complex, one from each access road. Eachhaving wash rooms and shoe storage facilities, that isalso designed to cater the special needs of seniorcitizens. The grand staircase is designed to hold a hugetraffic of people going up and down. It is flattered by tallwindows radiating natural light from stained glass thatperfectly magnifies space.The Prayer Hall has two doors and two Parshad(porridge) counters, in the lobby area. The 7.2 metersoaring ceiling is elegantly crowned by the astounding18 meter diameter dome roof. The column free hall issurrounded in circular form by the classical archwindows. An aisle runs diagonally across the hall to thePalki Sahib (Palanquin). One will be left in purereverence and feel grandeur in experiencing theambience of the hall.The function room that overlooks prayer hall is of greatutility. It boasts to service 900 people, also having astage best suitable for matrimonial ceremonies. Thedining area asserts to accommodate 600 people andprepare 1800 rotisserie per hour and wash 1200 platesand glass per hour.We are waiting for the completion of the grand GuruNanak Darbar in 2009.Other Arab countries could replicate Dubai’s gesture.How to reach Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai, UAEGuru Nanak Darbar - Dubai is located at Jebel Ali Gardens, on a 24,400 square feet plotalong Sheikh Zayed road connecting Dubai to U.A.E. capital Abu Dhabi.Map ofCity of Dubai

EnvironmentProtection inSikhismBy Dr Dalvinder Singh Grewalhe Akal Takhat is the highest temporal and spiritual bodyTof Sikhs. On Sunday July 26, 2009, Jathedar GurbachanSingh, the Head of the Akal Takhat made a public statementsaying that caring for the environment is a Sikh's, “moral andreligious duty.” This is a welcome declaration of going green.Speaking to the community, which had gathered for theongoing efforts at cleaning the polluted Kali Bein, a river whichruns through Sultanpur, the Jathedar advised all Sikhs,"Wherever in the world you may be, your focus should nowbe on cleaning up of natural water resources rather thanbuilding Gurdwaras." This is a great order given by thehead of any religious body for environment protections. It isextremely important; more so, when it is a binding order.Kali Bein is the rivulet of Beas which had been polluted byindustrial waste and public refuse. A Sikh leader Baba BalbirSingh Seechewal undertook to clean the rivulet with the help ofthe people. He also created a green belt along theBein River. He created awareness among the masses about theprotection of environment. Taking a cue from these events, thePresident of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC) ordered that the Gurdwaras should start distributingtrees in place of Prashad and this was literally followed. This isa great change towards the protection of environment.Sikh religious and political leaders from India and abroad,met in New Delhi to underline the Sikh community'scommitment to save the environment from threats posed bythe climate change and global warming. The event was titledEcoSikh Conclave, which was organized at India HabitatCenter in New Delhi on July 4, 2009.Sikh leaders unveil 'Green' Plan, Community Response to Check Climate ChangeEcoSikh, a five-year plan crafted by SCORE, envisages thedissemination of environment-related knowledge among theSikh community in India and abroad to develop environmentalactivism. This Sikh summit on environment, organized by theUSA-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE),was attended by UN Assistant Secretary-General Olav Kjorvenand Victoria Finlay of the UK-based Alliance of Religions andConservation (ARC), among others. Addressing the EcoSikhconclave, Olav Kjorven said “Throughout history religions havehelped people and civilizations interpret and understand eventsaround them and to respond to new challenges in the light oftheir spiritual heritage and moral compass… the leadership ofreligions is now required to meet challenge of climate change.”He quoted from Guru Nanak's verse that likened the sky to aplatter and the sun and moon to lamps:Gagan mah(i) thaal rav(i) chand deepak ban-ai, Tarika mandal janak moti. (13)(In the sky's salver, the sun and the moon are lamps and the starswith their orbs are the studded pearls.)Those, who attended and presented their views were UnionCabinet Minister of India Dr. Manohar Singh Gill; Secretary,Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)Dilmegh Singh; President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara ManagementCommittee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna; FormerSupreme Court Judge, Justice Kuldeep Singh; TarlochanSingh, Member Parliament; and Vikramjit Singh Sawhney ofWorld Punjabi Organization. They endorsed a five-year‘greening’ plan, which includes a long-term commitment totransform Gurdwaras and schools into ecologically soundbuildings in terms of energy and the types of building materialused, besides incorporating environmental education into Sikheducation curricula. Justice Kuldeep Singh, known as 'GreenJudge', in his opening remarks, said he was delighted that Sikhcommunity was taking upon itself the noble service of forgingenvironment-friendly practices. “As Sikhs, we have aresponsibility to revere the environment. A Sikh's life isincomplete if he does not revere Nature,” he said.“Environmental ethics have always been inherent parts ofIndia's precepts and philosophy and the environment hasalways been given an honorable place,” he added. “But now weare only polluting it,” Justice Singh concluded. Sikhs have thusbeen bound to the duty of environment protection.Environment refers to what makes up the atmosphere orbackground against which someone or something is seen.Environment may refer either to actual physical surroundingsor to social or cultural background factors.Environment is termed as:1. The circumstances or conditions that surround one'ssurroundings.2. The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism orgroup of organisms, especially:a. The combination of external physical conditions thatAugust - October, 200953

affect and influence the growth, development andsurvival of organisms:"We shall never understand the natural environmentuntil we see it as a living organism" (Paul Brooks).b. The complex of social and cultural conditions affectingthe nature of an individual or community.Earth, air, water, life and all activities connected with life comeunder the umbrella of environment.Saach-ai t-ai pawnaa bha-e-a Pawn-ei t-ai jal ho-eJal t-ai tribhavann saajea Ghat ghat jot(i) smo-e. (19)(The air originated from the True Lord; and from air originatedthe water and from the water originated the entire universe; andin each being Lord's light is enthused.)Thus air, water, earth and life all originated from the true Lord,who resides in each in the form of light energy. When we harmany of these, we in turn, harm the true Lord. Therefore earth, air,water and life are all sacred for the Sikhs.Every Sikh child learns along with Japji, the sacred hymn ofGuru Nanak, which starts with the word Ik Omkar meaningthere is only One God, who is the creator, the Karta Purakh ofall. Here it includes the entire universe; men, animals, plants,trees, the planets, the earths and the like. It also considers all tobe belonging to the One and the same; and hence to beconsidered as equal. The One Creator pervades all creation. InAsa-di-Vaar, the early morning spiritual ballad , the Guru states:Apeen-ei aap saajeo Apeen-ei racheo naouDuee kudrat saajee-ei Kar aasan dittho chaou. (463)(Upon creating Himself, God created Naam, the divineName, the first expression of His sacred presence. SecondlyHe created Kudrat or Nature, which is sustained and totallyinfused by Naam.)So, the Creator observes creations and dwells within it. Bothare interconnected. You will find this is something stressedespecially by the Eastern faiths. One cannot help but live ingratitude and respect for the gifts of nature which are marks ofGod's grace:Balehaaree kudrat vase-aa Tera antt na ja-ee lakhea. (469)(I am totally indebted to you, Oh Infinite Lord, who dwells withinnature and whose limits cannot be told.)Last lines of Japji say:Pavan Guru paani pitta maata dharat mahattDivas raat du-e da-ee da-e-aa khel-ai sagal jagat. (8)(Air is our Guru, water our father and great earth is our mother:Day and night are the male and female nurses, in whose lap thewhole world plays.)Paun paani dharti akaas Ghar mandar har baani. (723)(Air, water, earth and sky – the Lord has made these His homeand temple.)The importance of air, water and earth to life, are emphasizedover and over again in Guru Granth Sahib. The earth is referredto as the mother and as such requires our respect. Great careneeds to be taken to ensure that no damage occurs to it while theSikh is going about his daily life. The pollution of these threeelements is against the principles laid down by the Gurus.Having created this universe, God directs them. All actions takeplace within God's order (Hukam). God alone knows how andwhy. God, however, not only directs this vast and massivetheater, but also watches over with care and kindness - thebenign, supportive parent!Purkhaan birkhaan teerthaan tataan maighaan khaitaanhDeepaan lo-aan mandlaan khandaan varbhandaanhAndaj jairaj ut-bhujaan khaannee saitjaanhSo mitt jaan-ei Nanaka saraan mairaan jantaahNanak jant upaa-iy kei sammaalai sabhnaah. (467)(Men, trees, pilgrimage places, banks of sacred streams, clouds, fields.Islands, spheres, universes, continents, solar systems, the sources ofcreation, egg-born, womb-born, earth-born, sweat-born, oceans,mountains and sentient being; He, the Lord, knows their condition,O Nanak. Having created beings, the lord takes care of them all.The Creator who created the world, He takes care of it as well.)The world, like all creation, is a manifestation of God. Everycreature in this world, every plant, every form is a manifestationof the Creator. Each is part of God and God is within eachelement of creation. God is the cause of all and He is the primaryconnection between all existences:Aap-ai pirh baadhee jag kh-ail-ei aap-ai keemat paa-ee haiAap-ai bhavar ful fal tarvarAap-ai jal thal saagar sarvarAap-ai machh kachh karneekar tairaa roop na lakh-naa jaa-ee hai. (1020)(The Creator created himself ... And created all creation in whichHe is manifest. You Yourself are the bumble-bee, flower, fruit andthe tree. You Yourself are the water, desert, ocean and the pond.You Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes.Your form cannot be known.)In the world, the God created, he has also provided each speciesand humans with means of support and nurturing:Khaak noor kard-aN aalam duniae Asmaan jimi darkhaat ab paidaes khudaa-e. (723)(The Lord infused His Light into the dust and created the world,the universe. The sky, the earth, the trees and the water - all arethe Creation of the Lord.)Narnarah namaskaraaN Jalan thalan basudh gagan ek ekaNkaraaN. (901)(I humbly bow to the Lord, the Supreme Being. The One, the Oneand Only Creator Lord permeates the water, the land, the earthand the sky.)Guru Nanak considered no difference between the created andthe creature - Nature and God - and saw God in Nature itself.If he would have seen how today's world is polluting Nature, hereally would have wondered at the change towards the negative.Rabindra Nath Tagore was so impressed by description ofrelationship of nature and God given in the hymn, Aarti that hedescribed it as the best piece of poetry he has ever read:Gagan m-ei thaal rav(i) channd deepak ban-ai Tareka mandal janak motiDhoop malianlo pawan chavro kar-ai Sagal banaraai foolant jotiKaisi aarti hoe Bhav khandnaa teree aarti Anhata sabd vajant bhai-reeSahas tav nein nann nein hah(i) toh(i) kau sahas moort(i) nanna ek tuheeSahas padd bimal nann ek padd gandh bin(u) Sahas tav gandh iv chalat moheeSabh mah(i) jot(i) jot(i) hai soe Tis dei chaanann(i) sabh mah(i) chaanann(u) hoe. (13)(In the sky's salver, the sun and the moon are lamps and the starswith their orbs are the studded pearls. The fragrance ofsandalwood makes Your (God's) incense; wind makes Your fanand all the vegetation Your flowers, O Luminous Lord! What abeautiful worship with lamps is being performed? This is Yourpresent adoration: the remover of the fear! The celestial strain isthe sounding of the temple drums. Thousands are Your eyes, yetYou have no eyes; Thousands are Your forms, yet You have noform; Thousands are Your feet, yet You have no foot; Thousandsare your noses, yet You have no nose. I am bewildered by Yourplay. Amongst all, there is light and all that light is Yours. By yourlight, the light shines within all the souls.)What a wonderful description of the Creator and Hisrelationship with his Creation! The hymn describes thegreatness of the nature of the true Lord which performs prayerworshipto the God. He compares the sky to a platter in whichSun and Moon are the lighting pearls. The sunshine enlightensthe entire atmosphere and the air moves to remove anyunwanted pollution, the entire natural creation appears asspread out light. This is how the real prayer to God is done.Guru Nanak's deep love with nature creates his link to God andtakes one to sublime heights. During his itineraries the world over;where ever he went he established himself under a tree in a nearbyjungle and did not prefer to stay in any constructed house.Guru Har Rai, the seventh Sikh Guru developed Kiratpur Sahibas a town of parks and gardens. Located on the banks oftributary of the Sutlej, he planted flowers and fruit-bearing treesall over the area. This created a salubrious environment,attracting beautiful birds to the town and turning it into an idyllicplace to live in.In Sikh beliefs, a concern for the environment is part of anintegrated approach to life and nature. As all creation has thesame origin and end, humans must have consciousness of theirplace in creation and their relationship with the rest of creation.Humans should conduct themselves through life with love,compassion and justice. Becoming one and being in harmonywith God implies that humans endeavor to live in harmony withall of God's creation.It is in this context that the Head Priest of Akal Takhat andPresident SGPC have issued orders to all Sikhs to preservenature and it is now binding on all Sikhs that they must protectthe environment. Sikhs have thus been bound to the duty ofenvironment protection.Eternal Voice August - October, 200954 2 355

great general and an organizer of victories, a rareexample of selfless service and sacrifice, a zealousAcustodian of the Sikh ideals and institutions and guardian of theSikh holy places, Akali Phoola Singh occupies a unique place inthe history of the Sikhs. He was born in the year 1761 at Shihan,a remote village in the present state of Haryana. Phoola Singhinherited his love and admiration for the Sikh values andGursikh living from his father, Bhai Ishar Singh, who himselfwas a devout Sikh and well known in his area for his high moraland spiritual values. Along with many other Sikhs of the area,Bhai Ishar Singh also joined the heroic bands of the Sikhs, whochallenged the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Abdali, during hissixth invasion of India in 1762. Ishar Singh was seriouslywounded in the battlefield and later succumbed to injuries. Butbefore his death, Ishar Singh managed to leave his young son tothe affectionate care of Baba Narain Singh, popularly known asAkali Naina Singh. It was in the pious environs of the Dera ofBaba Narain Singh that young Phoola Singh received his earlyinstruction in Sikh scriptures and later his practical training inwarfare. As a young lad, Phoola Singh showed signs ofgreatness and impressed his preceptor by his brilliance and hisdedication to whatever was entrusted to him.During his campaign again Qutubdin Khan, the Governorof Kasur, in 1807, Maharaja Ranjit Singh sought theassistance of Akali Phoola Singh and his Jatha. In the fiercebattle that ensued, Qutubdin Khan was defeated butpardoned and was given a Jagir for his maintenance. Duringthis campaign, Phoola Singh impressed the Maharajawith his rare qualities of a warrior and earned thereputation of an organizer of victories. On return from thiscampaign, Phoola Singh and his Jatha moved to DamdamaSahib in the winter of 1809, in order to carry out someimprovements in the administration of the Sikh shrinesthere. While at Damdama Sahib, Akali Phoola Singh hearda rumor about an attack on Punjab by the British forces.In order to forestall the enemy move, Phoola Singh marchedwith his band of Akalis and attacked the British troops underCaptain White, encamped at Fatoh-ke Village near Nabha.In his anxiety to save the Khalsa Raj, which he cherishedmost, Akali Phoola Singh seems to have quite ignored thepolitical expediencies and was prepared to risk his life todefend the Sikh kingdom against the evil designs of theBritish rulers in India.Akali Phoola SinghThe saint-soldierBy Dr. Mohinder SinghAfter completing his early education and training in traditionalwarfare, young Phoola Singh began his career at AnandpurSahib as a custodian of the Sikh shrines there along with othermembers of Baba Narain Singh's Jatha. During his stay atAnandpur, he was often sent in the Jathas to repel enemy attacksand thus he gained valuable experience in actual warfare.Because of his ability and complete dedication to his mission,Phoola Singh became very popular with his preceptor and hiscolleagues in the Jatha. After the death of Akali Narain Singh,young Phoola Singh was elected leader of his Jatha. At hiselevation to the position of Jathedar, Phoola Singh paid attentionto the holy places of the Sikhs and carried out a number ofimprovements in their administration and daily routine.In 1800, Phoola Singh and other members of his Jatha movedto Amritsar to eliminate unhealthy and un-Sikhlike practicesthat had slowly crept into the Sikh holy places there. With thehelp of his dedicated band of followers, Akali Phoola Singh wasable to bring about some major improvements in theadministration of the Golden Temple, the Akal Takhat and otherimportant shrines in Amritsar. It was during his stay atAmritsar that Akali Phoola Singh first met Maharaja RanjitSingh who had led an invasion against the Bhangi chief inpossession of that city. Phoola Singh's love for his communitydid not allow him to helplessly watch this fratricidal warbetween the two Sikh chiefs. Accordingly, he intervened andwith his influence and sagacity brought about a peacefulsettlement between Ranjit Singh and the Bhangi chief.Maharaja Ranjit Singh was highly impressed by Akali PhoolaSingh's love for his community and his deep involvement for theSikh causes. Then onward, the Maharaja became a greatadmirer of this fearless Akali leader.Eternal Voice August - October, 200956 2 357

The growing popularity of Akali Phoola Singh along with hisbold and fearless nature and frank criticism of the acts ofomission and commission of the high officials at the LahoreDarbar, seem to have encouraged some vested interests to joinagainst Phoola Singh. It led to poisoning the ears of MaharajaRanjit Singh against this powerful Akali chief. Thus, whenPhoola Singh went to Lahore to meet the Maharaja and to warnhim against the intrigues of his courtiers, who were trying tocreate a rift between him and his son and heir-apparent, PrinceKharak Singh, these selfish officials of the Maharaja managedto delay Akali Phoola Singh seeking an audience with theMaharaja. After a long wait, Phoola Singh took the initiative ofwalking into the Maharaja's palace without waiting for a formalappointment. During his meeting with the Maharaja, PhoolaSingh boldly pointed out the danger involved in Maharaja'spolicy of entrusting responsible positions to persons withdoubtful credentials and warned him against the intrigues of hisselfish nobles, who were trying to create a rift between the fatherand son for selfish gains. When asked to partake of food with theMaharaja, the fearless Akali refused to accept anything at hishands till the Maharaja made the necessary amends.encouragement and help to Ranjit Singh in his major militarycampaigns. The fearless leadership of Akali Phoola Singhprovided indispensable support to Maharaja Ranjit Singhduring his military campaigns against the rulers of Multan,Bahawalpur and Sind. The important role played by AkaliPhoola Singh during the Maharaja's campaign against Multanhas been thus recorded in a near contemporary account:“Ranjit Singh's whole army would have been repulsed fromMultan had not Phoola Singh, a mad Akali, borrowedfrom Bacieline, the courage to lead a storming party againstthe breach.”During Ranjit Singh's campaign against Peshawar in 1818,when his forces had suffered heavy losses and chances ofvictory were bleak, the fearless Akali Phoola Singh was sent bythe Maharaja to save the situation. The timely arrival of AkaliPhoola Singh on the battlefield turned this impending rout into agrand victory and the ruler of Peshawar surrendered before thisgreat general of the Maharaja. In subsequent years, PhoolaSingh and his contingent helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh in hisconquest of the beautiful valley of Kashmir. Ranjit Singh was somuch impressed with the rare qualities of Akali Phoola Singhthat after the victory of Kashmir, he requested him to stay in hisconstant company at the Lahore Darbar. But given, as he was,to an independent life, away from the grandeurs of the royalty,he refused this invitation and returned to his camp at Amritsarto devote himself to the service of Sikh holy places there.In 1823, Akali Phoola Singh was called upon to join theMaharaja in his campaigns against the frontier tribes. It wasduring these campaigns that Akali Phoola Singhdemonstrated, not only his proverbial bravery and loyalty to theKhalsa Raj but also his adherence to the Sikh prayer. He diedfighting, rather than retreat and thus go back from the promisemade in the solemn presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. In thebattle of Naushehra, Akali Phoola Singh marched after sayinghis prayer and in spite of repeated efforts of Maharaja RanjitSingh and other high officials refused to halt till reinforcementshad arrived. In the fierce battle even after having been piercedwith bullets all over his body, he continued the fight andbreathed his last only after ensuring victory for the Khalsa.Akali Phoola Singh was cremated at Pirsabak, four miles eastof Naushehra, with full military honors, with Maharaja RanjitSingh and other high officials attending the funeral. Toperpetuate the memory of this grand old man, the Maharaja gota Samadhi made at the place of his cremation and attached a bigJagir for its maintenance. Another memorial, known as BurjAkali Phoola Singh, was later erected in the sacred city ofAmritsar, where Akali Phoola Singh had spent most his timewhen free from military campaigns. While the Samadhi ofPhoola Singh has been left in Pakistan after the partition of thecountry, the Burj at Amritsar has developed into a sort ofheadquarters for the Nihangs for whom Phoola Singh remainstheir beau ideal.Because of Akali Phoola Singh's significant contribution inalmost all the important military campaigns of Maharaja RanjitSingh and in view of his role in ensuring victories therein, PhoolaSingh was honored with the befitting title of the builder anddefender of the Khalsa Raj.A rare example of selfless sacrifice, a fearless fighter andorganizer of victories, a genuine lover and builder anddefender of the Khalsa Raj; a devout Sikh and zealousguardian of the Sikh morals, Phoola Singh occupies a uniqueplace in history of the Sikhs.After this incident, Akali Phoola Singh marched to AnandpurSahib along with other members of the Jatha. The Maharaja,who was fully convinced of the Akali leader's genuine love for theSikh kingdom and his uncompromising nature, brought AkaliPhoola Singh back to Amritsar through the good offices of arevered Sikh sage, Baba Sahib Singh Bedi. As a token of hisgratitude and love for the Akali leader, the Maharaja offeredelephants, horses and other materials for use by the members ofPhoola Singh's Jatha. The Maharaja also got regular barracksmade at Amtisar for lodging his Jatha, which later developed asheadquarters of the Nihang Singhs and came to be known as theAkalian-di-Chhauni or the Akali cantonment.Good relations being restored between the Maharaja and AkaliPhoola Singh, this great general became a source of immenseEternal Voice August - October, 200958 2 359

Book reviewBy Prof. Lakhmir Singhadopted girls, they tell her all that happened to them on those threefateful days of November. But the years that followed the carnagewere equally harrowing. Now with their children growing up, theysee only a dark sinister future staring at them as their offspringsnever got the benefit of quality education.Reema's efforts for the well-beings of these scorched lilies areobstructed by those, who have thrived on the tragedy of theseunfortunates and do not want them out of their stranglehold. Butat the same time, there was some positive help from certain wellmeaningsgroups and individuals. That is how Scorched WhiteLilies of '84 brings to fore the enormity of tragedy.lot has been written about the Sikh massacre ofNovember, 1984, following the assassination of IndiraAGandhi. Many books and monographs by writers, journalistsand human rights activist have appeared about the catastrophebut still the magnitude of those tragic happenings have not beentold in its totality. It is, therefore, not surprising that books andarticles about the black November of '84 still continue to appear.Reema Anand's Scorched White Lilies of '84, however, is not justanother book picturing the anti-Sikh carnage of 1984, when 4000Sikhs were massacred in cold blood in the national capital of Delhialone and manifold rendered homeless. It aims at not just giving apicture of those first three days of November '84, when maraudingmobs of lumpens lunatically shouting revenge, rampagedthroughout Delhi and plundered Sikh homes, shops andestablishment at will; desecrated their places of worship, killed,butchered and burnt alive thousands of innocents, who had noteven the remotest relation with the assassins of the PrimeMinister except that they just happened to belong to the same faith.This book is more concerned with the trying circumstances inwhich the surviving victims of the massacre have lived during thelast 25 years and who are yet to recover from that trauma.The scorched white lilies of this book are the women, who losttheir fathers, husbands or brothers in the '84 riots and are stillstruggling to find their moorings in an otherwise insensitivesociety. As of now, they live in dirty and drab one-roomtenements in an ever expanding slum called Tilak Vihar, whichthe Government established to herd a thousand uprootedfamilies from various parts of Delhi. Reema rightly chooses 20of these unfortunate women as her adopted girls, for, it is after alla woman who pays a colossal price in such tragic happenings asthe one witnessed in 1984. Of the women who become a part ofhis self-help NGO Hope, Mataji, the eldest of them all, lost noless than seven male members in that carnage; Gurdeep sawher husband and sons murdered in front of her own eyes andwas gang-raped; Maina had survived with five siblings tosupport and Puppy lost her father. Rest of them had also gonethrough similar harrowing experiences – Kalu, Harvinder,Baby, Lali, Seema – to name a few. None had known whatchildhood was or what playfulness and vibrancy of youth waslike. Their lives have long relentless struggle for a bare survival.Reema first engages these women in Papar-making, a venturethat does not meet success. Then she involves them in Masalamaking,helping them to sell these at congregation, Gurdwarasand other places. They are also engaged in hand-made Sevians.Actually what she aimed at was to make them self-dependentand independent; develop the ethics of work culture in them andshed their dirty behavior and uncouth language.Reema's effort about the change in the lives of these women meetonly partial success in the beginning as they are intransigent toany change in their lives and refuse to be persuaded to get out oftheir self-created grooves. But once, she succeeds in relating to herSchorched White Lilies of '84 by Reema AnandScorched White Lilies of '84 raises many questions with a tellingeffect. Who gives license to a uniformed Seva Ram to act soblatantly against a particular community? Why do those men,who are supposed to maintain law and order allow mobsters afree run? Who gives a right to political leaders to mobilizelumpens? Why are these uniformed men and political big wigs,who are in collusion with the goons not punished? The judiciarywants circumstantial evidence to proceed. But will not fear ofreprisals prevent an ordinary citizen to give evidence against aSeva Ram or a Bhagat? This book raises such questions aboutthe system itself with great insistence.Reema Anand, a Sikh herself, displays a rare moral courage tolook at the carnage '84 objectively. The book raises questionsabout the Sikh leadership too. What exactly have they done torehabilitate the unfortunate widows and orphans of theNovember '84 carnage? Did the victims get all the compensationmeant for them? What did the leaders do to heal their emotionalwounds and infuse positive feelings in them? Couldn't they dosomething to change their mindset to help them overcome theirparasitical dependence on aids and donations? A Sikh neverbegs. But didn't we make them virtual parasites?If Reema with her non-descript NGO called Hope could instill asense of dignity and work culture in 20-odd women, why couldn'twe as a community reach out to each and every victim?Scorched White Lilies of '84 is an outstanding book that dealswith the excruciating experiences of the victims of November'84 anti-Sikh carnage; their anguish and agony; and theircontinuing tragedy in a simple and forceful manner. Thebooks of this nature generally tend to be rhetorical orpontifical, but rhetoric and melodrama are conspicuous bytheir total absence in Scorched White Lilies of '84. This is animmensely readable book with simplicity and intensity of stylebeing its main aspects.Scorched White Lilies of '84 is a book that grips our mind,disturbs us and sets us thinking raising a question that Hamlet inShakespeare's Hamlet asked, “What is this man? Why does heact like an angel? Why does he act like a beast?”The tragic tale of the massacre of nearly5,000 Sikhs following the assassinationof Mrs Gandhi on 31 october 1984 has notyet ended.We shall have no clear account of whathappened to the survivors of the holocaust.Thousands of families lost all they ownedalong with their breadwinners. Manymore thousands were scarred for life.Wounds inflicted have yet to be healed.Reema Anand has carried the tale to itsconclusion by telling us how the victims arecoping with life, what is being done forthem and how much remains undone.Highly informative and readable.- Kushwant SinghThe determination of Reema Anand can be gaugedfrom the fact that towards the end of the book,she dreams that the haunted area ‘Tilak Vihar’is wiped out from the map of Delhi.- EditorEternal Voice August - October, 200960 2 361

Redemption... amidst the drug warsBy Gurmeet Kaury fingers were trembling as I dialed his number. I hadpromised him that I would call once I returned to theMUSA. It would be perfect timing; he would be out of the center bythen. An entire month had passed following my return beforeI had gathered the courage to call Mahinder. Of all the people atthe center I had met, I had connected with him the most, perhapsbecause he was a repeat or perhaps because I had successfullynegotiated a huge redemption from him. He had promised methat to every extent possible, he would undo his wrong doings.We spent good 3 hours talking…and not a day has passed bysince then that I don't think of Mahinder and his promise.Today my expectations are flying high as I hold the phone,hoping to hear his voice - healthy, fighting the drug war,redeeming the hundreds of others in his district to which heintroduced Smack - or heroin, that white angel of death.The odds were against hope that Mahinder had managed tosucceed in keeping his promise; maybe that is why I had delayedmaking the phone call until this morning.During my trip to Punjab this past summer, Dr. Balwant SinghSekhon arranged for my teenage son, Angad Singh and me, tovisit the Akal De-addiction Center at Cheema Sahib in districtSangrur. “Biba Ji” he told me, “You should visit and write about thedrug issue in Punjab”. Much has already been written about it,I thought, what new information or perspective could I have to offer?As I traveled on the road from Muktsar to Cheema, I did notrealize what was going to come out of this visit was not a storyor a report but rather new bonds and connections of hearts.After our visit, as we returned to Muktsar, all Angad andI could talk about was our drowning brothers. We feltpowerless to change a thing in the lives of our brothers but thevisit had surely changed us. We prayed that they saw andunderstood the message in our sad parting eyes, “Please bewell our brothers; our nation needs you.”Bustling with devotional energy centered around theGurdwara Janam Asthan (birth place) of Sant Attar Singh ofMastuana, Cheema is also a home to one of the oldest AkalAcademies that is fighting the drug war at the grass roots levelby instilling value based education and responsibility in thelocal youth. It is mind-blowing to see the 'Desi Sharab Thekas'(Government licensed country alcohol shops) share the samestreet as the Gurdwara and the Academies not too far awayfrom each other… A silent war that the two institutions havedeclared against each other; with the Akal De-addictionCenter, as the DMZ (the Demilitarized Zone), where the twomake peace with each other.Complete with iron bars, armed security guards andsupervisory staff, the center gave us a nervous thrill; we had noidea what to expect when we entered. Whereas the vacantstaring eyes of some of the inmates from within locked cellsintimidated us, the sight and sounds of a recovering addictreciting from Guru Granth Sahib in an adjacent room calmedour fears and brought us to ease.This experience marked my first encounter with drug addicts,some of whom were criminals in addition to their addiction.I had no idea about what I was going to write or whether any ofthem would even agree to speak with us. In Angad Singh, I hadthe perfect helper. He quickly mingled, making the patientslaugh with his awkward ways and accented Punjabi. In no timethey were friendly and ready to share their stories. It was evidentin their eyes that they begged only for acknowledgment in returnand appreciation of the fact that they had taken steps towardbettering their lives… bold steps indeed.The hope I saw in their eyes was so calming yet painful. I wastold that even though this center has a high success rate, close toa quarter of them would relapse and when they did, it would befar worse than before. A lot of the men were on a quick roadto death as the 42 day program at the center came to an end.The very qualified Dr. Sanjeev Kumar the Medical Officer -in-charge of the Center first told us about the center and itsactivities followed by an in-depth expose on the drug issue inPunjab, including demographics, causes, cures, social andanatomical effects and more.We were not only very impressed with his knowledge, but thepurity of his intentions to help this worthwhile cause clearlydemonstrated his dedication. When asked what promotes suchan incredible success rate for the program, he summed it upsimply yet powerfully by answering “Spirituality, of course.”In addition to the Government mandated protocol, the centerheavily supplements by daily diet and exercise with anAyurvedic regimen designed to restore organ damage such asthat of the kidneys, liver and lungs which tends to be commonamong substance abusers. There is individual, group and familyAugust - October, 200963

counseling service supervised by specialized psychologists.“The real edge is provided by Catharsis that takes place throughmeditation and reflection. We have a full Gurbani basedregimen that inspires the inmates towards introspection andcommitted action”, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar explained.Baldev Singh, aged 45, from Cheema, who now volunteers atthe local Gurdwara testifies to the fact. He comes down veryoften to motivate other patients; it was a joy to meet with theman responsible for many success stories. Ever since he hasbeen drug-free, the opportunity to contribute his time atthe Gurdwara and to counsel other patients at the AkalDe-addiction Center has created a sense of sanctuary for Baldev.‘Success on the Edge’ is what he calls his case. A Punjabifarmer from generations before him, Baldev became addicted inhis early 20's. The person who introduced him to opium wasnone other than his grandfather.It is common for farmers and labors in the region to use any ofthe easily available drugs (poppy husk, opium, even a tobaccoand alcohol combination) for increased performance in thefields. At first it wasn't bad he told me; he got married and hada child. But as it started getting worse, life became a living hell.He became unable to farm. He would steal family money andhis married life soon became marred in daily quarrels. Hestarted taking refuge in alcohol at nights. The need for opiumto rid of alcohol hangovers intensified and one day he foundhimself lifeless and sick to near death. It was then that he wasbrought to the center some three years ago. He rebelled byrunning away within the first 20 days. It was no surprise thathe relapsed. His second admission was voluntary in May of2008, at the invitation of a recovered alcoholic; this time itseems to have worked.“This whole year has been very peaceful. No police cases, nofamily quarrels, more money for the necessities”, he reports.Yet, Baldev is not a worry-free man. His son is 16 years old andduring the time Baldev was in and out of prisons and centers, hisson dropped out of school. Baldev constantly worries about thedark shadows that surround both him and his son, waiting topounce on them at a weak moment.The land, Baldev worked, was contracted out by his brothersfor the period in which he was away and although there isincome to get by, there is no real purpose in life for him otherthan acting as a watch dog protecting his son. “That's whyI call my situation a success story on the edge. Getting hookedon drugs is a sure death warrant”, he told me. “If you do drugsthey will eventually kill you; and until you quit for good, youexperience death over and over.”I have hope that Baldev will be okay but I wasn't so sure aboutSarab from Delhi who was a successful business man until hefound himself in a repeat of a drunken violent rage, beating hiswife and children and getting into trouble with law. The guilt onhis face was clear and pleading. “All I want to do is get better andget my family back. Do you know my son is about your son's ageand I almost killed him”, he narrated with tears in his eyes.Whereas poppy husk (Bhukki), tobacco (Tambaku), opium(Afeem) and smack (Charas) engulf Punjabi villages especiallythose of the working farmers, the very legal weapon of massdestruction, Alcohol, is silently drowning the lives of the elites as well.Alcohol consumption is a very acceptable thing in the PunjabiCircles and as the business man Sarab is, what are the chanceshe will not relapse? How long can he stay away from alcohol, Iwondered. Close to half the addicts in the center are abusers oftwo perfectly legal substances – alcohol and tobacco.When Mahinder said that tobacco was the first thing he gothooked to; I posed an irresponsible question: “Since when did itbecome acceptable for Sikhs to chew tobacco?” “Ever since itbecame acceptable for them to gulp alcohol!” my teenageassistant interrupted.If alcohol and tobacco are easily available at every corner inPunjab, smack and opium are not far away and nearly aseasy to obtain.Much shockingly, Mahinder's latest smack supplier is anelderly woman from his village and with the assistance ofMahinder's family I was able to speak with her. She reiteratedthe question when reminded of the ethical values. “Wheneverybody from the ministers in India to the local contractordraw their salaries off the Thekas (alcohol shops) why can't Iprovide for my family off a few Puris (bits) of Charas?” shecountered me. “What's the difference Bibi? They both kill.”I had no answer for her.There are other legal options for the more sophisticated.A trend among young college-bound boys and girls finds the useof synthetic derivatives of opium which are much cheaper,easily available at both chemist shops and drug peddlers.Morphine is also readily available without prescription. Lomotil(Di-phenoxlylate) has the same effect as opium and is legallyavailable everywhere. It takes only seven days to get addicted.Just as with opium and heroin, side-effects including headaches,palpitations, restlessness, loss of appetite, mood swings,aggressiveness, and diarrhea will become increasingly severeuntil more of the drug is consumed.Akal De-addiction Center sees all kinds of addictions in all agesand education levels. Since it serves mostly rural population,the Center's patients comprise mostly males. In the month ofJune, during our visit, the Center admitted 39 men of all ages.The popularity of the Center with its affordable cost and highsuccess rate approaching 80% has driven growth (primarilythrough word of mouth) beyond its intended capacity. However,since there are minimal rehabilitation services at the Center, manypatients succumb back to their old debilitating lifestyle as theyreturn to the same environment and influences that reclaim themfaster than any follow up volunteer from the center is able to.Dr. Sanjeev attributes the reason for drug prevalence in Punjabto many factors such as peer pressure, pleasure seekingattitude, elevated workloads, inability to deal with social issues,but he does not deny that political reasons such as highunemployment rate and post-1984 blues have played a big role.“Ultimately it all comes down to money”, he says, “Alcohol andthe drug business are the easiest ways to get rich”. The profitsare very attractive and the risks in peddling are few. One Puri(bit) of smack can be purchased for Rs. 20 in Delhi. It is so easilyaccessible that the villagers make routine trips to get them. Theythen resell the Puris for Rs.100 each. Payments as little as tenthousand a year in bribes to officials ensure the traffickers cango about their business uninterrupted.This desire to get rich quick got young Mahinder into drugdealing, but before long the money fizzled out in Police casesand treatment centers. I wondered how his wife and childrenwere handling it all.So here I was at my home in the USA making the call I promisedhim I would. My heart was beating fast in anticipation. After acouple of rings, the phone was answered with a burst ofenthusiasm at his home in Mansa. I introduced myself to hismother, who then handed off to Preeti, Mahinder's wife.She started as if she had always known me and was waiting forthe call. I too felt surprisingly close to her. She said, “He saidyou'd call…He spoke about you and the promise he made. Hewas so excited when he got back from the Center. The Centerdid a really good job. His health improved much, hiscomplexion...like it used to be…”I was relieved to hear all and now I wanted to hear his voiceeven more. But her voice seemed like she wanted to cling tome and never let go of the call so I just listened as I tried topicture her on the other end; a beautiful young woman,educated and intelligent. I recalled how Mahinder had a sparkin his eyes when he spoke about his beloved and how theywere madly in love with each other and got married withoutthe families' consent.Eternal Voice August - October, 200964 2 365

A handsome national level soccer player pursuing college inPhysical Education, Mahinder couldn't wait to return to her inPunjab and marry her as he finished his degree at Universityin Nagpur. Sadly, by the time he was ending college, he wasalready hooked on tobacco; Smack was not far behind,introduced to him by his 'friends'. He was in the early stagesthen and she suspected as much, even before they married.But she was in love. Shortly after their marriage, he and afriend introduced hundreds, if not thousands, in the Mansadistrict to Smack. Mahinder made a lot of money. He wantedto give her the best.“He said he wanted to help other addicts. He came back with amission but then one evening his friend called him…. That's all ittook! Sister, maybe you can bring him back! Please, call him! Heis in a center in Mullanpur at such an such number. He'll listen toyou…you never know…what will bring him back… Please!” shepleaded persistently. The trembling in my fingers spread to therest of the body. My throat parched and it seemed to take all mystrength to hold the phone to my ear.whole family had suspended their lives in a hope to get him back,to will him back - the one who had slipped yet again to everdeeper depths and they hoped a stranger far away has somekind of power.“You cannot rest until you help all those people you caused tobecome addicted to Smack”, I had said when we were saying ourgood byes at the Center, and he had agreed. Perhaps theredemption I had negotiated with him was too heavy for him tobear. Perhaps, he was only serving his destiny…I did not have the strength to call the other two numbers.The names of the patients have been changed to protect theirprivacy.Akal Charitable De-addiction Center is a non-profit center run byThe Kalgidhar Trust/Society (www.barusahib.org). Any substanceabuser with a positive identification is eligible for treatment.The Center can be reached by calling (91)-1676-284272.I walk down this endless roadLost on a path I thought I had always knownI find myself in a city of lost soulsNo companion, no one there giving me hope.Hope sounds like a dream that once used to beNow fading away into the empty streetsTraffic of my mind is my life's beatSeeing all this junk, life seems obsolete.hopeBy IzzyYet again, doubts slowly enter my mindAm I doing the right thing by trying?I have done this many a times beforeGetting nothing but broken hopes and dreams.The path is tough, I am fatiguedBut something tells me to keep goingAnd so I trek, and trek deepSlowly, slowly hope's rekindling.Her voice told me she was still in love with him, so desperate tohave him back. Taking care of his parents, their children anddealing with his addiction, treatments and remissions, sheembodies a typical Punjabi woman's life; her only dream andaspiration is to get her husband back from this death trap.“We have not left any center in Punjab - Mohali, Chandigarh,Bathinda, Patiala, Cheema… he has been everywhere… Thistime it was extremely severe because he did 20 bits of smacksall at once. He fell unconscious, turned white and his eyesrolled over. I thought I had lost him….but he is alive and I amnot giving up. Please tell him that his family needs him…Willyou?” she begged.I could hear her children of seven and four years screaming inthe background, hoping it was their father on the phone andwanting to talk to him. She eventually fell silent, not sure if I wasstill on the other end. The quite moments felt heavy as if theTo the Heavens above I yell and screamSave me, save me as I continue to dreamHoping Heaven's arms will come grab me in my sleepOh Lord, save me from this life of hell, I plea.I gain consciousness; I feel a deep pang withinFeel my body and soul shaking and tremblingLike I've lost something that was in my hand's grasp and givenWhat is taking so long, oh so long, beloved Heaven?I wander around this city; I catch a glimpseThere, afar: shining, gleaming, brightly in the distanceAlas, I've become weary, yet something pulls me yonderMaybe hope rekindling, even if for an instant my mind ponders.The road is hilly; I see:Ups and downs, Bends and cracksThorn beds and poisonous mushroomsEverything there to make me turn back.But this Light in the distance is too intenseBrain says there's no logic in this, it makes no senseSomehow this Light is making everything inside me bendBending my hopes in such a way that I cannot comprehend.My hope now, has become too strongMind now says, in dying trying, there's nothing wrongEven if Heaven doesn't accept me with open armsAt least I wasn't trapped in Hell's palms.Eternal Voice August - October, 200966 2 367

Can you reallyforgive & forget?ll of us have been hurt, betrayed or humiliated. More oftenthan not by someone whom we trust and are closeAto - maybe a parent, a sibling, a spouse or a dear friend. Andwhen that happens, when someone we love and trust hurts us,It rankles, It festers like gangrene and swells into a grudge.And this grudge sits there, deep within our hearts, growing andgrowing like a benign tumor, for years together.By Shanta SharmaThough to most of us forgiving is synonymous withgiving in, forgiving according to experts, is all aboutletting go of grudges and freeing yourself.We want to feel better. We want to feel vindicated. So we catchhold of whoever has hurt us, and say the worst possible thingswe can think of to them. Or brood over the things we wish we'dsaid, and will say - one day. In some extreme cases, we want toextract our pound of flesh - we want revenge.This anger, this unquenchable desire for revenge, is a perfectlyhuman reaction in this age of rage, when all around us,newspaper articles, TV serials and films are full of victimsburning with the Badle ki aag!But brace yourself for a surprise: Some experts have found outthat the best way to feel better Is not through revenge, but theopposite of that - forgiveness. It turns out that one of the mostancient Injunctions - forgive your enemy - offers tremendouspsychological and even physical benefits. In fact, saying the words'I forgive you' could be the most powerful thing you'll ever do.Of course, to most of us, forgiving is synonymous with giving in.But it isn't - forgiving is all about letting go.“When you forgive, you no longer go through life emotionallyhandcuffed to the person who hurt you,” explains author RobinCasarjian, who managed to forgive the man who raped her.Only when you forgive do you realize that you have betterthings to do than perpetuate your own victimization.According to one victim of child molestation, “Forgivenessextricates you from someone else's nightmare and allows youto live in a state of grace.”But if forgiveness has so much going for it, why do so many of usinsist on lugging around blame and resentment? One reasonmay be because we equate forgiveness with weakness orcapitulation. According to Jacqui Bishop, co-author, with MaryGrunte of 'How to Forgive When You Don't Know How',“People think that forgiving means saying that they were wrongand someone else was right, letting him go scot-free orcondoning what he did.”Another more important reason for not forgiving is that ithelps you compensate for the helplessness you felt whenyou were hurt.This phenomenon is explained by psychologist Sidney Simon,co-author, with his wife, Suzanne, of 'Forgiveness: How to MakePeace with Your Past and Get On With Your Life', “Whilekeeping the people who 'hurt you locked in the prison of yourmind, you feel omnipotent, since no one can force you to stopholding a grudge.”Grunte agrees, “People may feel more powerful when they'refilled with anger. But forgiving instills a much greater sense ofpower. A rabbi who lost his wife, child and parents in theholocaust told us he forgave, because he chose not to bring Hitlerwith him to America. When you forgive, you reclaim your powerto choose. It doesn't matter whether someone deservesforgiveness; you deserve to be free.” Grunte continues,“Forgiveness isn't about letting the other person off the hook.It's about pulling the knife Out of your own gut.”Thus can forgiveness free you, whether you're the ex-wife whoremains bitter about her former spouse's walking out on her,or the worker passed over for promotion, or the aunt notinvited to a wedding.The ultimate irony is that, while your whole life is colored withideas of revenge and bitterness, in many cases, the other personis blissfully unaware of your misery and doesn't feel a thing.And that's why forgiving is good for the body as well as the soul.“Reliving past hurts over and over again is bad for your health”,says an expert. “Simply remembering an incident that made aperson angry has proven to be stressful for the heart.”It's also a proven fact that negative feelings are always linked tohigh blood pressure, coronary artery disease and increasedsusceptibility to other illnesses.While terrible hurts can take only minutes to inflict, forgiving themoften requires more time, because it's a journey through variousstages. “At first, you experience anger, sadness, shame or othernegative feelings,” says a psychiatrist. “Then, you begin to reevaluatewhat happened, to reframe it and try to make sense of it.”“You learn to see the person who hurt you through new eyes”,adds Maureen Burns, an incest survivor and author of'Forgiveness: A Gift You Give Yourself'. “Before, you saw her asthe bad person who hurt you. Later, you see her in greaterperspective as somebody who was flawed, weak, sick, needy orignorant.” Unfortunately, some people may never reach the finalstages of forgiveness. This is especially true of childrenmolested or sexually abused by people they loved and trusted.Yet, for Individuals who have been brutalized in body or spirit,even partial forgiveness can be beneficial.“Accept imperfect forgiving. We don't do anything else perfectly;probably we won't forgive perfectly either”, adds an expert.Sometimes, in cases of incest, assault and other criminal acts,the victims may avoid forgiving the perpetrator because they feela confrontation isn't safe. But what the victims don't seem torealize is that they needn't face that person at all. Forgivenesscan occur without anyone else's involvement or awareness.“The people you forgive may never realize how much they'vewronged you or never know that you've forgiven them,” says arape survivor. “The perpetrator may be dead or he may be aliveand still deny everything. What's important is that you let go ofyour anger and open your heart to understanding.”What we must work towards is healing ourselves rather thanfocusing on forgiving the other person. Forgiveness is thereward that comes from the process of healing.Eternal Voice August - October, 200968 2 369

ssam is a North-Eastern state of India with its capital atGuwahati. Located South of the Eastern Himalayas,AAssam comprises the Brahmaputra and the Barak river valleysand the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills with an areaof 30,285 square miles (78,438 km²). Assam is surrounded bythe other six of the Seven Sister States: Arunachal Pradesh,Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. Thesestates are connected to the rest of India via a narrow strip inWest Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor or "Chicken's Neck".[2]Assam also shares international borders with Bhutan andBangladesh; and cultures, peoples and climate with South-EastAsia - important elements in India's Look East policy.Assam became a part of India after the British occupied theregion following the Treaty of Yandaboo of 1826. It is known forAssam tea, large and old petroleum resources, Assam silk, forits rich bio-diversity and Kaziranga and Manas are both WorldHeritage Sites.[3]. A land of high rainfall, Assam is endowedwith lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, whosetributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with a uniquehydro-geomorphic and aesthetic environment.Two later dynasties, the Ahoms and the Koch left larger impacts.The Ahoms, a Tai group, ruled Assam for nearly 600 years(1228–1826) and the Koch, a Tibeto-Burmese, establishedsovereignty in 1510. The Koch kingdom in Western Assam andpresent North Bengal was at its zenith in the early reign ofNaranarayana (1540-1587). It split into two in 1581, theWestern part as a Moghul vassal and the Eastern as an Ahomsatellite state. Since 13th Century, the nerve center of Ahompolity was upper Assam; the kingdom was gradually extendedtill Karatoya river in the 17th and 18th Centuries. It was at itszenith during the reign of Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu RudraSimha (1696-1714). Among other dynasties, the Chutiyas ruledthe North-Eastern Assam and parts of present ArunachalPradesh and the Kacharis ruled from river Dikhow to Centraland Southern Assam. With expansion of Ahom kingdom, by1520, the Chutiya areas were annexed and since 1536, Kacharisremained only in Cachar and North Cachar more as an Ahomally than a competing force. Despite numerous invasions,mostly by the Muslim rulers, no Western power ruled Assamuntil the arrival of the British. The most successful invader MirJumla, a governor of Aurangzeb, briefly occupied Garhgaon(1662-63), the then capital, but found it difficult to control peoplemaking guerrilla attacks on his forces, forcing them to leave.The decisive victory of the Assamese led by the great GeneralLachit Borphukan on the Mughals, then under command ofRaja Ram Singha at Saraighat (1671) had almost endedMughal ambitions. Mughals were finally expelled in 1682 fromlower Assam.Ancient Assam known as Kamarupa was ruled by powerfuldynasties: the Varmanas (350-650), the Salstambhas(Xalostombho, 655-900) and the Kamarupa-Palas (900-1100).In the reign of the Varman king, Bhaskaravarman (600–650),the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visited the region and recordedhis travels. Later, after weakening and disintegration (after theKamarupa-Palas), the Kamarupa tradition was somewhatextended till 1255 by the Lunar I (1120-1185) and Lunar II(1155-1255) dynasties.[16]The connection of Assam with Sikhs datesback to Guru Nanak's visit to Assam.Kamroop, the interior district of Assam andNoor Shah, the famous witch have beenmentioned in Janamsakhis; the Sikhhistorical chronicles.AssameseSikhsBy Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal

Cultural reminiscences of its past are ancient monuments whichinclude a ferocious lion excavated in Madan Kamdev close toBaihata Cariali in Assam representing the powerful Kamarupa-Palas (9th and 10th Centuries) and Rang Ghar, a pavilion builtby Pramatta Singha (also Sunenpha; 1744–1751) in Ahomcapital Rongpur, now Sibsagar; the Rang Ghar is one of theearliest pavilions of outdoor stadia in South Asia.Sikhs in AssamThe connection of Assam with Sikhs dates back to GuruNanak's visit to Assam. Kamroop, the interior district of Assamand Noor Shah, the famous witch have been mentioned inJanamsakhis; the Sikh historical chronicles. During GuruNanak's visit to the state, Noor Shah the witch enticed Mardanaand converted him into a lamb. Guru Nanak explained her theimportance of real spell in God's name recitation and the realdeed to serve humanity. She and her companions becamefollowers of Guru Nanak.The new states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram wereformed in the 1960-70s. From Shillong, the capital of Assamwas shifted to Dispur, now a part of Guwahati. After the Indo-China war in 1962, Arunachal Pradesh was also separated out.All these states were part of Assam during Guru Nanak's visit,when he is stated to have visited, Lumpung, Tawang,Menchukha, Tato, Walong, Lohit Lake, Tinshukhia, Dibrugarh,Golaghat and Guwahati. Gurdwaras at Golaghat andMenchukha remind us of his visit to Assam. With his religion,being a proselytizing one, it was but natural that he had footedthrough the dense forest tracts of Assam and met various tribesin the course of his journey. Guru Nanak must have diffused hismessage - the message of love and unity and gospel of universaltolerance - amongst the populace.After Guru Nanak, the ninth Guru, Tegh Bahadur, was the nextto come to Assam. He came along with the Mughal forces,commanded by General Raja Ram Singh in 1670, sent byEmperor Aurangzeb to launch a full scale invasion of Assam toavenge an earlier defeat at the hands of Assamese. Guru TeghBahadur visited along with Raja Ram Singh's forces at later'srequest as General Ram Singh may have believed that thepresence of a Guru in the Mughal ranks might serve as a moralbooster to them in their fight against the Assamese.Guru Tegh Bahadur and Ram Singh reached Rangamati andthen came to Dhubri. Guru Tegh Bahadur helped Raja RamSingh, the Mughal General who had attacked Assam and theAhom Ruler to arrive at an amicable settlement. As a mark ofrespect to the Guru, the two forces joined together and raised aplatform at Dhubri, where the first Gurdwara was establishedby the Mughal soldiers as a memorial of the Guru.The third major connection is that of Raja Ratan Rai, whopresented an elephant, a large tent known as tambol and a Baaj(falcon) to Guru Gobind Singh.The fourth important connection is the army of 500 Sikhs, sentby Maharaja Ranjit Singh to help the Ahom King. They settledin Assam and married locals and raised families. Thesefamilies are now known as the Assamese Sikhs.According to a tradition of these Assamese Sikhs, theirfore-fathers came from Punjab on an invitation from the AhomKing to defend Assamese liberty against the Burmese. KingViswanarayan Singh (Chandra Kanta Singha) of the Ahomtribe then deposed ruler of Assam, sought Maharaja RanjitSingh's help to defeat the Burmese army. It was around thattime when 500 soldiers were sent under the leadership ofGeneral Chetan Singh (local known and revered as GeneralChaitanya Singh). The Ahom ruler, Chandra Kanta Singha,built up defenses at Hadirachaki, with armies under thecommand of the Sikh General Chetan Singh, the AhomGeneral Charu, the Muslim General Mirdaulla and theAssamese General Krishna Ram. They crossed theBrahmaputra and Kalang rivers and reached Chaparmukh.General Chetan Singh, along with his army, fought gallantlyagainst the Burmese in a pitched engagement at Hadirachakiand laid down his life in the battle of Hadirachaki (1820-1822)for the cause of Assam. According to local tradition,Chaitanya Singh, on the eve of the battle, said to the AhomKing, "Maharaj, I shall lay down my life along with my armyfor upholding your cause." True to his words, Chaitanya kepthis promise. Assam remembers him with gratitude and honoreven to this day. This poignant saga has been mentioned in themonumental novel 'Monomati' written by Rajani KantaBordoloi, a leading novelist of repute.These Assamese Sikhs began to settle permanently only afterthe battle of Hadirachaki. After defeating the Burmese, thosewho survived did not return to the Punjab, got settled there andhave now been in Assam for more than two hundred years.They married Assamese women and regard themselvesdistinctly as Assamese Sikhs and do not generally belong to thePunjabi Sikh community of Assam, many of whom arelandowners or skilled labors. The two Punjabi SikhAssamese Sikhs taking out procession on GurpurabGuru Teg Bahadur brought about peace between Raja Shankar Dhwaj of Assam andRaja Ram Singh. As a result the fighting forces of both Rajas erected a monument ofpeace with their weapons lying down thereby vindicating the Guru's exhortation thathatred divides and love unites; and all disputes can be settled through mutualdiscussions and peaceful negotiations.communities associate themselves with distinct organizationsand maintain separate identities.History of settlement: The settlement of this community in Assamcan be traced back to the third Burmese attack.Present settlements: General Chetan Singh died in the war but hiswife, who is known as 'Mataji', survived. Following the decade atHadirachaki and the loss of her dear husband in the thick of battle,'Chaitanya's widowed consort, accompanied by the remainder ofthe Sikh forces, proceeded upstream by the Brahmaputra and viaKajalimukh, passed through the Kapili river and the TitiamariKhuti, and encamped at Chaparmukh in the Nawgaon district.They carried with them a few copies of religious scriptures, twocannons and a number of swords (Kirpans). These articles havesince been carefully preserved in the Gurdwara Mataji,Chaparmukh Singh Gaon, Nowgaon (Assam). Gurdwara Matajiis the second historical Gurdwara in Assam.The Sikhs first settled at Chaparmukh and later on they movedto Barkola, Hatipara, Lanka (all in Nowgaon district of Assam).The largest numbers of Assamese Sikh families (about 150)now live at Borkola. Most of the Sikhs of Assam aredescendants of Mataji and considered as upper class Sikhs fortheir pure lineage. There is yet another branch of AssameseSikhs with different lineage. One Ram Singh, who went toAssam in the year 1823, got married to an Assamese girl andsettled in Borkola. It is popularly believed that Sardar RamSingh was the first Sikh Sardar, who came to Borkola to reside.The Population of Assamese Sikhs in the State is at presentabout 10,000.Physical features: There is also a sharp break in their physicalstructure. The Punjabi Sikhs are well-built while theAssamese Sikhs have slighter physiques. The AssameseSikhs are mainly rice-eaters while the Punjabi Sikhs primarilyeat wheat. Assamese Sikhs are often closer to local Hindurituals, relative to the Punjabi Sikhs. Their features havebecome Mangoloid due to cross marriages and their beard issparse. They however wear turbans, though not exactly thesame way as do the Sikh in Punjab.Culture and Traditions: The companions, whom Chetan Singh hadleft behind, subsequently married Assamese women and fusedwith Assamese life and culture. The new generation ofAssamese is truly wedded to Assamese culture and languagethough they maintain their Sikh identity rigidly and do not haveknowledge of Punjabi in general. Their names too haveAssamese accent. Displaced from their place of origin centuriesago, this community does not follow Punjabi traditions orwedded to Punjabi. About 10,000 Assamese Sikhs are mainlyconcentrated in Nowgaon district. They feel proud of their Sikhbackground and maintain all rituals, including going toGurdwara regularly and performing marriages according toSikh traditions. "Our fore-fathers came to Assam Centuries agoto rescue the Assamese people from foreign invasion and thatmakes us feel proud. As far as our religion is concerned, we havebeen following it with utmost devotion," says one of theAssamese Sikhs. Visit any of the families in Borkola and youare likely to hear this line over and over again: "When Giani ZailSingh visited Borkola in 1975, he was surprised at the way weare following Guru Granth Sahib.”They have not assimilated themselves into the Assamesesociety to a large extent as well as they have remained loyal totheir religion. They celebrate both Mag Bihu and Lohri, whichfall on the same day - January 13. With equal enthusiasm theycelebrate both Gurpurab and Shankar Dev's tithi, as well asparticipate in Bohag Bihu and Durga Puja, the two most widelyGurdwara Thara Sahib/Damdama SahibEternal Voice August - October, 200972 2 373

Gurdwara Tegh Bahadur Sahib (Dhubri)celebrated festivals of Assam. Thus their culture can be said asan amalgam of Sikh and Assamese culture.The Punjabi Sikhs have not assimilated with Assamese Sikhsand maintain differences due to the two differing cultures and asuperiority feeling among the Punjabi Sikhs; which hasunnecessarily created barriers. "We have never felt that we arenot a part of the Assamese society and at the same time wehave been faithful to our religion," says S. K. Singh, president ofthe Assam Sikh Association. "But it hurts us when we are called'duplicate Sikhs' or 'second class Sikhs' by our counterparts inPunjab," he adds. "In fact, in some respects, we are stauncherthan the Punjabi Sikhs," says Jaswant Kaur. "We may not speakthe language but we follow our religious book very seriously.Most of us are Amritdharis, as it is our custom to partake ofAmrit before we get married," she adds. And they are proud oftheir heritage too.The Assamese Sikhs speak Assamese and marry local girlsfrom their own communities (generally Punjabi-speaking Sikhsdo not give their daughters to them). The process of assimilationwas so decisive that they embraced their land of occupation astheir homeland. They played a significant role in their efforts todefend and serve the cause of the State at various levels fromtime to time.These Sikhs don't feel nostalgic about being away from Punjab,its culture and its people. "We are Assamese who are followingthe Sikh religion. We have adopted this place as our own, as wehave been living here for generations." You may not be greetedwith a glass of water or soft drink as per Punjabi culture but witha Sarai containing betel nut and Paan - the traditional offeringmade by the Assamese. Even the lady of the house looks likejust any other Assamese married women - adorned withSindoor and clad in Mekhla-Chaddar, the traditional Assamesedress - till your eyes rest on the tiny Kirpan tucked under theChaddar. Of course, these generalizations do not hold for all thePunjabi-speaking Sikhs. Those who have long been here saythose who settled here during the twentieth century, namely theskilled labors, who have long been associated with the localflourishing technical aspects of the tea industry, have becomecloser to Assamese culture. They maintain separateGurdwaras in Jorhat, a place situated nearly two hundred milesfrom Guwahati, the capital of Assam.The religious Practices: It would not be out of place to mention herethat under the auspices of the Assamese Sikh Association andable leadership of Dhyan Singh, President of the Association,the work of renovation of Gurdwara Mataji has been taken upwith kind donations from Saadh Sangat. The occasion of GuruTegh Bahadur's visit to Assam is celebrated every year at thishistorical Shrine.Although the Assamese Sikhs have their own Gurdwaras, theyhave been maintaining fraternal cohesion and amity with thepeople of other religious persuasions in their neighborhoods.Their participation in all Assamese festivals and institutionslike Bihu (the most important and popular festivals in Assam,signaling the harvest and marking the advent of spring andautumn), the birth and death anniversaries of Shankar Dev andMadhav Dev, Rang Utsav, weddings and other festivals speakeloquently of their integrated life with the mainstream of theAssamese people.Mataji Gurdwara in Borkola village is the most popular SikhGurdwara in this region. The site where a Gurdwara nowstands in Dhubri district was visited by Guru Teg Bahadur.However, the ultimate pilgrimage for them still is the GoldenTemple in Amritsar.Sri Himadri Banerjee writes, “I came across at least threedistinct trends among Assamese Sikhs:1. A sizable section of them nowadays show their keenness tolearn more about the Punjabi Sikh tradition, e.g. learning to readPunjabi in order to gain direct access to the sacred text. Thisleaning toward Punjabiyat is increasingly coming to theforefront. Earlier this was not that popular, particularly amongthose who have long left their ancestral villages and have settledA Sikh family from Nowgaonin distant urban areas of Assam and beyond. Perhaps theyunconsciously claim a superior status relative to theirAssamese Sikh forefathers. Recently, this point was repeatedlyarticulated by residents of Chaparmukh village. It creates asharp differentiation within the community. Their readiness tofollow the Punjabi Sikh model reminds us of the Sanskritisationmodel suggested by Professor Srinivas nearly four decadesago. The rich marry their daughters to Bihari Sikhs. The restmarry their daughters locally.2. A small section - albeit part of what appears to be agrowing trend - does not keep Kes (unshorn hair) subsequentto marriage with Assamese women and identify themselvesas Assamese rather than Assamese Sikhs.3. The majority, however, identifies themselves as AssameseSikhs and are not all that attached to the Punjabi Sikh tradition.They claim to be sons of the soil (Assam) and, therefore, do notfeel much affinity towards Punjab.Considering all circumstances, problems, constraints andchallenges, the Assamese Sikh Community has been facing forages, they are in the danger of becoming extinct. Following stepscould be taken immediately in favor of the community:1. Granting the Status of Minority and Scheduled Caste, whichthe community deserves badly for uplift of their status sociallyand economically.2. Financial support to educate the new generation of AssameseSikhs on Sikhism in Assamese language.3. Organization of Excursion tours to Punjab and other parts ofthe Country for the Assamese Sikhs so that they learn andidentify themselves with the history and teachings of Sikhism.4. To teach Gurmukhi language to Assamese Sikhs so thatthey are able to read and write the language in which thereligious scriptures are written.5. Maintenance of the historical Gurdwaras of Assam, whichcould be important tourist destination for the Sikhs livingoutside Assam.Professions and Progress: By and large an agrarian society, thenew generation of Assamese Sikhs has come out of its shell totake up responsible positions in government and privatesector. They are now teachers, businessmen, and officers inthe civil services. Though now they have begun picking upjobs in other parts of the state, they are still plagued by feelingsof insecurity. And this is the reason behind the formation ofthe Assam Sikh Association."We are the smallest minority community in the regionbut we have not been granted minority status so far",The tree under which Guru Teg Bahadur rested on his visit to Dhubrisays S. K. Singh. "The Association is going to demandminority status and along with that representation in localbodies and state assembly", he adds. Till they get this status,Assamese Sikhs have a tough fight ahead to assimilate intothe local society and also to prove to the Punjabi Sikhs thatthey too are respectable Sikhs. Since, now the fourthconnection with Sikhs in Punjab is the Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, who is the MP from Assam, for both ofhis tenures; these Sikhs look towards him to do somethingworthwhile and memorable.When I first reached one of these Assamese Sikh villages,I was surprised to discover that these men had maintainedtheir Sikh identity over the centuries despite the tremendousdistance from the Punjab and the prevalent non-Sikhculture around them. I found many who are confident of theirSikh identity. It is, therefore, unfortunate that AssameseSikhs who have maintained their identity should still bereferred to as Kacha (incomplete) Sikhs by a section ofPunjabi Sikhs of the region.”- Dr Himadri Bannerjee on Assamese SikhsEternal Voice August - October, 200974 2 375

Tourism inJammu&KashmirBy Mohammad Ashrafashmir valley situated in the heart of Himalayas is studdedwith many sparkling freshwater lakes, numerous brooks,Kfoaming streams and dashing cascades, dancing throughcountless meadows surrounded by lofty peaks and massiveglaciers. The eternal beauty of the valley was the inspirationbehind James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon of Shangri-La. Thisvalley represents the most famous and important part of theState of Jammu & Kashmir, which has three distinct regions ofLadakh, Kashmir and Jammu. The State starts in Jammu,which is neighboring the plains of Punjab. The first range ofmountains after the plains is the Shivalik hills and Pir Panjalrange. After the valley, start the mountains of Zanskar andLadakh range finally ending with the Karakoram rangeneighboring China and Pakistan. Thus the State of Jammu &Kashmir is, in the true sense, a land of the mountains. Eachmountain range has its peculiarities. The mountains in thevalley are truly alpine and resemble European Alps. One of thefamous peaks in the valley Kolahoi, 17799 ft above sea level isknown as Matterhorn of Kashmir. It truly resembles the famousEuropean mountain and is a very good climb. Next to it comesHaramukh, 16870 ft, whose North face resembles Eiger.Traveling to different valleys and mountain areas of Kashmir,one has the feeling of being somewhere in Austrian Tyrol.Climbing and trekking in the valley of Kashmir is of alpinestandards. The valley receives dozens of small expeditions bothfrom within the country and abroad of alpine style climbers. Inaddition thousands of visitors trek the famous high altitudeareas of the valley. Some of the famous treks are the lake trek ofKashansar-vashansar and Gangabal area in Sonamarg,Pahalgam-Aru, Lidderwat-Tarsar-Marsar trek in Pahalgamarea and Aharbal- Kounsarnag trek in the Pir Panjal range.More challenging opportunities of Himalayan trekking andclimbing are there in the mountains of Ladakh. Some of themost tough mountain peaks and treks in Suru, Zanskar andNubra valleys are there in Ladakh. The peaks of Nun and Kun inSuru valley, which are probably nearest peaks to a road-head,have become tremendously popular among the climbers andreceive on an average 20 to 25 foreign expeditions. In the same

Zanskar range there are other more than a dozen peaks in therange of six to seven thousand meters, also popular with foreignclimbers. In the Leh area, Stock Kangri, about six thousandmeters high, is the most sought after peak amongst the foreignclimbers. In view of its popularity the foreign expeditions obtainpermission within a week compared to few months timerequired for climbing peaks in the Himalayas. The ultimatechallenge is in the Karakoram range, where only jointexpeditions are allowed.The regions of Jammu & Kashmir are divided byKishtwar mountains among which medium height peaksof Brahma, Sickle Moon and Baranaj are very popularwith British climbers.All the mountain ranges in the State have some of the mostdramatic and fast rivers such as Chenab, Suru, Zanskar, Indus,Shyok and Nubra. These rivers represent ultimate challenge inwhite water sports.The mountains in the State are populated by people of differentcultures. Jammu is known as the land of Dogras. Kashmir valleyis inhabited by Kashmiris with a 5000-year-old history. Ladakhhas different shades of the Tibetan and Mongol cultures.Kashmir has been synonymous with tourism from ancienttimes. Some of the famous travelers like Hieun Tsang havespoken about the beauty of Kashmir in their travelogues. In fact,most of the explorers who passed through Kashmir have beenimpressed with its beauty, charm, climate and the people.Mughals had converted Kashmir into the summer retreat oftheir empire. Some of the present day attractions in the form ofMughal Gardens are their contributions. In fact during Mughaltimes, Kashmir received a poetic description:Gar Firdaus ba ru-e zameen ast...Hami ast, hami ast, hami ast.(If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.)The British had developed Gulmarg as the most importanttourist resort east of Suez. In fact Gulmarg Golf Course wasstarted in 1902 and Ski Club of India was established by theBritish at Gulmarg in 1927. After Independence, Kashmir hadbecome the prime destination for tourists both from within thecountry and abroad. Tourist arrival figure was 7.22 lakh(including 67,000 foreigners) in 1989.As already pointed out the State of Jammu & Kashmir hasthree distinct regions. All the three regions have some of themost attractive landscape in the form of mountains, meadows,lakes and mountain rivers. There are four distinct seasons andeach season has its own attraction. While in summer Kashmirvalley has the most salubrious climate, the winter carpets thewhole valley especially the upper reaches with snow, whichgives it the largest possible skiable snow area in the world. InLadakh there are highest mountain peaks, most difficult rockfaces, huge glaciers, challenging mountain rivers, largelyunexploited. In fact this is the largest untapped resources fordevelopment of adventure tourism anywhere in the world. Apartfrom the sweet water lakes of Dal, Nagin and Wular in the valley,there are a large number of high altitude mountain lakes such asGangabal, Krishansar Vishansai Tarsar, Marsar andKounsarnag. The lakes in Ladakh, though saline, are huge andin one case (Pangong lake), 150 km long, almost like a highaltitude sea. Apart from the main Kashmir valley, there arevalleys of Wardwan, Gurez and Tilel, still to be exploited for anytourist activity. There are meadows many times bigger thanfamous Gulmarg which are yet to be reached such as Bungusvalley in Lolab. Among the rivers, Indus which gave India itsname flows through Ladakh. The other mountain rivers whichhave extensive potential are Zanskar Suru and Chenab Allthese mountain rivers present extensive possibilities for rafting,Eternal Voice August - October, 200978 2 379

50 years or so. About sixty thousand people have createdartificial islands in the body of lake and are residing in illegallocalities set up in these islands. The most parts of the lake arethreatened by the growth of massive weeds. So far all effortsmade locally to save the lake have not shown any appreciableresults. This problem requires international intervention bydeclaring it a World Heritage to save it for posterity.The other environmental problem apart from the threat ofgreen forests, is the pollution of mountain trails and treks. Thefamous trek to Holy Amarnath Cave is facing extreme pollutionconditions due to human waste and plastics. A number ofmountain treks in Ladakh such as Padum-Lamayuru andMarkha valley etc. have become garbage trails. There is urgentneed to have some mandatory check of these treks to preventtheir destructionThe Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering & Hiking Club aswell as Adventure Wing of the State Tourism Department aremuch concerned about the need to keep the mountains andtrekking trails clean and green, and are taking all possible stepsin this direction.kayaking and other white water sports, in some Cases moredifficult and challenging than the world famous Colorado river inthe Grand Canyon of USA. The snow conditions and weather inthe Pir Panjal range which presently has only one ski resort ofGulmarg, has the potential of locating more than a dozen skiresorts. During winter, on high altitude there are more sunnydays than any ski resort in Europe or America In addition thereare excellent snow conditions, dry powder on high altitude andsoft snow in the valleys.The network of mountain roads throughout the region includingthe one crossing Khardungla Pass in Leh 18,380 ft above meansea level (highest motorable road in the world) present anexcellent opportunity for motor safaris.talking of tourism in the State, its sustainable development is tobe kept in view, otherwise the very potential which gives rise totourism activity in the region will be lost. The environmentalconcern is a very serious issue present in the valley of Kashmir.The first priority is the Dal lake, which is very seriouslythreatened. After Independence, most of the foreign traffic toKashmir has been attracted by the luxurious houseboats, whichis the unique selling proposition of Kashmir. However, theuncontrolled growth of hotels on the banks of the lake andmushrooming of houseboats dumping raw sewage into the lakehas resulted in its slow destruction. In addition extensive grazingin the catchment area and indiscriminate felling of trees hasdumped tons of silt in the lake. The clear water body of the lakehas been reduced from 50 sq. km to almost 12 sq. km in lastThe other important aspect of tourism potential is the existenceof shrines, monasteries, temples and cave temples in all thethree regions. The shrines of Kashmir are a tribute to the Sufiand mystic school of Islam for which the valley is famousthroughout the world. The monasteries in Ladakh are templesof Buddhism in their original environment and have remainedunchanged for centuries. The temples and the cave shrines inJammu such as Mata Vaishno Devi are attracting more than5 million pilgrims every year.Even though the State has probably the best potential fortourism development found anywhere in the world, it has notbeen exploited as yet. The first and foremost reason for thesame is the absence of an international airport. However, whileEternal Voice August - October, 200980 2 381

Baru NewsAugust - October, 2009A Quarterly Newsletter of The Kalgidhar TrustAkal International Youth Camps - 2009The USA, Canada and Norway CampMr Richard Silver of the US Embassy, New Delhi andMrs & Mr Andrew Lam of Canadian High Commission,New Delhi were the Chief-Guest and the Guests of Honor,respectively on the occasion of inauguration of AkalInternational Youth Camp, which was held from 3 July to25 July, 2009. The inauguration of the camp was followed bythe celebrations of the American Independence Day bythe overseas students of Akal Academy and 29 American,18 Canadian and 6 Norwegian campers. By the time theCamp got over, not only could the students read Punjabi butalso perform the Nitnem. Almost every camper learned torecite Gurbani Kirtan.The UK Camp40 students hailing from various parts of England attendedthe Akal International Youth Camp from 1 August to26 August, 2009. The syllabus and coaching schedule at thiscamp were similar to the preceding camp. The background ofknowledge of all the participants for Punjabi, Gurbani andShabad Kirtan was assessed in the beginning of the camp andteaching was followed accordingly.All the campers displayed great deal of improvement in theirproficiency to read Gurbani, perform Ardas and Shabad Kirtanwith harmonium and Tabla. The participants, who had averageknowledge of reading Gurmukhi, were able to recite Gurbani,Hukamnaama and perform Ardas before and after the meals.The campers, who had proficient knowledge of Gurmukhi,could fluently recite Gurbani, take Santhya of Guru GranthSahib in addition to Hukamnaama and Ardas. Besides, theyimproved their proficiency in performing Shabad Kirtan andlearning Tabla. A few of them learnt to recite Shabads onstring-instruments like Dilruba, Taus and Sarangi.Sehaj Paath by students of Akal Academy Baru SahibAs part of the ongoing Gurta-Gaddi Tercentenarycelebrations, The Kalgidhar Trust in collaboration with PTCNews Channel launched a unique initiative - Sehaj Paath,in which 4-5 pages of Guru Granth Sahib had been recited perepisode by the students of Akal Academy, Baru Sahib andtelecast daily, since 9 August, 2008. The Bhog (completion) ofthe Sehaj Paath was performed on 16 July, 2009. In a largelyattended congregation at Gurdwara Baru Sahib, theconcluding episode was telecast live in a glittering ceremony.Along with the telecast of Sehaj Paath, 6188 Paaths of GuruGranth Sahib were completed, in all, during the year:Baru Sahib Akhand Paaths 3024Akal Academy Sehaj Paaths 1954Paaths by the Saadh Sangat 1210Total 6188The program received a world-wide acclaim. It enabled theSangat to recite Gurbani correctly and imbibe its message ofthe Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of all human beings,helping in the spiritual and moral upliftment of humans.Considering the overwhelming response of the devotees, thePTC and The Kalgidhar Trust have decided to telecast theSehaj Paath in another unique form in which the students ofAkal Academy will sing the entire Gurbani in prescribedRagas of Guru Granth Sahib, using the string-instruments.The daily telecast of this unique program will commenceshortly.S . Ta r l o c h a n S i n g h , M e m b e rParliament and former Chairman,National Minorities Commission, wasthe Chief-Guest to commemorate theconclusion of this solemn occasion.After visiting Baru Sahib, he writes,“What I had heard, it is much morethan that. This is a place worth visitingand taking part in this movement.Students of villages are being given freeeducation and all other facilities. Akal Academy’s results arehighly impressive. Government of India, State Governmentsand Punjab Chief Minister should adopt this as a model.Foreign students are happy. Baba Iqbal Singh is a blessedsoul. May Satguru give all success to The Kalgidhar Trust.”Gurmat Camps at Birmingham and SouthallFor the propagation of Gurmat, several overseas youth campsare being organized by The Kalgidhar Trust from time to time.Two such camps were organized recently in United Kingdomat Birmingham and London. Bhai Harpal Singh from BaruSahib visited specially to conduct these camps.The month-long camp was organized at the largestGuru-Ghar of Europe; Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha withthe cooperation of Saadh Sangat at Khalsa Primary School,Norwood Hall, Southall, which is also known as mini Punjabin England. A great enthusiasm was shown by the campers inlearning Punjabi language, Gurbani Santhya (correctpronunciation of Gurbani) and Gurbani Kirtan. The classeswere held from 5am to 9pm daily, which were attended by thecampers as well as their parents. Several non-Sikhs, whowanted to learn Punjabi language, also participated in thisyouth camp. More than 50 campers attended the classesregularly throughout the camp.The closing ceremony was held on Sunday, 21 June, 2009, inwhich all the campers were given certificates. Bhai HarpalSingh and Gen. Secretary S. Surinder Singh Purewal wereblessed with Siropao by the management of Gurdwara Sahib.The management thanked The Kalgidhar Trust for providingthe selfless services of Bhai Harpal Singh for the successfulcompletion of the youth camp, as the young campers wereable to speak and write Punjabi in a short span of just 15days. Bhai Ranbir Singh Attwal also thanked the GurdwaraManagement Committee and Saadh-Sangat for holding theyouth camp, which benefitted the young campers in a big way.Bargain Offer!50% off & 25% offon Lifetime on AnnualSubscriptionsPlease fill this form and send toEternal VoiceF-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110027Name.......................................................................................Address.........................................................................................................................................................................................City............................State.......................Pin.....................Email:.....................................................................................Tel.: ............................................................................................Subscription: Annual*Cost Single copy: Rs. 100/$10Annual (4 copies): Rs. 400/$40 Rs. 300/$30Lifetime (40 copies): Rs. 4,000/$400 Rs. 2,000/$200*Cost includes postal chargesLifetimeA humble requestWe would be grateful if our esteemedreaders would kindly send in theirrenewals / subscriptions.Also support us by givingadvertisement in ‘Eternal Voice’.08-09

Readers' ServiceOrder a new subscription for yourself?orWant to renew your Annual membership?orWant to change from Annual to Lifetime?orWant to gift Eternal Voice?No other gift will bring you such warm and repeated thanks!The Annual Subscription of our original subscribersof February, 2008 has expired.To continue receiving their favorite copy of 'Eternal Voice',they are advised to remit a fresh Annual Subscription of Rs. 300/$30Alternately they can, in their own interest,switch over to Life-Membership by sending a sum of Rs. 2,000/$200The foundation stone of 53rd Akal Academy laid atvillage Jandiali Kalan, Distt. Ludhiana, PunjabThe foundation stone of 53rd Akal Academy was laid atvillage Jandiali Kalan, Distt. Ludhiana, Punjab on 9 August,2009; this being the 31st in the ongoing plan of establishing150 Akal Academies during the next few years, as envisagedby The Kalgidhar Trust.The 4.5 acres of land for the Academy (Akal EducationalMata Avtar Kaur Institute) has been donated by S. GurbachanSingh Arora of Delhi and his family in memory of Bibi AvtarKaur. The solemn occasion began with the rendering ofShabad Kirtan and Dhadi Varaan by the students of AkalAcademy, Cheema.Blessing the gathering, Baba Iqbal Singh said, “The AkalAcademies are tapping the energy of rural youth showingthem right direction, so that the ideal social fabric ismaintained. Our aim is that youth stay away from drugs andfollow the path of righteousness.”A revitalizingcup of tea with Kesar...Enclosed Cheque No......................................Dated....................................for Rs./$...................................................................................................in favor of 'Eternal Voice'Cheques may be drawn in favor of'Eternal Voice'and sent by post toEternal Voice, F-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110 027Ph.: 25105459 Mobile: 9810548548Email: ev@barusahib.org Web: www.barusahib.orgFor subscription in US, please contact:JASPAL SINGH SIDHU5195, S. DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113M: (702) 429-7355, Ph: (702) 658-4543 E-mail: deep@akalconstruction.usAkal Academy student wins Gold Medalin Taekwondo competition in ThailandPar vinder Singh, a student ofAkal Academy, Ratia in Haryanawon Gold Medal in InternationalTaekwondo competition, held inThailand.Parminder Singh won laurels for thecountry by topping the list in 45 Kgcategory. Two other students of thesame Academy; Mandeep Singh andSamarpal Singh also won Bronze Medals in 30 Kg and35 Kg categories.The girl students of Akal Academy, Ratia also excelled in theState level open competition for girls held in Distt. Fatehabad,Haryana. In this competition; Kriti Sharma, Kirti Grover,Ripanpreet Kaur and Mehakpreet Kaur stood first in differentcategories in Table Tennis competition. In Lawn Tennis,Jeevanjot Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Jajaldeep Kaur andRamneet Kaur topped the list in their respective groups. InBadminton, Jeevanjot Kaur, Kriti Sharma, Gagandeep Kaurand Lovepreet Kaur attained second position in differentcategories of the competition.TEAKesar Tea Kesar Gold Tea Megha TeaHead Office:Iqbal Tea Traders Pvt. Ltd. A-2, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi - 110015 • Tel : +91-11 25151111 • Telefax: 25161111Website: www.kesartea.com • Email :contact@kesartea.comBranch Office:Kesar Tea Company, 10, 11, 12, Main Najafgarh Road, Moti Nagar, New Delhi - 110015 • Tel : +91-11 25119403Email :kesarcare@kesartea.com