Calling a spade a spade

Let us not be passive spectators

2011-08-06T09:00:00.001+05:30

Often we watch passively the happenings around us.But can we afford to do that this time? Anna Hazzare and his team is struggling against corruption. It is the time to strike the iron .It is hot !!

http://layers7.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-dear-friend-it-is-more-than-evident.html

A big question mark on the Indian nuclear programme.

2011-04-13T13:40:00.003+05:30

The nuclear tragedy of Japan has posed the following questions before the world in general and India in particular--
1-Should the poor put their lives to risk just because the rich should be able to sit in the Airconditioned rooms?
2-Do we want to leave the earth polluted worldwide by radiation hazards for thousands of years through the nuclear wastes produced by the nuclear power plants?
3-Are the Indian nuclear deals untainted? No much worry is being shown by the ruling class regarding the safety of the public even after the Japanese nuclear tragedy.

Crusade against corruption--Support needed

2011-04-07T07:43:00.001+05:30

Today I received a news letter from YSL.It is as follows---------
<<<Dear Gursikh Veerji & Bhenji, A soldier, lone survivor in his unit in 1965 Indo-Pak war, Anna dedicated his life to the well- being of society. A bachelor, an ascetic, he has no possessions, no bank balance and lives in a temple. Who is Anna Hazare? In Maharashtra, Anna has single handedly transformed barren and dry regions into green and food surplus areas. He has fasted unto death on several earlier occasions. He forced the Maharashtra government to dismiss the corrupt - 6 ministers and 400 officers. Due to his fast, the govt enacted the Maharashtra RTI Act. In 2006, when government of India tried to amend the Central RTI Act, he again went on an indefinite fast and forced the Indian government not to amend RTI Act. Leaders, organizations and the common man from across India will be with him. This is a do or die moment – let us make it happen! Across India, join Swami Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Swami Agnivesh, Arch Bishop Vincent Concessao, Mahmood A Madani, Kiran Bedi, J M Lyngdoh, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Mufti Shamoom Qasmi, Mallika Sarabhai, Arun Bhatia, Sunita Godara, All India Bank Employees Federation, PAN IIT Alumni Association, Common Cause and many other prominent organizations and leaders, as India comes out on the streets! 100+ CITIES WILL RALLY BEHIND ANNA! In the names that we see above, we do not see the Jathedar Akaal Thakhat or SGPC President. Maybe they have not yet sought permissions from the powers that matter or maybe corruption is a trivial issue for them!------------------
------------>>>>>>
I feel that all who cherish truthful living need to give moral support to the Anti-corruption crusade of Anna Hazzare.

People's Party of Punjab-a new party launched by Manpreet Singh Badal

2011-03-28T06:35:00.003+05:30

Manpreet Singh Badal launched a party called People's Party of Punjab.Manpreet BadaL appears to have conceived a good idea to pay what is due to the martyrs.He has instilled a hope among the Punjabis.Whether this party stands true to its promises is yet to be seen.The party promises to have a secular approach which is indeed very well in tune with the principles of Sikhism.

One lakh twenty five thousand

2011-02-01T20:54:00.001+05:30

In schools there is a drill session early in the morning to instill discipline among the students.In army there is parade for a much longer time to make the soldiers obey the commands under all circumstances.For soldiers 9AM means 9AM.However in the present day Punjab---
1-If a person says'I Would be back in two minutes.'It is often equal to one hour or more.
2-'Would return something tomorrow morning is easily equal to the evening or beyond.
3-Would be speaking two words is equal to a speech of 15 minutes or more.
4-One morsel (Burki roti) is equal to a heavy meal
5-One sip(ghuutt)=Half a litre 6-Bhog at 10 AM can be anytime between 10AM to 1PM.
7-Four paise(.04Rupees)=4 crore rupees or even more
When I had newly taken Amrit we were living in Netaji Nagar New Delhi.I was in the first year of my college.An elderly Gursikh told me to be at Gurudwara at 5AM sharp for prabhat pheri(an early morning group singing of Shabad kirtan at the house of various Gurmukhs prior to Gurupurab).He asked me to be punctual and motivated me by saying that a Khalsa always honours his words.I reached there at 5AM exact only to see that the Gurudwara was burnt,Nishan Sahib broken and the khanda of Nishan Sahib turned over and over again as if it were a thin foil(It was 1st November 1984).I reached back home unhurt as the town was asleep due to the activites that could have been carried out by the people till late on the previous night.They were probably having a short nap.We remained unhurt.But in the evening of 2nd November(or may be 1st November) our window pane was smashed by a stone.My father was posted at Vishakhapatnam.I, my mother,elder brother and the eldest sister were numb.Ten minutes passed and nothing happened.We gathered courage and looked outside.No one was there either.We went outside to find out but did not see anyone.Those 20 minutes were equal to what I cannot say.

Who all can afford?

2010-12-26T18:26:00.003+05:30

It is well known that Sikhi comes with a cost.
A few months ago I changed my place of work.I joined a private institute where I share the fee of a student(50-50 at present)The owner wanted me to wear a neck tie and have a tied beard so that a suitable image is created.Everything remained fine although I declined his suggestion.This is the situation in the heart of Punjab,that is Jagraon.Let us have look at those who can really afford to have a sabat soorat across the globe.

1--THE PEOPLE IN THE GLAMOUR WORLD----A bollywood star carves out an image.He tries hard to maintain it.One day or the other reality of life catches him and he finds difficult to fit in in his own image.He tries hard and ultimately sheds the image that he marketed and upon which he thrived during his youth.It is said that greater the rising upward,equally great is the falling downward.Imagine these bollywood filmstars dancing with a true face with full beard and hair of the scalp with natural colour.The fact of the matter is that they remain masked throughout their life and are seldom able to see their true faces.They cannot afford a sabat soorat(a face with uncut hair).
2--THE MODERN DAY YOUTH--They find it difficult..There can be problems in finding a suitable marriage partner as the girls might be fancing and chasing an image of Bollywood.
3--THE EMPLOYEES--The employers usually want to maintain a particular image of their organisation and thus may not like a sabat soorat Sikh.
3-- A MARRIED MAN---If a person compromises his natural face at the time of marriage there is every chance his wife would start dictating the style of beard later on.
4--An old retired person can have a Sabat Soorat.He can definitely afford it.
5--A politician in Punjab can afford a Sabat Soorat with a flowing beard.However the present Deputy CM of Punjab has a tied beard.His rival in the Congress party has a tied as well as a dyed beard.
6--A Granthi(priest)of a Gurudwara can surely afford to have a Sabat Soorat.
7-- A person having his own farm or own business setup(a shop or a workshop etc)can easily afford a sabat soorat
8--Children in Khalsa schools usually have no problem in possessing a sabat Soorat.
9--The women can very easily have a Sabat Soorat in Punjab.Those having facial hair find it difficult though.
10--Children upto the age of 5 usually never have a problem in having a Sabat Soorat.

The gist of the matter is that sabat soorat Sikhs(with 5ks) ought to strive for having their own business (workshop,farm,shop etc)however small it may be.May be Waheguru wants them to be employers(Sardars) rather than employees.The creation of God is shapefree and so is our face as it keeps changing from time to time.However in the modern day world keeping an honest and natural face comes with a cost.Let us strive to bear it .

Where even a shadow can scare

2010-10-20T20:00:00.002+05:30

Recently it is in news that President of USA Mr.Obama is cancelling his visit to the golden temple as he is worried that he might be mistaken for a muslim when he covers his head with a ker chief inside the Gurudwara.Shape,image,shadow, ghosts etc are all in a way opposite to the Nirakaar(shapefree)concept of God.Man is a creation of Nirakaar(shapefree)God.He comes to this world with a tiny shape and keeps changing his shape throughout his life.However man dwels on image building,taking fear or fancy to bygone entities(erstwhile shapely things or ghosts)and hence is led astray.Since there are various ladders to spiritual ascendence the one who takes a lot of time tying a turban fancies shapes and hence happens to come down a step lower in the ladder of spirituality. On the other hand leaders often dwel on images and make a fortune by it.So much so that tying a ker chief on head can cause damage to the dear image.God bless the nation where the President is afraid even of a shadow of a particular faith lest his image gets a dent.This is perhaps a few more steps down the ladder of spirituality. Does he deserve a Darshan(holy visit)to Nirakaar(shapeless)Waheguru?

Sent from my Nokia phone

Collective:Karma,reward and punishment

2010-07-30T07:04:00.000+05:30

Collective Karma, collective reward and collective punishment is applicable for all religions in general and the Sikh religion in particular.It is mainly because the Sikh religion is the most visible faith.There was a time when a Sikh commanded a lot of respect throughout India.This wealth of respect was probably earned by a few generations.Then came a generation that not only consumed all the accumulated wealth but left the coming generations in debt.The word Sardarji got reduced to Sardar and at times even touched an all time low and became Gaddar.
Now there are two options.First is that every person should have his own religion and a separate account of Karma.This no doubt exists but an individual can not keep his own religion separately in the vast sea of Humanity.A drop in the Indian ocean cannot be anything other than the Indian ocean.It has to experience high or low tide along with the other drops.It has to remain branded.
The second option is to share a collective responsibility.Allow not the hatemongers of your community to be glorified.Raise the collective conciousness of your comunity.Have people of personal integrity be the head of the religious institutions.In short allow not any terrorist wear the mask of your religion.Our collective Karma ought to yield a collective reward rather than a collective punishment.

My folly and the Sakhi of Dhruv and Harnakashyap

2010-06-13T16:37:00.003+05:30

A couple of days ago I found my language a bit uncivil.I have resolved to refine it.For sending across the message to the high and the mighty words have to be used very carefully.Perhaps due to this reason Guruji passed the message about the fate of the cruel Kings by the Sakhi of Harnakashyap and Prehlad(Har jug jug----Pg 451 SGGSji).The message inspired the Sikhs without any unwanted and avoidable damage to anybody.In case a person desires to show a mirror to the high and the mighty he should write a book of fiction stating the naked truth(Publishing a book for an ordinary person like me is surely an uphill task and hence is not under consideration) .It is said that even an indication is sufficient for the wise.I have formed the following impressions about the rulers and their systems by the little knowledge of political science that I have.

1-Fear is the most potent weapon that helps a King establish his rule.For this he has an honourable system that decides what is right and what is wrong.

2-Truth being a great force should be encouraged by a ruler and his honourable system while pronouncing a verdict.

3-The time of any verdict and its execution planned by the honourable system should be in the best interest of the ruler.The honourable system that the British had was very smart in delaying or accelerating the process of trial to suit them best.Many democracies are a bit short of that smartness.Such lack of smatness has become a serious concern these days.
4-Unfotunately the honourable system in general has a single point agenda to appease the ruler though it is a hidden one.Upholding the truthfulness and fairness among the ordinary is never a top priority.It is a mere passtime as playing golf.The honourable system is often very potent towards the common and very sadly a puppet in the hands of the ruler and the ruling class.
When the honourable system considers constructive criticism as contempt it blocks its way towards positive evolution.
5-As in a democracy the people are supposed to be the rulers,the honourable system must strive to serve them by not ignoring the time factor.Of what use is a boat if a person has already drowned?
There was a time when the case of Billa,Ranga murdering Chopra children in the seventies was discussed throughout the country for several years.In present times such a thing might be forgotten the very next day even if it happens in ones own town.This speaks volumes about the honourable system.

A disease called Radicalla

2010-05-08T09:41:00.001+05:30

Radicalla is a new term which has been coined by me for describing a spiritual disease.It is a diease which can prove fatal and cause disaster like an epidemic.A person suffering from this disease is called a radical.Radicalla can occur to any person of any religion including atheistism and agnosticism.
Symptoms-A person refuses to see God in all.He becomes spiritually myopic or blind to his shortcomings.He is intolerant towards the views of others.He is quick to react,violent at the slightest pretext and loves to live in the past.He glorifies violence.He never stands for the truth.He stands only for himself or his clan however wrong they may be.He is sans reason.He is not in tune with the occassions and times.He messes up the past and the present.
Risks-A person suffering from radicalla is as dangerous as an atom bomb.He cuts the branch on which he is seated.He sinks the boat in which he sails.He actively but unknowingly engineers the destruction of his own brothers.After having done the damage he does not own his deeds.He smirks,grins and blames others.
Precautions-A person suffering from radicalla must earn an honest living,always speak the truth.He should try to get good education.Society must keep itself away from a person suffering from radicalla as it is contagious.Society ought to show sympathy to the diseased and provide them a diet of truth,love and knowledge.In no case should it make him a leader.May God save the mankind from Radicalla.

A virtual Sikh nation is almost in sight

2010-03-15T17:53:00.001+05:30

Ideally the system ought to be as follows.Men of personal integrity be
duly elected to the local Gurudwara.Only these men ought to vote and
elect eminent Gurmukhs to SGPC from all over the world.Gurudwara ought
to have a judicial wing which could settle litigations in case both.
the litigants are Sikhs.Now that the world is shrinking due to
technology a virtual Sikh nation is almost in sight.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Pap or Pun

2010-01-23T08:05:00.001+05:30

We often hear that Charity based organizations marry the poor girls.Is
it really a noble act?Is it not an attempt to multiply poverty?Once a
satsangi was quoting(pap pun ki sar na jane bhula phirae ajanhin)He
was saying that sometimes a person may donate money at a gurdwara and
the mony may be misused,In this way a person may earn sin(pap)instead
of earning the holy credit(pun).By marrying away the poor girls a
person may end up earning pap instead of earning any pun as he might
only be helping poverty multiply exponentially.

Bribeless Son of the Soil award

2010-01-05T10:51:00.001+05:30

Whereas the government of India gives civilian awards like Bharat
Bhushan and Bharatratna,it ought to start a Bribeless son of the soil
(BSS)award for the lifetime achievement of staying in India without
ever bribing.Leaving a few persons the Government employees would be
disqualified immediately.The few others would also not qualify
as,perhaps,they might have paid bribe some or the other time in their
life.Chances are less if any business man qualifies.It is hard to
imagine if a farmer couldn't have ever paid a bribe.People in the
private sectors are like post graduates in the art of bribery.It would
be the biggest bluff of the world if a politician in India claims this
award. If ever a person gets this award,his feet must be washed in a
tray and the water thus obtained must be drunk.

Can someone do experiments with truth living in the present day India?

2010-01-03T07:17:00.004+05:30

Gandhiji conducted his experiments with truth in the British Raj.It
would have been a much greater challenge for him had he tried to do
such experiments in the present day India. I cannot say about other
countries but truthful life is near impossible in India. In the
present system a person may find it difficult to not be called a thief leave alone try experimenting with truth.Truthful person if any
must be fighting a losing battle in the government offices.How can an honest official survive in the vast ocean of
corruption?
Is it possible for a businessman to be truthful and honest when he has
to deal with salestax employees?
Can a farmer lead an honest life when he has to deal with the revenue
department?In fact the government does not want its citizens to remain honest.It never makes uniform rules.There usually
two or more set of rules.A citizen is lured to trespass the these rules and thus make room for bribery.For
example Bharat Petroleum is a government owned organisation.It has two
rates for an LPG cylinder.One is the rate for domestic use while the
other is the rate for the commercial use.Now, if one uses it for a
geyser it comes under the commercial category.
Income tax rates are are not uniform.They are different for different
people.People who are of a different age pay differently.Men and women
pay differently.People who save in the government policies pay
differently.One can be called a thief whichever way he pays as he
might be missing something somewhere and has,therefore, stolen the
income tax. People of various castes are
treated differently for the government jobs.One is asked to provide documents of such type
that he would be but forced to write a lie.
A person buys a plot.His residential plot would be marked as a
commercial plot.His registries are done at different rates.He may
register the plot at whatever rate but the government can call him a
thief for stealing the revenue.The government can computerize the
revenue department.It does not as it would make it difficult to
remain corrupt.
Electricity is owned by the Punjab government.It is supplied at
different rates to the different people.Ones house can be raided and
the government can call him a thief by showing him some of its
discriminating rules.I feel that experiments with truth cann't be successful in India.Give bribe you must if not take.

Expecting a bit of Sewa from the Chief Minister

2009-11-14T07:20:00.000+05:30

Sardar Prakash Singh Badal ji,
Sikhs are fleeing(immigrating from)Punjab at a very fast rate.You cannot escape atleast a part of the blame.You can,perhaps,do atleast something to bring about some Prakash(light)in the life of the ordinary folk.For example you can bring some transparency in the Police department.Police is the last option where a person looks for help. Allow the complaints to be lodged by email or the sms.Computerize the revenue department so that it becomes a little less corrupt.The electricity complaints ought to be looked into even when they are made through an sms or an email.Perhaps these small things do not require any big budget.What they require is only a little bit of honesty.And they would bring about a big difference in the quality of life of the ordinary people. If only a few Badals(clouds) of corruption allow some light to pass to the people ,the Sikhs may stay back in Punjab,their home land.A little less corruption from the government departments would be quite like a Sewa from your side.Otherwise transparent governance is a matter of right as far as a modern civilized society is concerned.
Yours
An ordinary person

Resolution

2009-10-24T08:23:00.001+05:30

On 1st November it would be 25 years since the antisikh riots of 1984.Let we the sikhs resolve that no undermatric guy is allowed to highjack the panth as it happened in the eighties.Being an undermatric is not an abuse but it does become when a person of such calibre starts spitting fire.It did happen in the eighties.Resolve to snub the bigots at the budding stage.Bycott people with bigmouth who preach violence in the name of religion.Oppose them so that we do not have any 1984 in the future.

The apt name for Diwali can be Bombali.

2009-10-17T11:50:00.000+05:30

Deewali has perhaps lost its meaning as it is no more an expression to express solidarity with the truth by lighting a few diyas(earthern lamps)at the door steps.In fact there aren'nt any Diyas in use anymore.They are bombs that are put to use.According to me it is quite a criminal activity of the sort as it pollutes the environment year after the year.Perhaps Bombali could have been an apt name for this festival.Sikhs have also started giving it religious importance by saying that Guruhargobind the sixth Guru was released from the Gwalior along with 52 other Hindu Kings.Perhaps it could have been a Deewali gift to the Hindus by the Muslim emperor.This gift of freedom given got in the form of charity is in no way supposed to be celebrated with pollution creating crackers.When Diwali was celebrated at Amritsar it could have been more due to the need for consolidating the Sikh power.It is high time the Hindus bring about a reform in this festival and the Sikhs replace it with a more purposeful and meaningful activity.

If a shoe could travel against time and defy the laws of motion.

2009-10-13T05:44:00.000+05:30

In the recent past a journalist flung his shoe towards the Indian Home Minister for his alleged denial of justice to the 1984 riot victims.I wonder where all the shoe could have hit if only it could travel against time and could defy the laws of motion.The shoe could perhaps travel back to 1947 and hit the politicians who sought to divide the people in the name of religion.The shoe could travel into the early eighties and hit on the heads of those terrorist who shot people in the buses by discriminating them on the basis of their religion.The shoe could have hit right on the top centre of the head of those blood thirsty devils who killed unarmed people in Punjab and hid in the holy buildings.The shoe could hit on the cheeks of those NRI's who preach hatred in
the name of religion.Perhaps the shoe could not have spared the stupid people who cannot differenciate between defence and offence and are hell bent preaching violence and misinterpreting the religion.

Betrayal of salt

2009-10-10T05:34:00.000+05:30

In 1984 two Sikh security guards shot Indira Gandhi dead.It was not an act of bravery.It was betrayal of salt.What a heavy price of this betrayal the sikhs had to pay!!!