The Times of India – Guru Teg Bahadur was the first martyr for human rights

Jalandhar: As the martyrdom day of ninth Sikh master, Guru Teg Bahadur, is being observed on Wednesday, only a few may know that he was the first martyr for human rights, who attained martyrdom for defending the rights of followers of a different faith to practice their faith.

It was around a century before the popular quotation, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, attributed to French writer, deist and philosopher Voltaire, that the ninth master demonstrated it literally.

Ironically, this statement became more popular in the world than its real demonstration, which preceded it a century ago in the Indian subcontinent.

“Guru Teg Bahadur was undisputedly the first martyr for human rights. His martyrdom was unparalleled in world history as never before somebody had laid down life to defend the right of followers of another faith to practice their faith,” said former IAS and Sikh scholar, Gurtej Singh.

“It was his martyrdom in 1675 that forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam under the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb could be checked,” he said.

After guru Teg Bahadur laid down his life, Pandit Kirpa Ram Dutt, heading a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits, had approached the Guru to protect them from forcible conversion and later became a Khalsa. He then became Kirpa Singh and attained martyrdom in the battle of Chamkaur in presence of Guru Teg Bahadur’s son and tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh. Later Guru Gobind Singh sacrificed his four sons for the righteous cause and to end tyranny.

“Once I wrote in a national daily to set the record straight about his martyrdom by referring to a number of historical references as a noted historian had tried to create confusion about his martyrdom. It was the sheer uniqueness of his martyrdom that my article was reproduced by several publications in various languages of South and all this was done by non-Sikhs,” Gurtej recalled, adding, “There is much wider audience for Guru’s martyrdom in and outside the country”.

Gurbachan Singh, general secretary of Punjab Human Rights Organization, said that lessons from Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom assume more significance as human rights issues are turning much more serious across the world. “At a philosophical level also, he has beautifully explained the idea of accepting death fearlessly and naturally in his hymns.

His hymns can inspire even those in deep despair,” he said. “He was rightly called Hind Di Chadar (saviour of Hindus and their faith),” Gurbachan Singh said.

Inspirational act

A contemporary of Guru Teg Bahadur had put the idea of his martyrdom in a few couplets — Baanh Jinna Di Pakrie Sir Dije Baanh na chhodiye (If you take somebody under your protection, you may give your life but don’t leave your asylum seeker) and Guru Teg Bahadur Bolia Dhar Paaiye Dharam Na chhodiye (Guru Teg Bahadur demonstrated even if you get entire earth, don’t give up your faith).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Guru-Teg-Bahadur-was-the-first-martyr-for-human-rights/articleshow/10851145.cms

The Tribune – Migratory birds throng Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, November 27 With winter setting in the Valley, over 6 lakh migratory birds from Europe and Central Asia have flocked to the Hokersar bird reserve and other wetlands in the Valley. Every year, thousands of migratory birds from Siberia, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, China and Japan fly long distances to escape the extreme winter conditions in their native places and come searching for food.

Besides Hokersar, the winged visitors have also flocked to the Wullar lake and other wetlands, Hygam, Shalibugh and Mirgund in the surrounding areas.

“Over 6 lakh birds have already arrived in the Valley and 4,000 to 5,000 birds are arriving daily…If this trend continues, we might have an all time high arrival of migratory birds in the wetlands this year,” Wildlife Warden Abdul Rauf Zargar said.

Last year, nearly 8 lakh winged visitors arrived in Kashmir.

Brahminy Duck, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Garganey, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Common Merganser, Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Red-Crested Pochard, Ruddy Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, and Eurasian Wigeon are some of the most sighted birds in the wetlands.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials and locals are concerned about the sudden rise in the population of Moore and Swamp Hen in Hokersar.

“Rise in the population of Moore or Swamp Hen reflects the growth of large reeds and weeds in the wetlands…It is not a good sign,” Ishtiaq Ahmad, a local resident, said.

The other worrying factors are encroachments and induced willow and poplar plantation in the wetlands.

“These are a fatal blow to the wetlands. The government should frame a policy for removing the encroachments, induced willow and poplar plantations and illegal paddy cultivation from wetlands in the Valley,” a wildlife official said.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Department has formed special anti-poaching squads to check bird hunting, banned in 2001 in the state, both inside and outside the wetlands. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111128/j&k.htm#11

The Asian Age – PM meets president, discusses Parliament logjam

New Delhi, 28 November 2011. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President Pratibha Patil and discussed the parliament logjam on Monday, the fifth day in a row when both houses were adjourned since the winter session began.

The meeting lasted 40 minutes, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué here. “The two leaders discussed the ongoing session of Parliament,” the statement said. The winter session of Parliament that began November 22 is witnessing stormy scenes with the entire opposition targeting the Congress-led government on various issues, including rising cost of essential products.

Manmohan Singh also updated the president on his recent visits for the G-20 summit in France, the Saarc summit in the Maldives, and the India-ASEAN and East Asia Summit in Bali and also his bilateral visit to Singapore. “They also discussed various other issues of national and international importance,” the statement said. (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/pm-meets-president-discusses-parliament-logjam-912 

Sint-Truiden Guru Nanak Nagar Kirtan 23 October 2011

Nanak Singh with the many boxes of sweets donated by sangat

Cha, parkore

Paying respect to the Guru Granth Sahib

Paying respect to the Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib on the Palki

To see more Sint-Truiden Gurdwara related pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157624495772533/  

More Nagar Kirtan pictures to follow  
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Cause of concern; Bathinda sees alarming rise in HIV cases

Sushil Goyal, Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 27 Steps taken by various agencies to spread awareness about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have failed to deliver the desired results in Bathinda, something that can be gauged from the sharp rise in the number of cases in the district.

While 150 HIV positive cases were detected in the district last year, the count has reached 210 in 11 months this year.

According to information, 179 HIV positive cases were detected at the Integrating Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) in Bathinda. Twenty-four cases were detected by the ICTCs situated at Rampura and Talwandi Sabo. The rest were reported to the ICTC by various hospitals and health centres situated at Bhucho, Nathana and Goniana.

Six deaths of HIV/AIDS patients — three each reported by the ICTCs at Bathinda and Rampura — have also been reported this year. The figure stood at five last year.

Meanwhile, sources said there may be more HIV cases in the district, which could not be detected so far as they were not facing any health problems. These undetected cases would come to the fore once they are referred by medical practitioners for the diseases after their blood samples are tested.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111128/punjab.htm#12

Dawn – Steps to implement DCC decision taken

Syed Irfan Raza

28 November 2011

Islamabad: Sunday saw a flurry of activities in the capital as the government went into overdrive to express its anger over the Nato air strike that took place in the early hours of Saturday.

While the American administration was informed of the decisions taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, including the blocking of the Nato supply routes as well as the deadline to vacate Shamsi airbase, the opposition raised questions about the preparedness of the military personnel who had been killed in the attack.

In accordance with the DCC decision, Pakistan suspended Nato supplies to Afghanistan and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was informed about it.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar spoke to Ms Clinton by telephone in the early hours of Sunday, conveying the decisions taken by the DCC.

Talking to reporters, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed that the supply of Nato had not been suspended, but “stopped permanently” in line with DCC’s decisions.

He said all other decisions of the DCC would be implemented in letter and spirit. “The decisions of the DCC are final and would be implemented.”

The minister said Nato containers, which had been stopped, would not be allowed to cross the border into Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the foreign minister conveyed “deep sense of rage felt across Pakistan” over loss of 28 soldiers and told Ms Clinton that “such attacks are totally unacceptable”.

She said that such strikes demonstrated complete disregard for international law and human life and were in stark violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

The foreign minister was quoted as saying: “This negates the progress made by the two countries on improving relations and forces Pakistan to revisit the terms of engagement.”

She also informed Ms Clinton about the DCC decision that the US should vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days. The US secretary of state offered condolences over the loss of life, the statement said.

Ms Clinton said she was deeply saddened by the event and conveyed the US government’s desire to work with Pakistan to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, the military authorities negated the US claim that Nato had carried out strikes after its helicopters had come under fire from the ground.

“These were lame excuses that the attack was made after Pakistani soldiers opened fire on Nato forces or that Nato forces were chasing the Taliban in the area,” said Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Major-Geneneral Athar Abbas.

Nato has already been communicated about two Pakistani posts in Mohmand Agency called ‘Golden’ and ‘Volcano’ on the top of the height in the area with national flag hoisted over them. “Even then they were attacked,” he said.

He said Mohmand Agency had been cleared of militants during the four-month operation and there was no militants’ hideout in the area. Therefore, he said, the US claim that Nato forces were chasing the Taliban was ‘ill-logical’.

General Abbas said the Nato attacks continued for a long time during which the military’s General Headquarters contacted the Nato authorities and apprised them of the aerial attacks. However, Nato officials did not take any action to stop such provocative strikes.

Asked if Pakistan will be involved in investigation announced by the Nato chief to probe into the incident, he said the modus operandi of the investigation was yet to be decided.

President-PM Meeting: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met at the presidency and discussed the Nato attacks for the second consecutive day.

Sources in the presidency told Dawn that the president and the prime minister were worried that the Nato strikes had taken place soon after the ‘memogate’ that had soured relations between the civilian set-up and the military establishment.

Opposition: Calling for a joint session of parliament to debate the Nato air strike, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan questioned at a news conference why army officers and soldiers had been caught unawares and unprepared.

The PML-N leader said that although he considered the present rulers mainly responsible for the killings of soldiers, the military leadership could not be absolved completely of its responsibility.

Not only the rulers, but even Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had in the past threatened to retaliate if the US carried out drone attacks, he said, adding that the drone attacks were continuing and there had been no response from the military.

He said the May 2 Abbottabad incident and recent Nato air strikes on security posts had raised many questions about the defence preparedness of the armed forces. Was there any arrangement to provide the soldiers a cover at the posts against any aggression? he asked. He said if anti-aircraft guns are installed at these posts. “If the guns are there then why these were not used?”

He said: “Previously former army chief General Pervez Musharraf sent the troops to the top of a hill at Kargil and later left them to be killed.”

Chaudhry Nisar said soldiers in such a large number could not be killed simply by strafing if they had been in bunkers.

When asked if his party wanted a commission to investigate the incident, he said first the replies to these questions should be presented in parliament.

The PML-N leader said his party wanted a joint session of parliament within a few days much before Ashura. He demanded that it should be an open session because the time had come for the nation to be informed about facts.

He welcomed the decisions taken by the DCC, but raised serious doubts about their implementation. He regretted that the government did not take any step to implement the resolutions adopted by parliament and the all-party conference.

Chaudhry Nisar claimed that it was the PML-N which had raised the issue of Shamsi airbase in a joint session of parliament and demanded that its foreign control must be ended.

Despite an announcement by the government that the US had been asked to vacate the airbase in Balochistan, it is not clear who controls the base.

When asked what would be the line of action if the US did not vacate the base in 15 days as recommended by the DCC, ISPR director general Major-General Athar Abbas said “Speculative. Speculative means we will cross the bridge when it comes.”

During a briefing to parliament in June in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, top military officials had disclosed that the airfield, long suspected of housing US drones, was actually not a Pakistan Air Force facility and its control had been handed over to the United Arab Emirates in 1990s.

Later, in an interview with AP a UAE official denied that his country had any operational role in the base, although he said that wealthy Arabs occasionally used it to fly to Pakistan on hunting expeditions.

The US reportedly used the airbase as a forward staging point in the initial period after it invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. Reports surfaced in the media in 2008 that the drones used in attacks on tribal areas were taking off from the Shamsi airfield.

Two weeks after the parliamentary briefing, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said that Pakistan had asked the US to withdraw its forces from the airbase and that it would be vacated soon.

The minister had even claimed that the Americans had started moving equipment and materials from the airbase. A defence ministry official had stated that the government had decided to get the base vacated because of a significant reduction in the flow of US funds and growing trust deficit between the two countries.

A US Embassy spokesperson at that time stated that there were no US military personnel at the base.

Attempts were made to contact officials of the US Embassy in Islamabad to get its version over the government decision to get the airbase vacated, but there was no response.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/28/steps-to-implement-dcc-decision-taken.html