502.The Man in Blue – Jáp Sahib (II)

All Sikhs should follow the Sikh Rehat Maryada as published by SGPC in 1945. That does not mean that we cannot consider or propose changes, as I do below.

 On the first 13 pages of the Ádí Granth Guru Arjan gave us his nitnem: Japjí Sahib for the ‘amrit vela’, Rahras, from So Dar till Asa M 5 (bhaí prápat mánukh dehuríá) for the late afternoon/early evening and Sohilá for before going to bed.

There is a story in which Guru Gobind Singh teaches that if you fully understand ‘Ik Ongkár sat gur prsád’ you understand all of Sikhí. If this story is historically true I do not know, but there is certainly truth in the statement.

To make sure you get full understanding It might to be a good idea to read the full múl mantr as it appears on page one of the Guru Granth and at the start of most rágs. If you also read 5th Guru’s nitnem you will receive a good overview of the different themes discussed in the Guru Granth.

Japji, Rahras and Sohilá offer you verses praising God and verses that teach basic principles, like living in hukam and ‘listen & apply’ in Japji Sahib. At the end of Rahras and Sohilá are beautiful verses summing up essential Sikhí.

Guru Arjan’s nitnem gives you all the tools you need for you daily life. Guru gives you the opportunity to do quality reading, with time to think about what you read or to check meanings from a dictionary or stík.

In the final version of the Guru Granth, Guru Gobind Singh added 9th Guru’s verses, but no other changes were made. No shabads were added to the nitnem, although the Guru Granth was finished after Vaisakh 1699.

For reasons that are not clear to me we now have all these additions to Japji and Rahras, even in the Rehat Maryadá of 1945. Adding Jáp Sahib and Tav Prsád Svaié to your morning routine leads to speed reading without vichár, and the same goes for all the additions to the beautiful, well balanced Rahras of 5th Guru.

The problem is not that a lot of the additions are from the ‘Dasam Granth’, as these are in tune with Guru, although I am a bit concerned about the references to enemies in the Chaupaí Sahib, which seem to contradict the Sant-Sipahi concept.

Why this emphasis on quantity, which leads to a lack of quality ? There are 1430 pages in the Guru Granth Sahib, why should we have to read only a limited number of shabads where there is such a rich source of beautiful spiritual poetry ?

Most Sikhs think that every day we should repeat the verses recited on Vaisakh 1699. The problem is not that various 18th century authors have different ideas about which shabads were recited on the day. I just do not think that Guru’s Amrit depends on the reciting of certain shabads at the exclusion of others. On the 14th of July 1996 I have given my head to Guru, and since then I try to live up to that commitment. To help me stay on that path I listen to any shabad in tune with Guru and join the company of true people, regardless of their background.

The Tribune – UK institutes shut shop, hundreds left in lurch

Varinder Singh, Tribune News Service

Hoshiarpur, February 20. More than 20,000 Punjabi students, who had joined the sham institutes and universities, have been running from pillar to post to find a foothold in London and other UK cities and are being forced to do menial jobs in homes to somehow sustain themselves.

There are more than 50,000 Punjabi students studying in universities and institutes in London and its suburbs. More than 20,000 of them are virtually on the road, as officially they are not allowed to do jobs. “More than 20,000 Punjabi youths, who had taken admission in sham institutes and universities with an aim to earn money, have nowhere to go after the UK Government closed down all such institutes running from homes last year,” said Umesh Chander, president of the Southall-based Shri Ram temple. He is also the president of the Hindu Council, UK.

About the plight of off-loaded Punjabi students of sham universities, Chander said Punjabis settled in the UK were getting more and more concerned about such youths, particularly girls, who have taken to “bad habits” due to financial crisis created due to non-availability of jobs during recession days.

“Earlier, they used to earn some money by working illegally. Now, that possibility has gone after the UK Government’s crackdown on the people who were found employing people illegally in construction and other sectors,” he said.

“Just about 250 people used to come to our temple to partake food daily till last year, but within no time their number has increased to 650. We try to guide such people and ask them to go back to India, but a majority of them prefer to seek asylum,” he said. “The UK Government has a special scheme wherein people who withdraw their asylum application for going back to their countries are given a sum of upto 3,000 Pounds and an air ticket each. More and more youngsters are also turning to this scheme,” said Chander.

He said the off-loaded students of sham universities were forced to do menial jobs. “A majority of them are extremely underpaid and they barely manage to fetch 2-3 pounds a day that too for two-three days a week,” said Chander. Ravinder Bajaj, a student from UK who belongs to Salempur village in Kapurthala, said more than 10,000 Punjabi students of ‘fake’ universities were ‘stranded’ in the Southall area of London alone. “Girls are in the worst conditions. As they have no jobs or money they are forced to share rooms with boys,” revealed Bajaj.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120221/punjab.htm#7

The Tribune – Sehajdharis say SGPC misreading SC order

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20. The Sehajdhari Sikh Party has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee of misinterpreting the order of the Supreme Court.

Party president Dr P S Ranu has claimed that the apex court had restricted the SGPC from any “adventurous” moves like electing its president or other office-bearers.

Releasing the Supreme Court orders, Dr Ranu alleged that the Akali leadership was misinterpreting the interim directions of the Supreme Court to create “confusion on the legal status of the SGPC”.

Reading out from the order dated February 17, he said no directions had been given to the Union of India for holding any election of the office bearers as claimed by the President of SGPC.

The order of the Supreme Court given out by Ranu reads, “Issue notice, returnable in six weeks. In the meanwhile, the petitioners Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, for which a notification has been issued by the Central Government on December 17, 2011, shall continue to function as it has been hitherto functioning from the date of its constitution”.

Dr Ranu alleged that it was unfortunate that the SGPC was facing precarious situation as the newly elected SGPC was a “dead House on ventilator”.

The party has been demanding re-election for the SGPC general house. The elections were held on September 18 last year.

Sandeep Khunger, legal adviser to the party, said the order was clear to the effect that the SGPC could continue to function as it was, maintaining a status quo, without expanding its activities till the next hearing of the apex court.

The SGPC had filed a special leave petition in the apex court seeking a stay on the judgment of the Full Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High in which voting rights to Sehajdharis were denied by a notification of the Union Government, dated October 8, 2003. The SGPC had, in a separate application in the same case before the Supreme Court, prayed that the Union Government be directed to hold the meeting of the SGPC General House for electing the office-bearers of the newly elected House.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120221/punjab.htm#8

The Asian Age – Telangana movement may turn violent, warns Congress MP

Hyderabad, 21 February 2012. A prominent Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region has warned that the feeling of betrayal and hurt among people there may give a violent turn to the movement for statehood and cautioned his party against waiting till the next elections.

Madhu Goud Yaskhi, 51, wants the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi to take cognisance of the situation. ”They should take into account the actual situation and form the state as soon as possible,” Yaskhi, who left a flourishing law practice in New York to take to active politics in 2004, told in an interview.

The MP, who is representing the Nizamabad constituency for the second successive term, does not agree that the movement has died down with the withdrawal of ‘Sakula janula samme’ or mass strike in October last year and believes it will bounce back strongly.

“It just needs a spark to re-ignite. If anyone thinks the movement has died down, it is his wishful thinking. You will see much more. We only hope it will not turn violent.”

Yaskhi said as a lawmaker who spends most of his time in his constituency and knows the people’s pulse, he felt people are not ready to wait till 2014.

“It appears the centre is right now not in favour of Telangana. The Congress wants to continue till 2014 because it feels dividing the state is not a solution.”

“Unless the party in power makes a decision in favour of Telangana, it will not have political benefit in the region,” cautions Yaskhi, who still believes party chief Sonia Gandhi would keep her word on Telangana and fulfil the promise made in the manifesto.

Terming the ‘sakula janula samme’s’ failure as the tactical mistake of the Joint Action Committee, Yaskhi said the agitation was controlled by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and lacked the involvement of other parties and various sections of people.

“Telangana is bound to come. It is only a question of now or later. UPA (United Progressive Alliance) or NDA (National Democratic Alliance), whoever forms Telangana, will get the support of the people,” he added.

Yaskhi said lack of unity is the main drawback of the movement.

“Everybody wants Telangana, but nobody is keen on resolving it,” he said, alleging that TRS is only interested in increasing its numbers in the assembly.

Yaskhi also wants the Congress leadership to take note of the “dangerous situation” emerging in the region with the gains by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The BJP was completely lost in Telangana but now they are gaining,” he said referring to the huge success of the party’s recent yatra. (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/telangana-movement-may-turn-violent-warns-congress-mp-456
 

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

26 December, Den Haag, Scheveningen
Patterns formed by wind, sea and sand

26 December, Den Haag, Scheveningen
Beach north of Scheveningen
The Netherlands has beautiful sandy beaches and dunes along most of it Northsea cost, if only we also had a beautiful climate

26 December, Den Haag, Scheveningen
Juvenile gulls out for a dip

 26 December, Den Haag, Scheveningen
Even during a mild winter the water is cold, but that does not seem to bother these gulls

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

To see more Belgium and Netherlands gurdwara pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/

More Belgium / Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Italy hardens stance, blames India for ship standoff

Ashok Tuteja & Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 20. India and Italy remained locked in a war of words over the killing of two Indian fishermen allegedly mistaken for pirates by Italian Naval personnel deployed for security of an oil tanker off the Kerala coast last Wednesday.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi today sought to blame New Delhi for the prolonged stand-off, saying there were “considerable differences” with India over the incident.

“There are currently considerable differences of a legal character. Up to now, I have not seen cooperation between India and Italy would be desirable and would allow a quick resolution,” Terzi was quoted as saying in Rome.

This comes a day after Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told Terzi that the Italian mariners and the crew would have to cooperate and join the investigation to allow the law of the land take its course.

Italy says the two marines have immunity from Indian law as the tanker, Enrica Lexie, had an Italian flag in international waters as it sailed from Singapore to Egypt when the shooting occurred.

New Delhi contends the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) giving Indian warships the right of “hot pursuit” in case of such an incident. As per the UNCLOS, the territorial waters of a country are till 12 nautical miles (22 km). Another 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial waters is the “contiguous zone”. The Italian ship was very much within those limits when the shootout occurred and Article 109 of the UNCLOS accords the right to “hot pursuit”.

The two soldiers, who were deployed on the ship under a new law passed in Italy last year to protect against the growing threat from pirates in the Indian Ocean, have been remanded in the custody of Kerala Police till February 23. They will then be remanded in judicial custody for the next 11 days till March 5.

The order was pronounced today by a magistrate in Kollam district in front of whom the duo was produced.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120221/main1.htm

BBC News – Suu Kyi party says Burma campaign restrictions lifted

Tuesday, 21 February 2012. Officials in Burma have lifted restrictions on election campaigning, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party said late on Monday.

This came just hours after the National League for Democracy (NLD) complained at a press conference that it was being denied the use of venues for rallies.

“It’s a very significant change,” spokesman Nyan Win told AFP news. ”We are still hoping for fair play.”

There are 48 parliamentary seats being contested in the 1 April by-election.

Another NLD member told Reuters that the Union Election Commission (UEC) contacted the party to say that a ban on the use of sports grounds, which had prevented a rally planned for 14 February from taking place, was lifted.

Earlier, at the press conference in Rangoon, the NLD had warned that by-elections may not be fair because of the restrictions. Nyan Win told reporters that the party had been stopped from using three sports fields for the rallies.

The polls are being seen as a test of the government’s commitment to reform.

The NLD boycotted Burma’s last election in 2010 but agreed to rejoin the electoral process after the military-backed government brought in a series of democratic reforms.

‘Hugely symbolic’  

Even if the NLD wins all 48 seats, the military-backed government would still have a commanding majority in parliament.

But, the BBC’s Jonah Fisher in Bangkok says, an opposition victory would be seen as hugely symbolic.

Although insignificant in terms of numbers, the conduct of the election will go a long way towards deciding whether Western sanctions to Burma will be lifted.

The 2010 elections saw a military junta replaced with a nominally civilian government backed by the armed forces.

Since then, the new administration has embarked on a series of reforms, prompting the NLD to rejoin the political process.

Western nations have said that they will match progress on reform with movement on sanctions.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 election, but the ruling military junta at the time did not allow the party to take office.

Ms Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, was under house arrest at the time. This is the first time that she has run for a parliamentary seat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17093553