518.The Man in Blue – Sikhí VII

This is the last of the series of ‘Sikhi’ columns. In it I am wrapping up things and am emphasising principles already mentioned.

Nám japo, (meditate) think about God at all times, if you do this it should automatically lead to more ethical and less selfish behaviour.

Kirat karo, (honest work or honest study) Guru does not want his Sikh to be ‘holy beggars’. Sikhs should do an honest job regardless of the type of work they do. If you are a student the same principles apply.

Vand chako, share with others, share money, goods or time.

Before Guru passed away in 1708 he told the Sikhs not to look for a human successor, but to accept the Guru Granth and the Guru Panth, acting under the teachings of the Guru Granth, as their eternal Guru.

This is not practised by many Sikhs, who follow autocratic Pardhans, Jathedars without Jatha, various Babas and other so-called ‘spiritual leaders’ as ‘Guru’. Sant Babas, Jathedars etc are not the Guru Panth.

It is perfectly legitimate to read other books like Dasam Granth, Sarbloh Granth,  Al Quran or the Bible, but our benchmark should always be the Guru Granth.

Transmigration of the soul : in the Guru Granth both the Gurus and the Bhagats regularly refer to the cycle of birth and death. I do not think this is a dogma, in the sense that if you do not believe in it you are not a good Sikh.

I think that it is not the personality that migrates, but the soul. To me the journey of the soul through many existences is some kind of spiritual evolution, where the Godly spark, God’s light that is present in all, travels through different life forms, developing to higher states of awareness on the way.

Harjinder Singh will not be reborn, but Harjinder Singh’s death will lead to his soul going to another life. I think that Sikhs should not believe in avtars as in Tibetan Buddhism or Hinduism.

Shahids. A Sikh should be willing to give her/his life in the struggle against injustice. But this struggle, including giving your life if needed, should be part of your humble seva, and not to make the ‘shahid’ into a hero.

The Guru Granth Sahib tells us not to worship or follow human beings. Our Guru points to God, not to himself as many Sant Babas do. So remember the sacrifices made, but our main effort should go into living a Godly life.

And finally, fighting against people because they do not agree with you is not part of the Sikh dharm, it is not the duty of a sant-sipahi. Throwing bricks through Gurdwara windows or breaking the legs of an old man is the work of thugs !

The Tribune – Nirmaljit Kaur sworn in as permanent HC Judge

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29. Justice Nirmaljit Kaur was today sworn in as a permanent Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

She was administered oath by the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Jasbir Singh, at a simple yet impressive ceremony at the Judges’ lounge this morning.

Justice Nirmaljit Kaur is known for her impeccable integrity, calibre and administrative experience and is currently at the 27th position on the seniority list of 42 Judges. Justice Nirmaljit Kaur may soon be moving out of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as she has already given her consent for her transfer to the Rajasthan High Court.

Once she moves out of the High Court, the number of judges will fall to 41, against the sanctioned strength of 68. The result of the shortage of Judges is there for all to see. As of now, the High Court has approximately two lakh pending cases.

The High Court has put in place a slew of measures to check the problem of pendency, including expeditious disposal of PILs.

Justice Nirmaljit Kaur passed senior Cambridge from the Convent of Jesus Mary, Dehradun, before doing her graduation in Arts from Sacred Heart College, Dalhousie, in 1979. She was awarded a national scholarship on the basis of her BA result. She obtained the Master’s degree in History from Panjab University before receiving the B.Ed degree from Garhwal University in Dehradun in 1980.

In 1985, she completed LLB from Panjab University and was enrolled as an advocate in August 1987. She started practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh.

She was Additional Standing Counsel for the Government of India and Punjab Additional Advocate-General and Assistant Solicitor-General of India.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120630/punjab.htm#16

The Tribune – Resolution seeks Sarabjit’s release

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29. The Vidhan Sabha today passed a resolution welcoming the release of Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Pakistan. The House further adopted a resolution urging the Centre to again take up the issue of release of death-row convict Sarabjit Singh, also lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail.

The House asked the Centre to take steps for the release of several prisoners of war (POWs) and other Indians languishing in Pakistan’s jails due to legal impediments.

As Zero Hour started, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal announced that Parkash Singh Badal wanted to introduce a resolution. Badal said it was a moment of great joy that Surjeet Singh, who had spent 30 years in a Pakistani jail, had been released.

He appealed that Sarabjit Singh too should be released and asked the Centre to take up the issue with Pakistan.

The resolution pointed out that some organisations in Pakistan had also spoken up for Sarabjit. Rana Sodhi of the Congress said Surjeet required financial help which should be announced today. To this, Badal said he would ask the Deputy Commissioner to consult the family on the issue.

Sunil Jakhar, CLP Leader requested the Speaker to extend zero hour as it was the last day of the Budget session and many new MLAs wanted to speak. Aruna Chaudhry of the Congress highlighted how liquor was being sold from ration depots in Dinanagar. “As against 75 legal vends, 163 are functioning, many from grocery stores,” she said.

Kang raised the issue of Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike’s PA being booked in a Rs 1.5 crore graft case. He demanded the resignation of the minister. Ashwani Sekri spoke of the poor economic status of border areas and demanded a special Bill be presented in the House to protect the youth of the border areas from drugs. Virsa Singh Valtoha of the SAD seconded the suggestion.

Jakhar questioned the government on water cess being collected in Abohar. He pointed out how water supply centres were closing down on account of non-payment of electricity bills, causing hardship to residents.

Legislator Mohammad Siddique rendered a patriotic song “Bharat hai vaang mundri…..vich nag Punjab”, inviting criticism from SAD legislators who said the House had been reduced to a “singing platform” as the Congress had no agenda.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120630/punjab.htm#6

The Hindu – Post-Pranab UPA: looking for a Leader of the Lok Sabha, fixing the economy

The man most likely to get that job is Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde

Smita Gupta

New Delhi, 30 June 2012. Even as there is no certainty on precisely when the next Cabinet reshuffle takes place or indeed, when a new Finance Minister is appointed — it is likely to happen only after the country gets a new President and a Vice-President — a new Leader of the Lok Sabha will have to be named before the monsoon session starts in July-end.

As things stand, the man most likely to get that job is Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde: Congress sources say that of the senior leaders available in the Lower House, he fulfils best the criteria required, apart from the social message that it will send out as he is a senior Dalit leader. As far as experience goes, he has not just been a Union Minister, he has been Chief Minister of Maharashtra — earlier, as Finance Minister in the State, he presented nine successive budgets. In a fractious House, his rapport with leaders across party lines can help him play the role of Leader better, and he has a pleasant, conciliatory manner.

The only factor that can go against him, senior party leaders say, is that he has deposed before the Commission investigating the Adarsh scandal in Mumbai, even though there are no specific charges against him.

If it is not Mr. Shinde, the party will have to dip into its pool of senior Cabinet Ministers: they include Home Minister and seven-time Lok Sabha member P. Chidambaram, Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily (if the party wants to send out a message to poll-bound Karnataka), who has been Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Minister for Urban Development Kamal Nath, who has been a Lok Sabha member a record eight times.

As for the other jobs the UPA’s Presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee, vacated, they are being gradually filled: for instance, one of the many Empowered Groups of Ministers (EGoM) that he headed — the one on Telecom Spectrum — will now be chaired by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Gradually, in the coming days, new heads will be announced for the other EGoMs and GoMs.

Finance portfolio

As for the Finance portfolio, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken charge and, as the events of this week have demonstrated, he is paying it the special attention it needs. For the UPA government, clearly, fixing the economy will head its agenda, as its growing unpopularity has as much to do with the stain of corruption as high prices.

However, government sources say the Prime Minister is likely to relinquish the Finance portfolio ahead of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Tokyo slated for October this year. Till then, he will run the Ministry with the advice of Economic Advisory Council chairman C. Rangarajan and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

He may re-allocate the work now allotted to the two MoSs in the Finance Ministry, S.S. Palanimanickam, and Namo Narain Meena. B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in charge of Finance, will play a coordinating role between the PMO and the Finance Ministry. A 1987 batch IAS officer, he was Dr. Singh’s private secretary in UPA 1.

Meanwhile, the Congress was quick to rubbish the Opposition’s claims that the Prime Minister differed with the former Finance Minister on how to deal with the economy. “Such allegations are baseless,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said, responding to questions, stressing that the five issues that were referred to when economic reforms were spoken of — the Direct Tax Code, the Goods and Services Tax, the banking, insurance and pension reforms — were on course.

“The Standing Committee’s Report on the DTC is back with the government, while the government has been trying for the last three years to get a political consensus on the GST,” he said, adding: “As for the remaining three, some of them are with the Standing Committee, some with the government. A process has to be followed: it’s a work in progress.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/article3585917.ece

Vilvoorde Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan, 20 May 2012

Vilvoorde, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji. French Gatka Akhara

Vilvoorde, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji. French Gatka Akhara

Vilvoorde, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Dasmesh Sikh Academy

Vilvoorde, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji. road sweeping for the Guru

Vilvoorde, Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji. young Singh

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji
14 Lange Molen Straat
B-1800 Vilvoorde (Vlaams-Brabant)
Vilvoorde is just north of Brussel and near to Brussel Airport

To see more Belgium and Netherlands gurdwara pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/
 
More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Army to try 5 officers for Pathribal killings, NC hails decision, victim’s kin disappointed

Majid Jahangir, Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 29. The Army has decided to try in a military court five of its officers allegedly involved in the Pathribal fake encounter killing of five civilians in Anantnag district of Kashmir in March 2000.

The Supreme Court had on May 1 given the Army eight weeks to decide whether the accused — Brigadier Ajay Saxena, Lt Col Brijinder Pratap Singh, Major Saurabh Sharma, Major Amit Saxena and Subedar Idrees Khan — should be tried under the Army Act or face criminal trial.

The Bench had also directed the Army to communicate its decision to the Srinagar Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM). The Army had moved an application on June 26 before the court of CJM Rajeev Gupta and agreed to the trial of the case in a military court. The Army plea was allowed.

“Within the parameters of the Supreme Court judgment, the case is passed to competent Army authorities,” the court order said. The CJM also directed transfer of case documents and chargesheet to military officials.

The CBI had in 2006 indicted five Armymen for killing five civilians and dubbing them as foreign militants. As per the probe, the civilians were killed and branded as militants days after 35 Sikhs were massacred in the nearby Chattisingpora village. All the Armymen were posted out of Kashmir soon after the incident and the force remained silent on their present postings.

On March 25, 2000, the Army and the J&K Police claimed to have killed five Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba militants who they claimed were responsible for the killing of 36 Sikhs in South Kashmir’s Chattisinghpora. The killing of Sikhs had happened ahead of then US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

Local residents alleged the Pathribal encounter was stage-managed and those killed were civilians.

The Army and police had jointly given a detailed briefing of the Pathribal operation to then Union Home Minister LK Advani when he visited Chattisinghpora.

After tremendous public pressure, the bodies were exhumed and the Central Forensic Scientific Laboratory established that the five persons killed by the Army were indeed villagers, who had gone missing from different places in the area.

After the CFSL report, the Pathribal case was handed over to the CBI. In February 2003, the CBI registered a case, charging five Army personnel of 7 Rashtriya Rifles with abduction, murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.

All the Armymen were posted out of Kashmir soon after the incident and the force remained silent on their present postings.

The Army had resisted the CBI’s move to prosecute the accused in criminal courts, arguing they had immunity against prosecution under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and prior sanction from the Centre was required to do so. The CBI approached the apex court against the Army’s stand.

On May 1, the apex court directed the Army to decide whether its men accused in the Pathribal fake encounter would be court martialled or face criminal trial.

The ruling National Conference has welcomed the Army’s decision. “It’s a welcome step but we demand that the proceedings and results be made transparent so that there is no scope for any allegations or feeling of a cover up,” party spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said.

Relatives of victims were disappointed over the development and said there was little hope for justice. “We have never heard what happens inside the court martial proceedings… the results are never made public,” Rashid Khan, son of one of the victims, Jumma Khan, said. (With PTI inputs)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120630/main2.htm

Dawn – Mumbai attack was run from Pakistan, India says

New Delhi, 30 June 2012. The leader of the Pakistan-based militant group India blames for the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks may have been present in a Pakistani “control room” where the attacks were coordinated, India said on Friday.

Indian authorities have long viewed Hafiz Saeed, founder of Lashkar-i-Taiba, as the mastermind of the attacks in which 166 people were killed.

In April the United States announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

Although Islamabad did not react to the charges on Friday, it previously has rejected Indian allegations of any involvement and said it has acted against the members of Lashkar-i-Taiba accused of mounting the raid.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters that questioning of an Indian man suspected of helping plot the operation had revealed the existence of the control room and suggested it had state support.

“Yes, others were also present and we think one of them was Hafiz Saeed,” Chidambaram said when asked if the group’s founder had been in the room at the time.

Sayeed Zabiuddin Ansari, an alleged key plotter of the attacks, was arrested in New Delhi on June 21 as he arrived from Saudi Arabia.

The police have accused him of training the 10 militants who went on a rampage in India’s financial hub.

Ansari, who also went by the names Abu Hamza, Abu Jindal and Abu Jundal, was present in the “control room”, located in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, Indian newspapers, citing intelligence sources, said on Wednesday.

“His interrogations now prove beyond doubt the existence of such a control room,” Chidambaram said. “Such a control room could not have been established without some kind of a state support.”

The Mumbai attacks served to further strain the already fragile relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which have fought three wars in the past 65 years.

http://dawn.com/2012/06/30/mumbai-attack-was-run-from-pakistan-india-says/

The Tribune – Three of family from Fatehgarh Sahib murdered in Italy; Deputy Commissioner writes to Indian Embassy Surinder Bhardwaj

There is a Solofra in southern Italy near Napoli and it has a Via Margharita (Margharita Road) HSKh

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 28. Shock wave swept Nadiali village here today as the news of the murder of three members of a local family reached the village. Charanjit Singh, his wife Jasbir Kaur and daughter Jaspreet Kaur, who had lived at Margharita, Solofra in Italy, were murdered last night.

A large number of villagers gathered at the residence of Gurnam Singh, Charanjit’s brother. They later met Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan to apprise him of the situation and request him to help bring the bodies to India.

The Deputy Commissioner assured the villagers that he would make all efforts to help them. He sent an e-mail to Indian Embassy in Italy in this regard.

Gurnam Singh said the dead bodies were currently in the custody of the local police there. He said he did not have adequate resources to visit Italy. He requested the Indian Embassy in Italy to make arrangements for sending the bodies to India.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120629/punjab.htm#11

The Tribune – Investigate poor quality work on rail link: Congress

Fazilka, June 28. Former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Virender Kataria has demanded a CBI probe into poor quality construction work done on the newly built Fazilka-Abohar rail link.

Alleging negligence and large-scale misappropriation of funds, Kataria, who himself hails from Fazilka, demanded that railway functionaries responsible for the negligence be held accountable.

Kataria, a former Rajya Sabha MP, met Union Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa in Delhi today. He said he lodged a protest with the Railway Minister against the pitiable condition of the five railway stations on the track.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120629/punjab.htm#6

The Asian Age – Srinagar shrine fire: Cops hunt mystery preachers

Yusuf Jameel, Asian Age Correspondent

Srinagar, 29 June 2012. The fire that devastated Srinagar’s nearly 250-year-old Sufi shrine on Monday, initially perceived to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, is fast turning into a mystery.

A local police SIT is probing the incident, which triggered violent protests in Srinagar, major parts of which remained under non-stop curfew for the fourth day straight on Thursday. Also, the predominantly Muslim Valley continues to be shut in mourning.

Officials said the SIT is looking into all angles, including arson. People living in the shrine neighbourhood, and other witnesses, have told the police that a night before the fire a group of preachers from outside, all wearing green turbans, had arrived at the shrine. They reportedly argued with local worshippers over an issue related to a tradition associated with the shrine, built in honour of the Sunni saint Sheikh Syed Abd al-Qadir Jeelani.

According to them, the group was served dinner at a private house and returned to the shrine for the night. Soon after the dawn prayers, the visitors left in a hurry. It was an hour or so after they had gone that fires was noticed simultaneously at three places in the shrine complex, as is claimed by some witnesses.

“There was no electricity there at that time,” the shrine’s chief custodian, Syed Khalid Hussein, has claimed, ruling out the possibility of an electrical short-circuit.

The SIT is trying to find out who the visitors were, who invited them, who they met and where they went. It is on the basis of the statements of locals and other witnesses that the police FIR also mentions CrPC Section 480, which pertains to “mischief by fire or explosives in a building, etc”.

http://www.asianage.com/india/srinagar-shrine-fire-cops-hunt-mystery-preachers-982