516.The Man in Blue – Sikhí V

Vaisakhi 1699, the Khalsa uniform : the Turban and the Five Ks. In 1699 Guru Gobind Rai, the tenth Sikh Guru, asked his Sikhs to come to Anandpur Sahib for the Vaisakhí festival. On the day he stood before the sangat, holding a sword, asking the Sikhs to offer their head.

The first five who came forward are called the Panj Piaré, the five beloved ones. They were the first members of the Khalsa, the order of initiated Sikhs who are totally committed to the Sikh way of life. They initiated Guru Gobind Rai and many more followed. Since then Khalsa men are known as Singh (=Lion) and Khalsa women as Kaur (=Princess). Guru Gobind Rai became Gobind Singh.

This took place during the reign of one of the more intolerant Mughal Emperors, who then ruled most of India. Being a Khalsa involved physical fighting against the oppressors, to achieve freedom of worship for all.

Guru stipulated that the sword was only to be used as a last resort, after all other means had failed. Guru wanted his Khalsa to be Sant-Sipahi (Saint-Soldiers), who do not fight for material gain or out of anger, but who fight against injustice.

As visible signs of their commitment the members of the Khalsa are to wear the turban and the Five Ks.

The 5 Ks are :

• Kesh (uncut hair, no cutting, trimming or shaving)
• Kara (a steel bracelet)
• Kangha (a wooden comb)
• Kacchera (cotton boxer short)
• Kirpan (small steel sword)
  The kirpan stands for the fight against injustice referred to above

The Five Ks symbolise dedication to a life of devotion and submission to the Guru. For an initiated Sikh or Khalsa the fact that the Guru has asked the Sikhs to wear the Five Ks is sufficient reason and no more needs be said.

The Khalsa cannot be anonymous. Her/His religion is known to all. She/He stands out among people, and any unseemly behaviour on her/his part would be noted as unbecoming for a follower of the Gurus.

Anybody seeing somebody wearing the Five Ks and the Turban should know that they can go to her/him for help. If you wear the Khalsa uniform you are a visible Sikh. Unfortunately many Sikh ladies, even initiated ones, choose not to wear a turban, and are therefore not easily recognisable as Sikhs.

The Turban (Pag, Pagri, Dastár) was both in the Muslim and the Hindu community a sign of high worldly or spiritual status. Just like the names Singh and Kaur, that before were only used by those of high caste, the Sikh turban is a symbol of the elevation of the low-caste to the same status as those of high-caste.

Freedom and Remembrance March – Hyde Park, London 2012

Pritpal Singh Southall & Amrik Singh Airport

Thousands of Sikhs took part in the 28th Annual Freedom and Remembrance March on Sunday, 10th June 2012. To remember the innocent men, women and children killed in 1984, to march for the freedom of the Sikh nation and to support our innocent brother and sisters who are sitting in prisons.

Click YouTube link to watch Photoslideshow of rest of pictures of this Parade:

http://youtu.be/WO8jRv4quos

Walk on with Náám in your heart and, you’ll never walk alone

Pritpal Singh
ਸਰਦਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਿਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ
सरदार पिर्तपाल सिंह

The Tribune – EcoSikh to launch ‘Green Amritsar’ drive

Amritsar: Dr Rajwant Singh, president of EcoSikh, plans to launch ‘Green Amritsar’ campaign. In November last year, Amritsar joined the Green Pilgrimage Network as one of the nine founding member cities in Assisi, Italy. EcoSikh will celebrate its third anniversary here on June 30. Dr Rajwant Singh plans to conduct a leadership training workshop in Ludhiana during his trip to India. (TNS)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120613/punjab.htm#top

The Tribune – Punjab chalks out plan for debt-ridden farmers; Government to provide subsidy on dairy farming

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12. The Punjab Government has chalked out a comprehensive plan to bail out debt-ridden farmers by promoting subsidiary occupations. Under such initiative, Rs 3 crore would be spent on setting up of state-of-the-art Dairy Training Centre at Rauni village in Patiala district.

These training centres would subsequently be set up in remaining districts of the state. Similarly, in order to bring back the White Revolution, the Punjab Government has decided to sensitise the milk producers about new techniques in milk production through milk production camps.

Gulzar Singh Ranike, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development, disclosed this here today.

He said the Punjab Government had decided to subsidise marginal and small farmers to set up units for the production of milk products, purchase of milch cattle and for rearing calves.

Ranike said 25 per cent subsidy would be given to general category and 33.33 per cent subsidy to the farmers belonging to SC categories. He said in the previous year, Rs.9 crore was disbursed under this scheme, whereas the subsidy in the current year has been increased to Rs 20 crore.

Punjab was among the 14 states chosen for National Dairy Plan Programme by the Government of India. He said under the programme, efforts would be initiated for improving the cattle breed, striking feed balancing and increasing milk-processing capacity.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120613/punjab.htm#11

The Asian Age – Haryana turns down plea for more water

New Delhi, 12 June 2012. The water crisis in the city is likely to continue as Delhi government’s efforts to get more water from neighbouring Haryana did not fructify.

At a meeting here, Delhi chief secretary P.K. Tripathi asked his Haryana counterpart P.K. Chaudhery to release more water to Delhi but the latter turned down the request saying his state was also facing shortage.

Mr Tripathi later said that both sides agreed to improve coordination in matters relating to withdrawal of water by Delhi from Yamuna barrage for Wazirabad and Hedayatpur water treatment plants.

Sources said Mr Tripathi had requested Mr Chaudhery to provide additional water to Delhi apart from the daily supply of 1,000 cusecs but the Haryana chief secretary expressed inability to do so.

Several areas of Delhi have been facing severe water shortage for the last few weeks. The situation deteriorated further in south Delhi on Saturday when a pipeline broke down after an underconstruction building fell on it.

The current average demand of potable water in the city is around 1,100 mgd (million gallons per day) and currently the DJB supplies around 800 mgd water after treating raw water.

The demand is projected to touch around 1,400 mgd by end of the 12th Five Year Plan in 2017. Delhi relies heavily on neighbouring states for supply of raw water.

Haryana accuses Delhi of drawing more water than the allotted quantity from the Yamuna barrage for Haiderpur and Wazirabad water treatment plants while Delhi charges the neighbouring state with not releasing the agreed volume of water.

Asked whether the unresolved dispute on Munak Canal issue figured in the meeting, Mr Tripathi said the matter will be discussed at the political level.

The canal was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around 400 crores given by Delhi government on the condition that the national capital will be supplied 80 MGD water from it. But later, Haryana refused to supply the water to the city.

As both sides failed to settle the dispute, the Centre had set up a GoM to find a solution to the matter.

Haryana has opposed any water-sharing, saying it has been generously providing water to its neighbour even though its own demand has gone up in recent years.

Construction work on the 102-km canal has almost been completed. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/haryana-turns-down-plea-more-water-318

6 May 2012 my 65th birthday visit to Brussel

On my birthday I went to see my Brussel friends Manpreet Kaur and Jean

Brussel – Bruxelles, Watermaal Park

Brussel – Bruxelles, Watermaal Park

Brussel – Bruxelles, Watermaal Park

Brussel – Bruxelles, Watermaal Park

To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/

More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – India, Pakistan fail to break Siachen ice; Two sides agree to continue dialogue

Afzal Khan in Islamabad

The two-day India Pakistan defence secretary-level talks on Siachen ended Tuesday amid continuing stalemate.

A joint statement issued here at the conclusion of the talks did not point to any progress but affirmed desire to continue the dialogue process. It said the two sides will meet again at mutually agreed dates to be decided later.

The India delegation flew to Lahore later in the afternoon on way to New Delhi.

The Pakistan side was led by Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi and the Indian side by her counterpart Shashi Kant Sharma. “Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to make serious, sustained and result-oriented efforts for seeking an amicable resolution of Siachen,” said a joint statement issued at the end of the talks.

It was agreed to continue the dialogue on Siachen in keeping with the desire of the leaders of both countries for early resolution of all outstanding issues, the statement said.

The two countries “acknowledged that the ceasefire (in Siachen) was holding since 2003.”

Speaking to media representatives, the Indian defence secretary said the two countries had made progress on the Siachen dispute. He said both sides had exchanged recommendations in order to resolve the dispute. India and Pakistan had prepared a list of recommendations for a resolution which would be presented to both governments.

The two countries also agreed to hold foreign minister-level talks in Islamabad in July which would focus on the Siachen dispute along with other outstanding issues.

According to Pakistani media reports, the Pakistani side renewed its call for demilitarising the Siachen glacier and pulling back troops to the positions in 1984. The Pakistani side further called for the resolution of the issue in the light of arrangements discussed in 1989 and 1992.

The Indian government has made it clear that any settlement must include the authentication and demarcation of current military positions on Siachen. The move is aimed at thwarting the possible re-induction of troops by Pakistan after any demilitarisation of the glacier.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Naveed Qamar told The Nation daily: “There is a realisation among both the sides that confrontation would lead to very negative implications that hinder economic and social development.

“Peace is the ultimate solution to bring prosperity to the region. Pakistan and India need to keep peace measures intact so as to eradicate misgivings and move on. Cooperation is the key to success,” he added.

Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to make serious, sustained and result-oriented efforts for seeking an amicable resolution of Siachen. Joint statement

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120613/main2.htm

Dawn – Memo commission; Asma Jahangir rejects memo inquiry report

Our Staff Reporter

Lahore, 13 June 2012. Asma Jahangir, counsel for former ambassador Husain Haqqani, has expressed reservations over a report presented by the memo commission to the Supreme Court and accused the panel of being biased.

Talking to reporters at the Lahore High Court here on Tuesday, she questioned the commission’s jurisdiction in relation to its several findings and said “under what law the commission can declare anybody a traitor”?

She said the commission acted in two capacities — complainant and adjudicator. The inquiry report should have been shown to the counsel of the parties before it was presented to the Supreme Court, she added.

Ms Jahangir said the commission declared that Mr Haqqani had forced Mansoor Ijaz to write the memo, but failed to establish any evidence to the effect.

She alleged that the commission was totally prejudiced and the report had exposed it. It did nothing but fought the case of Mr Ijaz, she said.

The lawyer said the SC had taken up the case of Mr Haqqani without intimating the counsel and it was not mentioned in the “cause list” issued on Monday. “I came to know about the hearing of the Haqqani case through news aired by television channels which is highly regrettable,” she added.

Ms Jahangir said it was shocking that the court intimated Mr Haqqani who was outside Pakistan, but failed to inform her.

She said: “I will follow Supreme Court rules and will not appear before court without proper intimation.”

She said if she were the attorney general she would never appear before the court on a notice received late at night. She strongly objected to the fixing in haste of the Haqqani case for hearing. Whether the purpose of doing so was to divert the attention of the media, she asked.

Asked if Mr Haqqani would return to the country following SC’s directions, Ms Jahangir said she had not seen the commission’s report because she had not received it.

She said the commission recorded Mr Ijaz’s evidence through video conference but denied the same facility to Mr Haqqani.

“This politics should be stopped now. It will not boost judiciary’s sanctity,” she added.

The lawyer pointed out that ANP leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan and poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz were declared traitors and said there was a possibility that she would also be declared the same.

She said the judiciary should mend its ways and make good history. “Disgracing people is not justice,” she concluded.

http://dawn.com/2012/06/13/commission-accused-of-being-biased-asma-jahangir-rejects-memo-inquiry-report/