For the above translation I consulted the Nitnem Gutka of Harbans Singh Doabia and the ‘Sikhitothemax’ website. I checked the meanings in the ‘Dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib’ by Surinder Singh Kohli.

The forty verses of the Anand Sahib, composed by Guru Amar Das are not too difficult to understand. We should use these verses as tools : listen to them, understand them  and apply their teachings in our daily life.

Being dirty inside and having no-dirt (nir-mal) outside is quite useless. If you are only concerned about your looks, about the impression you make on others, you will waste this birth as human being, this chance to find unity with The One.

You are dirty inside when you are controlled by the five desires, when you forget that you have only a short lifespan, which should be used efficiently.

The Vedas say that the objective of your life is ‘Nám’, the Godly essence, but people listen not and keep being born again and again like demons. Says Nanak, if you do not go for Truth and stick to falsehood, you gamble away this birth.

Many people think that following the ‘Shabad-Guru’ is no ‘fun’. No drinking, no smoking, not going for luxury but living a simple life, how boring !

Since I started to follow the Sikh way of life I do not need outside enjoyments anymore. I do need sadh-sangat, people of various backgrounds with whom I can fully share what I am trying to do. Here in Belgium I have not enough ‘soul-mates’.

But I am happy doing seva, living in my studio flat, studying, writing, listening to shabad Kirtan on my lap-top, listening to my radio to keep up with what happens outside Sint-Truiden and cook a simple meal when I do not eat from the langar.

Some weeks ago the weather was cold but sunny and I enjoyed a two hour walk. I regularly go on my bicycle to Gingelom, south of Sint-Truiden. This is only a 30 minute ride but it can be challenging in winter and I enjoy that. There is no need to become ‘maile’ (dirty) in order to enjoy life !

Chandigarh, January 31. The Election Commission today revised the voter turnout in yesterday’s Punjab Assembly election by 2% to 78.67% even as it ordered a repoll in booth number 76 of Amritsar (East) constituency.

The EC had till last evening put the estimated polling at 76.63%. Even today, Chief Election Officer Kusumjit Sidhu said the figures could change. “This is the average poll percentage and could be revised. The final polling percentage would be calculated on the basis of the total number of voters who exercised their franchise,” she said.

The repoll has been ordered for February 2 in a booth in the Amritsar (East) constituency. The fresh poll will be held between 7 am and 3 pm, the Election Commission said.

The decision for repoll was taken after the Electronic Voting Machine at booth number 76 developed a snag during mock testing. Sidhu said the EVM was repaired but by afternoon it stopped recording votes and was replaced with a new EVM.

“We do not want to take any chances and have ordered a repoll,” she said. There are 974 registered voters at the booth.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur is the BJP candidate from Amritsar (East) constituency. She is pitted against Sunil Datti of the Congress. Congress rebel Simarpreet Bhatia is also in fray as an Independent.

Even though the polling percentage has risen, Amritsar (West) remains the constituency with the lowest voter turnout of 57.59%. Till yesterday, this figure stood at 56%. Guruharsahai has reported the highest turnout of 89.88% followed by Gidderbaha with 88.73%.

The Election Commission has instructed various stationary surveillance teams and flying squads of the Income Tax and Excise Departments constituted for the elections to be disbanded, except in Amritsar (East) constituency. Liquor will be prohibited within the polling area of polling booth number 76 from 5 pm today till polling ends on February 2.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120201/main4.htm

It urged the Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a case pertaining to the killing of five people in an alleged fake encounter at neighbouring Pathribal involving the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 25, 2000, five days after the massacre to issue orders for conducting a time bound inquiry into the incident terming it as the “base case” of the massacre “so that the truth comes out to the fore as to who killed innocent Sikh villagers-militants or official agencies.”

All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee Kashmir (APSCCK), said all those responsible “must be charge-sheeted for killing innocent people.”

http://www.asianage.com/india/jk-sikhs-want-reprobe-2000-massacre-264

Back Entrance to Beurs – Bourse
(exchange)

Small house, big church

North side of ‘Beurs’ building with Christmas market

Boulevard Anspach Laan, De Lijn articulated bus 

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Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

Chandigarh, January 31. Over 1,000 voters across the state rejected all the candidates in the fray by using Section 49-O of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which allows electors to register their vote without casting it in favour of any candidate during the Punjab Assembly polls yesterday.

While the State Election Commission is yet to compile the data of the total number of voters who exercised this option, a Punjab based NGO Internationalist Democratic Party puts the number of such voters at 500 in Nabha alone.

The NGO led by Gurmeet Singh Sohi had started an awareness campaign all over the state motivating the voters to use their right to reject candidates, if they were not convinced about their capabilities and performance.

A spokesperson of the NGO said voters from Fazilka, Mansa, Bathinda, Sangrur, Sunam, Samana, Garhshankar and Kapurthala, exercised this option. In Ageti village in Nabha, over 50 residents rejected all the candidates. Similar reports were obtained from Narata Colony, Ajaib Colony, Sant Nagar, Ekta Colony and Vishwakarma Nagar in Nabha, claimed the spokesperson.

“There is a growing resentment against the candidates among the voters in Punjab. During discussions, a common sentiment that came to our notice was that voters do not want to elect any candidate. We advised them to use this option and we got a good response,” said Sohi.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120201/punjab.htm#8

The leaked report, derived from thousands of interrogations, claims the Taliban remain defiant and have wide support among the Afghan people.

A BBC correspondent says the report is painful reading for international forces and the Afghan government.

A Pakistani foreign ministry official has called the accusations “frivolous”.

“We are committed to non-interference in Afghanistan,” the unnamed senior official told Reuters.

The report alleges that Pakistan knows the locations of senior Taliban leaders.

“We have long been concerned about ties between elements of the ISI and some extremist networks,” said US Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby, adding that the US Defence Department had not yet seen the report.

‘Informational’  

The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville in Kabul says the report – on the state of the Taliban – fully exposes for the first time the relationship between the Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) and the Taliban.

The report is based on material from 27,000 interrogations with more than 4,000 captured Taliban, al-Qaeda and other foreign fighters and civilians.

It notes: “Pakistan’s manipulation of the Taliban senior leadership continues unabatedly”. It says that Pakistan is aware of the locations of senior Taliban leaders.

The report states: “As this document is derived directly from insurgents it should be considered informational and not necessarily analytical.”

Despite Nato’s strategy to secure the country with Afghan forces, the secret document details widespread collaboration between the insurgents and Afghan police and military.

Lt Colonel Jimmie Cummings, a spokesman for Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, said the document was “a classified internal document that is not meant to be released to the public”.

“It is a matter of policy that documents that are classified are not discussed under any circumstances,” he said.

The report also depicts the depth of continuing support among the Afghan population for the Taliban, our correspondent says.

It paints a picture of al-Qaeda’s influence diminishing but the Taliban’s influence increasing, he adds.

Taliban influence

In a damning conclusion, the document says that in the last year there has been unprecedented interest, even from members of the Afghan government, in joining the Taliban cause.

It adds: “Afghan civilians frequently prefer Taliban governance over the Afghan government, usually as a result of government corruption.”

The report has evidence that the Taliban are purposely hastening Nato’s withdrawal by deliberately reducing their attacks in some areas and then initiating a comprehensive hearts-and-minds campaign.

It says that in areas where Isaf has withdrawn, Taliban influence has increased, often with little or no resistance from government security forces. And in many cases, with the active help of the Afghan police and army.

When foreign soldiers leave, Afghan security forces are expected to take control.

However according to the report, rifles, pistols and heavy weapons have been sold by Afghan security forces in bazaars in Pakistan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16821218

The Scottish surgeon who was appointed as guardian to Maharaja Dalip Singh was not above trying to feather his own nest at the Maharaja’s expense. Newly released documents show that Dr John Login tried and failed to persuade the East India Company to give him a £1,000 annuity from the personal privy purse of the deposed Maharaja.

In terms of present day values measured by average earnings, this amounted to more than £600,000 per annum.

Login was appointed as Dalip Singh’s guardian in 1849 shortly after the Second Anglo Sikh war. At the time, the young Maharaja and son of the legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh was only 11-year old.

Login’s controversial duties at the time included taking charge of Dalip Singh’s impressive legacy, including land, palaces and, most importantly, the legendary Kohinoor diamond which was presented to Queen Victoria.

The 186 carat diamond, a prized asset of the Mughal dynasty, was said to be the size of a large egg. Victoria sent it to diamond cutters in Amsterdam who re-shaped and reduced the gem to 108.9 carats before it was placed on the imperial crown.

Login was Dalip Singh’s guardian for nine key years, effectively his mother, father and guardian all rolled into one, both in India and later in the United Kingdom.

When Dalip Singh came to London in 1851, shortly after converting to Christianity, it was Login and his wife who took care of him and introduced him to the British society.

One well documented anecdote has Login showing Dalip Singh the re-cut Kohinoor and allowing him to handle it shortly before the deposed ruler handed it over formally to Victoria.

Although Login retired from his job as guardian in 1858, after Dalip Singh came of age, he was awarded a generous annual pension of £300. Measured by the average earnings index this would today amount to more than £180,000.

Not content with the pension he had been awarded, Login wrote to the East India Company on March 1858: “Having been aware that it has not been in my power to save much from my allowances or make sufficient provision for my family during the nine years in which I acted as his guardian, he (Dalip Singh) has in a very generous and considerate manner spontaneously proposed to settle an annuity upon me during his life of £1,000.”

Earlier, in support of his application for the £1,000 from Dalip Singh’s privy purse, Login wrote in a letter seen by The Tribune, “It has been a source of much gratification and thankfulness to me that I have been able with God’s blessing to establish and confirm a feeling of goodwill, loyalty and respect towards the British government on the part of one from whom such sentiments could scarcely be expected.”

Notwithstanding all his efforts, Login was destined to be disappointed. East India Company Secretary Norman Melvill wrote back to him saying, “The receipt of any present or gratuity from a native of India, by any officer of the Company, is prohibited..the arrangement cannot receive either the approval or the sanction of the Court of Directors.”

Login died in 1863 and Dalip Singh paid for the headstone above his grave.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120131/main8.htm

Arteev Sharma, Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 30 Almost four months after a blast rocked the Delhi High Court, which was masterminded in a cyber café in the hilly Kishtwar town last year, the Jammu and Kashmir government has started the registration of all cafés in the state to keep a strict vigil over the Netizens.

The sensitive Jammu and Kashmir — unlike other states of the countries — currently doesn’t have a “regulation or licencing authority” to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés.

The plan aims at ensuring maintenance of registers bearing the name, addresses and other details of the Internet users frequenting cyber cafés.

“Cyber café owners and network service providers, who provide computer services, including Internet access to general public either against payment or free of charge for any purpose, including recreation or amusement, shall register their cyber cafés and network service,” District Magistrate, Udhampur, Pandurang K Pole said while taking a lead in regulating the functioning of cyber cafés in the state.

He said though there was a decline in militancy, untoward incidents couldn’t be ruled out and prevention needed to be taken.

The District Magistrate said the decision was taken as anti-national elements, including militants and over ground workers (OGWs) were using new technology for communication and spread of hatred and terror.

“Cyber cafés and computer centres shall ensure proper identification of users before allowing them to use their computer resources. Proper maintenance and safety of log register and identification documents shall be ensured by café owners or operators,” Pole maintained.

The Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HUJI) militants had sent a terror email after the Delhi High Court blast in New Delhi, in which 15 people were killed, from a cyber cafe in Kishtwar district in September last year.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Dilbagh Singh, however, said there was no regulation or licencing authority to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés in the state.

“At official level, there is no restriction on anyone to run a cyber café in the state. But, we have directed all café owners to follow the standard set of norms,” the IGP said.

He added that all district superintendents of police had been directed to closely monitor the functioning of cyber cafés.

“We have also directed all cafés to install closed-circuit televisions to keep a vigil on Internet users,” Singh added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120131/j&k.htm#3

One person dies in group clash in Ferozepur Rural constituency   Barring a few incidents, the single-phase polling for the 117-member Punjab Assembly on Monday remained peaceful as initial estimates indicated a record turnout, which is likely to surpass the 75.45 per cent registered in 2007. When reports last came in, one person was killed and nine cases of poll-related violence were registered.

Talking to journalists, Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu said one person died of bullet injuries when rival groups clashed in the Ferozepur Rural constituency. An old woman suddenly collapsed and died inside a polling station of the Anandpur Sahib constituency.

Thanking the people and those involved in the process for the smooth conduct of the elections, Ms. Sidhu said the final turnout figures would be compiled after the returning officers sent the reports from the constituencies separately. The commission had not ordered repoll anywhere across the State.

Polling across the State began at a brisk pace and there was no let up throughout the day. She said long queues were reported at polling stations after 5 p.m.

Journalist manhandled

A woman journalist of a leading Punjabi daily was manhandled in Nabha, while a scribe was allegedly slapped by Akali Dal legislator Amarpal Singh Bony in Ajnala. The police registered cases in both incidents.

The authorities replaced 70 malfunctioning electronic voting machines, though early reports said an attempt was made to tamper with a machine in Mansa district.

There were interesting reports of people using the 49-O facility to reject all the candidates in their constituencies. At Garhshankar in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, as many as 80 citizens of a locality opted for the facility to voice their resentment against apathy by the authorities in providing basic civic amenities since Independence.

Ms. Sidhu said six television channels — Aaj Tak, Star News, Zee News, PTC, Times Now and NDTV — along with three newspapers — Ajit, Dainik Jagran and Jagbani — were issued notice for violating code of conduct on poll day.

On a complaint, the media monitoring committee scanned the content of the PTC coverage and found that the channel had interviewed more Akali Dal-BJP leaders than Opposition leaders. However, a final decision would be taken by the Election Commission, she said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2845575.ece

Grote Markt – Grand Place

 Grote Markt – Grand Place

 Grote Markt – Grand Place

 Grote Markt – Grand Place

To see more Netherlands and Belgiun pictures go to:

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Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue