Testing Windows Live Writer

I just downloaded windows live writer beta and am testing it to see if it will help me actually post something!

Baseless fear mongering by the CBC

http://www.japnaamsingh.com/2007/06/baseless-fear-mongering-by-cbc.html

I've never seen such a blatant attempt to plant fear and misinformation into the Canadian public than I saw tonight on the CBC.

I've never seen such a blatant abuse of journalistic power than Terry Milewski's piece on The National.

It doesn't take very much to slant a piece of journalism to suit the journalist's goals. When people give interviews, all you have to do is use them very selectively. Working as a journalist carries certain responsibilities, and the most basic tenet of journalism is to strive for fairness.

Terry Milewski's reporting on the Sikh community is anything but fair. It is malicious, it is divisive and it is a great shame that the CBC chooses to air his "reporting".

It doesn't take much to find a few nutjobs and air their opinions as the opinions of an entire community, and yet Milewski does this on an almost weekly basis, and the editors at the CBC seem to have no problem with it.

I've tried to come up with a rebuttal of Milewski's piece. Some of my rebuttal is based in clear fact and some of it is based on my observations of the Sikh community over the years.

- The most important starting point is that a violent movement for a Sikh state is virtually dead, in Punjab, in Canada and throughout the world. There still exists a number of Sikhs who wish to establish a Sikh state, but these people wish to do so through peaceful means.

- Tarek Fatah is someone who is deeply intolerant of anyone who doesn't buy into his rigid view of secularism. His view of secularism essentially calls for all religious people to cut their ties to their faith. He also seems to suggest that it is somehow beyond the pale to question the "unity" of India. How foolish. It's alright for Jewish Canadians to have nationalist sympathies with Israel and yet it isn't alright for other Canadians to have nationalist sympathies elsewhere as well? Are all national borders cut in stone? Are no nationalist movements worthy of sympathy? Does state-sponsored terrorism exist nowhere in this world? Most Sikh Canadians who are also Sikh nationalists are fully loyal to both Canada and to their aspirations for a Sikh state.

- This has been stated above, but Milewski makes a conscious decision to interview the most ignorant (and perhaps mentally imbalanced) people that he can find. He interviewed someone who said he spoke for a temple. That is a complete and utter lie. That person speaks for himself and nobody else.

- I can't state enough that there is very little appetite in any segment of the Sikh population that calls for any kind of violent behavior. I've never met a Sikh who wasn't horrified by the Air India tragedy. I've never met a Sikh who didn't realize that the Air India tragedy hurt the Sikh image immensely. Having said that, I have met Sikhs who aren't fully convinced that Sikhs were even behind the tragedy. Now I have my doubts about their theories, but unlike what Milewski kept trying to state as a fact, no Sikh was ever convicted of the Air India tragedy.

- Milewski's interviews of Dave Hayer and Ujjal Dosanjh were just laughable. Dave Hayer's dad distributed sweets outside of the main Sikh temple in Vancouver when Indira Gandhi was killed. Dave Hayer's dad called Jarnail Singh Bhindravale one of the greatest Sikhs ever. The point is that people change. Because someone expressed a view in 1984 doesn't mean that they still hold those views now, or even 10 years after 1984. What happened to Ujjal Dosanjh in 1985 was horrible and disgusting - but Dosanjh's inability (while perhaps somewhat understandable) to let go of a 20+ year old grudge clouds any objectivity that he might have.

- Milewski's attempt to isolate the Sikh community from any political power is as transparently obvious as it is malicious. Instead of perhaps offering some commentary that being integrated into Canadian society would be a good thing - Milewski's prescription is that isolating and shunning 100,000 Sikhs, 99% of whom do not favour any kind of violence for political ends, in India and especially in Canada, would be the best way forward.

- Milewski stated many many other falsehoods in his piece. For example, the WSO is a moderate Sikh group that expressly rejects any kind of violence. And yet he somehow portrayed them as some sort of violent extremist group. Milewski tried hard to portray as much as the Sikh population as possible as violent, raging, angry extremists. Why would he do this when it isn't so? Is it just because these sorts of lies get better ratings, or does Milewski have some other sort of deep seated dislike of Sikhs?

More articles:
http://www.bcsikhyouth.com/2007/cbcs-most-defamatory-fraudulent-innaccurate-report-on-sikhs-ever/
http://roadtokhalistan.blogspot.com/2007/06/cbc-hatchet-job.html
http://www.shindasingh.com/blog/?p=409

Gangster Sikhi

I just saw a video that someone had posted on discoversikhi.com showing some mona guys running around with guns and khalistan flags, khanda tatoos on their backs acting like thugs.

My reply to this was:

This gangster bastardization of Sikhi that I am seeing more and more of is really dissapointing and disheartening. It starts at amritdhari youth who go around "repping" DDT, BKI, AKJ jackets with pictures of their favorite shaheed on it. Creating clubs and cliques. Walking around with lots of shastar trying to act cool. Cussing and talking like gangsters, listening to rap music and overall filthying their mouths and minds.

Thats not Sikhi. It never was and never will be.

Canadian Media's Attack on Sikhs

Panthic Weekly Article: Canadian Media's Attack on Sikhs

Some of my feelings on the recent issues in Canada:

Most of the problems we are seeing here are due to the fact that there are many punjabis growing up and calling themselves sikhs when they know nothing of sikh heritage, culture, religion or beliefs. The same people protesting the pictures of our great shaheeds, are the same people whose parents were ready to burn down all of the Indian embassies 3 decades ago being led by the same people who were in those embassies getting paid for their betrayals.

If they had any love for Sikhi like the generations of Sikhs 3 decades ago who were weeping over the atrocities committed by the Indian government and the mass sikh populace was ready to stop them at any cost and to save our people and our heritage, if they had seen our brothers and sisters dying in the streets, raped, burned alive, tied down by their own turbans, they would keep their mouths shut and realize these shaheeds gave up their families, their jobs, their homes, and their lives so that others may be free and others may realize the dreams of freedom--of speech, of religion, of truth--when they are gone to a better place.

There is no proof that Shaheed Jathedar Bhai Talwinder Singh Jee Babbar had anything to do with the Air India bombing, terrorism or the deaths of Canadian citizens, there is only speculation. He was not convicted in any court of law, he was not present to defend himself against any false accusations. During his lifetime, he was taken to court over several matters and no charges that were brought against him stuck. Beyond the speculation, he was a victim of India's brutal "justice." He was cornered on a street and arrested. Most likely brutally tortured for weeks with no mercy by the Indian police and intelligence officials. And then he was taken to a road and shot to death. Afterwards, they planted a gun on him and said he died in a shoot-out with police, now known as the infamous "police encounters."

A great man who was tortured and shot, treated worse than a common animal. And now, years after his assassination, these puppets and traitors drag his name through the mud for their own personal gain and try to use the name of Sikhi, western governments, and freedom to do it.

What freedom is there where one cannot stand in the street with a picture of their heroes? What freedom is there when one cannot voice their opinion against injustice, intolerance and hate? When those that hate accuse those who want peace and equality of hate? These people accuse Sikhs of hatred, when they are the ones that hate Sikhism, they are intolerant of Sikh values and call it fundamentalism, when all Sikhs love freedom, love humanity, love peace and love truth. These are the fundamentals of Sikhi and so is the fight against hatred, oppression, intolerance, fascism and falsehood.

A thought

In our lifetime, there are going to be many trials and moral issues on a panthic and global scale that we will have to deal with on a personal level--issues which will require the great sacrifice of many--the foundation blocks of which are just being laid now.

Alcohol

Does it worry anyone else that there would be more suicides and mass protests in punjab over an alcohol shortage than over a water shortage?

Daswandh

What is daswandh and why should we give it?

Daswandh is giving 10% of your earnings to charity. It is a requirement of rehat that we do this. Not only should we give 10% of our money, but also we should try to give 10% of our time to guru sahib, through 2.5 housr of patt and simran every day.

The principles of daswandh date back to Guru Nanak Sahib and are even drawn from 2 of his three golden rules, kirat karna and vand ke shakna.

One must work hard and earn a living (as I am doing typing this at work haha), and then one must give to others before using themselves.

Any gursikh who says they keep rehat must keep the rehat of daswandh first as it is one of the easiest and most basic sevas.

some people will make the excuse that they do not make enough, thats ok if you do not make enough, but still, set aside 10% of all the money you receive. In my experience, guru sahib will ensure that you are returned that money through success in your endevours.

Trust in that and give to charity, help the needy, help other gursikhs, use your daswandh to fund things that truly need funding for the good of Sikhi, the panth and humanity in general.

The Miracle that Saved the Panth

I received this email today, thought I would share it:

For those of us who've been to Sree Darbaar Sahib Amritsar, we may have noticed a sign outside on the Darshani Deori that reads,
"It is for the knowledge of all that in Harimandir Sahib on April 30, 1877 at 4.30 in the morning, a strange thing happened. There were about four hundred devotees enjoying spiritual peace of celestial music in Harimandir Sahib when suddently a flash of lighting was seen which in the form of a big resplendence entered throught the door on the moutain-side and exploded exactly like a ball in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and illuminating everything went out, becoming a streak of light through the southern door--though at the time of its exploding there was a dreadful and forceful sound, no harm of any kind occured to any devotee sitting inside and no harm to the building or anything else in the precinct. All the people described this supernatural scene as the wondrful doing of Sri Guru Ram Das himself" (translation based on one in Strange but True in Sikhism by SS Kohli p.11)

This miracle transformed the Panth and brought it back from the brink of oblivion.

After the fall of the Sikh Kingdom in 1849, the Sikhs were in very serious trouble. The Gurdvaras were in control of Mahants who had installed Hindu Idols and barred "low castes" from entering. British observers wrote that Amrit Sinchaars almost never took place. Sikh women lost their distinct appearance and no longer followed rehit or took amrit. The British even began to photograph Sikhs as they believed this "fading sect" ought to be recorded in history and one day shown in museums as a part of India's history.

The British also started a heavy mission of conversion amongst the Sikhs. Many notable Sikhs left the faith at this time. Raja Ranjit Singh's general, Jowand Sikh Mokhal's family embraced Islam, Beharwala Sardar Isher Singh became Muslim under the influence of a prostitute, Harnam Singh of the Kapurthala Royal family became Christian, Dayal Singh Majithia became a Brahmo Samajist and gave over the Daily Tribune, Dayal Singh College and a Library to the sect.

Big Sikh landlords Mangal Singh Virk and ChRat Singh of Barhar became Muslims for Muslim women as well. In 1873 4 Sikh boys Aya Singh, Attar Singh, Sadhu Singh and Satnokh Singh announced they were converting ot Christianity and prepared to cut their hair. Later they were convinced not to do this.

Sree Harmandir Sahib was under the control of the British Government and they had appointed a Sikh manager, Mangal Singh to look after the site for them. The British had nefarious designs for the Sikhs. They intended to make Sree Darbaar Sahib the main Diocese for the Christian Church and convert the complex into a giant church. Crucifixes were even put near the entrance of Sree Darbaar Sahib near the foot-wash area.

Sardar Mangal Singh heard these rumours and despite being pro-British, felt very upset. He met with PUnjab's Lt. Governor to ask about this issue and he did not give any reassurance but asked him to speak with the Viceroy.

The Viceroy was at this time in Gobind Garh fort in Amritsar. Sardar Mangal Singh went to meet him and was told that the British were lawfully entitled to own, manage and dispose of all property owned earlier by the Sikh regime. They could do as they wish in the future.

The Sikhs came out very dejected and sat in a Gurdvara trying to understand what to do. They decided to hold and Akhand Path Sahib in Darbaar Sahib and do Ardaas that the most precious place of the Sikhs would be saved.

The next day, the sangat gathered at Harmandir Sahib and Asa Dee Vaar began. An intelligence officer sent by the Viceroy was also present to watch over the gathering. At 4.30AM, the ball of light entered and stopped in front of Guru Granth Sahib jee and then did as was described above. The Sangat began to repeat "Dhan Guru Ram Das!".

News of this event went all over Punjab. The hundreds of witnesses all gave their names as proof of this great miracle. The intelligence officer too was stunned and advised the British Government that any attempt to take over Sree Darbaar Sahib would be wrong.

This incident was Guru Ram Das himself blessing the Sikhs. It showed the Sikhs that Guru was not far, but always watching over his Panth. At a time where amritdhari Singhs were almost extinct and Hindu ritual had taken hold in the Gurdvaras and Sikhs were converting away en masse, Guru Ram Das enacted this miracle and revived and awakened the Sikhs. The Gurdvara Reform Movement gathered steam, Singh Sabha Movement threw out the Hindu influences and again the Panth began to emerge and grow. The entire Panth rose up to save Sikhi. The Sikhs were saved from the brink of extinction.

In today's age, when again Sikhi is threatened by governments and Sikh youth are confused and misguided, it is time for a Sikh Revival. It is up to us to save our Panth. And if we take the iniative, we should rest assured Satguru jee is watching us and will certainly give us victory.