History of Baisakhi

Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi) marks the Punjabi and Nepali New Year and the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab, India and Nepal.

Vaisakhi falls in the Nanakshahi calendar (neither in the Amantha- nor in the Purnimantha-calendar) on the first day of Vaisakh month and marks the sun entering Mesha Rasi (this fact is called Mesha Sankranti). Vaisakhi is therefore determined by the solar calendar. Baisakhi usually falls on April 13, and on April 14 once every thirty-six years, however it has now been agreed for Baisakhi to always fall on the 14th of April.

It occurs at the same time as the "Hindu/Vedic New Year" commemorated in different parts India as follows: Rongali Bihu in Assam, Naba Barsha (literally meaning "New" = "Nava" "Year"="Barsha") in Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, 'Pooram Vishu' in Kerala, and the Sinhala/Tamil new year festival in Sri Lanka.

The story of the foundation of the Khalsa started with the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Guru, who was publicly beheaded by Mughul rulers for protecting freedom of worship for Brahmins of Kashmir.

Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs founded the Khalsa (Community of the Pure) at the Baisakhi gathering in 1699, at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur. Guru Gobind Singh, had organised for followers from all over India to meet him at the Basakhi Fair in Anandpur.

Guru Gobind Singh emerged from a tent with a sword, and asked for volunteers to offer his life for his faith. A young Sikh volunteered, followed the Guru into a tent. Shortly after, the Guru reappeared alone with his sword covered with blood, and asked for a second volunteer. Another Sikh stepped forward and again the Guru took him into the tent, and re-appeared alone, his sword covered in more blood. This was repeated for a third, fourth and fifth volunteer. The crowd became very unnerved, as many believed that the Guru had killed the five Sikhs. He soon came out of the tent again, this time followed by all five Sikhs who were alive and well and dressed in turbans and other symbols that have since become symbols of Sikh identity. He called the five Sikhs the Panj Pyare - the beloved five.

Then the Guru put water in a bowl for sprinkling over the five in a simple initiation ceremony. He said prayers as he stirred the water with a short steel sword; symbolising the need for strength. The Guru's wife, Mata Sundri, then came forward and placed some sugar crystals into the holy water or amrit as a reminder that strength must always be balanced by sweetness of temperament. After completing his prayers, the Guru then sprinkled the amrit over the five.

He declared them to be the first members of a new community of equals, to be called the Khalsa, meaning "pure". These "saint soldiers" were to dedicate their lives to the service of others and the pursuit of justice for people of all faiths. The Panj Pyare were asked to wear five distinctive symbols of their new identity, The Five Ks.

The Guru gave the gift of bana, the distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and courage. These symbols, worn by all baptized Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the sword; and Kachera, the underwear. By being identifiable, no Sikh could never hide behind cowardice again.

Political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was lowering peoples' morale. Discriminatory class distinctions (--the Indian "caste" system--) promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs were also responsible for the peoples' sense of degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his dream: both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba, calico printer/tailor; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh.

The Guru then knelt before the five and asked them to initiate him. Hence, the Khalsa became a community in which master and disciple were equal. He also pronounced that all Sikh women embody royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur (Princess). With the distinct Khalsa identity and consciousness of purity Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opporunity to live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality.

For Sikhs, this seasonal festival also has great importance as the founding of the Khalsa (Soldiers of the Timeless One) at Anandpur Sahib. The Khalsa played an important role in resistance against Mughal rule. For many centuries after that, the first male child of many Hindu families in Punjab was ordained as a Sikh in order for him to train and become a warrior and fight for the people. Other male children used to take care of the family, parents and the land.

Visit SikhiWiki for the complete history.

Mother killed her child

A mother killed her child just because the little kid loved his Grand Mother more than his mother...

Religion

The moment we talk of religion, the first question that comes to our mind is what is religion. Religion is something that gives peace to the mind.

The body has six senses. This sixth sense is religion or so to say awakening the sixth sense is religion. The Lord has given this sixth sense to all humans. It is inherent in every¬body. So, religion is inherent in everybody.

All senses in the body are sensations. One can only feel them. Similarly, this sixth sense is a sensation, a wavy sensa¬tion.

There are three ingredients in religion:

1. The mind.
2. The body soul.
3. The Supreme soul.

This sixth sense is a shuttle that shuttles between the mind, the body soul and the Supreme soul.

But, somehow, the mind has been enticed by the worldly desires and it cannot feel this sensation. Like, the light can¬not pass through a black wall, it being opaque.

Similarly, the sixth sense, that is inherent in the body, the mind cannot feel. The layer of dirt of worldly desires on the mind has created a veil of blackness and the sensation cannot pass through it.

When the veil of blackness is gone or even when it be¬comes thin, the mind awakens and feels this sixth sense by way of a wavy sensation.

Then, it recognizes the body soul. Then, it recognizes the Supreme soul.

Then, it gets immersed in the love of the Supreme soul and enjoys ecstasy or so to say peace. This happens while living only.

This is a divine secret. This is religion.

Nutshell: Religion is awakening the sixth sense and making it strong.

The endeavor is to recite the Lord's name with love by the tongue with attention of the mind towards the Lord.

Let us recite. O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord

Starting with at least five minutes a day.
(Source: BHAI VIR SINGH - Translated BY M.L.MONGIA)

Quote of the day!!!

A successful business is the result of courageous decisions.

Rahul - a victim of misuse of 498a act

Rahul's wife made a hattrick when she filled false 498A against her husband. In India it is becoming more of a fashion and to earn quick money, women are following this route which is called "legal terrorism" by SC

Quote of the Day!!!

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to get organised

Quote of the day!!!

If you believe in a principle, be firm and be prepared to stand up for it

Go, ask Chappell

“Go, ask Chappell”, reply given by a senior player to a junior player during the world cup practice session when junior player asked for some tips.

According to Chappell, senior players were involved in grouping and were more concerned with their own position in the team rather than playing for the country.

After the disastrous World Cup tour, everyone is trying to find out the reason. And the blame game has been started by none other than team Guru Chappell himself. He has senior players in his radar and he is told to submit his report in next few days.

What if Chappell gives names of players like Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid, Zaheer and Harbhajan? Will BCCI publish this report? And there are reasons to believe that no action would be taken by BCCI.

Anil Kumble who has bid good bye to ODI cricket has set an example to other senior players. But are they willing to follow him. Retiring from cricket means no or less number of Ads with of course contract money could be reduced as well.

According to BCCI officials there is no replacement for the seniors. Don’t we have good players in our country of more than 1billion population where cricket is played in every corner? OR as cricket lovers blame that huge money is involved when it comes to senior players. Sponsors could be pressurizing (directly or indirectly) to make sure their sponsored player is part of the final eleven. Otherwise Sehwag could have never chosen for the World Cup.

There are enough reasons to believe that big politics at Management Level and at Team Level is involved which is not good at all for any Game.

God bless Cricket in India.

Kumble says Good Bye to ODI cricket - who is next?

Anil Kumble, India's most successful leg spin bowler in one-day cricket and a perfect teamman, announced his retirement bringing the curtain down on his ODI career but making it clear he would be available for the Test matches.

"I wanted to go with the ball in my hand. It did not happen in the last World Cup. It feels a bit different to be a part of the team and not play. I was hurt at not being a part of the eleven but took it in my stride.

"I spoke to my colleagues and stayed on. This World Cup we had a good chance but unfortunately it did not go our way. Its time for me to end and pass the mantle to young players," said 37-year-old Kumble.

The expected announcement came a day after his return from the disastrous World Cup in the Caribbean. Despite his good performance in practice matches and against Bermuda (only official match he played in this world cup), he was not given the green card to play against Sri Lanka.

"It has been a one long journey that started in 1990. Today I formally announce my retirement from one-day cricket," Kumble told a press conference.

"I thought of giving up ODIs four years back. Actually right thoroughout my career I was fortunate enough to be a part of the team. It became a habit to be a part of the team," said Kumble, who has 337 ODI wickets from 271 one-dayers at an average of 30.89.

Kumble actually increased life of his Test career by few years or by few tests after retiring from ODI. His Test figure reads 547 wickets in 113 matches with an average of 28.65.

Kumble era is over, now who is next? - any taker

IT will make newspapers extinct, says Kamath

Forecasting a gloomy future for the global newspaper industry, eminent journalist and Prasar Bharati Chairman M V Kamat today said newspapers might lose their relevance in the next one decade and even become extinct due to the explosion of Information Technology.

Already the circulation of newspapers, including the popular New York Times and The Washington Post, had gone down deeply while the London Times in the UK had now become a tabloid, he said at the inauguration of the three-day 'Print Congress-2007', an International Conference on 'Print and Media Technology', here.

He cautioned that even books would also become irrelevant as the number of book lovers was drastically coming down and a day would come where everything would be heard and nothing would be seen. "The IT may chanage your lifestyle in future so that you may not require paper... Just information and not knowledge," he added.

The conference is being organised by the Department of Printing and Media Engineering of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT).

Gunther Keppler, the General Manager of Heidelberg India, who inaugurated the Congress while contradicting the views of Kamat, said the argument that IT would lead to be paperless offices had been found to be false. "We could find today more paper in the offices than before." He said that the application of know how of printing education would be decisive in the printing production investment projects. Training and education was most important in print media segment, he added.
(Source: PTI)

Supreme Court puts break on Quota Express - Right or Wrong?

In a setback to pro-reservationists, the Supreme Court stayed the central law providing for 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in elite educational institutions like IITs and IIMs.

The Court held that the 1931 census could not be a determinative factor for identifying the OBCs for the purpose of providing reservation.

However, IIMs and IITs have decided to go by Centre's decision on quota issue.

All political parties have come together to raise their voice against the stay for the very simple reason of saving their vote bank. In a live interview with one of the News Channel one politician defended the quota reservation saying that there is no quota in the final exams hence whoever has the talent will passout and become Doctor or Engineer. Absolutely right, but what about those students who would be denied admission because the seat is reserved for so called OBCs.

We talk a lot about equality yet our law divides its own citizens based on their cast and creed. Is it ethical? Is n't the right time has come to stop all this nonsense? If political circle believes that OBC/SC/ST students could not compete with others then why not provide training to them and make them competent rather than just reserving seats for them.

OR at least spare institutes like IITs and IIMs from this quota virus.

Quote of the day

"Never, Never, Never Quit. It's always better to fight and then lost rather than be loser without fighting at all"

IIMs and IITs to go by Centre's decision on quota issue

Putting the ball in the HRD Ministry's court, IIMs and IITs today said they would go by the directive of the Government on providing 27 per cent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs).
These top institutions were reacting to the Supreme Court order staying the law extending 27 per cent reservation for OBCs.

"Now the Common Admission Test(CAT) Group will meet soon and decide regarding the OBC quota admission on the basis of the communication received" from the HRD Ministry, IIM- Ahmedabad Director Bakul Dholakia told reporters.

Voicing similar views, Directors of IIM-Kolkata and IIT- Kharagpur Shekhar Choudhury and S K Dubey respectively told PTI that they would go by the Centre's decision on the reservation issue.

IIT-Guwahati Director Gautam Barua said his institution would await the final verdict of the apex court to decide its future course of action.

The IIM-A had decided to increase the seats phasewise in a span of three years to complete the 27 per cent quota,. Dholakia said in Ahmedabad, noting that it wanted to increase this year six per cent seats in the first phase based on the order of the HRD ministry.

The IIMs will complete the admission process for this year by April 12, Dholakia added.

Sources in the IIM-A, however, said it would be impossible for the institute to implement the six per cent OBC quota in this academic year as the next hearing on the case will take place in the apex court in August and IIM-A will be completing the admission process by April 12.

This means that the admission procedure will done this year without the OBC quota, the sources said. (Source: PTI)

1984 Sikh mass murders - Finally some justice after a long wait of 22years

Three people have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court for lynching three members of a Sikh family during the 1984 riots.

A fine of Rs 5,000 each was imposed on the convicts - Harprasad Bhardwaj, R P Tiwari and Jagdish Giri.

However, the court rejected the prosecution's contention that the offence fell under the 'rarest of the rare' category for which the three convicts should get death penalty.

"Rigorous life imprisonment would meet the ends of justice," said Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri.

The three have been convicted for leading a mob on November 1-2 and attacking the house of complainant Harminder Kaur in 1984 in an East Delhi locality after anti-Sikh riots broke out.

As per the prosecution, Kaur's husband Niranjan Singh, a Head Constable with the Delhi Police, who was on duty at Shahdara Railway Station on November 1, 1984, was lynched and set ablaze by a mob led by the convicts.

Her 17-year-old son Gurpal Singh and son-in-law Mahender Singh were killed the next day by the accused.

Santa-Banta are not funny

Santa-Banta jokes have been doing rounds for years now. But the Sikh community at the receiving end is anything but amused.

Some of the community members are demanding that the jokes be banned. “It's sheer humiliation. Think of the psychological impact such jokes have on a Sikh child,” says Businessman Jaswinder Singh Bajaj.

“We teach our children about our community, but when everyone else makes fun of it, they don't think much of it too,” says Preeti Bajaj.

People say laughter is the best medicine. But for the Sikh community laughter has turned into a bitter pill. In Mumbai, the Sikh community is enraged at joke booklets that are mocking at their community. “What are they trying to say with books like these? That we are jokers? How can we find it funny?” asks Swaranjit Singh Bajaj Vice-President, Sikh Media and Culture Watch.

Sick and tired of being made”butt of joke” members of the Sikh community are now saying the joke has gone too far. They have now approached the state's Minorities Commission with an appeal to ban such joke books.

“Their complaint is that such jokes that are going on for years now, cause them pain. There are fools in every community. We have written to the police commissioner and are awaiting action from them under Section 295 (A),” says Abraham Mathai Vice-Chairman, State Minorities Commission.

“I get very annoyed, I'm sick of it,” says one Sikh Avtar Singh.

The community says if no further action is taken, they will take their complaint to the courts.