DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad .

Why is the media here so negative?

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse acknowledge them--- Why?

We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. a
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.

There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.

Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.


Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him aface - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road ) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?

YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .

YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'

YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU..

YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.

We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.

We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.

This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse?

'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbor's, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.

When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England .. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a greatdeal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.

Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam

Guru Tegh Bahadur, an epitome of sacrifice

Arun Sharma, TNN 24 November 2009, 03:28am IST

CHANDIGARH: The martyrdom of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur is a very important day in the religious calendar of the Sikhs. The occasion will be celebrated on November 24 by Sikhs all around the world.

Scores of devotees take out huge processions and Kirtans are also sung to pay homage to the Guru. Sermons and lectures are also organized. Chairperson of the department of Guru Nanak studies, Panjab University, Jaspal Kaur said, "The translation of guru's name 'Tegh Bahadur' is 'master of the sword.' However, he was master of the spiritual sword not the political one." The guru always said, "be bold and fearless with others but not God." Amarjit Singh Kang, senior professor, department of Sikh studies, Kurukshetra University said, "Born on April 1, 1621, in Amritsar, the guru was the youngest of five sons of the sixth guru Guru Har Gobind."

Guru Tegh Bahadur's earlier name was Tiyag Mal. He took active part in wars against rulers along with his father Guru. Seeing his valour, his father named him 'Brave of the Sword' - Tegh Bahadur. "Guru Har Gobind institutionalized the concept of - Miri (political sword) and Piri (spiritual sword). He used to wear two swords which represented these two concepts.

One day when the guru lifted young Tegh Bahadur, he grabbed the sword that represented Piri," he added.

During his adult life, the guru came up with a triple formula - Naam, Dan and Isnaan.

While Naam means to meditate (Waheguru), Daan is sharing one's earnings and Isnaan (bath) before the morning prayers. He said those who followed these principles would free themselves from all worldly desires. On the advice of his father, Guru Tegh went into seclusion and meditated for about 25 years at Bakaala village till year 1665 AD, following which he was offered Guruship. Later, the guru travelled up to Bengal and Assam. On the way, he stayed at Patna. It was at Patna that his son 'Gobind Rai' was born. The historian says once the guru played mediator between two rival kings in Assam and avoided bloodshed.

After about 5 years, he came back to Punjab and founded the city of Anandpur Sahib. Amarjit said, "Aurangzeb was the most cruel and dreaded king. He ruled India for over 50 years. He had imprisoned his sister, father (Shah Jahan), murdered all his brothers to become the king. To elevate his position in the eyes of his people, he posed to be a good Muslim." "To please his community, he started converting Hindus to Muslims by force. Those who refused conversion were beheaded," the scholar said.

Though Aurangzeb forcefully stated converting Hindus to Muslim religion in all Southern states, including Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat etc. He also started the systematic and vigorous conversion of high caste Brahmins of Kashmir.

In 1674 AD, Kashmiri Brahmins requested Guru Tegh Bahadur to save them from Aurangzeb's ruthlessness. It was then that the guru decided that he would sacrifice himself to stop this cruel practice.

Guru Tegh chose his son as the next guru of the Sikhs and offered himself for the supreme sacrifice.

Amarjit said, "In 1675 AD, Guru Tegh Bagadur was arrested in Agra along with few of his followers and brought back to Delhi. He was asked to convert to Muslim religion. He was later asked to prove that he was a godly person and show miracles."

To this, the guru replied, "It is an individual's right to choose the religion he wants to follow. Showing miracles is against the will of god and laws of nature. I don't fear death and am prepared to die."

The guru was imprisoned in an iron cage. Three of his followers were killed in front of his eyes.

"His first follower was cut longitudinally into two pieces with a saw by fixing him in wooden planks, another was boiled in water and the third was burnt in cotton wool. With their face towards the Guru, the three Sikhs sacrificed themselves without any remorse. Yet the guru's stand was firm," the historian said. Following this, the Guru was beheaded in 1675 AD, the very place where Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib now stands in Delhi.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Guru-Tegh-Bahadur-an-epitome-of-sacrifice/articleshow/5262428.cms

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I Accuse.....

I Accuse: The Anti-Sikh Violence Of 1984 By Jarnail Singh, Penguin/Viking 165 pages Rs 350

Sikh diaspora seeks explanation for injustice to victims of 1984 carnage

Sarabjit Pandher
CHANDIGARH, November 21, 2009

On the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s arrival in the U.S., different advocacy, human rights groups, networks and Sikh organisations, have put up a coordinated campaign across North America and Europe to expose the denial of justice to the thousands of victims of the November 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.

According to a release on Saturday, these groups have appealed to President Barack Obama, members of the U.S. Congress, human rights organisations, the media and the people of the U.S., to ask Dr. Singh to explain the events of November 1984 and their aftermath.

They demanded that Dr. Singh should tell the world community how continuous mistreatment, abuse and killings of Sikhs, Dalits and other religious minorities, did not establish an ongoing pattern of targeting minorities in a “supposedly democratic India.” They asked the international community to negate India’s claim of respect for human rights, justice for all, and democracy.

One such campaign is spearheaded by a New York-based attorney, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is the legal adviser to Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a U.S.-based human advocacy, which in collaboration with the All-India Sikh Students Federation and its president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, want to disseminate true and correct information, statistics, figures and data regarding the “Genocide of Sikhs in November 1984.”

‘Indicted shielded’

In the appeal to President Obama, the SFJ emphasised that the aftermath was worse than the riots themselves as successive Indian governments not only failed to prosecute the guilty, but continued to shield those leaders indicted by inquiry commissions. Most of them were given seats in parliament and positions in the Union Cabinet.

with thanks : source : http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article52659.ece

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One Shoe Isn’t Quite Enough

The missile he threw at the home minister made a statement; now Jarnail Singh pens a searing book.
Jaya Jaitly

The vicious pre-planned slaughter of the Sikh people in 1984 following Indira Gandhi’s assassination did not just leave every Sikh traumatised. It also deeply affected their psyche, their faith in their neighbours, in the system, in the state, in the very idea of justice itself.

For many of us non-Sikhs, it was a defining moment in our lives. On October 31 that year, I saw Sikhs being beaten on Lodi Road; the police told us to move on and not bother about it since we were not Sikhs. We saw trucks loaded with white-capped men shouting khoon ka badla khoon se lenge. We saved two Sikhs from being thrown over the Safdarjang flyover, hiding them in our car and ensuring they reached home safely. We kept their two-wheeler for over three months till they had the courage to come back for it. On the afternoon of November 1, we found slashed, shattered, blood-covered Sikh families in Trilokpuri.

When we went to the Lt Governor to ask for relief, he told us colour TVs would be provided to see Mrs Gandhi’s funeral.

With a team of university students, I ran a relief camp at Farash Bazaar Police Station for three months, fighting for their rehabilitation. When we went to the Lt Governor on Nov 2 to ask for relief, he told us that colour TVs would be provided in the camps to watch Mrs Gandhi’s funeral. Three days later when all the killing had stopped, I was stopped by armymen with guns. “Where were you three days ago?” I shouted. That was when I discovered the bylanes of Trilokpuri, Nand Nagri and Kalyanpuri colonies. The capital was strewn with molten flesh, burning tyres, tresses of hair. The devastation was worse than any wrought by a natural calamity. It was certainly the day that I, a mother of two children and an IAS officer’s wife, finally grew up. Reading Jarnail Singh’s I Accuse brought the old anger and agony back.

Jarnail’s book is excellent material for a study of the nature of festering injustice. Khushwant Singh’s Foreword speaks of the perpetrators and that “they still need to be brought to justice”. Jarnail gives various examples of how “everything was done to prevent justice from taking its course”. Those who were only children then must know that Sikh homes and establishments were targeted with voters’ lists distributed to organised mobs. Survivors repeatedly mentioned kerosene, iron rods, burning tyres and some inflammable white powder as common methods of killing.

Policemen who prevented killings were summarily transferred; those who allowed and encouraged it or disarmed Sikhs who defended themselves were later promoted. No action was taken against the 145 police personnel mentioned in various reports. The first fir was filed in 1994, 10 years later. Many local perpetrators became councillors, mlas, and even cabinet ministers in Rajiv Gandhi’s time. No statements were taken, chargesheets were deliberately faulty and bail was given to murderers based on cyclo-styled application forms by lawyers close to Congress leaders. Old men defending women and children were killed; some surviving youth became drug addicts. One of the many mass murderers was given life imprisonment. The CBI at one point claimed it had no time to investigate, but had the time to give a clean chit to another perpetrator after polls had been announced. This made home minister P. Chidambaram announce that he was “happy”, provoking Jarnail to throw a shoe at him at a press conference.

Jarnail poignantly describes Delhi neighbourhoods that were innocent and fearless till that fateful day. His disabled older brother was roughed up by the mob and went into shock. “He had always been treated with consideration. That day he learned the only thing that mattered was that he was a Sikh,” Jarnail writes.

Can the Sikhs put the events of 1984 behind them and move on, as the prime minister recently advised them to do? Jarnail writes: “If people have lost their lives in a storm, it is a different matter; but how can a massacre be forgotten? Especially when there’s been no justice?”

Last month, central ministries placed ads in newspapers costing crores for Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary, lauding her many great qualities. It would not have cost anything more to add a few lines paying homage to the Sikhs who were killed in the violence that followed. Clearly, a shoe isn’t enough to remind the cynical and insensitive Congress party of the elusive word ‘justice’.

with thanks : source : http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262944

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Model code of conduct should be imposed on SGPC: Mann

Jalandhar, Nov 21 (PTI) Model code of conduct should be imposed on Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) as its term has already expired, a prominent Sikh leader demanded today.

"SGPC is largely known as mini parliament of Sikhs and as the term of its elected representatives has already expired, the present committee has no right to take any policy decision," President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simaranjit Singh Maan told reporters here.

He said the Sikh Gurudwara Judicial Commission (SGJC) should immediately impose model poll code of conduct on the Committee.

"We want that SGJC should conduct free and fair election, which is its constitutional responsibility and impose the mandatory code of conduct", he added.

with thanks : source : http://www.ptinews.com/news/387937_Model-code-of-conduct-should-be-imposed-on-SGPC--Mann

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Blueprint for peace corridor between India and Pakistan

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Nov 20 - ANI: Under the aegis of the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD), the US based NGO is preparing a blueprint for the peace corridor between India and Pakistan in order to support the safe and easy passage of pilgrims to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is situated in Pakistans Narowal District, where Guru Nanak spent more than 18 years of his life. Sikh pilgrims have been demanding a safe passage to the Gurdwara KartarpurSahib from Dera Baba Nanak for years. The Gurdwara is about four km from the Indian side where corridor is to be constructed.

The NGO has currently enrolled engineers, architects and businessmen from India, Pakistan and the United States for this purpose.

The IMTD is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 by Ambassador John W. McDonald and Dr. Louise Diamond to promote a systems-based approach to peace building.

The IMTD believes that involving professionals would be practical steps in the construction of the corridor that would be a major step in the on going Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan.

Surinder Singh, an engineer from USA, who visited the Indian side of Dera Baba Nanak on Friday along with Anudeep Singh and his wife Surjit Kaur informed ANI that with the help of other professional members of the committee they would prepare a master plan of thecorridor.

He said that he has already visited Pakistani side and examined the viability of the proposed construction of the corridor.

It is pertinent to mention that more than 40 acres of land had already been purchased near the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib with the help of foreign-based Sikhs, prominent contributors being the American Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee, J. B. Singh of USA and Ranjit Singh of Switzerland.

Singh said that the idea is to promote a religious corridor linking the Sikh holy sites across the Indo-Pak border, and added that this peace corridor would help bridge the gulf between the peoples of India and Pakistan

Optimist Anudeep Singh, another member of the committee, said that construction of the Kartarpur Corridor is a task that is of utmost importance to the Sikh community and the dream of millions of people will turn into reality soon.

He said that to fulfil this dream the onus lies on leadership on India and Pakistan who should come together for this issue.

The Sikh diaspora has initiated efforts on various levels to include the Gurdwara Kartarpur corridor in bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.

Anudeep Singh told ANI that a number of representatives have already met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in this regards and PM assured to take steps in this regards.

Last year, then External Affaira Minister Pranab Mukherjee visited the site to assess the feasibility of reopening the corridor to facilitate easy movement of pilgrims.

In order to assist in the smooth transitioning of the project, the IMTD has formed a committee consisting of five members from India, six from the USA and five from Pakistan.

From India Dr. Jairoop Singh, Vice Chancellor, Anudeep Singh, a businessman, B.S. Goraya a social activist, Kuldeep Singh Wadala an activist for Kartarpur Langah committee.

Renowned Pakistani architect and former Chairman of the Institute of Architects in Pakistan, Syed Azmat Ali Zaidi, will be the project director who will be responsible for implementing the feasibility study from Pakistani side.

Other members are engineer Surinder Singh, Gurcharan Singh of the World Bank, Amar Singh Malhi, board member of the Guru Nanak Foundation of America, and Avtar Singh Pannu, President of the NGO, Sikhs for Justice are among the members of the committee. - ANI

with thanks from : http://www.littleabout.com/news/45768,blueprint-peace-corridor-india-pakistan.html

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View the controversial Video of Prof. Darshan Singh Ragi on Dasam Granth.

with thanks to : Gaganji
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