Issue 30 - November 2007
Dharampal and The Beautiful Tree
I have shown in my works that the institution of indigenous Indian education evolved and worked on the principle of social closure as revealed by, among other things, its discriminatory dimensions, and that Gandhi’s metaphor of a beautiful tree to describe it and the subsequent efforts to vindicate it were seriously misplaced.
The child labor in India
Naureen is 13 years old and she presented this speech in a Forensic competition and won 1st place. She also presented it to her middle school classmates following her visit to India.
Photo essay: The Morning Raga
The morning raga of Bhairavi starts softly, almost inaudibly, in madham sur (soft notes) and slowly, very slowly, and gradually builds up into the confluence of crescendos of Alaps (high notes), filling the morning air with its heavenly, supreme melody. Just like the morning itself, that gradually, imperceptibly, unfolds itself to the world.
Folk arts as mass communication media
The word ‘Tradition’ implying customs, habits and way of life existed in a society for a long period of continuity from time immemorial and practiced from one generation to another. It can be transmitted through written scriptures or by word of mouth. The nomadic primitive people sharing a common cultural heritage based on oral tradition are generally said to have a folk culture.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama: A rare spiritual light, teacher, and humanitarian of our times
The multi-generational and multi-cultural audience, leaders of many faith traditions, and distinguished guests had just witnessed the formal processional of Monks, spiritual leaders and His Holiness The Dalai Lama come into the Sanctuary.
US congressmen urge GMA to end extrajudicial killings
A letter signed by 49 members of the United States House of Representatives has called on Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “to end the extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses” in the Philippines.
US congressmen urge GMA to end extrajudicial killings
A letter signed by 49 members of the United States House of Representatives has called on Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “to end the extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses” in the Philippines.
ABC issues apology over Desperate Housewives remark
The American television network ABC has issued an apology following a racially insensitive comment made by a character on one of the broadcaster’s television programs. ABC Studios and the producers of Desperate Housewives apologized on Oct. 3 after a remark disparaging Philippine medical workers was aired on Sept. 30.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen plays politics in the name of religion
Whether this initiative by the Hizb is pious or sanctimonious is open for analysis in the wake of the politics of ceasefire that the organisation has been playing in the last few years. The first major initiative towards ceasefire was taken by the Vajpayee led government in November, 2000.
On the brink? Climate change and its impact on Kashmir
In the mighty Himalayan range lies Kashmir, a unique and fragile eco-system, where people are heavily dependent on their natural environment for their sustenance.
Mark Twain on Biblical & Hindu miracles
For reasons that I have failed to understand why Following the Equator happens to be the least known among all of Mark Twain’s works. And when, however, so rarely, there do appear excerpts or conclusions drawn from this book, I have been repeatedly left dumbfounded at the lack of depth, or outright misinformation that is usually directed at the readers or the listening audiences.
Scheduled Castes in Sikh community: A historical perspective
An understanding of the distinctive caste hierarchy in Sikhism and the new pattern of competing hierarchies, parallel to that of the Hindus, calls for insights into the dynamics of political power and economic relations both at the local and regional levels. This paper aims at exploring the trade-off between the doctrinal principles of Sikh religion and the ruling social and interests in the context of changes in the society and economy of Punjab.
Responding to the challenge of government interference in the Sikh religious affairs
It has been often contended that the main aim of the political dispensation in India since 1947, has been the dissolution of the Sikh identity held intact by the Order of the Khalsa. This will be denied as it always has been and wow to him who cannot read confirmation in the official denial.
Building bridges between Sikhs and Muslims: The Contribution of Khwaja Hasan Nizami
Running right through the almost five centuries of the history of the Sikh people down to the present day has been an unresolved dilemma of Sikh communal identity. As Oberoi persuasively argues, claims and counter-claims over who exactly the Sikhs are and whether or not Sikhism can legitimately be seen as an independent religion.
Sant Tradition or Sant Mat
The “Sant tradition” is a combination of Vaishnava and the Nath traditions with possible elements of Sufism as well. Let us now examine the relevance of these so-called traditions to the Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat) and infer from it whether the claim of Guru Nanak belonging to this tradition is valid or not.
Sikhs, Swamis, Students and Spies The India Lobby in the United States, 1900-1946
Sikhs, Swamis, Students and Spies: The India Lobby in the United States traces a fascinating history of the “India lobby” in America in the pre-1947 period at which time the British abdicated the subcontinent. I recommend this book to all readers, especially those Sikhs and non-Sikhs, who are interested in knowing why Sikhs fell under the spell of Hindu leaders like M.K. Gandhi.
New Kartarpur Community
Recently I turned fifty-six years old and some one asked me if I was planning to retire. I told him no because in USA early retirement age is sixty-two and a half, and the age of regular retirement is sixty-five. It really dawned on me that youth, of which we are all proud and desire it to last for ever, was really over.
Was Guru Nanak a Hindu or a Muslim?
Often times we hear Muslims, Hindus and even Buddhists claim that Guru Nanak belonged to their respective communities. As a Sikh it makes me proud to hear these claims every time they are repeated as they testify to the universality of Guru Nanak’s message, his love of all humankind, and pluralistic foundations of the Sikh religion.
Will Punjabi language arise from the flames like a Phoenix?
I wrote Neela Noor primarily as a novel in Punjabi for the second and third generation born in the UK, so they would have something to relate to. The grand idea was that they would learn Gurumukhi and create their own literature. It seems that this was a fallacy on my part.
Punjab – Sikhs’ most precious gift to India
The partition of India and the creation of Pakistan have not been studied in one important aspect that concerns the Sikh community. The Sikhs, as an important religious minority were mainly concentrated in the region, which now forms the Pakistani Punjab. The events leading to the partition made the Sikhs the main victims of circumstance.
Critical Reading of J. S. Tiwana’s review of Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory and Biography in the Sikh Tradition
For the sake of brevity, let me present here some information about Sikh Gurus and Sikhism from two of these sources and let the readers decide as to what was the motive and agenda of the writers of these sources that Pashaura Singh has relied upon.
Understanding Jap
It can be safely said that this prelude is the quintessence of Sikhism. Its importance can be gauged from the fact that it occurs 568 times in Guru Granth Sahib. Bulk of the verses in Guru Granth Sahib has been compiled into anthologies of 31 different Ragas (Musical compositions). This verse occurs in its complete form at the start of each Raga.
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