Jammu & Kashmir Singh and Kaur's

Sikh troops in Baramulla, Nov 47

2012-09-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

November 17 1947. Sikh troops dig in along road between Baramula and Srinager. By this time the enemy had been beaten back at the Battle of Shelatang.

Ruled the Sikh Empire in the Punjab

2012-07-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

Princess Bamba Sutherland (1869–1957) was the last member of the family that ruled the Sikh Empire in the Punjab. She returned to Lahore from her childhood in England where she was said to have "lived like an alien in her father’s kingdom.

Bamba Sofia Jindan Daleep Singh was the eldest daughter of Duleep Singh Sukerchakia and his first wife Bamba Müller. She was born on 29 September 1869 in London. She led an unusual life as her father (the ruler of the Punjab) had been brought to Britain as a child under the care of the East India Company, after the close of the Second Anglo-Sikh War and the subsequent annexation of the Punjab on 29 March 1849.

Bamba's future father was forcibly separated from his mother and brought up as a Christian. When Duleep returned from burying his mother in India he married an illegitimate girl who was working at a missionary school in Cairo. He brought her back to England as his wife and they lived a life of luxury and were known to Queen Victoria. Bamba was their first daughter and was named after her mother, her maternal grandmother and her paternal grandmother respectively.The name "Bamba" means pink in Arabic.

Bamba's grandmother, Jind Kaur, suffered a poor life in India after Bamba's father was taken from her. Eventually she was allowed to rejoin her son in England. Duleep collected her after special permission was given. Duleep was allowed by the British to visit India for the second time to bury his mother's ashes after she died in Britain, although the body had to remain at Kensal Green Cemetery for nearly a year whilst this was agreed. His mother's ashes were not allowed to be buried in Lahore but had to be placed in a memorial in Bombay.
Bamba lived at Elveden Hall until her mother died from kidney failure. She and the rest of her brothers and sisters were placed in the care of Arthur Oliphant, who was her father's equerry. There she completed her schooling until she went to Somerville College at Oxford.

Film: Rebel Queen

2012-07-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

The film Rebel Queen tells the remarkable story of the last Sikh ruler of Lahore – a fearless Maharani who waged two wars against British rule in India. She is an inspiring figure for young Asian women today.

An Indian woman wearing a crinoline over her traditional clothes, and emeralds and pearls under her bonnet, walks in Kensington Gardens in 1861. She is the last Sikh queen of Lahore, the capital of the Punjab empire, and her name is Jindan Kaur. She died two years later, in 1863, and was buried in west London

Maharani Jindan Kaur's life – much of which was spent raging against the British empire for cheating her out of the Punjab, then a vast country stretching from the Khyber Pass to Kashmir – is the subject of a film called Rebel Queen, which premiered at New York's International Sikh film festival and is set to be shown in the UK in February

Maharani Jind Kaur, (1817 – 1 August 1863) was the youngest wife of the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh, and the mother of the last Maharaja, Duleep Singh. She was renowned for her beauty, energy and strength of purpose and was popularly known as Rani Jindan, but her fame is derived chiefly from the fear she engendered in the British in India, who described her as "the Messalina of the Punjab".

Kashmir on my mind, have shed my blood there: Army chief

2012-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, UNINew Delhi, July 09, 2012
Army chief General Bikram Singh's close association with the Kashmir Valley came to the fore today as he shared his feelings with the children from the terrorism-hit area.
"The valley is always on my mind . I have shed blood there,"General Singh said. The school children from the valley had come to meet the army chief as part of their countrywide tour 'Watan ki Sair'.
The tour is conducted by the Indian Army under Operation Sadbhavana to bring people of Jammu and Kashmir into the mainstream. Receiving the students at the Army headquarter here he reminded them that he was shot at in an encounter in his earlier posting in the state. "Vaadi toh mere jehan mein hai, maine khoon bahaya ha wahan, maine goli khaayee thi (The valley is in my mind, I have shed my blood and have taken bullets)," he said in chaste Hindi and exhorted the students to join the army.
The army chief expressed satisfaction over the improvement in situation in the valley. He expressed the hope that the younger generation of the state would live in peaceful atmosphere.
"How many of you would like to join army?" he asked and almost all the students raised their hands in affirmation.
'Remain committed and be focused in your approach to achieve your goal,' he said while giving tips to these students on how to achieve success in life.
The students invited the army chief to visit to Kashmir. He readily accepted the invitation and told them that he will come to see them in their schools.
Vice chief of army staff Lt General SK Singh, who was also present on the occasion, ruled out any reduction of troops from the valley. Pressure should remain to retain the peaceful atmosphere in the state.
Answering questions, he said anti-peace elements were still active in the valley and constant vigil was needed to maintain peace. He denied the media reports that some battalions were being moved from Jammu and Kashmir to the north-eastern region of the country. "The report is baseless. This is not even under consideration," he added

Singh, 69, was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail

2012-06-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

Singh, 69, was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail this morning, a senior official of the prison department of Punjab province said.

After he emerged from the jail, Surjeet Singh said he was looking forward to meeting his family.

'During my imprisonment I often remembered my family and children. Today I am very happy. I will go to the Golden Temple to pray and hug my children,' he told reporters.

Policemen escorted Singh as he was taken to the Wagah land border crossing in a van to be handed over to Indian authorities, the official said.

Footage on television showed a police van carrying Singh leaving the jail.

Indian officials said a team present at Wagah to receive over 300 fishermen being repatriated today would take care of formalities for Singh's release.

Awais Sheikh, the counsel for Singh, told the media yesterday that the Indian national was arrested by Pakistani police on charges of spying during the regime of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.

He has spent at least 27 years in Pakistani jails.

Singh was given the death sentence under the Pakistan Army Act in 1985.

The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1989 by then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Sources said Singh had held meetings with other prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail yesterday to bid them farewell.

He requested the authorities to serve him 'sewai' to celebrate his impending release.

Hours after reports emerged on Tuesday that Pakistan was to free Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman clarified that authorities had actually ordered the release of Surjeet Singh.

Surjeet would walk into India after Pakistan authorities completed all formalities, Border Security Force (BSF) officials here told IANS.

'This can take up to two-three hours,' one BSF official said.

He was brought to Wagah, which falls in Pakistan, in a police prison van.

His family, including son Kulwinder Singh, were waiting on the Attari side of the joint border checkpost.

'We are very happy that he is being finally released. We will have big celebrations,' Kulwinder Singh, who arrived here early Thursday morning with family members, relatives and villagers, said.

Attari, 30 km from Amritsar city, is the border checkpost on the Indian side.

The Pakistan authorities are also likely to allow 311 Indian fishermen to walk back to India after their release from Karachi prison Wednesday. Most of the fishermen are from Gujarat.

They were in Pakistani custody for periods ranging from a few months to three years after they were accused of violating Pakistan's territorial water off the coast of Gujarat.

Surjeet, 69, spent over 30 years in Pakistani jail after being arrested on charges of spying. He completed his life term in 2005.

His family in Phidde in Ferozepur district are eagerly waiting for his return.

'We are all very eager to receive him. We will make him very comfortable here,' Surjeet's daughter-in-law said.

Sikh Empire

2012-06-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

The Sikh Empire (from 1801-1849) was formed on the foundations of the Sikh Confederacy by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west, to Kashmir in the north (touching) the border's of Tibet, to the Sind River in the south and in the east to Himachal Pradesh.

The main geographical footprint of the empire was Punjab (historical Punjab region).

The beginnings of the Sikh Empire could be defined as early as 1707, starting from the death of Aurangzeb and the downfall of the Mughal Empire. However, it is the period from 1762-1799 that Sikh rulers appeared to be coming into their own (Sikh Confederacy).

However, the true Sikh Empire began with the disbandment of the Sikh Confederacy by the Coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Lahore, creating the one unified political Empire.

The fall of the Mughal Empire provided opportunities for the Sikh army, known as the Dal Khalsa, to lead expeditions against the Mughals and Afghans. This led to a growth of the army, which was split into different confederations.

Each of these groups were known as a misl, each controlling different areas. The religious population demography of the Sikh Empire was Muslim (60%), Hindu (25%) and Sikh (15%).

The once strong empire, severely weakened after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839.

The story of the Empire ends, with the British East India Company annexing it's territory in 1849, after the Second Anglo-Sikh War.

Timeline1707-1716 Creation of Sikh Confederacy begins to influence the political structure of Punjab 1762-1767 Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Sikhs battle for control.

1763-1774 Charat Singh, misldhar of Sukerchakia misl established himself in Gujranwala.

1773- Ahmed Shah Abdali dies and his son Timur Shah is unable to suppress the Sikhs.

1774-1790 Maha Singh, becomes misldhar of the Sukerchakia misl.

1790-1801 Ranjit Singh becomes misldhar of the Sukerchakia misl.

1801-1839 Ranjit Singh proclaimed himself Maharaja in 1801.

1839-1840 Maharaja Kharak Singh 1840-1841 Maharani Chand Kaur but never proclaimed.

1841-1843 Maharaja Sher Singh 1843-1849 Maharaja Duleep Singh

2012-06-15T21:22:00.001-07:00

Who Is Asking The Sikhs In Kashmir To Convert?

By Farzana Versey

20 August, 2010
Countercurrents.org

Has anyone asked this crucial question? Before it can be voiced in cogent terms, the government ’swings into action’ to protect the Sikhs. Let us not forget that the Congress party had done no such protecting of the community in the capital city and the rest of the country in 1984. Those who were indicted and held responsible for the carnage managed to hold important portfolios and stay in power for years. People are still waiting for compensation.

Therefore, the central government’s prompt action – and it is rather surprising that not only does it come from the home minister, but also the finance minister and the external affairs minister – reveals that it has found a new ruse to deal with the people’s movement in the Valley.

Unlike the Kashmiri Pandits who were systematically made to ‘flee’ by vested interests, the Sikhs are not an extremely wealthy or powerful group and decided to stay back. As the largest minority group comprising 60,000 people, they faced problems just as the other locals did. Now there is news that they have received letters asking them to join the protest or convert to Islam. Some of these letters state: “When you are enjoying the joys here, why can’t you share the grief and sorrow of Kashmiris as well? We know you are afraid of bullets. Hold protests inside gurudwaras or leave Kashmir.’’

In these notes there is no mention of conversion. There is a call for joining forces and fighting in their own religious places. The coordinator of the All Party Sikh Coordination Committee (ASCC), Jagmohan Singh Raina, said, “Our community members have received unsigned letters at various places. Some letters have asked Sikhs to embrace Islam.’’

He said his people would not leave and much rather fight the “evil designs’’. It must be noted that these are unsigned letters. Whose evil designs are these? If members of the community do decide to convert, will it not alert the authorities? Will their converting to Islam not become an even greater hindrance to the civilian war taking place?

Why did Raina choose to appeal to separatist organisations like the JKLF, the Hurriyat and rather incongruously the PoK-based United Jihad Council to ensure peace and amity? Why did he and his organisation not address the issue to the chief minister Omar Abdullah?

The issue reached Parliament and, as reports say, the government “held out an assurance that Sikhs had nothing to fear in Kashmir in the wake of reported threats to the minority community from militants to convert to Islam or leave the Valley”. There is no mention of the letters that asked them to join the protest movement. The NDA members, always on the lookout for such ‘communal’ concerns, had to be placated; Chidambaram told them, “nobody will be allowed to harm the Sikh community”.

Indeed, the community ought to be protected but this verbal heroism is senseless when the local population is being harmed everyday. Has there been such immediate sympathy expressed for the ongoing war and killings of civilians and security personnel? A shoe thrown at Omar Abdullah gets more mileage than the street protests.

Pranab Mukherjee became magnanimous: "Not only Muslims of Kashmir but the whole of India would rise as one to stand by the Sikh community.” When was the last time the whole of India stood as one to stand by a community, and how could it when the establishment orchestrates such harm?

Has anybody informed the whole of India about where those letters have come from? Why did the Sikh representative in Kashmir talk to the militant groups? Why was the PoK organisation informed? Assuming these threats are coming from the Pakistani side, why would they be interested in “peace and amity”? It just does not sound right.

While Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called these letters fake and had on an earlier occasion dramatically stated that the Sikhs could not be forced to join the protests and harming them would be like inflicting a wound on his body, it conveys the impression that his body has a great deal of importance. And if the JKLF and the Hurriyat do have a say in every such matter, then it begs the query as to what is the status of an elected government in the state?

It is a known fact that when militant groups send out threats, they like to flash their credentials. Since this is an upsurge from the ground level, it would be presumed that the locals are sending those letters. This is damaging to them as well as to what they have held important all along – the coexistence with minorities. This is reminiscent of the planted fliers posted on walls during the exodus of Pandits.

This time both the central and state governments do not know how to deal with the uprising in the Valley. Omar Abdullah can only give assurances when he knows well that there is nothing he can do because there is nothing he has done to salvage the situation. The separatist organisations are also riding on the wave rather than taking responsibility for it.

Instead of assurances in Parliament and smart talk, the government should find out where the mischief is taking place and the origin of those letters. The Sikhs who have received them should file FIRs in the police station. That will be the first step towards getting the government involved rather than the government just standing from afar and issuing homilies.

There is far more here then appears evident and the shoe could point in any direction. It’s time for the establishment to talk on its feet.

Farzana Versey is a Mumbai-based author-columnist. She can be reached atkaaghaz.kalam@gmail.com

California town in shock over Avtar Singh's murder-suicide

2012-06-15T06:17:00.002-07:00

A pall of gloom descended upon the quiet neighbourhood where the family of troubled former Indian Army officer Avtar Singh lived until last week, as a shocked community came together to remember what they called was an affable family.
As many as 200 people came together for a candle light vigil for the victims of Singh's killing spree, even as the eldest child of the family struggled for his life at a hospital.
Candles were lit and people left flowers with posters and hand-written notes remembering the family and expressing their loss and pain, as the windows were boarded shut at the Singhhome where the tragedy unfolded on Saturday.
Barbara Childers, the next-door neighbour to the family spoke at the vigil of how wonderful the family had been to her, according to local paper Fresnobee.
“They were always very friendly and accommodating,” Childers said in the Californian town of Selma.
At the memorial vigil, footage of the two older Singh sons was shown, accompanied by music.
Childers said the two older sons often mowed her lawn: “They never took money from me, even when I offered to pay them,” she was quoted as saying.
Another neighbour Diana Diaz said she often spoke with Singh's wife and her two young daughters would play outside with the five-year-old youngest child who was also killed.
She said Singh's wife, whom she called Vanessa, told Diaz that her husband's trucking business was failing and that they were encountering financial struggles.
A day after Singh killed his wife and two children - 5 and 15 - and left the eldest 17-year-old grievously injured, several classmates of the two older boys ran 5 miles from their high school to the family's house.

“Chris was smart, funny and very motivated. He was very easy to get along with,” said 15-year-old Alexis Galindo, the classmate of the eldest boy.
Galindo said the boys did tell her that their father kept several weapons in the house, but they never mentioned any problems at home.
Another classmate Christopher Cano said he had last spoken to Chris on Friday night, a day before the tragedy, at a movie theater.
“He was with his mom and brothers. They looked so happy,” he said

Mehjoor nagar

2010-01-30T05:52:00.000-08:00

3 Feb 2001Indefinite curfew imposed in Srinagar Indefinite curfew was imposed in Srinagar on Sunday morning, as tension gripped the area following the brutal killing of five Sikhs by unidentified armed youths at Mehjoor Nagar on Saturday. Fearing trouble in the wake of the killings, authorities clamped indefinite curfew in the areas falling under 11 police stations of the city, an official announcement said. People have been adviced to remain indoors, the announcement said. At least five Sikhs were killed and five others, including two women, injured when unidentified armed youths fired indiscriminately on a group of Sikhs on Saturday evening. Heavily armed youths sprayed bullets on the group at Mehjoor Nagar in uptown Srinagar around 1830 hours (IST). While three died on the spot, two succumbed to injuries in hospitals. The bodies were taken to a gurdwara at Mehjoor Nagar in a procession after they were handed over to relatives at the Police Control Room. A large number of Sikhs, furious over the killings, assembled at the gurdwara and said they would not allow cremation of the bodies till central and state leaders visited Mehjoor Nagar. They said they would even take the bodies to Jammu for cremation as 'we are feeling insecure here'. The agitated Sikhs raised anti-India, anti-Pakistan and anti-militant slogans

History of Kashmir

2010-01-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

Historical Chronology of Jammu and Kashmir StateApp. 3000 B.C.: Kashmir clan is named in Mahabharata.

2629-2564 B.C.: Rule by King Sandiman.

2082-2041 B.C.: Rule by King Sunder Sen rules Kashmir

1048-1008 B.C.: King Nara rules Kashmir.

250 B.C.: Shrinagari (today's Srinagar is located about three miles from Shrinagari) near the ancient capital Pandhrenatha is founded by Ashoka the Great.

7th century: King Lalitaditya builds the famous Sun temple and formed the city of Pharihaspura.

813-850: Pampore was founded by Padma, during the rule of King Ajatapida

855-883: King Avantivarman builds the town of Avantipur and the famous Sun temple.

883-902: King Shankaravarman builds Shankarapura-pattan (now known as Pattan).

1128-1149: Reign of King Jayasim. mid-12th: Muslim invasion of Kashmir.

1322 Turks, under ferocious Zulkadur Khan, first invade Kashmir.

1394-1416: Central Asian ruler, Sikander invades Kashmir and brings about mass conversion to Islam.

After the tyranny of Sikander was over, only eleven Kashmiri Hindu families survive.

1540: Mirz Haidar, a relative of Humayun (of the Moghul invader dynasty) conquers Kashmir. Kashmir gradually absorbed into Moghul Empire.

1810-1820: Maharajah Ranjit Singh, one of the greatest rulers of India, regains Jammu and appointed his Dogra feudatory Gulab Singh to rule the State.

Mar 16, 1846: The present State is created by a treaty between the British East India Company acting on behalf of the British Government and Maharajah Gulab Singh in Amritsar.

1931: One of the worst communal riots led by Sheikh Abdullah and his Muslim Conference. 1939: Muslim Conference becomes the National Conference.

Aug 15, 1947: India gains independence. The ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh yet to make up his mind regarding accession.

Oct 22, 1947: Pakistan violates the Standstill Agreement by preventing essential supplies to the State, then hoards of armed Pakistani tribesman entered Kashmir.

Oct 26, 1947: Hari Singh signs the instrument of accession, it is no different than the one signed by over 500 other rulers.

The accession of Kashmir was accepted by the Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten.

Oct 27, 1947: The first Indian forces arrived in Kashmir to defend against Pakistani troops.

Dec 31, 1947: A highly unconstitutional offer of plebiscite was made by Prime Minister Nehru in the U.N.

Jan 1, 1948: India under Nehru declares a unilateral cease-fire and under Article 35 of the U.N. Charter, India files a complaint with the U.N. Security Council. Pakistan still controls 2/5 of the State.

Jan 20, 1948: The U.N. Security Council in its resolution of establishes the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP). Jul 1948: Mohd. Zafrulla Khan, then the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and principal Delegate of Pakistan in the U.N. admits to the U.N. Commission for India and Pakistan that the Pakistani Army had been in Kashmir.

Aug 13, 1948: UNCIP adopts a resolution on Kashmir accepted by both India and Pakistan. Pakistan is blamed for the invasion of Kashmir and is instructed to withdraw its forces from Kashmir.

Jan 1, 1949: Amidst great tension, one minute before midnight, India and Pakistan concluded a formal cease fire agreement.

Jan 5, 1949: Almost a year after Nehru's offer of plebiscite, the UNCIP passes a resolution that states that, "The question of accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of free and impartial plebiscite". However, Pakistan has yet to comply with the earlier resolution and withdraw from the State.

Also, Pakistan is now busy changing the demographic composition of the State.

1949: Not withstanding the opposition by several authors of the Indian Constitution, including Dr. Ambedkar, its chief architect, Article 370 was inserted in the constitution of India.

This article is meant as a temporary measure, to be in effect until the formal constitution of Jammu and Kashmir is drafted.

Jun 1948: Sheikh Abdullah declares, "We the people of Jammu and Kashmir, have thrown our lot with Indian people not in the heat of passion or a moment of despair, but by a deliberate choice. The union of our people has been fused by the community of ideals and common sufferings in the cause of freedom".

1949: Following the cabinet decision taken by the Abdullah Government, Hari Singh steps down. Hari Singh's son, Karan Singh is named his successor.

Apr 1950 UN Security Council appoints Sir Owen Dixon as the UN representative in place of UNCIP to find expeditious and enduring solution to the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir. Oct 1950: General Council of the National Conference demands elections to create a Constituent Assembly.

Sep 1951: Elections for the Constituent Assembly are held The National Conference wins all 45 seats unopposed.

Oct 1951: Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is inaugurated.

Nov 5, 1951: The Constituent Assembly is given four tasks by Sheikh Abdullah which including the accession to India.

Nov-Dec 1951: Karan Singh steps down as the ruler, and is elected by the Constituent Assembly of the Jammu and Kashmir State as Sardar- i-Riyasat (Governor).

1952: Jana Sangh begins campaign called "Ek Vidhan Ek Pradhan" (One Constitution, one leader) and demands that the State of Jammu and Kashmir be totally integrated into India and that the people from the other States be able to visit Jammu and Kashmir without a passport. 1952: Jana Sang leader Shyamaprasad Mukherjee dies in a Kashmiri Jail under mysterious circumstances.

Aug 9, 1953: Sheikh Abdullah is arrested. He had turned corrupt and autocrat. He tried to hold India for ransom by giving increasingly anti-India speeches and preserve his power.

Feb 1954: Under the leadership of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir ratified the State's accession to India. May 14, 1954: The President of India promulgates the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order placing on a final footing the applicability of the other provisions of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.

1956: Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act 1956, the category of Part B State was aboilished and Jammu and Kashmir was included as one of the States of India under Article I.

However, Article 370 of the Indian constitution is still retained.

Jan 26, 1957: After the formal inauguration of its constitution, the Constituent Assembly dissolves itself.

1958: All-India services extended to J and K through an amendment in Article 312.

1964: Sheikh Abdullah released from the prison.

1965: Pakistan attacks India, in operation code named, Gibraltar. The defeat of Pakistan results in the Tashkent Agreement between the two countries.

Mar 30, 1965: Article 249 of Indian Constitution extended to Jammu and Kashmir whereby the center could legislate on any matter enumerated in state list (just like in any other State in the Union). Designations like Prime Minister and President of the State are replace by Chief Minister and Governor.

1971: Pakistani attack on India results in the third war between the two countries. Pakistan is completely defeated, over 90,000 of its men surrendered.

1972: India and Pakistan sign the Shimla Pact. Two agree to respect the line of control until the issue is finally resolved.

Feb 24-25, 1975: Following an accord signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah on February 24, 1975, Jammu and Kashmir is made a "Constituent Unit" of India on February 25, 1975.

Through this accord Indian Parliament reaffirms its right to legislate on any matter concerning the territory of the State.

1977: National Conference wins the first post-Emergency elctions.

1982: Sheikh Abdullah nominates his son, Farooq Abdullah as his successor setting up a political rivalry between Farooq Abdullah and his brother-in-law G. M. Shah.

1986: In one of the most shameful acts of religious massacre, several ancient historical Hindu temples are destroyed and scores of Hindus were killed in the city of Anantnag. Chief Minister G. M. Shah looses power to his brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah.

1990-1991: In a spate of terrorist violence, 2400 people have died so far, and 300,000 people have been driven out of their homes. Pakistan's involvement in this carnage of violence is beyond doubt.

Article 370

2010-01-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,(a) the provisions of article 238 shall not apply in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir;(b) the power of Parliament to make laws for the said State shall be limited to,(i) those matters in the Union List and the Concurrent List which, in consultation with the Govermnent of the State are declared by the President to correspond to matters specified in the Instrument of Accession governing the accession of the State to the Dominion of India as the matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws far that State; and(ii) such other matters in the said Lists as, with the concurrence of the Government of the State, the President may by order specify.Explanation For the purposes of this article, the Govermnent of the State means the person for the time being recognised by the President as the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers for the time being in office under the Maharaja's Proclamation dated the fifth day of March. 1948;(c) the provisions of article 1 and of this article shall apply in relation to that State;(d) such of the other provisions of this Constitution shall apply in relation to that State subject to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify:Provided that no such order which relates to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession of the State referred to in paragraph (i) of sub-clause (b) shall be issued except in consultation with the Government of the State:Provided further that no such order which relates to matters other than those referred in the last preceding proviso shall be issued except with the concurrence of that Government.(2) If the concurrence of the Government of the State referred to in paragraph (ii) of sub-clause (b) of clause (1) or in the second proviso to sub-clause (d) of that clause be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon.(3) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may. by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify:Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification.In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 370 the Prseident, on the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, declared that as from the 17th Day of November, 1952, the said Article 370 shall be operative with the modification that for the Explanation in Cl. (1) thereof, the following explanation is substituted namely."Explanation - For the purpose of this article, the Government of the State means the person for the time being recognized by the President on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly of the State as the Sadr-i-Riyasat (now Governor) of Jammu and Kashmir, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the State for the time being in office."(Ministry of Law order No. C. O. dated 15th Nov. 1952.)

Birth of the Khalsa

2010-01-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji sent Hukamnamas (orders) to his followers all over the country to visit Anandpur at the Vaisakhi festival to be held in Sambat 1756 (1699 A.D.). It seemed as if the whole of Punjab was on the move; and they came from all parts of the country. A small tent was pitched on a small hill now called Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur and an open air dewan (assembly) was held. The Guru drew his sword and said, "I want one head, is there any one who can offer me?" This most unusual call caused some terror in the gathering and the people were stunned. There was dead silence. The Guru made a second call. Nobody came forward. There was still more silence. On the third call there rose Daya Ram, a khatri of Lahore who said, "O true king, my head is at thy service." The Guru took Daya Ram by the arm and led him inside the tent. A blow and thud were heard. Then the Guru, with his sword dripping with blood, came out and said, "I want another head, is there anyone who can offer?"NOTE: Many writers including many Sikh writers, state that the Guru had concealed five goats inside the tent on the previous night without letting anybody know. Therefore, when he took Daya Ram inside the tent, he cut off goat's head instead of Daya Ram's. It is difficult for these writers to perceive Guru's supernatural acts. They cannot comprehend that the Guru could behead Daya Ram, and then bring him back alive from the tent. They need to understand that the Guru was a Divine Jot, sitting on the Divine throne of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. They are showing complete disrespect to the Guru by implying that he was incapable of performing supernatural acts. With these types of thoughts, these writers are committing sacrilege upon the Guruship. The Guru had the power to raise the dead. The Divine Word confirms:"Satgur mera mar jiwalei." (Bhairon Mohalla 5, p-1142)'My lord can raise the dead to life.' (Translation of the above)This was not an ordinary feat, this was the most unparallel and supernatural act which was performed through the direct Will of God. The Guru himself authenticates this act:"Khalsa is the army of GodKhalsa is created with the Will of God."(Guru Gobind Singh- Sarbloh Granth)Again on third call Dharam Das, a Jat from Delhi came forward and said, "O true king! My head is at thy disposal." The Guru took Dharam Das inside the tent, again a blow and thud were heard, and he came out with his sword dripping with blood and repeated, "I want another head, is there any beloved Sikh who can offer it?"Upon this some people in the assembly remarked that the Guru had lost all reason and went to his mother to complain. Mohkam Chand, a washerman of Dwarka (west coast of India) offered himself as a sacrifice. The Guru took him inside the tent and went through the same process. When he came out, he made a call for the fourth head. The Sikhs began to think that he was going to kill all of them. Some of them ran away and the others hung their heads down. Himmat Chand, a cook of Jagan Nath Puri, offered himself as a fourth sacrifice. Then the Guru made a fifth and the last call for a fifth head. Sahib Chand, a barber of Bidar (in central India), came forward and the Guru took him inside the tent. A blow and thud were heard.The last time he stayed longer in the tent. People began to breath with relief. The Guru clad them in splendid garments. They offered their heads to the Guru, and the Guru had now given them himself and his glory. When they were brought outside, they were in the most radiant form. There were exclamations of wonder and the sighs of regret on all sides. Now people were sorry for not offering their heads.Since the time of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Charanpauhal had been customary form of initiation. People were to drink the holy water which had been touched or washed by the Guru's toe or feet. The Guru proceeded to initiate them to his new order by asking five faithful Sikhs to stand up. He put pure water into an iron vessel or Bowl (Batta of Sarbloh) and stirred it with a Khanda (double edged sword). While stirring the water with Khanda, he recited Gurbani or Divine Word (Five Banis - Japji, Jap Sahib, Anand Sahib, Swayas, and Chaupai). Sugar crystals called 'Patasas' which incidently the Guru's wife, Mata Sahib Kaur, had brought at that moment, were mixed in the water.The Guru then stood up with the sacred Amrit (nectar) prepared in the steel bowl. Each of the five Faithfuls, by turn, each kneeling upon his left knee, looked up to the Master to receive his Eternal Light. He gave five palmfuls of Amrit to each of them to drink and sprinkled it five times in the eyes, asking them to repeat aloud with each sprinkle, "Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh." (This meant: Khalsa belongs to God and all triumph be to His Name) Then he anointed with five sprinkles in the hair. In this way Amrit was administered to the five faithfuls from the same bowl. After that he asked them to sip Amrit from the same bowl to signify their initiation into the casteless fraternity of the Khalsa. All the five faithfuls were baptized in this way by the Guru who then called them 'PANJ PYARE' or Five Beloved Ones. He gave them the appellation of SINGHS or lions and they were named from Daya Ram to Daya Singh, Dharam Das to Dharam Singh, Mohkam Chand to Mohkam Singh, Himmat Chand to Himmat Singh, and Sahib Chand to Sahib Singh. The Guru then addressed them as the supreme, the liberated ones, pure ones and he called them THE KHALSA. He then ordained them to do the following:1. Kes - unshorn hair. This represents the natural appearance of saintlihood. This is the first token of Sikh faith.2. Kanga - A comb to clean the hair.3. Kachha - An underwear to denote chastity.4. Kara - A steel bracelet on the wrist, a symbol of dedication to the Divine Bridegroom.5. Kirpan - A sword for self-defence and a symbol of dignity, power and unconquerable spirit.These have come to be known as the 5K's.They must also observe the following guidelines:1. Not to remove hair from the body.2. Not to use Tobacco or other intoxicants.3. Not to eat Meat.4. Not to commit adultery- 'Par nari ki sej, bhul supne hun na jayo' (never enjoy, even in dream, the bed of a woman other than your own wife)(A supplementary ordinance was issued that any one who did not observe any of the four directives, must be re- baptized, pay a fine, and promise not to offend any more; or he must be excommunicated from the Khalsa).They must also rise at dawn, bathe, meditate on Gurmantar- 'Waheguru', Moolmantar- the preamble of Japji, and recite five banis - Japji, Jap Sahib and Swayas in the morning; Rehras in the evening; and Kirtan Sohela at bed time at night.They must not have matrimonial relations with smokers, with persons who killed their daughters, with the descendants or followers of Prithi Chand, Dhir Mal, Ram Rai, or masands who had strayed away from the tenets and principles of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. They must not worship idols, cemeteries, or cremation grounds, and must believe only in One Immortal God. The Guru further spelled out that they should practise arms, and never show their backs to the foe in the battle field. They should always be ready to help the poor and protect those who sought their protection. They were to consider their previous castes erased, and deem themselves all brothers of one family.After the Guru had administered Amrit to his Five Beloved Ones, he stood up in supplication and withfolded hands, begged them to baptize him in the same way as he had baptized them. This was the height of this remarkable episode setting up unparallel example in the world that first as Guru, he created the Khalsa blessing them with power, supremacy and glory, and then he himself became their disciple - Wonderful is Guru Gobind Singh, himself the Master and himself the disciple. In the annals of human history a disciple could become a Guru but never a Guru became a disciple. The Five Beloved Ones were astonished at such a proposal, and represented their own unworthiness, and the greatness of the Guru, whom they deemed God's Vicar upon earth. They asked him why he made such a request and why he stood in a supplicant posture before them. He replied, "I am the son of the Immortal God. It is by His order I have been born and have established this form of baptism. They who accept it shall henceforth be known as the KHALSA. The Khalsa is the Guru and the Guru is the Khalsa. There is no difference between you and me. As Guru Nanak seated Guru Angad on the throne, so have I made you also a Guru. Wherefore administer the baptismal nectar to me without any hesitation." Accordingly the Five Beloved Ones baptized the Guru with the same ceremonies and injunctions he himself had employed. The Guru was then named Gobind Singh instead of Gobind Rai.Guru Gobind Singh was the first one to take Amrit from the Khalsa, the Five Beloved Ones. About 80,000 men and women were baptized within a few days at Anandpur. By creating the Khalsa, the Guru embedded two qualities in one person. A Khalsa is a Saint-Soldier. A Sikh is a saint because he worships the All-Pervading Divine Spirit and in whom that Spirit shines day and night like a full moon. A Sikh is a soldier because he is ever ready to take up the arms to uphold righteousness.The Guru promised the Five Beloved Ones (The Khalsa) that whenever they called upon him, he would agree to their proposal. This was the establishment of democratic Khalsa. The Guru fulfilled this promise by submitting to the demand of the Five Beloved Ones at the battle of Chamkaur and left the Garhi. The Guru himself gives the definition of his beloved Khalsa:"He who constantly keeps in mind Intent upon Ever Awake Living Light of Consciousness And never swerves from the thought of One God; And he who is adorned with full faith in Him And is wholly steeped in the Love of the Lord, And even by mistake never puts his faith in fasting Or in worship of tombs, sepulchre or crematoriums, Caring not for pilgrimages, alms, charities, Penances or austerities; Or anything else but devotion to One God; And in whose heart and soul the Divine Light Shines forth as the full moon, He is known as Khalsa, the purest of the pure."The Persian historian Gulam-ul-din, the newswriter of that period, sent Emperor Aurangzeb a copy of the Guru's address to his Sikhs on the first of Baisakh, Sambat 1756 (1699 A.D.) which reads as follows:"Let all embrace one creed and obliterate differences of religion. Let the four Hindu castes who have different rules for their guidance abandon them all, adopt the one form of adoration, and become brothers. Let no one deem himself superior to another. Let none pay heed to the Ganges, and other places of pilgrimage which are spoken of with reverence in the Shastras, or adore incarnations such as Rama, Krishna, Brahma, and Durga, but believe in Guru Nanak and the other Sikh Gurus. Let men of the four castes receive my baptism, eat out of one dish, and feel no disgust or contempt for one another."So far the leadership had remained in the hands of non- militant urban Khatris from whom the majority of the masands were drawn, but now the situation had completely changed. Peasantry and other classes of rural areas formed the bulk of the converts. Even those people who had been considered the dregs of humanity were changed like a magic into something rich and super. The sweepers, the barbers and confectioners who had never touched a sword and whose whole generations had lived as slaves of the higher castes, became doughty warriors under the stimulating leadership of the Guru.Ideologically, the Khalsa was created to be aimed at a balanced combination of the ideals of Bhakti and Shakti, of moral and spiritual excellence and militant valor or heroism of the highest order; or in other words the Khalsa was to be a brotherhood in faith and brotherhood in arms at one and the same time and became known as 'Akal Purkh Dee Fauj' (Gods Army). The Khalsa symbolized in itself the determination to complete the social and religious revolution inaugurated by Guru Nanak. The code of conduct prescribed for the newly created Khalsa was so devised as to impose a strict discipline on the Sikhs to ensure firm coherence and commitment on their part to the holy and lofty ideals of Sikhism.With the creation of the Khalsa, some new doctrines were also established. The first doctrine of the Khalsa was the doctrine of the theocratic democracy by his selected, not elected, five representatives of the people from amongst the thousands of the devotees from all over the country while second was the doctrine of collective responsibility by authorizing the Five Beloved Ones only, in the presence of the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to assume authority implicitly to be obeyed by the whole nation.The Guru set the souls of the Khalsa free and filled their hearts with a lofty longing for religious and social freedom and national ascendancy. The Khalsa, therefore, accepted the challenge to combat terror inspired by tyranny of the powerful Mughal empire and embarked upon a national struggle of liberation.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji

2010-01-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

Chronology of the Main Events in Guru ji Life

December 22nd,1666 Birth at Patna Sahib (Bihar)

May, 1673 Arrival at Anandpur Sahib

July, 1677 Marriage with Mata Jeeto Ji 1682 Repulsing the attack of Raja Bhim Chand on Anandpur

May, 1685 Maklaavaa of Mata Jeeto Ji (who adopted the name 'Sundari')

July, 1685 Guru Ji leaves Anandpur for Paonta Sahib

November, 1686 Birth of S. Ajit Singh Ji

October, 1687 Battle of Bhangani

November 1688 Return to Anandpur Sahib 1689 Battle of Naudan

March,1690 Birth of S. Jujhar Singh Ji 1694 Khanzada attacks Anandpur 1695 Battle with Hussain Khan 1697 Birth of S. Zorawar Singh Ji 1699 Birth of S. Fateh Singh Ji Vaisakhi, 1699 Creation of the Khalsa September 1699 Skirmishes with Raja Bhim Chand December 1700 Attacked by the combined forces of the hill chieftains January 1701 Leave Anandpur for Nirmoh January 1702 Battle of Nirmoh March 1702 Goes to Basoli April June 1702 Occupation of Kalmot August 1702 Return to Anandpur February 1703 Repulsing the attacks of the hill-chieftains June 1704 Repulsing the combined attack of hill-chiefs and Mughals December 1704 Evacuation of Anandpur December 1704 Battle of Chamkaur and martyrdom of S. Ajit Singh Ji and S. Jujhar Singh Ji December 1704 Martyrdom of S. Zorawar Singh Ji and S. Fateh Singh Ji May, 1705 Battle of Khidrana June 1705 Battle of Mukatsar July 1705 Reach Sabo-ki-talwandi (Damdama Sahib) November 1705 Start from Damdama Sahib to meet emperor Aurangzeb February 1706 Death of Aurangzeb March 1706 Guru Ji receives news of death of Aurangzeb July 23rd, 1707 Guru Ji meets Bahadhur Shah at Agra November 1707 Moves towards Deccan September 1708 Reach Nanded October 7th, 1708 (Guru Ji Expired)