Tuesday, May 26, 2009

** Punjab Burnt for a day

Punjab Burnt for a Day
May 26, Sulekha Blog
Manmohan Singh

Every citizen including those belonged to Sikh faith at first instance surprised that how attack inside Gurdwara in Vienna ( Austria) is related to the instantaneous unrest in Punjab. People irrespective whether Sikh or Hindu came on the streets and expressed their anger.

First of all, the incidence of Gurdwara in which a saint belonging to Ravidasia faith lost his life and few others were wounded.

Here in Punjab. Agitating people were hailing from Ravidasia faith. Saint Ravidas hailing from south has got following amongst the backward class people of Punjab. Saint Ravidas holy work has got respectable place in holy book of Sikh faith Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Thus he stands amongst the others saints and gurus whose work is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

This was not Sikhs versus Hindus. As it was not even when Punjab was burning in post Blue Star era ( 1984-1992 ) . Though at that time it was tried to divide the two main communities. They remained united. The reason being both communities believe in the teachings of Sikh gurus and bow against Sri Guru Granth Sahib , as this holy book contains the works of all Sikh , Hindu and Muslim saints. Not only that the common language bind them. Inter caste marriages are common in Punjab.

Ravidasis are backward, not accepted socially by high cast Sikhs (Jats agrarian class). These Ravidasis are landless laborers and workers though some of them have non agricultural industries like leather processing units.

These so called backward class people as generally feel rejected and dejected and whenever they find some reason to revolt they do it. Once their Saint is killed in Vienna they have valid reason to revolt.

Punjab government allowed the situation to worsen to be en cashed for the coming bye-election. Punjab policemen , who are otherwise considered very hard and public generally avoid and afraid of them , were found silently watching. Even not acting when they could easily in some pockets. May be not willing to invite the wrath of public against them also obeying their masters.

Properties worth of crores was destroyed not looted. To whom they are showing their anger. Destroying their own properties which are created by the government by using the contributed income of public in the form of taxes. Badly destroyed was the Maruti showroom at one place. All the high end models were damaged.

Whenever depressed class people get the chance to revolt, first they target the village Bania and his grain shop and loot it. They settle the score over Banias who they think loot the public silently since ages. Here the most damaged was the Maruti Showroom (definitely owned by some high caste businessman).

Agitators were from the section of youth, with no work, from the group of unemployed numbering 18 lacs in Punjab.

It is time to rethink, Gudwaras are meant for all, and in the same spirit Gurus include all the then religious saints irrespective of cast and creeds. Better upper class Jats they show equality to all as their gurus showed.

Some social orientation is needed. On the government part youth of the Punjab need work and employment. This is to be started now unless the things take ugly turn and politicians utilize the situation for their ends, with fresh wounds to be healed for the decades to come.

Caste Dividing Sikhs @ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/caste-cutting-clash-of-identities-dividing-sikhs/93465-3.html

http://newshopper.sulekha.com/blogs/post/2009/05/punjab-burnt-for-a-day.htm

Monday, May 18, 2009

** Verdict 2009

Verdict 2009: Happy and Unhappy
Undercurrents.ca

We are happy & also have reasons to be unhappy

Why we are happy:

The verdict was in clear numbers. The nation has been spared the trauma of horse-trading; it was agonizing to see constant bickering and jostling for power during the last regime. Now Governance however bad it could be is still possible. It must be a relief to operate the government without the black mail of the communist parties of India.

It also reflects on the maturity of the Indian voter that they have rejected regional parties overwhelmingly. It was quite scary the way they were threatening to tear the fabric apart. We are equally happy for AIIMS. They must be expecting with happiness a new health minister. We are happy for the minorities & “secularists” at the relief they are experiencing that NDA hasn’t come to power. We are happy that the temperate lady Ms.Jayalalitha hasn’t been given any grip on power. The nation has been spared another Tea party.

With this clear majority Mr.Man Mohan Singh may wean himself away from the title of weak prime minister. We are happy for him and congratulations on his “style”. He has made the Sikh community proud by negotiating himself to the position of the prime minister of India again.

Reasons why we are not happy:

Our primary grouse against congress government & its friends is that they have demonstrated on more then multiple occasion that it has an Anti-Hindu agenda.

Some examples: The free run it has given to evangelical forces who operate with such scant respect to Hindu religious sentiments, the persecution of people who defend Hinduism, the act of embossing national currency with a deceptive cross, the act of tampering with the “Ram Sethu”, the act of inviting Mr. Benny Hinn to Bangalore, the act of appointing Christian heads to Hindu institutions like the Kalashektra dance school & The Venkateswara university in Tirupati, the act of silently enabling the break down of Hindu rule in Nepal, the act of replacing the census chief just because he gave the right numbers on Muslim population explosion.

Their acts point to one direction, that the sentiments, aspirations of the Majority Hindus can be brushed under the carpet while at the same time excessive importance is given even to the mildest whim of the minorities.

That mindset gives us reason for apprehension. The re-election of congress government would mean a renewal of attacks on Hindu religious practices & institutions by a combination of forces. This would also mean opening the doors fully for evangelists to operate with government patron.

The Indian voter has seen the election purely from an Indian stability point of view, which is quite mature. The Indian voter either due to or in spite of his illiteracy and poverty has done which no voter in any other part of the world would do. The Indian voter has “voted” for an outsider to rule them. That is a characteristic so peculiar to the Indian sub-continent. They seem to have an affinity to things foreign. The Indian cricket team has a foreign coach; the Indian congress has a foreigner as its chief.

The congress chief is not a Hindu. Her daughter and son in law is not a Hindu. Her son may not marry a Hindu. Will any European or American nation ever vote a Non Christian and most importantly a Hindu as their party chief? Mr. Bobby Jindal had to convert to Christianity to be where he is now. It is a cause of worry that power in India is now in the hands of a person who professes a faith that is surely not Hindu friendly. We now worry that our religious instititutions would be wearied and torn down systematically. Any act of defending against such government action would be dealt as a law and order issue.

Why are we pro BJP? Is it because they have great governance? No because they fare equally good or bad as the congress in governance and administration. (With the exception of Gujarat) With BJP in power we are ensured that Hinduism is safe.

If the congress government can demonstrate that it can be a truly secular party, then we would support it totally. But they have a strong Christian agenda which is threatening to a Hindu. They would do anti-Hindu things in India what right wing Christians can only dream to do in the west.

Because unlike India there is a strong commitment to public civility in the west.

For centuries Hindus were ruled by sword and deceit. They had a brief respite from foreign rule when the great Mahatma under exceptional circumstances produced exceptional leadership qualities and won freedom from the British. Now the same Hindus are giving away their freedom by democratic means.

In spite of their rhetoric, and numbers the BJP isn’t yet a party that has a passion and hunger for power the way the congress does. Elections are not just about ideologies, but most importantly the art of gaining and retaining power. BJP seems to be on a learning curve in the art of holding and retaining power. That was also the principal point of difference between Mr. Paul Martin & Jean Chrétien of the Liberal party of Canada.

We hope that the BJP would come out with a good plan to open accounts in states they haven’t so far. However BJP is a young party. The majority of India are Hindus, and a young new Vajpayee is waiting to emerge from the millions of Hindus to take the country in the right direction.

With this verdict we don’t foresee any big changes in the day to day life of the Indian voter. Corruption shall flourish, infrastructure shall remain what it is, defense will languish, the appeasement of minorities will continue, terrorism shall be tolerated, and the poor man shall be kept in waiting…the way things were for the past 50 years.

We congratulate the majority Hindu population of India who were more open hearted then their western counterparts and welcomed Ms.Sonia, an Italian, as their party chief. It now remains to be seen how she reciprocates.

source: http://theundercurrent.ca/ind_pol_11.htm?id=8522