wssThe Top 5 SikhCountdown of 2007: Events thatwill impact 2008 P11

Sikhi Message Sewacelebrates GuruGranth SahibTercentenary P13

Film on MaharajaDuleep Singhreleases in New York P23

Kalam Nishan Singh

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Erashave a way of ending; some taperoff gradually while some changein as much time as it takes a shotto fire or a human bomb to pressthe button. On December 27,Pakistan watched BenazirBhutto's assassination markingexactly such a point. Though itwill take some time for the dis-passionate analyses to emerge, inher death, Benazir lived up to hername. Rarely has the subconti-nent witnessed someone as braveas her who knew death wasbrushing her by but continued tostare it in the face, determined toplay a role in her nation's destinyand sure that it was her fate tolead Pakistan.

The Daughter of the East wentdown in history as a martyr, andproved that bravery could be astrain so redeeming that it canforce the world to overlook evenher role in backing the Taliban.A son has risen, and a husbandtoo, after her death. Will it meana new sun rise for Pakistan?

Unfortunately, her death wasfollowed by a row over how shewent. Gun shots and humanbomb, and then came along anInterior Ministry spokespersonsaying she hit against the sun-roof lever, lost a lot of blood andthat was all. That brought for-ward people who claimed theysay a bullet wound while thebody was being washed. Flip flopcontinued from government side.

Now, Pakistan People's Party

co-chairman and husband ofBenazir, Asif Ali Zardari, hasnow said the assassination wasan act of followers of Yazeed'sphilosophy. Yazeed was the manwhose army killed ImamHussain. He has tagged the pro-Mush Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam as the 'QatilLeague' and is pressing for hold-ing polls on time. He has alsodemanded a UN investigationinto the murder.

Meanwhile, twelve members of

the US Congress have rejectedthe White House contention thatBenazir's murder is an internalmatter for Pakistan and haveinstead urged an internationalinvestigation as in the case ofLebanese leader Rafik Hariri.

In a letter to Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, they have alsoasked for withholding of $50 mil-lion aid to Pakistan as decided byCongress.

The letter is signed by House ofRepresentative members SteveIsrael, Joseph Crowley, RonKlein, Carolyn Maloney, JamesMcGovern, Donald Payne, AdamSchiff, Allyson Schwartz, BradSherman, Loretta Sanchez, RonKind, and Adam Smith. Keymembers of the US HouseAppropriations Subcommitteeon State and Foreign Operationshave threatened Pakistan withmore aid cuts if elections are notheld on time.

Dispassionate analysis willalso tell us how Benazir carriedout her politics for years fromLondon and Dubai, a study in a

Continued on page 7

Zafarzang Singh

RICHMOND: The new year beganon a rather sad note with the blindkillings of two Sikh brothers -Ravinder Singh and ParamjitSingh Kalsi - leaving the Sikh com-munity in a state of shock. The thepolice are still groping in the darkabout the motive of the murders.Theirs was the forty-sixth murderin the course of a year in a townwhich is reeling under homicidesof all shades.

Through sheer dint of hardwork and toil, the two brotherswere engaged in the sale of housesand running of a restaurant cater-ing Indian food.

Over the last few years, the EastBay area has seen a steep rise inhate crimes against Sikhs, rangingfrom murders to attacks onGurdwaras. Whether this one wasa hate crime of the kind which theUS has witnessed or if it is a con-tract killing is a matter of conjec-ture at the present moment. WhileSALDEF, Sikh Coalition and otherorganizations are engaged in undo-ing the stereotype image of theSikhs, it comes as a surprise thatcrime continues to chase the Sikhsin one form or the other.

The friend of the duo, GurmanBal has described them as "hard-working and spiritual." The localcouncilor of Richmond City, whoknew the family, said they werekind, friendly, smiling and hard-working. Like most AmericanSikhs, he too cannot fathom thereason for this senseless murder. Itis disturbing that this city has arecord worse than the third worldas stated by a former president of alocal Gurdwara.

The family of Ravinder Singh inPatiala is worried about their sud-den end. Their American dream is

over. They are now waiting for thebodies of the brothers hoping thatthey will come without the red tapemaking that an impossible task.

Two customers of the IndiaSahib restaurant, Woujie andMichael from Pinole sum up thepersonality of the two brothers intheir online tribute on a website.They say, "Your gentleness and hos-pitality was unusual in a mean andhurried world. We are so saddenedby your untimely passing."

Wendy writing a condolencesays that Pammi and Ravi so gra-cious and kind. "I got to know themas a customer over their 5 yearswith the restaurant. When myfriend was dying from stomachcancer they let her come eat withme for free. They always had warmsmiles. We talked, joked, laughed.I'm so sorry they are gone, I'll miss

Continued on page 7

Daughter ofEast whobefriendedWest goesdownPak must reinvent polity. Old directions are dead, heapedup like fossils of an age gone by on the dung-heap history

FULL COVERAGE INSIDE

Richmond killingsshock community;motive unknown

The brothers at their restaurant

Memorial Serviceon Thursday

Friends of the killed duo areorganizing a memorial service atSunset View Cemetery (located atthe corner of Colusa and FairmountAvenue El Cerrito) on Thursday, January 3, 2008 from 4:30pm - 5:30 pm. A Ravi and PammiKalsi Memorial Fund has also beenstarted at Wells Fargo Bank withAccount number 7294234344.

January 2-8, 2008 www.worldsikhnews.com Vol 3 Issue 1, Phone (408) 272-2034, Fax (408) 519-6610

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WSN Network

AMRITSAR: In a rather contro-versial decision, the SGPC execu-tive has decided to reinstate addi-tional secretary Daljit Singh Bediand re-employ controversial secre-tary Harbeant Singh, thus invitingmuch flak from not just manymembers but also circles outsidethe largest Sikh shrine manage-ment panel. The SGPC executivemet at Anandpur Sahib onTuesday and reinstated Bedi whowas suspended on charges ofmoral turpitude, and re-employedHarbeant Singh following theexpiry of his one-year extensionafter retirement.

SGPC opposition members likeGurwinder Singh Shampura andKarnail Singh Panjauli not onlyopposed the decisions but went so

far as to ask that Avtar SinghMakkar be summoned to the AkalTakht for taking "such wrong deci-sions". Bedi was placed under sus-pension on the eve of the SGPC'sannual office-bearers election inNovember-end after he wascharged with moral turpitude. Afive member panel was constitutedto probe the charge.

Makkar was accused of goingthe extra mile to get him a cleanchit from the panel members andhis case was not taken up for dis-cussion during the previous execu-tive meeting.

Harbeant was dismissed fromservice during Gurcharan SinghTohra's tenure as SGPC presidentfor getting the job of a clerk in thecommittee on the basis of a boguscertificate. He was re-employed andentrusted with prominent portfo-

lios after being given a year's exten-sion following his retirement lastyear. Now, he has been re-employedon a salary of Rs 25,000 a month.

Talking to mediapersons afterthe meeting Makkar said Bedi wasfound to be innocent following theinquiry by the five-member com-mittee. He said the charges againsthim could not be proved. TheSGPC chief also said thatHarbeant's term as secretary hadbeen extended for another year "inview of his good administrativerecord".

SGPC member Manjit SinghCalcutta objected to the executive'sdecisions, saying Bedi andHarbeant had tarnished the Sikhbody's image. "Makkar shouldexplain his compulsions to favourtainted persons like Bedi andHarbeant," Calcutta said.

WSN Network

BURNABY: The Sikhs of Burnabygot into Christmas spirit in a bigway last Sunday. A Christmas cele-bration at the Shri Guru RavidassSabha temple, 7271 Gilley Ave, fea-tured an 18-meter-long Christmascard made by students at the tem-ple's Sunday school.

Instead of turkey and eggnog,200 revellers dined on pakoras andtea. It's all part of the temple'spush to teach members about othercultures, said board member JaiBirdi.

"If we believe in including every-one, there's no reason to be exclud-ing Christmas," Birdi said in aninterview.

While some have arguedChristmas greetings offend newCanadians, the temple has chosento educate members about the holi-day, Birdi said.

The board recently started refer-ring to the temple as a communitycentre, a way to make South Asianimmigrants who are Christian,Buddhist and Hindu feel more wel-come, Birdi said.

Many Sikhs revere the teachingsof Christ, whose birth Christianscelebrate at Christmas, Birdi said,

adding the two faiths have com-mon ground. For one thing,Sikhism preaches that all peopleare equal, a reaction againstIndia's rigid caste system.

"Christ taught equality. Thatmessage is very important,because in India, if people are of alower caste, they're mistreated," headded.

About 60 children worked on thecard, which was presented toMayor Derek Corrigan at the party.While some were as young asthree, seniors at the temple alsochimed in.

Pastor Randolph Bruce of AllSaints Anglican Church also madean appearance. The party was sucha huge hit with local kids, the tem-ple will consider doing it againnext year.

Burnaby-Edmonds MLA RajChouhan said the party showslocal Sikhs' acceptance ofCanadian traditions.

"It's a tradition that we want tocelebrate with all the other tradi-tions," said Chouhan, the NDP'smulticulturalism critic.

"If we're so proud of Canada as amulticultural country, we shouldmake sure all cultures are celebrat-ed," he said.

WSN Network

AMRITSAR/LAHORE: The busand train service betweenPakistan and India resumed onMonday and the SamjhautaExpress departed as per schedule.According to Indian HighCommission, the bus servicebetween India and Pakistan onDelhi-Lahore, Amritsar-NankanaSahib and Amritsar-Lahore sec-tors are being resumed.

“Bus service between Srinagarand Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot would also run as perexisting schedule,” the HighCommission said in a pressrelease issued in Islamabad onMonday.

The Thar Express, runningbetween Munabao-Khokrapar,however, remained suspended onthe advice of Pakistan Railways,said the Indian High Commission.

The Indian High Commissionhas issued instructions for exten-sion of visas of Pakistan nation-als who were to travel on theMunabao-Khokrapar service, by aweek, if so required.

Pakistan nationals who intend-ed to travel on this service andneed to travel back to Pakistanurgently may approach the con-cerned offices at Mumbai, Delhi,Amritsar, Jodhpur andAhmedabad for obtainingchanges in visas to travel to Delhifor return by any of the scheduledbus/train services to Lahore, saidthe Indian High Commission.

The Indian embassy said alter-natively, the interested passen-gers may also approach therespective offices for making nec-essary endorsements on theirvisas to enable them to cross overto Pakistan at the Attari borderon-foot.

WSN Network

Prime Minister Manmohan Singhhas agreed in principle to connectMumbai and Amritsar through afreight corridor that will allowincreased domestic and interna-tional freight activities.

The decision to this effect wasconveyed to the Punjab ChiefMinister Prakash Singh Badalwhen he met Manmohan Singhlast Wednesday in Delhi. Mediaadvisor to the Punjab ChiefMinister Harcharan Bains indi-cated that the state expects a for-

mal clearance in January. Headded that the chief ministerwas impressed by the prime min-ister's initiatives to strengthenthe national trade artery giventhe increased prospects of inter-national trade through theAttari border.

The PM had also given an assur-ance that the Centre would consid-er Punjab's request for setting upof Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Indian Institute ofManagement (IIM) and IndianInstitute of InformationTechnology (IIIT) in the state.

WSN Network

AMRITSAR: A mega conferenceof Persian teachers organised hereconcluded this week. A plethora ofnoted scholars in the Persian lan-guage from India as well as over-seas who had gathered to partici-pate in what was officially termedas the 28th InternationalConference of Persian Teacherswere of the view that Persianshould be made a compulsory partof the syllabi in all the universitiesand other educational institutionsof the country. They also resolvedthat a Council for the promotion ofPersian should be constituted bythe government.

It was also resolved on the occa-sion that all the vacant posts ofPersian teachers at different edu-cational institutions should befilled immediately. Also, shortterm courses should be intro-duced in Persian for advocates, itwas resolved. That is consideredparticularly important in the

light of the fact that much of thelegal parlance used in the coun-try, particularly in Punjabi, isdrawn from Persian.

The valedictory function for theconference was held at the GuruNanak Dev University. EminentSikh scholar Professor PrithipalSingh Kapoor and more than 150Persian scholars from India, Iranand Afghanistan presented theirviews at the conference. More than25 research papers were also pre-sented by noted scholars on therelationship of Persian withSikhism and also on the impor-tance and relevance of the Persianlanguage in general.

Professor Prithipal SinghKapoor, former Pro Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak DevUniversity, highlighted the impor-tance and relevance of Persian lan-guage and its situation in Punjab.He said Persian had a great cultur-al heritage. Talking about the rela-tionship of the Persian languageand Sikhism, Professor Kapoor

said the interaction of languagestarted with Guru Nanak.

Giving brief historical factsabout Bhai Nand Lal, BalkarSingh said he was one of the 52poets in the court of GuruGobind Singh. Son of DiwanChajju Ram, mir munshi or chiefsecretary of the Governor ofGhazni, Bhai Lal in a short timeacquired great efficiency inPersian and Arabic languages.

After the death of his parents, hedecided to return to Multan wherehe married a Sikh girl, who used torecite Gurbani and knewGurmukhi. Leaving his familybehind, he left for Anandpur Sahiband received Guru Gobind Singh’sblessings. After staying at there forsome time, he left to serve as mirmunshi under prince Mauzzam(later to become Emperor BahadurShah), due to an acquaintance ofhis father, named Wasif Khan.

Aurangzeb wished to converthim to Islam because he had sobeautifully interpreted the verses

of the Koran. Fearing persecution,Bhai Lal and his family left for thenorthern India. Leaving his familyin Multan, he once again came tostay with Guru Gobind Singh atAnandpur Sahib in 1697. Later, hereturned to Multan where heopened a school of higher educa-tion in Persian and Arabic.

Professor Singh said Bhai Lal’sseven works in Persian poetryincluded Diwan-e-Goya, ZindgiNama, Ganj Nama, Joti Bigaas,Arzul Alfaaz, Tausif-o-Sana andKhatima, and Dastural-Insha,besides three in Punjabi.

Earlier, the conference had beeninaugurated by veteran journalistand former Rajya Sabha MPKuldip Nayyar. Jathedar JoginderSingh Vedanti highlighted theimportance of Persian in the vers-es of Guru Gobind Singh in theZafarnama and the writings ofBhai Nand Lal and expressed thewish that the Persian scholarswould help in the analysis ofGurbani and the Sikh religion.

WSN Network

NEW DELHI: SkyLink Travel,which is part of the SkyLinkGroup owned by Indo-Canadianentrepreneur Surjit Babra,claims to have developed theworld's fastest travel searchengine, most of the work onwhich was done at Noida nearNew Delhi.

Named Skylink GlobalBooking Engine, it is also NorthAmerica's largest provider ofairfare to travel agencies, chainsand consortiums.

Surjit Babra, chairman andCEO of SkyLink Group ofCompanies, said with pride, “Onour search engine, we offer 35million fares in an instant. Whenyou type out your two travelcities-say from Little Rock toAmsterdam-in an instant thissearch engine sorts out whetherflights are available betweenthese destinations, which air-lines operate and what the faresare.''

He said the Global BookingSearch Engine was part of thegroup's foray into the travel andhospitality industry. “Right nowthis search engine is available totravel agents who pay us tobecome members. Fourteen peo-ple load the data on it everyday,making us the leader in thisarea.''

Babra said their Noida-basedoffice was handling much of thework related to the searchengine, travel portals and sites, e-fliers and customer calls.

“We have 28 people workingthere right now, but we need 50.However, the staff attrition rateis a major problem there.Everybody is stealing fromeverybody else. Just like AirCanada has shifted its operationsto Pune, we are also looking atsmaller cities such asChandigarh.''

In the long run, he said, hisgroup will have 500 to 600 peoplein India.

SGPC secretary accusedof turpitude reinstated

Christmas with a Sikh spirit in Burnaby

Bus service betweenPakistan and

India resumes

Indo-Canadiancompanydevelops

fasted travelsearch engine

Indian govt gives nod for extensionof freight corridor to Amritsar

Scholars resolve to revive Persian in India

NN EE WW SSworld sikh news January 2-8, 2008 3

WSN Network

CHANDIGAH: FINANCE ANDAccounts outsourcing has nowreached the Tier II and Tier IIIcities of Punjab. One such town isMandi Gobindgarh. In its bazaar,you find young Punjabi boys work-ing online for the North Americanclients of their company, SunilKhullar InfoTech ManagementServices (P) Ltd. And yes, theyderive total satisfaction from thejob. It all started three years ago,

when Sunil Khullar, a CharteredAccountant, decided to enter out-sourcing. He got in touch withHarmeet Singh Dhillon, a localsoftware specialist and HarjinderSingh Jonjua, an overseas market-ing specialist based in Mohali.Today, after three years of hardwork and dedication, the resultscan be seen. Already the companyis working for five States in USA; ithas been adding newer States to thelist. It is planning to enter theCanadian, British, Australian and

NZ markets too.Says Gurpreet Singh of the com-

pany, "I have grown up with thecompany from the Executive levelto the Manager level. I am totally athome with the overseas clients aswe work online with their staffdaily. I am from Mandi Gobindgarhand never thought would workwith Americans without leavingmy town." Adds Sunil Khullar, "Iam proud to lead my staff, all localPunjabi boys, tasting success in theglobal market".

WSN Network

FLUSHING, QUEENS: Three menwere viciously attacked in sepa-rate robberies within two hours ofeach other in Flushing, onChristmas eve, which left AmarjitSingh, a 45 year-old Sikh taxi driv-er, with head injuries that werelater operated at the New YorkHospital Queens.

“The first attack, by at least twomen, was on a Caucasian man at4.10 am followed by an attack on anAsian man at 5.30am and onAmarjit Singh at 5.40am, near theSikh Gurdwara in Parson Blvd,”said Detective Vaughn of NYPD,who is investigating a connectionbetween the attacks. The attacksleft the Caucasian man with head

injuries and the Asian man withinjuries to his ribs.

Amarjit Singh, 45 years, afterundergoing head surgery at NewYork Hospital Queens.

“A man is in custody after one ofthe victims picked him out from apreliminary identification and aline-up identification will takeplace on 7th January,” he added.Investigations are ongoing about amobile phone which was droppedby one of the robbers during theattack on one of the victims.

Amarjit Singh’s wife, JasbirKaur, said her husband sustained afractured skull and a piece gotpushed down which was detectedthrough a cat-scan.

According to Detective Vaughn,police are investigating the three

attacks in the area involving bluntweapons. A black car was alsopresent at each of the crimescenes.

The United Sikhs, a non profitcommunity organization, calledupon all Gurdwaras in the Queensarea to install security cameras tomeet concerns about these crimes.

This Christmas eve attacks fol-lows a robbery last month on 59 yrold Gurjit Singh, who was attackedat his doorstep on 91st Avenue inRichmond Hill, Queens, which wasalso near a Gurdwara.

NY Committee Head on PublicSafety, Council Member, Peter F.Vallone Jr., was contacted byUnited Sikhs to draw his attentionto the concerns of the local resi-dents.

WSN Network

SAN FRANSISCO: Two Indian-Americanbrothers were mauled by a tiger at the SanFrancisco Zoo in an attack on Christmas daywhich killed another man.

Brothers Amritpal 'Paul' Dhaliwal, 19, andKulbir Dhaliwal, 23, were being treated forsevere bite and claw wounds at the SanFrancisco General Hospital.

Carl Sousa, Jr, 17, the third victim of theattack, died.

The culprit in Tuesday's freak incident, a350-pound Siberian tiger named Tatiana,had to be shot to death by the police.

Tatiana had evidently escaped its enclo-sure by leaping or climbing the walls, which,a zoo expert now says, were scaleable.

Tatiana was in the news around this timelast year too, when it had attacked the zookeeper during public feeding.

The police said Kulbir was the rampaginganimal's first victim. As the tiger clawed and

bit him, his younger brother and Sousayelled to scare it off him. The big cat thenwent for Sousa, slashing his neck as thebrothers ran to a zoo cafe for help.

After killing Sousa, the tiger followed thetrail of blood left by Kulbir about 300 yardsto the cafe, where it mauled both him andAmritpal.

The three boys had gone to the zoo togeth-er, which has remained shuttered since theincident.

The two boys are due to be dischargedfrom the hospital over the weekend.

Newspaper reports say the Dhaliwalbrothers have been hostile to police inter-viewers, at first refusing to identify them-selves or give an account of the incident.

The reason for their reticence may havebeen that they were charged in Septemberwith misdemeanour, public intoxication andresisting a police officer after they werearrested a short distance from their home,according to court documents.

Sikh man has head surgeryafter NY attack on X’mas eve

US States outsource F&A Activities to Punjab

Here's to the outgoing year, 2007 May the good times live on in our memories, and may we learn lessons from the troubling timesthat will make us stronger and better than ever.

Here's to 2008For each and every one of you,may it be filled with significant steps toward the fulfillment of your fondest wishes.

In this coming new year,let us focus on our goals and work toward our dreams, and yet (smile)let's all try to go with the flow a little moreand stress a little less.And most important, here's to all of you.Appreciate yourselves and each other in the New Yearas I appreciate all of you now.Let's focus on each other's good pointsand choose to overlook minor annoyancesto create mutual happiness and contentment in 2008. Enjoy the journey!!

PPaarrmmiinnddeerr SSiinngghh SSaannddhhuu

Tiger mauls brothers,kills another

Indian caste murder in ChicagoWSN Network

MARKHAM (ILLINOIS): A man faces murder charges for the deaths ofhis pregnant daughter and her family, a crime authorities allege stemmedfrom his anger over his son-in-law's failure to secure his permission forthe marriage. Subhash Chander, 57, was being held without bond onthree counts of first-degree murder and one count of intentional homi-cide of an unborn child in connection with the fatal fire on Saturday inthe Chicago suburb of Oak Forest.

Chander told the police he disliked Rajesh Kumar, his 36-year-old son-in-law, because he belonged to a lower Indian social caste, said Mr RobertMilan, Cook County's first assistant state's attorney. He allegedly set thefire that killed Kumar, Monika Rani, 22, and their three-year-old son,Vansh, the authorities said. Rani was five months pregnant. Chander wasrepresented by a public defender at a bond hearing on Tuesday, but thepublic defender's name was not immediately available.

5,000 Pakistanis attendQadian meet despite unrest

WSN Network

QADIAN: The political unrest in Pakistanfollowing the assassination of former PrimeMinister Benazir Bhutto notwithstanding,as many as 5,000 Pakistanis made it to theannual Ahmadiyya congregation at Qadianin Punjab.

"The most important thing about thisyear's convention is that a huge number ofdevotees have come from Pakistan," saidAhmadiyya Jamaat officials.

Manuver Ahmad Khadim, the communi-

ty's spokesperson, said the special slogan'Love for all, hatred for none' was beingspread in the entire world.

"This slogan is very special for the annualconvention and is adding splendour to theevent," he added. The main objective of theconvention, speakers said, was to project thepristine teachings of Islam.

Started in 1891 by the founder of theAhmadiyya Muslim Community HadhratMirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Jalsa (annualconvention) is held in this Punjab townevery year.

NN EE WW SS world sikh news4 January 2-8, 2008

EditorSP Singh

Resident EditorAjmer Singh

Corporate OfficeAmritsar Publications and Media group3750 McKee Road, Suite-F, San Jose, CA 95127 USAPhone (408) 254-4070 � Toll Free (866)902-1300 � Fax: (408) 519-6610 e-mail: worldsikhnews@gmail.com

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employees of World Sikh News.

WSN Network

CHANDIGARH: As Akali campaignmachinery got into top gear, andPrakash Singh Badal went around Pun-jab cajoling, mollifying, sooting, coax-ing, goading the enraged, the angry andthe left-out ticket aspirants, Congress-men looked askance towards the highcommand, as always, for the elusive listof candidates. By Thursday evening,most candidates' names will be known.But one thing is clear: PM Manmo-han Singh has shrunk away from pick-ing the bait for Amritsar Lok Sabhaseat, where state Fi-nance MinisterSurinder Singla is nowthe front runner. Eventhe Akali candidateswith tickets in theirpockets eagerly looked forward to theCongress list to know their rivals.Though embroiled in court hear-ings (see separate story on page 6),Badal was busy tackling the tide of re-volt that threatened to rock ShiromaniAkali Dal (SAD) boat after allotmentof tickets though the early announce-ment of candidates ensured that theparty leaders had enough time to woothe rebels. n the other hand, a longcampaign could not be sustained be-cause of dearth of resources.Badal made promises of lucrativeposts in the new government to who-ever was willing to listen. Besides,Sukhbir Badal and other family mem-bers also undertook the damage con-trol exercise, albeit with partial suc-cess. However, where the rebels havenot budged from their stand, there areattempts to wean away their main sup-porters and weaken them.The main threat to SAD was inFaridkot where the sitting party leg-islator Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon had

threatened to contest independently ifdenied a ticket. His revolt would havenot only affected the party’s prospectsin Faridkot but also in a couple ofneighbouring seats. Finally, he was al-lotted the ticket but not before seekingunconditional apology for his anti-par-ty utterances. In Bathinda, ChiranjiLal Garg, who had raised the bannerof revolt agreed to support SAD nom-inee Sarup Singla unconditionally. InSangrur, Ranjit Singh Baliyan has beenwon over by convincing him that it wasonly opposition from Sukhdev SinghDhindsa that has come in the way offielding him. However,in Muktsar the partyhas failed to win overHarnirpal SinghKukku who had lost toSukhdarshan SinghMarar in 2002, who was then an inde-pendent candidate and had finally land-ed in the Akali fold after a stint withthe Congress. Since Kuku is deter-mined to contest, the party is busy win-ning over his supporters so that hegives up even before filing of nomina-tion papers.In Payal, Jagjeevanpal, a protege ofCaptain Kanwaljit Singh, has recon-ciled and would lend support to partynominee Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal.The revolt in Nakodar and Nawanshahrhas also tapered out. Remaining trou-ble spots are Dhuri, Lehra, Pucca Kalan,Valtoha and Tarn Taran, where SADwould ultimately face rebel candidates.Reports suggest that political deci-mation of the late Beant Singh's fami-ly could be on the cards as Gurkanw-al Kaur may miss the bus from Jaland-har cantonment seat, leaving only herbrother Tej Prakash with the last hopefor a ticket. Gurkeerat Singh, the grand-son of the assassinated CM was noteven being considered for the ticket.

Akalis in topgear as Conghigh commandsits on brakes

WSN Bureau

NEW DELHI: Just a month beforePunjab Assembly elections, DelhiAkali polity has delivered a jolt toPrakash Singh Badal-led Akali Dalwith Paramjit Singh Sarna's DelhiAkali Dal winning 27 of the 46seats, leaving Badal with only 12,two less than the figure it notchedup in the last elections.The breakaway Akali Dal ofManjit Singh (Greater Kailash) wonsix seats while one seat was baggedby an Independent HarbhajanSingh Matharoo. The results arelikely to be quoted by the Congressas well as the rival Akalis as ananti-Badal verdict by the Sikhs.The Akali Dal (Badal) tried todownplay the verdict in Delhi whereonly 40 per cent of the electorateturned out for voting. Akalis had

left the Delhi battle to SGPC chiefAvtar Singh Makkar and to someextent, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.The biggest gainer, however, wasthe SAD (Panthak) led by ManjitSingh GK. His party in its maidencontest won six seats denting thesupport base of the SAD (Badal). Inseveral places, the party lost theseat by a meager margin, clearlysending the message that he has tobe watched out in the coming days.Badal can derive some consola-tion from the fact that former AkalTakht jathedar Ranjit Singh virtual-ly fought alongside him against theSarnas, but the sad news for him isthat Gurcharan Singh, brother ofBhai Ranjit Singh, lost. Also amongthe losers was Prahlad SinghChandok former president DGMCand Badal supported candidateContinued on page 16

Sarna walks awaywith DSGMC again

More bonesfound fromPandher’shouse 7

Punjab pollsand India’sFederalGovt 10

www.worldsikhnews.com

January 17-23, 2006

The spirit of Yuletide met the great tradition of langar at the Salvation Army. Report on page 17

Amritsar Times is World SikhNews now! Defering to strongand consistent advice fromthe ever-wideninng readership,it has been decided to switchto World Sikh News, a namewhich underlines ourcontinuiing commitment tothe community and itsrelationship with the rest ofthe world which isundergoing aa paradigm shift.The change of name reflectsour commitment to watch theinterests of the community,,follow the path shown by thegreat gurus, project a strongvalue system and underlinethe belief thhat the 'Sarbat DaBhala' motto will takethe community onuncharted butglorious paths.

world sikh news

A love storywith thePartition inbackground 23

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PANAJI: The Save Goa Front(SGF), an ally in the state govern-ment, has said the scrapping of the special economic zones(SEZs) in the state marks the fulfillment of a key pre-pollpromise given by the regionalparty.

"It was we (SGF), who hadraised the issue initially.Scrapping SEZs was the part ofour manifesto for Assembly elec-tions. We have fulfilled our prom-ise," SGF President ChurchillAlemao, who is also Public WorksDepartment (PWD) Minister,said.

Alemao, a member of theCabinet Committee onInfrastructure which decided toscrap the proposed SEZs, said hehad opposed these trade zones

much before other political par-ties and NGOs raised their voicesagainst them.

Goa Chief Minister DigamberKamat had on Mondayannounced scrapping of 12 pro-posed SEZs and referred three ofthem for denotification to theCentre.

The government's decision,which follows massive protest bypolitical parties and NGOs,leaves the coastal state with noSEZs.

Alemao hailed the decision onSEZs and said his newly- floatedparty will now take up issues like its opposition to internation-al airport at Mopa and shifting of naval base from Goa, whichtoo were part of the SGF mani-festo.

WSN Network

CHANDIGARH: Freezing coldgripped Punjab and Haryana onNew Year day and the weather gen-erally is getting harsh in Punjab ascalenders changed and minimumtemperatures dropping to the sea-son's lowest at some places.

Chandigarh witnessed the sea-son's coldest night as minimumtemperatures dropped to 1.4degrees Celsius, five degrees belownormal, the MeteorologicalDepartment said. However, bitingcold had little effect on revellers,who came out in great numbersand thronged the main commer-cial centres in the city to usher inthe New Year.

Though mercury rose by over adegree since Monday at Amritsar,the minimum still settled at bone

chilling minus 0.8 degrees Celsius,five below normal. Icy cold windsrestricted the minimum at Patialato 1 degree Celsius, six below nor-mal, making it the coldest night sofar. Ludhiana also had no respitefrom cold wave, with minimum set-tling at 2.7 degrees Celsius, downthree degrees.

In Haryana, Narnaul shivered at1 degree Celsius, four below nor-mal. Ambala registered a low of 1.2C, down six while Karnal, too,faced extreme cold at 1.2 C, alsodown six degrees. Rohtak regis-tered a low of 2.9 C, down threewhile Hisar had a low of 4.9 C.Most of the towns in Haryana onTuesday witnessed their coldestnight. Shimla was warmer thanmost places in the plains, withminimum there settling at 3.5degrees Celsius.

NEW DELHI: As the election timeapproaches, the Indian govern-ment is set to announce a megafarm loan restructuring packagecovering bad and doubtful debt ofat least Rs 30,000 crore.

The proposal, which is close tofinalisation by the agriculture andfinance ministries, is expected tobe announced in the Budget; thedetails are being thrashed out.

The agriculture ministry hassuggested that farm loans wortharound Rs 100,000 crore — classi-fied non-performing and overdue— be set aside for five years anddefaulting farmers, who are indebt with no fresh assistance forth-coming, be given more credit.

Over the next five years, 20% ofthe loan would be written off every

year if the farmer paid his instal-ments on time. At the end of fiveyears, the farmer would havecleared all his previous dues andalso be eligible to start on a freshnote. The proposal, however,requires that the government pro-vide banks with Rs 100,000 croresince the move would amount towriting off debt, if not immediate-ly, then over a five-year period. Butto carry forward the process, thegovernment, which is pushing afiscal prudence agenda, mighthave to levy some sort of cess.

Instead, the finance ministryhas suggested that the governmenttake up cases which have beentermed non-performing assets,estimated to be worth Rs 30,000crore. On this amount, the banks

have already provided at least 20%to write off a part of the debt. Theyhave to make another round ofprovisions this year.

North Block has suggested thatbanks be allowed to negotiate withfarmers to seek a repayment of aportion of the remaining loan. So,if a farmer had borrowed, say Rs10,000, and the bank has alreadyprovided for a loss of 20% or

Rs 2,000 and is going to provideanother 20% this year, then it cansettle the loan for Rs 3,000.

By doing so, it hopes that notonly would banks take a smallerhit, but the immediate problem offinding money would also be dealtwith. Once the outstanding iscleared, farmers can get fresh cred-it on their Kisan Cards.

NEW DELHI: Promising to exposehow police reform process is "sabo-taged" by the establishment, thecountry's first woman IPS officerKiran Bedi is now planning torevise her biography byadding a new chapterwhich depicts her lastdays in policing.

The 58-year-oldMagsaysay awardee,whose nearly 38-year-long association withpolice came to an end ona bitter note last week,will add a new chapterto I Dare , a best-sellerwritten by ParmeshDangwal, on policingand state of policereforms in the country.

"Believe me, actually the policereform policies formulated by theHome Ministry are a part to sabo-tage it completely," an irate Bedi,whose voluntary retirement pleawas accepted last week, claims.

She claims that it was only dur-ing her stint as the DirectorGeneral of Bureau of PoliceResearch and Development(BPR&D), her last posting, that sheunderstood the functioning andpolicy making of the Ministry ofHome Affairs.

"My biography will have anotherchapter soon. It would be an eye-witness account of the policy mak-ing process and its poor implemen-

tation in the police force," Bedisaid.

Revising the book is a steptowards achieving the goal ofpolice reforms in the country, she

said, adding she wouldnow campaign forpolice reforms.

"I sacrificed my jobfor the best and policereform is my missionnow," she said.

Bedi's biographydescribes her earlycareer years, the roleshe played in Delhi,Goa and Northeast andwork done by her forthe betterment of pris-ons and prisoners,especially in Tihar

jail.She was sulking since she was

superseded by Y S Dadwal for thepost of Delhi Police Commissionerin July this year and had appliedfor VRS on November 15.

Bedi, who made a mark as thecountry's first IPS officer was alsocritical about the role of women inpolice force.

"Women are still an unknownentity in the force. They remainanonymous," she said.

Bedi had alleged in July, whenshe was overlooked for the post ofDelhi Police Commissioner, thatthe government was biasedtowards women in police.

SHIMLA: Prem Kumar Dhumal,the new chief minister ofHimachal Pradesh after the BJPwon the assembly elections in thenorth Indian state, has announcedthat all the decisions taken by theprevious Congress government inthe state during the last six monthswould be reviewed, including set-ting up of the Himalayan SkiVillage in Manali.

He said there had been com-plaints from the public over thepast some months, and also reportsin the media that certain decisionscould prove detrimental to theinterest of the state.

He added that decisions wherethe departments had given noobjection certificates in a hurry orwhere benefits were given to indi-viduals at the cost of the state,would also be reviewed. Dhumal,however, claimed that the exercisewould neither involve witchhunt-ing nor any vindictive feelings.

About the Himalayan Ski Villageproject, he said there had been notransparency and giving it a go-ahead without taking into accountsecurity and ecological issues wasnot understandable.

The CM said the defence and theenvironment ministries were yet

to give its permission to the proj-ect. Asked whether other issueswould also be taken up for scrutiny,he said, ‘‘Complaints made to thegovernment supported by docu-ments that could stand scrutiny inthe court of law would be lookedinto in detail, but anonymous com-plaints and letters accusing peoplewithout any evidence would be dis-couraged.’’

The chief minister said his gov-ernment would live up the credo ofzero tolerance for corruption, andin all sectors where there would becomplaints of corruption severeaction would be taken.

Kiran Bedi to revealall in revised

biography

Mega farm relief package on the cards

BJP forms govt in Himachal,

will review Congress decisions

Goa SEZs scrapped,move hailed

Freezing cold grips

Punjab, Haryana

NecLife plans 220-crexpansion in Punjab AMRITSAR: Chandigarh-basedNectar Lifesciences Ltd (NecLife),an integrated pharmaceuticalorganisation offering comprehen-sive range of cephalosporin activepharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)and finished dosage forms (FDFs),has plans to expand its capacity atthe Derabassi facility with aninvestment of Rs 220 crore.Further, it has plans to foray intothe US and Europe market by thenext year. The company has man-ufacturing facility at Derabassi(Punjab) for producing oral andsterile active pharmaceuticalingredients (APIs) and formula-tions, spread over 60 acres of land.

Also, it has one more unit inBaddi (Himachal Pradesh) to man-ufacture formulations, spread over10 acres. The company plans toincrease the production capacityby 200 tonnes per year at itsDerabassi facility. After the expan-sion, the total capacity wouldreach 650 tonnes per year. —WSN

NN EE WW SSworld sikh news January 2-8, 2008 5

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WSN Network

BRAMPTON: The new year was heralded inBrampton with the Indo-Canadian residentsof this virtually Punjabi city nearToronto rang in the New Year bycollecting signatures against thehospital that was funded by localcommunity which is now agitatingand is agitated against the way it isbeing run. Negligence is alsoblamed for two recent deaths and awrong operation on an elderlywoman in this hospital serving thecity which has 20 percent popula-tion of Punjabi origin and twoIndo-Canadian MPs in the nation'sparliament.

The signature drive was organized byBramptonians for Better Health at city tem-ples and mosques as people thronged the reli-gious places to ring in the new year. The masspetition also demanded the reopening of thelocal Peel Memorial Hospital whose closuredue to renovation led to the opening of the newhospital where these deaths occurred, media

reports said.The organisers, who claim to have collected

thousands of signatures, said they would for-ward the mass petition to the government to

address the problems of 'the sickhospital'.

The angry residents, who haveraised millions of dollars for theconstruction of the hospital, hadtaken out one of the biggest ral-lies in Brampton on Dec 9 toprotest against shortage ofbeds, doctors and long waitingperiods at the hospital.

Since it is one of the first pri-vately (under private-publicpartnership or P3) built hospi-tals in Canada that has a public

health system, it has also angered individu-als and organizations opposed to privatisa-tion of health care. One of the communityleaders said its "demands are straight-for-ward: if you have taken money from us, giveus what we want. It means more doctors,more nurses, more equipment and more gov-ernment funds for the hospital."

Author:“WhitherWent Sovereignty”The author of “Kis Bidh Ruli Patshahi”

(Whither Went Sovereignty) will dis-

cuss his book, which makes sense of

the Sikhi movement for past, present,

and future generations. This event is a

must for all Sikh men and women

who value their religion and culture.

Start the New Year on the right foot

by attending this event to discover (or

rediscover) your roots.

January 12, 2008

Lecture: 2:30 - 3:30pm

Q&A: 3:30 - 5pm

West Sacramento Gurdwara

In the new conference hall

2301 Evergreen Avenue

West Sacramento, CA 95691

The Sikh Information Centre Presents:

Ajmer Singh“Whi h W S i

BRAMPTON: The opening ofBrampton Civic Hospital was sup-posed to be an occasion for celebra-tion, especially among the city'sburgeoning Sikh community.

They had been actively courtedby the hospital foundation, andresponded with tremendous enthu-siasm, raising $2.8-million with aPunjabi radiothon and an incredi-ble $200,000 during a 48-hour Sikhprayer ceremony in July.

The new $790-million facility,built in a field in northeastBrampton, was meant to take pres-sure off the aging Peel MemorialHospital downtown, with its waterleaks and occasional blackouts, andoffer the community an improvedlevel of health care.

Instead, the new hospital, whichopened two months ago, has becomea public relations nightmare forstaff and administrators, withunproven allegations of misman-agement and substandard healthcare sparking street protests amongthe very community that worked to

front-page news in Parvasi Weekly,which has a circulation of 20,000 inthe GTA, Vancouver and India.

Local Punjabi radio shows pickedit up, and Saini talked about it onhis own radio show, which runs onCJMR 1320 AM. The Times of Indiapicked up the story, says Saini. Hewas invited to talk about it on televi-sion.

"It was big news," says Saini."Everybody talked about this story.There was big outrage in our com-munity."

"It's a very small kind of commu-nity newspaper, but still I am tryingto run it very professionally," saysSaini, who operates out of a smalloffice opposite a strip mall inMississauga.

"We have nothing against the hos-pital staff or management. We aretrying to raise the voice. The voiceof the people."

The doctorBy the time stories of what was

happening in the emergency depart-

why the same people who told himthey understand his position took tothe streets in protest.

"A lot of community leaders hadto decide whether to support thehospital or the community," saysMohammad. "The community islarge, it's what's around you all thetime. If you're someone who has todepend on the community for busi-ness...it's difficult."

did not come to the hospital, noteven after Narwal began havingseizures, according to Nijjar. Finallythe nurses brought a doctor downfrom the intensive care unit. Heread the file and told the family thatnothing could be done.

Narwal, 42, with a 2-year-old sonin India, died that night.

Nijjar said he tried to get help forhis cousin – he called someone he

hospital would have fewer beds thoriginally thought and that the Peel Memorial Hospital would closed once the new hospopened.

"Until then, I don't believe tanybody in the community knthat if we are getting this new hpital, they are snatching away PMemorial hospital, too," says Sa"That's how it started simmeraround, you know. People starcomplaining that, `Why are thclosing down Peel Memorial?'"

The communityBrampton is home to a large a

politically important South Aspopulation.

South Asians make up 83,245the 206,185 immigrants in the cwhich now has a total population400,000.

The overall population of the surb northwest of Toronto hgrown by 60 per cent in 10 years400,000, resulting in gridlocrowded schools and, critics

N E W S

Sikhs fund Canadahospital, nowpushed to fight itPeel Region’s Sikh community played a key role in establishing

Brampton's gleaming new hospital. It has played an equallymajor role in the troubled institution's first major crisis

Sikhs in BramptonAccording to 2001 Statistics Canada information, the Sikh religion is the

third largest in Brampton behind Catholic and Protestant. Under the publicprivate partnership (P3) funding formula being used to build the new hospital,the community had to raise 30 per cent of the building's total cost of $536million.

William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) paid a tribute to the Canadian Sikhcommunity by naming the new hospital's emergency department as GuruNanak Emergency Services Department.

The WSN story in Dec26, 2007-Jan 1, 2008

edition on the Bramptonhospital.

Bramptonians go big with protests

against hospital they funded

WSN Network

CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal-BJP govern-ment has set “we care for you” motto as one ofthe major messages to be sent across to thePunjabi diaspora during the two-day jamboreefrom January 5 here.

Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, whois also Principal Secretary NRI Affairs, held ameeting of the Steering Committee compris-ing senior officers of various departments toreview arrangements and programmes of theInternational Punjabi NRI Sammelan.

Well-known Punjabi NRI and formerBritish Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh,European Parliament member Neena Gillfrom Belgium, New York-based businessmanand friend of former US president Bill ClintonSant Singh Chatwal, Lord Daljit Singh Rana(UK) and Dr Ruby Dhalla, MP (Canada), wouldbe the star attractions of the conclave.

The first-day will have three sessions. OnJanuary 6, a function would be held atJalandhar. SAD working president SukhbirSingh Badal will be the key speaker in the firstsession, focussing on the vision of Punjab.Different departments will also give powerpoint presentation in this session followed bya documentary film on Punjab emerging as apreferred destination for investment. In thesecond session, on legal perspective for NRIs,Advocate General H.S. Mattewal will be themain speaker, while the last session will focuson the role of the NRIs in the development ofPunjab. The Secretary EmploymentGeneration, N.S. Kalsi, will make the powerpoint presentation in this session.

The state government has chalked out astrategy to use this occasion as an ideal plat-form to redress the grievances of NRIs and

hammer out a concrete policy for their wel-fare. Besides, the government would try toconvince the guests that the state offers a hos-pitable investor-friendly environment.

Ramesh Inder Singh said: “One of the majorobjectives of this sammelan is to send a clearmessage to all the Punjabi NRIs that we carefor them.”

The Punjabi diaspora has an important roleto play in helping Punjab move on the path ofdevelopment, Ramesh Inder Singh said. “Wewill devote a full session to know about theirproblems back home and how they want thestate government to tackle them. The focuswould also be on how they want to contributefor the development of the state,” he added.

Ramesh Inder Singh said Punjabi NRIs havebeen facing numerous problems pertaining totheir properties and the state government willseek their views to overcome them. “We alsowant to share with them, among other things,as to what can be done to overcome their vari-ous problems here,” he added.

The Commissioner NRI Affairs, A.S.Chhatwal, said over 160 Punjabi NRIs had con-firmed their participation and that near 200were expected to attend the function. “This isan exercise to unite the Punjabi diaspora,” hesaid.

“The idea is to create a good will and makethem feel that we actually care for them andthey can contribute to help Punjab grow,” hesaid.

The indication of the state governmentlooking forward to tap the potential of thePunjabi NRIs in development of the state hadbecome evident when the SAD-BJP govern-ment had set up a separate ministry for NRIAffairs and Badal keeping this portfolio withhimself.

Badal govt set to rollout red carpet for non-

resident Punjabis

WSN Network

DERA BABA NANAK: Dera Baba Nanakand Fatehgarh Churian towns of theFatehgarh Churian Assembly segmentwould be developed and beautified. and thecustodian lands along the border in the dis-trict would be sold at nominal rates totillers, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal hassaid.

Addressing a state-level function organ-

ized by the All-India Christian Dalit Frontpresident and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)leader Monawar Masih here on Christmas,he said the villages of Shahpur Goraya andDharam Kot Randhawa would each receivea 66-KV power station. Badal also laid thefoundation stone of the Rs 25 lakh roadlinking Dera Baba Nanak, Darbar Sahiband village Khasanwali. Badal said his gov-ernment would hire 15,000 teachers forinstitutions in the state.

Land to tiller soon in border areas: Badal

SGPC chief announces Rs 1-lakh aid to Kalsis PPaattiiaallaa:: The SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar hasannounced Rs 1 lakh for the Patiala-based family that losttwo of their sons in a suspected hate crime in Californialast week. Brothers Paramjit Singh Kalsi and Ravinder SinghKalsi were killed by unidentified gunmen at their restaurantin Richmond on Thursday. Makkar visited their family attheir ancestral house in Model Town here.

NN EE WW SS world sikh news6 January 2-8, 2008

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan par-liamentary elections scheduled forJanuary 8 will be held in February,a senior election commission offi-cial said on Tuesday.

"Elections will not be delayedbeyond February. We expect it to betowards the later part of the nextmonth," the official said. The com-mission was to make a publicannouncement later in the day.

"We want the delay to be mini-mal. But the election commissionneeds a realistic amount of time toget things back on track," he said,referring to the turmoil that hasgripped the country after BenazirBhutto's assassination.

The election commission held anemergency meeting on Monday todiscuss the situation in the wake ofthe bloody violence unleashed byBhutto's slaying that has left atleast 58 people dead.

The parliament vote is seen as afinal step in a transition to civil-ian-led democracy underPresident Pervez Musharraf, whograbbed power following a mili-tary coup in 1999.

Musharraf stepped down fromthe army at the end of November -under intense international pres-sure - after securing a second termas president.

The United States, which viewsMusharraf as a frontline ally inthe fight against Al-Qaida andTaliban extremists, said earlier, itwould still prefer a vote onJanuary 8 if it could be held "in asafe and secure way."

US State Departmentspokesman Tom Casey said a delaymay be acceptable as long as therewas broad approval, but warnedWashington would have "con-cerns" if there was an indefinitepostponement.

Bhutto, a two-time former pre-mier who had recently returnedfrom exile to lead her PakistanPeople's Party into the elections,was assassinated in a gun and sui-cide bomb attack as she left a rallylast Thursday.

It sparked street clashes, arsonand violence across the country asangry protesters denounced thegovernment, although life in themajor cities has largely returned tonormal.

Opposition parties, includingBhutto's, have sharply criticisedMusharraf over her death andgone back and forth on whetherthey would accept a delay to theelection.

Bhutto's husband Asif AliZardari, who was named as co-chair of the party along with hisson, said Monday the vote shouldgo ahead as planned. “Democracywas the best vengeance against ter-rorism”, added Zardari.

"There can be elections in

Afghanistan when there is an Al-Qaida movement. Why can't therebe elections in Pakistan and ontime?" he said.

Opposition parties allege thecommission is biased in favour ofMusharraf, whose popularity hasplummeted in the past year.Previous elections have beenmarred by bloodshed and allega-tions of widespread vote-rigging.

Public anger at the death ofBhutto, a pro-Western politicianwhose family dynasty has a hugepopular following, has mountedsince the interior ministry deniedthat her attacker - clearly seen invideos firing a gun at close range -had actually hit her.

Earlier, government said that shedied banging her head on her car'ssunroof. Bhutto's party, which hasnamed her 19-year-old son Bilawalto take over as its titular chairman,has demanded a UN probe - some-thing a senior government officialsaid was out of the question.

WSN Network

NEW DELHI: In a somewhat belat-ed assurance, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh has said Indiawill take necessary measures toprotect the religious freedom of allcommunities. The assurance was ina letter he has written to Ms GladysStaines, the widow of GrahamStaines, the Australian missionarywho was burnt to death along withhis two sons in Orissa in 1999.

Ms Staines, who returned toAustralia a few years ago, had writ-ten to the Prime Minister express-ing anguish at the recent attacks onChristians and Church buildingsand institutions in Orissa. In hisletter, the Prime Minister has said:"We are taking all steps to ensurethe restoration of normalcy and tobring about harmony and peace inthe affected areas."

Also stating that he has spoken tothe Orissa chief minister regardingthe violence, Dr Singh said: "Iassure you that the government ofIndia will take all necessary steps

to safeguard the fundamentalrights and liberties of all sectionsof our society and protect their reli-gious freedoms as enshrined in theConstitution."

The Prime Minister’s letter to MsStaines was released to the mediaby the government on Monday, alsothe day when a statement camefrom Mr John Dayal, a member ofthe National Integration Counciland secretary-general of the All-India Christian Council. Mr Dayalsaid the team had driven toPhulbani on December 29 and enroute was able to assess the damagecaused to the Carmelite Conventand the Carmel English School.Nuns the group interviewed toldthem of attempts that were made toset the convent on fire while theylocked themselves inside a room.

As for the group’s meeting withMr Kapoor, Mr Dayal said, "Hewould not allow me to proceed, oreven to remain in Phulbani. Hesaid it would not be safe for me, orfor the persons with whom Iwould stay.”

BHUBANESWAR: The riot-hitKandhamal is limping back to nor-mal. Six days after anti-Christianviolence flared up in the tribal-dominated district of Orissa, thepolice managed to reach the interi-or pockets by clearing all the majorroads on Saturday. InBhubaneswar, chief ministerNaveen Patnaik said, "The situa-tion is under control inKandhamal. More forces are ontheir way to the district."

Senior bureaucrat SureshMohapatra, who is camping inKandhamal said, "Though no majorincident was reported, curfew wouldremain in Phulbani, Baliguda,Daringbadi and Brahmanigaon dur-ing the night as a preventive meas-ure. All major roads are now open tovehicular traffic." As a "preventivemeasure" the state government didnot allow a seven-party oppositiondelegation to visit the trouble-torndistrict. "The Boudh collector andSP stopped us on the way and said itwould not be possible for them toallow us to proceed. The chief minis-ter is saying the situation is normal,but by preventing our visit it hasbeen proved that things are not nor-mal," CPM leader Janardhan Patisaid.

The death toll since radicalHindus began attackingChristians on December 24 in thedistrict went up to three with therecovery of a decomposed body atBarakhamba area.

WSN Network

LUDHIANA: The Punjab police onSunday claimed to have solved theShingaar cinema blast case withthe arrest of four men they saidwere "suspected activists of theBabbar Khalsa International".

Announcing the arrest ofGurpreet aka Khalsa, PalwinderSingh, Sandeep Singh aka Harryand Ravinder aka Rinku, the stateDGP N S Aulakh claimed that themotive behind the October 14 blastwas to "revive terrorism in thestate".

Aulakh claimed that "prominentreligious leaders like Dera SachaSauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim"were on their hitlist. The policeclaimed to have recovered 5.10 kgof RDX, three detonators and twopistols from the arrested men.

The DGP claimed that the policewere still looking for another BKIactivist, Harminder Singh, who hesaid was also involved in the blast.The police said the group had cometogether in 2005 and 2006.‘‘Gurpreet along with HarminderSingh went to Pakistan with a SikhJatha where they got training formaking bombs. Once they cameback, the duo started trainingother youths,’’ claimed LudhianaSSP R K Jaiswal.

He said Gurpreet also made a

trip to Malaysia after returningfrom Pakistan, but came back soonand started living near Mohali,where Sandeep and BhagwanSingh Sandhu, who are now in inpolice custody, arranged a hideoutfor him.

On the day of the blast, accord-ing to police claims, Gurpreet,Sandeep, Harminder and Rinkuarrived at the cinema in anautorickshaw "driven by Rinku".

Continuing their utterly implau-sible claims, the police officerssaid, "While Sandeep and Gurpreetkept sitting in the autorickshaw,Rinku and Harminder went in andbought tickets for the film. Rinkuwent inside the hall and plantedthe bomb. He kept sitting in thehall till the interval, but as soon asthe interval got over, he connectedthe wires of the bomb and movedout immediately."

Punjab police arrestfour for ‘plotting to

revive terror’Police theoryexplodesThe RDX related arrests amidcontroversial circumstances havecast a dark cloud over the policeclaims and the intentions of theauthorities. Read editorial "ReflectUpon The Image Reflected" on page10 on the subject. —— EEdd

Orissa reels under churchviolence aftershocks

PM tells Staines widow

India will act to stop

communal riots

Pak elections in Feb nowChak de phatte!Queen honoursBhangra singer

Malkit SinghWSN Network

LONDON: What will it be? ChakDe Phatte or Balle Balle? That is amillion tune question now for

B h a n g r asinger MalkitSingh whowill be greet-ing theBritish queenwith one ofhis boisteroussongs when hemeets her toreceive his

Member of the British Empire(MBE) medal.

Both the songs are examples ofexuberance of the language.Malkit Singh is the first Punjabisinger to figure in the prestigiousQueen’s Honours List, publishedtwice every year to honour peoplewith a record of distinguished andlong-standing service to the nationor the community.

Born in Husseinpur village ofJalandhar district, he came toBritain in 1984 from Punjab andcut his first album two years later- it became a trailblazer asbhangra grew in popularity indance halls and nightclubs all overBritain. Malkit Singh was among a

large group of Asians figuring inthis year’s New Year’s HonoursList. Others receiving similar hon-ours include Mushtaq Ahmad forservices to local government inLanarkshire, Sri Lankan-born BBCbroadcaster George Alagiah,Rajvinder Singh Kandola for serv-ices to disadvantaged people and todiversity, Witharandeniye Kassapafor services to the InternationalBuddhist Relief Organisation,Chennakesavalu Rajagopal of theMinistry of Defence, MohammedShahid Raza for services to theMuslim community in Leicester,and Kasturi Arachchi AriyaSaman Warna Kulasuriya for serv-ices to medicine.

Malkit Singh is most famous forthe songs “Gur Nalo Ishq Mita”,“Tootak Tootak Tootiyan”, “KurriGaram Jayee”, as well as recently,“Chal Hun”. Whilst “Jind Mahi”features in the blockbuster Bend ItLike Beckham soundtrack. Hecites The Stone Roses and the 80’sManchester music scene as one ofhis early influences.

He has recently released “21stchapter” featuring the hugely pop-ular and classic “Jago Aaya”.Singh and his backup band GoldenStar have toured in twenty-sevencountries.

NN EE WW SSworld sikh news January 2-8, 2008 7

fight from exile, challengingrulers, reorganising and running aparty by remote. For the Diaspora,it will be interesting to know thatshe started her political activitiesfrom London in 1984 during herexile, and before returning toPakistan in 1986, spent most of hertime in London and Dubai.Rehman Malik's house in Londonremained the de facto PPP head-quarters during these periods.

US House of RepresentativesSpeaker Nancy Pelosi has alreadycalled for an international investi-gation into the assassinationbefore releasing any more aid toPakistan.

Pakistan is now under extremeinternal and external pressures toreinvent the national polity, for theold directions are dead, heaped uplike fossils of an age gone by on thedung-heap of what passes for histo-ry.

The military adventurism andthe fires of religious extremismare threatening to result in a failedstate.

No more can the dictator-turned-civilian President Musharrafweave the different strands ofnational destiny around his ownperson. Pakistan has witnessed

over the years the top one per centof the population getting richer,leaving other sections of societyfar behind; and the gulf betweenthe people and the army widening.

Political arena is marked by apoverty of alternatives. Instinctand perception will be influencingthe way Pakistan goes now.

But then instability can often becreative and Pakistan will have tofind a window of hope in thischaos. The dangers facingPakistan are real. While everyoneand his alter ego says that it needsto guard against the spread of reli-

gious militancy, Pakistanis and theworld must realize that the rise ofreligious militancy is a response tothe failure of the state to protect itsdemocratic ethos. The countrymust also weigh its losses andgains in fighting the Taliban.Pakistan has long been fightingAmerica's war against its own peo-ple in the tribal areas. War on ter-ror has to have a layered perspec-tive. A black and white readingonly results in the kind of blackThursday that threatenedPakistan's destiny in as short atime as it takes to fire a gun, topress a button on a human bomb.

Martyrs such as Shaheed BhagatSingh and the great Tipu Sultan ofMysore don't return from the dead.But their example becomes aninspiration for those who follow.When the history of Pakistancomes into its own and in somemound, over which for sure a befit-ting monument will be raised, thelast remains of dictatorship areburied - ensuring the fulfillment ofthat promise which lay behindPakistan's creation - the courage ofBenazir will be writ large. As for adispassionate view, wait for sometime and keep an eye onIslamabad.

Jawed Naqvi

Benazir Bhutto courteddeath with amazing graceand courage.Unfortunately in most

parts of the planet, including ourcorner, political martyrdom seemsto have a very brief shelf life. Therules for religious martyrs arequite different and many a sect offaithfuls thrive by their leaders'memory. Not so the political vic-tims of assassination. RajivGandhi's example comes to mindas a beneficiary and victim of thecallous world of politics. He cameto power with a three-fourth major-ity in parliament. Had IndiraGandhi not been killed on Oct 31,1984, as retaliation for the militaryassault under her orders onSikhism's holiest shrine, shewould have almost certainly runinto heavy weather at the hustingsa few months later.

Anyone with a three-fourthmajority in India's parliamentshould be considered invincible forthe next five years. Rajiv Gandhilooked anything but secure. Wewon't go into the reasons for hissurprising fall from unprecedent-ed popularity. These factors couldrange from corporate subterfuge(after an early speech in which henaively threatened to discard poli-tics of moneybags) to corruptioncharges which were years laterthrown out by law courts to intra-party intrigue. Settle for the factthat he not only lost popularityduring his tenure but failed to wina simple majority in the subse-quent general elections in 1989.Indira's death also worked its effectbut only too briefly.

Rajiv Gandhi was himself killedby a suicide bomber, in a more orless similar fashion as Benazir

Bhutto, during an election rally.When he died on the night of May21, 1991, nearly half the states ofIndia had already cast their vote inthe general elections that wereunder way. His assassination didhelp improve the tally of theCongress party's seats in the LokSabha following a surge of sympa-thy but only marginally. It was byno means an electoral tsunami ofthe kind that was triggered by hismother's death. In fact, Rajiv's suc-cessor Narasimha Rao landed wellshort of a majority in that electionand had to cheat the parliamentand bribe a bunch of freelanceMPs in order to shore up a wafer-thin majority in a crucial trustvote. The MPs were later foundguilty by a court and convicted, butnot Rao. In any case the Congresscouldn't get a simple majoritydespite Rajiv Gandhi's death in anelection rally. Of course, theCongress party still leans on theslogan "Ma bete ka ye balidaan,yaad karega Hindustan". (Indiawill always remain indebted to thesacrifice of the mother and theson.) But this mostly cuts no icewith the electorate. The Congresstally in the Lok Sabha since RajivGandhis' death has hovered per-ilously close to a lowly 140 plus. Itis another matter that the stateremembers both on their respec-tive anniversaries and both arestill revered by their Congressparty supporters.

Another big time "political mar-tyr" was Mahatma Gandhi. Todayhe has been reduced to a caricatureof himself. His pictures appear onIndia's currency notes. But ask anypolitical party to go to the elec-torate on a message of non-vio-lence, which should ideally includenuclear disarmament, orGandhian economics, a kind of

socialism derived from the idea ofself-sufficient village units pre-scribed by early European econo-mists, and you would be disap-pointed. He is still preserved as aninstitution no doubt, but requires alot of formaldehyde.

Tariq Ali wrote a TV play on thejudicial assassination of ZulfiqarAli Bhutto in which he refers to thetragic reality of how the greatmartyr that he was, Bhutto's fol-lowers could still not curb the arro-gance of his killers much lesscheckmate them with a massupheaval. In his obituary toBenazir Bhutto, Tariq Ali quotesfrom her emails where she justi-fied the new path she had chosenbecause of the changed circum-stances in the world as shedescribed it. It is a bit like theCongress party in India still usingGandhi's spinning wheel as a sym-bol of its appeal among the poormasses but doing everything tomake the ground fertile for a neo-con takeover of the national polity.As martyrs go why should we for-

get Liaquat Ali Khan or for thatmatter Nawab Akbar Bugti morerecently. Without meaning to belit-tle their respective causes, it is dif-ficult to conceive of their rele-vance in the present or futurepolitical trajectory of Pakistan.

The same holds true for theassassination of Mujibur Rehmanand his family members inBangladesh, or for that matter GenZia ur Rehman who overthrew theBangabandhu only to be eliminat-ed later by his own army col-leagues. How many votes can thememory of the socialist Mujibfetch today? And if by a quirk offate he is still considered popularthen what accounts for the elec-toral success of his tormentor'sparty. One of the great populistSinhalese leaders of Sri Lanka wasSolomon Bandarnaike, ChandrikaKumaratunga's father. He waskilled by a Buddhist Sinhalesemonk. His memory is enshrined inHorrogolla, the village mansionwhere he lived on the outskirts ofColombo, and that's that. President

Premadasa had single-handedlyforced Indian troops to vacate SriLanka which made him extremelypopular with Sinhalese chauvin-ists. He was blown up by suspecteda Tamil rebel in a suicide attack.Does anyone remember him?

And finally, it was the firstanniversary on Sunday ofPresident Saddam Hussein's exe-cution by a coalition of Americanand Iraqi usurpers. He was goingto give a mother of all battles to theAmericans. He is still worshippedby his core followers. Even asdefeat stared him in the face inApril 2003, said a report on Sundayto mark the anniversary of hisdeath, Saddam Hussein stood on apick-up truck outside Baghdad'sAbu Hanifa mosque and waved tothe crowd of 200 people, promisingthem a glorious future.

"His last words to us were 'Ipromise the people of Adhamiyahgolden monuments once we defeatthe Americans'," remembered AbuRima one year after the deposeddictator was hanged in the Iraqicapital. "The image flashes in frontof my eyes even now like a scenefrom a film. It was April 9 and aWednesday. That date is in myblood. Saddam is in my blood,"Rima said, his voice choking withemotion. However, in a separatereport, a TV channel quoted theIraqi government as claiming that75 per cent of the Sunni militantswho had doggedly opposed theAmerican occupation since the fallof Saddam had now agreed to joinforces with the occupation army.Much of this official claim soundslike desperate propaganda. On theother, according to the rules gov-erning the shelf life of the greatmartyrs of our times, there couldalso be a grain of truth in theclaim.

them!" said a long time friendlycustomer.

Rosemary and Pat McKean remi-niscing Paramjit Singh said that"Our world was better with you init. You are missed."

Across the continent, taxi driverAmarjit Singh was attacked in asuburb of New York. Though themotive there has been said to berobbery, the victim with a wife andthree children seeks assistanceand relief from the community.

Murderous attacks over theyears have sent a wave of angerand despair in Punjab among theelderly; for the young there is stillhope of El Dorado.

(Zafarzang Singh may be con-tacted at zafarzang@gmail.com)

Could Benazir defy the adverserules governing martyrdom?

Daughter of East who befriendedWest goes down

Richmondkillings shockcommunity

PATIALA: Criticising the Punjabgovernment and the Punjab Policefor allegedly picking up and detain-ing Beant Singh’s killer JagtarSingh Hawara’s aide Baljit SinghBhaau, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)chi ef Simranjit Singh Maan todaysaid the incident proved there wasno difference between the govern-ment and extremists. “If a state isresorting to such unsavoury acts,then what was the differencebetween a state and an extremistorganisation? If a state is violatingrule of the law, how it could preventothers from doing so?” said Mann.

He also criticised linking of theBabar Khalsa outfit with theShingaar cinema blast. “Actually,this was the idea of the NationalSecurity Adviser, but there was nologic behind this linking. Whywould the Babbar Khalsa peoplekill Muslims on Id day? The cookedup story is full of contradictions.On the one hand, the central gov-ernment has been saying theBabbar Khalsa people had beengetting training in Pakistan and onthe other, it was saying theBabbars were behind the blast. IfBabbars were behind the crime,why would Pakistan extend anyhelp to them ever?”

Mann contestsBabbar Khalsa role

in cinema blast

Dissolve Wakf Board: Shahi ImamSSAANNGGRRUURR:: Shahi Imam Habib-Ul-Rehman of the Jama Masjid here hasdemanded dissolution of the PunjabWakf Board in the interest of theMuslim community. The Imam hasdemanded that an IAS-level officerfrom another state investigate scamsin the Board. He dismissed as a farcethe reported resignation of Boardchairperson Razia Sultana.

NN EE WW SS world sikh news8 January 2-8, 2008

Shekhar Gupta

Like all great political fig-ures, Benazir Bhutto wasfar from perfect. In morethan a decade of knowing

her, as a reporter on the Pakistanbeat, I often found her exasperating- as when, in the middle of an inter-view, she would digress frommouthing the juiciest lines abouther pet hate Zia-ul-Haq and startreading off totally irrelevant fig-ures on Pakistan's economy. Orwhen she would keep you waitingfor hours after fixing time for ameeting - and this could happenirrespective of whether she was inpower or not.

She was also sometimes irra-tional, as in her May 1990 attack onIndia over Kashmir. She deliveredthe famous speech inMuzaffarabad where sheexhorted Kashmiris to cutJagmohan (then J&KGovernor) into pieces:Jagmohan ko jag-jag mo-mo han-han kar do, shesaid, making a furiouschopping gesture with herleft palm on to her righthand. She could also bestupid in speaking soopenly against her army toRajiv Gandhi in what washailed as the "honeymoon" summitin the winter of 1988. Stupid,because she had not even cared toget her own rooms swept for bugs.As you would expect, the ISI had theroom nicely wired and tapes of thatdamning conversation were liberal-ly leaked to justify her sacking bythe Establishment - that remark-able Pakistani institution, the trini-ty of the army, intelligence andbureaucracy which I have alwaysspelt with capital E. She could becorrupt, as her fortunes overseaswould tell you. And, finally, shecould also be desperate for power as

evident in the compromises shelately made with Musharraf.

But while she could be exasperat-ing, confused, insecure, loud,immature, vicious, venal, desper-ate, whatever - one weakness youwould never associate with Benazirwas physical cowardice.

At a time when the Indian PrimeMinister would not step out of theSPG's embrace, I have seen her notonly having dinner with her familyin the Islamabad Marriott's opencoffee shop, but even invite me, anIndian journalist at a loose end, tojoin them for an ice cream at aBaskin Robbins or an equivalent ona nightly family drive.

She lived in Karachi, travelledoften to Larkana and those landsare not for the lily-livered. For themost part, she showed such noncha-

lance for the army estab-lishment. In the 1993 elec-tion, when she was a front-runner, one morning inher Karachi home, shetold me: "So you keep say-ing you have never been toLarkana? Come theretomorrow with me." I saidI had no visa for Larkanaand wouldn't risk ventur-ing so deep inside verysensitive Sindh withoutdocumentation. "What

will happen? At worse, they will jailyou. Then in a week I will be PrimeMinister and will send you homeand if I could last in Sukkur jail forso long, can't you survive for justone week?"

I did travel with her to Larkana,perhaps the first Indian journalistto do so in a long time, the localright-wing press went to town withBenazir's dodgy friendships in theIndian media. But she wasn't both-ered.

You have to experience Pakistan'sstreet politics to understand howchaotic and dangerous it can be.

Ours has mellowed hugely in com-parison. At the best of times, a pop-ular politician in Pakistan takeshuge physical risks. Crowds, chaos,din, drums and dust, just the rawenergy of the Pakistani streetleaves India far behind. Perhaps itis because of the spasmodic natureof that democratic process, eachrally is some kind of mass cathar-sis. Or, perhaps, as a Pakistanjourno once told me, "It is just thatwe are a mostly Punjabi nation."

But in so many years of coveringpolitics, I have never seen such acrowd, so much energy, noise, dustand adrenalin as while followingBenazir from Lahore airport whenshe returned from exile in the sum-mer of 1986. It was the first timeever that I was lost. I, who had seenso much chaos from IndiraGandhi's rallies to JP Narayan'sand the mass defiance of curfew bya million people in Guwahati. Afteran hour, I had no idea where I was,my shirt was torn. My face andhead were covered in dust likeeverybody else's but nobody seemedto mind. For a nation starved of any

democracy for nearly a decade, thiswas a moment to savour.

And the frail, then 35-year-old,who had brought it to them, thefreedom of the street, the safety ofnumbers, and hence the courage toshout slogans against Zia andAmerica, stood for those hours - inthat dust storm - on top of a totallyunprotected open truck. The truckwas to become her campaign vehi-cle for ever.

But, if Benazir wasn't so exasper-ating, she wouldn't be such an orig-inal. She could swallow so muchdust from the top of a truck, minglewith crowds, court danger, disease,inconvenience, anything. But reada disclosure in Pakistan's NationalAssembly after her second term asPM - for the short term for whichwas in power she spent nearly $6million of taxpayer's money toimport Evian mineral water fromFrance for her household.

At a personal level, I was privi-leged to have not just access andattention from her, but also adegree of informality. In 1993, asresults came in anointing her as the

new PM, she sat chatting in herhome with a small group of foreignjournos she was friendly with andturned to one from a British paper."Christopher," she said in mocklament, "How awful I have tobecome PM now when so manygreat sales are on in London. I hadto buy so much for my family."

She came to attend RajivGandhi's funeral and was put up inNew Delhi's Ashok Hotel. She hadher people seek me out and whilewe were walking though the grandlobby, she said to me,"What a greatbuilding and what a terrible hotel."Then she added with a wink and anudge,"Tell your friend NawazSharif (Nwaz shreef much like aPunjabi that she sure wasn't) andhe will sell it to some private bidderin three hours." Nawaz, then PM,was also in Delhi at that time.

Often, when she came to Delhi,she sought me out.

Our last longish conversationwas at TV anchor and her closefriend Karan Thapar's home a cou-ple of years ago. Some of the promi-nent editors Karan had invited didnot quite know her rather feudal,personal style. Outlook editor-in-chief Vinod Mehta happened to besitting to her left and as the conver-sation got more animated, he, as hisfriends and TV audiences wellknow, leaned forward to make hispoint, often touching her by nowample arm in a wonderfully warmgesture of informality. Benazirstopped me for a five-minute tattleas we were all leaving. She talkedabout this and that, and then said:"I did not know your Delhi journal-ists get so familiar with leaders.Tell me how would Sonia Gandhihandle that?"

Shekhar Gupta is the celebratedEditor In Chief of The IndianExpress. This piece is being pub-lished here, courtesy The IndianExpress.

Sawraj Singh

Benazir Bhutto’s assassinationwill prove to be a very big set-back for the American poli-

cies. Bhutto was America’s lasthope for mending relations with theIslamic world. Pakistan has beenAmerica’s most important ally inthe fight against terrorism.Bhutto’s assassination will pushPakistan into chaos and instabilitythat will only help the Islamic fun-damentalists.

Pakistan does not have a leader ofBhutto’s stature and charisma atthis time. There are only two wellknown leaders in Pakistan at pres-ent, Pervez Musharraf and NawazSharif. Musharraf has been consid-erably weakened and discredited.Moreover, the Pakistani army haslost its influence and prestigebecause of its poor performanceagainst the Islamists, particularlyin the Northwest Frontier tribalareas. There are deep divisions inthe army. The upper ranks are pro-Western, but the lower ranks aregenerally pro-Islamist and anti-Western in their outlook. NawazSharif can be acceptable to theIslamists but is not very attractiveto the West.

Bhutto represented the pro-Western elite that has dominatedthe subcontinent in the last sixtyyears. Her assassination is not onlygoing to weaken this elite class inPakistan, but will lead to the overall

decline of the pro-Western forces inthe subcontinent. Islamic funda-mentalism will radicalize and fur-ther polarize the subcontinent.Bhutto’s assassination and the vic-tory of Narendra Modi, the funda-mentalist Hindu leader in Gujarat,both will be steps in that direction.

However, there is a basic differ-ence between the Islamic andHindu fundamentalism. The Hindufundamentalism has rightist andpro-western leanings. The Islamicfundamentalism at this time hastaken a strong anti-imperialiststand by challenging the westerndomination of the world.Therefore, an alliance of theIslamic fundamentalists and theradical left cannot be ruled out inthe subcontinent becauseChairman Mao Tse Tung said, “theenemy of my enemy is my friend.”Even though Hindu fundamental-ism has a soft corner for the West,particularly because it shares theanti-Islamic feeling with the West,yet it objectively goes against thefundamental interests of the Westbecause of its differences with theWest on the issues of liberalismand secularism. Moreover, Hindufundamentalism will only encour-age retaliatory Islamic fundamen-talism in the subcontinent.

Pakistan may have been lost as astable and crucial ally forever.Benazir Bhutto leaves a vacuum forAmerica that will be very difficult ifnot impossible to fill at this time.

ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic U-turn, the Pakistan government"apologised" for claiming earlierthat former premier Benazir Bhuttodied of a skull fracture after hittingthe sunroof of her car during a sui-cide attack.

Caretaker Interior MinisterHamid Nawaz Khan has asked themedia and people to "forgive andignore" comments made by his min-istry's spokesman Javed IqbalCheema which were slammed byher Pakistan People's Party as "lies"and led to an uproar at home andabroad.

The Interior Minister made theapology during a briefing forPakistani newspaper editors onMonday.

Punjab province on Tuesdayissued a front-page advertisement innewspapers that offered a reward ofRs 1 crore for information about agunman and a suspected suicidebomber seen in the photos and videofootage of the assassination.

The government's apparent dam-age control exercise on Cheema'scomments made at a news confer-ence a day after Bhutto was assassi-nated at Liaquat Bagh inRawalpindi on December 27, cameafter TV channels aired privatelyshot photos and video footage whichshowed a gunman shooting atBhutto.

The Pakistan People's Partyleader is seen in the footage falling

through the sun-roof before the sui-cide bomber detonated his explo-sives.

The briefing by caretaker PrimeMinister Mohammedmian Soomrowas also attended by the foreign,interior and information ministersand senior officials.

"Editor after editor lambasted thegovernment for its non-serious atti-tude towards the tragedy, speciallythe statement that Bhutto had diedby hitting the lever and not (due to)a bullet or shrapnel," The Newsreported.

During the briefing, an editorasked why spokesman Cheema hadsaid that a lever on the sun-roof hadcaused a fatal injury when the man-ufacturers of the car and Bhutto'shusband Asif Ali Zardari had statedthat there was no metallic lever thatcould have caused the wound.

Khan said the spokesman's com-ments may have been a mistake as"we are faujis (soldiers) and we arenot so articulate to present ourviews as you journalists can".

Both the interior minister andspokesman Cheema are retiredarmy officers.

"I am sorry if that happened andplease forgive us and ignore thecomment," he told the editors.

Earlier, Prime Minister Soomrotried to defend the interior min-istry's spokesman, saying he wasjust relaying facts that had been toldto him, especially about the cause of

death."We are conducting an investiga-

tion and all TV footage, all evidence,that would be available will help inreaching a definite conclusion,"Soomro told teh editors.

But the editors asked more ques-tions, especially with reference tothe medical report of doctors ofRawalpindi General Hospital whotreated Bhutto.

They "emphatically pointed outthat the report quoted by thespokesman never mentioned thecause of the head injury" to Bhutto.

The report only said there was askull fracture that caused cardio-pulmonary arrest, the editors point-ed out.

Soomro then referred the issue toInterior Minister Khan. Heexplained in detail the securitymeasures taken and asserted thatBhutto had a bulletproof vehiclewhich could not be damaged by abomb or bullets.

Once she was inside it, she wassecure and police vans were tryingto keep her car clear of other vehi-cles. But when she emerged from thesun-roof she exposed herself to anattack, Khan said.

"Nothing would have happened toher even if every one in the worldhad wanted to hurt her," theMinister added.

However, the government tookanother U-turn later, saying the fac-tual position remained as it was.

Lahore dust and a London sale

Shekhar Gupta

Bhutto’s Assassination,a Big Blow to America

Pak govt says Benazir death

accidental, makes U-turns later

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COLOMBO: Sri Lankan defencesecretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksahas hinted that Tamil Tigers chiefVelupillai Prabhakaran mighthave been killed in the air raid onhis bunker on November 26.

“Our intelligence sourcesbelieve that he (Prabhakaran)was seriously injured or killed. Itis obvious that the LTTE will notdivulge this for a long period,”Rajapaksa told government-run‘Sunday Observer’.

He discounted the validity ofthe pictures put out by the LTTEof Prabhakaran delivering hisannual Heroes’ Day address overTV and radio on November 27, aday after he was supposedlyinjured or killed in an air raid.“The LTTE can also publish pic-tures but (the pictures) do notgive any indication that he isalive, until he comes for a publicmeeting,” Rajapaksa said.

In another interview in thesame paper, Sri Lanka’s armychief Sarath Fonseka said the SriLankan air force had plans toattack all LTTE bases in the northSri Lanka. According to Fonseka,the LTTE is left with only 3,000cadres. “Over 500 cadres havebeen killed by the armed forces.We have weakened the LTTE by50% or more and we are confidentwe can go that extra mile in thecoming year,” said the general,who survived an attempt on hislife by an LTTE suicide bomber inApril 2006.

Asked if Prabhakaran’s deathwould mean the end of the LTTE,Rajapaksa said that it might notbe so but it would be a “major fac-tor that would gradually destroytheir organisation”.

Meanwhile, Tamil Tiger rebelsadmitted that government forceslaunched incursions into north-ern rebel-held territory, but saidthe soldiers had been repulsedand denied army claims that atleast 20 guerrillas were killed.

Soldiers seized part ofParappakandal village in north-ern Mannar district on Saturday,a defense official said on condi-tion of anonymity.

Rebel spokesman RasiahIlanthirayan said in an e-mailedstatement that government sol-diers launched a three-prongedoffensive around theParappakandal area but therebels beat them back on twofronts. Fighting had continued insome locations, he said.Ilanthirayan said 20 soldiers werekilled in the fighting and 40 morewere wounded, while three rebelsalso died.

NAUDERO: AssassinatedPakistani opposition leaderBenazir Bhutto's party will takepart in the January 8 general elec-tion, as she would have wanted,her husband and new co-chair-man of her party, Asif AliZardari, said on Sunday.

"Despite this dangerous situa-tion, we will go for elections,according to her will and think-ing," Zardari told a news confer-ence at the Bhutto family home inNaudero in the south of the country.

Asif Ali Zardari also called onformer premier Nawaz Sharif toreverse his decision to boycott thepolls, which Sharif hadannounced as a gesture of solidar-ity in the wake of Bhutto's assassi-nation on Thursday.

"We are grateful to NawazSharif for announcing a boycott ofthe election. But we appeal to him

to end the boycott and take part." "We will go to elections,"

Zardari further told a news con-ference at which his 19-year-oldson Bilawal was named as the newchairman of the Pakistan People'sParty.

PPP also rejected any govern-ment investigation into the assas-sination of Benazir Bhutto anddemanded a probe by the UnitedNations into the tragic incident.

"We reject their (Pakistan gov-ernment's) commissions, judgesand police. We want an interna-tional investigation team to probethe killing of Benazir," PPP co-chairman and Bhutto's husbandAsif Ali Zarari told reporters.

"We will write to the UnitedNations and the BritishGovernment to order an interna-tional investigation into the mar-tyrdom of Benazir Bhutto," hesaid.

ISLAMABAD: Mukhtaran Mai,who gained global prominence forher campaign to seek justice aftershe was gang-raped, has mournedthe assassination of former pre-mier Benazir Bhutto calling her"the last hope for the women ofPakistan."

"I am feeling lonely at this timebecause Bhutto was the last hopeof women activists. I am proud of

being a woman because of her(courage)," Mukhtaran Mai toldthe media.

Mukhtaran Mai said Bhutto wasa great leader and her assassina-tion was a national tragedy.

She said the killing of Bhuttowas tantamount to the "murder ofdemocracy in Pakistan" and thecountry now had no one who couldrepresent it at the world level.

Mai, who was gang-raped bymen of higher clan, also demandeda probe into the killing by foreigninvestigators.

She said her organisation,formed with the settlement money,would hold a "Quran Khwani" forBhutto and that she would visit herancestral village in Sindh provinceto offer her condolences to theslain leader's family.

KATHMANDU: Five formerMaoist rebels were sworn in as gov-ernment ministers in Nepal, end-ing a political crisis that beganwhen the ex-guerrillas walked outof a coalition government threemonths ago.

The ex-rebels agreed to rejointhe interim coalition governmentafter the country's seven mainpolitical parties agreed last weekto abolish the country's monarchyimmediately after elections nowscheduled for April.

The Maoists withdrew from thegovernment on Sept. 18 demand-ing electoral reform and the imme-diate removal of the king, plung-ing Nepal into a political crisisand forcing the government topostpone elections initiallyplanned for November.

Two of the five will hold keypositions. The Maoists' spokesmanKrishna Bahadur Mahara will be

Minister for Communication andInformation, with control of allstate-run media, while DevGurung is to be the Minister forLocal Development, controllingcity and village councils. MatrikaYadav will be Minister for Forestand Soil Conservation, whileHisila Yami becomes the Ministerfor Physical Planning.

``We fought for a constituentassembly for 10 years. It will be ourpriority to make the election to theassembly a success. As a responsi-ble party representing the peoplewe will do all we can to work for thenation and the people and for sus-tainable peace,'' Yami said late onSunday.

Four of the five new ministershad already served in the govern-ment between April and September.Only Pampha Bhusal is new to theCabinet, and will be the Ministerfor Women and Social Welfare.

The decision to abolish the cen-turies-old monarchy and turnNepal into a republic was endorsedby Parliament last Friday.

The monarch, King Gyanendra,seized absolute control over thecountry in 2005, but was forced torelinquish most of his powers fol-lowing widespread protests in April2006. The Communist rebels gaveup their decade-long armed revoltlast year after more than 13,000 peo-ple died in the fighting against gov-ernment forces.

``The re-entry of Maoists in thegovernment has certainly endedthe political uncertainties inNepal,'' said Krishna Khanal, apolitical science professor at theTribhuwan University inKathmandu.

But Khanal said holding success-ful elections now depends on howthe government handles ethnictrouble in the south.

LARKANA: Bilawal BhuttoZardari in his first ever press con-ference as the Chairman of theparty thanked the CEC membersand said that he remained commit-ted to the federation of Pakistan.

"Democracy is best revenge,"Bilawal said and added that thePPP would work with a "renewedvigour".

The 19-year-old son of slain for-mer Pakistan premier BenazirBhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, onSunday was elected as theChairman of Pakistan People'sParty (PPP) by the members of theCentral Executive Committee ofthe party at a meeting which washeld at Bhutto's parental NauderoHouse in Larkana.

Senior Vice-Chairman of theparty Makhdoom Amin Fahim,who presided over Sunday's meet-ing, announced this at a press con-ference after the marathon meet-ing that went for over five hours.

Fahim said that during themeeting Bilawal read out hismother's will that was signed onOctober 16, two days before shereturned to Pakistan ending herself-exile.

"In the will, Benazir had statedthat if she dies then her husbandAsif Ali Zardari would lead theparty, but during today's meetingZardari said that he would nottake the responsibility and offeredthe post to his son Bilawal, whichwas endorsed by everyone," Fahimtold reporters.

Later in the press conference

Zardari, who has been appointedas the co-chairman of the party,said, "Benazir ki tasveer Bilawal(Benazir's image is Bilawal)," thatled to party workers shout slogansin praise of Benazir and her sonBilawal.

The party constitution, however,states that the Chairman of theparty must be at least 22 years old.

Earlier in the day, PPPspokesperson Sherry Rehman hadsaid that Bilawal is not keen totake up the post and wants to pur-sue his studies at the OxfordUniversity.

ISLAMABAD: The party of for-mer Pakistan premier NawazSharif will take part in scheduledelections on January 8, after earli-er saying it would boycott, twospokesmen said on Sunday.

"We will contest the election," aparty spokesman said. Meanwhile apersonal spokesman for Sharif saidthe decision was taken after slainopposition leader Benazir Bhutto'shusband Asif Ali Zardari hadasked Sharif's party to participate."No major party should boycottbecause it would damage democra-cy," the spokesman, Zaeem Qadri,quoted Zardari as telling Sharif.The party said the boycott had beenannounced as a gesture of solidari-ty after Bhutto was assassinated ata campaign rally on Thursday.

Bhutto had come back toPakistan from exile in October tocontest the elections.

PPP will takepart in elections,

says Zardari

Bhutto was last hope forwomen: Mukhtaran Mai

Democracy bestrevenge, says Bilawal

Bhutto Zardari

Sharif’s party tooends poll boycott

Five ex-Maoists rejoin Nepal govt

Prabhakaranmay be dead,

says SriLankan govt

Lankan TamilMP shot dead

COLOMBO: An ethnic Tamil SriLankan opposition MP has beenshot dead by an unidentified gun-man while attending a New Yearservice at a Hindu temple in the cap-ital, police and hospital officials saidon Tuesday.

T Maheswaran, a lawmaker fromthe United National Party (UNP),died after being admitted to theColombo National Hospital follow-ing the shooting inside the SivamTemple, hospital spokeswomanPushpa Soysa said.

"He had several bullet injuries,including to the head," Soysa said."Another 10 people who werewounded have been brought fortreatment." Maheswaran, who rep-resents the embattled northern dis-trict of Jaffna, has been highly criti-cal of the government's militarycampaign. He survived a similarattack two years ago.

Police said the gunman was min-gling with devotees at the templeand pulled out a revolver and shotMaheswaran at close range.

A Sri Lankan police commandostands guard at the scene of the

shooting in Colombo

Dr Amrik Singh

Rawalpindi has earnedthe notorious reputa-tion of terminating lifespan of three former

Prime Ministers of Pakistan.Liyakat Bagh Park whereBenazir made her last speechbears the name of the first PrimeMinister Liyakat Ali Khan 1896-1951. He breathed his last afterbeing fatally shot in 1951 by a pro-fessional Afghan assassin.Military dictator Zia ul Haq inthe name of Islamic reformsordered the execution of ZulfikarAli Bhutto in 1979 in an open defi-ance to the mounting interna-tional diplomatic pressure. Z.A.Bhutto's death sentence inRawalpindi represented Zia'schilling message to the civilizedworld that democracy inPakistan was irrelevant. The USthen had different priorities; oneof them was to defeat Russians'war against God.

A city built on the ruins ofgreat Indus civilization,Rawalpindi remained a magnetfor business and cultural activi-ties during 1765 -1849 untilBritish Governor General LordDalhousie annexed sovereignPunjab. He made it a largest hubof the British Military Garrison.After independence in 1947,Rawalpindi became the head-quarters of the Pakistan nation-al army. As a satellite town of thenation's capital, Islamabad, itsstrategic importance alwaysremained of paramount interest.

In ancient times 350 BC- 280BC, Taxila-one of seven tehsils ofRawalpindi district, attractedstudents in thousands from allover the world and had reputablefigures like Chanakya on its staff.It is believed Kautilya completedArthshashtra while serving as ateacher in the ancient seat oflearning. UNESCO declared itas a World Heritage Site.Violence was once abhorred herewhen it was the capital ofBuddhist King Gandhara in preChristian era. Today, Gandharaschool of art is a popular subjectof scholarly studies.

British ascension to the Raj ineighteenth century changed thecomplexion of South Asian polit-ical demography. The main-stream thinking of the EastIndia Company was not to med-dle in the affairs of Punjab.However, the death of MaharajaRanjit Singh left a vacuum thatcould be only filled by theBritish. The turmoil had startedwith mutiny in 1857. The Britishnever had a rollercoaster ride inIndia after they brought Punjab

under their control.The mandate of the post-World

War II situation required that theBritish leave India. The resultingpartition took place by compro-mising all norms of decency andcardinal wisdom of non-violenceof ancient Buddhists; and by giv-ing prominence to intolerance,hatred, and violence. The legacyof the Raj influenced the socialand political life of the two coun-tries. India emerged as thelargest democracy on earth.Pakistan, however, found itselfon a very slippery ground afterthe assassination of the fistPrime Minister Liyakat AliKhan in 1951. The bumpy ride ofthe civilian rule ceased whenmilitary dictator Ayub Khan setthe precedent that the rod rulesbetter than the consensus. Theconstitution was never followed.Instead each military dictatorrevised it to suit his design.

The blame of Benazir's assas-sination squarely falls on GenMusharraf as he remained apa-thetic to her request for security.Benazir had entered into anuneasy alliance with

Musharraf, she continued to bea staunch critic of his policies.In the aftermath of 9/11, shewrote an article in WashingtonPost in September 2001criticiz-ing George Bush's excessivereliance on a dictator whoseonly qualification was that hemurdered democracy inPakistan. It was strange thatGeorge Bush continued to treatMusharraf with fondness evenwhen he crushed civil rights ofjudges, journalists and commoncitizens with impunity. Theclamping of emergency, termi-nation of the entire judiciaryand unlawfull killing of dissent-ing voices were clear signals ofhow the dictator would treatsomeone who promised civilrule to the masses.

Benazir's assassination is asevere setback to Bush's war onterrorism. As it was flawedright from the beginning, Bushdidn't pay any attention toBenazir's apprehensions. Shehinted at ISI's covenant withunderground militants.Undoubtedly, ISI is the key ele-ment in the military controlled

administration of Pakistan.Benazir's allegation ofMusharraf's shelter to terroristgroups was never investigated.

The absence of democracy inPakistan and the dictatorshipin the name of Islamic laws toocould not alleviate the miseriesof Pakistanis. Innumerablehuman lives are sacrificed atthe altar of twisted justice.

India and Pakistan are twokey players in South Asia.Unless they build a coalition tohonor its citizen's civil rights,no external power can do betterfor the welfare of the region.The trend of fanning hostilitieson both sides of the borders tochart political careers in fla-grant violation of civil behav-ior will remain counterproduc-tive and self-destructive. Indiacan play a significant role indemocratizing Pakistan , butonly if she holds out the high-est democratic principles ofrespecting minorities' right toshare the fruits of freedom.

(The author is based inSacramento, California)

TT HH EE EE DD II TT PP AA GG EE world sikh news10 January 2-8, 2008

2007hasn't been a great year for theglobe. It has been deadliest in Iraq

in recent history. Various people's movementsfighting against oppression and tyranny ofnation states are being slapped with a tagwhich their oppressors think will work thebest in such troubled times - the tag of beingpart of the global terror network. As we usherin the new year with special programs in gur-dwaras, kirtan darbars, family get togethersand the spirit of stock-taking weaved with thejoie de vivre, we must also assess the per-ceived image of the Sikh community acrossthe globe. In these times of confused identi-ties and preconceived notions impactingagendas, we must weigh the outcome of theanti-Sikh and anti-Punjab propaganda thatthe mainstream India media tilts towardswhenever the cops find couple of criminalsroaming with some explosives. What is moreshady is the way such arrests take place. Theentire police story comes under a cloud oncesections of the media blow holes the size ofIndian ocean into cops' claims.

The recent arrests of so called BabbarKhalsa activists fall in this category and itwill probably never be known as to what wasthe real extent of their involvement. While noless an authority than the head of the PunjabPolice himself announced the arrests, it issurprising that many vernacular dailies hadreported the arrests many days before thepolice says it got to know about the presenceof these men in a certain area.

If the police indeed arrested them on thedates the DGP claimed it did, why were therelatives of the arrested men giving state-ments days earlier to the media about policepicking them up? Also, in one case thepolice said it arrested a man intending totrigger a bomb in Nurmahal. As per thecops, he was carrying in his pocket a map ofthe Phagwara-Nurmahal road. A trainedterrorist making his third attempt carryinga map of the straightest stretch of the roadwhich every village bumpkin knows? Why isthe public's intelligence being so grosslyinsulted?

There is something fishy in this entire mat-ter and the only contribution that the PunjabPolice chief has made is to the muddle creat-ed by his cops.

No surprise that the official or the officiallyinclined media laps up the stories served on aplatter. One of the popular websites on Indiawas quick to proclaim that with the arrest of"four suspected activists of the BabbarKhalsa, the worst fears of the people ofPunjab" have been rekindled. It headlined thestory sensationally as: "ISI-sponsored Sikhmilitancy back".

"The Intelligence Bureau had always cau-tioned the police and the state administrationregarding the revival of Sikh militancy in thestate. The arrest of these militants only goeson to confirm this."

How is this website aware of the fact that IBhas been "always" cautioning the police onthis matter? Unless it is the IB, or at least apart of it!

"A report prepared to this effect by the IBalso points out that ISI has plans to reviveSikh militancy in a big way." Clearly, this iswhat official India wants the world to knowabout Sikhs. The community must guardagainst such stratagems and discuss the issuethreadbare. It is very necessary that we takecare of the larger image of the Sikh commu-nity in times when the US is leading a waragainst terror and it is rather easy to slap agroup with some dirty terror label and makeit more vulnerable.

Reflect uponthe imagereflected

world sikh newsEvery man builds his world in his own

image. He has the power to choose, but nopower to escape the necessity of choice.

—Ayn Rand

✍

Benazir Bhutto’s Assassinationand The Crash of Civilizations

Benazir’s assassination is a severesetback to Bush’s war on terrorism. Asit was flawed right from the beginning,

Bush didn’t pay any attention to herapprehensions. She hinted at ISI’s

covenant with underground militants.Undoubtedly, ISI is the key element

in the military-controlledadministration of Pakistan

She offered to pour me tea, asked about my childrenFakir Hassen

Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinat-ed last Thursday as she left a rally,had a unique bearing that madeher stand out among many world

leaders. I was fortunate to be one of very fewjournalists who got the opportunity to inter-view the then prime minister of Pakistanwhen she attended the inauguration ofNelson Mandela’s presidency in 1994 togeth-er with scores of other world leaders.

I recall my first impression being that shemust be spending a lot of time on her makeup,as she had this flawless image that made me

think she could easily have been a movie starherself. But the initial perception of a stern,domineering politician faded away veryquickly as Bhutto enquired after my ownchildren and spoke about her love for chil-dren generally, although she remained fierce-ly protective of giving any details about herown children. The imposing presence meltedeven more quickly as she offered to pour me acup of tea herself, despite aides being at hand.

Then Bhutto chatted informally, revealinga great depth of knowledge about the histo-ry of South African politics, and wanting toknow whether the South Africans of Indiandescent included those whose forebears

came from what is now Pakistan and howthey felt about the newfound freedom fromapartheid rule and democracy here. It wasalmost turning into me becoming the inter-viewee rather than interviewer when anaide reminded us of the time constraint andwe reverted to the original purpose.

Now, as speculation continues about whowas behind the assassination and even howthe leader died, her words seem to ring alarmbells about attitudes towards not just socialvalues, but even religious prescriptions in aworld gone awry with global terrorism.

(Fakir Hassen is a Johannesburg-basedjournalist)

TT HH EE OO PP -- EE DD PP AA GG EEworld sikh news January 2-8, 2008 11

L E T T E R S

Keep us posted aboutnews and events inyour area as also yourfeedback to stuff inthe WSN, and theseshall surely find duemention in our pages.Letters may be editedfor reasons of space orstyle. All lettersshould be mailed toworldsikhnews@gmail.com

Jodha Singh

Oscar Wilde said the bestway of dealing with atemptation is to yield toit. At least on this occa-

sion, I would go with theIrishman. I just couln't resist theurge of the 'countdown' spiritwhich often takes over betweenYuletide and the New Year(although not the NanakshahiSikh calendar) and gives us anoccasion and some time forthoughts and reflections. Here ismy list of this year's top 5 eventsthat will influence 2008 andbeyond.

5. Khalsa Kids - The Sikh dias-pora is coming of age and creat-ing new tools for the community.It has been over ten years sincethe suicide of 13 year old VijaySingh in the UK after beingrepeatedly bullied in school.Unfortunately the bullying ofyoung Sikh boys tends to be therule and not the exception. TheSikh Coalition released a harrow-ing report that showed 77.5% ofSikh boys surveyed in Queensreported being teased or harassedon account of their Sikh identity.However, the community isbeginning to respond and itreveals a coming of age here inthe US Sikh population.

A Sikh teacher, SriNam SinghKhalsa, recently published Breakthe Bullying: InterventionTechniques and Activities toCreate a Respectful SchoolCommunity. This book providesstrategies to enable school teach-ers and administrators in helpingnot only the victims of bullies,but also the bullies themselves.Another book, written by a Sikhhigh school student, HarkiratSingh Hansra, helps to give non-Sikhs, especially students, a basicunderstanding on Sikhi. TitledLiberty at Stake - Sikhs: The MostVisible Yet Understood Minorityin America provides a Sikhteenager's perspective of theworld around him. Finally, per-haps the most innovative projectwas the Sikh Coalition's launch ofits Khalsa Kids website (link -http://www.khalsakids.org ).Fun, interactive, and professionalthe Sikh Coalition must be com-mended for creating a real toolthat will serve Sikh communitiesthroughout the world. That theSikh community has a multi-faceted approach and is using itsresources is a great success of2007 that will set the bar for 2008and beyond.

4. Bhindranwale's picture inthe Sikh Museum - Although thiscontroversy broke out during thelast month of the year, its notabil-ity makes it worthy of inclusion.Demands for the installation ofJarnail Singh Bhindranwale'spicture in the Sikh Museum atDarbar Sahib had been raised forsome time. Finally the SGPCacquiesced to the views of theSikh community. No sooner wasthe portrait installed than theSangh Parivar and its allies werethreatening action. The ShivSena even offered a reward of foranyone that would tear down theportrait. Many Sikhs were puz-zled as the portraits of otherShaheeds of 1984 had been in theSikh Museum for decades.Bhindranwale's posters and cas-settes have been widely availableand distributed for years.Bhindranwale merchandise is atop-seller throughout Punjab andis extremely popular at ruralmelas and events. The ImmortalShaheedi albums and songs by

Tigerstyle are only now begin-ning to reach the Punjab country-side and are popular amongst theyouth. Although seemingly com-pletely senile, there may be truthto Khushwant Singh's commentthat the "Bhindranwale's ghoststill stalks the Punjab country-side disturbing the sleep of thePunjabi Hindu and the con-science of the Punjabi Sikh."Despite the empty threats of theSangh Parivar, the SGPC hasstood firm with the Sikh commu-nity. The most critical point isthat a community decides its ownheroes and that no other commu-nity should be able to interferewith its decision. Whether oneagrees or disagrees with theviews and deeds of Jarnail SinghBhindranwale, it is undoubtedthat he was one of the most influ-ential Sikhs of the 20th centuryand continues to be in the 21st.He deserves a place in the SikhMuseum now and forever.

3. Ishmeet and the 'Sikh Turn' -It may seem odd that we wouldinclude the winner of an Indiantalent show in our top 3, but theissue is far bigger than Ishmeet.The pagri is the flag of thePunjabi Sikhs. Although manyworry that it is disappearing inPunjab, its place in the psyche ofPunjabi Sikh remains strong.Whether Ravinder Grewal's Paghor Pammi Bhai's Pagg manySikhs are rallying behind theimportance of the turban. TheAmritsar-based Akal Purakh KiFauj, the vanguard organizationin taking on this issue, has suc-cessfully organized a Mr. SinghInternational Beauty competi-tion, created turban tying videos,and even 'smart turban' software.Although many Sikh youths havefor the time being removed theirturbans, their sense of a religio-ethnic identity still remainsstrong. Maybe the temptations ofmodernity and especially thedesires of the opposite sex arestrong and many feel that at thispoint in their life they wouldrather pursue women and cannotlive up to the great ideals of theirGurus. This should not be readas a rejection of those ideals but arealization of where they are andtheir priorities at this time.(Though this may be the case ofthose that remove their pagri ontheir own account and not inthose families and childrenwhere they never had it as manyin the diaspora) The way thePunjabi Sikh youth ralliedbehind Ishmeet Singh's turban towin him the title of 'Star Voice ofIndia' shows, however, that thepagri flag does create unifyingmarker. The success of

Rohanpreet Singh of Patiala inthe Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs2007 competition may mobilizethe same Sikh support through-out Punjab and the world.

As discussed previously, the'Sikh turn' is occurring. The psy-chological tragedy of the post-1993 Sikh community is begin-ning to wane and we may be wit-nessing the dawn of a new era. Itmay not be in the Khalsa symbol-ic form that many hope, but areligio-ethnic movement is occur-ring. The youth are not disinter-ested and disconnected; they areengaged and can be mobilized.The pull of the pagri is not deadin Punjab either as we see manyBihari migrants joining theQaum's ranks. This is a goodsign. A new generation will soonhave its own version of 'pagrisambhal jatta.'

2. Pakistani Sikh AnandMarriage Act - That many Sikhorganizations clamoring to takecredit for this legislation showsthat there is an understanding ofits success and implications. Thepassage of the original AnandMarriage Act in 1909 was seen asa success of the Singh SabhaMovement and its relationshipwith the British Raj. The Act wasseen as recognition of the Sikhcommunity's long-standing inde-pendent status. Now in legisla-tive and judiciary workings theywould be on the same footing asthat of Muslims and Hindus. Itwas with the transfer of powerand creation of India andPakistan that this Act was said tofall within the Hindu MarriageAct of 1955. As the Sikh constitu-tional representatives saw thatthe progress of recognition wasbeing rolled back, they refused tosign the Indian constitution. Therecent efforts of the PakistanSikh Gurdwara PrabandhakCommittee and AmericanGurdwara ParbhandakCommittee bore fruition thisNovember during the 539th birthanniversary of Sikh founder -Guru Nanak, when Pakistan'sFederal Law Minister, SayedAfzel, announced at NankanaSahib that Pakistan will recog-nize and enact legislation recog-nizing the Anand Marriage Act.For the globalized Sikh communi-ties this success will sparkincreased debate in India andbeyond. Despite the continuingdisappointment of the Sikh com-munities' position in France, suc-cess in this matter in Pakistangives new hope and new legisla-tive impetus for the Sikh commu-nity in 2008 and beyond.

1. Dera Sacha Sauda Incident -No other issue galvanized the

Sikh community this year thanthe Dera Sacha Sauda incident.The Indian press and those withlittle understanding of the com-munity falsely labeled this assome sort of form of 'fundamen-talism' at issue. Such a misread-ing displays little understandingof the dynamics of the Sikh com-munity. The issue had long beensimmering with a number of dif-ferent Dera Babas and their pro-liferation throughout the state.Previous confrontations withBhaniarawala, Ashutosh, and theNirankaris have created a longcontinuous history of such con-frontations. Conflicts arise andbecome violent only with thosederas that try to appropriate thesymbolism and heritage of thedistinct Sikh Qaum as their own.The chief of Bhaniarawala notonly sponsored a book that hewished to call a 'granth,' at eventshe purposely placed it higherthan the Sikhs' revered GuruGranth Sahib and still later hadbirs of the Guru Granth Sahibburned. Ashutosh began claim-ing himself as the living embodi-ment of the Guru Granth Sahiband thus the Khalsa Panth andGuru Granth are no longer need-ed. Dera Sacha Sauda's chief notonly attempted to make himselfequal by donning the iconogra-phy of Guru Gobind Singh, butattempted to imitate one of themost critical events - the found-ing of the Khalsa - as his own.Although one hopes that suchridiculous attempts would not bemade by these cheats and vio-lence would not be employed ascountermeasures, the communi-ty will stand up for its honoragainst invasions and disrespectby others that try to appropriateits lineage, history, and symbolicicons.

The Dera Sacha Sauda incidentsaw waves of Sikh youth rallyingbehind the cause. Motorcyclemorchas (processions) were seenthroughout the state. Thesegroups were not only Amritdharior Keshadhari Sikhs, butinvolved many others that have aconnection to their Guru. It wasdue to the youth pressure that theSikh clergy had to take positionsthat it did not want to take. Sikhsshould not look towards the oldestablishment (Akali Dal, SGPC,Jathedars, etc) for leadership, butthe Sikh youth must itself beready to lead. The mobilizationof Sikh masses in defense of theSikh religion shows that the spir-it of the community is alive andengaged. This is an example ofthe 'Sikh turn' mentioned earlier.

With the rise of the Dera SachaSauda incident to prominence,much ink has been spilled in try-ing to understand the phenome-non. We hope that members of theSikh community recommit them-selves to fighting casteism andother hierarchies that have ledmembers of our community tofind refuge in the lairs of liars.Understanding the phenomenonand making changes in one's ownlife is the key to our salvation as acommunity.

While I wish I could includemore social issues, such as sex-selective abortion, the rise of drugabuse, violence against women,casteism, these are systemic prob-lems where progress usually is notmade in data points on a 'top 5' list.However, these systemic issues aresome of the key issues that I hopethe Sikh community resolves tocombat and recommit to alleviateby following the examples of ourbeloved Gurus.

2007: Top 5 Sikh CountdownIt’s getting awayfrom us,brothers

Dear Editor, I read with somegenuine interest and also afair amount of cynicism yournews report regarding anoth-er witness having arrived onthe scene, ready to testifyagainst Jagdish Tytler, theman everyone knows as one ofthe principal perpetrators ofthe 1984 carnage of the Sikhs.You in the media, along withthe civil society, will continueto present proof after proof ofwhat everyone knows to betrue, yet nothing is likely tohappen. Yes sir, that is the sadtruth. I am not suggestingthat you give up on yourstruggle against such massmurderers. After all, it is thestruggle of men like AdvocateHS Phoolka and many of ourworthy friends in India whohave kept at least some hopealive of there being some jus-tice. I say there is only somehope, but that certainly doesnot demean the efforts ofthese really committed peoplebut says much for the system.Similarly, your coverage ofthe issue, like the aforemen-tioned report of another mancoming forward willing to tes-tify against mass murdererTytler, does go a long way inmaking people aware of justhow sad the justice-dispensa-tion situation in India is.Report after report like thatdoes stir up the blood of eventhe most neutral of observersbut ironically, it doesabsolutely nothing to makethe Indian establishment takenote of the matter. I hate tosay this my dear Sikh broth-ers and sisters but we live in aday and age in which Indiahas its first-ever Sikh head ofstate, yet there is no hope ofthe Sikh community gettingjustice anywhere in the nearfuture for the worst of crimesagainst humanity committedover two decades ago andelaborately documented zil-lions of times. What a tragedyfor the Sikh community thatthe first-ever non-Hinduprime minister of India (aSikh prime minister to be pre-cise) though so well known asa man of fair and independ-ent thinking has disappointedeveryone who had faith inhim after assuming charge.That he is completely helplessin the face of all the pulls andpressures that be is clear forall to see. Well, if there’s nohope for the communitydespite having someone fromwithin at the helm of affairs, Idoubt if there will ever be.\

—Tejinder Singhvia email

Not being able to resist theurge of the ‘countdown’ spirit

which often takes overbetween Yuletide and the New

Year (although not theNanakshahi Sikh calendar)

and gives us an occasion andsome time for thoughts and

reflections, here is a list of thisyear’s top 5 events that willinfluence 2008 and beyond

develop critical mass, religiousimmigrant communities are

gaining footholds in civic life inthe United States. These communities are being changed bywhat the American politicaprocess demands of them tohave their voices heard. Andthey in turn are influencinghow America sees its ownethics, politics, and religiouscommitments. The Fourth oJuly is an occasion best suitedfor us to ruminate on the issuesinvolved.

Asian Indians were found inthe United States as early as a

hundred years ago. The firsSikhs who entered the United

States were labeled as Hindus whilesome of other South Asian

Americans were part of theBritish Indian Army. Eighty

five percent of South AsianAmericans coming to

Canada and Californiabetween the period

of 1900

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world sikh news December 12-18, 2007 13TEXTING RELIGION January 2-8, 2008 13

Jagmohan Singh

In this Tercentenary year of Gurushipof Guru Granth Sahib Ji, WSN willcontinue to provide a platform toexplore newer ways of commemorat-ing the uniqueness of its teachings.

Jagmohan Singh presents the Sikhi MessageSewa initiated by young netr-preneur Harjinder Singh,using a new medium, hithertomisused by mobile companiesand marketing giants.

You are a Sikh living in Indiaand you have a cell-phone -thenget set for SMS downpour. Theyare not the regular irritatingmessages, but the sewa-orient-ed social service of an ener-

getic young and devout Sikh.While advertising networks are still exper-

imenting with this new medium, HarjinderSingh- a net-savvy and progressive manage-ment student has hit upon this new mediumto stay in touch. "This is my way of celebrat-ing the Tercentenary of Guruship of GuruGranth Sahib. Within 30 seconds, a messagefrom the SikhNetwork set up through thewebsite www.sikhismonphone.com reaches30,000 viewers across India" says the humblesmart-looking Ludhiana lad. Powered by theteam of smsgupshup.com, it takes mobilemessaging to a new spiritual level.

Over a period of six months, the member-ship of this SMS group has grown from amodest 500 to a whopping 30,000. Harjinderis working hard to touch the target of 200,000to coincide with the celebrations of theGurtagaddi Diwas of Guru Granth Sahib Ji,in October 2008.

Using the medium of cellular phones, thiswebsite simply asks you to provide a cellnumber. The rest follows on our phone, oncea day and sometimes more. Prefixed or suf-fixed with the official slogan, "300 Saal Gurude Naal (1708-2008)", all messages are simpleand direct, - from Shabads with their expla-nations to the Guru's teachings about femalefoeticide, dowry, kindness, piety- covering awide range of religious and social aspects.

From Jhansi to Amritsar, from Rudrapurto Panjim, every Sikh whose mobile numberis registered with the site gets the messagesfree of cost. There is a small unobtrusive admessage which follows, but it does notdetract from the substance of the Sikhi mes-sages that implore you to help fellow Sikhs,not to seek and give dowry, feel proud ofgood deeds of Sikhs worldwide and of courseto vote for Ishmeet Singh!

Whilst this Sikhi Message Sewa wasintended to do Parchar through this newmedium, the SikhNetwork rendered a signif-icant service in generating Sikh fervour in

favour of Ishmeet Singh. Every Saturdayevening, this network flashed messages urg-ing members to vote for Ishmeet Singh. Thisdirect message galvanized new viewers allover the country -as far as Cochin and theLakshadweep islands to watch the pro-gramme and to vote en masse for IshmeetSingh. "Vote for Ishmeet Singh as he is aSikh and he is talented too." "Be proud of asabat-soorat Sikh singer" and so on. Themessage tones never stopped on Saturdaysand Sundays. "I wanted to put this messageacross. If you are good in your deeds and youare a good Sikh, the Sikh on the street willsupport you, everybody will support you"says Harjinder. There is no doubt that he hasconveyed and pretty successfully.

Undoubtedly, it is the world's largest SikhiMessaging Sewa. The author of this newscript on the canvass of Sewa is exploringprospects of starting such service in variousparts of the world. Spelling out his plans,Harjinder Singh said that this year he wouldbe concentrating on spreading the Guru'sword and thence would build a network toenable Sikhs worldwide to stay in touch.

With such a connecting service in place,no Sikh with a cell phone will be taken offguard. Keeping abreast of current eventsand happenings will alert every receiver. "Ihave many other plans in the years to come,making www.sikhismonphone.com an inter-active platform for exchange of informationon Sikhi a reality.

From supporting a reality contest tobecoming a real-time Sikh source of valu-able information is the mission, which sure-ly seems possible at the present rate ofgrowth.

So, pick up the phone, write an email andjust ask your friends and relatives in India tojoin this unique service. All they have to dois to send an SMS -Join Sikhnetwork to567678 or put in their name and mobile num-ber at the site.

The Guru's message will start reachingyou -mobile te.

Jagmohan Singh is a commentator based in Ludhiana, Panjab.

He may be contacted atjsbigideas@gmail.com

JS: Good work, young man. What keeps you goingHarjinder?Harjinder Singh: Through SikhNetwork, I reachthe Sikh masses, touch their lives and make a dif-ference. I want Sikhs to stay abreast of Sikh newsfrom all over the world. I want them to say, 'Wow! Idid not know there are Sikhs in the US Army !!'when they receive an SMS. I want SikhNetworksubscribers to say, 'I never new Sikhs are not sup-posed to consult Pandits or believe in astrology'.JS: Do you think that you are doing DharamParchar?Harjinder Singh: It is my humble contributiontowards Dharam Parchar. The fact that I am able toreach the Sangat from all over the country dailymotivates me no end. I am very pleased to shareSikhi with so many people.JS: What kind of feedback do you get?Harjinder Singh: More than 500 calls and returnthank you SMS in a day! In the days to come, I willneed volunteers to answer the calls.JS: Describe some of the responses?Harjinder Singh: Oh, they are fantastic. Rangingfrom, "I never knew this! I can't imagine Sikhi is socool!" "Please send us more and more messageseveryday." "SikhNetwork is the need of the hour.""I keep waiting for your messages." "Your mes-sages touch the heart."JS: What is the key motivator?Harjinder Singh: Undoubtedly, SikhNetworkbelieves in love of Sikhi. Anyone who has a SikhName is a potential member. The greatest thing isreaching Sikhs as far as Goa and Andaman andNicobar Islands. They feel connected to Punjab.They are like - Wow Wow Wow -every time they geta message.JS: WSN readers are in the US. What messagewould you like to give them?Harjinder Singh: The WSN readers in the US maykindly ask all their friends and relatives to submittheir numbers to the site. They must spread theword. Networking comes easily to Americans andI am sure that with their contribution,SikhNetwork will grow by leaps and bounds.

" Apne Ghar Vich Bacheya Nu Sikh ItihasDiya Gallan Jaroor Sunao Jee Taki OhSikhi Ate Sikhi Saroop Naal Jude RehSakan.

" 'Chaad Maan Har Bemukhan Ko Sung',meaning,- O my mind, leave thecompany of non-believers of God. (Ang1251, GGSJ)

" Don't you feel bad when films andmusic videos show Sikhs as Jokers withfake beards and untidy patkas makingfun of themselves? We are not Jokers!Are we?

"Guru Teg Bahadar's Shaheedi for the

sake of Humanity inspires every Sikh-Man, Woman and Child to sacrificeeverything for Human Rights.

"All well-settled and financially soundGursikhs must help needy Sikhs.It is very important to support our needySikhs. Let us uplift our people toprogress.

"If you are witness to a road accident,please rush the victim(s) to a nearbyHospital immediately. Being a Sikhmeans helping fellow humans,whenever needed.

"'Sada Sada Tis Gur Kao Kari Namaskar',

meaning - Forever and ever, I humblybow to the Guru. (We Matha Tek ONLY toShabad Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji!!)

"'Gur Ka Sikh Vadbhaagi Hai', meaning -The Sikh of the Guru is very fortunate.

"'Dhanvanta Hoe Kia Ko Garbai'meaning -Why should anyone be proudof being rich? (Ang 282) -Sikhismteaches us humility and modesty.

" Today is the 332nd Shaheedi Diwas ofGuru Tegh Bahadar Ji. --Let us firmlybelieve that Guru Sahib is with us in theform of Shabad Guru, Guru Granth SahibJi.

"NEWS: Sikhs will now have a smallGurudwara in the John F Kennedy Intl.Airport in New York. Other religionsalready have their Prayer Rooms inthe airport.

"'Pathar Le Pujeh Mugadh Gavaar'meaning -The ignorant fools pick upstones and worship them. (Ang 566)No Sikh should engage in any form ofMoorti Pooja.

"Sikhs believe that all children havethe right to education. Children mustnot be made to do physical labour. Itharms their growth. Say "NO" to childlabour.

The Best Sikhi Messages

SMSSikhi Message Sewa

While advertisingnetworks are stillexperimenting withthis new medium,Harjinder Singh, anet-savvy andprogressivemanagementstudent, has hit uponthis new medium tostay in touch. "Thisis my way ofcelebrating theTercentenary ofGuruship of GuruGranth Sahib

Tête-à-tête withHarjinder Singh

14 January 2-8, 2008 world sikh newsREMEMBRING BENAZIR

Karan Thapar

Sitting in my digs atCambridge after dinner dur-ing the Easter vacation of1976, Benazir, who had driv-

en over from Oxford that morningwith her friend Tricia, suddenlysuggested we dash out for ice cream.So we bundled into her MGB sportscar which was parked outside. Butinstead of driving towards the cen-tre of town, she headed for the A40.

"Where are you going?" I askedperplexed.

"London! It's the nearest BaskinRobbins I know."

Benazir loved ice cream. Shecould eat vast quantities of it. Inlater years, her favourite becameBen & Jerry's. Whenever Ifinished a particularly acri-monious interview, shewould insist that we eat icecream together.

"It will cool you down!" shewould laugh.

There were several inter-views that annoyed her, a fewthat upset her and at leastone that riled her. But shenever held that against me.She accepted that a journalist had ajob to do just as she insisted that apolitician couldn't answer everyquestion. She always ensured thatour professional relationship - asinterviewer and Prime Minister orOpposition leader - remained sepa-rate from our friendship.

As a young politician, in the yearsafter her father's cruel hanging, sheoften consciously modelled herselfon Indira Gandhi. I remember herfascination for the traditionalIndian namaste. "It's dignified,friendly but not familiar," she oncesaid. I suspect the adab that shemade her personal greeting was inher eyes an equivalent.

In 1984, when Maqbool Butt wasabout to be hanged, Benazir wrote toIndira Gandhi pleading that he besaved.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked.I couldn't understand her need towrite the letter. I thought it was amistake.

"I have to, Karan," she explained."I've lived through my father's hang-ing and I know the trauma it createdfor the family I can't watch someone. else go through the same miserywithout doing what I can to preventit."

Indira Gandhi neverreplied butB e n a z i rd i d n ' th o l dthat

against her.As a Bhutto daughter, Benazir

was always conscious of her fami-ly's similarity with the Gandhis.After Sanjay Gandhi's plane crashand Indira's assassination in theearly 80s were followed by her broth-er Shahnawaz's mysterious death,she once commented that there wasa curse on both families. At the time,Rajiv's killing and her own were stillfar in the future. To day there can beno doubt about that curse.

In 1988, when Rajiv visitedIslamabad, during the early weeksof her first prime ministership, sheinvited him and Sonia to a privatefamily dinner on their first night.Her husband Asif, her motherNusrat and her sister Sanam were

the only other people present.In those days, a common jokein both countries was thatRajiv and Benazir shouldmarry each other and sortout their two countries' prob-lems. Benazir told me theylaughed over it at dinner.

"Rajeev", as she always pro-nounced his name, adoptinga misplaced Punjabi accentfor a Westernised Sindhi, "is

so handsome," she said when I nextmet her. And then she added, "Buthe's equally tough."

During the BJP years, Benazirforged a link with the Advani familywith equal facility and friendship. Afew months after her first meetingwith L.K. Advani, we were togetherin Washington for the PrayerBreakfast of 2002. During a break inone of the sessions, she insisted thatI accompany her shopping. "Butwe're walking, okay? I need the exer-cise and so do you!"

As we sauntered downConnecticut Avenue, she stoppedoutside an old-fashioned bookshop.Minutes later she bought a RobertKaplan paperback as a gift forAdvani. I carried it back to Delhi. Itwas the first of several similar giftsshe sent to him through me.

I know that as Prime Minister, hertwo terms in office disillusionedmany Her fans were disappointedwhilst her . critics felt justified. Butbetween 1989 and 2007 the changethat characterised her attitude toIndia and Kashmir in particularsteadily progressed and didn't falter.From the young Prime Ministerwho would shout on television"Azadi, Azadi, Azadi!", she becamethe first, the most consistent andperhaps the strongest proponent ofa joint India-Pakistan solution toKashmir. As earlyas 2001, she began

to speak aboutsoft borders,

f r e e

trade and even, perhaps unrealisti-cally a joint parliament for the twohalves of Kash , mir. Musharraf 'sconcept of self-governance and jointmanagement draws heavily uponher original thinking.

When I last interviewed her inSeptember, days before her return toPakistan, she went fur ther thanever before. Not only did she force-fully repeat her commitment toclamp down on all private militiasand shut terrorist camps but, inaddition, she promised to considerthe extradition of Dawood Ibrahimand even the possibility of givingIndia access to men like HafizMohammed Sayeed and MasoodAzhar.

In private conversation, shewould readily admit that the stri-dent Prime Minister of 1988-89 was amistake. In fact, she came close tosaying as much on television as well.Had she lived to become PrimeMinister, I feel certain she wouldhave fulfilled this commitment. Thisis why she was so upset, actuallyangry at the National Securi , tyAdvisor's scepticism of her. Herdeath is, therefore, an irreparableloss for India as well.

The two months since her returnto Pakistan have proved beyonddoubt her incredible bravery But itwasn't . just death that she refused tobe frightened of. She was equallyfearless of failure. In 1986, at thepeak of the Zia dictatorship, anuntried and inexperienced 33-year-old flew home to challenge the mightof the General and his loyal army .

"Are you worried?" I asked on herlast night in London.

"When something has to be done,fear is the last thought in my mind."To some that might sound pompous,but I took it as a reflection of hersteely confidence.

This October, when I asked her ifshe could repeat the miracle a sec-ond time, she shot back with thequestion, "Why do you ask?" I toldher that now she was 54, she hadbeen Prime Minister twice and dis-appointed many and Pakistan was avery different country .

She heard me in silence and thensoftly smiled. Her eyes seemed totake on a knowing but playful look.When she spoke, her words soundedmeasured and well-considered.

"It will be an even bigger returnhome."

In fact, it was an explosive return.But I doubt Benazir would havewanted to die of old age. Instead, shedied a hero, a martyr and an inspira-tion for many.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the father sheadored, would have been proud ofhis Pinky But she leaves behindthree . young children and an ailingmother who will miss her sorelyAnd there is a hole at the heart ofPakistan's re . turn to democracythat may never get filled. Was sheher country's last chance of a peace-ful, moderate, enlightened, Muslimfuture?

The day after her death, I receivedBenazir's New Year card. It reads,'Praying for peace in the world andhappiness for your family in 2008.'Unfortunately, they were denied to

her.Karan Thapar is a wellknown TV personality.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Fatima Bhutto

My aunt and I had a com-plicated relationship.That is the truth, thesad truth. The last fif-

teen years were not the ones wespent as friends or as relatives, thatis also the truth. But this week, Itoo want to remember her differ-ently. I want to remember her dif-ferently because I must. I can't losefaith in this country, my home. Ican't believe that it was for nothing,that violence in its purest form isso cruel and so unforgiving. I can'taccept that this is what we havecome to. So, I must offer a farewell.One that is written in tears andanger but one that comes from aplace far away, from the realm ofmemory and forgiving - a placewhere at another time, we mighthave all been safe. As a child, I usedto call my aunt Wadi Bua, Sindhifor father's older sister.

When I got the news, I was toldthat something had happened toWadi Bua. It was an expression Ihadn't heard or used in a very longtime, when I heard it said to meover the phone I rememberedsomeone different.

We used to read children's bookstogether. We used to like exactly the

MY FRIEND,BENAZIR

FarewellWadi Bua,my aunt

We were verydifferent. Thoughpeople liked tocompare us, almostinstinctively, becausewell, they could. It isdifficult for me towrite about twopeople, one in thepresent tense andone in the past, atthe same time

Karan Thapar

world sikh news December 19-25, 2007 15REMEMBRING BENAZIR

Vir Sanghvi

In the end, it's the first impres-sion that lasts. Certainly, that'show it was for Benazir Bhuttoand me. I never knew her well

and what little interaction we hadwas professional - a TV interview,her visit to the HT Summit etc - butthe image that has stayed in mymind was of the first time Iever saw her.

It was in 1976. I was anundergraduate attending hisfirst debate at the OxfordUnion and marvelling at theverbal dexterity of thespeakers. Benazir had fin-ished with Oxford but hadstayed on or so it was widelybelieved - because she des-perately wanted to becomepresident of the Union. At the time,her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, wasPrime Minister of Pakistan, andshe was a glamorous figure, hang-ing out with a socially-desirable setand dressing expensively.

A Union tradition requires thefirst speaker of the day to tear intoall the other speakers. On that occa-sion, Benazir was speaking and thefirst speaker, Trevor Bench-Capon,began by outlining her many unsuc-cessful attempts to become presi-dent of the Union. "Miss Bhutto'sfailures hold a lesson for us all," heboomed. "If at first you don't suc-ceed, then don't try and try again.Just give up!"

The audience laughed andBenazir managed a tight smile. Butworse was to follow. "Miss Bhutto'sclaim to fame," he continued, "is herfather. He is a tradesman of somedescription. A butcher, I gather."

The audience roared again but Icould not take my eyes off Benazir.She looked as though somebody hadslapped her. And she never recov-ered her composure that evening.

I bumped into her infrequentlyafter that first debate (but not mem-orably: when we met again manyyears later as interviewer and inter-viewee, she had no clue who I was),and I was struck by the persona shehad chosen to adopt for her Oxforddays. She hung around with veryfew South Asians, her pals wereupper to upper-middle class Brits,she dressed Western, looked Iranian(after her mother) rather thanPakistani or Indian, and was unfail-ingly charming to everyone she metat the Union bar. But nobody couldever forget that she was Zulfikar AliBhutto's daughter. In 1976, five yearsafter the massacres that led to thecreation of Bangladesh, there weremany in Oxford who held ZA Bhuttoresponsible for the killings and itwas common to refer to him as 'theButcher of Bangladesh'.

Though the stigma surroundingthe Bhutto name was largelyunfounded, it wounded Benazirdeeply. It was clear that she wor-shipped her father; she drew hersense of identity almost entirelyfrom being his daughter; and mostpeople believed that her relentlessdetermination to become presidentof the Union stemmed from a desireto emulate his political success.

At the end of that year, Benazirdid fi nally manage to get elected aspresident and pretty much her firstact was to get the British-Pakistani

Trotskyite Tariq Ali released from aPakistani prison so that he could flyback to England to take part in adebate. (It helps when daddy runsthe country).

Her term as president wasuneventful, lacklustre even. It iscustomary now to refer to her debat-ing prowess at university but as Iremember it, she was a mediocre

speaker, reading out speech-es from a series of indexcards in a selfrighteous nasaldrone. Even the few jokes shecracked were the usual sta-ples of the Union circuit.

Her stint at the helm of theUnion over, she vanishedfrom Oxford, strengtheningthe suspicion that she'd onlyhung around to win the elec-tion. Her friends visited her

in Pakistan and predicted that shewould be her father's political heir.

Nobody could have predictedwhat happened next, though.Within months, the senior Bhuttohad called an election and hadrigged it so blatantly that riotserupted on the streets when theresults were declared. The deterio-rating law and order situation ledthe army, under General Zia-ul-Haq,to take control. Zia threw Bhutto injail, tried him for murder and, asthe world watched appalled, hangedhim. Benazir Bhutto found that herfuture had changed forever. Thefather she worshipped was dead.The new Pakistani government wasentirely hostile to her. And as sheparticipated in the resistance toGeneral Zia's regime, she wasarrested.

She was 26. And the Oxford Unionseemed a long way away.

Many years later, Benazir Bhuttotold me that she believed that themoment things began to go serious-ly wrong for Pakistan was whenGeneral Zia took over. My first reac-tion was to think: well, you wouldsay that, wouldn't you?

All leaders risk death - whetherin India or Pakistan - when theycampaign but most believe thatadequate security will offer somemeasure of protection. I thinkBenazir did not understand thatthe cancer of Islamic militancyhad eaten so deep into Pakistanisociety that the normal rules of lawand order had been abandoned.The disorderly civil society shehad left behind had descended intoa bloody anarchy during herabsence. In this kind of society, nosecurity can ever be enough -especially if your assassinsare willing to kill them-selves along with you.

What happens next hasimportant consequencesfor India. I am preparedto accept the claims ofher friends that shewould have softenedPakistan's hostility toIndia - no more safehaven for DawoodIbrahim, fewerterrorist trainingcamps acrossthe Kashmirborder etc. So,how will wer e m e m b e rB e n a z i rBhutto? I still

think back to that first debate at theOxford Union, 31 years ago. I see adetermined girl, plodding away atemulating the successes of herbeloved father and being judged aslittle more than her father's daugh-ter.

Like Bhutto — and unlikeJawaharlal Nehru, founder ofIndia's key dynasty - she had fewcore values. She stood for no clearideological position and did whatev-er she thought was best in the cir-cumstances. If she had to play theglobe-trotting liberal, she did so. Ifshe had to create the Taliban, wellthen, that too was okay. If she had tooppose the army, then that was herfilial duty. But if she had to do a dealwith that same army, then that wasfine too. You could argue thatbecause Pakistan has no liberal-democratic tradition, its politiciansdo not have the opportunities thatIndia's do. You could argue also thata state created solely on the basis ofreligion is less equipped to fight reli-gious extremism than secular India.

But judging by Benazir's recordright till the moment they shot heron Thursday - there's no real evi-dence that she was the great politi-cal leader that the obituary writersclaimed she was on Friday.

She was bright, charming, decenteven. But she was a dynast, doingwhat she needed to do to get daddy'sjob for herself.

Her designation said it all. Shewasn't just chairperson of the PPP.She was "Chairperson for Life".

And because of her tragic anduntimely demise, she may well endup being the last Bhutto, daughterof a dynasty that tried and tried andtried again.

And never gave up. Till it had nochoice.

Vir Sanghvi is a celebrated editor.Courtesy: Hindustan Times

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

same sweets - sugared chestnutsand candied apples. We used to getthe same ear infections that tor-tured us throughout the years.

I have never before written anarticle that seemed so impossible.We were very different. Thoughpeople liked to compare us, almostinstinctively, because well, theycould. It is difficult for me towrite about two people, onein the present tense and onein the past, at the same time.

Especially when one per-son's passing makes theother one wonder whetherthere is a cusp to things andwhether or not there reallyis a past and present to life.

I never agreed with herpolitics. I never agreed withthose she kept around her,the political opportunists, hangers-on, them. They repulse me. I neveragreed with her version of events.But in death, perhaps, there is amoment to call for calm. To say,enough. We have had enough. Wecannot, and we will not, take anymore madness. I mourn becausemy family has had enough. Imourn for Bilawal, Bakhtawar, andAsifa. I mourn for them because Itoo lost a parent. I know what itfeels like.

I am at a loss. I am in shock

because I have yet to bury a lovedone who has died from naturalcauses. Four. That's the number offamily members, immediate familymembers, whom we have laid torest, all victims of senselesskilling. I was born five years aftermy grandfather, Zulfikar AliBhutto's assassination. I was three

when my uncle Shahnawazwas murdered. I rememberWadi Bua sitting with meand telling me stories whilethe rest of the family waswith the police.

When I was fourteen, mylife was ended. I lost myheart and soul, my fatherMurtaza. I am and have beensince then a shell of the per-son I was. I suppose there arecusps in life, and thank god

for that because that way we canstay in between. And now at twenty-five, Wadi. But this isn't about me,it's about those whom we have lost.It's about the graveyard at GarhiKhuda Bux that is just too full.

I pray that this is the last, thatfrom this moment onwards we willno longer have to bid farewell tooquickly.

Wadi, farewell.Fatima Bhutto is Benazir's niece,

the daughter of her brotherMurtaza.

FatimaBhutto

Vir Sanghvi

HillaryClinton

withBenazirBhutto

WW OO RR LL DD world sikh news16 January 2-8, 2008

Australians line the foreshore to usher in the New Year with the spectacular ‘The Time Of Your Life’ fireworks display over Sydney Harbour. The 3,000 kg pyrotechnics included 100,000 individual effects

ignited from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Hugo Chavezpardons 2002coup plotters

CARACAS: President HugoChavez granted amnesty onMonday to those accused ofinvolvement in a failed 2002coup that briefly drove himfrom power.

Chavez said he signed anamnesty decree that would alsopardon others accused in sus-pected attempts to overthrowthe government or assassinatehim. It was not immediatelyclear how ma

The decree would also pardonothers charged in suspectedattempts to overthrow the gov-ernment or assassinate him,Chavez said. It was not immedi-ately clear how many accusedopponents would be affected bythe amnesty.

“It’s a matter of turning thepage,’’ Chavez said in a tele-phone call to state television on

New Year’s Eve. “We would likea country that moves towardpeace.’’

Chavez read aloud the newlaw, which grants amnesty tothose who signed a decree rec-ognizing an interim govern-ment that briefly replaced himduring the 2002 coup. Chavezwas ousted by dissident mili-tary officers, but was returnedto the presidency by loyalistgenerals within two days, amidstreet protests by his support-ers.

Opponents accused of takingover Venezuela’s state televi-sion channel during the coupwould also fall under theamnesty, along with those whosought to sabotage the oil indus-try during an opposition-ledstrike that followed the coup, hesaid.

Kenyan President winsviolence-marred electionNAIROBI: Kenyan PresidentMwai Kibaki won a second termon Sunday amid allegations thatthe government stole the vote,sparking deadly riots that lit upthe night sky as enraged youthstorched homes and shouted“Kibaki must go!’’

Soon after the results wereannounced, the governmentsuspended all live televisionbroadcasts and the slums, hometo tens of thousands of opposi-tion supporters, exploded intofresh violence. At least 15 peo-ple were killed in fightingacross the country, police andwitnesses said, although thetally was likely higher.

“This country is going to turninto a war zone,’’ said ElishaKayugira, who was runningthrough the Kibera shantytown,searching for his sister, ascolumns of black smoke curledabove the maze of shacks andwinding dirt roads.

Others were waving machetesin the air as buses and shopsburned. The bloodshed was a

stunning turn of events in oneof the most developed countriesin Africa, with a boomingtourism industry and one of thecontinent’s highest growthrates. Many observers saw thecampaign as the greatest testyet of this young, multipartydemocracy and expressed greatdisappointment as the processdescended into chaos.

Raila Odinga, the firebrandopposition candidate who hadbeen leading early results andpublic opinion polls, said thedispute could trigger a politicalcrisis like in Ukraine or theIvory Coast. Following reportshe would stage his own swear-ing-in Monday, police warnedthe opposition not to take anystep that might incite violence.

Elections chief SamuelKivuitu, who read the results onlive television after other mediawere expelled from the mainvote headquarters Sunday, saidKibaki beat Odinga by 231,728votes in the closest race inKenya’s history.

``This means Honorable MwaiKibaki is the winner,’’ Kivuitusaid, soon after he was escortedfrom the counting center underarmed guard. Hecklers hadstopped his announcement withshouts of ``This is not a policestate!’’ and ``Justice!’’

Kivuitu had acknowledgedproblems with the count,including a constituency wherevoter turnout added up to 115percent and another where acandidate ran away with ballotpapers.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff,chief European Union electionmonitor, said the ElectoralCommission of Kenya ``has notsucceeded in establishing thecredibility of the tallyingprocess to the satisfaction of allparties and candidates.’’

Kibaki was sworn in almostimmediately after the resultswere announced, standing withhis hand on the Bible in aserene ceremony at State Houseas his wife Lucy and dignitarieslooked on.

Vatican to createmore exorcists to take on evil

LONDON: Remember the 1974horror film The Exorcist based onreal events? Well, 33 years on, itseems to have created some impacton the Vatican which has nowvowed to tackle the “evil”.

According to Vatican’s Exorcist-in-Chief Father Gabriele Amorth,the Roman Catholic Church willtrain hundreds of priests as exor-cists to “fight the Devil head-on”,The Daily Telegraph reported onSaturday.

As per plans, each bishop willhave a group of priests in his dio-cese who would be speciallytrained in exorcism and on handto take action against “extremeGodlessness”.

“Thanks to God that we have aPope who has decided to fight theDevil head-on. Now bishops are tobe obliged to have a number ofestablished exorcists for their dio-cese. Too many bishops are nottaking this seriously and are not

delegating their priests in thefight against the Devil. You have tohunt high and low for a proper,trained exorcist,” he said.

“Thankfully, Pope Benedict XVIbelieves in the existence and dan-ger of evil, from the time he was incharge of the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith,” Fr Amorthwas quoted as saying.

The Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith, the oldestVatican department, deals withpromoting and safeguardingRoman Catholic beliefs.

It was headed by the Pope whenhe was Cardinal Ratzinger, from1982 until his election as Pope in2005. Fr Amorth said that duringhis time at the department thePope had warned humanity of therisks it faces from the Devil. “Iremember a meeting we exorcistshad with the Holy Father last year,in which he implored us to followour mission as exorcists.”

France decides to boycott Syria over Lebanon crisisCAIRO: France will have no morecontact with Syria untilDamascus shows willingness tolet Lebanon end its long-runningpolitical crisis and find a newpresident, President NicolasSarkozy said on Sunday.

France “will have no more con-tact with Syria until we have proofof Syrian willingness to letLebanon appoint a president byconsensus,” Sarkozy told journal-ists after talks in Cairo withEgyptian President Hosni

Mubarak covering thorny region-al issues. The French presidentwas on his first official trip to theMiddle East since taking office inMay and his Cairo talks followed aprivate Egyptian holiday.

Former colonial power France“wants a president for Lebanon,”Sarkozy said. “It’s time to pro-vide proof (of goodwill), it’s timefor Syria to show it.”

Keen to stress a continuationof his predecessor JacquesChirac’s Arab-friendly policies,

Sarkozy called on Israel to makegestures to show its commitmentto peace with the Palestinians.

“I’ve said several times that it’stime for Israel to make gestureswhich would show that peace ispossible, including ending settle-ments,” in the occupied WestBank, Sarkozy said.

“Our position (toward Israel)is unchanging, being a frienddoesn’t mean being complacent,”Sarkozy said,

Sarkozy has ruffled Arab feath-

ers by showing friendship forIsrael and rejecting anti-Americanism, with sections ofthe Egyptian press deriding himas President George W Bush’s newpoodle, replacing British ex-pre-mier Tony Blair.

While the US remains Israel’skey ally, France is seen by manyas the Western power most able toend Lebanon’s political impasse.

“It’s time for Syria to prove withfacts what it has not stopped say-ing in speeches,” Sarkozy said.

“We are now waiting for acts onSyria’s part and not speeches.”

Only last month, Sarkozy calledSyrian President Bashar al-Assad,reopening top-level contacts aftera three-year break in a bid to endLebanon’s political crisis, Syrianmedia reported at the time.

Mubarak described the politicaldeadlock in Lebanon as “danger-ous” and appealed to Syria to “useits influence in Lebanon to worktowards reconciliation so that theparliament elects a president”.

WW OO RR LL DDworld sikh news January 2-8, 2008 17

Malaysian Sikhscelebrate GuruNanak’s GurpurabKUALA LUMPUR: The Sikhs ofMalaysia have started month-longprayers to celebrate GuruNanak’s 538th birthday at one ofthe oldest gurdwaras in Rawang.

Thousands of devotees reachedthe Nanaksar Temple onWednesday to attend prayers forthe first Guru of the Sikh faith.

‘Hundreds of devotees came toattend the prayers and volun-teered to cook for devoteesthroughout the month,’ templepresident Mahinder Kaur said.

During the month, Sri GuruGranth Sahib would be recitednon-stop while religious hymnswould be sung during theevenings.

Other activities organized onthe occasion were a blood dona-tion campaign and a procession ofthe holy book through Serendahtown, the New Straits Timesreported.

Malaysia has nearly 100,000Sikhs and the Sikh community inMalaysia owes its arrival to theBritish connection and in particu-lar the recruitment of Sikhs forthe paramilitary and police units,which formed the nucleus fromwhich the modern police and mil-itary forces of the nation werederived. The first of these unitswas the Perak Sikhs.

Elections must goon, says Brown

LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hasasked Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to go-ahead with planned elections saying the legacy ofBenazir Bhutto's death should be the country's com-mitment to democracy.

"The legacy of Bhutto's death should be Pakistan'scommitment to democracy," Brown said while speak-ing to television media.

The Prime Minister pledged to "step up" efforts todefeat terrorism in Pakistan and ensure that the dem-ocratic process continues.

Brown said, "The international community is unit-ed in its outrage and determination that those whostoop to such tactics shall not prevail.

"I therefore encouraged President Musharraf tostick to the course he has outlined to build democracyand stability in Pakistan."

In an earlier Downing Street statement, he said hehad passed the nation's condolences to the people ofPakistan in a telephone call with PresidentMusharraf. Brown said "I have just spoken again toPresident Musharraf. I passed on my condolences, andthose of the British people, following the assassina-tion of Benazir Bhutto and many of her supporters onThursday. Terming Bhutto's assassination as a potentreminder of the threat from terror, he said "this was acowardly terrorist act designed to destabilize demo-cratic elections.

"Pakistan is a major ally in the global effort to com-bat this (terrorism) menace. I told PresidentMusharraf that the UK is prepared to sustain andbuild the already significant counter-terrorism sup-port we offer his country, not least in the efforts todestroy Al-Qaida."

Poll rigging: Bhutto had‘proof’ of ISI-EC nexus

KARACHI: Benazir Bhutto waspoised to reveal proof thatPakistan's Election Commissionand ISI were seeking to rig anupcoming general election thenight she was assassinated, a topaide disclosed on Tuesday.

Senator Latif Khosa, who wrotea 160-page dossier with Bhuttodocumenting rigging tactics, saidthey ranged from intimidation tofake ballots, and were in somecases unwittingly funded by USaid.

Bhutto had been due to give thereport to two visiting US lawmak-ers over dinner on December 27,the day she was killed in a suicidebombing.

"The state agencies are manipu-lating the whole process," Khosa,a top Bhutto aide and head of herPakistan People's Party electionmonitoring unit, said.

"There is rigging by the ISI(Inter-Services Intelligence), theElection Commission and the pre-vious government, which is stillcontinuing to hold influence.They were on the rampage."

President Pervez Musharraf'sspokesman Rashid Qureshi dis-missed the claim as 'ridiculous'.

"It makes one laugh," he said.

"The President has said a free,fair, transparent and peacefulelection is essential, which formspart of his overall strategy fortransforming Pakistan into afully democratic nation."

"Benazir's coming back toPakistan was part of a nationalreconciliation ordinance," headded. "Take it from me, it's goingto be perhaps the best electionthat Pakistan has ever had."

Khosa said the report, entitled'Yet another stain on the face ofdemocracy', details how the ISIwas planning to issue 25,000 pre-stamped ballots for each of 108candidates for national assemblyseats in Punjab from the partythat backs President Musharrafand formed his government.

"They have used intimidatorytactics, they intimidated thereturning officers into rejectingnomination papers, they prevent-ed candidates from submittingtheir nomination papers," Khosasaid.

"This happened in Baluchistanand in the other Central areas ofPakistan. It happened in Sindh."

He said the ISI also had a 'megacomputer' which could hack intoany computer and was connected

to the Election Commission's sys-tem.

Separately the commission hadtried to manipulate the votingregister by leaving millions ofpotential voters out, he added.

An initial draft list of voterspublished in June put the elec-torate at 52 million people, morethan 20 million short, triggering abacklash from Musharraf's poli-tial opponents.

The Supreme Court ordered thecommission to revise the list, andin October it raised the total to 80million.

"The Election Commission iscompletely subservient to the gov-ernment," Khosa said.

In the Election Commission'scase, US financial aid had beenused in rigging, he added, stress-ing however he did not believe itwas diverted military aid.

"She was going to give thedossier to two US lawmakers sim-ply because they happened to bevisiting. It was then going to bemade public," Khosa said.

"Benazir was supposed to hold apress conference. It was going tobe distributed to everyone, butunfortunately that did not arisebecause she was assassinated."

Fahim maybe Pak’s next

puppet PMISLAMABAD: Like most otherpoliticians in Pakistan,Makhdoom Amin Fahim, too, is afeudal lord.

And like all other leaders inPakistan People’s Party (PPP),Fahim, too, believes in completeloyalty to the Bhuttos.Everything else, including poli-tics, democracy or the country issecondary.

In 2003, when PervezMusharraf offered him primeministership on condition hesnapped ties with Benazir, theSindhi leader declined in a jiffy.And this year, when ‘MohatarmaBenazir Bhutto Sahiba’ askedhim to contest the presidentialpoll against the general, hejumped into the fray in a second.Such is his fidelity to Pakistan’sfirst family.

In 1993, after the PPP swept thepolls in Sindh, Benazir refusedto make Fahim the CM. She wasalways a bit scared of his popu-larity in the province. But hedidn’t hold any grudge againsther. And that’s how Musharrafcouldn’t use him againstBenazir.

Now, the years of loyalty final-ly seem to be paying.

The 68-year-old leader, who hasbeen PPP parliamentary leaderin the national assembly and aminister in Benazir’s govern-ment, finally has a chance tobecome the prime minister with-out betraying the Bhuttos.

As a teenager takes over thereins of the 40-year-old centrist

party, Fahim’s brief is clear:Groom the boy and keep the seatwarm for the heir. It’s a familiarscene in this part of the world.

With PPP likely to sweep pollson a sympathy wave, this couldbe Fahim’s best chance. But,with Bilawal and Asif Zardarileading the PPP, he has been toldthat he can at best be a regent,and not the real leader. That con-trol will remain with the family.

So, if Pakistan goes to the pollsand PPP wins, get ready foranother puppet prime minister.

US offers help on Bhutto assassination probeWASHINGTON: With questionsbeing raised on the credibility ofthe Pakistan government’s probeinto the killing of former pre-mier Benazir Bhutto, the US hasoffered to provide “any assis-tance or guidance” required byIslamabad for a “full investiga-tion” into the assassination.

The Bush administration,however, made it clear thatPakistan has not asked it for any

help. “Obviously they’re a sover-eign government and they willhave to be conducting that inves-tigation. We have offered to pro-vide any guidance or assistancethat is requested,” White HouseDeputy Press Secretary ScottStanzel said at a briefing inCrawford, Texas.

“At this time, as far as I’maware, none has been requestedof the United States, but that is a

matter for the Pakistani govern-ment to move forward on; it’searly in the investigation,” hesaid.

The spokesman said that itwas in the interest of the peopleof Pakistan that a “full investi-gation” is held. “I think it’s inthe interest of long-termprospects for democracy inPakistan that that be the case,”he said.

30 burned alive in churchNAIROBI: At least 30 people were burntalive in a church on Tuesday in Kenya,where the death toll from days of violencetriggered by disputed presidential electionslooked set to pass the 300 mark.

The victims had taken shelter in theKenya Assemblies of God church in thewestern town of Eldoret as they sought toescape escalating tribal clashes that havefuelled the post-election unrest.

The incident is likely to raise concernsthat the violence could develop into a full-blown ethnic conflict.

“At least 30 burned to death,” a policecommander said. Another 10 people diedafter their house was torched in the port ofMombasa which has witnessed severalnights of tit-for-tat tribal killings.

Earlier on Tuesday, EU monitors castdoubts on the results of the December 27poll, so increasing pressure on re-electedPresident Mwai Kibaki who was sworn inon Sunday despite widespread voteriggingallegations.

A second consecutive day of conflictand clashes between police and protestorsleft more than 110 dead, with no end in sightto the unrest that has plunged one ofAfrica’s more stable democracies into anunprecedented crisis.

World leaders called on Kibaki anddefeated opposition candidate Raila Odingato open a dialogue, but Odinga said hewould only talk when the president ownedup to fraud.

“The conditions under which we areprepared to negotiate is that Kibaki mustfirst accept that he did not win the elec-

tions,” he told the BBC.Odinga’s charges were lent extra weight

by the EU election monitoring team whichissued a report on Tuesday saying the votehad \“fallen short” of international stan-dards and called for an independent auditinto the results.

The polls were “marred by a lack oftransparency in the processing and tallyingof presidential results, which raises con-cerns about the accuracy of the finalresults,” the report said. Britain, the for-mer colonial power, joined internationalcalls for calm, with PM Gordon Brownspeaking by telephone to both Kibaki andOdinga.

“What I want to see is them comingtogether, I want to see talks and I want tosee reconciliation and unity,” Brown said.While noting the widespread allegations ofvote-rigging, Brown argued that “the firstpriority” was ending the violence.

The fleeing refugees

NEWS / OPINION world sikh news18 January 2-8, 2008

To begin with it would be betterto have a full understanding ofthe Ashram Dharma beforeinquiring into its origin and itspurpose and its peculiarities. Thebest source for an exposition ofthe Ashram system is the ManuSmriti from which the followingrelevant extracts are reproduced :

Ch. II-36 In the eighth year afterconception, one should performthe initiation (upanayana) of aBrahmana, in the eleventh afterconception (that) of a Kshatriya,but in the twelfth that of a Vaisya.

Ch. II-168. A twice-born manwho, not having studied the Veda,applies himself to other (andwordly study), soon falls, evenwhile living, to the condition of aSudra and his descendants (afterhim).

Ch. III-1. The vow of the threeVedas under a teacher must bekept for thirty-six years or forhalf that time, or for a quarter, oruntil the (student) has perfectlylearnt them.

Ch. III-2. Who has studied indue order the three Vedas, or two,or even one only, without break-ing the (rule of) studentship, shallenter the order of householder.

Ch. VI-8. The student, thehouseholder, the hermit, and the

ascetic, these (constitute) fourseparate orders, which all springfrom (the order of) householders.

Ch. VI-88. But all (or) even(any of) these orders, assumedsuccessively in accordance withthe Institutes (of the sacred law),lead the Brahmana who acts bythe preceding (rules) to the high-est state.

Ch. VI-89. And in accordancewith the precepts of the Vedaand of the Smriti, the house-keeper is declared to be superiorto all of them ; for he supports

the other three.Ch. VI-1. A twice-born Snataka,

who has thus lived according tothe law in the order of household-ers, may , taking a firm resolutionand keeping his organs in subjec-tion, dwell in the forest, duly(observing the rules given below).

Ch. VI-2. When a householdersees his (skin) wrinkled and (hishair) white, and the sons of hissons, then he may resort to theforest.

Ch. VI-33. But having thuspassed the third pert of (a man’snatural term of) life in the forest,

he may live as an ascetic duringthe fourth part of his existence,after abandoning all attachmentto worldly objects.

Ch. VI-34 He who after passingfrom order to order, after offeringsacrifices and subduing his sens-es, becomes, tired with givingalms and offerings of food, anascetic, gains bliss after death.

Ch. VI-35 When he has paid thethree debts, let him apply hismind to (the attainment of) finalliberation; he who seeks it with-out having paid (his debts) sinksdownwards.

Ch. VI-36. Having studied theVedas in accordance with therule, having begot sons accord-ing to the sacred law, and havingoffered sacrifices according tohis ability, he may direct hismind to (the attainment of) finalliberation.

Ch. VI-37. A twice-born manwho seeks final liberation, with-out having studied the Vedas,without having begotten sons andwithout having offered sacrifices,sinks downwards.”

For these rules it is clear thataccording to Manu there arethree features of the ashramDharma. First is that it is not

To be continued

In one of his revolutionary book on Indian philosophyRiddles In Hinduism, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar presents

his surprisingly unconventional views about the contradictions of India’s Brahminical culture. For the

readers of World Sikh News, this book is being serialized

Dr. Baba SahebAmbedkar’s writings

P A R T : 9 6

Huge VHPrally for RamSetu in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the saf-fron surge in Gujarat, the Hinduextremist Sangh Parivar onSunday stepped up pressure onthe Ram Setu issue with a hugeVHP rally demanding scrappingof the Sethusamudram project.

The rally which saw a galaxy ofleaders from the Sangh Parivarand the BJP, including RSS chiefK S Sudarshan, warned the gov-ernment that the people of thecountry would not tolerate anydamage to the Ram Setu, whichthey believe had been built forthe Ram's conquest of demonking Ravana.

"Not only Hindus, but Muslimsand Christians also oppose theproject," Sudarshan said to aloud applause from the gatheringin which BJP chief RajnathSingh and two party ChiefMinisters Raman Singh andShivraj Singh Chouhan werepresent.

Radical VHP leaders AshokSinghal and Pravin Togadiawanted the government to payheed to their demands remindingit that "we destroyed Babar'sstructure in just four hours", anobvious reference to the Hindus'demolition of the Babri mosque.

Also significant were messagesof support from former Prime

Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee,AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaaand Punjab Chief MinisterParkash Singh Badal, whoseShiromani Akali Dal is a part ofthe NDA.

In a clear move to revive itsHindutva plank, Togadia won-dered whether the governmentwould have gone ahead with theproject if it was "Ali Setu".

The VHP rally came a day afterthe BJP strategy group decidedto begin a systematic study of thesocial and political profile ofeach of the 543 Lok Sabha con-stituencies.

Radical VHP leaders AshokSinghal and Pravin Togadiawanted the government topay heed to their demands

reminding it that "wedestroyed Babar's

structure in just fourhours", an obvious

reference to the demolitionof the Babri mosque

Jyoti Punwani

It’s going to be a bleak Christmas forthe inmates of the andaa cell inArthur Road Jail. Reminding fellow

inmate Vernon Gonsalves of the sumptu-ous delights he had relished duringRamzan and Id, they had asked forChristmas goodies in return.

But just when Vernon’s lawyer-wifeSusan Abraham had asked her in-laws tomake extra kululs, rose cookies and onemore plum cake, she got a call from ‘Irfanki ammi’. Her husband had been whiskedaway by the police to Chandrapur. Thecaller, whom she chanced to meet oncefleetingly, has been informing Susan ofher husband’s sudden shifts ever since hewas arrested.

'Irfan ki ammi' is one of those unex-pected quarters from which help hascome in these three harrowing months,while the legal safeguards ostensibly inplace for undertrials haven’t worked. Butif the system failed her, there have beenplenty of those who’ve rallied around andkept Susan afloat through the worst crisisshe has gone through - even worse thanher own imprisonment 21 years ago forattending a May Day rally in Chandrapur.

This time, she’s had to share the ordealof her husband’s arrest, the flood of dis-information by the police aired throughthe media, and his travails in custody ashe was paraded through Chandrapur andGondia, with her 13-year-old son.

Sagar, says Susan, wasn’t entirelyunaware that his parents were different.It wasn’t just that they were older, or did-n’t celebrate Christmas. She remembersthe building children asking her incredu-lously, "Auntie, is it true what Sagar says- that you’ve been in jail? Has uncle(Vernon) really eaten ants’ chutney?"Some of his parents’ traits have rubbed

off on the child.His teachers have told Susan how, in a

storytelling session in school, Sagarrelated the story of Bhagat Singh "told tome by my father". Or how, asked to speci-fy his community, the child answered:“My mother’s from Kerala, my fatherfrom Mangalore. I’m an Indian.’’ As thechild of a working mother and a fatherwho was often away from home, Sagargrew up among Susan’s lawyer/tradeunionist-friends, and knew there were alot of people like his parents, who couldhave lived well, but who had chosen towork with the poor.

But even knowing all this could nothave prepared Sagar for what he sawwhen he opened his door at midnight onAugust 19: his father surrounded by adozen plain-clothed policemen, saying,"I’ve been picked up."

Sagar had at the time been studying forhis exams, a fact that greatly impressedthe policemen. "Not like our kids, whomwe have to beat to get them to study," theytold one another. And even as they ran-sacked the two-room apartment for

i n c r i m i n a t i n gevidence (including a book by the blackpoet-activist Maya Angelou), the instruc-tion went out: "Don’t touch the boy’sbooks or CDs."

Through the search, a handcuffedVernon had been confined to the bed-room, and Susan wasn’t allowed to talk tohim. Sagar was, but initially preferred tohang around keeping a watch on thepolice, alerting Susan when he saw themplace a pistol on the bed. As the night pro-gressed however, the boy went to his roomto sleep, making his father promise he’dwake him up when he left.

The police left at around 7 am, by whichtime many of the building’s residents hadcome down for their morning walk.Seeing the flurry of activity in theground-floor flat, they crowded around,offering to help.

Since that morning, says Susan, whohas lived in this building for sevenyears, and is a member of the society’smanaging committee, her neighbourshave been amazingly supportive.Sagar’s playmates have even warnedtheir parents not to ask the child any

questions or even keep offending news-papers around. The same kind of silentsupport has come from Sagar’s schooltoo, leaving both mother and child sur-prised but grateful.

Perhaps it’s some kind of reward forthe number of persons helped by Vernonand Susan. A topper throughout school,and on the SSC merit list, Vernon couldhave walked into any elite college, butchose the nondescript Burhani Collegewhere he got involved in an agitation forstudent council rights. That was when hejoined the All India Catholic UniversitiesFederation.

Later, he gave up a corporate job toteach in college. Susan came to study inMumbai from Africa, where her parentstaught, and stayed on. Both became partof the vibrant Left movement in post-Emergency Mumbai. Susan risked her jobas a journalist when she got involved inthe famous Indian Express workers’strike in 1984, studied law, and finallyjoined Vernon when he chose to work as atrade unionist in Chandrapur, then aboom town.

Textile and press workers in Mumbai,unorganised construction workers andAdivasis in Chandrapur - a number oflives have been touched by this 50-year-old couple. Is it this knowledge that hasmade 13-year-old Sagar retain his compo-sure all through - whether it was whenthe Gondia police came knocking oneevening when he was alone at home, orwhen he met his father in court recentlyafter three months?

Susan doesn’t know. All she knows isthat “it’s Sagar who’s kept me going.Despite the illegal acts of the police, thefrustrating delays of this legal system, Iget strength and inspiration from the wayhe’s coping, and determination to keephim that way."

Life after the midnight knockTextile and press workersin Mumbai, unorganised

construction workers andAdivasis in Chandrapur —

a number of lives havebeen touched by this 50-

year-old coupleSusan and Vernon

world sikh news January 2-8, 2008 19HH EE AA LL TT HH

M ost of us have cherishedmemories of pestering ourparents and grandparents

to narrate a ‘new’ story every nightas a child. And even as the long,playful days would unfold them-selves into calm, thoughtful nights,we would find ourselves happilylost into the joys of yet anotherstory.

The art of storytelling has beenlooked upon as a tool to influencethe way a child thinks. Researchsays that children absorb as muchas they can in the first five years oftheir life. And counsellors suggestthat when parents read out storiesto their kids, it stays with them forlife, enriching their personalityand improving their vocabulary.

Shruti Mehta, mother of a nine-year-old, reveals, “My son had aspeech disorder. That was when apsychiatrist suggested that we tell

him stories and make him read outto us. Today, not only has hisspeech improved but he has alsobecome socially proficient.”

Parents also agree that story-telling is an essential technique toinstill good values in the kids.Asha Pillai, mother of a five-year-

old, says, “I’ve been telling storiesto my daughter since she was two.And today she tells me the samestories. The moral of the storiesare a perfect way to impart a les-son.”

Laying emphasis on the impor-tance of introducing storytelling

sessions in schools, Chandni Shah,principal of Asia English school,says, “Storytelling is a vital medi-um for the kids to express theirideas. They try to make up stories,which helps their literacy skills.”

Besides academic success andentertainment, storytelling hasbeen used throughout history indifferent ways for character devel-opment and virtue. Atula Ahuja,who runs a very popular readingclub for children, says, “Readingnurtures the imaginative and inno-vative side of the human mind.Children, who have experiencedthe joy of being read to, and read-ing all by themselves, often becomeavid readers. They are aware, andcome across as confident youngkids, mainly because of their goodcommunication skills.”

Psychotherapist Vinod Goyaladds, “Storytelling sessions givevarious dimensions to a problemand make children, especiallyteenagers, open up to a number ofpossibilities.”

Meanwhile, renowned authorEsther David feels that this genera-tion is missing out on an invalu-able form of expression, when shesays, “We are losing out on theimportant medium of storytellingbecause of lack of time and thepresence of many other attrac-tions. Storytelling is very impor-tant for a person’s developmentand it creates and strengthens thebond between the narrator and thelistener.”

Seems Strickland Gillilan surehad the positive effects of story-telling in mind when he wrote, ‘Youmay have tangible wealth untold;Caskets of jewels and coffers ofgold. Richer than I you could neverbe — I had a mother that read to me’.

Live life to the fullestA few handy tips show you how to live longer and increase your life expectancy

Have a good laugh◗ Research states that laughter may bebeneficial to health. Laughingappears to boost the blood flow (bymore than 20 per cent) andresearchers say it may reduce the riskof developing heart disease. Laughinghas previously been found to helpfight infections, relieve hay fever, easepain and help control diabetes. Thepositive effect of laughing is thoughtto last around 30-45 minutes.

Adjust sleeping time ◗ Life expectancy may be reduced bysleeping more than eight hours anight. A study found that people whoget only six to seven hours sleep anight live longer than those whosleep eight hours or more, or lessthan four hours.

Eat more garlic ◗ Garlic has been referred to as‘nature’s antibiotic’. It is a powerfulcleanser of the body and regularingestion promotes a healthy heartand circulation by lowering bloodpressure and cholesterol, and alsohelps fight infection and boost immu-nity. There is also strong evidence tosuggest that garlic helps with the pre-vention of cancers of the digestivesystem, including the esophagus,stomach, colon and rectum. Thosewho don’t like the taste of garlicshould try the odourless supple-ments that are available.

Drink tea ◗ Many bodies of research supportthe view that tea is good for your

health. Scientists tend to agree thattea, both black and green, may con-tribute positively to the promotion ofhealth and the prevention of chronicdisease. Recent research studiesreveal the antioxidants in tea mayinhibit the growth of cancer cells,support dental health, increase bonedensity and strengthen cardiovascu-lar health. According to a study pub-lished in Circulation: The Journal ofthe American Heart Association,heart attack patients who were teadrinkers decreased their risk ofdeath by up to 44 per cent, as com-pared to non-tea drinkers.

Drink more red wine ◗ Any excuse to drink more has goodto be good! Recent studies show thatdrinking around one glass of redwine a day may have certain healthbenefits by protecting against cer-tain cancers and heart disease, andcan have a positive effect on choles-terol levels and blood pressure.Excessive or binge drinking, howev-er, unfortunately doesn’t produce thesame benefits.

Regular self examination ◗ For women this means regularlyexamining their breasts, and whilebreast cancer is not unknown amongmen, males should regularly checktheir testicles for lumps. It is impor-tant to get to know how your bodyparts normally feel and look, andreport any changes, such as a lump,to your doctor. More often than not,lumps prove to be benign, and thesetypes of cancer are usually curable if

they're caught early enough.

Have regular smear/prostate tests◗ Women will usually be called onceevery one to three years for a smeartest, and should make sure theyattend when requested. Prostate can-cer is one of the most common formsof cancer in men and is second onlyto lung cancer as the biggest cancerkiller. There are varying viewpointsabout how often men should have atest and at what age. Testing shouldstart at the age of 50, or at the age of40 if in high-risk groups, such asblack men or those with a father,brother or son with the disease.However, if you have any concernsgo and visit your doctor.

Monitor your bowel behaviour ◗ Any dramatic change in bowelhabits such as an increase in consti-pation, or passing blood should bereferred to a doctor immediately. Itcould prove be something as simpleas piles (haemorrhoids), or worsecase scenario could be bowel cancer,which is important to discover asearly as possible.

Drink more water ◗ Most people are unaware that therecommendation is that the averageperson should drink around eightglasses of water a day. The humanbody is made up of between 55 and 75per cent water, and is in need of con-stant water replenishment. Anincreased intake of water will great-ly enhance digestion, nutrientabsorption, skin hydration, detoxifi-

cation and virtually every aspect ofbetter health.

Get more friends ◗ Research suggests that friends helppeople live longer. Research in theJournal of Epidemiology andCommunity Health says that socialis-ing with friends is beneficial.

Good friends will promise to bethere for you, and their presence canactually help you live longer,researchers say. Australian scientistssaid having friends around in old agecan do more for life expectancy thanhaving family members around, andthat friends may encourage people tolook after their health, and helpreduce feelings of depression andanxiety at difficult times.

No smoking ◗ Everyone is aware of the potentialcatastrophic effect of smoking. It isbetter not to start at all, but the soon-er a smoker quits, the better. Becausethe damage caused by smoking iscumulative, the longer a personsmokes the greater the risk of devel-oping a smoking-related disease,such as lung cancer or heart disease.Quitting not only saves money, butalso has added health benefits.Within one year after quitting, therisk of a heart attack falls to abouthalf that of a smoker, and within tenyears, the risk of lung cancer falls toabout half that of a smoker.

Relax ◗ Relaxation reduces blood pressureand helps reduce stress-related con-

ditions such as depression. A relax-ation technique such as yoga or med-itation can help reduce stress levels.

Get a pet ◗ Owning a pet has a surprisingamount of health benefits for theowner, according to a series of stud-ies. Ownership of a pet, particularlya dog, means people are more active.Animals are known to reduce anxi-ety both from the actual physicalcomfort from stroking them, but alsobecause they are a distraction andsomething pleasant to focus on. Theyare also good friends to many andprovide a source of amusement,making us laugh.

Exercise ◗ Exercise is known to reduce the riskof heart disease, high blood pressure,osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity. Itkeeps joints, tendons and ligamentsflexible, and contributes to mentalwell-being by helping treat depres-sion, relive stress and anxiety.Exercise also aids better sleep. Even ifyou are pushed for time, exercisecould be gained simply by walking upstairs rather than taking the lift, oreven try walking or cycling on shorterjourneys rather than taking the car.

Eat more fruit and vegetables ◗ Eating plenty of fruits and vegeta-bles can help ward off heart diseaseand stroke, control blood pressureand cholesterol, and prevent sometypes of cancer. It is recommended toeat at least five servings of fruit andvegetables a day.

New claim: UVcontact lenses canreplace sunglasses

S cientists have long known thatthe ultraviolet radiation insunlight can cause cataracts

and other eye diseases. So it was aboon for contact wearers when con-tact lenses with ultraviolet protectionhit the market not long ago.

But despite what some peoplethink, they do not provide enoughprotection against ultraviolet light tosubstitute for sunglasses. Most stud-ies have found that in general theyblock at least 10 percent less ultravio-let light than sunglasses, and that theamount of protection varies tremen-dously from one pair to the next.

One study by Irish researchers lastyear, for example, tested various con-tact lenses designed to block outultraviolet light and found that somehad as much as 10 times the protec-

tion factor of others.But the best strategy for contact

wearers may be to combine themwith sunglasses, because contactsoffer unique benefits, including thefact that they cover the entire pupil.And according to a 2003 study in thejournal Investigative phthalmologyand Visual Science, which comparedultraviolet-blocking contacts andsunglasses, only the contacts prevent-ed light from striking the eyes fromthe sides.

Contact lenses can offer ultravioletradiation protection “against allangles of incidence, including thepeak-response angle,” the scientistswrote, adding, “They can also protectthe eye in settings in which the wear-ing of sunglasses is not feasible orconvenient.”

Contact lenses are not asubstitute for sunglasses

The healthy artof storytelling

Be it the concept of reading out stories or theinteractive way in which parents and grandparents

narrate them, storytelling is healthy for kids

SS PP OO RR TT SS world sikh news20 January 2-8, 2008

Man Utd go down to West HamLONDON: West Ham beat Manchester Unitedat Upton Park for the second time in consecu-tive seasons. Portugese winger CristianoRonaldo’s 18th goal of the season had the EPLchampions ahead but a rare miss from thepenalty spot by Ronaldo after 66 minutesallowed West Ham to come back in the game.They took advantage with two goals from dead-ball situations as Anton Ferdinand andMatthew Upson scored after 77 and 82 minutes.

BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 FULHAM 1 Roy Hodgson watched from the stands as his

new team Fulham earned an important point.Carlos Bocanegra glanced in a header aftereight minutes but Fulham’s hopes of a firstaway win in 27 games evaporated withSebastian Larsson’s equaliser from the edge ofthe box 10 minutes after the restart. Fulham’sHameur Bouazza was sent off 11 minutes fromtime.

CHELSEA 2 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 Chelsea, without a host of first-choice play-

ers, won it three minutes from the end whenSalomon Kalou scored despite appearing to beclearly offside. Michael Essien touched inChelsea’s opener from a rebound in the 28thminute but Nicky Butt equalised from closerange in the 55th as Newcastle produced one oftheir best performances of the season - yet gotnothing.

PORTSMOUTH 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 Portsmouth’s dire run without a home goal in

three months continued as Middlesbroughended their poor spell with a Tuncay Sanli goalafter 20 minutes.

SUNDERLAND 3 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 Sunderland climbed out of the bottom three

but were hanging on desperately at the end.Kieran Richardson’s first goal for Sunderlandin his first appearance since August put thehosts ahead after 13 minutes. Kenwyne Jonesmade it 2-0 with a powerful header from a cor-ner after 32 before Bolton pulled one backbefore halftime through El Hadji Diouf. DarylMurphy added a tension-relieving third ininjury time.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 6 READING 4 Reading led 2-1 after an hour and were play-

ing well but seven goals, several of them out-standing, in 20 minutes left White Hart Laneshellshocked. Dimitar Berbatov got four of theSpurs goals, Steed Malbranque and JermainDefoe also chipped in while Robbie Keanemissed a penalty. Reading, who lost 7-4 atPortsmouth in September, will wonder howthey managed to go away with nothing after aperformance described by manager SteveCoppell as “90 percent magnificent”.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1 ASTON VILLA 2 Villa stormed back strongly after Wigan had

gone ahead with a 28th-minute Titus Brambleheader It was all Villa in the second half as aCurtis Davis looping header in the 55th minuteand Gabriel Agbonlahor’s glanced header 15minutes later secured the victory.

McLaren spy controversy comes to endLONDON: Lewis Hamilton’sMcLaren team can look forwardto the next season without thethreat of a further points penaltyafter Formula One’s governingbody formally closed a spy con-troversy on Tuesday.

The International AutomobileFederation (FIA) said in a state-ment that its World Motor SportCouncil had agreed to cancel aParis hearing scheduled forFebruary 14 to assess McLaren’s2008 car.

FIA president Max Mosley pro-posed the cancellation lastThursday after McLaren apolo-gised for having Ferrari data intheir possession and recognisedthat it had penetrated deeper intothe team than suspected.

The hearing had been calledafter an FIA technical reportraised suspicions that some ofthe systems in the 2008 McLaren

design could be influenced by theleaked Ferrari information.

McLaren were stripped of alltheir constructors’ points andfined $100 million this year forthe spy saga and the Februarymeeting had threatened to pro-long the agony with the possibili-ty of a further sanction.

The team, who saw Britishrookie Hamilton lose the champi-onship by a single point toFerrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, haveoffered to freeze development ofthe suspect systems.

Ferrari have meanwhileagreed to close the controversyon a sporting level but are to con-tinue legal action against indi-viduals in Italy and Britain. The

2008 season starts in Australia inMarch.

McLaren were also involved ina second controversy when for-mer champions Renault werefound at a hearing this month tohave had McLaren data in theirpossession since last year.

Renault, who failed to win arace in 2007, were not punishedhowever because the FIA ruledthere was insufficient evidencethat the championship had beenaffected.

In a 77-page transcript of thathearing published on the FIAwebsite (www.fia.com), theFrench manufacturer arguedthat the case was one of simplestupidity rather than any delib-

erate intention to cheat.They denied gaining any

advantage and said formerMcLaren engineer PhilMackereth, who took technicalinformation with him when hejoined Renault, had acted for per-sonal reasons.

“His actions in this situationwere stupidity, naivety and adegree of recklessness - and littlemore than that,” the transcriptrecorded Renault’s technicaldirector Bob Bell telling the hear-ing. “There is no malevolence,there is no intention to deliber-ately do wrong or to cheat. Thatis not in his make-up.” Renault’slawyer described Mackereth,who appeared at the hearing, asbeing like “a rabbit in the head-lights.

“He is a very unhappy, veryguilty and very contrite man,” headded.

Nadal to open againstMontcourt in ChennaiCHENNAI: Spanish world numbertwo Rafael Nadal will start his 2008season against FrenchmanMathieu Montcourt in the firstround of the Chennai Open ATPevent. The draw pitted CypriotMarcos Baghdatis, the second seed,against Dutchman Robin Haasewhile defending champion XavierMalisse of Belgium will play GilesMuller of Luxembourg.

Malisse, 27, who toppled FrenchOpen champion Nadal in the semislast year and also went on to beatthe Spaniard in the doubles final,is unseeded after slumping to 112thin the rankings due to a wristinjury suffered in February.

Spain’s former world numberone Carlos Moya, twice a winnerin Chennai, is seeded third andRussian number two MikhailYouzhny fourth. Baghdatis, thecurrent world number 16, said hewas looking forward to a newstart.

Real Madridchase Ronaldo

with 100-mn offer

MADRID: Spanish championsReal Madrid are prepared to pay upto 70 million euros ($102.59 million)for Manchester United wingerCristiano Ronaldo.

Sports daily AS on Saturdayreported that the Portuguese staris under contract at Old Trafforduntil 2012, but AS claims thatCristiano Ronaldo could buy up hiscontract for 70 million euros, asum that Real president RamonCalderon is prepared to pay to lurehim to Madrid.

AS claims that CristianoRonaldo has insisted on this “buy-out clause” in his contract becausehe is “so enthusiastic” about play-ing for Real one day, and quotes the23 year-old winger as saying that “Iwould love to play in Spain”.

The report claims that Calderonis keen to liven up BerndSchuster’s hard-working team —which is seven points clear at thetop of La Liga — with a “mediastar”, and is now resigned to thefact that AC Milan will not sellKaka, the player he promised tothe fans in the 2006 presidentialelections at Real.

Ralf rules out futurewith Force India

LONDON: German Ralf Schumacher may havedriven a Formula One car for the last time aftera disappointing test with Force India in Spain.

“I don’t think I will be driving for ForceIndia,” the German told the Autosport Web site(www.autosport.com ). “I want to achieve some-thing and I don’t think I can do that with ForceIndia.”

“I am going home now and we will see.”Schumacher was quoted as saying in Sport Bildnewspaper: “It’s possible that today was my lastdrive in a Formula One car.”

Schumacher, younger brother of retiredseven times world champion Michael, was theslowest by a considerable margin of the 20drivers on track in Thursday’s test at the Jerezcircuit.

By contrast, Austrian Christian Klien wasseventh fastest and Italian Giancarlo Fisichellawas ninth for Force India in testing onWednesday.

A team source said the 32-year-old Germansuffered a hydraulics failure in the morning,spun twice and never looked comfortable in thecar. Schumacher, winner of six grand prix withWilliams from 2001 to 2003, left Toyota at the end of the season in October with his futureuncertain.

Karthikeyan still eyeingbright Formula 1 future

NEW DELHI: India’s Narain Karthikeyan isconfident of returning as a Formula One driv-er after three years of disappointment.

The 30-year-old became India’s firstFormula One driver in 2005 when he signed forJordan, stoking ambitions in the fast lane forthe nation with a booming economy andyoungsters looking to pick up sports otherthan cricket.

His tenure with Jordan proved unproduc-tive and a two-year testing role with Williamsgave him few opportunities. Karthikeyansecured the first race win for Team India inthe A1 Grand Prix series in China last week.

He was glad to display his skills after yearsof frustration, but was at pains to explain hisambitions as a Formula One driver were stillburning.

“I was just doing testing and had ample timeon my side so I wanted a challenge to keep rac-ing,” he said.

“This A1 GP victory is very essential, sothat you can shut up the critics,” he said. “F1is not the end of the world, I still have time onmy side.”

Karthikeyan said he was not keen on a test-ing role and wanted at least to be consideredas the third driver. “Definitely, there is anunfinished business in F1,” he said. “There isstill (time), it will happen sooner rather thanlater. A1 GP for me is not a step back, only astep to the side. I race as hard as possible andtry and achieve the best.”

Karthikeyan’s subdued F1 stint has disap-pointed millions of home fans, although it hastriggered tremendous interest in motor sportin the country.

Indian businessman Vijay Mallya hasbecome co-owner of the Spyker team, renam-ing it Force India, and the nation is due tostage its first Grand Prix in New Delhi in 2010.

Youngster Karun Chandhok is also biddingto emulate Karthikeyan by shining in the GP2feeder series after a test drive with Red Bulllast month.

Karthikeyan dismissed critics who feel hisfuture as a Formula One driver was in doubtbecause of his age.

“There are lot of drivers who are past 33 inF1,” he said.

Renault, which did not win even a single race in2007, was not punished for want of evidence

January 2-8, 2008 21world sikh news SS PP OO RR TT SS

Chelsea, Villa appealto FA against cards

LONDON: Chelsea and AstonVilla have both appealed to the FAagainst the red cards shown toAshley Cole and Zat Knight intheir 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridgeon Wednesday.

Referee Phil Dowd also sent offChelsea’s Portuguese defenderRicardo Carvalho for a two-footedlunge on Villa striker GabrielAgbonlahor but the clubs are notappealing against that decision.

The appeals will be heard by theFA on Friday before Saturday’smatches when Chelsea are athome to Newcastle United andAston Villa travel to WiganAthletic.

Chelsea defender Cole was sentoff for a deliberate handball onthe goal line deep in stoppage timeat the end of the match whichresulted in a penalty for Villa thatGareth Barry converted to leavethe teams level at 4-4 at the finish.

Knight received a straight redfor a foul on Michael Ballack thatearned Chelsea a penalty whichAndriy Shevchenko converted justbefore halftime.

Villa boss Martin O’Neillaccused the Germany skipper ofgoing down too easily under thechallenge.

“It wasn’t a penalty. The Chelseaplayer went over and there hadbeen no contact,” he told reportersafter the game.

Ballack has denied the accusa-tions, telling the London EveningStandard: “For me there is no dis-cussion about this. I had the balland two guys, not just one, cameand one pushed me. It was a clearpenalty.”

Carvalho justifies fieldingtoo many juniors in PHL

CHANDIGARH: Impressed with theperformance of junior players, nation-al coach Joaquim Carvalho on Sundaysaid that Indian Hockey Federation’sproposal to put such players in theongoing Premier Hockey League was“justified.”

“In the beginning, most teams par-ticipating in the PHL were reluctantto field youngsters knowing that theyare inexperienced, but as the tourna-ment progressed most of the juniorplayers have started proving that theyhave fresh pairs of legs who have beenproving excellent from game togame,” Carvalho told here.

The juniors who have been in vari-ous PHL teams have come out with fly-ing colours, an elated coach said.

Carvalho, who was unhappy withthe display of the juniors at the startof the league, said “juniors are nowscoring goals also... moreover, most ofthe teams are fielding juniors ingames which is showing goodresults.”

Their fitness levels are also “good”during the PHL, he said, adding thathe and Gill were impressed with atleast 10 juniors playing in the PHL.

These include the likes of DeevakarRam, Sameer Basla, Cheyyna,

Gurvinder Singh Chandi, ShravanjeetSingh, Amardeep Ekka, PramodKumar and Chengappa.

“The experience which the juniorsare getting is good for the game intimes to come,” Carvalho said.

After the PHL, “we will assemble tochalk out different strategies,” headded.

“We did not get chance to re-assem-ble and do an analysis of ourstrengths and weakneses,” he saidadding “the core group will assembleat Bangalore after the PHL and dovideo analysis of each player who fig-ures in the probables.”

Matches too easyto fix, saysNavratilova

PERTH: Tennis authorities have atough task to stop match-fixingbecause it is too easy to fix results,says Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova, the winner of 59grand slam titles, said the sporthad to do whatever it takes to putan end to the scandals that rockedtennis in 2007.

A match involving Russianworld number four NikolayDavydenko in August is one of sev-eral under investigation becauseof irregular betting patterns.

Several players on the men’stour have admitted being offeredmoney to throw a match but allinsist they refused the bribes.

“It’s pretty new, this match-fix-ing idea,” Navratilova toldreporters at the Hopman Cup in

Perth on Monday.“So we’ll see where it goes (but)

of course, if it is a problem, it’spretty easy to throw a tennismatch because it’s so hard toprove.”

“We have to make sure that thesport stays clean, both on the drugside as well as any kind of bettingscandal. We have to keep it cleanwhatever it takes.”

“We need to make sure that,most of all, the players understandwhat’s at stake here.”

The Australian Open, the firstgrand-slam event of the yearwhich begins in Melbourne onJanuary 14, will introduce a set ofsecurity measures, including thebanning of unauthorised laptopsin the stands.

Schumacher’staxi race underinvestigation

BERLIN: The police in Coburg are set to investigate whetherseven-times world champion race driver Michael Schumacherbroke the law after he got behind the wheel of a taxi last weekso his family were on time for a flight.

Schumacher turned taxi driver last Saturday having takenhis family to buy an Australian Shepherd puppy in theBavarian village of Kronach and then took over the wheel ofthe cab on the return journey to make sure they caught theirplane.

The German star, who retired from Formula One last year,was said to have “taken the corners at full-throttle and over-taken in unbelievable places,” according to the cab driver.

Schumacher paid the 60 euros fare (86 US Dollars) for thejourney and even gave the cab driver a 100 euro tip (144 USDollars) to show his appreciation.

But the light-hearted story has not gone down well withlocal police, who are to investigate whether Schumacherbroke the highway code, while taxi driver Tuncer Yilmaz willbe questioned for allowing the German racing star to take thewheel.

According to a report in German tabloid Bild, police willcross-examine Yilmaz, 42, as a possible witness andSchumacher could face a fine.

But things may be even worse for Yilmaz, who is also set toface a hearing.

“That was an offence against transport laws,” Kai Holland,deputy director of Coburg’s traffic authority, told the media.

“We will have a hearing with the taxi driver to resolve thematter.” Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber was amazedYilmaz and his client could find themselves in trouble over theincident.

“To punish this man would be ridiculous. He very kindlyhelped Michael and we wish all taxi drivers were so under-standing.”

Chelsea’s star playerMichael Ballack

F1 ace Hamilton finedin France for speedingPARIS: Formula One sensationLewis Hamilton had his drivinglicence suspended for a monthafter being caught speeding on aFrench motorway, the police saidon Tuesday.

The British driver was at thewheel of a Mercedes when he wasclocked at 196 km/h near thenorthern town of Leon onSunday.

The police stopped him,detained the car and fined him600 euros ($860.2).

“He was very polite and coop-erative,” said a policespokesman, who added Hamiltonhad since had the car collected.

The McLaren driver, 22, fin-ished runner-up in his rookieseason to Ferrari’s KimiRaikkonen in the 2007 worldchampionship.

Earlier, the British FormulaOne ace had stirred up a contro-versy by announcing that hewould leave the UK to get awayfrom the prying press.

Karun joins Senna’s nephew in new GP2 teamNEW DELHI: Karun Chandhok’sFormula One hopes received a shot inthe arm with the Indian driver joiningAyrton Senna’s nephew Bruno in thecockpit of iSport International, a top-rung team in the GP2 series.

In a significant development in hisfledgling career, Karun, who raced forDurango in the 2007 season, announcedon Wednesday that he was joining theBritish GP2 outfit which won the TeamChampionship last season.

The Chennai driver said he was hop-ing to emulate Timo Glock, the iSportdriver who was roped in by Toyota F1

team for the next season after winningthe 2007 GP2 championship.

“I enjoyed my time with Durango,specially winning the race in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). But it’s amid-field team, whereas iSport is thetop flight team.

“Naturally, every driver wanted todrive for them. I tested for iSport atJerez and knew it was the team I toowanted to drive for. Fortunately thingsfell in place,” Karun said.

In fact, Glock was not the lone driverto make the transition from GP2 toFormula One. Nico Rosberg, the 2005

champion, was roped in by theWilliams in 2006, while 2006 GP2 win-ner Lewis Hamilton joined McLarenthe following year.

Karun made it clear that he was inno hurry to achieve his F1 dream andis ready to commit himself to GP2series for the next year.

“In between, I would wait for moreF1 opportunities from the Red BullRacing F1 team. They have made mepart of the Junior Team Programmeand I’m expecting more testing oppor-tunity with them,” said the 23-year-old driver.

KK II DD SS22 January 2-8, 2008 world sikh news

Teens today are technology sophisticates, they are able to perceive, utilise a new gadget muchquicker than adults. So, here are some gadgets that have been made exclusively for teens...

Sending SMS and chatting online is the new pass-time of teenagers.A middle-class teen usually has a computer, videogame player, TV,DVD player and, more and more often, a cell phone. The technolog-ical habits of teenagers will likely influence their future lives. Themore comfortable teens become reading online, for example, the

more the read they will become more mature in how they view the outerworld. Today’s tech-savvy teens will spend more time downloading musicand movies from the Internet than they will actually going to record storesand the cinema.

However the more the teens become familiar with the tech world, theywill be exposed to the travails of the tech world. Physical atrophy is onesyndrome that has plagued teenagers who sit long hours on computers.However, with the latest teen-friendly technology, that is available there isa desirable balance that can be struck between education and play. Thereare many high-tech toys that cater specifically to teenagers and young adults,tailoring their digital experiences to suit their lifestyles, needs and abili-ties, all the while teaching them how to interface with an increasingly elec-tronic future.

DVD Jr

This DVD Junior has a 2.5-inch thin film transis-tor (TFT) colour screen, and plays movies from

3-inch DVDs. The DVD Junior has over standard-sised players its small size, simplified controls anda lineup of movies like: (Harry Potter) and cartoonslike: (Batman, Scooby Doo, Teen Titans, X-Men), thatappeal to the teen demographic. This gadget has abattery which can run up to 2.5 hours.

Hasbro Furby

T his all new, fluffy, adorable, yet slightly creepyFurby will hit toy store shelves across the globe.

This robotic fluffball can speak, dance, play games,tell jokes and express himself with his motorisedears, eyes, eyebrows and fully flexible beak. Thisgadget can listen to teenagers and answer accordingto its mood, using hundreds of programmed wordsand phrases in English.

Air-flo game system

Love playing video games for long hours, but can’tstop due to the sewat in your palms. Don’t wor-

ry with this game control you’ll need not worry aboutthe unpleasant condition of the gaming-inducedsweaty palms. This gadget has got game pads can air-cool hands while your teenagers are playing. So forteens the action does not stop anymore.

Vex system

F or the teen-age engineer in your household, thisVex system is like an amped-up erector set with

a brain. It comes with over 500 parts, including threecontinuous-drive motors, one servomotor, a radio re-ceiver, a six-channel remote control, a programma-ble micro-controller and all sorts of wheels, gears,tires, etc. It allows teens with curiosity and techni-cal skill to build any sort of robot.

Computer microscope

C ombine your teens fascination with the micro-scopic world with their aptitude with micro-

processors. This microscope shoots video at up to 15frames per second, as well as time-lapse movies that’lllet kids watch paramecia shake their cilia in realtime. The included software also lets users digitallyedit the microscopic images and video, even addingspecial effects.

Lifestyle hip-e

I t is a digital environment gadget for teen-age com-puter users. This gadget includes a set of wire-

less speakers, a 17-inch widescreen LCD flat-panelmonitor, a Sprint PCS slider-keypad cell phone, a512-megabyte MP3 player and a remote control tomanage the entire thing. Hip-e is impressive, andthe integration of the system perfectly fits teen-agelifestyle.

Pixter colour

I t has got colour touchscreen and caters to thecreative impulses of teens, letting them draw,

colour and play with an interface that bears a sur-prising resemblance to a primitive Adobe Illustra-tor. Plus, it can be accessorised with extra softwareto teach math, geography, astronomy and other lan-guage skills.

Danger sidekick II

S idekick II is the most hand-friendly cellular de-vice on the market. It is slim and features a longer

battery life. Its shape still makes it somewhat awk-ward as a phone, but it more than makes up for thatas a messaging device. It has a full keypad and an in-genious flip-out screen for answering e-mail, instantmessaging, web surfing and an integrated camerathat comes with an online photo gallery.

VTech smile

T his gadget has a simplified and bargain-pricedentertainment console that caters to the youth-

ful set with a colour-coded, big-buttoned joystickand fun, educational games. This video game con-sole comes with one joystick and an alphabet parksmartridge game cartridge and plugs into TV au-dio and video jacks. An AC adapter is available sep-arately, as is an extra joystick needed for two play-ers. In this game there are different games whichare designed for different age groups, teaching every-thing from numbers and letters to math and earlyreading. The game characters in this game includemany of the plushy, fluffy celebrities of the teenland. From learning lessons on this electronic gadg-et to making friends, VTech smile offers a widerange of activities to suit inquisitive teens. The bigcolourful buttons are easy to use, making it a fungadget to play with. So, play games on this consolewhile you learn your lessons.

The Robosapien

T he Robosapien has to be every teenagers dreamtoy: a programmable, remote-controlled person-

al robot that walks around, grabs and throws things,dances, reacts to its environment, does kung fu andeven talks in his own idiosyncratic caveman speech.It has a small loudspeaker unit, which can broadcastseveral different vocalisation, all of which appear tobe recordings of a human male pretending to be a

great ape, such as a gorilla. The Robosapien, ormore correctly the Robosapien controller, is

equipped with a basic level of program-mability. Users can string together move-ment commands to form what the toy's

manual describes as either macros ormini-programs, but which are more cor-

rectly described as robotic instructionssets. Robospaien participated at the RoboCup Ger-man Open 2005 tournament and played the first soc-cer match of humanoid robots worldwide.

Wireless teens

Doggy faux pas!

A dog that often jumpedout the window of his

owners' ground-floor apart-ment jumped out of the win-dow of their new flat forget-ting it was six floors up. For-tunately the lucky dog wassaved when it landed on abalcony three floors downfrom the apartment inCologne. The dog's ownersUdo and Angela Baecker,

both 29, called the fire depart-ment when they heard theirpet boxer whining from thebalcony below. They could-n't get him themselves be-cause the tenants were awayon vacation.

Monkey thief

A South Korean touristhas filed a formal com-

plaint against a monkey hesays stole his reading glass-es during his visit to the Hin-du holy city of Varanasi innorthern India. Part of theframe later was recovered by

hotel staff and Kim said hefiled the report so he canmake a damages claim on histravel insurance. Thousandsof wild monkeys roamVaranasi, dotting the treeson the banks of the GangesRiver and scamperingthrough the city's many tem-ples, where they are vener-ated as manifestations of theHindu monkey god Hanu-man.

Save me from 911

A 38-year-old man wasarrested after he called

911 and told a dispatcher hewas surrounded by police

officers and needed help,authorities said. Police of-ficers met Dana FarrellShelton after being calledto investigate a disturbanceat a bar but had found noproblems and told him tomove along. Shelton, whoofficers said appeared in-toxicated, then called 911to report he was “surround-ed by Largo police,” accord-ing to an arrest affidavit.The charge carries maxi-mum penalties of one yearin jail and $1,000 in fines.

world sikh news EE NN TT EE RR TT AA II NN MM EE NN TT January 2-8, 2008 23

Beatles legend Sir PaulMcCartney has slammed hisformer record company

EMI, calling it “boring”.McCartney ended his 45-year-oldrelationship with the label in Juneand signed on with Starbucks’label Hear Music, reports anano-va.com. Explaining his reasons fornot renewing the EMI contract, hesaid, “Everybody at EMI hadbecome part of the furniture. I’d bea couch, Coldplay are an armchair.Robbie Williams, I dread to thinkwhat he was.”

The Memory Almost Full singerclaims EMI had become “mind-numbingly predictable”.Heexplained, “I could guess whatthey were going to say, ‘Love yourrecord, Paul’ and I’d say, ‘Well,what should we do with it?’ Thenthey’d go, ‘Well we think youshould go to Cologne’, which iswhat they always say.

“This idea became symbolic of

the treadmill. It’s mind-numbing.So I started saying, ‘God, we’ve gotto do something else.’” Paul, whobecame the first act to sign to cof-fee chain Starbuck’s new recordlabel, claims tearful Starbucksrecord executives won him over.

He said, “One of my new songsYou tell Me came on and one of theteam started crying. It was weird. Ithought, Oh this is real feedback.’”

MACCA BLASTS ‘BORING’MUSIC

Film on Bhutto’s life soon

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani filmcompany is rushing into the pro-duction of a movie based on thelife of slain former premierBenazir Bhutto in collaborationwith noted Indian filmmakerMahesh Bhatt.

Well-known Pakistani writerand poet Aqeel Ahmad Rubywould write the script of themovie that is already in its pre-production phase, Karachi-basedSkies Unlimited Films said.

The film will be released acrossthe world, it said.

The film will be completed incollaboration with Bhatt, saidAneela Khan, a producer with thecompany.

Khan said the director of thefilm "will soon be announced"though the makers had not yetdecided who would play the

charismatic Bhutto."We have not decided yet. It

could be someone famous or acompletely new face. There arepossibilities that some of thescenes would be shot in India, butwe are not sure," she said.

"The project is running throughits pre-production phase and wewill soon be on the set," Khan said.Aamir Rizvi will be the film'sassociate producer and InduMirani its official coordinator inIndia, she said.

Siropa to Bachchanangers Sikh

organizations

WSN Network

AMRITSAR: Hindi film actor Amitabh Bachchan, alongwith wife Jaya, son Abhishek and daughter-in-lawAishwarya, paid obeisance at the Golden Temple onSaturday.

The Bachchan family accompanied by family friendand Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh reached thetemple amidst a tight security cover. The family washere to offer prayers at the shrine after the demise ofAmitabh's Sikh mother Teji Bachchan.

They reached the temple in a chartered bus from a pri-vate hotel, with more than 70 personal security guardsbesides an extra security cover of the Punjab Police.Bachchans spent 20 minutes inside the sanctorum andlistened to kirtan. Several Sikh organizations, mean-while, protested against a special welcome having beenaccorded to the Bachchan family when the actor's role ininstigating the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 was well known.

Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Simranjit Singh Mannjoined the chorus of condemnation of the SGPC's act ofpresenting a siropa to Bachchan.

An SGPC spokesman however denied that the gurd-wara management extended a special welcome to theBachchans, who he said, were treated just like any com-mon visitors to Sri Harmander Sahib.

Amitabh Bachchan and SP leader Amar Singh with theashes of Teji Bachchan in Amritsar

Indian filmmakerMahesh Bhatt

roped in forthe project

A DVD film on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the lastemperor of the sovereign Sikh state, entitled “Beinsafi DiDaastan”, was released at a function organized here.Maharaja Duleep Singh was the youngest son of the leg-endary Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The film has been produced by Amarjeet Singh, aChandigarh-based filmmaker best known for several telefilms and documentaries on the Sikhs and Punjab’s history.He has been visiting USA, Canada & UK to promote this film.Addressing the audience and the media, producer AmarjeetSingh said that this film titled

“Beinsafi Di Daastan” is not only a film but a true histori-cal document on the subject. Earlier he had produced a filmin English title ‘A Monument of Injustice’ on the same sub-ject which was released in USA and UK last year. This filmacclaimed worldwide recognition, the film has been

screened at six international filmfestivals in India, UK, Canada andUSA, telecasted on B4U MovieChannel in over 60 countries andabove all a special screening wasorganized at the House of Commonin UK Parliament.

Now on a great public demand thePunjabi version of this film hasbeen

re-produced in a different formatand presentation. Elaborating uponthe making of the film, AmarjeetSingh disclosed that the Punjabi ver-sion was made keeping in view the tasteof Punjabi audience all over the world.As claimed by the producer, this is thefirst ever film made on the Sikh Raaj,depicting the historical incidents, like howthe Sikh Empire was established by

Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1799 and how it was lost after 50fifty years in 1849. The film very interestingly depicts a his-tory of deep rooted controversies and betrayals, how theyoung Sikh Maharaja was separated from his mother RaniJind Kaur, how he was converted to Christianity, sent to UKand was politically detained there for 40 years, his return tohis original faith Sikhism, then death in miserable condi-tions in Paris in 1893. This is a heart rending story of Sikhhistory !! The rare Relics, monuments, documents and placesrelated to the Sikh Raaj are also shown in this film includingthe Original Kooh-i-noor diamond, The Golden Throne ofMaharaja Ranjit Singh, hand written letters of MaharajaDuleep Singh and his rare family photographs make the filmmore authentic. The shooting of film was done in UK andIndia. The film has been directed by Prof. P. Nirola, Musicby Varinder Bachhan / Lyrics : Rattan Babakwala / Voice

over: Kulwinder Khanda / Camera : Jatinder Sharma. Thepost production and other technical works were done inMumbai. The research and script has been done by theproducer himself.

The function was attended by a large gathering ofprominent persons of the NY region, including themembers of various Sikh Gurdwara Committees,

Cultural Societies, Social Organizations, Business per-sonalities, and Journalists representing Print and elec-tronic media.

The main speaker of the function was Dr. AmarjeetSingh, Washington; he briefed the audience with his

scholarly views on the subject, the need of such filmfor the community and also the role of electronicmedia in the present times when the Sikh commu-

nity all over the World, is under attack from vari-ous directions, with different intentions. He said

that it’s the electronic media which can tellworld about their identity, Status andrights.

On behalf of Ravi Punjabi TV,Choudhary Shaftak, Mr. Riaz Barrar andPeer Wajid Ali were also present and con-gratulated the producer.

On this occasion Mr. Avtar Singh Pannu,President Richmond Hill Gurdwara, Mr.Pritam Singh Gilzian , PresidentGurdwara Makhan Shah Lubana, NY, Mr.Jaswinder Jassa , President ShaheedUdham Singh Foundation NY. Mr. Gurmit

Singh, Balwinder Bhaura Journalists andsome other members representing differentGurdwara Committees also spoke on theoccasion and congratulated the producer ofthe film for this pioneering effort. They alsoassured to give full support for promotingthis historical film in North America byarranging special shows in the Gurdwarasor by making arrangements of providingDVDs of this film for people through differ-ent outlets.

The DVD containing both the the versions( Punjabi. & English) was released and thescreening of Punjabi version of this film .. “Beinsafi Di Daastan” was also screened.

Producer Amarjeet Singh was also honored onthe occasion.The function was hosted by HarwinderRiar . In the end Dr. Ranjit Singh N.Y. thanked themanagement of Ravi TV, the guests and the media tomake the function memorable.

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02 January to 08 January 2008 WORLD SIKH NEWS 24