Passages from my diary of my trip to India, April 2012

At the beginning of April I went to India to visit Punjab. The flight was London to Amritsar via Delhi. We arrived at Delhi about 9am and had to wait till 5.30pm to go to Amritsar. It was a long wait! When we arrived at Delhi we had to go through security clearance again (I don't understand why, because we had just come out of the plane). The security guy checking passengers had a dirty white glove on his hand while patting down the passengers. It looked filthy and as if it had never been washed. He was touching his face and nose with one hand and the other hand he had a dirty glove on. I was praying to Waheguru that the guy doesn't touch me and get my Kurta and Hazooria covered with the dirt and filth. The glove was literally like a brown grey colour. Surprisingly, when the guy came to me he just waved the metal detector over me and let me go. (Thank God!)

At the airport my mother and I were laying back on the comfy chairs when I spotted a mouse running around next to me! I told my mum that a mouse is next to me and she decided to flag it up with one of the airport staff. My mother waved to a lady worker who came over to us. My mother said, "There is a mouse running around here." The lady replied, "What a mouse?" "Yes a mouse!" The lady made a confused face and said "Okay..." and walked off. It was as if she was thinking "Hello, this is India what else do you expect in the airport." As expected no one came back to investigate the mice problem.

Arriving at Amritsar was quite pleasant. The customer service has slightly improved, however people could still work on the 'service with a smile'.

The first night in Punjab we spent at Gurdaspur. It was the first time I had spent time at Gurdaspur. It was very sad to hear how innocent young Sikh men aged 15 to 35 were picked up the Police and killed during the 1990s. Locals told of how villages upon villages across Gurdaspur district were wiped clean of young people and a generation of Sikhs was wiped out.

The next day Gursikhs took us to visit Gurdwara Kahnuwan Sahib in district Gurdaspur. This Gurdwara marks the spot where the Chhota Ghallughara (the smaller holocaust) took place. In Sikh history there have been two ancient holocausts, the Chhota Ghallughara which took place in 1746 and the Vadda Ghallughara (the bigger holocaust) which took place in 1762. The more recent carnage of the 1980s and 90s, has also come to be known as Ghalughara (holocaust).

The Gurdwara Chhota Ghallughara Sahib marks the place were nearly 10,000 Sikh men, women and children were wiped out in 1746. Yahya Khan and Lakhpat Rai had taken a pledge to wipe out the Sikhs. They chased and surrounded the Sikhs taking refuge in the forest area of Kahnuwan. The forest was set on fire to make sure no Sikh survived. Retreating regiments of the Sikhs braved an onslaught under the command of Nawaab Kapoor Singh jee. Even though the Sikhs were hungry, they did not lose their determination and fought on in the scorching heat. During the building of the fairly recent Gurdwara Sahib, the Sangat discovered weapons belonging to the Sikhs who were martyred in the holocaust. Unfortunately the shastar were on open display without any security or any measures to preserve them to the best condition. After speaking to a local member of the Sangat they said they would notify the management committee to keep the shastar in an air tight case and under better security.

When we were about to leave the Gurdwara Sahib, someone dressed as a Nihang Singh came to me and and asked me for a pen. I said, "I have to look if I can find a pen." He then got out a small note book and said, "Bhai Sahib, can you please write down the Dohraa for me?" I was slightly confused that he wanted me to write the Dohraa for him. He said he wanted the Dohraa written down which is recited at Sri Hazoor Sahib. I told him to go to the Gurdwara office and that they can check it and write it properly making sure there are no spelling mistakes etc. He then asked me something about doing Ardaas or giving a donation. I was slightly confused and didn't understand what he was saying so I pointed at the Gursikh who drove us there and said "Ask Bhai Sahib jee". The next thing I know Bhai Sahib hands over 10 rupees and the other person starts doing an Ardaas "May Guru jee keep you in Chardi Kalaa" etc.

We walked away and then the Gursikh explained to me that that person dressed as a Nihang was asking us for money for "Shaheedi Degh" (i.e. cannabis milk drink). I was surprised that someone could go around in Gursikhi baanaa (dress) and beg for money for such a thing. If I had have known I would have refused to give any money and explain it not right for a Gursikh to ask or beg money for such things. However, the Gursikh explained that there are many like that man who have shamed the Guru's uniform. The Gursikh explained that many thieves and beggars have taken on the Nihang uniform and are always intoxicated. I remembered what Nihang Baba Nihaal Singh jee from Harian bela said in one his talks: "Nihangs are not thieves. Thieves have dressed up as Nihangs."

Behind the Gurdwara Sahib there is a new hospital being built and always further down the road the government is making a Khalsa-e-Viraasat. The building is supposed to a multi-media museum which will display the history of the local area. The building seemed quite nice. It is still under construction.

When we came to Jalandhar we visited Unique Home. The Unique Home looks after unwanted, unclaimed or orphaned children who have been discarded or neglected by society. Baby girls are found by roadsides, dumped near streams, or even left during the night in a baby cradle outside the Home.

Before we came to India a 80-year-old English lady that knows my mum knitted some small sweaters and gave them to my mum to give to Unique Home. She knitted about 10 or 15 sweaters. The old lady has no children of her own and whenever she has the opportunity she likes many clothes and gifts for orphans around the world. It was very humbling to hear of the humanity of such people.

It was moving to see that when I picked up one child the other children put their arms up and wanted to be lifted up. Just by lifting them up and repeating "Waheguru" the children smiled and got happy. It is always sad to see how parents can abandon their baby daughters and commit such paap (sin). However, it is better that they give their unwanted babies to the Home rather than murder them.

If any of the Sangat wishes to visit the Unique Home then you are requested to ring the Unique Home before visiting so that you can arrange to meet Mata Parkash Kaur jee (the main sevadaar):

Phone: 0181-2276066/ 2274005
Mobile: 98721-20664

Address:
Unique Home
Bhai Ghanaiya Ji Charitable Trust (Regd.)
1082-B, Model House,
Jalandhar.

Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!

On the way from Gurdaspur to Jalandhar, I saw so many trucks, buses, cars and motorcycles with kesri (orange) flags. Going through the different villages you could see people had kesri flags with Khande flying from their homes and shops. Apparently on the 28th March the whole of Punjab had turned Kesri. However, with the stormy weather some of the flags had fallen down and others had been taking down as they were put up for just a few days. Also I was told that at night time Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal activists took down a lot of flags so that things can be played down. Apparently most of these Shiva Sena and Bajrang Dal activists are immigrants from Bihar who have little connection or links to Sikhi, as Hindu Punjabis have respect for Sikhi.

When I went to Guru Tegh Bahadar Nagar Gurdwara in Jalandhar I saw Rajaona stickers on the walls. A lot of vehicles had similar stickers stuck on the back rear screens. It was impressive to see how the Kesri Lehar (movement) had spread across Punjab as a result of the media and Internet.

There is one Gursikh shopkeeper who sells Dastaar material. Every time I go to his shop he is very happy seeing Gursikhs. He is amazed that so many youngsters in the West are adopting Gurmat and Rehat. He has other customers from abroad who are Gursikhs and come to his shop dressed in Baanaa (Khalsa uniform), which makes him realise how far back Punjab has gone in its Sikhi. He becomes very emotional seeing Gursikhs.

Bhai Sahib told me that all of Punjab has gone Kesri and youngsters are holding Kesri flags etc. I told him how I was amazed that so many shops in Jalandhar had Kesri flags flying. However, he said that the youngsters and the people of Punjab who wave these flags have little knowledge of Sikhi. He said the majority of protesters who airing slogans and waving Kesri flags are cut-haired young people who have become very emotional (quite rightly so) however no one is addressing the issue that those same youngsters and the rest of Punjab are addicted to drugs, alcohol, have no knowledge of Gurmat, Gurbani and Sikh history. For these reasons he said he was not holding up his hopes by the rise of Kesri flags in Punjab.He said the best Lehar is a Lehar of knowledge through educating the people of Punjab about Gurbani and inspiring them with Gurmat.

Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!