In about two and half years of my life in United States, I have faced many questions about my religious identity and my faith. But one particular question I have always tried to answer in length but never got a chance is “Why I do not celebrate Christmas?”
The teachings of Sikhism and also the traditions of my family have always taught me to respect other religions and the beliefs of others, but never give up those of your own. The answer to the question put forth earlier is that in the history of Sikhism, there is a chapter which has been talked about the most by historians and social scientists alike from throughout the world.
The tenth prophet of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh ji had four sons. Sahibzada (Prince) Ajit Singh ji, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh ji, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh ji; aged 17, 15, 9 and 7 respectively. The revolutionary ways and views of Sikhs under Guru Gobind Singh ji and their military success against local rulers and the Mughals in direct combat prompted the Mughal government and local Hindu kings to adopt a policy which caused minimal loss to them. They were looking for a prolonged war. Together they besieged the town of Anandpur Sahib which was the headquarters of Sikhism under Guru Gobind Singh ji in summer of 1704. The siege continued till December 1704 when after being pressed by aides and advisors, Guru Gobind Singh ji decided to leave the town with his family and army of about 1500 (this number is debatable, could be less) after being assured by Mughals and local kings that he will be allowed a safe passage.
On freezing night of December 20, 1704, when they left Anandpur Sahib, they were attacked by Mughals and local kings breaking all their promises and vows of a safe passage. There was a battle which raged for the whole night on the banks of a flooded river. Amidst all the chaos, the family of Guru Gobind Singh ji got separated. He along with His two older sons and 40 Sikh soldiers reached Chamkaur Sahib where these 43 hungry, thirsty and cold men were involved in a battle with One million strong Mughals. On December 21, the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji and other prominent Sikhs achieved martyrdom in front of their father after fighting valiantly but Guru ji did not give up. The two younger sons along with their grandmother (Guru ji’s mother) were arrested by the local Muslim ruler. Futile attempts were made to lure the little ones into Islam but they stood firm on their faith and faced the executioner’s sword on December 27, 1704 at Fatehgarh Sahib. Guru ji’s mother breathed her last when she heard this news.
So, this was a pretty hard time on Sikhs back then. Guru ji’s whole family including Himself and His father died for the cause of religion and righteousness while fighting against injustice and oppression. When I think about them, I just don’t feel like being part of any celebrations. I am here today because of all those Sikhs who laid down their lives carrying on the legacy of supreme sacrifices for the sake of others. The legacy must continue, and I need to remember the history. “A nation, sect or society which forgets its past, soon gets mingled with the dust of times. “
“He alone is known as a warrior who fights in the defense of religion. He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the battlefield.”
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
I, You and Me
From beginning to end, I feel you.
From oceans to skies, I see you.
From dawn to dusk, I hear you.
I will rewrite myself in your words.
I will paint myself in your colors.
I will mould myself into your shape.
I will be your umbrella for heat and rain.
I will be your jacket for wind and cold.
I will be your shoes for stones and thorns.
I can never be without you.
There is no “me” alone.
For I need “you” to be “me.”
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
We need a way out of roads!!!
As I sit in my dorm, with nothing really to do (even though finals are next week), and listening to soul-soothing piano instrumentals by my closest friend on Youtube, I am wondering about the road system in US.
I have given the road system in US some thought over past fortnight or so because of some reasons. The first was the video I watched in my American Studies class about the highway system that was constructed using public money. Was it to fulfill the aspirations of the public, or the carmakers and the highway lobby? I must admit that US relies too much on cars and roads becasue of so called "American Way of Life." Not talking about that, I want to just list down some of my worries.
The movie '2012' and my friend Andy Nguyen's research paper on earthquakes in Bay Area has caused me to think about how our over-reliability on roads will hurt us in wake of a natural disaster or crisis. Say there is a powerful earthquake in Bay Area, and it will definitely damage the existing highway system. That will only delay emergency responses and rescue operations by authorities.
The Government as well as the public needs to change their attitudes. We depend too much on cars and automobiles. Some attitudes that have become a part of culture and life need to be get rid of.
P.S. This blog could have been better!!
I have given the road system in US some thought over past fortnight or so because of some reasons. The first was the video I watched in my American Studies class about the highway system that was constructed using public money. Was it to fulfill the aspirations of the public, or the carmakers and the highway lobby? I must admit that US relies too much on cars and roads becasue of so called "American Way of Life." Not talking about that, I want to just list down some of my worries.
The movie '2012' and my friend Andy Nguyen's research paper on earthquakes in Bay Area has caused me to think about how our over-reliability on roads will hurt us in wake of a natural disaster or crisis. Say there is a powerful earthquake in Bay Area, and it will definitely damage the existing highway system. That will only delay emergency responses and rescue operations by authorities.
The Government as well as the public needs to change their attitudes. We depend too much on cars and automobiles. Some attitudes that have become a part of culture and life need to be get rid of.
P.S. This blog could have been better!!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Welcome back.. :)
Nov 18. Thanks Paul. I have decided to blog more now. I just used to blog for English class only. I signed into blogger for first time after 5-6 months.
I have nothing to do. Well I do have something, a research paper. I think I should start soon on that. Why am I so confused about everything? I try not to be, but I am. I just can not help but care about others. Ahhh!!! This is a meaningless blog I think. I will still post it.
I have nothing to do. Well I do have something, a research paper. I think I should start soon on that. Why am I so confused about everything? I try not to be, but I am. I just can not help but care about others. Ahhh!!! This is a meaningless blog I think. I will still post it.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Blog 14A
Book: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 15
Pages read this semester: 1235
Weekly Style: Questions
Summary
Winston works in Ministry of Truth and uses a machine named ‘speakwrite,’ which types as he dictates into it. His work, like thousands of others, is to rewrite the past. His job involves correcting Big Brother and Party’s past predictions to match with the current results. Then, Winston has lunch with a man named Syme who is working on a revised edition of Newspeak dictionary. Syme tells Winston that the new dictionary will transform Newspeak and limit the extent of thoughts by deleting the words which express discontent and rebellious feelings. Winston fears that Syme is too intelligent and his intelligence may get him vaporized someday.
Questions
Que. 1: What do you not like about the story? Why?
Ans.: I did not like the way the writer has so far narrated the story. In my opinion, he has been too negative and pessimistic so far. Since this novel was written after WWII, it depicts Communism and Totalitarian governments as very dictatorial and manipulative. People at that time had a fear of dictators and that fear drives this book. I understand that human rights and freedoms are grossly violated under such regimes, but I do not think that it is possible up to that extent. Also, I find it ridiculous that one person rules over a huge strip of land, which involves many countries, and still there is nobody to challenge him.
Que. 2: What does the author do well as a writer?
Ans.: As a writer, the author has done a good job in setting up the tone for the rest of the novel by laying a good foundation. He has described everything in an elucidated and detailed manner. A writer’s job is to raise awareness in common masses about a cause so that they do not lose their ability to think and act properly. In 1984, George Orwell has given a glimpse of many ways the government can limit the freedom of thought and speech; and breach the privacy of the citizens. The people should be aware of their rights and duties and should know what is going on in the country and the rest of the world. The people need to participate in the democratic process or they will lose their rights and liberties.
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 15
Pages read this semester: 1235
Weekly Style: Questions
Summary
Winston works in Ministry of Truth and uses a machine named ‘speakwrite,’ which types as he dictates into it. His work, like thousands of others, is to rewrite the past. His job involves correcting Big Brother and Party’s past predictions to match with the current results. Then, Winston has lunch with a man named Syme who is working on a revised edition of Newspeak dictionary. Syme tells Winston that the new dictionary will transform Newspeak and limit the extent of thoughts by deleting the words which express discontent and rebellious feelings. Winston fears that Syme is too intelligent and his intelligence may get him vaporized someday.
Questions
Que. 1: What do you not like about the story? Why?
Ans.: I did not like the way the writer has so far narrated the story. In my opinion, he has been too negative and pessimistic so far. Since this novel was written after WWII, it depicts Communism and Totalitarian governments as very dictatorial and manipulative. People at that time had a fear of dictators and that fear drives this book. I understand that human rights and freedoms are grossly violated under such regimes, but I do not think that it is possible up to that extent. Also, I find it ridiculous that one person rules over a huge strip of land, which involves many countries, and still there is nobody to challenge him.
Que. 2: What does the author do well as a writer?
Ans.: As a writer, the author has done a good job in setting up the tone for the rest of the novel by laying a good foundation. He has described everything in an elucidated and detailed manner. A writer’s job is to raise awareness in common masses about a cause so that they do not lose their ability to think and act properly. In 1984, George Orwell has given a glimpse of many ways the government can limit the freedom of thought and speech; and breach the privacy of the citizens. The people should be aware of their rights and duties and should know what is going on in the country and the rest of the world. The people need to participate in the democratic process or they will lose their rights and liberties.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Blog 13A
Book: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 14
Pages red this semester: 1220
Weekly Style: Quotation
Summary
It was his neighbor at the door and she requests Winston to repair his sink. At his neighbors’ house, he is troubled by the kids who are junior spies. Back in his apartment, Winston remembers a dream in which a man's voice—O'Brien's, he thinks—said to him, “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.” Winston writes in his diary that his thought crime makes him a dead man, and then he hides the book. At night, he dreams of his mother sinking in ship and blames himself for that. He awakes in the morning, hearing a loud voice from the telescreen which signals that it is exercise time. While exercising, he thinks about how the party does his propaganda.
“War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.”
This quotation is the slogan of the Party in the novel 1984. It represents the propaganda done by the party to brainwash the people. To me, it presents how the meanings of words can be changed by a totalitarian regime. Demagogues like Hitler expanded the sizes of countries by rousing the people through speeches and propaganda. And here, the slogan seems to convey the idea that war is peace because war can result into expansion of the nation, and if the whole world or a huge area is under the control of one country, that country has a lot of resources and is more powerful. Freedom is slavery because one becomes slave of himself, his urges of mind. He becomes undisciplined. So, everyone should be under the control of a central power which sets up moral and behavioral extremes and absolutes. If you know more, you are more troubled and hence you lose the peace of mind. So, the best thing is to ignore what others are doing (here it means government) and just go with the flow. A nation whose citizens are strictly controlled by the government and their lives are heavily influenced by it, including the flow of necessary items, is a nation with no freedom.
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 14
Pages red this semester: 1220
Weekly Style: Quotation
Summary
It was his neighbor at the door and she requests Winston to repair his sink. At his neighbors’ house, he is troubled by the kids who are junior spies. Back in his apartment, Winston remembers a dream in which a man's voice—O'Brien's, he thinks—said to him, “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.” Winston writes in his diary that his thought crime makes him a dead man, and then he hides the book. At night, he dreams of his mother sinking in ship and blames himself for that. He awakes in the morning, hearing a loud voice from the telescreen which signals that it is exercise time. While exercising, he thinks about how the party does his propaganda.
“War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.”
This quotation is the slogan of the Party in the novel 1984. It represents the propaganda done by the party to brainwash the people. To me, it presents how the meanings of words can be changed by a totalitarian regime. Demagogues like Hitler expanded the sizes of countries by rousing the people through speeches and propaganda. And here, the slogan seems to convey the idea that war is peace because war can result into expansion of the nation, and if the whole world or a huge area is under the control of one country, that country has a lot of resources and is more powerful. Freedom is slavery because one becomes slave of himself, his urges of mind. He becomes undisciplined. So, everyone should be under the control of a central power which sets up moral and behavioral extremes and absolutes. If you know more, you are more troubled and hence you lose the peace of mind. So, the best thing is to ignore what others are doing (here it means government) and just go with the flow. A nation whose citizens are strictly controlled by the government and their lives are heavily influenced by it, including the flow of necessary items, is a nation with no freedom.
Blog 12A
Book: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 20
Pages read this semester: 1516
Weekly Style: Fan fiction
Summary
Winston Smith lives in London, a city of Airstrip One, which is part of Oceania. This is April 1984. The world is divided into three nations/land masses- Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. Airstrip One is under strict control of party and Winston works in Ministry of Truth. Still, like everyone else, his life is under strict scrutiny by the party. At the beginning of the novel, Winston comes back home for lunch and thinks about his surroundings. His chain of thoughts is broken by a knock on the door.
Fan Fiction
Winston Smith is a 32 year old social preacher in a church who used to work in a reputed computer company in Silicon Valley of California. He has a very good professional life: good salary, good reputation and good amount of benefits. However, he does not have a family. He had one, but no longer enjoys the warmth of a family. His parents got divorced when he was young. They wanted to live heir separate private lives, without any interference from one another. Neither of them wanted Winston. So, he was kept under supervision of court, and was later raised by a nice family who had adopted him. Forgetting his troubled childhood, he worked hard to become an engineer. Unfortunately, he lost that family in terrorist attacks of 9/11. However, they left a huge amount of property and estate. He was left heavily grief-stricken with no one to share and divide it. He tried to find a soul mate, but all he discovered in people was their likelihood for his money. He was hurt to find that materialism and hedonistic attitude has penetrated deeply into lives and minds of people. Deeply disappointed, he decided to devote his life to spread his message to the world. He joined a charity and began preaching about and raising awareness about social and religious issues.
Author: George Orwell
Pages read this week: 20
Pages read this semester: 1516
Weekly Style: Fan fiction
Summary
Winston Smith lives in London, a city of Airstrip One, which is part of Oceania. This is April 1984. The world is divided into three nations/land masses- Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. Airstrip One is under strict control of party and Winston works in Ministry of Truth. Still, like everyone else, his life is under strict scrutiny by the party. At the beginning of the novel, Winston comes back home for lunch and thinks about his surroundings. His chain of thoughts is broken by a knock on the door.
Fan Fiction
Winston Smith is a 32 year old social preacher in a church who used to work in a reputed computer company in Silicon Valley of California. He has a very good professional life: good salary, good reputation and good amount of benefits. However, he does not have a family. He had one, but no longer enjoys the warmth of a family. His parents got divorced when he was young. They wanted to live heir separate private lives, without any interference from one another. Neither of them wanted Winston. So, he was kept under supervision of court, and was later raised by a nice family who had adopted him. Forgetting his troubled childhood, he worked hard to become an engineer. Unfortunately, he lost that family in terrorist attacks of 9/11. However, they left a huge amount of property and estate. He was left heavily grief-stricken with no one to share and divide it. He tried to find a soul mate, but all he discovered in people was their likelihood for his money. He was hurt to find that materialism and hedonistic attitude has penetrated deeply into lives and minds of people. Deeply disappointed, he decided to devote his life to spread his message to the world. He joined a charity and began preaching about and raising awareness about social and religious issues.
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