My Malice and Bias

Live by the sword, die by the sword? For brutal dictators, the adage is more often true. In fact, dictators and warlords who indulge in genocides are more likely to die at the hands of an enraged populace or stealth assassin. The concept of dictatorship as well as the use of force and systemic persecution of political opponents to stay in power dates back to the ancient Roman civilization. However, it was the modern history dictators who made it virtually a synonym for gross human rights violations and brutality. Sadly, some of the most brutal dictators in modern history held power not so long ago. Dictators of the World There may be ultimate justice for the wicked, but the deaths of dictators do provide some pretty interesting tales. Here's how 9 of the world's most notorious modern dictators kicked the bucket. 1. Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945) This evil man who rose to power in the 1930s was responsible for the greatest atrocities in human history. He ordered systematic

It's hard being the younger sibling, You are always measured against the bar set by your older sibling. Same is true for the young state of Haryana in India. Its trying to create an image of itself in the shadow of its older sibling - Punjab . It has tried painfully to establish itself as anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh state ever since its conception. In fact, Haryana is one of the wealthiest states of India and has the third highest per capita income in the country at $2,100 . The state is one of the most economically developed regions in South Asia, and it has emerged as the largest recipient of government investment per capita in India. Ignoring Haryanvi Culture Over years Haryana governments have made a concerted effort to disassociate themselves from Punjab. Nothing wrong in it, right? Haryana has the right to establish its own language, culture, and traditions that defines its people as Haryanavis . But this is where they have gone wrong! Instead of developing Haryanvi

About 20 years ago on my trip to India, I had a very interesting conversation with a close family friend in New Delhi. This respectable member of society and a very successful Sikh businessman was oblivious on the impact of 1984 Genocide on the Sikhs of Delhi. I questioned him if he feels the pain of the families who suffered in 1984. To my dismay, he emphatically stated, "Look, I have no empathy for the likes of Sikh taxi drivers. I have no connection with them .. I can't even understand their rural Punjabi accent. I have more in common with my friends in Delhi with whom I grew up .. and meet everyday for business or socially." I was shocked and attributed it to the selective amnesia of a successful man who wants to disconnect from his religious and cultural roots for the sake of financial and political gains. But I was wrong as he is not unique in his thinking process. There is a whole class of Brown "Babus" and "Sahibs" who find it hard to connec

In the late 1960s and 1970s , new streams of religious beliefs came to the United States. The term guru, or spiritual teacher, became a household word. Many gurus came from India to America in these years. They challenged the conservative views on religion and society and promoted new age religions to the rebellious youth. Bell-bottoms, long hair, flowers, free love and psychedelic rock—became the symbol of cultural revolution of the 1960s. Hippie symbols on 1960s Becoming a swami or a guru is not a matter of academic degrees or book learning, but deep spiritual insight that must be confirmed by the authority of one’s own teacher. In India, it is taken for granted that some gurus are more genuine representatives of their traditions of learning than others. In America, all had a chance to attract a following. Some came and went quickly, sometimes amidst controversy. Others came and settled into the American landscape, where their influence is still felt today. Maharishi Mahesh Y

Sri Guru Granth Sahib warns the proud and the arrogant of the ultimate reality of death: ਸਿਰ ਕੰਪਿਓ ਪਗ ਡਗਮਗੇ ਨੈਨ ਜੋਤਿ ਤੇ ਹੀਨ ॥ The head shakes, the feet stagger, and the eyes become dull and weak. ਕਹ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਭਈ ਤਊ ਨ ਹਰਿ ਰਸਿ ਲੀਨ ॥੪੭॥ Says Nanak, this is your condition. And even now, you have not savored the sublime essence of the Lord. ((47)) This verse of the Ninth Guru applies directly to KPS Gill , the Ex Director General of Police in Punjab during the dark period of 1980-90s. The Indian politicians and newspapers hail him as " Supercop " but the people of Punjab remember him as the devil who snatched away their young sons in extra-judicial killings famously known as the " Fake encounters ". Sadhavi Khosla with KPS Gill on his Death Bed Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (1934/35 – 26 May 2017) was an Indian police officer. He was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi on May 18, 2017. Gill, who finally got done in by kidneys that failed him (he w

The Mahābhārata is an epic narrative of the Kurukṣetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes. The oldest preserved parts of the text are thought to be not much older than around 400 BCE, though the origins of the epic probably fall between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. Great Indian Epic - Mahabharata The Epic The epic is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyāsa , who is also a major character in the epic. Vyāsa described it as being itihāsa (history). The epic employs the story within a story structure, otherwise known as frametales, popular in many Indian religious and non-religious works. It is recited by the sage Vaiśampāyana , a disciple of Vyāsa, to the King Janamejaya who is the great-grandson of the Pāṇḍava prince Arjuna. Battle of Kurukshetra The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapur , the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are th