My Malice and Bias

Often civilizations are known in history by the names they are called by their contemporary civilizations. Land of South East Asia that we know as India today has been named with various names over times - India, Hindustan, Bharat, and so many more that you probably  heard of. Map of Greater India  I am going to go through these names in chronological order that describes this geographic region. Its important here to note that the definitions are not just limited to the Republic of India but also includes neighboring countries as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, Tibet, and many countries in SE Asia as these political nations were carved out of India fairly recently relative to the history of the region. Muleha - Sumerian Name for Indus Valley The oldest ever identity of this region comes from the ancient Sumerian civilization. Meluḫḫa or Melukhkha (Sumerian: 𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠 Me-luḫ-ḫa) is the Sumerian name of a prominent trading partner during the Middle Bron...

South Indian vs. North Indian Ten years ago, I met a well known Indian historian on a plane. We spent hours discussing history of India. I mentioned that my ancestors came from the region of West Punjab where the Indus Valley Civilization blossomed 5,000 years ago. Same land where Vedas were composed, Yoga and Sanskrit grammar was defined, and how proud I am of the facts that my ancestors successfully challenged the Assyrians, Greeks, Persians, and the Afghan invaders. I also shared with him my maternal genetic lineage to the original Kshatriya warriors ( Khatri in Punjabi) going back all the way to the Gods of Hindu mythology. I expected some form of acknowledgement from the learned professor from a well known University from South India. He replied, " Actually, the South Indians are the real Indians. " I was shocked and asked, " How about us, the Punjabis ?" He replied with a smug smile on his face, " Mr. Singh, I do not want to upset you but the fa...

ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥  हकु पराइआ नानका उसु सूअर उसु गाइ ॥  To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef.  With these strong words, Guru Nanak condemned those who grab what rightfully belongs to someone else. The concept of " Haqq " or the " Rights " of all human being is enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib by our Gurus.  Unfortunately, we all have forgotten these teachings of Guru Nanak. His beloved followers from Punjab fought with each other whether to cremate or bury his pious remains after he passed away. The same Punjabi Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs killed each other and forcibly laid claim to each others's properties during the partition of Punjab in 1947. Guru Nanak at Hardwar Gurdwara Gian Godri The people of Hardwar have not only forgotten the message of Guru Nanak but the local administration has tried to prove that the historical Gurdwara never existed at "Har ki...

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 Mahe...