My Malice and Bias

Sardar Mihan Singh, Kumedan of Sikh Empire Last week, the SGPC authorized volunteers doing Kar Seva at Golden temple complex for a new building, excavated an archeologial site. Some Sikh organization stopped the excavation accusing the volunteers of digging a deep pit without taking care of the heritage structure beneath. Are these sites related to Sikh Gurus, Sikh Misl period, or Maharaja Ranjit Singh? Excavated Building in Amritsar Dr. Sukhpreet Singh Udhoke has done some research on these buldings and he mentions this building as part of networks of "Bunga" built by various Sikh Misl leaders and Sardars of the Sikh empire. One name he mentioned was the Bunga of Kumedan Mihan Singh . So who was Kumedan Mihan Singh? My Personal Connection Kumedan Mihan Singh was a commander of a Sikh infantry battallion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh . He joined the Sukarchakia Misl and rose to the rank of Commander ( Kumedan in Punjabi ) in the Sikh army. He established his jagir in Gujranwala a

Why would I write a blog on butter etiquette ? Well, I am incensed by the breakfast eating habits of my family member. Why do I care? Well, I am experiencing this feeling every morning when I go to the kitchen to start my day with a breakfast.  My morning breakfast includes a cup of invigorating tea brewed typical Punjabi style and couple of toasts with butter. This is where I encounter the ghastly spectacle of messy ugly crumbs in the butter. Someone obviously dipped the knife in the butter multiple times contaminating the butter with crumbs from his/her toast. Contaminated Butter with Breadcrumbs So, I clean the butter by meticulously removing the breadcrumbs and the butter is looking succulently delicious again. I can tell you how therapeutic it is to slash beautifully laid butter with a clean knife, carving a succulent slice of creamy butter, and then spreading it over a dry piece of toast. I feel like I am doing nature a favor by moisturizing the dry arid surface of a pale white

Ever wonder why Inder  is the most common name in Punjab? It is represented mostly as a suffux, for example - Amarinder, Rajinder. Narinder, Dharminder, Gurinder, or simply as Inder. Lets take a few moments to understand the term, its meaning, historical perspective, and how it became the most common name among the Punjabis. So, who was Indra who left such an impression on the Punjabis that we continue to name our next generations after him ... afte 4,000 yars? Indra, the Conqurerer Mythological Indra Indra (Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is an ancient Vedic deity in Hinduism. He is the king of Devas (gods) and associated with lightning, thunder, and war. Indra's iconography shows him wielding a lightning thunderbolt weapon known as Vajra , riding on a white elephant known as Airavata .Indra's mythology is similar to Indo-European deities such as Jupiter , Zeus , and Thor , suggesting a common origin in Proto-Indo-European mythology.  Mythological Indra on Airavat Vedic Indra Indra is the m

  A North Indian Farmer Zamindar , in India, a holder or occupier (dār) of land (zamīn). The root words are Persian, and the resulting name was widely used in India as Persian influence spread by the Afghan and the Mughals or dynasties ruling India.  In rural folk of Punjab and Haryana, the term Jimidar or Zimidar is used to define the peasant farmer who owns the agriculral land. The two terms Zamindar  and Zimidar  are used as synonym by the rural population of punjab an Haryana. However these two terms define two different concepts, both associated with centuries of economic expoitation of the peasants. Mughal Zamindari System When Mughal invader Babur conquered India, there were many autonomous and semiautonomous rulers who were known locally as Rai, Raja, Rana, Rao, Rawat, etc. In Persian chronicles they were referred as Marzabans . They were vassals who ruled, mostly hereditarily, over their respective territories. These Marzabans then used their subordinate Zamindars to collect t

  Ninja Policeman in India charging on 80 year old Farmer Something is morally wrong with the image of a young Indian policeman wearing protective guards and helmet hitting an 80 year old unarmed farmer during the farmers protest against the now publically tarnished farm bills. The policemen is demonstrating his trained skills to subdue the comman man with brute force.  So, whats wrong with this picture? Authoritarian oppresssion displayed in this picture reminds me of the 1907 ballad of defiance penned over a century ago to inspire farmers against the expoitive policies of the British. Punjab farmers who have dig in their heels against Centre at Delhi’s borders are experiencing the same oppression, propoganda, and malice sadly from their own government in an independent India.  The similarities between the two historical events is astounding and worth a discussion here. Farmers from Punjab, Haryna, and Western UP feel that farm laws passed by Indian parliament will ultimately force

  Farmer's Protest in Delhi The Farm Bills 2020 is a combination of three agricultural bills passed by Indian Parliament in September 2020. These three bills are: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill Three farm bills are expected to create a major impact on Indian agriculture and agro-trade and will change the way India's farmers do business. When farm bills passed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the passage of the bills a 'watershed' moment.These contentious bills have sparked protests by farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP. Lets take a deep breath and analyze the situation by studying the content of the bills as well as articulating the concerns of the farmers in a logical way. But what qualifies me to make this assessment? Brought up in the agro-industry base of the sugar belt in Western UP,