My Malice and Bias

To veil it .. or Unveil it?  A Hijab (Arabic: حجاب) is a veil worn by certain Arab women in the presence of any male outside of their immediate family or sometimes by men, which covers the head and chest. Note the use of term" Arab " as not all Muslim women across he globe wore hijab which is traditionally an Arabic feature. Last week, a controversy over Hijab in Government PU College, Udupi, Karnataka became viral news. A large group of South Indian young men were seen harassing and chasing female Muslim students wearning traditional black "Burqa" to the college. This act is shameful and demonstrates the narrowmindedness of the right wing Hindu activists. My hero of the event is the young girl who faced the mob of hooligans with dignity and couragely raised her own slogan in protest. Brave Young Women in Udupi, Karnataka Whether I agree with the concept of Hijab or not, I commend the courage of this young girl who demonstrated her conviction with grace. Ths event p

Begampura of Bhagat Ravidas Guru Ravidas or Bhagat Raidas envisioned a society with people living in harmony without any sort of discrimination. He named this ideal society “ Begampura " (Be-Gam-Pura) a place with no sorrow.  A city which is casteless, classless, where everybody is equal. Nobody is taxed and nobody owns wealth. There is no injustice, no worries, no terror and no exploitation or torture. That was Ravidas’ Begampura. With this city of his dreams, he laid the foundation of social equality in India the 15th century. Bhagat Ravidas Bani The following shabad of Bhagat Ravidas from Sri Guru Granth Sahib gives a detailed description of this concept in  Page 345 : ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਕੇ ਪਦੇ ਗਉੜੀ ਗੁਆਰੇਰੀ Raag Gauri, Padas Of Ravi Daas Jee, Gauree Gwaarayree: ੴ ਸਤਿਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. By Guru's Grace: ਮੇਰੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਪੋਚ ਸੋਚ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤੀ ॥ The company I keep is wretched and low, and I am anxiou

  Soan Valley, West Punjab It is said that rivers give birth to civilisations and if a river dries up or changes its path, the civilisation also dies eventually. However, some rivers continue to exist become cradle of history as one civilisation after another rises and falls on their banks. Soan River has proven to be one such asset which has seen the rise and fall of many civilisations and cultures. . Also pronounced as Swan Valley , the beautiful Soan Valley is the home of Khatri clan of Sawhneys , also pronounced as Sahnis . Though Soan is considered to be one of Pakistan’s smaller rivers, this is an important stream of the Pothohar region and historically has been the centre of pre-historic Soanian culture. Emerging from the foothills of Patriata and Murree, Soan River eventually falls into Indus River near Makkar, the ancestral home of Makkar Khatri clan. Soanian Sites in Shivalik Hills  The last names of many Pothohar region is historically derrived from this region: Sawhney o

Brahmin who became Sikhs Brahmins are Sikhs ? Really? The answer is YES, there are many practicing Sikhs whose ancestors belonged to the Brahmin caste. Its is very common to see typical Brahmin lastnames among the Sikhs, such as, Bhatt, Joshi, Kaul, Dutt, Chhibber, Vaid, Bali, Bhardwaj, and even Sharma.  Sikhism attracted people from different demography and caste system and over time these families are part of a melting pot where the caste has no meaning. I am quoting a line from Sri Guru Granth Sahib: ਰਾਜੁ ਮਾਲੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਜਾਤਿ ਜੋਬਨੁ ਪੰਜੇ ਠਗ ॥ The persuit of dominance, the desire for materials, the lust of beauty, pride of caste & joys of youth; are the deceivers. In the journey of a spiritual life one must rise beyond the deception of these deceivers. Who is a Brahmin? In Sikh philosophy, a Brahmin is a person who contemplates on Brahm - The Prime Soul. Following are few quotes which focus on the actual meaning of Brahmin in Gurmat philosophy: ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੈ ॥ ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਕਹ