When I got up this morning, my inbox was jammed with nasty messages, some even blaming us personally. On behalf of Suni and myself, we completely condemn this act of terrorism. We do not support the murder of innocent people under any circumstances. Such acts are completely against our morals and beliefs as Sikhs and as human beings. We know that Vini joins us in this condemnation, but we have been unable to reach her either by phone or by e-mail. We are quite concerned, but not panicked.
I rarely go to gurdwara in the morning, but we, Suni and Mai, felt the need today. Others, too, felt the necessity for gathering together as Sikhs to give each othere support and encouragement. It is known, of course, which of us are Khalistan supporters and all of us, as one, condemned the attack. None of us believes it has anything to do with Khalistan, whatever our enemies may claim.
The link above, for the Hindustan Times, Chandigarh Edition, has some interesting pictures.
For now, we have nothing more to say except our prayers are with the victims and their families.
I hace decided to add this letter from Gurteg Singh to the Gurmat Learning Zone this morning. What is says is both sensible and true.
Dear Sadh Sangat JiWithin hours of Ludhiana bomb blast , the entire Hindu
establishment including its cheer leading propaganda arm- The Hindu media in a
well planned and coordinated move started blaming Sikhs for this cowardly act of
terrorism.Turbaned lap dogs like - the mass murderer KPS Gill on a
cue from his masters has started barking "terrorism.. terrorism"PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS WITHIN A FEW HOURS AND WITHOUT A
SHRED OF EVIDENCE.The entire story has been put on international newswire
and is being reported through out the world. Only an enemy of the Sikhs will do
this and not a friend or a Government which claims to be so called secular and
democratic. A few months ago in Nander, there was bomb blast in a house
belonging to a RSS leader where bombs were being assembled and many Muslim
looking dresses were also found. The entire Hindu media never called these
Hindus terrorist and that news was never advertised, and the investigations have
been suspended or ignored.We should all be extremely skeptical of any news coming
out New Delhi because it is ruled by a bunch of fascist Hindus thugs which will
do any thing and everything to divide and rule.Gurteg Singh
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We have gotten in contact with Vini. She is fine. Upset and quite angry, but full of life and unharmed. She joins us in condemning this act, and also in condemning the Indian media's immediate conviction of the Sikh community and Khalistanis.
This update is from the Sikh group, International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO). Evidently, another person has died, bringing the death toll to eight.
UPDATES ON LUDHIANA BOMB BLAST
8 persons died and 12 have been nabbed for investigation .
There were some statements by semi political persons like Maninder Bita that the explosion was work of some sikh out fits of Punjab .Mr.KPS Gill the ex-DGP also tried to divert the attention of the investgating agencies towards Sikh outfits by joining Bita .
The DIG Ludhiana Range Mr.Ishwar Chander IPS who is closely watching the whole situation has stated that the karvayee of explosion, hints towards some out-fit established in J&K (Chardi Kala). The DGP Pb said that some person placed the Explosive during the Interval and Police is searching the responsible person .
There is no panic in Ludhiana due to this incident , the life is normal and all markets functioned as usual . All markets around Shingar were working normally at the time of explosion and even did not close after the incident . Communal harmony is as usual and no community is in tension .
The CM Punjab was at Ludhiana and stated that this incident should not be regarded as any terrorism setting in, in the State . Govt. also announced a financial aid of Rs.2 lakh each to the victims of the explosion . Ms Bhathal and Sukhbir Badal also condemned Ludhiana incident . A strict red Alert in Punjab has been enforced .
The DIG , DC , and SSP Ludhiana all belong to one community and none of them is Sikh .
Jupinder Singh a tribune news man of Ludhiana explained the chronology of event , live on line , in a Radio Talk show held by Gurpreet Singh a Radio Host of Radio India at Vancouver Canada .
--
WHY TRY TO FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT?
If someone were to say that they didn't understand the loss that prompted this blog, they won't be humans. But is hate for India and Indian people, most of who consider Sikhs to be their own, a solution? I am a Hindu, Bengali Brahmin, from a freedom fighting family; and let me tell you this, there's no one community that makes me more proud about my Indianness than my Sikh Brothers and Sisters. For crying out loud, we are one, folks. So let us stand together as one. The current congress govenment is scum I agree, but the rest of us are still your family, even with our failings :) Please give up the anger and come back home ...
ReplyDeleteBrickbats --> bubulg - AT - mailcity. com (I would prefer bouquets anyday)
Dear Bengali Brahmin Ji,
ReplyDeleteThis is Mai and I am speaking strictly for myself as an individual. I am not an elderly wise matriarch as is Vini and I am not nearly as nice as Suni. So I will speak blintly.
I do not hate you, I'm not even sure I dislike you. I don't know you. But I don't trust you, either as an individual or collectively. If I knew you, I might come to trust you, the nameless individual, as a person. I do have Hindu friends, some of which are very dear to me, that I would fight to the death for, if necessary. But I learned my lesson well in 1984 about trusting Indians as a group. It was a hard lesson and it won't be forgotten.
When something such as this bombing occurs - or the train bombing a few months ago - what group are the immediate suspect?
I might add that is was brahmins from a freedom fighting family, Nehru/Ghandi that betrayed us and the trust we had given to their promises.
We are a separate community. I, and I know many others, are deeply insulted that in India, we are legally Hindus by the constitution!! Is this showing pride and respect toward us? We have well-earned your respect and, I would think, even gratitude, since if it weren't for us, you would be either Miriam or Mohammed.
If you are, indeed our family, are you the mother-in-law who will toss petrol on the bride and burn her alive because you aren't satisfied with her dowry?
I will say what I think I've never said in this blog. When Mandeep, Sandeep and I made this trip to India in 1984, we were seriously considering staying, thinking it would be the life we would choose for our children. We were willing to 'come home.' "Home' wasn't willing to welcome us.
I'm sorry if I am rude, but the only hope of any sort of peace and reconciliation between us must be based on total honesty.
As for the anger, I recognise it as one of the five great vices. I am working to overcome it, but as of yet, I am not spiritually advanced enough to let it go. Maybe some day.
I thank you for your comment; I hope I have answered you fully; I know I have answered honestly.
Mai
Dear Mai
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response. It was as you said honest.
You said that you don’t trust me as individual or as a collective. I say that is fair, for trust has to be earned. Somehow, it is a commodity that is in short supply just about now in this world. No matter, we shall wait.
You say that you don’t trust Indians/Hindus as a group. Who are these faceless people we are talking about Mai? Perhaps people who are living in fear in an unsafe world, frustrated at the designs of corrupt politicians, struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile world? People who get brainwashed, communalized, victimized everyday? People whose hopes are falsely raised by the so called leaders everyday, just to be trampled upon later? Who is the thug here Mai? Who is the villain? Look into my eyes and you shall see you yourself looking back at you.
The problem at painting a community with a single brush makes us loose the perspective that not every Hindu is a Tytler, nor every German a Hitler. And Mai, I am sure even in your most generous moments you won’t call every Sikh a epitome of virtue. Bad eggs are the bane of all communities.
It is these bad eggs of each community that sow the seeds of distrust for other communities. For when we fight, it is they that benefit. Why would any of us want to be their tool? Adversaries in this story are not you and I, Mai. Today, as it always has been it is still the fight between the righteous and the dishonest. Every word of tolerance, every deed of honesty makes our side the stronger one.
Finally, this “Home” that I ask you to come back to is not just mine. It is your responsibility as much as mine to make it a place that is worthy of staying in. Maybe when we get our hands dirty in fixing it, what the constitution calls us will bother us less, for in our hearts we would know who were really are and be proud of being that…
Regards,
Jim ( bubulg – AT – mailcity. Com)
Dear Jim,
ReplyDeleteI shall again be open and honest and blunt.
My trust is valuable enough that you are willing to wait, to let me watch and see? I am touched. Very well, I will watch and see.
These 'faceless people we are talking about' do indeed have faces. Faces I will never forget, faces contorted with hatred, murder in their eyes. I know that is not their normal state, but it is a state not far beneath the surface. I spent most of yesterday debugging my computer and then going through an inbox full of hate mail concerning the Ludhiana bombing. I have been told that we Sikhs in general are 'a cancer on the face of Mother India' and she'd be better off if the job had been done properly in 84. I know this attitude isn't typical, and probably not even widespread. But it does exist. I know this blog leaves me open for such attitudes; I accept that... But it doesn't encourage much trust on my part.
Indians, and I mean primarily Hindu Indians, I suppose are like every other group: 10% good, 10% bad, 80% just muddling along trying to keep going. But how many is that? Something like 10,000,00,000 (do I have my commas in the right places; Indian numbers confuse me), let's see, 10% would be...a whole, whole lot. And there is a problem un that you never know which ones they are. Oh, this is stupid. It's really much simpler. Do you know the old saying, 'Once burned, twice cautious'? That's closer. I'm not full of hate; I'm full of caution. I have been badly hurt and don't want to open myself to that again. 'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.' Later this month, I plan to let my readers read a journal I kept starting in late October 1984, shortly after I came out of the coma. (What can I say? I'm a writer. I write.) Perhaps that will say things that I cannot now express. (I will warn you, though, it is very angry and nasty.)
I like what I am. In fact I love what I am. I am, and was, willing to die for it. Now I am willing to live for it.
One question I have. How is India my responsibility? I am a Canadian; my father, I suppose, was from India, although he always called himself a Punjabi, never an Indian.
Still, if I felt my presense would help clean up India, I might think about returning.
However, I have one more consideration. I have for quite some time openly advocated for Khalistan. How long would I remain free in India? Could I even get a visa? Would I be permitted on an airplane or am I on somepne's no-fly list? Practical questions, eh?
We Sikhs have our bad apples, of course, from the [male] in British Columbia who is a child rapist to simple thugs to the likes of the traitorous KPS Gill. If you read my personal blog, you'll find a short time ago, I took on the Nihangs' misbehaviour.I am harder on the Sikhs in my judgement than any other group because I feel we have no excuse; we must hold ourselves to a higher standard.
I try to see that bit of God in everyone, particularly those who annoy me. It has been suggested to me that I focus on those who merely slight me and leave Mr. Tytler and Mrs. Gandhi for later. I accept that I am still spiritually quite immature, but that's a place to start.
Finally, a rather curious observation: I have received several letters from Hindus of the generation now in their 20s and 30s, trying to apologise for what their parent's generationm did. I am deeply moved by this gesture. But I would be much more moved by such an apology from their fathers. I suspect their fathers still feel justified.
Again, I have not overcome the anger. It is my fervent prayer that some day I will advance to the point that I can. I do see that as a worthy goal.
And I believe a dialogue such as we are having can prove fruitful.
Sincerely,
Harinder Kaur (Mai)