Punjab Number 1 in what? How proud are you as a lazy, alcoholic, uneducated Punjabi while India shines!

Now, I know there are a lot of young, old, male, female, successful, good, Punjabis out there that are doing great things in and outside of Punjab, but the news below just saddenes me. Although it was in the business section of the Tribune, I wish it was the main headlines for all the newspapers! Just makes me wonder as to how and why Punjab is drowning in alcohol and becoming famous for lazy, no good, alcoholic, undereducated population? Is it the extra money and success inherited from past Punjabi generations of sucessful farmers and entrepeuners? It reminds me of a documentary I saw on Saudi Arabia how their local people are so useless and all of the work is done by the outsiders. And, some of the poor native American tribes in U.S. and Canada. I guess the hard earned money of past Punjabi generations of 50-60's is wasted on alcohol than building a better future.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070501/punjab1.htm#3
Punjab a key market for scotch whisky
Ruchika M. Khanna Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 30The Punjabi taste for finer blends in liquor has led to a 50 per cent rise in liquor sales in the state. Though sales across various categories of liquor have increased manifold in the past one year, increase in sale of scotch whisky has led many premium liquor manufacturers from Scotland to now launch their brands in India.
Loch Lomand Distillers, a leading scotch distiller from Scotland, will be launching scotch whisky in Punjab, in association with Goa-based Vasco Da Gama Distilleries next month. Pawan Aggarwal, director, Vasco Da Gama Distilleries, informed TNS that with the country having annual sale of 300,000 cases of scotch whisky, there was a huge market for growth.
“Punjab, which has the second largest per capita consumption of liquor, is a key market for us. With two brands - King Bruce and William Mac Donald - we hope to sell 2000 cases of Scotch whisky a month in the state and 500 cases a month in Chandigarh,” he said.
With the government promising to reduce the cut in the custom duty on scotch whisky, their sale is bound to increase manifold in the coming year. The custom duty on scotch is proposed to be reduced from the present 350 per cent (on bottled scotch) and 170 per cent on bulk scotrch. This will drastically reduce the price of Scotch and make many consumers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and regular whisky, upgrade themselves to Scotch whisky.
Sunil Mehdiratta, secretary-general, International Spirits and Wines Association of India, informed TNS that it was difficult to determine the number of duty-free scotch whisky sales in the country. “But in the past one year, sale of scotch (including scotch bottled in India and duty paid scotch) has gone up from 7000 cases to 9000 cases, showing a 140 per cent rise. With the government allowing an increase in amount of scotch that an individual can carry from abroad and allowing the hotels to spend 5 per cent of foreign exchange earnings to buy imported scotch, the sales have gone up substantially,” he added.
Though no separate figures for sale of scotch in Punjab are readily available, trade pundits say that the state is a premium market because of the high paying capacity and social custom of living it up. In the past one year, sale of IMFL in Punjab has gone up by 49 per cent from 32.26 lakh cases in 2005-06 to 48.15 lakh cases in 2006-07. The sale of liquor in prestige whisky segment has gone up by 89 per cent in the past year (from 7.33 lakh cases in 2005-06, to 13.87 lakh cases in 2006-07), while that of regular whisky has shown a remarkable increase in liquor sales (from 29.33 lakh cases to 44.25 lakh cases).
It may be noted that Punjab boasts of the second highest per capita consumption of liquor (at 22.6 proof litres per person per year). The revenue collection from liquor in the past 10 years has increased from Rs 1143.51 crore in 1997 to over Rs 1600 crore in 2006-07.

Turban tying demonstration at work!

Tuesday, we had an Asian Heritage day at work. Since there are limitations and rules against preaching faith at a workplace, I decided to do a turban demonstration and put turbans on people to make it fun, take their picture and post it on the www.ratemyturban.com. The problem is that I haven't gotten my passowrd for three days from their site. Anyways, here is a link that one of my coworker to show you some of the pictures. Actually, there were about twenty three people that tried them on. I will post all of the pictures in a day or two.
Go to tag under Asian Heritage Day.

Sorry, lets try this site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfmike22/tags/asianheritagefestival/

Even though there are only a couple of people wearing turbans on this site, I am working to post some more on the www.ratemyturban.com. Only problem, first I have to get a passowrd for each person. Secondly, I have to figure out how to reduce the pictures to 30kb size for posting.

Also, wanted to point out the Sikh gentleman in VTA blue uniform, he should be on the news on Sikhnet because he was just recognized by VTA and by local Red Cross as one of the "Heroes" for saving two lives from a burning car. His name is Jasbir Bains. His picture will be posted on all of the VTA buses and light rails running in the Santa Clara County area. Here is the news media coverage:

http://www.scv-redcross.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=10222&orgkey=1481


http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5125037

Why Sikh Sangat in Canada and other places allowing Khalistani agenda in Nagar Kirtans?

As I picked up Vaisakhi Edition of Chardi Kala Newspaper Issue No. 15, Volume23 from local Gurdwara, I look at the front page and I am kind of disappointed and little worried about the future as to how Khalistan political agenda is being promoted in Nagar Kirtans and nobody is doing anything about it. I remember Sikhnet used to do polls in the 90s and the poll on Khalistan showed only about 48 to 49% people in support of it and that was in the late 90s. It is a big divide and I wish more polls were taken and discussions would take place since it affects future of mine and your kids. I wish a recent poll is done again to se what people feel about it now. Even the current Punjab elections where 82% of the people voted showed no Khalsitan candidate such as Simranjeet Singh Maan got any big support. But hicjacking of Nagar Kirtan to obtain Khalsitan support is a wrong way to go and shows the how fanaticism can slowly enter and will of the people can be hijacked. This is the kind of thing that Osama Bin Laden and radical Islamists or Taliban have been doing with Islam. Yes, I would like to live in a Khalsa Raj with an Amritdhari Sikh man or woman as a leader who truly follows the tenets of Sikhism, but I don't believe in being separate from India is the solution, but changing India to a Sikh a way of life would be my Khalistan. Imagine the whole India following a Sikh way of life. If we as Sikhs don't have the charisma, or power or the smarts to change people's mindset to our Khalsa way then I don't even think we deserve a Khalistan at all. A friend of mine used a phrase which I really liked that "Khalistan is where Khlasa lives". To the global sangat, I say please speak up, write or else some of these poeple will hijack and rob yours, your kids, and grandkids future and peaceful way of life to further their agenda and put a big blot on peacful Sikhism. "Sikhnet, I hope you guys are listening!" Nagar Kirtan especially on Vaisakhi and other occasions should not be used as a political agenda no matter where Sikh live. I rather go to the Nagar Kirtan kind of like in Los Angeles than to the one in Canada. Please lets us keep Khalistan (A Spearate Country out of India) out of Naagar Kirtans and Gurdwaras and work towards Khalsa Raj in a Glabal perspective including India. Furthermore, if you look at pictures more closely in the newspaper, poeple are looking very stressed instead of enjoying the Nagar Kirtan and I could not find one picture of man, woman or a child with a truly happy face or a smile. Wouldn't you be stressed when you are there to enjoy Nagar Kirtan and be in the spirit of Baisakhi, but find out their agenda is Khalistan instead of letting poeple enjoy Baisakhi? This post was written very fast paced as thoughts came and I hope there are not any big typos, wrong sentences etc. but I just wanted to get it out of my chest since I feel it needs to be pointed out and I wish more people would speak about it than just be spectators. Again, It affects all of us Sikhs! Love to hear your opinion.

I just saw these two articles below and thought fit perfectly well with what I just mentioned two hours ago. This is indeed good news that people are speaking up. I wish poeple and busniesses would peacefully boycott Chardi Kala by pulling their advertisements from the newspaper It seems to incite people's sentiments as well:

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=ee993216-3036-4983-a2d6-2c683db26af6&k=42448

http://www.surreyleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=73&cat=23&id=966855&more=

May be Punjabi's can learn something from the British doctors!

Here is an interesting report on doctors in UK refusing to do abortions. Personally, I love and welcome this bold step. I wish doctors would also stop disections as well and focus more on prevention than treatment and learning from surgeries on actual animal and human injuries than conducting experiments on healthy creatures. But who knows, I am not a doctor. I wish doctors in Punjab would follow suit one day and stop infanticide, since almost everything India is doing these days seems to be copy of the West than taking its own lead and keep its own originality.

Wish Everyone a Happy, Healthy and Holy Baisakhi

Well, today I decided to wear small 6" Kirpan for the first time to work to be in the spirit of Baisakhi! I am hoping noone would get scared and hopefully would be asked a lot of questions. Let us see how it goes.

Anyways, wishing everyone a Happy Baisakhi. Be safe!

Why not invest in Copper! Here is why?

Almost all of us here in U.S. use copper everyday when we use pennies. Being an Electrical Engineer, I love reading stuff about upcoming technologies and history of things and gadets. Here is a site for one of those that love to play around with gadgets, do plumbing, electrical or merely buy things with pennies.

http://www.copper.org/education/60centuries/homepage.html

A strong Sikh women who knew their rights!

Here is a link to a video of a Sikh woman who was intelligent enough to know her rights and also brave enough to stand up to defend them and now is educating and inspiring others to do the same thru the video!

http://korematsu.blogspot.com/2007/04/sukhvir-kaur-speaks-about.html

SALDEF also recently came to the defence of another woman who was being denied entry to take exam.

http://www.saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1636&z=5&title=International%20Testing%20Company%20Apologizes%20to%20Sikh%20American%20Woman%20Denied%20Access%20due%20to%20Turban

Today's Hukum - Naam thru Guru's word and thoughts on Fraud, Tantric spells, magical mantras, ritual bathing, good karma, dharma & hypocracy

ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ सूही महला १ ॥ soohee mehlaa 1. Soohee, First Mehl:
ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਰਾਤਾ ਗੁਣ ਰਵੈ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ॥ मेरा मनु राता गुण रवै मनि भावै सोई ॥ mayraa man raataa gun ravai man bhaavai so-ee. My mind is imbued with His Glorious Praises; I chant them, and He is pleasing to my mind.
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਪਉੜੀ ਸਾਚ ਕੀ ਸਾਚਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥ गुर की पउड़ी साच की साचा सुखु होई ॥ gur kee pa-orhee saach kee saachaa sukh ho-ee. Truth is the ladder to the Guru; climbing up to the True Lord, peace is obtained.
ਸੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਆਵੈ ਸਾਚ ਭਾਵੈ ਸਾਚ ਕੀ ਮਤਿ ਕਿਉ ਟਲੈ ॥ सुखि सहजि आवै साच भावै साच की मति किउ टलै ॥ sukh sahj aavai saach bhaavai saach kee mat ki-o talai. Celestial peace comes; the Truth pleases me. How could these True Teachings ever be erased?
ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਦਾਨੁ ਸੁਗਿਆਨੁ ਮਜਨੁ ਆਪਿ ਅਛਲਿਓ ਕਿਉ ਛਲੈ ॥ इसनानु दानु सुगिआनु मजनु आपि अछलिओ किउ छलै ॥ isnaan daan sugi-aan majan aap achhli-o ki-o chhalai. He Himself is Undeceivable; how could He ever be deceived by cleansing baths, charity, spiritual wisdom or ritual bathings?
ਪਰਪੰਚ ਮੋਹ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਥਾਕੇ ਕੂੜੁ ਕਪਟੁ ਨ ਦੋਈ ॥ परपंच मोह बिकार थाके कूड़ु कपटु न दोई ॥ parpanch moh bikaar thaakay koorh kapat na do-ee. Fraud, attachment and corruption are taken away, as are falsehood, hypocrisy and duality.
ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਰਾਤਾ ਗੁਣ ਰਵੈ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ॥੧॥ मेरा मनु राता गुण रवै मनि भावै सोई ॥१॥ mayraa man raataa gun ravai man bhaavai so-ee. 1 My mind is imbued with His Glorious Praises; I chant them, and He is pleasing to my mind. 1
ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸੋ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਨਿ ਕਾਰਣੁ ਕੀਆ ॥ साहिबु सो सालाहीऐ जिनि कारणु कीआ ॥ saahib so salaahee-ai jin kaaran kee-aa. So praise your Lord and Master, who created the creation.
ਮੈਲੁ ਲਾਗੀ ਮਨਿ ਮੈਲਿਐ ਕਿਨੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਆ ॥ मैलु लागी मनि मैलिऐ किनै अम्रितु पीआ ॥ mail laagee man maili-ai kinai amrit pee-aa. Filth sticks to the polluted mind; how rare are those who drink in the Ambrosial Nectar.
ਮਥਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਆ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਦੀਆ ਗੁਰ ਪਹਿ ਮੋਲੁ ਕਰਾਇਆ ॥ मथि अम्रितु पीआ इहु मनु दीआ गुर पहि मोलु कराइआ ॥ math amrit pee-aa ih man dee-aa gur peh mol karaa-i-aa. Churn this Ambrosial Nectar, and drink it in; dedicate this mind to the Guru, and He will value it highly.
ਆਪਨੜਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸਹਜਿ ਪਛਾਤਾ ਜਾ ਮਨੁ ਸਾਚੈ ਲਾਇਆ ॥ आपनड़ा प्रभु सहजि पछाता जा मनु साचै लाइआ ॥ aapnarhaa parabh sahj pachhaataa jaa man saachai laa-i-aa. I intuitively realized my God, when I linked my mind to the True Lord.
ਤਿਸੁ ਨਾਲਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਾ ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵਾ ਕਿਉ ਮਿਲੈ ਹੋਇ ਪਰਾਇਆ ॥ तिसु नालि गुण गावा जे तिसु भावा किउ मिलै होइ पराइआ ॥ tis naal gun gaavaa jay tis bhaavaa ki-o milai ho-ay paraa-i-aa. I will sing the Lord's Glorious Praises with Him, if it pleases Him; how could I meet Him by being a stranger to Him?
ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸੋ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਨਿ ਜਗਤੁ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥੨॥ साहिबु सो सालाहीऐ जिनि जगतु उपाइआ ॥२॥ saahib so salaahee-ai jin jagat upaa-i-aa. 2 So praise your Lord and Master, who created the creation. 2
ਆਇ ਗਇਆ ਕੀ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਕਿਉ ਆਵੈ ਜਾਤਾ ॥ आइ गइआ की न आइओ किउ आवै जाता ॥ aa-ay ga-i-aa kee na aa-i-o ki-o aavai jaataa. When He comes, what else remains behind? How can there be any coming or going then?
ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਸਿਉ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਤੀ ਰਾਤਾ ॥ प्रीतम सिउ मनु मानिआ हरि सेती राता ॥ pareetam si-o man maani-aa har saytee raataa. When the mind is reconciled with its Beloved Lord, it is blended with Him.
ਸਾਹਿਬ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤਾ ਸਚ ਕੀ ਬਾਤਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਬਿੰਬ ਕਾ ਕੋਟੁ ਉਸਾਰਿਆ ॥ साहिब रंगि राता सच की बाता जिनि बि्मब का कोटु उसारिआ ॥ saahib rang raataa sach kee baataa jin bimb kaa kot usaari-aa. True is the speech of one who is imbued with the Love of his Lord and Master, who fashioned the body fortress from a mere bubble.
ਪੰਚ ਭੂ ਨਾਇਕੋ ਆਪਿ ਸਿਰੰਦਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਚ ਕਾ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਵਾਰਿਆ ॥ पंच भू नाइको आपि सिरंदा जिनि सच का पिंडु सवारिआ ॥ panch bhoo naa-iko aap sirandaa jin sach kaa pind savaari-aa. He is the Master of the five elements; He Himself is the Creator Lord. He embellished the body with Truth.
ਹਮ ਅਵਗਣਿਆਰੇ ਤੂ ਸੁਣਿ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸਚੁ ਸੋਈ ॥ हम अवगणिआरे तू सुणि पिआरे तुधु भावै सचु सोई ॥ ham avgani-aaray too sun pi-aaray tuDh bhaavai sach so-ee. I am worthless; please hear me, O my Beloved! Whatever pleases You is True.
ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣਾ ਨਾ ਥੀਐ ਸਾਚੀ ਮਤਿ ਹੋਈ ॥੩॥ आवण जाणा ना थीऐ साची मति होई ॥३॥ aavan jaanaa naa thee-ai saachee mat ho-ee. 3 One who is blessed with true understanding, does not come and go. 3
ਅੰਜਨੁ ਤੈਸਾ ਅੰਜੀਐ ਜੈਸਾ ਪਿਰ ਭਾਵੈ ॥ अंजनु तैसा अंजीऐ जैसा पिर भावै ॥ anjan taisaa anjee-ai jaisaa pir bhaavai. Apply such an ointment to your eyes, which is pleasing to your Beloved.
ਸਮਝੈ ਸੂਝੈ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜੇ ਆਪਿ ਜਾਣਾਵੈ ॥ समझै सूझै जाणीऐ जे आपि जाणावै ॥ samjhai soojhai jaanee-ai jay aap jaanaavai. I realize, understand and know Him, only if He Himself causes me to know Him.
ਆਪਿ ਜਾਣਾਵੈ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਪਾਵੈ ਆਪੇ ਮਨੂਆ ਲੇਵਏ ॥ आपि जाणावै मारगि पावै आपे मनूआ लेवए ॥ aap jaanaavai maarag paavai aapay manoo-aa layv-ay. He Himself shows me the Way, and He Himself leads me to it, attracting my mind.
ਕਰਮ ਸੁਕਰਮ ਕਰਾਏ ਆਪੇ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਕਉਣ ਅਭੇਵਏ ॥ करम सुकरम कराए आपे कीमति कउण अभेवए ॥ karam sukaram karaa-ay aapay keemat ka-un abhayva-ay. He Himself causes us to do good and bad deeds; who can know the value of the Mysterious Lord?
ਤੰਤੁ ਮੰਤੁ ਪਾਖੰਡੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ਰਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥ तंतु मंतु पाखंडु न जाणा रामु रिदै मनु मानिआ ॥ tant mant pakhand na jaanaa raam ridai man maani-aa. I know nothing of Tantric spells, magical mantras and hypocritical rituals; enshrining the Lord within my heart, my mind is satisfied.
ਅੰਜਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਤਿਸੈ ਤੇ ਸੂਝੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਸਚੁ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥ अंजनु नामु तिसै ते सूझै गुर सबदी सचु जानिआ ॥४॥ anjan naam tisai tay soojhai gur sabdee sach jaani-aa. 4 The ointment of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is only understood by one who realizes the Lord, through the Word of the Guru's Shabad. 4
ਸਾਜਨ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਆਪਣੇ ਕਿਉ ਪਰ ਘਰ ਜਾਹੀ ॥ साजन होवनि आपणे किउ पर घर जाही ॥ saajan hovan aapnay ki-o par ghar jaahee. I have my own friends; why should I go to the home of a stranger?
ਸਾਜਨ ਰਾਤੇ ਸਚ ਕੇ ਸੰਗੇ ਮਨ ਮਾਹੀ ॥ साजन राते सच के संगे मन माही ॥ saajan raatay sach kay sangay man maahee. My friends are imbued with the True Lord; He is with them, in their minds.
ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਾਜਨ ਕਰਹਿ ਰਲੀਆ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਸਬਾਇਆ ॥ मन माहि साजन करहि रलीआ करम धरम सबाइआ ॥ man maahi saajan karahi ralee-aa karam Dharam sabaa-i-aa. In their minds, these friends celebrate in happiness; all good karma, righteousness and Dharma,