The movement control order has been extended a second time to April 28.
Malaysia is extending an on-going movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19 to April 28.
In a live telecast announcement, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said MCO, originally imposed from 18 March to 14 April, has helped to contain the spread of the infection.
“If the trend continues to drop, we can curb it from spreading, but we cannot take it easy…The extension is to allow health workers to curb the pandemic,” he said.
Aside from reiterating the sacrifices of frontliners from medical and security personnel, Muhyiddin also thanked individuals who have sent food parcels to the frontliners without expecting any returns. “They are great individuals,” he said.
However, some quarters have raised the question on the lack of testing for the population.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
Author Malkeet Kaur and her husband at Gurdwara Rori Sahib
By Malkeet Kaur | EXPERIENCE |
If you are thinking that the gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib and Sri Kartarpur Sahib are anything like Sri Harmandar Sahib where there are thousands of devotees and tourists, and soothing kirtan playing throughout the day and night, well, put that thought right out of your head. It is pin-drop silent at the gurdwaras here in Pakistan. Some may find it a little too quiet for their liking, but it’s quite ideal for meditation or if you want to contemplate life. The caretakers that you will meet at the gurdwaras here, however, will surprise you. They are all Muslims, and they take their seva very seriously. It’s all for the love of Baba Nanak, they say in quiet reverence, in flawless Punjabi, “Baba Nanak Sārē da sanjha si, Hindu, Musalman te Sikh da si…”
They are happy to show you around and share the history of gurdwaras – all of which they know by heart. It is truly mind-boggling – a Muslim recounting to us about Guru Nanak, sharing with us historical facts that our parents or perhaps a parcharak or even an elder have at one point or another related to us while we were growing up. Of course, seeing the historical sites with the commentary in the background brings home to you the surreality of it all; that you are standing at the spot where Guru Nanak was born, where he once played, studied, taught, the tree under which he slept, where he carried out a truthful and fair deal and, finally, where he left the mortal world.
Let’s start at the beginning. When the plan to visit Pakistan first CAME UP, my husband and I were skeptical. However, we were assured that Lahore was very safe, people were warm and friendly, and, that we would be provided with a guide who would also take us to Nankana Sahib and Sri Kartarpur Sahib, both day trips. Before we knew it, we warmed up to the idea and weeks later found ourselves at the Attari-Wagah border, the land border post, which in itself was an interesting experience. We were charmingly, much to our amusement, offered cha twice by the Pakistani immigration officers. We graciously declined.
Lahoris are very friendly people, especially to Sikhs. Everywhere we went, my husband was cheerfully hailed – Sardarji, welcome to Pakistan. Strangers would come up and chat with us and politely ask for wefies. Many only really wanted to digitally immortalise themselves with the Sardarji on their smartphones. Truly, they made us feel so welcomed and proud to be Sikhs. We were told by our guide at the Lahore Fort, that the reason Sikhs are respected in Lahore is because of the turban. He put it pretty straightforward, “Sardarji…tuhadi paag di izzat haer.” He added in English, “If not for the turban, we wouldn’t know if you are a Hindu or Muslim.”
Planning the day trips, we decided to start with Guru Nanak’s birthplace and conclude at his final resting place in Kartarpur.
Our police escort – Photo: Malkeet Kaur / Asia Samachar
NANKANA SAHIB
Nankana Sahib (formerly known as ‘Rai Bhao di Talwandi’) is some 75 km west of Lahore, and it takes about an hour plus to get there. It was a smooth drive on the motorway, not much traffic; it reminded us of our highways at home. At Nankana Sahib, we visited six gurdwaras, which are all heavily guarded by gun-toting local police. At each, we had to show our passports before we were allowed entry. But the policemen are friendly and keen to have to chat, which we happily obliged. Each gurdwara has signboards in Punjabi and English, making it easy for us to know which historical shrine we are at.
We started at Gurdwara Patti Sahib (also known as Gurdwara Maulawi Patti) where Guru Nanak came to Pandit Gopal Das, Pandit Brij Lal and Maulvi Qutabdin at the age of 6 to study Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian. It was where he, in turn, taught his teachers the deeper truths about Man and God. Located between Gurdwara Janam Asthan and Gurdwara Bal Lila, this sacred shrine is a small square room with a grooved lotus dome above it and ornate masonry work on the exterior.
From there, we headed to Gurdwara Bal Lila, which is about 300 metres from Janam Asthan. This is where Guru Nanak played with his childhood friends. It has a huge langgar hall, and we could see that aside from the dry sarovar, the gurdwara is well-cared for.
Finally, we were taken to the shrine we were really eager to see – Gurdwara Janam Asthan, which is also called Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. The first sight of the large white structure inspires awe. This is where Guru Nanak was born to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta. It is perhaps there that you’ll fully realise that you are on the very soil that the Guru once was. And in that quiet space where the only sounds you hear are of birds chirping, a sense of serenity and peace seeps into your soul.
Gurdwara Sacha Sauda – Photo: Avtaran Singh / Asia Samachar
We went inside to metha teek; the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Prakash is on the very spot Guru Nanak was born; we saw the well where Bibi Nanaki drew water for their daily use, walked around the vast complex, dipped our fingers in the sarovar and headed to the langgar hall, where they served us a simple yet scrumptious lunch.
Within the complex, there is also another Sri Guru Granth Sahib Prakash on the site of the massacre that took place in 1921. A peaceful assembly of Sikhs who had gone to take possession of the gurdwara were brutally martyred by the mahants. The tree on which leader Lachhman Singh was hung and burnt alive by the mahant thugs has been preserved.
At the Janam Asthan Gurdwara, we were provided with a police escort to the remaining shrines in the area. The escort is to reassure Sikhs who visit Nankana Sahib of their safety and well-being. Whether it is for two or a hundred Sikhs, it doesn’t matter; police escort is provided regardless. It was a little surreal to see the police vehicle careening along the narrow streets, occasionally sounding their sirens to encourage locals to get out of the way, while our driver trailed closely behind. It was all rather exciting.
From there we headed on to Gurdwara Tambu Sahib where Guru Nanak, after spending money on a group of hungry sadhus, comes back empty-handed and apprehensive of his father’s wrath, hid under the tent-like tree.
Then we went to Gurdwara Kiara Sahib. This is the site where while the Guru was meditating, his father’s cattle that he was tending roamed freely causing a peasant to complain to Rai Bular that the cattle had damaged the crop in his field, but upon inspection, there was no damage. A shrine was constructed here in acknowledgement of the miracle.
Our final stop of gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib was Gurdwara Malji Sahib. This is the spot where Rai Bular and his men noticed that while all shadows had lengthened and shifted eastward, the shade of that particular tree stood still over the sleeping Guru. There is another sakhi that says that a cobra was seen spreading its hood over the Guru’s face protecting it from the sun. The Muslim caretaker took us to see the huge tree; we walked down specially built steps to venture underneath the massive snaking branches and walked up the steps to a balcony-like area, rewarding us with a sweeping view of our surroundings. Looking down towards the enormous old tree, we wondered at the tales it could tell!
From Nankana Sahib, we made our way to Gurdwara Sri Sacha Sauda Sahib, a shrine we all know is all about the Guru carrying out a fair deal for the poor and the deserving.
After spending the entire day at Guru Nanak’s birthplace, the following day we went to Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of the Guru, which is 110 km from Lahore. We decided to make a day trip from Lahore, and it took about two and a half hours by partial motorway and regular roads.
However, before that, we made a quick stop at Rori Sahib Gurdwara, Eminabad in the district of Gujrariwala. The shrine marks the place where Guru Nanak had to stay on a bed of broken stones (Rori), and it was from here he was taken prisoner by the invading armies of Babar in 1521.
Here, we were met by Pakistan Tourism officials. They wanted our feedback on the overall condition of the gurdwaras we had visited, the maintenance standards, as well as the security and our whole experience. We gave some suggestions with a strong emphasis on improving their restroom facilities. On to Kartarpur…
KARTARPUR
Guru Nanak founded Kartarpur in 1504 on the right bank of the River Ravi. After his travels for 20 years, the Guru settled in Kartarpur with his family and at the location where the Guru is believed to have died, the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib was constructed. Guru Nanak started the tradition of Guru Ka Langgar at Kartarpur. It was here that Guru Nanak gave the three principles of Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, Wand Chako, which means work hard for a livelihood, keep remembering the God and share your bounties with the world. And finally, it was also here that the Guru appointed Lehna his spiritual successor.
After 1947, Kartarpur due to the Radcliffe line fell into Pakistan, rendering the holy shrine lost to the Sikhs. However, on 9 November 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the opening of the cross-border Kartarpur Corridor. The Kartarpur Corridor is a border corridor between Pakistan and India, connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Punjab, Pakistan and Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab, India. It allows Sikhs from India to visit the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometres from the Pakistan-India border, without a visa. The corridor is open to Indian Sikhs and Overseas Citizenship of Indian (OCI) holders. Sikhs around the world, including Malaysian Sikhs without the latter, must get a Pakistan visa, which is free for Malaysians.
When you turn into the road leading towards the complex, there are several checkpoints for vehicles, but every time they see a Sardarji seated inside, the car is waved through without questions. Security is tight. Our driver cautioned us of the long queue of Pakistanis waiting to get their entry passes despite having to pay 200 rupees (free for Sikhs), but even we didn’t expect the one-mile long queue that stared us in our face. However, when the security spotted us, much to our surprise, they directed us to the front of the line, and the Pakistanis waiting their turn eagerly invited us to jump the queue. We felt that they would have been deeply offended if we had rebuffed their kind hospitality!
The first sight of the Gurdwara complex in all its white marbled glory is amazing. The complex area is huge and is filled with Pakistani Muslims walking around and enjoying themselves. Basically, it’s an outing for them. When we entered the langgar hall, it was filled with Pakistani Muslims having a late luncheon with their families. Aside from the sevadars, we were the only Sikhs in the langgar hall.
As we strolled around the complex, we came across the tucked-away sarovar for men and women, separated by a wall. The sarovar is made of rare green Italian mosaic with a three-way filtration system, which also prevents bacteria and fungi from festering. We also came across the 500-year old, 20-foot well (Khue Sahib) made of small red bricks which Guru Nanak used to irrigate his fields.
The white and gold colour scheme of the entire complex is rather striking. The gurdwara itself, which was constructed in 1925 with donations from the Maharaja of Patiala, was repaired and restored by the government in 2004 and, in 2018, it was further expanded. Now it has a huge courtyard, a museum, library, dormitories, locker rooms spread across an area of 42 acres. Some 400 acres of land was acquired by the government to build the complex and the surrounding area.
Like most of the older gurdwaras in Pakistan, the Kartarpur Gurdwara is square with a massive dome at the top with smaller domes on all four sides. Just at the entrance is the Guru’s ‘Muslim grave’ and upon entering the gurdwara lies the ‘Hindu samadhi’. The spiral stairs lead to the Darbar Sahib where we metha teek and later meet the affable Head Granthi Gobind Singh who kindly took time to talk to us about the gurdwara.
The big view at Kartarpur Sahib – Photo: Avtaran Singh / Asia Samachar
Standing at the top-most floor of the Gurdwara sahib, you get a birds-eye view of the enormous khanda and kirpan and the hundreds of Pakistanis thronging around the complex and the corridors. The Pakistanis are very proud of Sri Kartarpur Sahib, which they declared is one of their prime minister’s greatest achievements’.
On our final day in Lahore, we decided to visit the gurdwaras in the city. They included Gurdwara Dera Sahib where Guru Arjan Dev was martyred in 1606. The gurdwara is located just outside the walled city of Lahore nearby the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lahore Fort, and the Badshahi Mosque.
The Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji in Chuna Mandi bazaar reminded us of the Sri Harmandar Sahib. It has the same structure and design and is built at the birthplace and childhood home of Guru Ram Das. The shrine was built atop a white marble platform, several steps above street-level.
The Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania (opposite Gurdwara Bahi Taru Singh) is located at the busy Naulakha bazaar, and it marks the site where 250,000 Sikh men and women lost their lives in the 18th century. It is a monument to the struggle of all ordinary people against tyranny.
After four fulfilling days in Lahore, we returned via the Attari-Wagah Border, to Amritsar.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
The [Indian] political and economic crises are tightly interwoven. When Narendra Modi became prime minister at the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014, he promised to do for India what he did for his home state of Gujarat, where he had presided over an economic growth spurt. He would revive manufacturing, modernize the financial sector and end the crony capitalism associated with the Congress Party, which had ruled India for most of the post-independence period.
That boom failed to materialize during his first term, which was marred by a botched rollout of a sales tax and the cancellation of most bank notes — which, in cash-centric India, hit particularly hard. Regardless, he was reelected with a huge majority in 2019.
What Modi did carry over from his time in Gujarat, though, was intercommunity violence. In 2002, while Modi ran the state, at least 1,000 people died in clashes between Hindus and Muslims.
Moreover, instead of using its mandate to tackle the mounting economic challenges, Modi’s government has doubled down on Hindutva, its populist, Hindu nationalist agenda. Backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu ultranationalist group seen as an ideological driving force behind Hindutva, it has revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomous status, changed the country’s citizenship laws to deny recognition to Muslim immigrants from neighboring countries, and tried to enforce Hinduism as central to India’s values and identity. Almost all of the government’s political capital has been thrown into this massive social project. Economic reform has fallen by the wayside.
“Prime Minister Modi won the election,” said an executive at a Mumbai venture capital fund. “But he lost the economy.”
BOOM TO BUST
The signs of India’s economic decay are visible in the commercial hub of Mumbai. Cranes atop the skeletons of residential towers have been stationary for months, as developers struggle to win credit in the face of lackluster demand.
In the countryside are similar signs of suspended activity. Demand for big-ticket purchases such as tractors has softened, while sales of even the cheapest everyday items have been weak. When Gautam Sharma, head of Nissin Foods’ Indian operations, visits local shops in rural India to gauge demand for everything from his own instant noodles to individual sachets of shampoo, he says he is stunned by the lack of appetite.
“People consume when they have faith in the future, but the government has destroyed that faith,” Sharma said. “People aren’t consuming because they fear the future. There is an atmosphere of mistrust.”
Nor has anything been helped by the Modi government’s string of economic policy debacles. In November 2016, the BJP government abruptly canceled almost 90% of the cash in circulation — a move described as both an effort to eliminate “black money” and corruption, and a boon for ordinary Indians. “This step will strengthen the hands of the common man in the fight against corruption, black money and fake currency,” Modi vowed at the time.
But in an economy as cash-reliant as India’s, pulling money from the system saw transactions slow dramatically. Daily wages at small businesses — barbers, weavers and small-scale farmers — all dropped, on average, from 400 rupees a day to a mere 150. And a side effect of this drastic measure saw opposition parties deprived of funds to fight state elections in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous area in the country.
Demonetization was followed in June 2017 by the botched execution of the goods and services tax. A praiseworthy concept, it was marred by an overly complicated, constantly shifting formula for calculating the taxes incurred, and imposed heavy costs on smaller enterprises that could ill afford the expense.
The final blow came in the fall of 2018, with the implosion of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, a triple-A rated nonbank lender, which gutted the credit market. IL&FS and other nonbanks had become important sources of credit after traditional banks, struggling under the weight of bad debts, stopped lending to companies and households. Instead, they loaned to nonbanks, who on-lent the money at a higher rate. Over the past five years, the ratio of banks’ soured loans has jumped from around 4% to more than 9%.
BACKLASH
No government can afford to ignore the economy entirely, however, and there are signs that a backlash against the BJP is building.
During the campaign leading up to Delhi’s elections on Feb. 8, it was hard to believe that the two top contenders were taking part in the same contest. During the campaign, the BJP leaned into its anti-Muslim rhetoric, branding women who led protests against its citizenship law as “terrorists” and calling the Muslim-majority suburb of Shaheen Bagh a “breeding ground for suicide bombers.” The incumbent Aam Aadmi party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, emphasized its record of improving basic services, particularly education. Aam won with an overwhelming majority.
“The divisive election campaign illustrates how identity politics can overwhelm the service delivery message,” said Amitabh Dubey, political analyst for research company TS Lombard in Delhi.
After Modi’s BJP won its massive mandate last year, some pundits said India had all but become a one-party state. But the BJP has since lost local elections in Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, and the smaller state of Jharkhand, as well as Delhi. The new citizenship bill has provoked huge protests across the country that are only intensifying.
“Hindutva is a diversion from the economic woes and the lack of a real agenda to tackle them,” said the local Indian head of one major international investment fund in Mumbai.
That could lead to more division, more unrest and quite probably a more aggressive crackdown. As one Mumbai-based lawyer said: “India could soon have the worst aspects of authoritarianism, without any of the economic efficiencies.”
Read the full article, ‘How Modi won India’s elections but paralyzed the economy’ (Nikkei Asian Review, March 2020), here.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
If there is one thing Mohanjit Kuckreja has learnt throughout his 30-odd years in the business of sports, it is the ability to quickly evolve.
As such, it is no surprise that his outfit, Kuckreja & Co, turned 74 yesterday. The company has withstood the test of time – from World War II, May 13 riots to the economic downturn in the 90s.
“If you look at our history, you would realise that we have been sensitive to the demands of the market and quickly evolved. This was happening since the days of the company’s founders,” said Mohanjit.
Founded by Mohanjit’s father Tarlok Singh and uncle Teja Singh, Kuckreja & Co started out as a general retailer selling various products for the British soldiers based in Kluang, Johor.
After WWII, when they were forced to shut, Kuckreja & Co ventured into the retail and wholesale of sporting goods. And there was no turning back since.
“At one time, we brought in brands like adidas, Puma, Yoneyama (now known as Yonex), Gosen and Mikasa. Gosen badminton strings were very popular at one time,” added Mohanjit who turns 58 on Oct 15.
The business shifted its operations to Kuala Lumpur in 1990 and went on to expand its influence throughout Southeast Asia.
Mohanjit credited his brothers Sohinder Singh and Surjeet Singh for their roles in expanding the business.
“The company grew and we expanded. My brothers were part of the company’s history. While I obviously didn’t experience WWII, I witness two major economic downturns, one in the 80s and the other in the late 90s.
“Surprisingly, we didn’t suffer losses during those two episodes. Although the economy wasn’t rosy in the 80s, the government spent money on sports. In fact, our sales at that particular period were really good as we were selling products to schools. There was always a budget for school sports.
“The same thing happened in 1998. When (former Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pegged the ringgit to the US dollar (at a rate of 3.80), we weren’t affected and once again, schools had budgets for sports.”
But Mohanjit said he saw a downturn in 2013.
Read full story, ‘Wars And Pandemics – Kuckreja & Co Survived It All’ (Twenty Two 13, 2 April 2020), here.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
We are restricted to our homes and the end to Covid-19 is not in sight as yet.
It has now been revealed that a three days exercise called Cygnus was carried out in October 2016 to test the ability of National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and other services to cope with a severe flu outbreak. According to a news report in The Telegraph of 28 March, 2020, the conclusion was that the services would be overwhelmed rapidly due to a shortage of critical care beds, morgue capacity and personal protective equipment. The results were kept secret.
So now we know that the Government was told by experts that UK was not prepared for the rapid spread of an infection like Covid-19. However, is it possible for any country to be prepared for a severe pandemic like the Coroner Virus? Or, for that matter, is it possible for any government to be fully prepared for any man-made or natural global disaster?
The truth is that, rich or poor, no country can be prepared against such pandemics (natural or produced as bio-weapons), floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, nuclear disasters or even determined atomic attacks. Also, such preparedness will not make economic sense. Even for annually occurring events such as heavy snow falls blocking roads, Britain is often caught unprepared. One limitation mentioned is bulk purchase of equipment because of cash constraints and worries they would become outdated or obsolete if left in storage. For example, it is doubtful if it would be advisable or practicable to keep thousands of NHS ventilators in storage for years.
As noted in the Cygnus report, “Throwing money at the problem was not necessarily the solution”. The exercise helped to develop a strategy on the basis of a better understanding of the public reaction. Key lessons included the “need to drill down into the exact actions that the military, police, fire service, local authorities, and the voluntary sector could take to keep systems running and to keep as many people alive as possible”.
It is a question of setting a limit on the cost of being prepared and the nature future challenges. Depending on the scale of the disaster, some countries can save a few but not the vast majority of people. Yet, exercises such as the Cygnus exercise do help in preparing response models for future reference. There would have been much more loss of life if the results of such exercises were not available.
Viruses are natural as well as engineered in laboratories by countries like the US, Russia, France, UK, Israel and maybe others like China. These countries spend billions on such weapons of mass destruction. We are told that such viruses produced in labs can destroy humans many times over! The labs which produce them also prepare antidotes, but only after these agents of death have been created. In the meantime, no lab can possibly be completely secure. Where human beings are involved there is always danger of these death-spreading viruses to escape.
At this time, while following government guidance, we can only seek Gurbani guidance and assurance:
Other than the Lord, no one can kill or rejuvenate. O mind, do not be anxious – remain fearless. (SGGS A.594)
Gurmukh Singh OBE, a retired UK senior civil servant, chairs the Advisory Board of The Sikh Missionary Society UK. Email: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk. The article appeared here.
* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
In Panjab and Panjabi, this pandemic is called ‘maha-mari’. I was bemused, hearing this word for the first time because as a Malaysian (born) Sikh, and in Malay/Punjabi it means ‘The Grand Coming’! Perhaps the transformation that we have yearned for in our lives or as Christians would say – ‘The Second Coming’?
Most fellow humans are treating this transformational period with doom and gloom. Tensions are rising in families having to spend days, weeks and months in each other’s company, concern over financial strife, of food shortage (panic buying and hoarding), of disease and even death, prisoners in their own homes and generally feeling negative and fearful. In Australia there was frenzied bulk buying of toilet rolls and hand sanitizers! This period is also referred to as the ‘F-Pandemic’ (the Fear Pandemic)!
Family members are used to getting away from each other at least during the day working, or in outdoor leisure activities or as some of my friends do – spending time in clubs, pubs, golf courses (or more importantly at the 19th. hole) or shopping centres, or at mamak (tea) stalls! (I am focusing more on the Malaysian scene.)
May I suggest that we turn this around and use this amazing period to better ourselves. First let us look at the bright side.
The air outside is becoming cleaner. Streets are empty. No traffic noise. The animals are coming out. I see video clips of even wild animals coming out into urban streets – different species of deer in Indian towns; foxes; squirrels, one can hear birds chirping. From Old Delhi, a friend says that for the first time in over 40 years he can see the stars in the sky and of course monkeys walking the streets. Street lights are standing idle. He says he can actually breath deeply! There is silence. This same friend says that during the first three or four days they had trouble sleeping … because it was unusually silent. They are used to sleeping in noise and getting up in noise!
Wherever you are, start looking at the bright side. An opportunity has been given to improve ourselves spiritually and even stir the latent talents within. Pick up the instrument you always wanted to play. Pick up the art brush and start drawing. Practice your cooking skills. Teach your kids how to cook. Do repairs around the house you always wanted to do – chores you always get the Chinese ‘apay’ or the Tamil ‘thambi’ to come and do (Malaysian scene). Grow some exotic plants or in our case in Australia – ginger! It is now about AU$50 a kilo. Not joking! Start writing the book you always wanted to. Start the Sehaj Paath you always wanted to. Read the books which you have but never got around to reading. AND get your family members to similarly become productive or creative too. Each member needs to plan the day and be accountable at the end of the day. If you do not already do so, fall into a routine of at least doing JapJi Sahib, Rehras and Sohila.
This is a golden opportunity to turn your life around or if you already have, to enhance it further! This is the true ‘hovay janam sohela.’
I am very proud of how my ‘family’ has responded. I accept that we are in a healthy financial position – just healthy, not loaded! We can last up to a year. Yes, we are very lucky. You too. If you are well off, do not think of how much this sets you back financially, materially but be happy that you can last a prolonged period. This life is not for the purpose of making money but… ‘bheyi prapat manukh dehoria, Gobind milan ki eh teri beria.’ (Time to become one with Waheguru.) A great number of friends who keep in touch have now started believing that and are transforming their lives for the better accordingly. YOU can too.
As a family we live in three households (three daughters and we, mum and dad or Nana and Nani, live in an ‘add-on’ to the oldest daughter Jamel’s home. We link up daily through skype at least twice. The kids interact – do painting, some school studies, play inter-linked games, bhangra, singing and even cooking! I even teach them a few words of Punjabi each day and read a ‘Guru-itihas’ story to them. In the evening (around 6 pm) we link up and Nana does Rehras before all have their dinner. (We even put it online sometimes so that other friends and relatives can join in.) We cannot hug each other but have never been closer – thank you Guru Ji!
I am doing some kirtan programs and light dialogue on-line from our Baba Ji’s room and also started reading my book which is being video-audioed. At almost 70, I am run off my feet compared to the last five odd years. It is like a new lease on my life – to be of service.
My daughters are discovering new talents and perhaps how their lives will be different, more productive and more fulfilling when this amazing period is over.
Wife Jessiee has expended her inter-faith network to a global level and is actively engaged in raising money for charity and lobbying our government to relocate at least some of the Afghan Sikhs who survived a massacre at the hands of ISIS a couple of weeks ago. (Twenty-one died). That is her passion. She has never been busier!
Under almost any circumstance, unless you are starving, uncertain about the roof over your head or not being able to clothe yourself, you too can transform your life. If you are under a heavy mortgage, then you have probably overreached yourself financially to keep up with the Joneses or for status (pangkat). Maybe you should be in a more modest home. Maybe your vehicle is actually out of your (financial) reach. Change to a cheaper station wagon from the expensive people-mover or unnecessary four-wheel drive, or less expensive smaller car or even downsize t a motor-cycle. Our tendency of better or more expensive material well-being is sometimes our greatest downfall.
It is a time for reflection. It is a time for transformation. It is a time for a reality check. In short, it is a time of taking stock of our life and working out ways to change it for the better, not materially, but spiritually.
As Vesakhi comes up, you need not partake of ‘amrit’, if you have not already, because such gatherings are probably illegal in your country in this period, but you can certainly transform your life.
Remember this Vesakhi as the one where you changed your life for the better. So, ‘hovay janam sohela’ – do your own Ardaas, even your own small ceremony, and request Guru Gobind Singh Ji to accept you as His son or daughter. You know what to do.
I believe that ‘amrit’ as we know it has too narrow a scope. It is far beyond just keeping five kekars, being vegetarian and doing copious ‘banis’ as Nitnem and spending long periods in gurdwaras. It is about completely transforming your life – to become god-like. To be humble. To be of service and to help change lives. To be the change.
I turn 70 on Vesakhi Day. Please say a prayer for this sinner too!
Best of luck and Guru Ji be with you. Chardhi Kala. … and HAPPY VESAKHI.
Malaysian-born Dya Singh, who now resides in Australia, is an accomplished musician and a roving Sikh preacher. The Dya Singh World Music Group performs full scale concerts on ‘music for the soul’ based on North Indian classical and semi-classical styles of music with hymns from mainly the Sikh, Hindu and Sufi ‘faiths’. He is also the author of SIKH-ING: Success and Happiness. He can be contacted at dyasingh@khalsa.com
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
Jitendra Rathod – Photo: Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
By Asia Samachar Team | BRITAIN |
One of Wales’ leading surgeons died at the University Hospital of Wales on Monday (6 April) morning after becoming infected with the Covid-19 strain.
Jitendra Rathod, an associate cardio-thoracic specialist and a father-of-two, was described as an “incredibly dedicated surgeon” who cared deeply for his patients and was highly regarded in the medical profession in Wales.
Known to colleagues and friends as Jitu, he worked in the department of cardio-throacic surgery since the mid 1990s. He later had a brief stint abroad before retuning to UHW in 2006, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said in a statement.
“He was an incredibly dedicated surgeon who deeply cared for his patients. He was well-liked and greatly respected by one and all,” it added.
Wales health minister Vaughan Gething told a press conference in Cardiff that a “small number of healthcare workers” with symptoms or confirmed cases of Covid-19 were in intensive care.
The news came on the same day British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care in a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms “worsened”, Downing Street has said.
He spent the second day at the St Thomas’ Hospital “for close monitoring”, Downing Street said, adding that his condition was “stable” and he remained in “good spirits”.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
From an ace intellectual property (IP) litigator to the High Court. That has been the incredible journey of Judicial Commissioner (JC) Dedar Singh Gill who has now been elevated to the Singapore High Court.
The former managing director for IP at law firm Drew & Napier LLC moved to the bench when he was made a JC effective August 2018.
“The President of the Republic of Singapore, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed Judicial Commissioner (JC) Dedar Singh Gill as a Judge of the High Court from 1 August 2020 under Article 95(1) of the Constitution,” reads the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday (6 April).
In the same statement, Singapore PMO also announced the appointment of Andre Francis Maniam as a JC. He is a partner at WongPartnership LLP and heads the firm’s litigation & dispute resolution group.
With the above appointments, the Supreme Court will have a total of 25 Judges (including four Judges of Appeal and the Chief Justice), four Judicial Commissioners, four Senior Judges and 18 International Judges, the statement added.
Dedar Singh Gill’s family with Singapore President Halimah Yacob when he was made JC in 2018 – Photo: MCI photo by Kenji Soon
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
The soundtrack of Rabba Mereya, Malaysia’s first locally-produced Punjabi telemovie set to go on the air on Monday (13 April), was put together in Pakistan.
“We got the recording done in Karachi,” movie director Arjin Uppal told Asia Samachar.
It was sung by Pakistani singer Gul Khan who has performed in Kuala Lumpur in the past.
‘Rabba Mereya’ will premier at pay-per-view broadcaster Astro on Monday as Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi (Astro Vaanavil Ch201, 9pm, 13 April 2020. In Malaysia, you can download Astro Go app and register a free account to watch for free during this MCO).
Produced by Sri Saheb Production Sdn Bhd, the movie features Avinder Singh, Hemant Shergil, Navinder Kaur, Gurvinder Singh and Malkit Kaur.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |
