Message from the CSA Vice President. S. Amardeep Singh. The Newsletter of the Canberra Sikh Association

Transcription

1 October- December 2014 Edition The Newsletter of the Canberra Sikh Association Message from the CSA Vice President Respected Saadh Sangat Ji, S. Amardeep Singh Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh With the grace of the Almighty Waheguru and the support of Saadh Sangat ji, the Canberra Sikh community has witnessed a very busy and momentous 2014, on behalf of CSA I wish everyone a very happy new year. It is with immense pleasure I am sharing with you the accomplishments of Canberra Sikh Association over the last quarter. On behalf of the President who is currently overseas I would like to thank all those who bestowed their faith and confidence upon the committee and enabled us to work with the community for the advancement of the Gurdwara. The CSA Executive Committee s main objective this year has been to fully engage with members of the community and collectively promote Sikh principles and ethos. Soon after its inception the new CSA Executive Committee decided to establish subcommittees for various elements of the Gurdwara including the Punjabi School, langar, Gurdwara hall maintenance, general house-keeping and other ongoing tasks to ensure the smooth running of day to day proceedings. An was circulated and announcements were made in the Gurdwara inviting volunteers to join the subcommittee. A significant number of Sangat members volunteered to do sewa within the subcommittees. The new CSA Executive Committee commenced with a very positive frame of mind with the intention to be inclusive and accommodative for diverse points of views. Accordingly, the progress of the construction of Gurdwara Sahib along with visits of Ragi Jathas, advancement in the Punjabi school and involvement of the Canberra Sikh community in federal affairs of Sikh interest has taken place. Following is an overview of the progressions mentioned: The construction/maintenance work of the Gurdwara has greatly progressed and this is evident in the preparation of the parking area and the completion of the new retaining wall along with other work that is in progress. A major task of beautification and utilising the space in front of Gurdwara Sahib is also underway. Furthermore, community religious events have taken place along with visits of Raagi Jathas which have played a vital role in October - December 2014 Edition

2 helping the Canberra Sikh community to embrace Sikh traditions and unite as one community. The committee along with devout Sewdaars took an initiative to hold langar for the congregation on events such as Diwali, Guru Nanak Dev Ji s Prakash Divas and New Year s Eve (till midnight) during which a huge number of Sangat was seen. The committee will continue to do sewa by inviting Raagi Jathas and Parcharaks for the benefit of the Sangat of Canberra. Recently, the Canberra Gurudwara enjoyed the gurbani vichaar of Veer Bhupinder Sigh over a three day smagam. The Canberra Punjabi School also completed the academic year on a successful note fulfilling it objective of promoting Punjabi, Gurmukhi script and study of Sikh scriptures, tradition and ethos. We continuously attempt to promote teaching and learning at the school by ensuring quality education, satisfaction of students and parents, and by holding award ceremonies to acknowledge the progress of students. I would like to thank all committee members and volunteers from the Sangat who selflessly offer their time and work with such devotion for the betterment of the whole community. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Amardeep Singh Vice President Canberra Sikh Association CSA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS See Sanjhi Notice Board on Page 24 for details. SIKH NEWS Facing Intolerance, Many Sikhs and Hindus Leave Afghanistan January 15, 2015 by Margherita Stancati and Ehsanullah Amiri Source: Jan. 12, 2015: KABUL Rawail Singh, a leader of Kabul s Sikh community, is a big supporter of recently sworn-in President Ashraf Ghani : His Facebook profile features a photo of the president holding his 4-year-old daughter during a campaign rally. But despite Mr. Ghani s pledge to make Afghanistan more inclusive, Mr. Singh says he worries that his tiny religious minority could disappear as more Sikhs and Hindus leave their homeland because of persistent discrimination. If the new government of Afghanistan doesn t pay attention to this issue, obviously one day there will be no Sikh or Hindu left in Afghanistan, he said. Islam is Afghanistan s official religion. Though the country s constitution recognizes the right of members of other faiths to practice freely, and many moderate Afghan Muslims embrace diversity, Sikhs and Hindus say they often face intolerance of their religious practices and customs here. For this reason, community leaders say, many have left in recent years. One autumn evening, Sikhs and Hindus lit candles as they gathered in a temple in Kabul October - December 2014 Edition Page 2 of 26

3 for Diwali, the festival of lights that is their most important annual celebration. Every year, members of the community say, attendance at Diwali dwindles. So does their population in the country. No official data exists, but community members say they are down to around 7,000 people, the majority of whom are Sikhs, from roughly 200,000 before the country s civil war began in Otar Singh, the head of Afghanistan s Hindu and Sikh community and a former member of parliament, said conditions are worse under Afghanistan s democratic government than they were during the Taliban s severe rule in the late 1990s, when the minority group had to wear yellow arm bands that singled them out as secondclass citizens. Under the Taliban our rights were clearly defined, and people were not cruel to us, he said. In a meeting with representatives of the Sikh and Hindu community in November, Mr. Ghani promised to address their concerns and reiterated that they re entitled to the same rights as other Afghans, according to a statement from his office. He also vowed to allocate funds for the building of a temple in a district in the volatile eastern province of Nangarhar. Members of the community say they hope Mr. Ghani s stated commitment to defend their rights may slow the departure. Since last spring, around 400 more Sikhs and Hindus have left, according to community leaders. Most joined the swelling Afghan community in India, their spiritual home, while some turned to people-smugglers in a bid to reach the West. Such voyages have ended tragically. In August, 35 Afghan Sikhs of all ages were discovered in a ship s cargo container in the British port town of Tilbury. One of the migrants, a man, was found dead. The U.K. government is currently considering the asylum applications of the others, said a spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Kabul. Afghanistan s Sikhs and Hindus stay in small, tight-knit communities and participate in many of the same religious rituals held in a temple both faiths use. At home they speak mainly Punjabi, the language of Sikhism s religious texts that is native to the Indian subcontinent. Many Afghan Sikhs feel they straddle two worlds without being fully accepted in either, however. When we are in India, they call us Afghan, said Ram Singh, a 22-year old shopkeeper. But when we are in Afghanistan, other Afghans consider us outsiders even if we are Afghans, too. The earliest evidence of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu community dates back to the 18th century, when they played a prominent role in the moneylending and merchant trade that linked Central Asia with the subcontinent. However, historians believe their presence predates that. These days, they are known for the medicinal herb shops that many of them own. Most live in Kabul. Sikhs living elsewhere in the country say the intolerance they face is particularly open. We can t live our life with people telling us: Hindu, Hindu! You are an infidel! said Wisak October - December 2014 Edition Page 3 of 26

4 Singh, an Afghan Sikh who lives in the city of Lashkar Gah, in the southern province of Helmand. It doesn t just happen occasionally. It happens to us every day. Of the 35 Sikh families who still live in Helmand, many are thinking of leaving, he said. The main collective grievance Sikhs and Hindus face is local opposition to the custom of burning their dead. Many Afghans see the practice as un-islamic, and have sought to stop it, periodically calling out insults or throwing stones at Sikh and Hindu funeral processions. The community s crematorium in Kabul is in a walled garden in what used to be the outskirts of town. But the city has swollen, and the site is now confined in a densely populated neighborhood. This has heightened tensions with locals in recent years. Sikhs now require police protection during funerals. But not everyone opposes the ritual. They have their own religion and I have mine. They are good people and I have no issue with them, said Mohammad Sharif, a Muslim security guard at the cremation site. Schooling is another recurring issue, Sikhs and Hindus say. Most families, worrying that their children will be bullied, refuse to let them attend state-run schools, opting instead for private schools or no school at all. Wisak Singh said that the children in his family, who also live in Helmand, are practically illiterate. We are teaching them Punjabi at home, and we hired a private teacher who comes home to teach Pashtun and Dari, Afghanistan s two main languages. Despite the challenges, Rawail Singh, the community leader, says he is proud of being Afghan. I love Afghanistan because it s my country. We Sikhs and Hindus aren t from somewhere else, he said. This is where we belong Hunger Strike Comes to an End January 15, 2015 Source: AMBALA, Haryana (January 15, 2015) With no solution in sight for the release of Sikh political prisoners, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa has ended his 2nd hunger strike after 64 days. Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa was confined at the Civil Hospital in Ambala under tight security since he was brought here for medical treatment. In the past few days, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was kept isolated from his supporters at Lakhnaur Sahib, including Bhai Gurpiar Singh and Gurpreet Singh Guri. Even now as Bhai Gurbaksh Singh has been discharged from the hospital in Ambala, Bhai Guri and others remain under police scrutiny. They were not allowed to enter Haryana earlier today before Bhai Khalsa finished his hunger strike World Religion Day for Unity January 21, 2015 by Steve Silva Reporter Global News Source: globalnews.ca January 19, 2015: REGINA About a dozen different religions were represented at a local synagogue to celebrate World Religion Day on Sunday. October - December 2014 Edition Page 4 of 26

5 You will see a lot of people coming here from different faiths, cultures, and traditions, and they will offer prayers. A prayer for peace is the theme for this year for us, said Gagan Deep Singh, the chairperson of Regina Multi-Faith Forum. About 100 people filled the seats at Beth Jacob Synagogue for the annual event, which has been organized by the forum for about two decades. Recent deadly attacks in France executed in the name of religion have emphasized the need for unity and understanding among believers of different faiths, stressed the synagogue s rabbi Jeremy Parnes. It is a great shame when the great religions of the world are threatened or to be hijacked by people who may not be true representatives of those faiths, he said. The event included Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, RQHR Spirital Care, and Muslim prayers. We are all breathing the same air, we all are connected together. Sometimes we forget that, we get caught up in our own, sort of, petty lives or what s going on in our own, sort of, small worlds, and that can derail the larger picture, said Parnes. While violent incidents stemming from religious intolerance or religious extremism is a historical and topical reality, both Parnes and Singh remain optimistic peace is possible. The key thing is to focus on the commonalities. All religions have a lot of common things inside them, and this event is all about sharing those common things. And religions are supposed to create unity, not the other way around, said Singh. Strange But True In 32 years. there are about 1 billion seconds! Rice paper does not have any rice in it! The average person laughs 13 times a day! Dogs can hear sounds that you cant! Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women! It is estimated that millions of trees in the world are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts and then forget where they hid them! Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a novel, "Gadsby", which contains over 50,000 words -- none of them with the letter E! Of all the words in the English language, the word set has the most definitions! A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans! Every 45 seconds, a house catches on fire in the United States! The most used letter in the English alphabet is 'E', and 'Q' is the least used! There are more than 50,000 earthquakes throughout the world every year! Dogs and cats, like humans, are either right or left handed... or is that paws?! The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven! October - December 2014 Edition Page 5 of 26

6 October- December 2014 Edition The Newsletter of the Canberra Sikh Association SANJHI ARTICLES The Great Sikh Leaders - Part 6 At last Bhai Sukha Singh and a few other devout Sikhs suggested that there could be no better place than Amritsar to raise the fortress. Accordingly, the construction began. An Article by S. Amardeep Singh The construction of the fortress initiated with heart filled devotion of Sikh volunteers. The need to hire other carpenters and labourers was eliminated when countless skilled Sikhs, selflessly began to fabricate the fortress with such reverence. The volunteers worked with enormous love and coordination that all four walls of the fortress were raised simultaneously in a very short time. The fortress was named as the Ram Raoni after the name of the fourth guru, Shri Guru Ram Das Ji. Ram Raoni could accommodate about 500 horses so just about 500 Sikhs could stay there. The remaining Sikhs went to live in the neighbouring villages and jungles. They were within the hearing distance of the beat of drums and in case of need, would come to the aid immediately. The leadership qualities, bravery and wisdom shown by S. Jassa Singh in this hour of trial raised his stature further. October - December 2014 Edition

7 On March 1748, Ahmad Shah, son of king Mohammad Shah of Delhi defeated Ahmad Shah Durrani. He appointed Mir Moin-uddin (Mir Mannu) as the Governor of Punjab and returned to Delhi. On reaching Lahore, Mir Mannu put Jaleh Khan and Diwan Lakhpat Rai in jail, who were appointed by Ahmad Shah Durrani. He imposed a penalty of thirty lakhs on the Diwan and appointed Diwan Kaurha Mal as his deputy. Lakhpat Rai paid eighteen lakhs out of thirty lakhs. His house and other property was confiscated for two lakhs. For the remaining ten lakhs he was awarded life imprisonment. Diwan Kaurha Mal knew how Lakhpat Rai had caused deaths of hapless and innocent Sikhs in thousands. So he decided to pay ten lakhs on behalf of Lakhpat Rai on the condition that he should be handed over to him. Mir Mannu had no objection in this arrangement. So Diwan Kaurha Mal paid the dues and took charge of Lakhpat Rai. He then handed him over to the Sikhs. The Sikhs tied his hands and feet, made him sit in the middle of a deep pit in the ground. The top of the pit was covered leaving a small hole. Thus the murdered Lakhpat Rai died a death in virtual hell and he had to bear the fruits of all his deeds. When Mir Mannu had settled down as Governor of Punjab, he felt concerned at consistently increasing might of the Sikhs. To consolidate his rule, he decided to destroy the might of Sikhs. Mir Mannu issued strict orders to the headmen/chieftains of the area and hill kings that all Sikhs should be arrested and sent to Lahore in chains. Countless Sikhs were rounded up in a short time. They were all killed. The hill chiefs and headmen of the area played a major role in this program. Thousands of Sikhs were killed every day, outside Delhi gate in Shahid Ganj publically in the presence of numerous spectators. Coming up next Siege of Ram Raoni, Second Invasion of Durrani and how Sikhs Reached to help Diwan Kaurha Mal. October - December 2014 Edition Page 7 of 26

8 Punjabi and Gurmukhi An article made available to Sanjhi by - S Madhusudan Singh Sidhu Punjabi and Gurmukhi There appears to be a lot of confusion regarding Gurmukhi and Punjabi. The assumption a lot of people seem to make is that there is a language called Punjabi (what we use everyday) and there is the language called Gurmukhi - the language used to write the Guru Granth Sahib. So are there two languages?? Did the Guru s use different language called Gurmukhi?? The answer is No. Before going further, apply some logic yourself, would you (if trying to convey a message to a lot people) write the message in new language, which everybody would have to learn before deciphering the message, OR would you write in the most commonly used language?? Remember this - Punjabi is language (what we speak). Gurmukhi is a script (how we write Punjabi). Punjabi is an Indian language, which belongs to the outer-circle of the Indo-Aryan languages and distantly related English being a member of the same Indo- European language family. It is a modern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Punjab states of both India and Pakistan. It nearly resembles Hindi and Urdu. There are 2 main scripts used, Punjabi-speaking Muslims may write Punjabi in the Perso-Arabic script (as used to write Urdu, writing from right to left), this sometimes is referred to as Shahmukhi. (I will try to get examples of this, if you have any please send to me). Punjabi is also written using Urdu and Hindi scripts. Punjabi speaking Sikhs write Punjabi in the Gurmukhi script, which was developed by Guru Angad Dev Ji. Contrary to another popular belief, Guru Ji did not invent Gurmukhi from scratch; he modified the Landa (lahnda) script. He and polished the landa script to reflect, pronunciation and the authentic tonal expressions to what is known as Gurmukhi today. The Landa had been around for centuries before the Guru Ji s. October - December 2014 Edition Page 8 of 26

9 However we must also remember that Punjabi itself has evolved along with time, as any language does. There will be differences between 16 th and 17 th century and now. Also did you also know that there are different dialects of Punjabi? Here is a brief outline of them. Majhi Spoken in the heart of Punjab i.e., Lahore, Sialkot, Gujaranwala, Gurdaspur, Amritsar. Most of the population of Punjab lives in this area and linguists also say that Majhi dialect is the Tixali boli i.e., it has been influenced by all other dialects Malwi Spoken in the east Punjab area of Ludhiana, Ambala, Bathinda, Ganganagar, Maleerkotla Fazilka, Ferozepur. This area (Malwa) is the southern and central part of present day Indian Punjab. Also includes the Punjabi speaking areas of Haryana, viz. Ambala, Hissar, Sirsa, kurukhetra etc. (northern parts of Haryana mainly). Doabi Land between the rivers of Beas and Satluj is called Doaba. Do Aaba literally means the land between two waters in Persian. It includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur. Pothohari The area where Pothohari is spoken extends in the north from Kashmir to as far south as Jehlum and Gujar Khan and includes the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. This dialect is similar to some extent to the Hindko dialect of Punjabi which is spoken in Peshawar, Nowshehra, Mansehra all these areas lie in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan where majority language is Pashto, but Hindko speakers area also found in sizable numbers. Jhangvi The region where Jhangvi is spoken stretches from Khanewal to Jhang and includes the cities of Faisalabad, Chiniot. Jhangvi dialect is also called the Jangli dialect of Punjabi. Multani The dialect spoken in Multan, Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Daira Ghazi Khan, Muzafar Garh i.e., southern deserts of Punjab is called Multani (also Lehndi by some) and perhaps differs from Punjabi more than any other dialect. Those who closely know the dialect say that it is a very mithi boli. This is the land of Muslim Sufis, perhaps Shah Shams Sabazwari who came to Multan in 1165 AD was the first in a long series of Sufis to base themselves in Multan. Multani becomes more and more different as you move down south, as the influence of Sindhi increases, it is also known as Siraiki there. Siraiki itself is Sindhi word and means northern. More Information regarding Punjabi by Serjinder Singh October - December 2014 Edition Page 9 of 26

10 The cliché that Guru Angad Dev Ji made the Gurmukhi alphabet is patently false(it was propagated by the enemies of Sikhism known as Handalis who wrote the distorted biography of Guru Nanak Dev Ji called Janam Sakhi Bhai Bala). If one reads that part of Guru Granth Sahib which is known Patti one finds that this Gurbani written by the first Guru Ji mentions the letters of Gurmukhi by the same names as we know them today. If Guru Angad Dev Ji made the Gurmukhi alphabet how Guru Nanak Dev Ji could have mentioned it in his bani several decades earlier. This script known as Gurmukhi or literally the script used by Gurmukhs existed long before. Word Gurmukh did not necessarily refer to Gursikhs alone at that period of time but was used by Naths and Sidhs as well. Guru Ji in his discussions with the Sidhs use this word to address them as given in the Guru Granth Sahib under the bani titled Sidh Ghost. All the relevant arguments in support of the above are given in the textbooks of degree students in Punjab who study the history of Punjabi language and script. In Ludhiana district of Punjab there is a village named Hathoor. There is a sacred well where pilgrims who were traders used to visit and used to get some bricks with their names and details of donations given laid on the inside wall. One of these is written in Gurmukhi as we know it today and gives the date, which is in thirteenth century, which is long before Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I am referring here to the script, which is Gurmukhi. As far as the language is concerned in Punjab the language that is and was spoken is called Punjabi. Now this Punjabi was similar to the Punjabi that we speak in our homes even now. One can read the Saloks of Baba Farid in Guru Granth Sahib, which even you born in the west would be able to understand because these are in Punjabi. Baba Farid lived during the thirteenth century couple of centuries before Guru Nanak Dev Ji. In their blind chauvinistic aim to show that the Gurmukhi script belongs only to Sikhs and not to rest of the Punjabis these bigots have created hatred against non-sikhs and alienated them from their own language and past and divided the population of Punjab on religious lines. The Majhi was called Taxali Boli in earlier part of this century not because it is influenced by other dialects. On the contrary it was considered by some egoist intellectuals living around Lahore and Amritsar that the dialect they speak should be considered standard Punjabi or authentic Punjabi and other dialects were ridiculed. Word Taxal means mint where authentic coins are made. So, Taxali Boli like the authentic minted coins means authentic or standard language. At present nobody subscribes to this view. Respect shown for all dialects of Punjabi is same. In addition to the dialects listed by you there are some more viz. Puadhi which is spoken in the area between Chandigarh, Patiala and Ropar near the foothills. Dogri or Pahari spoken in Jammu and Mirpur area is also considered a dialect of Punjabi. Okay so far? The next argument usually seems to be, why is Guru Granth Sahib so difficult to comprehend, so it cannot be same language? Well the language used in it is not uniform, it contains Hindi, Braj Bhasha, Sanskrit, Marathi, Pharsee, Arabic and also ther October - December 2014 Edition Page 10 of 26

11 many dialects of Punjabi. Sometimes the words are pronounced the same as an existing Punjabi word yet the meaning maybe different due to the origin of the word. Furthermore as mentioned above any language is always in a state of flux, constantly evolving. Regarding the Gurmukhi script, it is derived from Brahmi used for Asoka s edicts. The Landa script is by and large Gurmukhi script without the vowel signs. In Panjabi word Landa means an animal that has lost its tail. Thus the script, which does not have its Siharees or Biharees or Hora, Kanna etc is similar to an animal without a tail. That is why it is called Landa. The Landa script has been in use and still is used for writing accounts in Bahee s by the traders in Punjab. Otherwise the Gurmukhi script was known long before Guruji along with the vowel signs. An Arab mathematician mentions in tenth century of a mathematician from Punjab whom he saw using a single letter for each numeral whereas till then the Romans and the Arabs had been using several letters for one numeral. For instance, for three one wrote III and for eight VIII. In Punjab at that time three was written as 3 which is nothing but the first Gurmukhi letter of the Punjabi word tin for three and 2 is the modified first letter of Punjabi word Do(pronounced as though) for two. No one has noticed this but I can show conclusively that all the nine numerals (which are known as Arabic numerals in West, but Arabs call them Hindsa, meaning brought from Hind or India)are the different letters derived from the Punjabi count words such as Ik, Do, Tin, Chaar, Punj etc. Indeed the Arab mathematical mentions the origin as Punjab of the Hindsas or numerals. So remember Punjabi is a LANGUAGE, Gurmukhi is SCRIPT. October - December 2014 Edition Page 11 of 26

12 Punjabi and Gurmukhi An article made available to Sanjhi by S Bharpur Singh Sekhon SUKHDEV SINGH, a former Jathedar of Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia and a pilot who loves to land himself in the middle of the Sikh Sanggat, grapples with the issue of learning Punjabi and immersing oneself in Gurbani. Are they the same? AS a little boy, I was sent to Punjabi School. So was everyone else I knew. Our parents wanted to provide us with the tools necessary for life - as Punjabis. It was also intended to help us read our holy scriptures and someday, be able to do our paath (Nitnem) and as a result become good Sikhs. As life went on, I began to observe one thing: All the Punjabi I had learnt was of no help to me when it came to understanding the Sikh scriptures (Nitnem and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib). I could read very well, but I didn't have the foggiest idea what I was reading (sounds familiar doesn't it?). But in the gurdwaras, just as much in my years in England as in Malaysia, the preachers and the missionaries kept thumping the pulpits and kept saying: "Why are you all not teaching your children Punjabi?" And everybody would say - "But we are!" HOW COME, THE PEOPLE WHOSE ONLY LANGUAGE IS PUNJABI CANNOT UNDERSTAND BAANI AND GURU GRANTH SAHIB? And they would say: "Then how come none of them can understand what is being sung or read in the gurdwaras?" And looking just as puzzled, they would all say: "How should we know? You are the Gianis' who are teaching our children!" In 1984, with the political upheaval of the Punjab, visitors to the Punjab returned home with tales about how far the Punjabi Sikhs there had drifted from their religion. Their ignorance of the religion and especially the Holy Scriptures was unbelievable. This came as a great shock to most of us. How is it possible? How come, the people whose only language is Punjabi, cannot understand the baani and the Guru Granth Sahib? The mystery intensified. I was at a total loss for an answer. So I kept pushing it to the back of my mind. Then in the year 1988, a visitor came to our house and told us how much they had enjoyed watching the television serial Mahabharat, the story of the Hindu god Krishna, and Arjun, produced for Indian television. It came in a staggering 48 video tapes. They suggested that we, also, should try to view it. October - December 2014 Edition Page 12 of 26

13 Months went by before the conversation came back to our minds. My family finally found enough courage to hire from the video rental shop, the first of the 48! We still didn't believe, not for one moment, that we were actually going to see all 48. It would take us until forever, just to see the first 10 tapes. To see the rest would take us to eternity! What happened after that was totally unimagined. The story became so gripping, that it became a family obsession. Every spare moment was spent watching Mahabharat as a family. Some serials were so beautiful; we would watch them three times, and then again. Although Mahabharat is based on the Hindu religion, I learnt more about spiritual living than I had done from any other person, book or teacher before! The Mahabharat taught me what it means to have a Guru, and my obligations as a disciple, my obligations as a father, husband, son, brother and friend. It taught me the meaning of truth, honesty, bravery, commitment, chastity, discipline, honour and faith. In other words it taught me everything that my Gum would want me to learn. I was stunned. Even the persons who had introduced it to us had only spoken of its 'entertainment' value. For us, it became our life's single most important spiritual journey. It lasted nearly a year. At the end of it I had changed so much inwardly, I could hardly recognise myself! As we progressed through the serial, one thing became apparent to us. The language spoken was not Hindi as we know it. It sounded like Hindi with the usual 'Hum Tum, Hum Tum', but the vocabulary had very little resemblance to the Hindi I used to hear in Hindi films! So what was it? At the same time, we started to find that the people on screen were using the same words as those used in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and as in baani of our beloved Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. As a matter of fact, as the serial progressed and we became familiar with this new language, we began to understand more of our Nitnem and the Sri Gum Granth Sahib. Difference between Gurmukhi and Punjabi Then I began to recall that when reading a book on Sikh theology in England, I had come across a statement that sounded so unfamiliar, that I didn't even stop to think about it. It said: "The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is mostly written in a language known as brij bhasha". And we had been taught since childhood that the language of the Sikh Scriptures was Gurmukhi! And that... was that! October - December 2014 Edition Page 13 of 26

14 So now, years later, the fog began to clear. I came to understand that this brij was the language of the learned people during the time of our Gurus. It was the language used by the Brahmins, the pundits, the gyanis and their chelas all over the land. Whereas Sanskrit was the written language of the Hindu religious texts, the spoken language was 'brij' or 'brij bhasha' as it is correctly called ('bhasha' means language). Because Brij was the common language of the then religious community of India, it is obvious why it constitutes a major part of Gurmukhi. Yes. That's right. It is brij bhasha that is the instrument of communication of the Sikh Gurus and their baani, not Punjabi. As the word suggests, Punjabi remains, until today only as the language of the people of Punjab, not the language of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Punjabi is also used in the baani, just like the many other languages like Arabic, Persian, Marathi, Bengali etc. But it is not the dominant language. The key to understanding Sri Guru Granth Sahib is only partly Punjbai, but more so brij bhasha! All around me, I saw parents frantically looking for Punjabi teachers to tutor their children, so that they will grow into upright Sikhs. No one I knew actually appreciated the fact that knowing all the Punjabi in the world was not going to be of much help when it came to our scriptures and, therefore, our religion. It is Brij Bhasha that is the instrument of Communication of the Sikh Gurus and their Baani, not Punjabi (My view is: Brij Bhasha may be the main language used as mentioned above many other languages are also used). It is just like the Muslims in Malaysia or Indonesia. They can learn all the jawi they want, but they won't have more than a clue as to what is the content of the Holy Quran. That's because jawi only uses Arabic alphabets (writing). The spoken language of jawi is Malay, not Arabic! An unknowing observer will look at jawi and think it is Arabic. It is. But when you read it, it will be Malay. It is the same with Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, and Persian. These languages also use the Arabic script to write their words, but they are all completely different languages from Arabic! In our case, the scenario is reversed. In the example given above, the spoken language is original to the people who use it. But it is the written script that is borrowed from another place (Arabia). In the case of us Sikhs, our written script (varan mala) is original as it was created by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. But the spoken word is borrowed heavily from brij bhasha, the language of the learned people of India. What is Gurmukhi? Now that you are thoroughly confused, let me tell you this. What I have said earlier only goes to demonstrate that Punjabi is not Gurmukhi and Gurmukhi is not "only" Punjabi. October - December 2014 Edition Page 14 of 26

15 Of course my statement is exaggerated. But I am intentionally doing that, to drive the point home, because although it is not the whole truth, it is not far from the truth. So, if Gurmukhi is not Punjabi, what really is Gurmukhi? Well, it is a little bit of Punjabi, a little Arabic and Persian, a sprinkling of Indian languages and a lot of brij bhasha, but using the written script (varn mala) as created by Guru Nanak. And this is what has caused all the confusion. Because Punjabi and Gurmukhi both use the same written script (varrn mala), we all grew up thinking that Punjabi and Gurmukhi are one and the same. And we all grew up thinking that to understand the Guru's baani we must all improve our Punjabi. As your own personal experience must have taught you, that is not totally untrue. Punjabi and Gurmukhi are like Jawi and Arabic. They both use the same written script (Arabic), but as languages, are some distance apart! But what has this got to do with you? I'll tell you. If you don't realise that Punjabi and Gurmukhi are two different languages, you can try until your eyeballs tum blue, you will never be able to make out the message in the Guru Granth Sahib or your Nitnem (without the help of the English translation, I mean!) Not to mention that you could spend the rest of your life wondering what the raagis in the gurdwara are singing and why the gyanis can't (for heaven's sake) speak 'your' language! The mystery unfolds when you realise that while the former are singing in Gurmukhi, the latter are speaking it. And we, armed with only our Punjabi, are sitting in the Darbar Sahib wondering what it is all about. Actually, most of us have simply resigned to the fact that no one actually understands what's going on either and sit around, hoping to catch the odd word that we can understand. And so as not to disappoint us, the gurdwara management always save the day by way of the secretary giving us some messages at the end. This we always understand because they are given in Punjabi? So, how has this knowledge helped me? Well, as soon as my wife and I became aware of this paradox, we realised that if we didn't use this knowledge to connect the situation, our children are also going to grow up just like us, totally ignorant of the content of the scriptures. The first thing that we did was to start using as much Gurmukhi vocabulary at home as we possibly could. The results are tremendous. My children have adapted well and sometimes leave me surprised with the new words that they use. Now this social experiment has gone beyond the four walls of our home. I use Gurmukhi freely, with my friends, relatives, extended family and the kirtan stage. If I sense that someone has not understood me well, I repeat myself in Punjabi or English, as the situation demands. But it is important that the reader understands that I speak Gurmukhi to improve myself and not to educate other people. If I don't constantly practise, I will soon lose everything I have acquired. As for the serious young Sikhs out there, I hope I have been able to give you an appreciation of the fact that Punjabi and Gurmukhi are significantly different and that the answer to your spiritual growth lies in Gurmukhi, not Punjabi alone. October - December 2014 Edition Page 15 of 26

16 It is my sincere hope that the Sikh community produce Sikhs who speak Gurmukhi and teachers who teach Gurmukhi instead of only the Punjabi that we are used to. We must recognise that they are not the same. This has to be understood, before we can progress any further. This could be a very important step to solve this problem of this most familiar statement of young gurdwara goers: "I don't understand anything that's being said in the Gurdwara!" Another one is: "Why should I do paath? I don't understand a word of it anyway". Sikhs must now understand and accept that Gurmukhi is a unique language in its own right. As preached and sometimes argued by 'scholars', it is not just a script. Continue to believe that, and future generations of Sikhs will continue like us, reading English translations! Words have been introduced into Gurmukhi from many neighbouring languages, Middle Eastern and Indian, and it is not possible to hope to learn all those languages. It is easier to just improve our Gurmukhi vocabulary, by accepting it as a new and separate language introduced by Guru Sahib, Guru Baba Nanak, as compared to the Punjabi language that has existed from centuries beyond. Nothing less than the re-defining of this status of Gurmukhi is going to provide the impetus for a re-look at our strategy for making Gurbani a meaningful part of every Sikhs own life. Otherwise, we will continue to depend on English translations to educate ourselves about our religion. And what a joke that will be! Editor s note: As in other material that appears in THE SIKH, we welcome feedback from readers on this matter: You can write in or simply send us an . October - December 2014 Edition Page 16 of 26

17 Benefits of Waheguru Simran S Bharpur Singh Mobile: October - December 2014 Edition Page 17 of 26

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21 Pothi Dada Ji ki - 1 An article by - Mrs Paramjit Kour October - December 2014 Edition Page 21 of 26

22 Pothi Dada Ji ki - 2 An article by - Mrs Paramjit Kour October - December 2014 Edition Page 22 of 26

23 October - December 2014 Edition Page 23 of 26

24 SANJHI NOTICE BOARD 1. CSA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS President Jasdeep Sidhu Randhawa Mobile: Vice President Amardeep Singh Mobile: Secretary Madhusudan Singh Mobile: Assistant Secretary Jasbir S Gidda Mobile: Treasurer Surjit S Kang Mobile: Assistant Treasurer Vickram S Grewal Mobile: Executive Committee Member Mulkhbir S Grewal Mobile: Executive Committee Member Ranjit S Kang Mobile: Executive Committee Member Ramanpreet Singh Mobile: Ex Officio Bharpur S Sekhon Mobile: October - December 2014 Edition Page 24 of 26

25 2. Sikh Calender Sikh Festival Calender 2015 Sikh Holiday Dates in 2015 January Monday Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh 13 Tuesday Lohri 31 Saturday Birthday of Guru Har Rai (Nanakshahi calendar) March Friday Hola Mohalla April Tuesday Baisakhi (Khalsa) 18 Saturday Birthday of Guru Angad Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) 18 Saturday Birthday of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar) May Saturday Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) 23 Saturday Birthday of Guru Amar Das (Nanakshahi calendar) June Tuesday Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi calendar) July Sunday Birthday of Guru Hargobind (Nanakshahi calendar) 23 Thursday Birthday of Guru Har Krishen (Nanakshahi calendar) October Friday Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar) November Wednesday Diwali 24 Tuesday Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Nanakshahi calendar) 25 Wednesday Guru Nanak Jayanti 3. Sending your article for printing in Sanjhi If you have an article related to Community News, Sikh Religion, Gurdwara Sahib, Current Affairs, Poetry, Jokes, and similar other articles and wish to publish this in your favorite Sanjhi then please send them to Tejinder Singh Hunjon at Thank you for your Contributions to SANJHI. October - December 2014 Edition Page 25 of 26

26 October- December 2014 Edition The Newsletter of the Canberra Sikh Association October - December 2014 Edition