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Topics - LondonPunjabi
41
« on: September 01, 2010, 09:38:26 PM »
A beautiful poem by Rochak Malang
"Panth di kahaani".
Guru Nanak de ghar di, sunn lawo lokko meri zubaani
Likhi gayee khoon de naal, os panth di hai eh kahaani
Jithey pita sehen karda apne puttraan di wi kurbani
Chaahe jaan chali jaaye, kadi na jaawe dharm roohani
Tati tawiyaan te we na dolley mere Guru Arjan patshah
Darr gaya Sikhi sidak ton, jahangir mughal badshah
Hill gaya si asmaan, kamb gayee har musalmani
Likhi gayee khoon de naal, os panth di hai eh kahaani
Fer dilli wal nu gaye, Dhan Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur
Ditta sees mazloomaan lei, bann gaye Hind di chaddar
Hajay tak we sannu hai yaad, gal bhaawein ho gayee puraani
Likhi gayee khoon de naal, os panth di hai eh kahaani
Nikke nikke si oh, chhote chhote te pyaare pyaare
Kachhiyaan kaliyaan wang si, Guru Gobind de raj dulaare
Hass hass ke gai kand vich jade, chhaa gayee har paassey hairaani
Likhi gayee khoon de naal, os panth di hai eh kahaani
Vekh lawo apna itihaas, ai Sikho bhull na kadi jana
Sachee sirf oh zindagi, jo manney Guru da bhana
Aa jaawo Sikhi kol, harkataan na karo bachkani
Likhi gayee khoon de naal, os panth di hai eh kahaani
42
« on: August 24, 2010, 08:57:25 PM »
Jhansi ki Rani.
At the time when women were considered the weaker sex, she rose up with such great power that Britishers feared her very name. The woman of self-respect and self-confidence is none other then the martyr Rani Lakshmi Bai. She is well known as Jhansi ki Rani. She was one of the bravest and an important figure in the fight for Indian freedom from British colonialism.
Early Life
Rani Lakshmi Bai was born on 19th November, 1835 in Kashi (presently known as Varanasi) to mother Bhagirathibai and father Moropanth. She was named as Manikarnikka at birth. Her father was a Brahmin and her mother was a cultured and a god fearing women. Her mother died when she was four and her father took her responsibility on his shoulder. She completed her studies and learned horse riding, shooting, elephant riding and many more.
Rani Lakshmi Bai was married at the age of 14 to Raja Gangadhar Rao, the Maharaja of Jhansi and became the Rani of Jhansi. They had a son, but to their dismay he died when he was four months old and they adopted Damodar Rao. Somehow the fate had destined just a tragic life for her, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao died after two years that is on 21st November 1853. She was only 18 then.
Death of her son and husband did not make her weak and feeble, but the tragic deaths made her more strong to face any circumstances. She took in charge of Jhansi and became the Queen of Jhansi. The British took the advantage of the death of Raja Gangodhar Rao and rejected Rani's claim that Damodar Rao was their legal heir in order to expand their empire. .[/color
Jhansi in Humiliating Condition.
Rani was ordered to leave the Jhansi Fort and the British ruler offered 60,000 annual pension to her but she was a woman of self-respect and didn’t give up, instead she was planning to get rid of Britishers from the country. She not only trained men for a historic war but also included the Indian women and encouraged them to participate in the freedom movement. They were also given military training. She was accompanied by her brave warriors in the fight. Rani Lakshmi Bai strengthened the defense of Jhansi and they fought like fierce lions out for revenge. They sacrificed their lives in the war for their independence and their beloved Rani.[/color
Fight Of The Brave.
On 1858, the Britishers attacked Jhansi and Rani along with her faithful warriors fought with full spirit and decided not to give up until and unless their soul burnt into ashes. The fighting continued for about two weeks. Rani Lakshmi Bai was very active and she herself inspected the defense and force of the city. Her son Damodar Rao strapped tightly to her back and she was using the sword with both her hands. After the great war she and many of her warrior fled from Jhansi to Kalpi. Many other rebellions force joined her. Tantia Tope from Kalpi was also one of them. They departed from Kalpi to Gwalior and again a fierce battle took place and Rani of Jhansi fought with great patriotism and courage. However, on the second day of the battle on 18th June of 1858, she met her death at the tender age of twenty two. .[/size][/color
43
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:03:42 PM »
Yaro, ajj meri Mata ji ne telephone te meinu davak ditta.
Meinu pta ke Ma da davka mitha hunda te kdi gussa nahi kari da, bhar yaro dil bda khrab hoya. Gal taN koi ehni badi nahi c, bhar mun bauhut udas ho giya. Jee karda c ke mein avdi Ma de ja ke peri hath lava te maafi manga. Hun mein Ehtvar flight phad ke Scotland nu java ga.
Mein ethi London vich kla rehnda ha, mere Ma Peo 500 mile door rehnde hun. Roti bnaunde da hath jal giya.
Koi pyaari jahi gal kavo te shayed dil no thand pave nale tkaa aave. :sad: :lost:  :
44
« on: August 19, 2010, 06:14:02 PM »
A bull has injured 40 people after jumping out of the arena at a Spanish bullring and marauding through the crowd.
TV footage shows spectators trying to restrain the animal - one fan grabs its tail - as it careers through the stands.
Most of the injured were treated for cuts and bruises, officials in the northern town of Tafalla said.
But nine people were taken to hospital in nearby Pamplona.
Among them was a 10-year-old boy who apparently suffered multiple bruising when the bull fell on him, and a 24-year-old who was gored.
The animal was brought under control after several minutes and was later killed.
Analysts say bulls occasionally leap security fences at bullrings but they rarely make it into the crowd.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11022260
46
« on: August 16, 2010, 09:36:40 PM »
Taliban Reign of Terror in Afghanistan
Kunduz
Man and woman stoned to death by the Taliban for having an affair in Kunduz, in the north, last Sunday.
Badghis
Bibi Sanubar, 35, a pregnant widow lashed 200 times and then shot dead by a Taliban commander in public on 8 August in Badnghis province.
Uruzgan
Bibi Aisha, a 19-year-old bride, had nose and ears cut off by her husband, a Taliban fighter, after she fled his abusive family. The mutilation took place in Oruzgan province.
Mazhar-i-Sharif
Six bank guards drugged and beheaded by robbers linked to Taliban in Mazhar-i-Sharif on 1 August.
Jalalabad
Music shops burned down in Jalalabad in the west of the country throughout the summer.
The announcement came on loudspeakers, ordering people to gather at the village bazaar to see Taliban justice being meted out. Then the condemned appeared, a young woman struggling in her bonds, weeping and begging for mercy, her male companion silent, seemingly resigned to his fate.
The first stone was thrown by a Taliban fighter and then the crowd followed suit. The woman fell after the first hail of blows to her head and witnesses in the crowd of around 150 reported that she must have died soon afterwards. The man, covered in blood and severely injured, survived the stoning. One of the Taliban shot the prone body three times, leaving with the warning that this will be the fate of those involved in "un-Islamic" activities.
Sadiqa, 20 and Qayum, 28, had been engaged by their families to other partners for marriage. They fell in love and, knowing the repercussions if they remained in the community, fled. For five days they had hidden at the home of a friend, but returned after being promised that they would not be harmed.
A village elder, Pir Mohammed, said "The jirga [council] sent the message that they would be alright if the man paid compensation. But the Taliban were waiting and they seized them."
The stoning took place at Mullah Quli, near Kunduz, in northern Afghanistan, an area regarded until recently as quite safe but which has passed under insurgent control. It comes as the latest in a series of public murders and mutilations by the Taliban, seen as a sign of their increasing confidence and determination to re-establish the old order, as politicians in the West clamour for troops to be pulled out and the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, tries to cut a deal with Islamist militants and cling to power.
It is a minimum demand of the Taliban that any peace agreement should include the introduction of their version of sharia law, and each brutal punishment has been publicised to show that their jurisdiction is spreading. Mullah Omar, former head of the Taliban regime, has exhorted jihadists from his haven in Pakistan to step up attacks on government officials and women who "stray" from the path of Islam. Attacks on foreign aid workers have also risen, the most lethal assault resulting in the deaths of 10 members of a medical aid group in Badakhshan. The body of one of the doctors, 36-year-old Karen Woo, was repatriated to Britain yesterday. But it is Afghans who overwhelmingly remain targets of the insurgents.
Last week 35-year-old Bibi Sanubar, a pregnant widow, was lashed 200 times in front of a crowd before a Taliban commander shot her in the head. She had also been accused of adultery, tried and convicted after being kept imprisoned for three days. Her male partner was not punished and continues to live in the area.
Mullah Daoud, a Taliban commander, declared: "There were three of us mullahs who passed this verdict and I was one of them. We gave this decision so that in future no one should have these illegal affairs. We whipped her in front of all the local people, to show them an example. Then we shot her."
The "trial", without any attempt by officials to save Bibi Sanubar, took place at Qadis, in Badghis province in the west, another region which had hitherto seen little militant presence.
The oppression of females restarted soon after "liberation" in 2001. Initially the campaign targeted women who had taken up high-profile jobs. Parliamentarians, schoolteachers, civil servants, security officials and women journalists were selected for attacks by the jihadists.
The attacks have succeeded in eliminating or silencing many of the women who received little or no protection from the Western countries and the Karzai government – the very people who had encouraged them to enter public life. Latterly it has been ordinary people, especially in rural areas, who have been the victims as the vengeful Taliban returned to impose the old order.
A glimpse of the atrocities taking place came recently on the front cover of Time magazine with a picture of a 19-year-old woman with her nose and ears cut off. Bibi Aisha had suffered years of cruelty and abuse at the hands of her in-laws and she fled, pursued by her husband, who caught her and carried out the mutilation. The Taliban chief in the area praised the husband for his actions.
In Mazhar-i-Sharif the recent decapitation of six drugged security guards is now believed to have Taliban links. But it is women who feel most under threat. Wazhma Forgh, a female rights activist and a former director for Afghanistan of Global Rights, recently met a group of 50 women who said they were facing daily intimidation, beatings in the street for alleged "immodesty" and being ordered to stay in their homes. One woman was forced to give birth out in a courtyard after a Taliban guard barred her from a hospital because she was not accompanied by a suitable male member from her family. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/taliban-brutality-returns-as-coalition-forces-prepare-for-withdrawal-2054493.html http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238,00.html
47
« on: August 14, 2010, 11:14:37 AM »
Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the car I will fiddle with a wire clothes hanger and ignore your suggestions that we call a road service until long after hypothermia has set in. Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know where to start." We will then drink beer.
Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You never get as sick as I do, so for you this isn't an issue.
Because I'm a man, I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic items like "Cumin" or "Tofu". For all I know these are the same thing. And never, under any circumstances, expect me to pick up anything for which "feminine hygiene product" is a euphemism.
Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances stops working I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together.
Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking for it (though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator).
Because I'm a man, there is no need to ask me what I'm thinking about. The answer is always either sex, racing, or football, though I have to make up something else when you ask, so don't.
Because I'm a man, I do not want to visit your mother, or have your mother come visit us, or talk to her when she calls, or think about her any more than I have to. Whatever you got her for mother's day is okay, I don't need to see it. And don't forget to pick up something for my Mom too!!
Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked the movie. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't.
Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it looks fine. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now?
Because I'm a man,, and this is, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the gardening, the cleaning, and the dishes. I'll do the rest.
48
« on: August 14, 2010, 10:52:28 AM »
Men - Be Aware and Remember this for the future!!!!
1.) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are
right and you need to shut up.
2.) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour.
Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more
minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing
usually end in fine.
4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
5.) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an
idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)
6.) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.
8.) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F@&$ YOU!
9.) Don't worry about it, I got it : Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to #3.
49
« on: August 14, 2010, 10:43:55 AM »
Judging by the rules below it is not a man’s world.
1.The female makes the rules.
2.The rules are subject to change by the female at any time without prior
notification.
3.No male can possibly know all the rules. Attempts to document the rules
are not permitted.
4.If the female suspects that the male may know some or all of the rules,
she must immediately change some or all of the rules.
5.The female is never wrong.
6.If the female is wrong, it is because of an egregarious misunderstanding
which was the direct result of something the male did, said, did not do,
or did not say.
7.If rule 6 is invoked, the male must apologize immediately for having
been the cause of the misunderstanding without any clues from the female
as to what he did to have caused the misunderstanding. See rule 13.
8.The female may change her mind at any time for any reason or no reason
at all.
9.The male is never permitted to change his mind or under circumstances
without the express written consent of the female which is given only in
cases where the female wanted him to change his mind but gave no
indication of that wish. See rules 6, 7, 12, and 13.
10.The female has the right to be angry or upset for any reason, real or
imagined, at any time and under any circumstance which in her sole
judgement she deems appropriate. The male is not to be given any sign of
the root cause of the female's being angry or pset. The female may,
however, give false or misleading reasons to see if the male is paying
attention. See rule 13.
11.The male must remain calm at all times, unless the female wants him to
be angry or upset.
12.Under no circumstances may the female give the male any clue or
indication whether or why she wants him to be angry or upset.
13.The male is expected to read the mind of the female at all times.
Failure to do so will result in punishments and penalties imposed at the
sole discretion of the female.
14.The female may, at any time and for any reason, resurrect any past
incident without regard to temporal or spacial distance, and modify,
enlarge, embellish, of wholly reconstruct it in order to demonstrate to
the male that he is now or has in the past been wrong, insensitive,
pig-headed, dense, deceitful, and/or oafish.
15.The female may use her interpretation of any past occurrence to
illustrate the ways in which the male has failed to accord her the
consideration, respect, devotion, or material possessions, he has
bestowed on other females, domestic pets or barnyard animals, sports
teams, automobiles, motorcycles, boats, aircraft, or coworkers. Such
illustrations are non-rebuttable.
16.If the female is experiencing PMS, Post-PMS, or Pre-PMS, the female is
permitted to exhibit any manner of behaviors she wishes without regard to
logical consistency or accepted norms of human behavior.
17.Any act, deed, word, expression, statement, utterance, thought,
opinion, or belief by the male is subject to the sole, subjective
interpretation of the female, other external factors not-withstanding.
Alibis, excuses, explanations, defenses, reasons, extenuations, or
rationalizations will not be entertained. Abject please for mercy
and forgiveness are acceptable under some circumstances,
especially when accompanied by tangible evidence of contrition.
50
« on: August 11, 2010, 08:15:02 PM »
My grandfather was in Burma during the Japanese invasion in WW2, he was part of the “Forgotten Army”. I remember the scars on his body from the torture he suffered along with other POWs. As far as he was concerned Japan will always be unforgiven. He wasn’t alone with that sentiment as there are many more like him, Indian, British and Burmese. I wish to say "Baba ji, I am proud of you as I sit and look at your medals".
Indeed, The Japanese were brutal in their treatment of prisoners in WW2 and as for their record of occupation of the Chinese, you need to read about the Rape of Nanking.
As far as I am aware Japan has never apologised to the people of India and Burma. Given that it used Indian captured soldiers for target practice and put them through far greater levels of torture than any other troops. The Japanese have even tried to erase from history their activities during their occupation of China by changing history books taught in school. Not long ago the Chinese people threatened to erase all Japanese business from China if the Japanese re-wrote history.
The British Fourteenth Army was a multinational force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during World War II. Many of its units were from the Indian Army as well as British units and there were also significant contributions from West and East African divisions within the British Army.
It was often referred to as the "Forgotten Army" because its operations in the Burma Campaign were overlooked by the contemporary press, and remained more obscure than those of the corresponding formations in Europe for long after the war
It is clear that the 1st Sikh battalion (aka 14th Sikh, Ferozpure Sikhs and King Georges Own) were there under Maj Gen Slims's command. It appears as if the famous 2nd Sikh (15th Ludhiana) were also there. There were almost definitely more Sikh forces under his command; more time is required to track down the exact details. This paper represents the work done to date on this request.
General Sir Frank Messervy KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO said of the Sikh regiments:
"Finally, we that live on can never forget those comrades who in giving their lives gave so much that is good to the story of the Sikh Regiment. No living glory can transcend that of their supreme sacrifice, may they rest in peace.
In the last two world wars 83,005 turban wearing Sikh soldiers were killed and 109,045 were wounded. They all died or were wounded for the freedom of Britain and the world and during shell fire, with no other protection but the turban, the symbol of their faith."
51
« on: July 28, 2010, 02:31:06 PM »
A Florida church is planning to burn a stack of Qurans on 11th September this year, in a tasteful effort to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre.
The Dove World Outreach Center, a non-denominational church in Gainesville, is charmingly trying to rebrand 9/11 as International Burn A Koran Day.
Their mission: To bring to awareness to the dangers of Islam and that the Koran is leading people to hell. Eternal fire is the only destination the Koran can lead people to so we want to put the Koran in it’s place – the fire!“tasteful”??????????????????????????????????......... I would say it is positively disgraceful. I find this completely offensive, disgraceful and just shocking. These people are as mad as they come.
As you know, I am not a Muslim and have criticized some actions taken in the name of Islam. After all every religion has a few nutters but to advocate burning the Quran? Why not denounce perpetrators of terrorist acts. Instead these idiotic Americans wish to offend every Muslim on the planet. http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/28/a-poignant-way-to-mark-911/
52
« on: July 23, 2010, 02:56:34 PM »
53
« on: July 19, 2010, 09:22:35 PM »
Burqa ban moves one step closer
July 14, 2010
FRANCE has moved one step closer to banning women from wearing the burqa in public, after the draft law was passed by a large majority of MPs. The National Assembly adopted the text at first reading by 335 votes to one. It will now be examined by the Senate after the summer break in September and if it passes senators without modification will become law.
The support came mostly from the governing UMP party and the Nouveau Centre - the Socialists, Greens and Communist Party boycotted the vote. The Socialist Party said a total ban would be legally risky to enforce and hoped the Conseil Constitutionnel would throw out the law.
The party believes that any ban should be limited to public services and shops, not open spaces. The legislation, drawn by up by justice minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, does not specifically target the burqa but refers to any attempt to "hide the face".
Doing so in a public place would come with a €150 fine and/or a compulsory enrolment on a citizenship course. Anyone who forces a woman to wear the burqa faces a fine of up to €30,000 and a year in prison.
If passed, the law will come into effect in spring 2011, allowing six months for an "educational" campaign to raise awareness. The government estimates that about 2,000 women in France wear the burqa. Personally, irrespective of what we think of the full Islamic veil to ban it would be an infringement of human rights as laid down by the European Human Rights laws. Where will they stop? will they ban the Sikh turban?. I think France is being heavy handed on this issue.ALSO CNN Report here http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/26/france.burqa.ban/index.html
54
« on: July 07, 2010, 05:37:25 PM »
Watch what you are doing when you answer the phone. It is a very dangerous thing!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
55
« on: July 05, 2010, 07:30:58 PM »
Ten Facts about Illiterate India1. Illiterate India – Ten Facts. There are 268 million illiterate people in India, unable to read, write or make a reasoned decision and almost a third of the world’s total number. .http://www.efareport.unesco.org/ (2007) 2. India spends only 3.3 percent of its GDP on education, compared to an average 5.8 percent in developed countries. .http://www.efareport.unesco.org/ (2007) 3. In many states of India, 95 percent of all education budgets pay teachers salaries, with less than 1 percent in some cases for schools and materials. .http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/aug/edu-secschool.htm 4. A girl’s education is an abruptly ended hope for millions of girls as only 1 in 4 remain in school long enough to complete Class 10. .http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/downloads/edustats_03.pdf 5. Women receive on average only 1.8 years of schooling in India. .http://www.ashanet.org/stats/PROBE.html 6. Of the 32 million children that began school in 2004, less than half will complete a compulsory 8 years of education. .http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/india_704.html 7. Across India, there are 13 million working children, many of whose lives were scripted the moment they were born. .http://pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page1.asp?relid=3525 8. Disorder, lack of discipline and poor conditions mean that 1 in 4 teachers never turn up to class. .http://www.indianngos.com/issue/education/statistics/index.hmtl 9. Average class sizes are up to 40 students nationwide and up to 83 in the Indian state of Bihar (North India). .http://www.unicef.org/india/education_1551.htm 10. In 75 percent of schools there is only one teacher for several classes. .http://www.indianngos.com/issue/education/statistics/index.html That is the real state of our motherland.
57
« on: June 14, 2010, 02:24:21 PM »
At the tender age of 25, as far as my parents were concerned, the unthinkable happened. However, for me there was never anything “unthinkable” about it. Indeed, I had fallen in love. You might think what’s so bad about that? I would agree with you, there is nothing bad about it at all.
I had fallen in love with the most beautiful and perfect girl, she was a vision sent from heaven. When I first set eyes on her I knew that I was hooked, I knew if I was to speak to her or make an approach I would be talking complete gibberish, which is a language spoken by all who are in love, well, to begin with at least; you know the way you do when your heart overrules your head. Like when you for no good reason, other than a reason only known to God himself, put yourself under pressure.
Well, I didn’t have the courage to speak to her at that moment in time but I tell you this I lost sleep for days. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Eventually, to cut a long story short, I plucked up enough courage and decided that I just had to make contact. So that is what I did. My legs were turning to jelly as I walked across the client’s office where she was working as a legal secretary, my eyes must have spoke volumes because she could read me like a badly written book, but hey I am glad she did. She smiled. I knew it was going to be fine.
We dated for some time, nearly two years and we even thought of a wedding. But who were we kidding; I a Sikh, she a Muslim. Her family were from Lahore and mine from near Jallandhar. She had not had the courage to tell her family and, to be honest, neither had I. I knew what my mother would say; she would not have entertained the idea at all. But I was absolutely surprised that my father, a hard ex military man, actually said “jeh tehnu theek lagda phir dekhla” I was shocked.
What I was more shocked by was that her parents threatened to disown her; they threatened her with completely cutting her off from her family. It came to me at that point that both of us were simply not strong enough to carry the relationship through to the marriage stage.
With a broken heart each we stepped away from one another. I still remember the day she got onto the train at London’s Kings Cross train station and rode away out of my life. Sure it hurt, it hurt a lot. After nearly 3 years sometimes it still does. But at the end of the day when the sun sets you know that tomorrow is another day and life has to go on. The sun does rise again. I am now 29 and I guess ready to have my faith restored. I’ve met so many nice girls and had a lot of fun since but never the right one. But I also believe that each day is nearer to the right day.
She is now married to a Muslim guy who came over from Pakistan; I think he is a cousin of hers. I still sometimes speak to her when she rings me; I have never rang her as I feel that she should now get on with her life. I am just a secret friend now, just someone she can talk to when she needs to; someone she can pour her heart out to. She knows that one day I will find someone new but until then I will walk green pastures by and by. Interestingly enough, I have never been interested in having an affair with her. I could easily have done so. The truth is I could never have been able to share her with another man. I’d rather give her up altogether.
But, I ask you; what would you have done?
58
« on: June 14, 2010, 09:00:23 AM »
I don’t know if you are aware that 17 Sikh men have been sentenced to hang in Dubai. I was on a march which took place here in London to present the Brittish Prime Minister with a petition for help in saving these men.
Here is what Amnesty International has to say.UAE MUST INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE OF INDIAN MEN ON DEATH ROW “23 April 2010
Amnesty International has condemned abuses and torture said to have been meted out to 17 Indian men facing the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates for the murder of a Pakistani national.
The migrant workers, sentenced to death on 29 March, are alleged to have been tortured by police over nine days while in custody in a bid to make them ‘confess’ to the crime.
The men were beaten with clubs, subjected to electric shocks, deprived of sleep and forced to stand on one leg for ‘prolonged periods’, say Lawyers For Human Rights International (LFHRI), an Indian NGO campaigning on behalf of the men.
Navkiran Singh, of the LFHRI says that a month after their arrest they were taken to the scene of the killing and forced to re-enact it. They were made to beat up a policeman posing as the dead man. The scene was videotaped and later presented at their trial as genuine CCTV footage of the killing.
“This is a mockery of justice. These 17 men have been tortured, forced to confess, and sentenced to death based on a fake video”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Amnesty International is calling on the UAE authorities to investigate the allegations of torture and abuse and to ensure the 17 men receive a fair trial on appeal, and without recourse to the death penalty.
They must be protected from further torture and other ill-treatment, and any evidence obtained using such methods should not be used in court.
The workers, all from the Punjab region and aged between 21 and 25, were arrested in January 2009, after a Pakistani man died and three more were injured in a fight, believed to be between rival gangs for control of an illegal alcohol business in the emirate of Sharjah.
According to the LFHRI, officials in Sharjah Jail forcibly removed religious bracelets and necklaces worn by the men, all but one of whom are Sikhs, and made the prisoners stamp on them, saying "Who is your God? Call him. We would like to meet him."
According to the information available to Amnesty International, the trial was conducted in Arabic then translated from Arabic into Hindi, neither of which the 17 men understand. They were provided with an Emirati lawyer, who could not speak their native language, Punjabi, and did not refer to the alleged torture in court.
The men were held for months before the Indian government was told they had been arrested. On 29 March the lower court in Sharjah sentenced them to death but the verdict was not made known to them until 14 April. An automatic appeal was filed on 8 April and the men will appear in court next on 19 May.
“The authorities must investigate these reports of torture and ensure that the results are made public and those allegedly responsible are held to account,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.
Sharjah is one of the seven semi-autonomous emirates that make up the UAE. In the UAE, a total of 3,113,000 foreign, migrant workers of over 200 nationalities work in 250,000 enterprises and as domestic workers. Migrant workers make up some 80 per cent of the total resident population of the UAE; UAE nationals around 20 per cent.
In 2009 at least three people were sentenced to death by courts in Dubai and Sharjah but no executions were reported. In June 2009, the Supreme Court set aside the death sentence imposed on a US national, Shahid Bolsen, because he had not had access to a lawyer at his lower court trial in Sharjah.
“There appears to be a surge in the use of the death penalty in the UAE in 2010. In the month before the 17 Indian nationals were sentenced to death, according to a 22 February article in Abu Dhabi's newspaper The National, at least eight men had been sentenced to death in the UAE.”http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/uae-must-investigate-allegations-torture-indian-men-death-row-2010-04-23Here are some further links. http://article.wn.com/view/2010/03/29/17_sentenced_to_death_in_UAE_for_murder_report/“You should go to this site to ask for help getting justice for the condemned men. It is the site of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Please fill the little form. The suggested text just needs cut and pasted into the Sheikh’s site. http://uaejustice.wordpress.com/http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4f455c1090cc4110VgnVCM1000007064a8c0RCRD
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« on: June 05, 2010, 09:10:58 PM »
Bhagat Singh is a hero of mine and it is with pleasure I write the following. It is entirely my own view.
It is well known that Bhagat Singh was disillusioned with Gandhi's methods of gaining freedom for India; some would argue it was for good reason. In his zeal to spiritualize the freedom movement, Gandhi made tactical mistakes, calling off the Non-Cooperation Movement is but one. There is a possibility that independence could have come sooner and partition may have been avoided. Remember that Bhagat Singh was only 23 when he was executed in 1931.
Bhagat Singh was no less patriotic than Ghandi; nor was Subhash Chandra Bose or for that matter Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla in 1857. Let’s not forget; it wasn’t just Hindus and Sikhs who died for India, Muslims stood against the British too.
Bhagat Singh suffered from the lack of recognition for his cause. The Congress Party branded him a hothead even before the British did. This was a direct result of Gandhi’s influence on the Congress Party members.
Many Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims from Northern India never forgave Gandhi and Nehru for the bloodshed caused during the Partition and to this day some still feel that way. It also has to be borne in mind the Punjab covered an area from Pakistan’s NWF all the way to Delhi. It was probably the most powerful state of India and that power had to be broken. So, was that in the interest of the Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress Party? I guess that is another debate but it looks like it.
Bhagat Singh’s hunger strike in prison to get better conditions for prisoners (prisoners of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths) is one of the most memorable events in the history of Indian freedom struggles. In their heart of hearts even the most ardent Congress Party supporters acknowledged this, most Punjabis certainly did. Remember we are talking about a period when there was no Pakistan.
Ghandi’s “Satyagraha” actually made Bhagat Singh a household name with Northern Indians and soon the whole of India knew of him. He became a hero who cared for his motherland. Even modern Indians recognize him; even if they don’t know what he actually did, indeed they know Bhagat Singh really matters despite all the efforts made by the Congress Party after India's independence, to ignore him.
To many Punjabis in 1931 it is precisely for this reason it was painful to realise that Bhagat Singh might have been saved with an effort by leaders of the Congress Party in general and Gandhi in particular. However, there are some who might argue that Bhagat Singh had to die in order to unite the people of India. I do not subscribe to that point of view. I believe that if people like him were not sacrificed partition might not have occurred.
People like Bhagat Singh are our nation's pride and should never be forgotten for they give us hope. It would be good for the current Bhangra generation to know of a man, who lived by his ideals till he breathed his last for his beliefs and the freedom of a nation.
There are many Indians and Pakistanis who believe to this day that Gandhi will not be forgiven for certain things. That does not make everyone a hater. Yes indeed Gandhi has become a legend. But that is more to do with the Congress Party immediately after 1947. After that Richard Attenborough’s movie added further kudos to Gandhi’s story. However the movie ignored a substantial part of his history.
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