China’s President Xi Jinping with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. File photo
New Delhi, October 9
A day after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson omitted mentioning UN Charter and UNSC resolution on Kashmir, a joint China-Pakistan statement has brought the formulation back. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s accent on India and Pakistan resolving the Kashmir dispute bilaterally had led to the assessment that China had consciously dropped India’s bugbear of referring to UNSC resolutions in order to create a conducive environment.
But the joint China-Pakistan statement says the Chinese side “responded that it was paying close attention to the current situation in J&K… the two sides reaffirmed their support on issues concerning each other’s core interests,” it added.
“No matter how the international and regional situation changes, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always been unbreakable and rock-solid, and China-Pakistan cooperation has always maintained strong vitality,” Xi was quoted by the Xinhua news agency shortly after he met Imran Khan two days before emplaning for India to meet PM Narendra Modi.
Noting that Pakistan had provided “selfless help” when China was in difficulty, Xi said, “Now that China has developed, it sincerely hopes to help Pakistan develop faster and better.” Xi added that the parties should resolve the dispute via peaceful dialogue. — TNS
Follow UN Charter’
Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UNSC resolutions and bilateral agreements.— Joint China-Pakistan statemen
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman flies at Air Force parade
Newly-inducted Indian Air Force (IAF) Apache attack helicopters fly during the 87th Indian Air Force Day celebrations, at Hindon Airbase, Ghaziabad on Tuesday.
The 87th Indian Air Force Day celebrations, at Hindon Airbase, Ghaziabad on Tuesday
Newly-inducted Indian Air Force (IAF) Boeing CH-47 Chinook
Indian Air Force Surya Kiran aerobatics team
Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Hindon (UP) October 8
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Tuesday made a ‘grand entry’—flying a MiG 21 fighter jet—amid cheers from the audience at the Hindon Air Base to mark the annual Air Force Day parade here, some 20 kms east of New Delhi.
Abhinandan led a team of three MiG 21’s at the air display here. Another team, named ‘Avengers’—flew past in a Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi 30 MKI—included the members of the IAF squadrons that carried out air strikes at Balakot in Pakistan on February 26 this year.
Wing Commander Abhinandan was part of the air duel over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir the next day. He had to eject in Pakistan and was released 48 hours later. He has been awarded the Vir Chakra, the third highest battle honour.
At the parade, US-made helicopters, the Chinook and Apache, made their public debut.
It is for the first time in more than 60 years that the Indian Air Force is now operating US-made copters, a change since the times the IAF flew Soviet /Russian-built copters.
The two copters are made by American aerospace giant Boeing. The heavy-lift capability Chinook CH 47 was inducted in Chandigarh in April this year while the Apache 64E attack copter was inducted at Pathankot in September this year.
So far the IAF has been using the Mi26 for heavy lift role while the Mi35/Mi25 for attack role.
Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, who took charge as Indian Air Force Chief on September 30 said the IAF will focus on indigenous production as part of its modernisation plan and two new helicopters will be inducted into the force soon.
He specifically mentioned the light utility helicopter and the light combat helicopter being developed by public sector giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the two future inductions.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the IAF was on the path of modernization and mentioned the induction of the Rafale and the S400 missile system in this regard.
Shift from PoK to Valley, Pak instructs Kashmiri militants
Islamabad has asked all Kashmiri militants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to cross the Line of Control and launch jihad in the Valley. It has also ordered closure of offices of Kashmiri militant outfits in Rawalpindi and asked them to shift to Muzaffarabad, capital of PoK, to give the fresh violent movement a complete Kashmiri look.
Pakistan has already vented its fire and fury over the scrapping of Article 370, giving special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, on the global stage, and the directions are aimed at giving a practical shape to its “bloodbath in Kashmir” statement.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had made the statement at the UNGA after being isolated over pleas for intervention in Kashmir.
Islamabad is desperate to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir before winter when most of the mountainous passes close due to heavy snowfall. This is the first major step that the Pakistan establishment has taken to ratchet up militancy in the Valley and other parts of the state, say sources.
There are around 3,000 trained Kashmiri militants in PoK. They had gone there for training over the years and a number of them subsequently got married.
“The militants have been told that it was Pakistan’s duty to train them in handling of arms and ammunition, which it did. Now it is their duty to fight for their land, and the time has come to go and do so,” a source said. “The idea is to portray the entire militancy in Kashmir as indigenous,” the source said.
The militants have been divided into two categories — bachelor and married. The unmarried have been told to do a refresher’s course in arms training and head towards the LoC. Pakistan establishment handlers have told them that their entry into J&K would be facilitated by Pakistan, and they would be provided weapons and ammunition for their assigned task.
The married militants have been asked to start preparing to go (to J&K), and their families would be taken care of by the establishment. Maximum investment is being made in Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the indigenous group that has offices in PoK and Pakistan. The Hizb leadership, including its chief Syed Salahuddin, has been asked to immediately shift to Muzaffarabad from Rawalpindi.
This strategy fits into Pakistani doctrine that it provides moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris, while Kashmiris are fighting on their own.
Hizb leadership asked to leave Rawalpindi
Hizb leadership, including chief Syed Salahuddin, has been asked to shift to Muzaffarabad from Rawalpindi
Around 3,000 trained Kashmiri militants are currently present in PoK. They had gone there for training over the years
Islamabad is desperate to disturb peace in J&K before winter when most of the high passes close due to heavy snowfall
Jawan who strayed into pak quits army
Dhule: Soldier Chandu Chavan, who inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in 2016, says he is quitting the Army due to ‘harassment’. “I have been continuously harassed and looked at with suspicion, forcing me to quit.” PTI
Rajnath okays 4-fold raise in relief for families of battle casualties
Following the long-standing demand of the Army, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given in-principle approval to enhance monetary assistance to next of kin of battle casualties from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, officials said on Saturday.
They said the financial assistance would be granted under Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (ABCWF).
At present, financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh is given to battle casualties in case of death and also to those sustaining 60 per cent and above disability besides to several other categories.
The assistance is given in addition to liberalised family pension, financial assistance from Army group insurance, Army Welfare Fund and ex-gratia amount.
“The Defence Minister has given in-principle approval to enhancement of monetary assistance to next of kin of all categories of battle casualty from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh,” said a defence ministry spokesperson.
The ABCWF has been set up under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) after a large number of people offered to provide monetary assistance to the families of battle casualties following an incident in February 2016 at Siachen where 10 soldiers were buried in an avalanche.
The ABCWF was instituted in July 2017 and was implemented retrospectively with effect from April 2016.
This fund was set up in addition to the various existing schemes for the welfare of next of kin of battle casualties and their children.
In addition to the assistance under the ABCWF, the already-existing monetary grant includes ex gratia for various ranks ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 45 lakh and Army Group Insurance ranging from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, officials said.
Singh, as home minister in the previous government, had launched ‘Bharat ke Veer fund’ to assist families of paramilitary personnel killed or injured in action. PTI
From midnight, J-K will cease to be a state; 2 new UTs to come into being
GC Murmu (left) and RK Mathur will be sworn in as new LGs for UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, respectively. — File photos
New Delhi, October 30
History will be created on Thursday when Jammu and Kashmir, which has been part of the Union of India since 1947, will cease to be a state and will be bifurcated into two Union Territories.
IAS officers Girish Chandra Murmu and R K Mathur, who have been appointed the new Lieutenant-Governors (LG) for the Union territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, respectively, will be sworn-in at separate functions to be held in Srinagar and Leh on Thursday.
Both Murmu and Mathur will be sworn in by Chief Justice of J&K High Court Gita Mittal.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the appointed day for the two UTs is October 31 and these will come into existence in the midnight (Wednesday-Thursday), nearly three months after the announcement in Rajya Sabha.
This is for the first time that a state is converted into two UTs even though there are numerous example of a UT becoming a full state or a state bifurcating into two states.
The total number of states in the country will be now 28 while the total UTs will go up to seven.
The Narendra Modi government’s decision and subsequent approval of Parliament to abrogate the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into two UTs was taken to redraw the map and future of a region at the centre of a protracted militancy movement.
The electoral promise of the BJP to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir came less than 90 days after the Modi 2.0 government assumed power in May end.
The August 5 decision was taken 72 years after the then ruler of the princely state, Maharaja Hari Singh, executed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947, making it part of the Union of India.
The two UTs will come into existence on the day of the birth anniversary country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is credited for merger of over 560 states into the Union of India.
October 31 is observed as the National Unity Day and both Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday will attend separate functions—in Kevadia (Gujarat) and New Delhi, respectively.
According to the Act, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Puducherry while Ladakh will be a UT without legislature like Chandigarh and both the UTs will be headed by two separate Lieutenant-Governors (LG).
The Centre will be in direct control of the police and the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday when it becomes a UT, while the land will be under the elected government there.
The UT of Ladakh will be under the direct control of the central government which will administer the high altitude region through the LG.
While moving the resolution in the Rajya Sabha that Article 370 — which allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own Constitution and prohibited outsiders from buying land and property in the state, Shah had said these provisions will no longer be applicable and the central government will restore its statehood at “appropriate time” and after “normalcy” returns.
“The government will not allow the situation to turn into another battle torn Kosovo… It was heaven on earth and will remain so,” Shah had said, referring to the decades-old militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Soon after the abrogation of the Article 370, several hundred political leaders and separatists were put under detention by the Jammu and Kashmir administration while restrictions were also imposed on movement of people, vehicles, telephone, mobile phones and internet.
While most of the restrictions were removed since then, curb on internet is still continuing and situation in the Kashmir Valley is yet to be termed as complete normal.
Among those put under detention include three former chief ministers—Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 says the all India Services like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), of J-K cadre will continue to serve in the two succeeding UTs while new recruits of these services will be allocated in the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.
The provincial service officers will continue serving in their current positions till a new order is issued by the Lt Governors for the two new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The IAS, IPS and other central service officers and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will be under the control of the LG and not the elected government of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba was the last chief minister of undivided Jammu and Kashmir whose tenure ended in June 2017 when central rule was imposed there after her coalition partner BJP withdrew support. Satya Pal Malik is the last governor whose tenure comes to an end on Wednesday. He has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Goa.
Just a day before Jammu and Kashmir is divided into two UTs, the National Conference on Wednesday made a fervent last minute appeal to the Centre to shelve the plan and maintain the statehood of the “200-year-old state” dubbed as “crown of India”. — PTI
Only a retreat can save face for Pakistani establishment
The political turmoil in Pakistan is getting deeper and deeper with every passing day. The current regime of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is busy trying to stop Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman’s long march from reaching Islamabad, planning to seize all the routes from where the protesters can enter the federal capital. But perhaps even more than Prime Minister Imran Khan, a faction within the military establishment is feeling the heat.
On Monday night, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was moved to a hospital after his personal physician Dr Adnan Khan tweeted that Sharif’s platelet count was extremely low. After the news appeared, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers gathered in front of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office and chanted slogans against the government and its backers. This must be an alarming situation for the ruling elite, as the anger against Imran Khan and the establishment is reaching a boiling point.
Sharif was always going to prove more dangerous from behind bars, as if anything were to happen to him, the backlash from the province of Punjab would be beyond the control of even the mightiest security establishment. While the media attention was focused on Sharif, the government arrested his son-in-law, retired Captain Muhammad Safdar Awan, while he was coming to see Sharif in the hospital.
Now with each and every step of crushing opposition, the PTI regime is only moving faster toward the end. The co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Zardari, is also being denied the fundamental right of access to medical treatment despite being a heart patient with diabetes. This shows the lack of political acumen of Khan and his party, as a government with just a little understanding of the nature of politics would know that it takes only one event to trigger a mass movement against any regime, and the throne given by the invisible forces can be taken back at any time.
Imran Khan’s weak government is surviving only on the ventilator provided by the establishment, and it remains to be seen whether the latter will use Khan’s ouster as a bargaining chip to make sure the current top military brass remains at the helm of affairs or it will go to any extent to preserve the status quo. On the other hand, there are questions over the political strategy adopted by the current PML-N leadership, which somehow is roaming freely despite the massive crackdown against the party.
As long as Maryam Nawaz was at the helm of party affairs it was evident that the PML-N was giving a tough time to the establishment and the PTI government, but after her arrest the lackluster party leadership is only conducting traditional status quo politics and seems ready to replace Khan with another puppet.
So the question remains, who will bail out the establishment at a time when it is written on the wall that sooner or later it will suffer its first-ever defeat in the political history of the country?
Sharif has risked everything to turn the tables and so has his daughter Maryam, who is being kept in solitary confinement for a crime that has not yet been proved in any court of law. So the question remains, who will bail out the establishment at a time when it is written on the wall that sooner or later it will suffer its first-ever defeat in the political history of the country? Sharif may be suffering from health problems, but his resolve is commendable, and with massive support from the province of Punjab, it is impossible for him to bail the establishment out of the current situation.
Meanwhile the PPP, after being cheated on many occasions by the powers that be, also seems less interested in providing any relief to the establishment. Perhaps this is the reason many of the leaders of the PPP are also behind bars.
So both the PML-N and PPP seem ready to pay the price of their resistance against the PTI and its backers. The religious card, which once was used by the establishment to weaken elected governments, is now going to be used against the establishment and the current government by the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) of Fazal-ur-Rehman.
As well, the sword of the Financial Action Task Force is still hanging over Pakistan’s neck as the country is being kept on the gray list, and the FATF will again review Pakistan’s performance in February. The Kashmir fiasco and the regular fights with India at the Line of Control are also problems, as with the economy in shambles the country cannot afford to have tension on the borders with India. So it is a dead-end street from which the establishment can only escape if it is ready to make a retreat on the power chessboard.
Sharif’s narrative of “respect the vote” has snatched the sacred-cow status away from the establishment in Punjab, which once was a traditional pro-establishment province. Little did the invisible forces know that while rigging the political discourse they actually were not ousting Sharif from Punjab but were ousting themselves from the power chessboard.
It is in the best interests of the country that the establishment take a back seat and let the Election Commission of Pakistan hold fair and free fresh elections. A face-saving exit is what the establishment should look for. It needs to understand that it is not the state itself but only an organ of the state, and neither is it invincible nor is it above the constitution of the country. It also needs to get out of the illusion that it is the sole institution that is vital for the survival of the country.
A teacher who is providing education in a far-flung village in Balochistan, a doctor working around the clock to save lives, a policeman dying while trying to stop terrorists or an electrician trying to fix the electricity for the cities; a judge upholding the constitutions, a lawyer fighting to get justice for a fellow citizen – every one in his or her own capacity is making sacrifices for the betterment of the country, while journalists or politicians are accused of treason for criticizing the flaws in government services.
It is the constitution that is supreme, and it clearly states that the military establishment has no right to intervene in politics or in shaping the ideological narratives of the country. Even the short history of the country testifies that the establishment’s interventions have only weakened democracy and brought self-inflicted economic and political turmoil to the country. It is the time that the invisible forces make a face-saving exit and let the elected representatives run the affairs of the state. Otherwise, the damage to the economy and the political and social fabrics will become beyond repair.
If Pak doesn’t mend its ways, we’ll go inside to destroy terror camps: Malik
Srinagar : A day after two soldiers and a civilian were killed in cross border shelling in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara district and the Indian Army claimed to have destroyed terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday said if Pakistan does not end terror activities directed against India, the army will go deep inside and destroy terrorist camps.
On the sidelines of a function in Srinagar to celebrate National Police Day, Malik said,“Pakistan will have to behave and stop these terror camps. If it does not behave, we will go deep inside and destroy these camps,’’ he said.
Malik also urged the youth in Kashmir to desist from causing unrest and play a constructive role in building the state.
“From 1 November, there will be a new Kashmir. I want to ask these boys who are roaming around—what have you achieved? Contribute to taking the state forward,” he said.
On Sunday, Army chief General Bipin Rawat announced that four launch pads across the LoC were destroyed by the Indian Army and six to ten Pakistan soldiers were killed. He said an equal number of terrorists were also killed.
Damaged structures after the Indian Army targeted terror camps across the Line of Control on Sunday. Reuters
Havildar Padam Bahadur Shreshta and Rifleman Gamil Kumar Shreshta
TNS & Agencies
New Delhi, October 20
Six to 10 Pakistan Army personnel were killed and three terror camps destroyed in retaliatory action by the Indian Army opposite the Tangdhar and Keran sectors in J&K, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Sunday.
Talking to the media here, he said another terror camp was severely damaged and the retaliation had caused substantial damage to terror infrastructure across LoC.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he said, was briefed about the retaliatory action.
Pakistan accused the Indian Army of targeting civilians using artillery guns. Its Foreign Office summoned the Indian Acting High Commissioner in Pakistan, Gauruv Ahluwalia, and condemned the incident.
The Indian Army carried out heavy artillery strikes, targeting four terror camps and several Pakistani military posts in Neelam Valley in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“As per the information available with us, 6-10 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and nearly as many terrorists,” General Rawat said. “Three terror camps have been destroyed and on the fourth one also, we have caused severe damage,” he said, adding that according to unconfirmed reports, the number of terrorists killed could be higher. To a question, he said the terror camps destroyed were located in Athmuqam, Kundal Shahi and Jura, and the Army had information about a camp in Leepa Valley too.
“These are the camps we have targeted. And people who were supporting them, also the Pakistani posts, bore the brunt of our action,” he said. General Rawat said of late, the Army had received information that terrorists were coming closer to the camps in forward areas. In the past one month, repeated infiltration attempts were made from the Gurez, Keran, Machil, Uri sectors and south of Pir Panjal, he said, adding that Pakistani soldiers were resorting to ceasefire violation to provide support to the infiltration bids.
“We had picked up a definitive signal that some of the terror camps north of Pir Panjal were active. Terrorists had arrived at these camps and that they were likely to infiltrate. Last evening, an attempt was made in Tangdhar to infiltrate…where we retaliated… Pakistan, at the same time, carried out firing on the post, in which we did suffer. Two of our soldiers were killed and one civilian died too. All this (firing) was done to ensure that they could push in the terrorists,” he said.
The terror camps opposite the Tangdhar and Keran sectors were destroyed, he added. “They do not want to highlight or project this damage as the world will know that no action has been taken (by them) to curtail acts of terrorism from across the border. They are trying to keep it under the wraps. But, definitely, as and when we get it, we will provide you with more evidence.”
Mohammad Sidiq, 50, of Gundishot village was killed and Mohd Maqbool, Yasir and Shafi injured as Pak troops resorted to heavy artillery shelling along the LoC.
Major attack after balakot
On Feb 26, India carried out an aerial strike on a Jaish camp in Pak’s Balakot, in response to Pulwama attack
Pakistan air force retaliated the next day by trying to target military installations but was repulsed
Infiltration bid foiled, says rawat
We had picked up a definitive signal that some of the terror camps north of Pir Panjal were active. Terrorists had arrived at these camps and that they were likely to infiltrate. —Bipin Rawat, Army chief
Guru Nanak’s bani enables us to know the spiritual and moral reformation he brought about in his lifetime
Guru Nanak addresses jogis at Achal Batala — from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (ca. 1800-1850)
Baba Nanak, Guru Angad and Mardana — B-40 Janamsakhi (1733)
A king pays homage to Guru Nanak — from Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh (ca. last quarter of the 18th century)
J.S. Grewal
In a well-known 20th-century portrait, Guru Nanak is sitting in meditation with his eyes closed. In his compositions (bani) though, Guru Nanak keeps his eyes wide open. He says in fact that he had seen all nine regions (nav-khand) of the earth, and seen sacred places, markets and cities, walking, as it were, on his eyes. The range of his comments is exceptionally wide, covering the social, political, and religious aspects of the life of his contemporaries. His bani enables us to know the kind of socio-cultural regeneration he brought about in his lifetime.
Guru Nanak was thoroughly familiar with the social order of his time. The royalty, the nobility, the officials of the government, its intermediaries at lower rungs, and common people figure frequently in his compositions. Apart from the mulla and the qazi, the shaikh and the pir, several professions and occupations are noticed. Guru Nanak underscores the life of luxury of the ruling class and the grinding misery and ignorance of the rai’yat, the subject people. He takes notice of the ideal of the four varnas, and the outcastes. High caste has no merit in his eyes. The people who forget God have no caste.
The Sikh of the Guru is expected to rise above the distinctions of caste. Equality between men and women is emphasised in many verses of Guru Nanak. The spiritual and ethical message for women is exactly the same as for men. There is no doubt that this liberation (state of union with God) was made accessible to women. The sada-suhagan enjoys the love of her spouse (God) throughout her life. However, she is placed in the patriarchal family which was inegalitarian. The tension between equality in the spiritual realm and inequality in the social domain was not easy to resolve.
Guru Nanak saw no merit in ritualistic practices. The sacred thread in his eyes has no spiritual or moral efficacy. The thread of the Brahmin does not restrain him from scandalous conduct. There is no restraint on his feet, his hands, his tongue, and his eyes. The sacred thread of the Khatris did not stop them from pandering to the rulers whom they regarded as unclean (mlechh). They wielded the butcher’s knife against the people on behalf of the rulers.
Similarly, the meticulously observed chauka was useless. They told others to keep away but the line drawn around did not keep out their own ignorance and hardness of heart. The notion of purity and impurity (sutak) was merely an illusion. It had nothing to do with ethical living. To regard women as impure during childbirth or menstruation was sheer ignorance. There can be no reproduction without women, and there would be no humanity without reproduction.
Guru Nanak ridiculed the popular practice of floating lighted lamps in water for the dead as an obituary rite. Another such rite was the performing of shradhs in which food was offered to Brahmins to eat on behalf of the dead ancestors of the patron. The dead received nothing. Guru Nanak’s social comment extends to the rites of passage. They who mourn the death of a dear one forget that they themselves would die. Formal mourning served no good purpose. The debate about the mode of the disposal of the dead was futile. Only God knows what would happen to anyone after death.
On the whole, the social order at the time of Guru Nanak was marked by discrimination on the basis of caste and gender, and by ritualistic practices.
Polity and politics
There is explicit reference to the rule of Muslim Pathans (Turk-Pathani ’aml). The name of God now is Allah and the favourite colour is blue. An assessment is built into the association of Muslim rule with the Kaliyuga, the worst of the cosmic ages. Human beings had turned into goblins. Greed was now the Raja; and lust was the Sikdar (shiqdar), local administrator. The seed was crushed, and it could not sprout.
The wielders of power come in for severe criticism. Millions may stand up to salute the masters of vast armies, and millions may obey them, but all this is futile without honour in God’s court. Unlike the ordinary people, the rulers collect wealth with the levers of power, and their thirst for power is never quenched. Indeed, the rulers are butchers; they suck human blood. Justice is administered not in the name of God (as the primary duty of the rulers) but only when the palm is greased. There is discrimination on the basis of religious affiliation. ‘Now that the turn of the shaikhs has come, Ad Purkh is called Allah; it has become customary to tax gods and their temples.’
The verses of Guru Nanak, known as Babur-bani, refer to Babur’s invasions. The army of Babur is called the marriage party of sin; brides are demanded by force; the rite of marriage is performed by Satan. The reference here is to rape. The Mughals descended as the agency of death; the people cried in suffering. If the mighty strike the mighty, the fight is equal. But if a lion falls upon a herd of cattle, God is accountable. Actually, Guru Nanak is questioning God. Many unarmed civilians were killed, and the rulers of the land failed to protect them. Thus, both the Mughals and the Afghans stand indicted.
The Afghans suffered for their political and moral failure. Gone were their sports and stables, and their sword-belts and red tunics. Their tall mansions were razed to the ground and the princes cut into pieces. God takes away the goodness from those whom he wishes to mislead. The women of the ruling classes were dishonoured. Had they thought beforehand, they would not have suffered. There is a moral dimension to a political situation in which men and women suffer because of their misdeeds.
With all their power, wealth and pride, the rulers remained subject to the power of God. His service was far preferable to the service of earthly rulers. He who has access to the divine court does not have to bow to anyone else. This statement carries the implication of potential defiance. Indeed, Guru Nanak talks of the possibility of the white cloth being dyed and of the split seed becoming whole to sprout again. In other words, spiritual and moral regeneration could become the means of social regeneration.
Primacy of liberation
It is important to note that Guru Nanak gives primacy to liberation, the supreme purpose. Earthly pursuits have no meaning if God is forgotten or ignored. The foremost duty of a human being is to dedicate his or her life to God in order to become one with Him and to be released from the cycle of death and rebirth. The path of liberation is hard to follow, like walking on the sharp edge of a sword. It is important to point out that worldly life is not to be renounced but transformed.
Guru Nanak talks of maya, mamta and haumai as the great obstacles on the path of liberation. The thirst for maya is never slaked. Affection for kith and kin (mamta) is more difficult to overcome. Above all, human beings remain preoccupied with themselves, suffering from the disease of self-centredness (haumai). Guru Nanak offers loving devotion to God as the antidote for maya, mamta, and haumai. Loving devotion to God was not divorced from bhay or bhau (reverential fear due to the realisation of God’s power and grace). This way of bhagti was found through the Guru and with God’s grace.
Guru Nanak lays great emphasis on action (karni), rather than verbal profession (kathni). The familiar proverb ‘you reap as you sow’ occurs at many places in Gurbani. Everything is lower than the realisation of truth but truthful living is higher. The world is the stage where merit is earned through altruistic action (seva). To help others is to serve God. Parupkar is a part of God’s raza. The Guru, too, is Parupkari. The Sikh who lives in accordance with God’s raza is the king of kings.
The state of liberation is also called nirban-pad or pad-nirbani, the state of detachment. This state is everlasting (amrapad). There is no haumai in the state of liberation, and there is no fear. It is a state of bliss and peace. The liberated-in-life remains committed to social obligations with a spirit of detachment with a larger concern for the welfare of others.
Contemporary religious traditions
Guru Nanak makes a good deal of comment on the religious beliefs and practices of his contemporaries. He talks of the representatives of three traditions: the Brahmanical, the ascetical, and the Islamic. His comments on the Brahmanical traditions (Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Shakta) include scriptures, gods and goddesses, worship of idols, rituals, charity, pilgrimage to sacred places, and dance and dramatic performances. Guru Nanak looks upon Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh as God’s creatures. They are not everlasting.
Contrary to the general impression, Guru Nanak is also critical of worship of Rama and Krishna. In the first place, there is no room for incarnation in Guru Nanak’s conception of God. There is no spiritual or moral merit in dramatic representations of Rama and Krishna. Guru Nanak tells the Vaishnavas that the adoration of God is the real dance; all else is sensual pleasure. Guru Nanak has little appreciation for the Gorakhnathi Jogis. He tells them to have contentment as their earrings, productive work as their begging bowl, meditation of God as the ash on their body, the fear of death as their cloak, trust in God as their staff, and keeping their body free from evil as their skill. To regard all human beings as equal is to belong to the highest order of the jogis. There is no ethical merit in possessing supernatural power. Only he can be called a real jogi who regards all human beings as equal. The real avadhut remains hopeless-in-hope (asa mahi niras). The gulf between the Jain monks and Guru Nanak was the widest. Apart from their asceticism, renunciation, and mendicancy, they are denounced for their atheism.
The Muslim claim to an exclusive possession of true faith had no justification. God does not consult anyone when He creates or destroys, when He gives or takes away. There is a suggestion in a verse that Guru Nanak appreciates the way of the Sufis. ‘It is not easy to be a Mussalman; one should be called so if one is a real Mussalman’. First of all he should adopt the path of the auliya. However, Guru Nanak did not appreciate certain practices of the Sufis. They accepted patronage from the state in the form of revenue-free land, going against their own ideal of complete trust in God. Guru Nanak denounced the practice of the Sufi shaikhs to bestow caps (kulhan) upon their disciples and to authorise them to guide others. This appeared to be presumptuous on the part of the Sufi shaikhs.
God, Guru and shabad
Guru Nanak’s religious thought is uncompromisingly monotheistic. There is one God, and no other. He is self-existent; He never dies and He is never born. He alone is active (karta). He is devoid of fear and enmity. As the only eternal entity, God is equated with Truth. In Guru Nanak’s conception of God, the attributes of power and grace are two sides of the same coin.
The concepts of hukam and nadar flow from these attributes. His command (hukam) keeps the physical universe and the moral world in order. His grace enables human beings to do what He likes; they act in accordance with his hukam, and become acceptable to God.
The Guru, in the first place, is God himself. He has revealed Himself in his creation. He who appropriates the Guru’s Word is liberated and he can liberate others. The Guru is found in the sant sabha. The true Guru is found in sat-sangat where God’s praises are sung through the shabad. The mind is turned to God only by praising Him through the Guru’s shabad. The true Guru enables one to meet God. With the true Guru as a friend, one receives truth and honour in the divine court.
The term shabad occurs frequently in the compositions of Guru Nanak. It refers to the self-revelation of God. But more frequently it refers to the bani of Guru Nanak. There is no understanding without the shabad. God is praised through the Guru’s shabad. The woman who gets rid of self and adorns herself with the Guru’s shabad finds the spouse in the home. All illusion is removed by the pure bani. The shabad leads to recognition of the true creator. The Gurmukh is attached to the truth through the shabad and sees God everywhere. The one without any sign, colour or shadow is recognised through the shabad. True is the Guru’s shabad that leads to liberation. There is only one shabad, and it is recognised through the perfect Guru. All nads and Vedas are in Gurbani.
The compositions of Guru Nanak are an integral part of divine revelation. He was called, as he says, by God to his court and given the robe of true adoration with the nectar of the true Name. They who taste it through the Guru’s instruction attain peace. The minstrel (dhadi) of God spreads the message of the shabad. He utters the divine bani as commanded by the Lord. This claim carries the implication that Guru Nanak’s message was more authoritative than any known scripture.
The Sikh Panth
Critical of the socially privileged in society, Guru Nanak aligned himself with the lowest of the low. Critical of the rulers and the ruling class, he sympathised with the subject people. Marked by moral degradation, ritualistic practices, discrimination, oppression and injustice, the social order needed regeneration. The means of social regeneration for Guru Nanak was his own ideology. At the centre of the universe is God. He created the universe through his hukam and keeps it in order. God’s hukam and nadar transcend the law of karma. God Himself is the guide to liberation. His creation is His Word (shabad). As the source of guidance, shabad is the Guru. The divinely inspired bani of Guru Nanak is a part of revelation. Shabad and bani stand equated.
Social action is necessary for liberation, and it becomes all the more important for the liberated-in-life. He remains active in society, not in his own interest so much as in the interest of others. The most important function of the liberated-in-life is par-upkar, that is, all kinds of service for others as human beings. No distinction, whatsoever, is made between one human being and another for the purpose of redemption. The path chosen by Guru Nanak was open to all.
The panth founded by Guru Nanak was based on egalitarian ideology. The Sikh of the Guru had a distinct place of worship, called dharamsal (later gurdwara). They worshipped God in congregation regardless of caste or religious background of the participant. The bani of Guru Nanak was used for kirtan and katha. Ardas (supplication) was an essential part of worship. All the Sikhs ate together from a common kitchen (langar). This was the legacy Guru Nanak left for a successor to carry forward, installing him as the Guru in his lifetime. Guru Nanak discovered a new path and founded a new panth, as an instrument of universal redemption.
— The writer is a historian and former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Rajnath Singh-led DAC to consider procurement of 10 P8i long-range aircraft for Indian Navy
On the eve of the visit by Admiral John Aquilino, the US Pacific Command chief, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and including the three armed forces chiefs, will look at, once again, at a three billion dollar mega-deal — the purchase of 10 P8i maritime reconnaissance aircraft for the Indian Navy. This is the second time the issue comes up in a DAC meeting even though this is a repeat order — the Indian Navy has purchased the plane earlier — as it comes in the wake of the COMCASA or Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement. “As a result, the equipment on the plane and the cost will change,” high-level government sources said. The P8i is a long-range (more than 1,200 nautical miles) aircraft for surveillance and also, anti-submarine operations. The USA has been pushing this deal which comes up before the DAC towards the end of this month. Admiral Aquilino arrives for meetings with the Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh, and other officials, on October 27 for a three-day visit. Discussions are likely to be about closer defence cooperation and the situation in the South China Sea. The USA is concerned about the growing power of China and its recent differences with ASEAN countries, some of whom are close to the USA. There is also some talk of Admiral Aquilino going to the Andamans, where the armed forces have a unified command, but that is yet to be decided. There could be discussions on the region, including help to smaller countries.
