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Solhe (1020-1033)
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ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
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Gurbani (1352-53)
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ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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<blockquote data-quote="drkhalsa" data-source="post: 5247" data-attributes="member: 384"><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><span style="color: #000080"><strong>12 O'clock Joke</strong></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">For all of you who thought 12 o Clock is a joke for Sardar.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">I was standing at railway Station (New Delhi) when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">After a while, one local train arrived, which was totally packed. The Sikh youth tried to alight the train but failed to do so. Just then a voice was heard from the back coach 'Sardarji Barah Baj gaye' (Sir it's 12 o'clock!)</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The Sikh youth looked over at that voice maker who was a young mischievous type of person and instead of showing any anger made a smile towards him.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The smile made was so enigmatic that it seemed as if some type of truth lies behind it. Not able to resist my temptation, I walked towards him and asked why did he smile at that person who teased him. The Sikh youth replied, 'He was not teasing me but was asking for my Help'.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">I was surprised with these words and he told me that there was a big history behind that which one should know. I was eager to know the History and the Sikh youth narrated:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">During 17th Century, when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated and were treated like animals. Mughals treated the Hindu women as there own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept. That time, our ninth Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bhadarji came forward, in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same. But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities . The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. Can anybody lay down his life and that too for the protection of another religion? This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life, none of the them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Seeing this incident our 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time . He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes. It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had attacked and looted Hindustan and were trying to carry the treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at midnight,12 O'clock and rescued women.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">After that time when there occurred a similar incidence, people started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raider's at Midnight, 12 O'clock. It continued and became a known fact that at midnight, nearly at 12 O'clock, it is very difficult to fight against Sikhs as the Sikhs get some Extra Power to save Religion, Nation and Humanity.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Nobody can fight and win against them at midnight; this continues till now. Nowadays, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go out of their senses. This historic fact was the reason which made me smile over that person as I thought that his Mother or Sister would be in trouble and wants my help and was reminding me by saying off 'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">As he was narrating the incident I was feeling ashamed of myself as I used to click and enjoy the jokes on Sikhs and too made fun of them. But now I have got the truth that these Sikhs are born for others and they are real patriotic to Humanity and Religion. What are we all doing to these great Saints and Soldiers ???? Instead of thanking them, we all are making fun.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Earlier the Sikh youth appeared as a Terrorist but now I could see the reflection of real Patriotic person in him.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Posted by Jagjit Singh</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000080"><strong>An Empty Pitcher Makes Noise</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000080"></span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #000000"><strong>by Amardeep Singh</strong></span></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Life would be boring without jokes. We all crack jokes. In India, most of the jokes, for some years now are being cracked on the Sikhs. There are these 12 o'clock jokes, Banta Singh-Santa Singh jokes, Giani Zail Singh jokes, Baldev Singh jokes, Khalistan jokes. The list is endless.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Picture yourself as a Sikh and look for an honest response from within yourself. Would you be able to handle these day in day out of cracks targeted at you by colleagues/friends/the unknown person standing next to you/anyone and everyone taking the liberty. I know your immediate reaction. "Sure man, it's only a joke." You are absolutely right, it is only a joke. However when a joke enters the bloodstream as a cancerous virus and you get targeted daily, right from your childhood, let me tell you, as much as you believe you can, the fact is you will not be able to handle them.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">On the other hand, look at the Sikhs. Have you ever seen anyone of them getting irritated with these digs & cracks on them. You wouldn't have. Ever thought why they don't get effected? Well the answer lies in a couplet by Saint Kabeer :</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><em><span style="font-size: 12px">Kaho Kabir chucha ghat bole. Bhariya hoe so kabahu na dole.</span></em><span style="font-size: 12px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Says Kabeer, an empty pitcher makes noise. But that which is full, makes no sound.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Sikhs by nature are self-respecting, courageous, hardworking and enterprising. Look into their short span of history and you will find their pitcher is full of sacrifices and hard work which has contributed so much towards the nation building. If not for them, the course of Indian History would have been very different. That's what makes them the SPIRIT BORN PEOPLE and gives the ability to simply ignore the digs targeted at them. Volumes could be written on the contributions made by the Sikhs, who constitute less than 2% of Indian population. I am listing below just a few, which should make my friends start thinking.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Sikhs have always believed in the right of an individual to practice a religion of his own choice and have always fought against tyranny. Jahangir, the 4th Mughal ruler wrote in his memoirs, Tuzak-i-Jahangiri about Arjan Dev, the 5th Sikh Guru, ".for a long time the thought had been presenting itself to me that he should be bought to the fold of Islam.". In 1606, when the Guru refused the forceful conversion, he was put to death by boiling in a cauldron and sitting on a hot iron plate.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Aurangzeb, the 6th Mughal ruler was a fanatic ruler who desired to convert every Indian to Islam. Tyrannized by his forceful conversions, a delegation of Kashmiri Brahmins in 1675, approached Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs. He offered to sacrifice his life for their cause. This was a unique & unparalleled sacrifice in the annals of human history. He laid down his life in defense of religious tolerance, of freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience. He gave his life so that the Hindu's right to wear the sacred thread is not violated despite the fact that Sikhs themselves did not believe in these rituals. This was a martyrdom for the defense of basic human values.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">For about 7 centuries, since the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni in the 10th century, many ruthless invaders played havoc with the life of Indians. Recurring defeats had sapped the psychic energy of the Indians so much that they had resigned themselves to their fate. It was Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs who imbibed the fearlessness amongst the Sikhs to fight against all odds. He wrote to Aurangzeb saying "when all means have failed, it is right to pick up the sword". In the year 1699 he proclaimed, "call me by the name of Gobind Singh, only if i succeed in making the sparrows (Indians) fight against the Hawks (mighty foreign rulers) and am able to make one Sikh fight against an army of one Lakh". He set himself against oppression and intolerance. He did not fight against any territory or worldly power, or against any religion or sect. He made nationalism the religion of Sikhs. Apart from the numerous Sikhs who lost their life in defense of the country under him, his 2 sons were martyred on the battleground, while the other 2 preferred to be bricked alive than give up their esteem. In 1709 he left this world with a lifetime of heroic events which changed the History of India.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Bulle Shah, a celebrated Sufi Muslim Saint has said, "I neither say of the past, nor of the future, but i talk of the time of Guru Gobind Singh & declare openly. That but for him, all the Indians would have been circumscribed and converted to a foreign culture and religion".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">In 1710, Banda Singh Bahadur was the first Indian to re-establish Indian rule after 7 centuries of foreign rule in India, post a fierce battle with the forces of Aurangzeb, although this was short lived.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Between 1713 and 1801 the Sikhs were homeless and living as Guerillas, demonstrating heroic acts of courage at every possible instance. The tyrant rulers had put a reward of Rs. 25/= for every Sikh head and Rs. 100/= for every Sikh caught alive. Those caught alive would be cut to pieces. Many new vocabulary (of which many jokes against Sikhs are made nowadays) were given currency among the Sikh guerillas which showed with what brave face and heart they had accepted the challenge of their persecutors.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">In 1738 Nadir Shah, the Persian ruler invaded India from Kabul and went on a rampage upto Delhi. He returned to Persia in summer of 1739 and carried back a huge booty of looted wealth, Kohinoor diamond, women, artisans and slaves. To avoid the summer heat, the convoy would rest during the day and travel in the night. At the peak of the day heat at 12 noon, the Sikh guerillas started attacking his convoy right from Punjab up to the Indus. They freed many women, artisans, slaves and deprived him of large amount of wealth. The women were escorted back to Delhi by the Sikhs. It was for this heroic act, which no one else dared, of fighting against the might of Nadir Shah by a handful of Sikhs and freeing the women, that the Sikhs started getting seen as people who go mad at 12 Noon and therefore the 12 o' clock jokes of nowadays. When Nadir Shah asked Zakhariya Khan " who these barbarians where and where they lived", Zakhariya replied " they are the followers of Nanak & live on saddles of their horses".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Post the return of Nadir Shah to Persia, Zakhariya Khan went on a rampage against the Sikh movement and killed 10,000 of them in a few days.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Between 1748 & 1765, Ahmad Shah Abdali the ruler from Afghanistan rampaged India 9 times. Again the Sikhs attacked his returning convoys during the peak summer heat and freed 2200 women and escorted them back to their homes. Yet again a heroic act at 12 noon, which unfortunately the others perceived as a maddening act and therefore further strengthened the 12 noon syndrome. These acts of Sikhs aggravated Ahmed shah Abdali, who swore to take revenge at an appropriate time. During his 6th invasion he caught the Sikhs unaware and 25,000 of them were killed in a few days. But the spirit of the Sikhs remained high as one Nihang Sikh of that time commented "only the soft and unbaked ones of us have fallen off".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Finally, Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, in 1798 bought to an end the 800 years of foreign invasions into India through Khyber pass, by bringing it under their control. This was the best gift the Sikhs gave to the nation which finally allowed the rest of India to breathe in peace. Hari Singh Nalwa, who manned the Khyber pass for years became a household name in Afghanistan. Even today, the Afghani mothers put their children to sleep with the threat of Hari Singh Nalwas name.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">It was Ranjit Singh who bought back to India, the world famous Kohinoor diamond, which was looted by Nadir Shah earlier.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">If not for the Sikhs, who captured Kashmir in 1819, today it would have been a part of Afghanistan.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Ladakh, which earlier was a part of Tibet, owes its existence on the map of India to Zorawar Singh, who captured it in 1836.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Sikhs were the last to surrender to the British in the sub-continent and were the first to raise arms against them.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">After 2 bloody Anglo-Sikh wars did British manage to annex Punjab as the last kingdom on the map of British-India Empire. It is an irony of fate that the Sikhs had to fight against their own countrymen as British forces in saving Punjab from British annexation. It was not due to lack of soldiers courage & conviction that the wars against British were lost, but a treachery by Gulab, the Dogra primeminister under Ranjit Singh, who joined hands with the British in exchange for the title of Kashmir on winning the war. British records say about the Sikhs ".such a mass of men, fierce and untamed in their dying struggle, who fought like Lions and ran right on the bayonets and struck on their assailants when they were transfixed".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Inspite of the loss of empire to British, the spirit of freedom amongst Sikhs was soaring high. Whereas the British would daily fire a canon at 12 noon by the East India Co. time, which was the Calcutta time, the Sikhs on the other hand refused to recognize the British time. There is a one and a half hour time difference between Calcutta and Lahore time and therefore the Sikhs maintained their firing of the Canon at 12 noon Lahore time. Amongst the general public there was a confusion as to which canon denoted the 12 noon and therefore at the fire of the first canon the public would say "12 o clock of British" and on the second fire, an hour and a half later, they would say "12 o clock of Sikhs." Soon the spirit of defiance and freedom was forgotten by fellow Indians and they started linking the madness demonstrated by them during Nadir Shah and Abdalis invasions at 12 noon to the act of defiance during British period and there took place the 12 o clock jokes.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Much before 1919, when Mahatma Gandhi issued the call for satyagraha (boycotting English goods), the Sikhs under Baba Ram Singh had started the boycott movement in the year 1863. Eighty two Sikhs were tied to canons & blown apart by British.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Sikhs were the only Indian community to be internationally acclaimed as early as 1897, for their heroism and valour. Where in the history of warfare can you find the instance of heroism as demonstrated by 22 Sikh soldiers manning the signal post of Saragahi in Nort-West province with no ammunition back up. All the 22 of them fought till the last bullet had been fired against an Afghan army of 7000 warriors. The 22 soldiers then charged with their kirpans to be eventually cut down to pieces. The easier way out would have been to surrender but the spirit of Sikhs has always made them do what Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru had said, "Grant me this boon, O Lord, at last when the end of life is near, I may die fighting in the battlefield for the sake of righteousness".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The first battle for freedom from British was won by Sikhs, when after loss of many lives in 1929 they were able to take over the charge of their shrines from British. On this victory Mahatma Gandhi sent a telegram saying " THE FIRST DECISIVE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA WON - CONGRATULATIONS".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Where in the world can you find an act of sacrifice like that of Sikhs in 1922, willing to offer lives of their wives, children and themselves by lying on the rails to stop a train of freedom fighters who only had to be fed because they were hungry. The train finally stopped after killing a few Sikhs.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Not many can claim the valor with which Bhagat Singh offered himself at the altar of Indias' freedom in 1931.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">There is not another instance of bravery as shown by Udham Singh in 1940, when he went to London and shot dead Sir Michael O' Dwyer at a public meeting, as a revenge for the Jallianwala massacre.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Out of 42,000 recruits in the Indian National Army under the command of Subhash Chandra Bose, 28,000 soldiers contributing 67% of strength, were Sikhs.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Contribution of Sikhs who are less than 2% of Indian population , in the freedom struggle of India against the British.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><strong>PUNISHED</strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><strong>TOTAL</strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><strong>SIKHS</strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><strong>% OF SIKHS</strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">Hanged</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">121</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">93</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">77%</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">Life Imprisonment</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">2646</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">2147</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">81%</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">Jallianwala Bagh massacre</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">1300</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">799</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'">62%</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Book source : "History of Indian National Congress".</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Partition of India in 1947 brought innumerable death to Sikhs and was the greatest disaster known in the Indian history. Surely the Sikhs paid the heaviest price for the freedom of the country.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Punjab lost its most fertile part to Pakistan during the partition. However, today due to hard labor of Sikh farmers, the Punjab in India produces much higher quantities of food grain than the fertile Punjab in Pakistan. Punjab contributes 40% of rice and 51% of wheat into the central pool of food grains in India.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Post partition, many of the landless Sikhs who settled in the jungles of Terai in Uttar Pradesh have today made the area as fertile as Punjab.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Contribution of Sikhs towards the Indian Defense Services is the highest with respect to their 2% population size. This community has also won the maximum number of gallantry awards since independence - 5 Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 40 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs), 209 Vir Chakras (VrCs).</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">During the emergency of 1975 imposed by Indira Gandhi, no organized protest was made across the country by any section of community, except for the Sikhs who conducted daily morchas, involving 40,000 arrests.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">You will never find a Sikh ever begging on the roads, in spite of being uprooted & made homeless many a times, they have demonstrated the ability to rise back from the scratch. Each one of them actively contributes towards the nation building. Almost 30 years ago, Professor Milton Friedman (Noble Prize Winner) an American Economist, on his visit to India had humorously remarked, "Lease out India to the Sikhs for a while and there will be no problem of development". Could there be any greater compliment to the Sikh spirit and enterprise.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">In spite of endless contributions made by Sikhs towards the nation building, our friends find them to be a laughing stock. Well, it makes no difference to the Sikhs as their pitchers are filled with unparalleled acts.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">As a nation we may lack the sense of humor but Sikhs are a rare species, with a great sense of humor. This is the community which has learnt to fight, succeed and laugh.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px">It is time for my friends to do a bit of introspection.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'"><span style="font-size: 12px"> Above article taken from </span><a href="http://www.snsm.org.my/library/articles/articles.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.snsm.org.my/library/articles/articles.htm</span></span></a></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="drkhalsa, post: 5247, member: 384"] [size=5][color=#000080][b]12 O'clock Joke[/b][/color][/size] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]For all of you who thought 12 o Clock is a joke for Sardar.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]I was standing at railway Station (New Delhi) when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt looking similar to a terrorist.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]After a while, one local train arrived, which was totally packed. The Sikh youth tried to alight the train but failed to do so. Just then a voice was heard from the back coach 'Sardarji Barah Baj gaye' (Sir it's 12 o'clock!)[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]The Sikh youth looked over at that voice maker who was a young mischievous type of person and instead of showing any anger made a smile towards him.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]The smile made was so enigmatic that it seemed as if some type of truth lies behind it. Not able to resist my temptation, I walked towards him and asked why did he smile at that person who teased him. The Sikh youth replied, 'He was not teasing me but was asking for my Help'.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]I was surprised with these words and he told me that there was a big history behind that which one should know. I was eager to know the History and the Sikh youth narrated:[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]During 17th Century, when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated and were treated like animals. Mughals treated the Hindu women as there own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept. That time, our ninth Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bhadarji came forward, in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same. But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities . The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion. Can anybody lay down his life and that too for the protection of another religion? This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life, none of the them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Seeing this incident our 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time . He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes. It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had attacked and looted Hindustan and were trying to carry the treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at midnight,12 O'clock and rescued women.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]After that time when there occurred a similar incidence, people started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raider's at Midnight, 12 O'clock. It continued and became a known fact that at midnight, nearly at 12 O'clock, it is very difficult to fight against Sikhs as the Sikhs get some Extra Power to save Religion, Nation and Humanity.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Nobody can fight and win against them at midnight; this continues till now. Nowadays, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go out of their senses. This historic fact was the reason which made me smile over that person as I thought that his Mother or Sister would be in trouble and wants my help and was reminding me by saying off 'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]As he was narrating the incident I was feeling ashamed of myself as I used to click and enjoy the jokes on Sikhs and too made fun of them. But now I have got the truth that these Sikhs are born for others and they are real patriotic to Humanity and Religion. What are we all doing to these great Saints and Soldiers ???? Instead of thanking them, we all are making fun.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Earlier the Sikh youth appeared as a Terrorist but now I could see the reflection of real Patriotic person in him.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Posted by Jagjit Singh[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3][color=#000080][b]An Empty Pitcher Makes Noise[/b] [/color][/size][size=3][color=#000000][b]by Amardeep Singh[/b][/color][/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Life would be boring without jokes. We all crack jokes. In India, most of the jokes, for some years now are being cracked on the Sikhs. There are these 12 o'clock jokes, Banta Singh-Santa Singh jokes, Giani Zail Singh jokes, Baldev Singh jokes, Khalistan jokes. The list is endless.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Picture yourself as a Sikh and look for an honest response from within yourself. Would you be able to handle these day in day out of cracks targeted at you by colleagues/friends/the unknown person standing next to you/anyone and everyone taking the liberty. I know your immediate reaction. "Sure man, it's only a joke." You are absolutely right, it is only a joke. However when a joke enters the bloodstream as a cancerous virus and you get targeted daily, right from your childhood, let me tell you, as much as you believe you can, the fact is you will not be able to handle them.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]On the other hand, look at the Sikhs. Have you ever seen anyone of them getting irritated with these digs & cracks on them. You wouldn't have. Ever thought why they don't get effected? Well the answer lies in a couplet by Saint Kabeer :[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][i][size=3]Kaho Kabir chucha ghat bole. Bhariya hoe so kabahu na dole.[/size][/i][size=3] Says Kabeer, an empty pitcher makes noise. But that which is full, makes no sound.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Sikhs by nature are self-respecting, courageous, hardworking and enterprising. Look into their short span of history and you will find their pitcher is full of sacrifices and hard work which has contributed so much towards the nation building. If not for them, the course of Indian History would have been very different. That's what makes them the SPIRIT BORN PEOPLE and gives the ability to simply ignore the digs targeted at them. Volumes could be written on the contributions made by the Sikhs, who constitute less than 2% of Indian population. I am listing below just a few, which should make my friends start thinking.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Sikhs have always believed in the right of an individual to practice a religion of his own choice and have always fought against tyranny. Jahangir, the 4th Mughal ruler wrote in his memoirs, Tuzak-i-Jahangiri about Arjan Dev, the 5th Sikh Guru, ".for a long time the thought had been presenting itself to me that he should be bought to the fold of Islam.". In 1606, when the Guru refused the forceful conversion, he was put to death by boiling in a cauldron and sitting on a hot iron plate.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Aurangzeb, the 6th Mughal ruler was a fanatic ruler who desired to convert every Indian to Islam. Tyrannized by his forceful conversions, a delegation of Kashmiri Brahmins in 1675, approached Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs. He offered to sacrifice his life for their cause. This was a unique & unparalleled sacrifice in the annals of human history. He laid down his life in defense of religious tolerance, of freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience. He gave his life so that the Hindu's right to wear the sacred thread is not violated despite the fact that Sikhs themselves did not believe in these rituals. This was a martyrdom for the defense of basic human values.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]For about 7 centuries, since the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni in the 10th century, many ruthless invaders played havoc with the life of Indians. Recurring defeats had sapped the psychic energy of the Indians so much that they had resigned themselves to their fate. It was Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs who imbibed the fearlessness amongst the Sikhs to fight against all odds. He wrote to Aurangzeb saying "when all means have failed, it is right to pick up the sword". In the year 1699 he proclaimed, "call me by the name of Gobind Singh, only if i succeed in making the sparrows (Indians) fight against the Hawks (mighty foreign rulers) and am able to make one Sikh fight against an army of one Lakh". He set himself against oppression and intolerance. He did not fight against any territory or worldly power, or against any religion or sect. He made nationalism the religion of Sikhs. Apart from the numerous Sikhs who lost their life in defense of the country under him, his 2 sons were martyred on the battleground, while the other 2 preferred to be bricked alive than give up their esteem. In 1709 he left this world with a lifetime of heroic events which changed the History of India.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Bulle Shah, a celebrated Sufi Muslim Saint has said, "I neither say of the past, nor of the future, but i talk of the time of Guru Gobind Singh & declare openly. That but for him, all the Indians would have been circumscribed and converted to a foreign culture and religion".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]In 1710, Banda Singh Bahadur was the first Indian to re-establish Indian rule after 7 centuries of foreign rule in India, post a fierce battle with the forces of Aurangzeb, although this was short lived.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Between 1713 and 1801 the Sikhs were homeless and living as Guerillas, demonstrating heroic acts of courage at every possible instance. The tyrant rulers had put a reward of Rs. 25/= for every Sikh head and Rs. 100/= for every Sikh caught alive. Those caught alive would be cut to pieces. Many new vocabulary (of which many jokes against Sikhs are made nowadays) were given currency among the Sikh guerillas which showed with what brave face and heart they had accepted the challenge of their persecutors.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]In 1738 Nadir Shah, the Persian ruler invaded India from Kabul and went on a rampage upto Delhi. He returned to Persia in summer of 1739 and carried back a huge booty of looted wealth, Kohinoor diamond, women, artisans and slaves. To avoid the summer heat, the convoy would rest during the day and travel in the night. At the peak of the day heat at 12 noon, the Sikh guerillas started attacking his convoy right from Punjab up to the Indus. They freed many women, artisans, slaves and deprived him of large amount of wealth. The women were escorted back to Delhi by the Sikhs. It was for this heroic act, which no one else dared, of fighting against the might of Nadir Shah by a handful of Sikhs and freeing the women, that the Sikhs started getting seen as people who go mad at 12 Noon and therefore the 12 o' clock jokes of nowadays. When Nadir Shah asked Zakhariya Khan " who these barbarians where and where they lived", Zakhariya replied " they are the followers of Nanak & live on saddles of their horses".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Post the return of Nadir Shah to Persia, Zakhariya Khan went on a rampage against the Sikh movement and killed 10,000 of them in a few days.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Between 1748 & 1765, Ahmad Shah Abdali the ruler from Afghanistan rampaged India 9 times. Again the Sikhs attacked his returning convoys during the peak summer heat and freed 2200 women and escorted them back to their homes. Yet again a heroic act at 12 noon, which unfortunately the others perceived as a maddening act and therefore further strengthened the 12 noon syndrome. These acts of Sikhs aggravated Ahmed shah Abdali, who swore to take revenge at an appropriate time. During his 6th invasion he caught the Sikhs unaware and 25,000 of them were killed in a few days. But the spirit of the Sikhs remained high as one Nihang Sikh of that time commented "only the soft and unbaked ones of us have fallen off".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Finally, Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, in 1798 bought to an end the 800 years of foreign invasions into India through Khyber pass, by bringing it under their control. This was the best gift the Sikhs gave to the nation which finally allowed the rest of India to breathe in peace. Hari Singh Nalwa, who manned the Khyber pass for years became a household name in Afghanistan. Even today, the Afghani mothers put their children to sleep with the threat of Hari Singh Nalwas name.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]It was Ranjit Singh who bought back to India, the world famous Kohinoor diamond, which was looted by Nadir Shah earlier.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]If not for the Sikhs, who captured Kashmir in 1819, today it would have been a part of Afghanistan.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Ladakh, which earlier was a part of Tibet, owes its existence on the map of India to Zorawar Singh, who captured it in 1836.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Sikhs were the last to surrender to the British in the sub-continent and were the first to raise arms against them.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]After 2 bloody Anglo-Sikh wars did British manage to annex Punjab as the last kingdom on the map of British-India Empire. It is an irony of fate that the Sikhs had to fight against their own countrymen as British forces in saving Punjab from British annexation. It was not due to lack of soldiers courage & conviction that the wars against British were lost, but a treachery by Gulab, the Dogra primeminister under Ranjit Singh, who joined hands with the British in exchange for the title of Kashmir on winning the war. British records say about the Sikhs ".such a mass of men, fierce and untamed in their dying struggle, who fought like Lions and ran right on the bayonets and struck on their assailants when they were transfixed".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Inspite of the loss of empire to British, the spirit of freedom amongst Sikhs was soaring high. Whereas the British would daily fire a canon at 12 noon by the East India Co. time, which was the Calcutta time, the Sikhs on the other hand refused to recognize the British time. There is a one and a half hour time difference between Calcutta and Lahore time and therefore the Sikhs maintained their firing of the Canon at 12 noon Lahore time. Amongst the general public there was a confusion as to which canon denoted the 12 noon and therefore at the fire of the first canon the public would say "12 o clock of British" and on the second fire, an hour and a half later, they would say "12 o clock of Sikhs." Soon the spirit of defiance and freedom was forgotten by fellow Indians and they started linking the madness demonstrated by them during Nadir Shah and Abdalis invasions at 12 noon to the act of defiance during British period and there took place the 12 o clock jokes.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Much before 1919, when Mahatma Gandhi issued the call for satyagraha (boycotting English goods), the Sikhs under Baba Ram Singh had started the boycott movement in the year 1863. Eighty two Sikhs were tied to canons & blown apart by British.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Sikhs were the only Indian community to be internationally acclaimed as early as 1897, for their heroism and valour. Where in the history of warfare can you find the instance of heroism as demonstrated by 22 Sikh soldiers manning the signal post of Saragahi in Nort-West province with no ammunition back up. All the 22 of them fought till the last bullet had been fired against an Afghan army of 7000 warriors. The 22 soldiers then charged with their kirpans to be eventually cut down to pieces. The easier way out would have been to surrender but the spirit of Sikhs has always made them do what Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru had said, "Grant me this boon, O Lord, at last when the end of life is near, I may die fighting in the battlefield for the sake of righteousness".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]The first battle for freedom from British was won by Sikhs, when after loss of many lives in 1929 they were able to take over the charge of their shrines from British. On this victory Mahatma Gandhi sent a telegram saying " THE FIRST DECISIVE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA WON - CONGRATULATIONS".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Where in the world can you find an act of sacrifice like that of Sikhs in 1922, willing to offer lives of their wives, children and themselves by lying on the rails to stop a train of freedom fighters who only had to be fed because they were hungry. The train finally stopped after killing a few Sikhs.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Not many can claim the valor with which Bhagat Singh offered himself at the altar of Indias' freedom in 1931.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]There is not another instance of bravery as shown by Udham Singh in 1940, when he went to London and shot dead Sir Michael O' Dwyer at a public meeting, as a revenge for the Jallianwala massacre.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Out of 42,000 recruits in the Indian National Army under the command of Subhash Chandra Bose, 28,000 soldiers contributing 67% of strength, were Sikhs.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Contribution of Sikhs who are less than 2% of Indian population , in the freedom struggle of India against the British.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][b]PUNISHED[/b][/font][font=Trebuchet MS][b]TOTAL[/b][/font][font=Trebuchet MS][b]SIKHS[/b][/font][font=Trebuchet MS][b]% OF SIKHS[/b][/font][font=Trebuchet MS]Hanged[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]121[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]93[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]77%[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]Life Imprisonment[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]2646[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]2147[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]81%[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]Jallianwala Bagh massacre[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]1300[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]799[/font][font=Trebuchet MS]62%[/font][font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Book source : "History of Indian National Congress".[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Partition of India in 1947 brought innumerable death to Sikhs and was the greatest disaster known in the Indian history. Surely the Sikhs paid the heaviest price for the freedom of the country.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Punjab lost its most fertile part to Pakistan during the partition. However, today due to hard labor of Sikh farmers, the Punjab in India produces much higher quantities of food grain than the fertile Punjab in Pakistan. Punjab contributes 40% of rice and 51% of wheat into the central pool of food grains in India.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Post partition, many of the landless Sikhs who settled in the jungles of Terai in Uttar Pradesh have today made the area as fertile as Punjab.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]Contribution of Sikhs towards the Indian Defense Services is the highest with respect to their 2% population size. This community has also won the maximum number of gallantry awards since independence - 5 Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 40 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs), 209 Vir Chakras (VrCs).[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]During the emergency of 1975 imposed by Indira Gandhi, no organized protest was made across the country by any section of community, except for the Sikhs who conducted daily morchas, involving 40,000 arrests.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]You will never find a Sikh ever begging on the roads, in spite of being uprooted & made homeless many a times, they have demonstrated the ability to rise back from the scratch. Each one of them actively contributes towards the nation building. Almost 30 years ago, Professor Milton Friedman (Noble Prize Winner) an American Economist, on his visit to India had humorously remarked, "Lease out India to the Sikhs for a while and there will be no problem of development". Could there be any greater compliment to the Sikh spirit and enterprise.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]In spite of endless contributions made by Sikhs towards the nation building, our friends find them to be a laughing stock. Well, it makes no difference to the Sikhs as their pitchers are filled with unparalleled acts.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]As a nation we may lack the sense of humor but Sikhs are a rare species, with a great sense of humor. This is the community which has learnt to fight, succeed and laugh.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3]It is time for my friends to do a bit of introspection.[/size][/font] [font=Trebuchet MS][size=3] Above article taken from [/size][url="http://www.snsm.org.my/library/articles/articles.htm"][size=3][color=#0000ff]http://www.snsm.org.my/library/articles/articles.htm[/color][/size][/url][/font] [/QUOTE]
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