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Preserving
poetry in midst of decaying history |
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Book on Gurdwaras in Pakistan
‘Darshan-Didar’ released
Singapore
students visit city on a heritage tour Just chill Workshop on
mentally-challenged children organised Dr Mahal voted
president-elect of California Medical Association PHDCCI welcomes
Pak’s move to import steel from India Dalit Dasta
Virodhi Andolan rescues 42 labourers
Weekly Round-up
‘No substitute
for hard work’ MARKET PULSE
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Freemason’s confidential code Once a
secret brotherhood, the Freemasonry of the Holy City, set up even before
the SGPC came into existence, is now ready for change. Varinder Walia
gets behind the cloaked chambers
Until
recently, not much was known about the activities of Freemasonry as the Lodges (meeting places) used to maintain total secrecy. Of late, Freemasonry has been coming out in the open to attract members into its fold by clearing doubts about the movement. Freemasonry claims itself to be one of the world’s oldest secular fraternal societies. It is a worldwide organisation based on the principle of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man. It is a society exclusively of men-folk concerned with moral and spiritual values. Its members are taught its precepts by series of rituals, which follow ancient forms and use stone masons’ customs and tools, and allegorical guides. Freemasonry neither instruct its members on what their religious beliefs should be, nor that theirs is a substitute for religion. Just like any other club, Freemasons have a dress code at their meetings. The members wear aprons and regalia, considered a traditional and ceremonial recognition within the brotherhood.
However, it emphasises secularism by teaching respect for and tolerance towards all religions. There are many churchgoers— Sikhs and Hindus— who feel they can be both an active Freemason and simultaneously have full faith in their own religions. The holy books of the Freemasons include abstracts from Guru Granth Sahib, Quran, Bhagwat Gita, Bible and Zend Avista (the holy book of the Parsis). The Masonic tools inside the Holy Books are also opened at the time of meetings. The Freemasonry was established in 1922 at Amritsar, three years before the establishment of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. Its first master was Gurdit Singh Arora, a prominent business tycoon of the Holy City. However, since 83 years of its inception, the strength of the brotherhood is only 40, mostly the elite of the city. The reason for little strength is a person is made a member only after his name is recommended by a mason. A secret ballot is used for inducting anybody into the Freemasonry here. Black and white balls are used to select or reject a person. Two black balls are enough to disqualify any person from becoming a mason. Most of the members are prominent doctors of the city, and also include former principles of the Government Medical College, senior lawyers and business tycoons. The oldest living past masters of the Freemasonry in Amritsar are Dr Ranbir Singh (87), Mr Inderjit Sud (86), Mr K.J. Arora (86), Mr O.P. Mehra (84), his son Mr Naval Mehra (53), Dr M.S. Khanna (60), and Dr P.S. Grewal (86). Interestingly, the president of Chief Khalsa Diwan, the oldest Sikh institute, has also been a Master of the Freemasonry. Initially, the people of Amritsar would call the Freemasons as “The Jadugar” (The Magicians). The impression used for the Mumbai Lodge as “Bhoot Bungalow” has also dispelled. But the Freemasons are unique. Their singular style of handshaking and other codes still help them to maintain their identity. Mr Inderjit Sud, one of the oldest members of the Freemasonry here, said he has been associated with the society for more than four decades. “The codes help me in entering the different Freemasonry Lodges in America. I was put to test every time I wanted to secure an entry into the Lodges of USA. It were the codes that helped them to identify me as a mason.” Mr Sud said the masons developed such codes in ancient times. “They built great temples and architectural wonders with a view to stop the entry of intruders.”
Dr Santokh Singh, another past master claimed that lately the Freemasonry has embarked upon large charitable projects; prominent among them the ROKO Cancer. The mobile van for the project was launched by Mr Avtar Singh Makkar, president of the SGPC. The origins of Freemasonry are shrouded in mystery, largely because the members have kept it a secret. An introduction to Freemasonry in India reads, “Perhaps it can be said that of all the mysteries of Freemasonry, there is perhaps no mystery more mysterious than the origin of Freemasonry.” However, Freemasonry in an organised form started in 1717. But the real origins of Freemasonry, is hidden and lost in the mists of time. In fact, Freemasonry itself is profoundly uncertain of its origins, the general assumption being that it began at a time when King Solomon’s Temple was built in Jerusalem. This is an accepted legend and Freemasons consider King Solomon as their First Grand Master . Allegorical symbols are the hallmark of Freemasonry. Wearing of regalia that include badges and emblems, aprons, uniforms, sashes, gloves, hats, medals, and swords during the meetings is fascinating, say the members. Floor cloths and charts used during the initiation of candidates are a good place to begin the investigation of the material culture of Freemasonry. Within the prescribed oblong indented border can be found the all-seeing eye, the crescent moon, and seven stars. The black and white checkered floor representing the floor of the King Solomon’s Temple leads to one, two, or three steps representing various degree levels. Stonemasons’ working tools such as the square, compass, plumb rule, level, chisel, mallet, and trowel are distributed around the periphery, along with additional symbols representing specific degrees. Other symbols that are not considered tools appear in lodges as well. Explaining the past history of the Amritsar Lodge, Dr Parmjit Singh Grewal, its secretary, and also a past Master says, “In the beginning, meetings of the Freemasonry used to be held at Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s summer palace at Ram Bagh Garden once a month for few years. After about 45 years, the government got the meeting hall vacated and converted it into a museum and the Freemasonry became homeless. Thereafter the meetings were held at places like schools and the members’ residences.” In year 2000, Dr Santokh Singh donated a plot of 500 square yards at his farmhouse on the Ajnala Road for the construction of a Freemasons Hall (Temple). The hall was constructed with a handsome contribution from the Grand Lodge of India and the regional Grand Lodge of North India along with contributions from the members of the Lodge. The hall was dedicated to the great architect of the universe (God) by the Grand Master of India in 2002. The Lodge meetings are held in this hall ever since. Some of the prominent and dedicated freemason includes of Amritsar include Dr Sohan Singh, a famous eye surgeon of his time who is said to have performed the maximum number of cataract operations, Dr Guranditta Kapoor (Rai Sahib), Dr Gurmukh Singh Chawla, Mr Sant Singh, a former president of Chief Khalsa Diwan, Mr Gurcharn Singh, Dr K.S. Grewal, Dr Pritam Singh, Mr Hardit Singh Makhni, Thakur Das Mehra, Mr Beant Singh, Dr M.S. Khanna, S. Sant Singh, president of the Chief Khalsa Diwan for a number of years, Mr R.A . Boga, an industrialist and a philanthropist, Dr Karm Singh Grewal, a famous orthopedic surgeon, Mr G.R. Sethi, a journalist, and Dr Pritam Singh, former principal of the Medical College, Dr S.S. Manchanda, a well-known child specialist, Dr D.P. Savan, a surgeon, Dr Avtar Singh, a gynecologist, Lal Chand Mehra and Mr Labh Chand Mehra. Women not allowed Why can’t women join Freemasonry? Freemasonry is an organisation exclusive to men that claims to join men together on the basis of a benevolent society that gives out much-needed sums of money to all kinds of charities. Traditionally, Freemasonry has been just for men. However, within the Masonic family, there are various other activities— social and charitable—which cater for all members of the family. The past Master, Dr Santokh Singh, says the initiation process for becoming a member of the Freemason was considered difficult for a woman to undergo. He showed torn clothes, which a novice has to wear for some time, before he is inducted into Freemasonry.
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Preserving poetry in midst of decaying history
The recipient of the Shiromani Kavi award, Mr Parminderjit, has been bringing out the famous Punjabi literary magazine Akkhar from a rather rare building near the main Bus Stand for the past eight years now. People residing near it say the building used to be the favourite abode of Maharani Jinda, the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, during her visit to the Holy City. They point out the building’s big rooms with height of about 25 feet. The roof is made of wooden planks and mud to keep the rooms cool in summer, which also gives credence to the belief that the building was a part of the Maharaja’s Summer Palace. It is made of small bricks, known as Nanakshahi bricks in common parlance. The building is less than a kilometre away from the Ram Bagh Gardens, where the Summer Palace of the Maharaja is located. Mr Parminderjit said it was ironic that the Amritsar Heritage Festival which aimed at preserving the culture values and heritage buildings of the city, has failed to include this building, also known as Bhooi School among the locals. The poet rued that no efforts had been made to repair the historic building, a specimen of the architecture during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign. Mr Parminderjit began publishing and editing Akkhar from the building in 1997, after having been associated with another Punjabi literary magazine Lo for a decade. His literary career started with the publication of his first book of poetry, ‘Likhtum Parminderjit.’ Although he has written only four books — ‘College Kitab’ (1973), ‘Likhtum Parminderjit’ (1981), ‘Meri Marfat’ (2000) and ‘Bachpan, Ghar Te Main’ — he has created his own place in the field of Punjabi poetry. His fourth book was released on July 18 during a Kavi Smagam at Guru Nanak Dev University here. ‘Meri Marfat’ remained in the university’s MA (Punjabi), Part-II curriculum for three years. Apart from this, he has a special liking for editing and translating books. These include ‘Kalma Ke Rishte’ (1970), comprising poetry of Indian and Pakistani poets, ‘Bedian Te Badban’ (1973) which he edited in collaboration with Shaheryar, ‘Kavita Punjab,’ ‘Shairiy 92’ (1992) and ‘Dastak Te Sarnave.’ He was honoured with the Kalam Puraskar by the Komantri Lekhak Manch. He has been given a number of awards including the Safdar Hashmi Puraskar, Bawa Balwant Kavya Puraskar, Janwadi Kavita Puraskar and Maulvi Gulam Rasul Yaadgari Puraskar.
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Book on Gurdwaras in Pakistan ‘Darshan-Didar’ released Describing the distortion of historical facts on both sides of Radcliff Line as the main cause of hatred among the people of India and Pakistan, which has also led to a long era of animosity, the book titled ‘Darshan-Didar’ tries to unwind the discrepancies found in the history of both the countries, besides introducing various historical Gurdwaras in Pakistan. Ms Anita Sarin and Mr Surinder Kochhar, the writers of the book released by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president SAD, claim to have found new historical gurdwaras that remained under wraps till now. According to the writers, who had conducted a thorough research on the issue, they could enlist more than 227 Sikh historical shrines and sites that are in Pakistan and have compiled them into this book. They claimed that ‘Darshan-Didar’ was the only book in which there were reference of such a large number of sites with their photographs. They said the most important point was that they had also elaborated on the present state of the sites. Besides giving the information about the historical shrines, the book could also be beneficial for the researchers and historians, they claimed. The authors claimed that Pakistani historians took references from the works of British writers, who were not well aware of the history and had deliberately distorted the facts far from any truth and proofs. This resulted in the hatred among the people of two nations, they alleged. Elaborating on their research work, the writers said it took them about six years to complete the research and they personally met various Jathas visiting India from Pakistan. Till January 2001, they made rough manuscript of approximately 342 Gurdwaras, which fell under Pakistan boundary after the Partition. Unfortunately, they added, only 10 per cent of the historical sites were well maintained while remaining structures were either encroached by government or non-government organisations. They rued that the historians of both the countries failed to present the true historical facts, which were distorted to the extent that they caused irreparable loss to the great history of the two neighbouring nations.
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Singapore students visit city on a heritage tour No body can expect that an NRI Sikh child, who is born and brought up in a foreign country, could speak in chaste Punjabi and recite ‘moolmantra’. But for these Singapore Sikh children, who were on a heritage tour to twin cities of Amritsar and Lahore (Pakistan) recently to get an exposure of rich and strong Punjabi culture, speaking in Punjabi is not a tough job. The tour was organised by Singapore Sikh Education Foundation to promote and teach the importance of heritage values. The students were fascinated to visit the rich heritage in both sides of Indo-Pak border, said Mr Bhajan Singh, chairman of the foundation. He said the students were smattered by the hospitality, love and affection they received in India and in Pakistan as well. He said the students visited Kartarpur Sahib, Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Lahore fort and Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He said the students enjoyed the tour very much. Talking to this correspondent, he revealed that the universities in Singapore had made compulsory for the Sikh children to have knowledge of Punjabi for seeking admission. It has become mandatory for every Sikh student to have a sound knowledge of his mother tongue ‘Punjabi’ to seek admission in the University. Mr Daya Singh, another member of the delegation, while detailing about the activities of foundation, said it run Punjabi Language classes for 2000 students with the help of 103 Punjabi language teachers which enable the students to produce excellent results in the University of Cambridge examinations. The other major achievement of the foundation, he added, had been the writing and publishing of original Punjabi Language books based on modern and multi-media approaches. He said the foundation had also pioneered in teaching the universal Sikh values to the young Sikh children. This resulted in the Singapore National Printers publishing a creative series on the Sikh Way of Life which includes course books, activity books and audio CDs on Sikh values. He said the material had already been adopted in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and some schools in Australia, Canada and United States. He said in order to promote the teaching of values and love for the heritage, the foundation regularly organised Heritage tours to the sub-continent. The delegation, led by Mr Inderjit Singh, member of parliament, Singapore, also visited the Spring Dale Senior School here. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Manveen Sandhu, the school’s principal, said the language knew no barriers communication and wiped out all differences but to know and realise the profundity of one’s cultural roots was equally important for the younger generation. The students of the school presented a variety show giving a glimpse of the richness of the Punjabi culture through folk dance and music performances. There was an overwhelming performance of the Gatka material art of Punjab, which enlivened the spirits of the audience. |
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Workshop on mentally-challenged children organised A day-long special camp for the patients suffering from mental disability was organised at the Indian Medical Association hall recently in collaboration with UDAAN and Indira Project New Delhi along with Rotary Club Amritsar Central. Dr Arun Mukherjee, Chief Coordinator from New Delhi, said the cerebral palsy was a developmental disability affecting one among one thousand children. He said the workshop had explained the modern concepts of diagnoses, causes and medical management options available in India to the parents of the affected children. He said the main issue for discussion centred around the hyperbaric oxygen therapy for such disorders, which the pioneers in this line had been doing for the last four years. Dr Mukherjee said the results had shown good response and they were presented at various international conferences held in USA and in Bali (Indonesia). Dr Mukherjee explained that if proper selection was carried out to identify such children aged less than five years with ISCHEMIC (low blood supply mediated) brain damage at birth or near about as identified SPECT Scan then their eight-month-long multi mode early medical intervention therapy combined with standard therapy for eight months and other therapies could bring about the sea change and could prevent this disability. Dr Mukherjee also showed series of serial videos of many children to show the significant changes. Many children progressed from crawling to unsupported walking within six to nine months, he added. Dr Naresh Grover, a leading child specialist said through this camp they had been able to create general awareness about the disease and its management through medical treatment and therapies. He said the experts had been able to provide training to parents of such children and shown them new light about the treatment. He said more than 200 children attended the camp. |
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Dr Mahal voted president-elect of
California Medical Association The native of this city, Dr Mahal is the first Sikh physician to hold such a position in the United States. The leadership role, the 55-year-old physician is to assume, came at a time when the two million strong Indian-American community in America was flourishing and its elders were seeking to establish firm spiritual, cultural and educational foundations for their children. Dr Mahal, in an interview with a magazine ‘SPAN’, said that some time ago, anyone with a turban walking through a public place would attract a lot of curious looks especially after the terror attacks on the Trade Centres of America on September 11, 2005, but this was not the case with him as the visible minority could work both ways and he tried to use his ethnic appearance to his advantage. Dr Mahal said he along with his wife Dr Surjit Kaur Mahal, a family physician, came to the US from India five months after they were married in 1972. He said after graduating from New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences, he served his internship in internal medicine and dentistry of New Jersey. He said he completed fellowship in hepatology at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey fellowship in gastroenterology at the Stanford University Medical Centre in California in 1977. They settled in Fremont, a city on San Francisco Bay. They have two children, Subena Mahal 28, a family practice resident, and Vikram, 23, a college student. Dr Mahal said that he grew up in a society where the instructions came from the top and no one could question the authorities but it was totally different in the US where there was freedom in its culture, which one could not experience elsewhere. He said there was a certain respect from the superiors who were themselves comfortable with who they were. He said at present he was working on three important projects: a free medical clinic at an Indian Community Center, a framework to bring medical services to the millions of uninsured Californians and setting policies to ensure access to medical care for all. He tried to bring one of the chief tenants of Sikhism, the philosophy of equality, into play as he grappled with the issues. He said they were building community centers where hundreds of families would come to relax and interact with each other. He said there was something for everyone for example children and teenagers could take classes in Indian languages, culture, dance, arts, crafts, music and singing. Young professionals could use exercise machines, yoga, meditation and nutrition classes, while the elderly would use board games, books and magazines, he added. He said a free medical clinic at the center in Fremont would be run by volunteer physicians as part of a credentialing programme. He further said the staff would include a medical social worker, who would provide information about various state-run plans. Free medication and health awareness classes would be offered, especially for hypertension, a common, yet life-threatening condition among the elders in the community, he added. |
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PHDCCI welcomes Pak’s move to import steel from India The Punjab, Haryana and Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has welcomed Pakistan’s move to lift the ban on the import of mild steel from India. Talking to The Tribune, Mr R S Sachdeva, co-chairman and chief coordinator of the Indo-Pak exhibition said it was a positive move, as India would be able to meet Pakistan’s need for steel required for the reconstruction of houses and buildings ravaged by massive earthquake that hit the region in October this year. He said this would help the Indian companies to market their steel products including spare parts made out of mild steel. “The recent sales records have enthused the Pakistani exhibitors who promised to bring a wider range of consumer products and gift items for the next fair that is scheduled to be held the following year.” Encouraged by the response of 1.50 lakh visitors, Mr Sachdeva said onyx retailers from Pakistan, who showcased massive range of marble jade items, and made a record sale of around Rs 60 lakh and had commented that India offers a good market potential. Mr Sachdeva said the exhibition was a major reflection of the strong Indian industrial base and potential of the city as a market. The textile retailers also did roaring business, selling variety of textures and designer suits for discerning women of the city.
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Dalit Dasta Virodhi Andolan rescues
42 labourers The Dalit Dasta Virodhi Andolan (DDVA) recently managed to rescue 42 bonded labourers, including family members, working at a brick kiln in village Punia near here. The brick kiln was jointly owned by Pargat Singh, Bakhshish Singh and Buta Singh. Mr Baljinder Singh, a former bonded labourer, filed the case against the three owners, accountant Jernail Singh of village Punia, District Magistrate Amritsar and state of Punjab in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Following this, the High Court appointed a warrant officer to liberate the petitioner’s other fellow labourers working at the kiln. He stated in the petition that all of the 42 labourers had been working at the kiln since September 16 and living near it under appalling condition. He alleged that they were not being paid any wages by the owners, were working against their wishes. The labourers were not allowed to leave their jobs, he added. All of the labourers were held illegally, he said. Musclemen of the owners beat up the labourers when they try to escape from the kiln, he claimed. He said he had managed to escape and wanted to liberate his friends as well. Mr Sanjay Kumar, Project Coordinator, DDVA, along with warrant officer and some policemen of Patti police station went to rescue the labourers. |
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Panorama
A colorful fiesta, Panorama –2005, the annual show of the Spring Blossoms School was held on 17th and 18th December 2005. The show was presented by the tiny tots of the school in their amazing attires to enchant the audience. The show were presided over by Ms Vibhu Raj, SSP, Majitha and Mr Nanak Singh, Principal, Guru Teg Bahadur College for Women. Ms Harinder Riar, Principal, Khalsa College Public School was the guest of honour. Career Workshop
A career workshop and a seminar was organised Ajanta Senior Secondary School, Dhab Khatikan in which well-known professionals and educationists participated. Ms Manjeet Rajwant (Field Officer, NSS, GNDU), Dr Anish Dua, a lecturer in Zoology at Guru Nanak Dev University, Mr Mayank Kapoor, a lecturer in business, Brigadier Ajay Mehta, Mrs Muskan Kapoor, an Art of Living teacher, Mr Dhani Ram, Principal, DAV College were present on the occasion. Dr Rajneesh Arora, Director, Placements, Guru Nanak Dev University was the main speaker. He told the students on the career they could opt for after 10+2, graduation and post-graduation. Parents were also present. Mr Sunil Dutti, Mayor, released the yearly bulletin of the school. He also gave certificates to the students who participated in the workshop. City guide
A ‘City Guide’ of the Holy City complied by Mr Jaideep Singh, a resident of the city, was formally released by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, on occasion of IPEX-2005, the Indo-Pak trade exhibition held here recently The guide contains information like phone numbers, train timings, flight schedule, and major tourist places. Cultural evening
A cultural evening was organised by BBK DAV College in the honour of the delegation from the UK led by Mr Ajinderpal Singh Chawla, President, Chief Khalsa Diwan (Europe branch). The others present included Mr Girdhar Gomang, former Chief Minister of Orissa, Mr Vikram Sahni, President, World Punjabi Organisation, Dr Amrik Singh Arora, President, IMA. |
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‘No substitute for hard work’ The Chief Commissioner, Income Tax, Mrs Saroj Bala, IRS, exhorted the students that they could overcome all adversities through hard work and dedication. Speaking on the occasion of annual prize distribution function of Red Roses High School and Cedar Spring School held at Guru Nanak auditorium, Mr Saroj Bala said the present young generation was highly talented which could easily achieve the highest goals in life provided the youth were showed the right direction. Appreciating the skills of students, which they exhibited through cultural performances, she said she was highly impressed by their self confidence, and added that the students were highly motivated and were trying their best to preserve the rich Indian heritage and traditions by taking part in such cultural activities. |
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MARKET PULSE
The Tommy Hilfiger eyewear collection continues to embrace colour for this fall season. Brilliant colour and large plastic frames with classic American styling and scratch resistant lenses have been launched. These ensure 100% UV protection and optical clarity. Tommy Hilfiger eyewear, comprising of over 70 styles across Men’s and Women’s, are priced between Rs. 3,000 and Rs, 5,800. Myriad hues:
Colour-Bar Cosmetics Pvt. Limited has launched variant shades in lipsticks, nail polishes and nail glosses. With every purchase worth Rs.250, you could win a trousseau purchase kit absolutely free. Also on offer is a unique 3-in-1 Torch pen, free with every purchase of Rs. 350 or more of Colourbar products. New soaps:
Clearasil, one of the leading acne solutions brand, has launched in India two new soap variants targeted at helping keep skin clear of pimples and blemishes—Clearasil Oil Control Soap (Rs. 20 for 75 gm) and Clearasil Scrub
Soap (Rs. 25 for 75 gm). Both soaps are available at leading chemists and select general stores nationwide. Home collections:
The Beekman Place collection is part of the luxurious Crest collection within the bed range. In tones of browns, blues and caramel-Beekman Place portrays a masculine, tailored look. It’s appeal is evocative of the 1960’s and is complete in luxury fabrics of satin and velvet. The second bedding collection offered by Tommy is called Sloane.
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Dr Anmol S. Mahal made the residents of the Holy City feel proud when he was voted president-elect of the California Medical Association (CMA) at its annual House of Delegates meeting held in March. He steps up to the chairmanship of the 35,000 strong physicians’ organisation next year, on its 100th anniversary.