Sardarni and trump

Sardarni and Trump

Dear Trump ji,

Sat Sri Akal! How are you doing ji this morning? It is the Iowa primary or whatever. I just know that primary means going to school for the first five classes. My village back home In Amritsar, Punjab, India had a primary school, then inter and then high school where I went. Oh, you must be so confused with my wishing, don’t bother pronouncing it, its not the SAT exam which you make us all take to prove our intelligence, it just means God Is the ultimate truth.  I could debate with you, till kingdom come about your God and Mine but we all are the same e, be it white black, Indian, American Indian, or the person wearing the funny hat.

How is that your rabble rousing is gaining so much momentum? Never in recent years have I felt that hate is increasing. It is cyclical that we go through the dark ages, free a section of society who are discriminated because of color and are thought to be inferior, then we idolize the martyrs, have days fro them, but then again after a few decades we are back to square one.

Why are you dividing us again, jib? Why does the man in the hat, make you afraid and uncomfortable? Why do you hate us? Why do you want to push us out?

Is it because you have bad hair days and the fly away hair cannot be controlled? Do you wish you also wore a hat? It’s not a hat it’s a turban.

Its worn by the Sikhs (warriors who stand for truth, and fights for the downtrodden) to promote equality and to preserve the Sikh identity .We, wear it because our guru said so, Guru here means a dispeller of darkness, and ushering in light.

Why did you not do some research? Aren’t your media savvy, group of cronies and sycophants around you help you with this? We cover our heads because our guru wanted us to be easily recognizable, but to easily be found as well.

It conveys, royalty, grace and uniqueness and it is for all to see. We do not hide behind veils.

Why, Sir jib are you feeling threatened? It is so easy to win us over. We have toiled for our adopted country; we left our homes, lands, and country to make a better future for our coming generations, that’s why we have worked hard in the land of equal opportunity. For us like dick Whittington, the streets are paved in gold.

Even the Bible, Sir ji like our Padre back home told us on bade din sorry Christmas for you, the high priest, “ He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban, these are holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.’ (Leviticus 16:4)

Sir ji, it is being recognized every day where Sikhs who wear the turban are being giving high posts everywhere by the government! Even in Amreeka, lots of us have high positions and we contribute in large numbers to the economy.

Trump ji , tussi vadey log, you influence all in America, may God bless you , you powerful to change so many people’s mind  please do so.

Sir, last personal question ji , I am as old as your grandma , do you have constipation problems? Maybe , you need Isabgol or you may watch Piku…..

All problems arise from no potty or just delayed potty .

Chardi kala !

bibi from west coast  

The Deabte , of who am I ?

Yesterday, in one of the national papers I happened to read an article, factual news that disturbed me more than Trump’s ridiculous statements. In a function held in the capital that has become a tradition for celebrating Lohri, the renowned artist, cultural traveller as he calls himself Madan Gopal Singh and his musicians, chaar yaar and Jasbir Jassi were performing. They sung their songs enthralling the audience. But, to his dismay and utter sadness, a visibly upset young woman spoke to them of inclusive singing, and that Lohri was a Hindu festival and not Muslim, were they celebrating Eid.

This news reporting has left me upset, what kind of scenario are we bringing our children to? When, did Lohri that was a festival that concerns Dullah Bhatti, a Muslim rebel who rescued Hindu women and married them off within their religion be divided according to religious color?

How can we as responsible citizens, humans start dividing festivals that are so ingrained in our genes into Hindu, Muslim Sikh, Christian. We never grew up with these lines that are threatening our country? How come this aggressiveness has started rearing up its head?

The singer was aghast and upset, and saddened by the behavior dished out. It is easier to say to carry on and forget one odd person.

India has a hidden strength that has for centuries been able to keep it safe and strong and been the glue that binds a country spilling in different colors and hues. How can the green of the pir be different from the green of Guru Gobind Singh to the green of Krishna? The fact that we worship God in his different forms and avatars is what makes us all gel. The aarti in the Hindu temple, to the aarti of Nanak and the muezzin call of the maulvi all sing in different words but the call to the higher self is the same.

Being a Sufi is fashionable these days, but a Sufi is one who ties knots and bonds with His creator losing his ego, id and merging himself with Him.

Why have we  started monopolizing God, as mine, mine? The first step in any mantra, and lines of the SGGS is to lose the ego and to become with in Him with a longing that is encompassing and embracing.

I wish I could meet this young woman who had the audacity to say and condemn the singing and to color the function in communal colors.

In fact, at the ground level, we need to realize the threat is real, prevalent and there, otherwise how did this young woman have this skewed idea? Also, the numbers are growing, and their presence is a threat to the Indian/Punjabi (an interwoven composite culture). Punjab and its melting point of all religions are all embracing, how did we reach this point? The fact that I love the aarti on the Ghats, along with my Allah Mohammad Char yaar to the chaupai makes me what ? Why does reciting the kalaam of Sultan Bahu hold special meaning alongside my path ?Be human , don’t cloak yourself in the veils of religion and cause strife.

Friends, be there to bail me out, when trouble strikes.

fashion of the times, always

Last week I attended a cremation of a friends father who passed away after living a life of honor and dignity and a complete life loved by his family, friends and society .I am currently on temporary migration from the heartland of Punjab to Chandigarh just like my avian friends who end up coming every year in smaller numbers. In fact, the climate weather has changed their flying patterns and I wonder now about the change in the rapid modernization of the city. Over the past few years the change has happened so fast that its left me zapped.

The cremation ground was so different from the one in the village. I know this is a morbid subject but the glaring differences stand out and have just been in my mind since that day. Everything was dignified, controlled and the family was obviously suffering, the universal moment makes all of us realize how fragile life is and the balance. However, what I found strange was the fact that a lot of people were wearing dark glasses, shades or glares choose your terminology (it actually will reflect your class in society, I am told). The fact that men and women needed to shade themselves and shy away from the one and only universal truth made me realize how deluded they all were.

The expensive shades shielding them, and providing a protective façade from the harsh and bitter truth made me pity them.

Death is the only leveler, it doesn’t spare the poor or the rich or the super rich. And, then all of them acted; mind you this was a crowd of forty year olds, who didn’t want to admit they were 40. 40 are the new 30 or whatever Vogue or Cosmo is trying to sell you as a feel good mantra. They all stood on the sides when kirtan was going, and completely quiet when the ritualistic path was going on. If, one is not able to say the prayers, because I was a Sikh and I dint know the Hindu path, that was understandable but to not know your own, because it was too desi or pendu to recite them or to even admit that one knew them, surely smacks of a soul of confusion.

Religion and furthermore spirituality is what is our core strength and has been our hidden strength, losing it to be quasi –modern or to show that one is so modern hiding behind the black tights and ill fitting dress curving the bulges with a scarf in muted colors to show solidarity but with perfect base, foundation and winged eyeliner made me realize I was a misfit.

In fact, it didn’t stop there; there were many women with suits worn with the matching pastel, jamawar, kani shawls. However, this was nothing, the final day reminded me of a Karan Johar set, women all manicured, pedicured, perfectly creased khadi silk suits in shades which even Gandhiji didn’t imagine. The creams, whites, black, greys with subtle embroidery and the perfect shawls that seemed to be made for the suit and not the other way around. In fact, the perfect make up and eye shadow that was evident of the palette of Nars. I realized there is a way to sit also, in perfect alignment to the kirtan and to have this divine expression on your face as if your third eye had also opened, some were in sync with the whatsapp, one smart lady behind me was reading a book on her phone, and some sat straight with the perfect crease of the duppatta framed by the shawl, hair falling gently on the face profiling the best features.

This was all in such great contrast to my home back home, where everyone sat all close to each other, one heard the waheguru said aloud, and some women singing with the shabads being read out, and it was a sacrilege to have lipstick or any make up, colors are always plenty but all heads covered with the white chunni symbolizing mourning.

It’s not meant to be sanctimonious s, nor do I want to be egoistical in putting myself on a higher plateau, I just feel that the older traditions and practices of our elders were better. We all adhered to them. Wearing simpler, clothes minus the drama and the tension of getting a new outfit tailored wasn’t in the scheme of things. Men also had it easier, a kurta pajama would work with a shawl, now it’s the blazer, trousers and somehow they all want to wear bright colored socks, some are so bright that they must be channeling some inner Diva!

Jokes apart, this race of foremanship, is so prevalent and the sad part it doesn’t even spare death. To use Professor Snape, Always .