An Ode Called Amritsar

Wonder if there is any need for dividend from Pakistan?

Mumbai Mirror
Two treaties, same villain

India is being painted as the party spoiler in WTO and the nuclear deal. Maybe we should gloat Posted On Saturday, June 21, 2008

Ajit Ranade

The nuclear deal is stalled and India is being blamed by Western commentators
(Warning: If you are ultra gullible, who quickly accepts conspiracy theories, read no further. If you are easily aroused into xenophobia, stop here)

India's 2007 GDP measured in dollars, and adjusted with American prices instead of Indian prices, is about $ 4.5 trillion. Last December, the World Bank, which calculates these adjusted GDPs for 146 countries, abruptly lowered India and China's numbers substantially.
So instead of boasting that we were the third largest economy, we are now fifth (behind Japan and Germany).
Last month, while our official data was showing India's inflation to be eight percent, the Economist of London screeched that it was actually well above 10 per cent.
More recently the World Bank ranked India a low 117 out of 125 on its trade restrictiveness index. If you thought India has quite an open trade policy, you are wrong!
According to the WB, we are much worse than Russia, China and Brazil and in fact 116 other countries. Last year, a report of the National Bureau of Economic Research of the USA ranked the Reserve Bank of India as the least transparent among Asian central banks.
An IMF report of February also said that RBI lacked clarity of communication. So RBI's frequent communiqués, broadcasts, consultations, pro-active policy announcements, an up-to date website and database apparently don't add up to much, according to the IMF assessment. GDP downgrade, overstating our inflation prematurely, bottom rank on openness, severe criticism of RBI. Do you see a pattern here? It looks like a lot of foreigners are suddenly throwing stones at us.
We are in the midst of negotiating two important and far-reaching agreements. One is called the Doha round of the WTO and the other is the nuclear deal with the US.
On the former, more than 150 countries are trying to hammer out an agreement to lower trade barriers and increasing free trade in goods and services. But despite seven years of discussions and negotiations at the highest levels (of trade ministers), no agreement is in sight.
That's because we insist that there's no deal unless Western nations dismantle their farm subsidies which hurt our farmers. We can't afford any more farmer distress here, just because America wants to keep cotton prices low through subsidies.
The Doha deal is stuck. Who then is blocking this deal? Who is the stick-in-the-mud?
If you read the Western press, it is India who is the chief spoiler.
There is an attempt to isolate India as villain number one, who is stalling a deal that would benefit all developing countries. On the nuclear deal too, American commentary is sounding increasingly frustrated.
The gist of this commentary is that the deal is so damn good for India and its energy needs, and India is just shooting itself in the foot by being so adamant.
About meaningless things like the right to test weapons in the future.
Didn't the US make a huge concession by amending its own Atomic Energy Act to allow a civilian nuclear cooperation with India? Why then is India stuck on trivialities? Why are the "baddies" of domestic politics holding a historic deal to ransom?
The reality is that this ridicule and threats from the West means that it is "them" who stand to benefit much more from Doha or the nuclear deal.
At this stage, India has to merely do nothing, and wait for them to come around. Mahatma Gandhi in a different context had scaid, "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they threaten and fight you, and then you win."
With slowly but surely rising economic might, we seem to have transited from the "ignore" to "take seriously" stage. Once we get past being painted as villains, and if we don't capitulate, we may finally get to being treated as adults at the global geopolitical table.

Re: # 26 ras
"to their senses.. the peace dividend would be enormous....
"
peace dividend might be for few who might be able to make money writing books or creating films.

But for the people on the streets, on local trains in Mumbai or temples in Jaipur or Varanasi it means dividing of their bodies in parts by IEDs and RDXs.

Unless Pakistanis leave Islam there is no Rs. dividends for them and peace for their neighbors. Wish Pakistan was located very close to the West. They would not have tolerated its existence beyond an year.

nice article!
Amritsar and Lahore were called twin cities before partition and in the early part of 20th century, were of roughly the same size.

This writing reminded me of my own visit to India in 2004.

It is a wonderful experience to search through the

childhood of one's parents.

If only the governments of India and Pakistan would come

to their senses.. the peace dividend would be enormous....


Ras

“ In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyãh (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.

what a coincidence, my village and city mentioned in one go.
my ancestral house is about a kilometer away from goindwal sahib gurudwara.the open spaces and greenery around the gurudwara is very soothing, i can visit this holy place again and again.

i visited Amritsar recently after almost 10 years, was shocked to see how dirty it has become. the beautiful mall road is in a state of neglect, grand kothis along it have been demolished to make commercial complexes. population has increased manifold as has the traffic.
Ammara, I dont think the area around the railway station has changed much, your mum shud be able to locate the area where she had lived.
the golden temple is as beautiful and serene as ever. you feel and immense sense of peace as soon as you enter the place.

Re: # 13 Daddu
"Aank utha kar bhi mat dekhna......... nikal denge hum!!"

Too many eyes are on YOU, how many do you wish to surgically remove?

And avoid using the royal plural (hum); it doesn't suit you.

Re: # 8 Thanx dostmitter..will try that ...

Re: # 15 Anyone can copy paste history from the internet....why didnt u just paste the link here?

Re: # 13 Luddu...heard of the word tolerance?

Re: # 1 Thank u fr the encouragement BJP

Re: # 11 There is nothing in the article siding up with the Muslims or Sikhs... so take a chill pill...The Jallianwalla Bagh was in fact a offense by the Brits and was a crime against humanity...

Re: # 15 Oye Laddu

Now where is Jehangir, and where is Murtaza Khan? Thank Raam-Seeta that you're being spared and don't happen to live in their times!

You're alive and kickin', but don't kick unnecessarily...

Oye Laddu,

What do you want the Muslims to admit; responsibility for the Holocaust, seek forgiveness from the J-people?

Stop flogging a dead horse. All sinners (whether in their graves or alive) will surely stand accused in Allah's court of justice. THIS is what we believe as Muslims. No matter how much you roll on the floor like a toddler, nobody is going to say what you want them say.

Well, those who are sick of your accusations and Islam-bashing, just might metaphorically say, 'Baba, mu'aaf karo'.

And when you hear THAT, go away like a satisfied 'derwish' and never beg for more apologies.

Originally built during 1574 AD, the site of the temple was surrounded by a small lake in a thin forest. The third of the six grand Mughals, emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das, at the neighbouring town of Goindval was so impressed by the way of life in the town that he gave a jagir (the land and the revenues of several villages in the vicinity) to the Guru's daughter Bhani as a gift on her marriage to Bhai Jetha, who later became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. Guru Ram Das enlarged the lake and built a small township around it. The town was named after Guru Ram Das as "Guru Ka Chak", "Chak Ram Das" or "Ram Das Pura".

During the leadership of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev (1581-1606), the full-fledged Temple was built.


This is what Emperor Jahangir wrote in his diary called the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, which translates to "Memoirs of Jahangir"


“ In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyãh (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.

At last when Khusrau passed along this road this insignificant fellow proposed to wait upon him. Khusrau happened to halt at the place where he was, and he came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusrau in certain special ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark in saffron, which the Indians (Hinduwän) call qashqa, (Tilak) and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I clearly understood his folly, I ordered them to produce him and handed over his houses, dwelling-places, and children to Murtaza Khan, and having confiscated his property commanded that he should be put to death."
„

Sultana Begum, Great Granddaughter-in-Law of Bahadur Shah Zafar - the Last Moghul

She sought divine forgiveness for atrocities committed by Mughals on Hindus and Sikhs, at the Golden Temple.

Moved by the tales, and pictures, of Sikh gurus being brutally chastised by Muhgals, Sultana Begum, who runs a tea stall on a footpath of Howrah and receives a paltry pension of Rs 400, undertook a pilgrimage to Amritsar after she received a financial assistance of Rs 50,000 from Swami Chinmayanand, ex-union minister of state for home affairs.
Zafar in his last days The stone at Zafar's grave

"I have come to Amritsar to seek atonement for the sins of my husband's forefathers," Sultana told TNN.

"This morning I went to the Golden Temple and sought pardon from the Almighty for my ancestors' sins and atrocities," she said. She also visited Durgiana Temple here and the dargah of Hazrat Ali Shah at Najibabad in UP for the same purpose.

"Mughal emperors Aurangzeb and Jahangir unleashed terror not only on Sikhs and Hindus but also on Muslims. That's why I went to temples and mosques," Sultana said. She wept on seeing pictures of Sikh gurus undergoing punishment inflicted by Mughals at the Central Sikh Museum. "How can anyone forget that Guru Arjan Dev was burnt on a frying pan during Jahangir's time and the two sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh, last Sikh guru, were killed by Aurangzeb? Islam does not permit cruelty against anyone," she said.

"The sins of my husband's forefathers have brought misery upon me. I belong to a royal family, but see the pathetic condition I am in, barely able to manage two meals a day," she said.

Mother of five daughters and a son Muzaffar Kamal, who is a cook in Saudi Arabia, Sultana said political leaders like Chinmaynand, Mamata Banerji, Tapan Sikdar, Tathagata Roy had visited her dingy hut at Foreshore Road, Howrah, "but only Chinmayanandji gave me financial assistance".