FROM SEED TO SUICIDE

Our bread is what he gives

But a sad story that farmer lives

This starts from sowing a seed

But ends into a tragic suicide??

His strength of being a beholder

Strangles under his burdened shoulders

His terribly wounded feet

His hunger stricken eyes

Does he deserve a death?

That no one ever died??

The wrecked home he lives in

The sweat & blood he gives in

The dire poverty he is born with

Has now become an obvious myth.

The rights he does not get

His life is constantly under debt

Natural things or man made

No one is his comrade

The rain washes away his dreams

He’s neither helped by legislative schemes

The loans he had to pay

To keep the poverty away

He is burdened till his last breath

Only thing he gets is a usual death?

The hope of seeing his family glad

& keep them all away from bad,

The wish of seeing his daughter married

Lies with him in the grave he’s buried.

He’s left with no option in front

Either he lives in the scarcity

Or has a tragic death to confront.

He wants a life free from dejection.

All The hard work he does,

Shall be given an exact direction.

He’s the backbone of nation,

His needs should be understood

He should be given his possible rights

As he’s doing his best as he could.

Schemes should be improvised

The gap should be lessened,

His needs should be civilized

& should not be deafened

Never let his visions be crucified,

Give him what he deserves

To shun the idea of “seed to suicide.”

All his rights should be preserved.

– GAGNEET KAUR

This poem conceptualizes the pain & suffering one farmer has to go through all his life to get rid of poverty. He spends all his savings, borrowings in investing into his land but sometimes he’s betrayed by the natural disasters or sometimes by the manufacturers who, in the name of selling their crops, gain a lot more money than the farmers. The farmer faces a lot of loss due to this & sadly he is left with no option but only suicide. Government does its best to launch schemes for the farmers but only few of them are eligible for the farmers. Main idea here is to reduce the gap between the farmer & the direct consumer. If the middlemen (manufacturer) doesn’t get involved in between the process, this can earn a farmer a good living as he can directly negotiate with the consumer & get his deserved share. The middlemen’s role should be lesser. Then only the farmers can earn a relatively higher amount of what they get now. They would no longer live a life of poverty & all of their wishes like getting their children married & giving basic necessities to the family would be fulfilled & they will get rid of liability of paying off huge loans on time.

WOMEN & SIKHISM

Women, in spite of being a very significant part of our society, are still considered a weaker sex in comparison to men. Since the medieval age, she was sold & auctioned in open markets just like other articles are sold in the world. There was & there is still a huge gap between the two genders, where the superiority lies with the men of the society. Women, being of any religion & caste are not given an equal treatment & are considered mere an object to play with. But there is one such religion that respects the worth of the women in this world as history is witnessed too that women from this religion were great warriors & inspirational figures. The “Sikhism” has given a new definition to the vital role of women in the society & I feel colossal proud in saying that ‘I am a woman born & brought up in a Sikh family.’

The Sikh gurus played an essential role in bringing up women’s position amongst the society. They preached that a woman of any cast or creed must be given the same respect as it is given to the Sikh women. Guru Nanak Dev ji, the first Sikh guru & a great saint, felt dejected seeing the deplorable condition of the women in those days. He thereby proclaimed that this nation cannot progress further if the people are not respectful to a woman, who is the sole creator of this world. He even raised his voice & asserted “why call her inferior when all forms of greatness have their matrix in woman”. The second Sikh guru, Shri Guru Angad Dev ji took special attention towards the education of a girl child & he himself use to take their classes. His daughter Bibi Amro, learnt everything with a good pace & history is observed that she remembered each & every bani of Guru Nanak Dev ji by heart & she used to sing those in congregation. (kirtan with the other worshippers)

 

Where in the same world, woman was being kept confined in a Purda, she was also made to sacrifice her life on the same pyre his husband was being burnt on after death & the widows were considered a curse to the society. The Third Sikh Guru, Shri Guru Amar das Ji felt pity on the condition of women & wanted some ground-breaking changes to empower the womenfolk. He, therefore, took some revolutionary steps to improve the plight of the women. He propagated to end the Sati system & child marriage & also introduced the system of widow-remarriage in the society so that widows too can be treated similar to other human beings & gets their rights as a woman. He also appointed women missionaries & they were given the position of preachers & religious leaders. Other than our Sikh gurus, there were some Sikh women legendary figures, who courageously took part in battle fields & fought the enemies along with men & achieved success. One such brave woman was, Mai Bhaago (Bhaag Kaur) who led Sikh Soldiers against Mughals that time. She is still an inspiration for thousands of youth girls across the nation. That is the reason why, Gatka skills are also learnt by Sikh girls as our Sikhism never tends to discriminate between the power & courage of men & women. Instead the women are considered to be more powerful gender who can lead the army, public & private affairs, and administrations. Other than Mai Bhago, there are several examples of women who not only ruled the battle fields but handled the state & public affairs really well. Kheevi ji, wife of Guru Angad Dev ji was appointed as in charge of kitchen by him, which she used to supervise & she was the first ever lady to hold any public office (Langar hall). Rani Sada Kaur, mother-in-law of the well known, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was quite knowledgeable in the state affairs & she used to command the soldiers in the battle field. Rani Sahib Kaur, elder sister of Raja Sahib singh, Patiala, became the first woman prime minister of Patiala at the age of 18.

The Sikhism always has preached a rule to give respect to women. The Sikh gurus always wanted that women of any other caste or religion must be given the same respect as it was being given to their Sikh women. They believed that all the elder ladies be considered as sisters & young girls as daughters. Even the Tenth Sikh guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji said “Shower your love to your own wife but do not think of other lady even in dreams.” But the kind of ambiance we are living in these days, Rape seems like a rule of today. The women, being of any religion or caste, are molested, abused, raped & brutally beaten to death. They still are treated like an object & are facing the pangs of inequality & discrimination against them. But if we take a deep look into the Sikh religion, the Sikh women are always considered equal to men. She can take Pahu (Amrit) along with men & she can be a part to the Five Beloved Sikhs who perform the duty of bestowing Amrit to the devotees who are desirous of becoming a true sikh (Amrit Chakna). The sikh ladies are free to go to gurudwara & take active participation in Kirtan by reciting the banis in praise of God.

There are few legendary names of some women of Sikh religion, who have excelled their names in various fields. Amrita Pritam is a name that is still remembered for her unique writing style. A great celebrated woman author of old times, Amrita Pritam proved that women are no less than men, even in their writing intellect. During that period, if a woman wrote, that was either not considered important or the woman author was being cursed for taking up that work which was only thought to be done by men. But she broke all the clutches of stereotypical thinking & pre-conceived notions against women. Surinder Kaur, was another known name in the field of singing who became a legend & inspiration for all the singing youth till ages. Sikh Ladies, till today, are shining out in every field, standing shoulder to shoulder with men. Be it a lady who holds the governmental affairs & takes a stand for women empowerment( Harsimrit kaur Badal) or a girl whose singing voice is an inspiration for all the youth of today (Harshdeep Kaur) or a woman who has stood out well in the acting field leaving us all stunned with her acting (Kiron Kher) or a girl who has made her identity well known with her dancing talent in spite of being handicapped (Subhreet Kaur), all of them have made the fact believable that where men can earn, hold a state, can sing well, can write, can dance, women too have the ability to do so if given the right opportunity & deserving respect.

The motive of this article is not to disrespect anyone’s religious sentiments but it holds a message of how women are treated in our Sikhism. I just want everyone to know & learn how our Gurus respected the womenfolk & how they made us follow the same preaching.  Women, belonging to any religion, caste or creed, must be respected & their doings shall always be treasured. Our mother, our daughters, our sisters, our wife, each one of them holds their own significance in our life & that should always be treasured. We, the generation of today, believe in putting the crimes against women to an end. But have we ever thought, how?? Until & unless we don’t see a woman beyond an object, neither our thought process can evolve, nor can we move towards the nation’s development. We should follow the teachings of Sikh gurus if we really want to work towards empowering the womenfolk & bring her to a level next to a man. The initiatives should be taken to allow women of other religion as well to take active participation in the state & public affairs. As she is the sole creator who has given birth to the intellectuals, kings, actors, politicians, so the respect & equality is her desired right that we owe to her for bringing us into this world. As Guru Nanak Dev ji always believed “so kyun mandaa aakhiye, jitt jamien raajan.”

                                                                                                                                                                   

• GAGNEET KAUR

FAILURES- ROUTE TO A DEAD END OR A NEW BEGINNING???

Failure, a word that every human being is afraid of! Failure, according to most of the people is an end to the hard work one did to achieve the desired results. Is it really an end? Or just a new beginning??

Success & failure are an integral part of human’s life. Only a few get a chance to grab the right way to success, without investing much of the manpower. But the people, who face failures, in every attempt & still don’t lose the optimistic way of moving towards the right path of success, are the ‘real achievers’. For them, their ambitions mean everything. We all are prone to face failures at every point of our lives. Like happiness , love, joy, are some of the blissful things that add ecstasy to our lives. Similarly, obstacles, hurdles, disappointments & rejections are those things which add discouragement & sorrow to our lives. We all experience a breakdown at some point or the other. But the real achievers, as mentioned above, become very normal towards the obstacles coming their way. They tend to move forward, taking up a new approach ahead to avoid failures. They think of what went wrong, at what point & do all the possible efforts to recover the weaknesses that worked as a hurdle in their way to success.

Thoughts like “what will people say” & “what will I do now, it’s all over”, subdue our thinking abilities & we do move forward but with a negative approach towards life & failures. It’s therefore, very important to understand the term success & failures & also the ways to deal with these two.  Just like electricity gives power supply to make the appliances work effectively; similarly a mind with positive thoughts can deliver the best outcomes. Negativity can only lead to lack of self-confidence & motivation & the desired results may not be achieved. Trying harder & giving your best possible shot, are not the only things that contribute to success, but a positive thought process & faith in oneself can work as the best antidote to the failures one has faced.

Failures, are just the hard realities of life. They are not an end, but a fresh start to a newly transformed you. Tend to forget what has already happened & try to overcome the fear of failure. Taking up a fresh & positive approach in life, can help you develop a better thought process in you. Always remember, a successful person today, was a struggler once. He must have faced the failures & discouragements too but he never lost his path of achieving success. During the struggle, one has to fall; be it once, twice, thrice, but standing up again and again, and moving forward with an utter dedication towards accomplishment of the goals, is the only option to attain success in life. And once your dreams come true, no one can ever stop you to successively climb the magical stairs of triumph & victory.

Failures never lead to a road that has a dead end but it forms a route towards a refreshing journey into a transformed life. Failures can never stop you to reach the desired destination. It’s you, who decide your destiny & the right approach to move forward with a zeal & utmost faith in yourself. You just need to repeat an exercise daily after waking up. Stand in front of the mirror, give a nice decent smile, take a deep breath & say “I believe in myself; not in failures”. This will keep you positive throughout the day & you can trust me on that.

– GAGNEET KAUR

A TRIP TO THE WONDERLAND

 

I stood beside a mystical chocolate sea

As I stepped forth, an elf approached me.

Big eyes, small body, ears made of plastic

He looked cute & tiny, but his stare was drastic.

“Have this berry!” he offered me with a smile

“This will take you to another world for a while.”

The beauty of the nature now hardly could I see

I took a bite; felt the dizziness overpowering me.

I woke up to those sweet chirpy sounds

Lush green bushes dancing all around

Silent River that flowed nearby

Rainbow spreading bliss up in the sky

Flowers blossoming to their best shades

Like the immortal beauty that never fades

It was not usual but quite grand

My magical “trip to the wonderland”.

A place where the animals talked!

A land on which the huge trees walked!

A mysterious waterfall flowed through mountains

Instead of water, chocolate flowed from the fountains.

The sea looked like a huge chocolate lake

A bush on the shore grew a strange luscious cake

The bridge across was made of pure jelly

Seeing this, the hunger stroked my belly.

I took a sip of the enchanting magic stirred

For a second my vision went blurred.

What I saw then was next to my imagination

My heart started dancing with a feeling of elation

A bunch of fairies looking flawless & serene

Seemed like the alluring mermaids from marine.

White long gowns & pure white skin

Smile on the faces & spiritual hearts within.

They had set a precious tiara on my head

& took me to the exclusive rose bed.

The crown had twigs & a priceless pearl

The joyous birds in the sky started to whirl.

The cuckoo bird sang her sweetest melody

The peacock in the bushes danced splendidly.

The dream I saw was quite short spanned

Though I enjoyed this dreamy trip to wonderland.

–    GAGNEET KAUR

DREAMS- DO THEY HAVE WINGS??

Source: DREAMS- DO THEY HAVE WINGS??

DREAMS- DO THEY HAVE WINGS??

Dream the most incredible vision

Which is away from usual thoughts

Give wings to your dreamy ideas

& become one out of the elite lots.

Dream the most amazing inspiration

Which lets you reach the height

Give wings to your thought formation

& fly towards the brightest light.

Dream the most wonderful notion

Which travels you to the another world

Take a deep dive into artistic ocean

To reach the peak where your name is furled.

Dream big, dream success

& take those precious wings out.

Fly out to the path of progress

& keep away from ‘self-doubt.’

Yes, the dreams have wings too

Because they have the capability

To make your wishes come true.

Flap your wings to reach the sky

If you stumble from your path

Give life another nice try.

– Gagneet  Kaur

WALK OF LOVE

The warm embrace of love

Can never be expressed

The affectionate care shown

Makes you feel the best

There is something magical

In the sublime tonic of love

It makes you swim in thoughts

Taking you to another world

One hand holding another

Is the best scene one could view

Isn’t that fantastic

A walk & just me ‘n’ you

Walking together, with all the love

& happiness casing my face

Me & you enjoy our “walk of love”

Cherishing the smiles on our face.

GAGNEET KAUR

TINY LOVE TALE

She sat still on her chair, unmoved & upset; waiting for him to come. And then he came, deboarded his car, kneeled down in front of her & said  “I’m sorry love, I’m late. The physiotherapist must be waiting for us.” He picked her up in his arms with all the love he had in his heart for her; made her sit in the car,  folded her wheel chair & then drove away to the place where his love had a chance to relive her life again; standing on her both legs.

THE EMOTIONS OF LIFE

Sometimes I marvel

How gorgeous the life is.

The floating breeze

The sunny sky

The waving bushes

Makes me recite

The emotions of life.

Sometimes I wonder

How much delight is there

In the cradlesong that mum sings

In the toys that papa brings.

& the harmony we live in

Makes me recite

The emotions of life.

Sometimes I think

How fun-filled the life is

The jovial giggles of siblings

The naïve mischief done at times

The scolding that never lasts long

Makes me recite

The emotions of life.

Sometimes I feel

How precious is the bliss at home

The pampering done for us.

The dishes cooked for us.

The loving hugs by parents

& the most affectionate kisses.

Makes me recite

The emotions of life

Sometimes I sense

How divine the love is

The warm embrace of the lover

The kiddy talks they do

The Cuddles those are adoring

& the worship that is true

Makes me recite

The emotions of life.

The life is not everlasting

It nears its end anytime

we can’t get hold of death

we can’t be with life every time.

Enjoy the pleasures life gives you.

Sing the melodious lullabies

Cherish the moments spent

& sing the emotions of life.

– GAGNEET KAUR

IS THE DEATH BEAUTIFUL OR LIFE??

IS THE DEATH BEAUTIFUL OR LIFE??

No one knows how it looks.

It is the endless sleep, they say.

The striking fear, the mourn it has

It only has the tendency to betray.

But the peace of mind it gives

The serenity of the senses it gives

Can never be experienced

To the one who lives.

Then Me & my thoughts strife

Is the death beautiful or life?

Life makes you smile, it loves you

It makes your deepest wishes come true

But the death makes you weep

It waits for you round the corner

& comes to take you as a grimy creep.

Life gives you another chance

But the nearing death

Never yearns to give a second chance.

Then me & thoughts strife

Is the death beautiful or life?

The graves that are build beneath

Will not discriminate amongst

The one who wears tattered clothes

& the one who wears a royal sheath.

Death takes you away from ironies of life

Giving you the joy of calmness & harmony.

Then me & my thoughts strife

Is the death beautiful or life?

Time never stops , it moves on

It never looks back

For the special memories foregone

But death does stop for you

Takes you away to the place

Where the tranquility resides

& the bliss of which you never knew.

Then me & my thoughts strife

Is the death beautiful or life?

Life lets you live with ego & pride

But death carts off all you have.

Death has its own rules

Which every person has to abide.

When soul is set free to depart

The death comes to take you

In a beautiful unseen cart

Then me & my thoughts strife

Is the death beautiful or life?

– GAGNEET KAUR