It is indeed difficult to keep everyone satisfied.

1.       If working in a particular place with full dedication and love and enthusiasm for a long duration is a mistake then I have really faulted.  One feels at a loss to answer a question imposed by a media person that complain has been received that you have stayed here for a long time.  It leaves you blank.  Specially when all these years (16+) the dedication, love and enthusiasm has been equally (if not more) reciprocated by one and all including students, staff, parents, management, general public, state administrators, media personnels. 

Frog & the Lotus

Frog &  the Lotus

In Guru Granth Saheb Ji man’s mind is compared with that of a frog which keeps submerged in the filth in the lake next to a beautiful lotus flower.  The bumble bee inspite of not being a resident of the lake comes from far off place and relishes the nectar of the lotus.  Guru Granth Saheb Ji draws a similarity with the human life.  Our mind is like the frog and the filth of the lake is the materialistic life (maya) with which it has got enticed.  This attachment to the materialistic life is so acute that one totally forgets the pleasures that one can draw from the spiritualistic world. 

Sukhwant Singh Thaper

Principal

Delhi Public School Nigahi

21.04.2015

Tera Preetam tuj meh

** tSls fry es rsy txex es vkx

  Rksjk fiz;re rq>es tkx lds rks tkxA**

As a mustard seed contains oil in it and as a fire fly has fire within itself our beloved Lord is residing within our bodies.  If you can wake up to this fact then do so. 

Lamp of Life

**fn;k rsjk gks ;k esjk dHkh Hkh cq> ldrk gS(

  gok fdlh ,d dh ugh gksrh

lHk dh gksrh gSA**

Our life is like the light of a lamp.  The light shouldn’t be proud for its illumination as it can get extinguished at any moment without any prior intimation.

Signs of a Good Teacher

Signs of a Good Teacher

What are the signs of a good teacher?

All teachers outwardly can stand in front of the class and deliver their lessons. Whether they are doing justice to their job or not is a different matter. A mediocre teacher will try to finish his syllabus in time. A good teacher would love to put across as much as he can in the stipulated time. A best teacher along with doing what a good teacher does will also keep in mind that he is building the nation and preparing a seed that would be leaving an impact in life that would have global significance.

It is not very difficult to find out good teachers in a school. There are few clear cut signs that can reveal the presence of good teacher. Most of the good teachers carry a beautiful and comforting smile. Their bodies are not stiff. They wish back to students promptly irrespective of the fact whether they teach directly or not. They are often seen being followed by couple of students after the period gets over. These children follow them upto some point for getting their doubts cleared and then rush back to their classes when they see next period teacher approaching.

Basically, I believe, a good teacher should have the following three qualities:-

(1)   Good subject knowledge.

(2)   Good communication skill and

(3)   A good character.

Normally it’s not difficult to come across teachers who possess the first quality. Most of them, I would love to believe, have good subject knowledge. Second and third qualities are becoming rare.

A shallow river makes more noise specially while it is flowing across the rocks. Similarly a teacher with less knowledge is often seen losing his temperament while handling students who are either too weak or who are brilliant. Weak students irritate them and they dread the brilliant ones. 

A river that flows in abundance never makes noise. It flows atop the rocks effortlessly and in doing so smoothens their sharp edges.  With their buoyant energy and strength they help the boats, submarines and ships to sail well and reach their destinations. Similarly a teacher with his brilliant subject knowledge is able to help both weak and brilliant students to attain their goals.

A mother and a child communicate with each other through not just a language or two but also through signs and gestures. It is because they know each other well and love each other. Similarly students are able to comprehend the signs and gestures of their favorite teachers.

First and fore most duty of a teacher should be to ensure that he is the best in his field. And for this he needs to devote his time towards sharpening his tools.

For developing ones communication skills the only way that a person can adopt is to read and, if possible, one should attempt to write. Importance of listening and spoken skills can’t be rated less. In the present age of cell phones I would advise teachers to listen to the BBC News podcast everyday on their cells. This would help them to remain updated and at the same time develop their listening skills. As they will be exposed to good English they themselves will feel comfortable in using better and new words while speaking. Very soon people around them will also note the difference and will appreciate them. 

The word ‘character’ should not be limited to the physical aspects of life like how many affairs one has or whether one takes bribes or not. Unfortunately we have reduced this word to these things only which is wrong. Besides these aspects the word ‘character’ encompasses in it traits of a person which include punctuality, commitment towards a given task, love for the job, integrity, proactiveness, planning, adhering to good principles in life, inclination towards spiritualism, human understanding and so on. A good teacher is capable of delivering lessons as per “students” level and not ‘his’. A good teacher doesn’t act as a “know all”. A good teacher uplifts weak students  by asking them simple questions inside the class and not difficult ones in order to belittle him. A good teacher doesn’t  pretend to be a “sage” on the “stage” but loves to remain as a “guide” by the “side”. A good teacher doesn’t feel shy to say, “I don’t know, I will let you know in my next class.” A good teacher loves spending time with his students. A good teacher, like a parent, can never think bad or harm his students. A good teacher will always wish for his students upliftment, progress and success. A good teacher’s  main assets are his students. A good teacher feels  elated to see his students doing better than him in their lives.

A good teacher is the one who would get hurt if he comes to ever know that the class he has to go and cover is waiting for him in dread and with frowning faces instead of waiting for him with full enthusiasm.

It’s time if we as teacher may sit and introspect and see where do we stand as a teacher. Being teachers that we are we have the skill of dropping the worst that we have in us and pick up the things and habits that we consider will help us to become best teachers.

Sukhwant Singh Thaper

Principal

DPS Nigahi

18.04.2015

"De shiva bar mohe ehe..." Bikram Singh Majithia's Ordeal

 

Power and money makes us blind.  Over enthusiasm at times takes away our thinking capabilities.

LS14 is witnessing leaders at their worst irrespective of parties they belong to.

Development issues have all gone under the carpet.  Personal attacks have become the bane of the day.

 

It must have been out of over enthusiasm that in order to please his seniors (so that he may get fovoured upon at a later date) one so called Majithia in Punjab election campaigning in Amritsar committed an error which in the realms of Sikhism is unpardonable.  He modified the lines which are attributed to none other than Guru Gobind Singh in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Amritsar Mr. Arun Jaitly. The original version is as follows :

“De Shava bar mohe eheh subh karman to kabhu na darun;

Na darun aur so jab jai larnn; Nische kar apni jeet karun.”

(Oh Lord, bless me with the power that I should never shy away from a noble task and in doing so enable me to be always victorious).

Mahitha modified the last line to, “Nische Kar Arun Jaitly Ki Jeet Karun.”  He not only read out these lines but also made the crowd repeat the same.  This has made the Sikhs furious not only in Punjab or remaining part of India but also all around the world.

 

The anger of the Sikhs can be understood and appreciated only after knowing about the reverence that is paid by them to the sanctity of Gurbani.  During the times of Shah Jahan the Mughal Emperor.  Shri Guru Har Rai Sahib (7^th Sikh Guru) had deputed his elder son Ram Rai to visit the Emperor and explain the banni written in the Holy Granth Sahib which the Sikhs used to worship.  Infact the need to do so had risen because few of the Hindu Kings of the Northern Hills of India had complained to the Emperor of Delhi that the Sikhs had compiled a Holy Granth which contained verses against Islamhood. The Hindu Kings of the Hills were both disappointed and worried at the tenets which were adopted and followed by the Sikhs like giving up of the age old rituals (Karamkands) like not wearing the jenue (The sacred thread), not performing shrads, not observing fasts, not believing in holy baths and visits and most important of all was giving up of casteism.  This was proving to be a threat to their age old traditions. Hence they had complained to the Emperor. Against all these odds Guru Har Rai Saheb had deputed his elder son to visit the Emperor and clarify certain portins of the Holy Granth. On page no. ……… of the Holy Granth Guru Nanakji had written  in ‘Aasa Di Vaar’ :-

 

Mitti Musalmaan Ki (the clay from the tomb of a Muslim)  Pedhe Pai Kumiaar (has reached the wheel of the potter) Gadh bhaande itta kia (and he made utensils and bricks out of it) Jaldi kare Pukaar (while being backed in the furnace it makes hissing sound) Jal jal rove bapudhi (the clay is getting burnt and it cires)  Jadh jadh paveh angiaar (fire sparks are falling off from the utensils & bricks) Nanank jin karte kaarann kia (Oh Nanak, the Lord who has made this world)  So jaanne kartaaar (He only knows what consequences the person is going to face).

Through these lines Guru Nanak had cleared the doubts of the people that it is immaterial whether a persons dead body is cremated like the Hindus do or it is buried like Muslims or Christians what matters is the deeds that he has performed while he had lived.

 

Ram Rai while trying to explain the above lines to Shah Jahah had got awed by the Emperor’s valour and luxury so much so that he not only misinterpreted the lines but also gave his opinion that actually Guru Nanak had wanted to write ‘Mitti Baiman ki’ (fraud) instead of ‘Mitti Musalmaan Ki’.

 

 On coming to know about what Ram Rai had done Guru Har Rai ji disowned him and thereby deprived him of next Guruship.  Ram Rai was informed never to show his face to his father Guru and all Sikhs were ordered of cutting all relations with Ram Rai.

 

Shocking impact of Bikram Singh Majithia’s misquote can even be realized from its video clipping.  Few of the Sikhs seen in the video along with Bikram had repeated the first three lines with total enthusiasm but the last modified line, with Arun Jaitley’s reference on it,  was not received well.

 

In the present times of social networking it didn’t take much time for the news to spread across the world.  Fakth Shri Hazur Sahib (Bidar) paused its verdict and declared BSM tankhaiya (on outcast) which is worse than death for a true Sikh.  In case one realizes his / her mistake he / she needs to get himself / herself redeemed by presenting himself / herself to the congregation of Panj Pyares and Sangat and go through the punishment imposed.

 

Yesterday Fakth Sahib Amritsar heard BSM’s case.  On the basis of his written apology and also his presence the Panj Pyaras have extended conditional forgiveness to him.  In order to redeem himself BSM has to offer langar in all 5 takths and organize Akhand Path at Harmandir Sahib Amritsar and participate cleaning utensils on all the three days of Akhand Path and have imposed a fine of Rs. 501/- and Rs. 101/- in the treasure of the Gurudwara. Doesn’t it seem to be a mockery of everything seems Panj Pyaras have become more liberal that Guru Har Rai Sahib who had refused to see his son Ram Rai again.

 

It was much later that during his visit to Dehradun Guru Gobind singh ji had paid a visit to the descendants of Ram Rai on their request and had forgives them.

 

From the other videos of BSM available on net it doesn’t appear that he is a good person to know.  Because inspite of being a political party he is yet to learn proper public behavior.

 

Only if this incident can make BSM humble we can say that something good has come out of this event or else.  William Shakespeare ‘s lines from Macbeth can sum up the whole incident wherein in Act 5, Scene 5, lines 27 / 28 Macbeth says “It (life) is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing’.

 

 

Self Respect

19^th March 2014

 

My nanaji Bhagat Narayan Das Lamba used to work as a Contractor in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

During the period he and his two elder brothers had constructed three houses in Bombay (now called Mumbai), Africa House, India House and Bombay House.

 

My nanaji and his brothers were friends of Prithvi Raj Kapoor.  According to my nanima and other senior relatives they used to visit each other often and supervise the construction work of the three houses mentioned above as well as that of R.K. Studios.

 

Unfortunately due to some epidemic attack my nanaji had lost both his elder brothers in Nairobi.

 

As the earning members were no more present my nanaji had handed over his house to Taijis (his Bhabijis) and had shifted his base to Rawalpindi around late thirties.

 

In Rawalpindi my nanaji had built a huge house with sprawling garden called Harbhajan Gardens.

 

After a little more than a decade of stay in Rawalpindi my nanaji was compelled to move across the newly drawn border which had divided the nation.

 

On 15^th August 1947 they had left all their belongings and had started their journey towards Wagha Border.  During the time of migration my nanaji married off one of his daughters Ram Kaur masiji to Gopal Singh Mukole who have lived at 1/20 East Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi since then.

 

In a camp called ‘Waha Camp’ one of my manaji Harkishan Singh Lamba was born.

 

My nanaji alongwith his family could manage to shift safely and had reached Tatanagar.

 

After the impact of the tragic partition had started waning down a bit many people who had migrated from Pakistan had started writing to the Govt / Authorities regarding the details of property which they had left behind for seeking the compensation.

 

When friends and relatives had persuaded my nanaji to do the same he had bluntly refused to do so.  On being asked for the reason for not claiming for the compensation he used to say that before leaving the home at Rawalpindi he had called upon the Lord and sought His assistance for safe migration of all his family members.  He had committed to the Lord that once all his family members reached across the border safely he will not ask for anything more.  So now with what face should he again pray and claim for his property.  Everyone used to call him mad for this but he had never bothered about such comments.

 

After my nanaji had migrated to Tatanagar from Rawalpindi both of his Bhabijis (Taijis) in Bombay had offered him to take his house back.  Neither did my nanaji ever agreed to take the hosue back nor did any of my mamajis ever claim for the house.  Children of both of his Bhabiji have shifted to Birmingham, England and settled there long before.

 

While in Rawalpindi my nanaji had helped a friend to open a cloth shop in Ludhiana. After the migration his friend called on him and requested him to take over the shop but he had denied to do so by saying that it would be totally immoral of him to have any claim over the shop.  The impact of this was such that whenever any of my mamajis or masijis or my parents visit the shop in Ludhiana the elderly person as well as his sons get up from the main seat and make them sit on it.  It is a kind of respect which can’t be put across in words.

 

My nanaji had a deep love and regard for Sikhism and had brought up all his sons as Sikhs and married all his daughters with Sikhs.

 

He had passed away in 1972 on the day of colourful festival Holi.  He has left behind a legacy of honesty and a family which is known for being imbued in the true colours of Sikhism. 

 

We will all remain indebted to him for leading a life of self respect and integrity.