A new kind of Joan of Arc/(Punjab?)
Blogged by: Amritpan
For many years UNICEF India has attempted to survey and document the declining sex ratio and female feticide in India. And for many years the government of India has maintained that Punjab (and thus Sikhs) consistently registered the highest number of ‘kuri maar’ cases, as compared to states such as Haryana, Himachal, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. So when a Punjabi doctor took the stage at United Nation’s Geneva Conference and dared to question the validity of the government’s survey methods, she was met with a ruthless legislative backlash so typical of Bharat’s political response to its human rights advocates that it almost doesn’t even prompt a second glance.
A renowned, outspoken crusader of women’s rights and a pediatrician at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Dr. Harshinder Kaur presented a paper to the Geneva Convention that explicated upon the abject conditions of women in India, disputed female feticide as being a Punjabi cultural phenomenon by asserting that Rajasthan has the highest number of feticides, and challenged India’s injudicious spending of the UN’s funds, urging that the UN redirect this monetary support to specialized NGOs.
Following her presentation, a member of India’s delegation to Geneva, P. Sirvastavas, accused her of ‘anti-India’ and ‘anti-Punjab’ sentiments, and threatened officially sanctioned retribution. Dr. Kaur was unceremoniously dismissed from Rajindra Hospital by the Badal backed government, the same government that loudly supported their own Nanhi Chhaan just last year.
Punjab has become a vacuum for civil and human rights violations, mostly uncensored by the government, and overlooked by western nations and academia. Media sources such as Tehelka and the Times are only recently exposing the cancerous side of the Indian ‘democracy’ with documented photo reports and undercover interviews. Dr. Kaur was recently reinstated but only after loud public objection both from in homeland, the diaspora, and the UNO. Twenty five years ago, we were unable to rouse a sustainable protest against the decimation of our people. A little over ten years later, when Jaswant Singh Khalra was picked up by CBI in broad daylight, we again were no match for the Republic of India. Today, some like Dr. Harshinder Kaur, have warned of the raging fires threatening to destroy the panth… how much longer do the rest of us plan on remaining silent?
(On that note, to the Bay Area audience: Dr. Harshinder Kaur will be presenting a lecture at the University of California, Berkeley on female birth rates in Punjab this upcoming Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 PM in 106 Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA.)
11 Responses to “A new kind of Joan of Arc/(Punjab?)”
It is most unfortunate that such dedicated crusader, a renowned pediatrician belonging to well known family had go through the harassment at the hands of Hindu establishment. Her only fault was that she spoke the truth. If such prominent person can be harassed and dismissed from service, imagine the plight of ordinary Sikhs at the hands of Nazi Hindu goons who rule India today. Just in the last few weeks, under the bogey of fighting so called terrorism, hundreds of Sikhs including Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu have been arrested and are being tortured in the Nazi Hindu dungeons. Two days ago they arrested a a brilliant Sikh student from Punjab University who is doing his PhD in Guru Granth Sahib and Bhagat Bani simply because he was editing an online Sikh magazine. When police brought him back to the Punjabi University hostel for search of his room, he was in a very bad shape and looked to have been tortured and badly abused by the police and military intelligence of the Hindu agencies. It is time for all Sikhs to wake up and strongly protest repressive Nazi Hindu policies. Sikhs must lobby in all western countries and pressure these Governments to stop trade and nuclear deals with India till the International community can certify that justice is being done to the Sikhs and adequate security arrangements for the protection of Sikh rights have been made.
It is most unfortunate that such dedicated crusader, a renowned pediatrician belonging to well known family had go through the harassment at the hands of Hindu establishment. Her only fault was that she spoke the truth. If such prominent person can be harassed and dismissed from service, imagine the plight of ordinary Sikhs at the hands of Nazi Hindu goons who rule India today. Just in the last few weeks, under the bogey of fighting so called terrorism, hundreds of Sikhs including Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu have been arrested and are being tortured in the Nazi Hindu dungeons. Two days ago they arrested a a brilliant Sikh student from Punjab University who is doing his PhD in Guru Granth Sahib and Bhagat Bani simply because he was editing an online Sikh magazine. When police brought him back to the Punjabi University hostel for search of his room, he was in a very bad shape and looked to have been tortured and badly abused by the police and military intelligence of the Hindu agencies. It is time for all Sikhs to wake up and strongly protest repressive Nazi Hindu policies. Sikhs must lobby in all western countries and pressure these Governments to stop trade and nuclear deals with India till the International community can certify that justice is being done to the Sikhs and adequate security arrangements for the protection of Sikh rights have been made.
Though I sympathies with your pain, I believe your approach to resolving the alleged abuses to Sikh pop is wrong. Western nations, though they claim to uphold human rights, will not do anything to prevent or discourage crimes to a minority population in foreign countries unless it benefits them. The true instruments of change are we the people. If Sikhs care enough about their people, then the few who have gathered enough resources (by which I mean knowledge and wealth) from a lifetime of work will be willing to go back to Punjab and become teachers, journalists, politicians. I think this is the only way things will permanently change for the better. Punjabi lacks strong social institutions which frankly are very difficult to create since very few have the power to create them.
Though I sympathies with your pain, I believe your approach to resolving the alleged abuses to Sikh pop is wrong. Western nations, though they claim to uphold human rights, will not do anything to prevent or discourage crimes to a minority population in foreign countries unless it benefits them. The true instruments of change are we the people. If Sikhs care enough about their people, then the few who have gathered enough resources (by which I mean knowledge and wealth) from a lifetime of work will be willing to go back to Punjab and become teachers, journalists, politicians. I think this is the only way things will permanently change for the better. Punjabi lacks strong social institutions which frankly are very difficult to create since very few have the power to create them.
SSA!
I would like to use this article for a feature on our website <a href="http://www.sikhfoundation.org.” target=”_blank”>www.sikhfoundation.org.
How can i contact the writer?
Thanks
SSA!
I would like to use this article for a feature on our website http://www.sikhfoundation.org.
How can i contact the writer?
Thanks
Sonia – please click on the Contact link at the top of the page and fill out the form or email fakir@thelangarhall.com. That will be the easiest way to get in touch with the author. Thanks.
Sonia – please click on the Contact link at the top of the page and fill out the form or email fakir@thelangarhall.com. That will be the easiest way to get in touch with the author. Thanks.
how can i contact dr. harshinder kaur.please give me any email,phone or mail address.
any help would be appreciated
thanks
how can i contact dr. harshinder kaur.please give me any email,phone or mail address.
any help would be appreciated
thanks
I feel proud of Dr. Harshinder Kaur, for her excellent presentation at the Geneva Convention. I too have read somewhere, that Rajasthan has the highest number of female feticides and not Punjab. I am happy that she also mentioned the injudicious spending of UNs funds. Thank you so much.