Lets build a United India................



 Aam admi today is seeking explanations issues of policy, accountability  and justice from his sarkar. Is our nation free from disease, ignorance, oppression, corruption, poverty, human rights abuse, crime against women? Is the common man of India free indeed ?  In fact only the ruling elite is enjoying freedom. To add to their fun and social status they also enjoy add-ons like swanky cars, helicopter rides and Z plus security at the cost of taxpayers money, where as commandos who protect them are treated as consumables. (Commando Surinder Singh of Jhajar, who took part in 26/11 operation in Mumbai, struggling to get his pension. Indian Express and Dainik Bhaskar 23rd Nov 2012).
An Indian politician plays havoc with the mind of a nation by abusively exploiting issues of religion, region and caste thus creating and managing a well choreographed chaos which enables him/her to rule this country of 2 billion, year after year and now generation after generation. Many pseudo secular politicians talk of communal divide. These ruthless political hyenas are In fact themselves responsible for creating this divide to gain power by hook or by crook. Media too has been sold out to the neta or taken over by him. The 'Witch's cauldron' of media boils with scandals and scams and is kept frothing by throwing in lizards and snakes of meaning less comedy and irrational soap operas, thus engaging the masses in illusions and distractions, ensuring that they don't think of national unity, security, economy, public health, and other development issues.

I call upon the youth of my country to break beyond all politician made barriers and jump over these pygmy concepts. It's time to fly beyond the limited horizons of regional politics and work for a new political and social order based on national brotherhood and pride. A united India will give your ideas and actions, freedom and strength to capture, harness and enjoy the great potential that our nation holds for us. Great freedom fighters like Bhagat singh, Raj guru, Chandar shekhar azad, Neta ji Subhash and others did not lay down their lives for some regional language or a regional state. Their sacrifices were for one united India.

...Balwant Gurunay...

Biggest Policy Flaw of India, a Flawed Education policy

'Free India, 'Proud India', 'Well earned freedom', 'Freedom at great price', 'Great struggle for freedom', 'United India' 'India Shining'........are they cliche phrases used in India to emotionally fool a nation or have they found substantial expression in our policy and planning? Is India being run by visionaries interested in nation building or opportunist power hungry demons who care a damn for the future of this nation.  India is a free country but are its citizens free in fact? It is high time we review our national circumstances and redefine our freedom. There are hundreds of issues that need SOS attention and action but for this little writing let us focus on the biggest policy flaw of India.

India's biggest Policy Flaw is it's flawed education policy. All our governments since  1947  have done nothing to unite a naturally diverse nation. result is regional powers becomimg stronger and stronger and holding to ransom a nation of billion plus. This could have been avoided by adopting  a well designed educational policy to create a true 'spirit de corps' by uniting India in a strong fiber of one language.  Maharashtra is being claimed by Marathi manush,  Punjab is a Punjabi suba, Assam  by assamese and so on. In this chaos of regional parade encouraged by vested politics a nation called India is lost. No wonder its common place to hear phrases like Hindu nation, Sikh nation, Bodo nation and so on. India today seems more diverse than it was 60 years back. Ironically it is the language of the Englishmen which saves the day by serving as the most common tool of communication across India. Regional languages have been reduced to just but a political agenda by many political parties. This issue is kept alive  to emotionally engage public in issues other than real issues of development, timely justice and human right abuse. If all states of India were to follow a different language policy, will India ever emerge as a truly united country? State level policies with populist motives distance citizens from their true nationality and their nation, that is being Indian and belonging to India. Intentions behind such state level diktats  are motivated by vote bank politics alone in the garb of service to mother tongue. India has one defence policy, one legal system and one foreign policy. When are we going to wake up to the burning need of one educational policy and a standard pattern of education curriculum throughout the country? A national language is the strongest thread to tie any nation in a true union. Now lets look at another reason for this flaw. The Hindi that our government has adopted as its official language is truly speaking not the language of the masses. it is not even spoken the way propagated in the Hindi heart land. No body calls a train a 'Loh Path Gamni" but it is more popularly known as RAIL. No one says 'meri smriti smapat  ho gayi' but would prefer saying 'Mujhe kuch yaad nahi raha'. We must remember that for a language to be popular it has to be the language of the market place or 'Bazar'. So the language of a nation must have a national character. Pop words of punjabi, english, malayalam, bangla etc must be officially included in the hindustani, the language of Hindustan. It is also high time that all state education boards be amalgated with the central board of education and a popular national language, with a standard curriculum and medium of instruction be put in place as soon as possible. If this new language of emerging India has 30% words from english, 30%  from regional languages,  than let it be so.  It is high time that our politicians wake up to this issue and rise above their narrow and selfish agendas of dividing India by dividing its people through encouraging the caste, creed, religion, regional and language divides. At ground level any regional language agenda translates itself in to pure regional politics under the garb of service to 'matri bhasha' or Maa Boli. Today under this policy the government offices in many states issue official letters and documents like birth certificates, ration cards etc in regional language alone. If the citizen wants to use these documents pan India he has to get them translated and attested by notified officials making cumbersome an otherwise simple issue.  Why Cant the documents being issued by any state be bilingual, that is regional as well as national language at least. Its high time that politics takes a back seat viz-a-viz welfare and convenience of a common man.

...Balwant Gurunay...

TT aka Tibetan Terrier aka Tsang Apso aka Dokhi Apso...A great family dog

Popularly known as TT in the western world, this dog qualifies to be a loyal and loving companion due to its high IQ and EQ. TTs come in all colours and shades. In Tibet and Bhutan Tibetan terrier has always been considered a sign of high regard if gifted to someone. It is considered lucky and is also called the ‘feng shui dog. TT is a name given to one of the three dog breeds of Tibet, the other two being ‘Tibetan Mastiff’ and ‘Lhasa Apso’. The dog does not belong to the terrier group but as it reminded Europeans of a breed back home in England, they started calling it Tibetan terrier. It is better known as the ‘Dokhi Apso’ or ‘Tsang Apso’ in Tibet. Tsang means ‘Shaggy or Bearded’ and apso means a dog. The name 'Dokhi Apso' means Out door dog. It is much smaller than a Tibetan mastiff but bigger than a Lhasa. Their coats grow continuously thus requiring a regular trimming, especially so in a hot country. It makes them feel more comfortable after they have had a nice hair cut in summer. If given a careful hair cut leaving a plume on its tale and a mane on its neck and shoulders it looks like a miniature lion. Popularly known as the Holy Dog of Tibet, the breed evolved over centuries as a companion cum guard dog. Blessed by the monks as well as the nomadic shepherds, these dogs have developed an exceptional tuning with humans.They came to be known as the "little people" of Tibet due to their loving nature and a human like expression. In Tibet, the Lhasa’s were the lap dogs of monks, Dokhi apsos guarded the inner precincts of a property and the much larger and ferocious Tibetan mastiff guarded the periphery of a gompa. Due to their stable temperament and  their being considered lucky charms, they were often sent to accompany travelers on treacherous mountain paths. In Tibet they were not sold and generally given as gifts to loved ones or high dignitaries, but the pups in the city are and should be sold so as to ensure that the person who picks them up, values them and takes good care of them. A companion, a herder and a guard, a TT takes no time in adjusting as a member of the family. Being warm and affectionate, a TT can think for itself. It is rightly said that if once you fall in love with a TT, you will never be free of its magical and loving spell. They combine the grace and beauty of Lhasa Apso with the guarding instincts of a mastiff thus making them an ideal companion and guard dog. Their feet are bigger and longish for their size thus making them sure footed on all terrain.  They fit the bill as an ideal alarm and protection system, fulfilling the role of a guard dog unlike the larger Mastiffs, Dobermans, Pit bulls or German shepherd breeds which are a challenge to control in a city setup. A TT is not a toy dog by any standards. Tibetan terrier is an ideal pet for a city family who want to own a high value low liability dog. An elderly person or a young kid can easily control this breed. Their ability to gauge and sense the mood of their owner gives them an edge over all other breeds as companion dogs. Reserved with strangers but calm with kids and elders, they make an ideal city pet. They also work as exceptionally brave and alert guards. Tibetan terriers require little training in view of their self learning abilities. All that they need is patient handling. TT's are a well established small (not miniature or toy) breed, now in hot demand in America, England and Indian metros. It also must be remembered that true TTs don't have an exceptionally long coat.  Long hair touching the ground all over are a result of selective breeding for shows. They are rough and tough fairly long haired, double coated breed which looks most graceful and sleek in its original form.
,,,,,,,,,,Balwant Gurunay.
 Some links for your benefit...........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uVKZWP3SCc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6R_gow62No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDXoM2Un8dY

Women, Army and permanent commision

In light of a Sify post and a long followed story by me and many brother and sister officers, or to put it in better perspective, ‘Fellow Officers’, I came across this news item. As sourced from IANSW. Last Updated: Mon, Aug 02, 2010 18:20 hrs, The government on monday told the apex court bench of Justice J.M. Panchal and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra  that it would consider giving permanent commission within two months to women serving as short service commission officers in the legal and education branches of the Indian Army. After recording the undertaking by Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, the court restrained the contempt proceedings against the defence ministry arising out of a Delhi High Court verdict directing the grant of permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. The solicitor general told the court that the government was inclined to consider granting permanent commission to women officers but it would only be applicable to future appointments. When the court asked why the same could not be extended to the existing officers, Subramanium told the court that even this could be considered. At this, Justice Panchal told the solicitor general: 'Give the benefit (of permanent commission) and then we (court) will examine it (petition)'. At very outset of the hearing, Justice Misra asked: 'If you can't give permanent commission then why you take them under the short service commission?'

My take on this issue comes from conviction, experience and a feeling for our young girls who are joining armed forces. To start with it is worth mentioning that the issue is not about women being short service officers but that of exploitation and abuse of an important part of society over gender bias. As often qouted the root of  this chaos does not lie in troops but officers. It is them who are responsible and accountable for setting a work culture conducive for an army free of gender bias. If the cops can do it so can the faujis. Why are they shying away from this task ?  Let's not forget that the troops in provincial constabulary and all state police forces come from similar background and stock as army and there are any number of IPS and other state cadre women officers who have been working with these men and commanded them. I have had the honour of serving both in the army and police and know verily that any doubts about the women's ability to command a body of troops is absolutely misconceived. The ability to command depends on OLQ's and not on gender of a commander. This should be beyond debate as even dacoits have transgressed the gender bias by having gang leaders like Putli Bai, Phoolan Devi. Munni Bai, Seema Parihar and many others (About 30 by last count). Any number of women police officers are commanding police forces as ADGP's, IG's, DIG's and other ranks. CRPF has women officers as well as troops in their 'Rapid action force' RAF. What is the big deal in their commanding non combatant troops in army? Do you think Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar and Razia sultan who commanded men in battles were men dressed in skirts? They were real women. Even Pakistan has women fighter pilots. It is surprising that Indian army is unable to fulfil the aspirations of it's women citizens even 60 years after independence. Its tragic to see officers who have served the army for 14 years left to fend for themselves on the civy street, just because they are women. It is worth mentioning here that by the time an army officer has put in 15 years of service her children are in higher classes at school or have just about started their college education. If let down at this stage, the difficulties she may face on the civy street could be astounding. It would be counter productive to army's pride and image. Why not give these ladies an opportunity to serve for another 5 years and give them a dignified exit and a well deserved security in form of retirement benifits. What is so special about men who hang their spurs after 20 years where as  women officers are being asked to leave after 15 years. Many of us go by the cliche logic that creating facilities for women is a problem. Does that mean for 15 years the army can look after their adm needs and after that it becomes difficult. Cut that crap out please. My advice is, stop accepting kickbacks in arms deals and class 3 and 4 recruitment's and many other scams that plague the army today and spend that money on uplifting standards of army. It is surprising that lady officers who can serve the toughest tenures as young officers are considered unfit when they are more experienced and seasoned. Why don't you just own up that many commanding officers challenge the male officers in their team by citing examples of efficient and well meaning lady officers. If  inclusion of efficient lady officers is going to give a tough time to 'Maqraa Party', so be it as it is in the larger good of our armed forces. I appreciate our honourable courts and learned Judges for passing the judgements in favour of permanent commission for women and hope our parliamentarians can take necessary action in case an act needs to be passed. I wonder why the army has decided to give permanent commission in Law and education branches but left out, Ordnance, ASC, Int Corps, Mil Police, Army Postal Services. The fact is that in any corps where a woman can be commissioned, she must have a minimum right to pensionable service. Almost all officers of my batch have commanded their units. As per them this issue of not granting permanent commission to women is a complex tragedy not being addressed in time. As per their observation, many lady officers have excellent  OLQs and professional competence. COs dont give them a 9 pointer as on every CO's mind remains the fact that a lady officer  will hang her spurs maximum in 10 to 15 years where as her male coleague is here to stay. This creates an atmosphere of a battle lost, even before being given an equal opportunity to women officers. 

Women are soldiering the armies of  Republic of Korea, South Africa, Eritrea, Libya,  Canada,  United States,  Australia, Israel, Nepal,  New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Denmark, Finland,  France,  Germany,  Ireland,  Norway,  Poland,  Russia,  Serbia,  Sweden,  Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, China, and many more. It is noteworthy here that armies of Australia, New Zeland, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Israel, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland permit women to fill active combat roles. Fighter pilot women officers are the order of the day in almost all these countries and many more including Pakistan. The question is why the women officers are being denied their constitutional right in the largest democracy of the world? Why one of the greatest armies on earth is shying away from taking this responsibility ?
Indian lady officers are well deserving and should be made a permanent feature of Indian army. This requires a  clear and honest political will, administrative maturity and prudence. Today our politicians are weak willed and are overwhelmed by their children's survival struggles. Had there been a leader of Priyadarshni's stature alive today, this problem would have been sorted out long back. With a leader like her around, women in army would already have found a right and dignified place. It is time for the top brass of army to pragmatically brood over the issue and restore the pride of our democratic nation by giving it's 50% women population a just stake in the nation's armed forces. If an IAS officer can be posted as a Brigadier or a Major General in the army postal services why are we denying this to girls who chose to serve India by donning the OG's. Let us be clear on this that we are not doing charity by commissioning these brave and talented young girls ? If so, stop doing it. Stop spoiling many young lives by motivating them to join army in name of pride and integrity if we dont have the courage or the acumen to ensure a dignified place for deserving women warriors who chose to join army not as an makeshift arrangement but a passion and a career. Even the paramilitary forces seem to be doing a better job.  

Balwant Gurunay.

 Picture Gallery

Roza Shanina, a Soviet sniper during World War II is credited with 54 confirmed kills. About 400,000 Soviet women served in front-line duty units during the war.

'Warrior queen of Jhansi'

'Joan of Arc'

Four F-15 American pilots from the 3d Wing walk to their respective jets at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Sgt. Theresa Lynn Flannery during an attack in April 2004 near Najaf, Iraq, as other soldiers used a wall for cover.

Kellie McCoy, a soldier who led a platoon of combat engineers. She also earned a Bronze Star.

Divya Ajithkumar of Chennai made all women proud by being the parade commander. She is the first lady cadet to receive the "sword of Honour" from Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh.

Debbie Phua became the first woman to win the Sword of Honour in the Singapore Armed Forces.

Wing Commander Waqar Ahmed and Flying Officer Fatima Tariq in a FT-7 PAF fighter trainer aircraft of Pakistan Air Force . 

'Pride Of A Nation'

‘The Stable at GODESS CASTLE’ a tale by Balwant Gurunay

From Crunchtantra Tales by Balwant Gurunay

Friends as I passed over towns and villages in my quest for practically applying what I had learnt from my Masters and my guide books, I travelled far and wide, from town to town and village to village. In my wanderings I once happened to pass through a place called Goddesscastle. I thought of sticking around there for some time and observe the people and experiment with how a shift in positions and situations can affect the beliefs and values of the people and their behaviour. During my research I happened to pass through many situations, some pleasant some not so pleasant, and met many people, some at places high some low, some in situations good and some not so good. I have put my observations in Goddesscastle or so to say the results of my wanderings in it in to a set of short stories called 'Ballu Nasrudin's Neo tantra Tales'. I witnessed the people and situations closely, some times as a neutral observer and at places chipping in with some stimulus to trigger a situation or a person out of inertia, so as to speedup my experiments but I religiously let the results be a pure outflow of the inherent character of the people invoved and the situations naturaly presented to them by their own effort or sheer circumstances. All chracters and situations in my stories are absolutely based on truth but fictitously caricatured. The aim is simple---- To state the results of my experiments on contemporary Socio- Psychological truths in a story form. There is a small paragraph explaining the background of each of the stories before I begin narrating it.. In some of the stories I am a distant observer and in some a close observer, very close to or within the time and space of action.. {The reason for this being that one can not either study or clean a sewer unless you step in to it where as the fragrance of a garden can be felt from a distance even.}

Here is aTale called     'THE STABLE AT GODDESSCASTLE'

(This story is a spoof on many of the so called false societies and social organisations, which in the name of social work take lakhs of rupees as donation and sponsorship money from goverments and other corporate institutes only to be misused and unscrupulously expended on personal merry making.)

In the town of Goddesscastle once I happened to visit a stable and found some horses and mares there. The stable was being presided over by a horse called Loudvoice . They named him Loudvoice because he was a real LOUDMOUTH. Loudvoice was very depressed and sad because the horses and mares in the stable didn’t care a s---- about him. The moment he would even make a little sound the horses and mares would immediately give him a shut up call.

A time came when Loudvoice became so frustrated and sad that he thought of leaving the stable for once and for all. This was a very sad situation and I was moved by this. I asked Loudvoice not to get depressed and encouraged him and motivated him just to cheer him on. This is when Loudvoice once again started shaking his legs and soon started to take control. His manners were no doubt rough and intimidating so much so that one of the sweet looking older mares even cried aloud when Loudvoice neighed right next to her ear. Oh it was an embarrassing moment for the mare but Loudvoice had a field day and emerged in control.

Now on the very roof of that stable lived a monkey called Doubler. He had a great skill of making sure that his right hand wouldn’t know what his left hand was doing, he could hang on to two horses and jump from one horse back to another like an expert, simply put he was the greatest turncoat I ever met. Now Doubler the monkey was simply a superb double crosser and was thus called 420 the Doubler. Seeing me encourage Loudvoice out of his bad times Doubler once came to me and said,” Sir, do you know that the guy you are trying to encourage does not deserve your encouragement because once he catches pace he is gonna back-kick you , because this is what they all do.

I simply told Doubler not to worry . He should be focused on his game. He could in any case jump from one horse back to another. As far as his worry for me, he need not worry as I am a student of psychology, and in fact I just want to experiment whether a brow beaten and dipressed fellow can turn the tables of a game, just with some encouragement, and if the results come positive than I shall be convinced of the fact, that yes motivation and encouragement can turn around the tables of any game.

Now Doubler told me not to trust a snake or a stubborn horse as they will bite or kick the very hand that feeds them but I asked Doubler not to worry as this is a little price that has to be paid to experiment with the truthfulness of a theory so as to be able to accept it as a law. So, Doubler and I reached an understanding that if Loudmouth succeeds in kicking all the horses out of the stable and if Doubler could show me some of his true talent in finding a place at the high table of the stable with Loudmouth, I shall let doubler be, and get out of the way for ever, and brother, this is what happened.

It was decided that a conference be organized in this city of parallel lines. In this farce of a conference, representatives from many stables were to come from different states. This required for a huge amount of fine mud and good grass to be collected so that all the guests coming from far and wide could roll around in the mud to their hearts fill and enjoy the grass as well. It was decided that as much as possible of mud and grass be collected so that every one can be made happy eating grass and rolling in the mud to ones hearts fill. Loud Voice had to prove a point to all the horses so he tapped all the possible resources that he could and well he turned out to be quite a smart fellow at collecting loads of grass and mud.

Now the owner of the stable named Conman who lived in a big city was impressed, and told Loudvoice to do what he liked. He told Loudvoice that now they deserve to pat each other's back and could be bum chum pals.

This made Loudvoice very confidant and he even told the long time occupiers of the stable who thought they were the hosts to start paying for the grass and mud party and started snubbing the town horses as and when he liked. Some of the horses decided that they shall have nothing to do with this get-together and some just thought, lets go and at least see what Loudvoice does, and be a witness to the show even if it becomes a little embarrassing. Some tried to play along in hope of some gain that they might receive. Most of the people who played along Loudmouth were in fact his official staff. Doubler as expected came in at the right moment and started collecting the spoils of the game. He proved to be real ‘player’ and was all over the place, playing from both the teams, as I and few others saw him doing what he was best at, and could not hold our smiles. For the older horses it was all so very entertaining to see this smart operator make all the right moves and soon even find a place at the high table.

The King of Godesscastle was honourably invited and he was impressed by Loudvoice being the leader of stallions and mares and he extended support to the party in terms of some solid loads of good quality grass and mud. When conman the stable owner saw that even the King has supported this party and has even promised to visit the place as a guest of honour, he was exceptionally happy and he reached Godesscastle in good time.

Conman was a cool operator. A man of smart talents and in fact the owner of many such stables all over the country. He organized many such events time to time. He had organized the stables all over the country with ‘I don’t trust no body attitude’ and controlled this big ‘Tamasha’ with tools of stealth and manipulation. He was a player to hilt, but if Doubler was a little monkey, Conman was the TigerWoods of this game. He organized these events on pretext of some social cause or the other because this exercise was helpful, in not only collecting funds but gaining publicity as well. Many simple and nice people, professors of universities, and some people simply looking for a stage to say some thing, would reach such functions at his invitation, would speak on relevant or irrelevant issues and be happy with a few photographs, a few words in the press and all the little poisons of life. Some Kings or administrators would be roped in on the first and last day for the usual press coverage and turn the event in to big news, or at least, worthy of some media glare. This is how the show went on.

Our friend Loudvoice had by now collected a lot of sponsored mud and grass, which elated Conman and encouraged him. Seeing the positive response of the king of the region, Conman our friend, had sudden ambitions of being a town ship builder. At the right time he praised the King of his magnanimous nature and kind heart and made the demand for a piece of land for the Conman Township right next to the big capital city. Wow! what a move and if it works, Well, Conman and his cronies, shall be happy men and women. This is what I call taking a shot or throwing the dice.

There is something that I noticed as it could not be ignored. There was always a huge crowd during the meal times and the dance sessions of this conference but during the speeches most of the chairs were empty, though sadly so. During meal time the whole place was rocking and folks were just having a good time with Loudmouth and Conman and their family and friends. Doubler came to me on the last day and said, “Brother, with my calculations I can see that in these moments of ‘masti’ and happiness Loudvoice is about to ditch you in a most shameful way, because he is now feeling that he is too well settled in the driving seat and he has started looking at you as a threat rather than a friend. He is also going around telling people that you are an extra smart fellow.

Once I had heard Doubler I told him that oh dear Doubler the monkey, why should you worry, because in fact for me it is just an experiment and for you it is another fresh opportunity”.

Go and be a part of the gang and make Loudvoice feel all the more secure and strong, and tell him, that the race begins now. The race now is between Loudvoice who thinks he is a throughbred and the stable conglomerate owner who thinks he is so much in control, and I assure you that Loudvoice shall win. You have nothing to lose. as once in due time the stable conglomerate owner is going to be back kicked by Loudvoice, he shall try and take over the conglomerate because this is what he is slogging his arse for, so as to have something to do after his retirement from the government job, and, 'You my dear friend Doubler shall rule the horses for some time, atleast till the time' another stallion realizes that U R After all just a monkey.

Me and Doubler rolled laughing all over the place.

All that I was keen on was experimental psychology and all that Doubler was interested in, was some monkey business.

Balwant Gurunay

Perception Management.....by BalwantGurunay

 To gain and maintain the capacity to affect the perceptual abilities of general public, or different segments of it, so as to regulate their resultant perception is the core competency of a perception manager.
Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and organise sensation to produce a meaningful experience of self and the world.  In terms of psychology it is the recognition and interpretation of immediate sensory stimuli, based chiefly on memory, and our basic values and beliefs. It concerns the neurological process by which recognition and interpretation of stimuli around us is affected.
Sensation which is the basis of all perception refers to the immediate, unprocessed result of stimulation  through our external sense organs. Perception, on the other hand is the result of brain having processed the sensory input. Thus perception is the process by which sensory stimulation is translated into organised experience. All experience till now was supposed to come from the real world but with rise of multimedia technology, the power of virtual world has become extremely powerful, resulting in reality being affected or created to suit individual needs as never before. Artificial stimulus can be created by using a mixture of audio-visual aids and the personal or public opinion can be convincingly remodeled within no time. This can be done to serve the interests of an individual, organization or a nation as well as to the disadvantage of an adversary.
Though in terms of NLP we know that map is not the reality but a map happens to be the only reality till the time the subject has had an exposure to an actual reality. In terms of the mental map of any person thing or situation held by the general public, map is in most of the cases, the only reality they ever come across. Their being exposed to true reality could be a 'rare phenomena'. Let’s take Kargil war as an example of this. The strategic reality is known only to the strategic planners on both sides, the battle reality is known only to the tactical commanders in the theatre of action, as far as the general public is concerned, all that they have is just an opinion, and in their opinion, the countries on both sides won the war, as portrayed by their respective medias.

In the world of business the companies continuously try and shape the perception in order to stimulate desired behaviors and purchase actions. The surprising thing is that most of the times perception does not even have to be remotely related to reality. We are dealing here with making the the human mind believe something and than reinforce that belief. Repetition is the key for a deep and lasting impact.

Perception management is one of the most important fields of business management as it has the power to enliven the dead or bring to life absolutely new products, services or solutions. Perception management is also applied in manipulative marketing where first a company creates a product not needed by the public and then tasks its Marketing and Advertising departments to falsely make the public believe that they need the product or the service. In the world of fashion, fashion stylists are responsible for forecasting future fashion designs or  trends where as the perception managers tune and fine tune customer perception  by making sure that these designs are worn by celebrities before so as to set trends. For being a brand manager perception management is the key competency required. Nowdays image management firms are also offering services to celebrity clients. This is all about positive or suitable image building, maintainance and reputation repair. Thus perception management is a science when it comes to its nuts and bolts but an art when it comes to its execution due to its vast and varied applications.

Perception management is nothing new. It has been done for ages by kings and queens who chartered authors or poets to redefine their images and thus their destinies. Hitler as we all know is famous for his propaganda initiative of world war two. The advanced and potent means like satellite television, mobiles, personal computers and hand held internet devices available today to execute perception management operations have created opportunities never available to mankind before.
Perception management is also used by and on political or military leaders at all levels, so as to influence official estimates of their own as well as their enemy's strengths and weaknesses. All this results in influencing the behaviors of individuals, organisations and nations to take actions that are favourable to the objectives of the perception manager. In nut shell, perception management is the soul of all psychological operations. In today's outrageously dynamic and challenging media environment, with adversaries using propaganda to its hilt to serve their ends, Perception Management is the key to all political, military and business success and should be treated as a Core Capability for all these fields of Operations.

How can we forget that even long ago, Alice discovered 'Life' really to be a 'Mad Tea Party' and 'Wonderland' a 'Clever Theme Park' meant to displace 'Reality'.

...Balwant Gurunay...

Capt.VIKRAM BATRA...PVC

balwant gurunay's poetic tribute

ज़िंदा रहें गी गुरुने वो यादों में कौम की,

शहीद ऐसी रूहें हैं जो कभी मर नहीं सकती,

हिफाज़त सरहदों की जान पे वो खेल करतीं हैं,

मौत उन से है डरती, हैं नहीं वो मौत से डरती।

.

Till Eternity they shall live ,
and rule the mind of our nation,
martyrs never die GURUNAY ,
they are God's Godly creation.
they are guardians of our freedom,
they are guardians of our pride,
so that we may live in peace,
they took death in their stride.

A touching account of the life and making of legendary

Vikram Batra, PVC, by his brother Vishal Batra.   

My Brother Vikram, It’s been ten years. A lot has changed. And a lot has remained the same. I have much more grey in my hair. Vikram is as youthful as ever. Time cannot touch him. My dream of visiting Vikram as a commanding officer of a regiment couldn’t come true. But he still commands—in the hearts of the soldiers posted in Kargil and Drass When I talk about Luv, I don’t know where to begin. Capt. Vikram Batra PVC (posthumous) is Luv, and I, his younger twin, Kush. His identical twin. Ours was a childhood spent in the hills of Palampur making the most of our identical looks—playing pranks, filling in for each other and at times even getting punished for one another’s mistakes. The similarity ran deeper than looks. We also had the same interests. Both of us started playing table tennis at the age of ten. It’s another story that Vikram went on to become the school champion for five consecutive years. But I’d like to believe that I had a big hand in that. After all, I chose to lose to him in the semi-finals in the fifth year so that he could make the school record. But deep in my heart, I know that my brother—Shershah of Kargil—was a winner right from the start. Shershah of Kargil. That’s what the enemy too called Vikram. That’s the mark he made on them on those unforgiving mountains of Kargil. I don’t know at what stage Vikram marched on way ahead of all of us. We’d grown up as regular kids, making our choices as we went along. The first different choice that I remember is when our father started giving us Rs 50 a month for the school bus fare. I chose to travel to school by bus. Vikram opted to walk it and instead spend those rupees in the canteen. As we grew up, Vikram opted for the Army, and I, rejected thrice by the Services Selection Board, settled for business administration. How thrilled he was when he made it to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. It was 6 December 1997. Vikram Batra’s dream came true. He took the oath as an Officer of the Indian Army: The Safety, Honour and Welfare of your country comes first, always and every time / The Honour, Welfare and Comfort of the men you command comes next / Your own Ease, Comfort and Safety comes last, always and every time. / Mom and Dad pinned up the stars on his shoulder. He stood there smiling from ear to ear in his crew cut and several kilos thinner after the rigorous training. It was a grand moment. But it wasn’t going to be an easy life and Vikram knew that. When he’d come home on annual leave, we would talk for hours about the challenges he faced in Sopore—the strife-torn town in Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramulla district—which was his first posting. He had been commissioned into 13 JAK Rif. We would dream of the day he would command his regiment and I would get a chance to attend some of the regimental functions with his family and children. That dream is lost now. Never could I have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that the stories we saw in the famous TV serial, Param Vir Chakra, which we watched at a neighbour’s house in 1985 (we didn’t have a TV at home back then) would one day become so real for me. And Vikram would be the hero. Vikram was awarded the country’s highest gallantry award, posthumously. He was only 24. His famous words from the height of 18,000 feet: “Yeh Dil Maange More,” after victory over the enemy, still ring in my ears. It’s been ten years. A lot has changed. And a lot has remained the same. I have many more grey strands in my hair. Vikram is as youthful as ever. Time cannot touch him. In these last ten years, I have longed to visit those mountains that he conquered. And then suddenly, out of the blue, I got a call to travel to Kargil and Drass. It was as if Vikram was calling me to have a chat with him. I didn’t look back, packed my bags and set out to meet him. I landed in Leh at 10:30 in the morning on 2 July, five days before Vikram’s tenth death anniversary. The valley was more beautiful than it is made out to be in books. From the snow-capped hills surrounding it, I could almost sense Vikram looking at me. I then began the road trip to Drass to meet him. The mountain wind blew faster than the speed of the car and in my mind there was just one picture—of the bearded young man who had become a legend for pushing the enemy back at insurmountable heights where even life does not exist. A little outside Leh, we reached Gurdwara Pathar Sahib. I said a prayer for Vikram and for all those great soldiers guarding those mountains and our motherland. I recalled what Vikram had written in one of his last letters before the attack: ‘Life is at total risk. Anything can happen here. Take care of yourself and Mom and Dad… My picture has appeared in The Times Of India. Keep a copy for me. I want to see it once I’m back.’ The picture had appeared on the front page of The Times of India on 2 July 1999. It showed him standing with an anti-aircraft gun and weapons he had captured from Pakistani soldiers. This was after the first ferocious attack on Peak 5140 launched after they performed pooja at the Ghumri Base Camp with the call of “Durga Mata Ki Jai”. Vikram and his men captured point 5140 on 20 June 1999, and two weeks later, when his company launched the attack on point 4875 on 5 July, Vikram was fatally wounded—hit by sniper fire. The company captured the peak, but after 11 casualties. Vikram was one of them. It was months later, at the Western Command headquarters, when I met the junior commissioned officer (JCO) who was with Vikram the day he was fatally wounded. He was the last man to speak with Vikram. Sub Major Raghunath Singh started wailing when he saw me. He solved the mystery of my twin’s death for me: a young officer, Vikram’s junior, was hit and crying for help. The JCO wanted to go out to help but Vikram stopped him. “The enemy was firing heavily. ‘You have a family and children back home, I will do this,’ saahab said. He stopped me with these words and went out,” Raghunath Singh told me as he wept like a baby, inconsolably. But Vikram was hit by sniper fire. Having realised that, the charged company went berserk, mad with rage at their leader being hit, and killed the enemy soldiers. The tricolour was planted atop point 4875—they call it Batra Top now. Vikram reached Palampur before the sun rose on 11 July 1999. He was wrapped in the tricolour, lying calm almost as if he was trying to catch up on sleep he had lost during these arduous assaults on those treacherous peaks. Was I really so close to those peaks that I could almost see him fighting there? I wanted to reach up there as fast as possible, but the track was treacherous—the rocky mountain on one side and the sheer fall on the other. In some time, we had left the Indus River behind. It was a breathtaking journey. A place so beautiful and yet caught in the crossfire of war a decade ago. Midway, at one of the military posts, we had lunch with the commanding officer of 4 JAK Rif. I also met an officer six months senior to Vikram—now a major—and a JCO, both of whom had fought the war together with Vikram. “You look so much like Vikram Sir,” the JCO said and hugged me. I’ve been told that a billion times in the last ten years. There are people now who know me as Captain Vikram Batra’s brother. Many of them even walk into my office at ICICI Bank in Delhi and stare at me as if they know me. Some of them even say, “We’ve seen you somewhere.” When I tell them I’m Captain Batra’s twin, they say, “Oh, ‘Yeh Dil Mange More,’” and shake my hand. My dream of visiting Vikram as a commanding officer of a regiment couldn’t come true. But Vikram still commands. He’s there in the hearts of the soldiers posted in Kargil and Drass. In that mountain named after him (the Batra Top). And in the transit camp in Drass, called Capt Batra Transit Camp, where weary soldiers break their journey in the call of duty. ‘Call of duty’, the mention of these words takes me back to the days he was to be commissioned as an officer. When he was in the IMA, the footnote of Vikram’s letter pad read, ‘If Death comes to me before I prove my blood, I promise I’ll kill Death.’ You kept your word, Vikram. My Brother, My Twin, I salute you.

ASHTAVAKR and the ASHTAVAKR GEETA

Ashtavakr is one of the greatest sages of India. Just like the Bhagvat Geeta is full of immortal wisdom, there is yet another philosophical work full of extreme wisdom. It is called the Ashtavakr Geeta. The story of Ashtavakr goes like this. In the olden times there once lived a great teacher of Vedant called Udalak, He had many intelligent and hard working students. One of them named Kagol was not that sharp, but was a youngster of great virtue. Udalak appreciated his virtues, and married his daughter Sujata to him. With time Sujata became the mother of a son who had taken after his grandfather, who as I already said was a great vadantic scholar. Kagol often read the Vedant to his pregnant wife. The legend has it that Kagol and Sujata’s child twisted and turned his body in his mom’s womb, as he heard his dad making mistakes while reading the vedas. This happened eight times in the 9 months that the child stayed in his mom’s womb and thus the child was born with eight crooks in his body. earning him the name of ‘Ashtavakr’. ‘Ashta’, standing for eight and ‘Vakr’ for bend or crook.

Ashtavakr became a renowned Vedantic scholar by the time he was twelve. Mean while ashtavakr’s father Kagol drowned him self as he lost a debate on Vedant with king Janak’s court scholar Vandi. This hurt Ashtavakr deeply and he wanted to have his revenge. One day Janak, organized a debate on the Vedas. Ashtavakr made up his mind to go and participate in that debate. On his way to Mithila, Janak’s capital city, he came across the king and his retinue, and when he heard the kings soldiers telling people to move out of the way of the kings retinue, Ashtavakr seized the moment and stood in the middle of the road and shouted loud enough for the king to hear that a righteous king is one who makes way for the handicapped, deformed, the fairer sex, learned and the weak, rather then asking every one to clear the way for him. This is what scriptures say.” The King was impressed and asked his servants to let the young man go.

After this as this young scholar was entering the gates of the debating hall he was stopped by the gatekeeper and told that young boys are not allowed in side the hall as it was a debate for the seasoned minds, to which Ashtavakr replied,” Grey hair are no proof of a persons maturity, not even how well you have memorized Vedas and the Vedanta’s. Maturity lies in how well a person has captured the essence of all learning.” I am here to meet the court pandit Vandi and I want you to inform your king of my desire.” Now the king co-incidently came that way and recognized Ashtavakr as the courageous young scholar who had confronted him on the broadway of the city. On being told of the young lad’s desire to debate with Vandi, the court scholar the king said. “Do you know that Vandi has defeated great scholars in the past? I hope you know about the precondition to debating with Vandi, that any one who looses to Vandi , has to drown himself or will be drowned in the ocean of shame by stepping down from the title of being called a vedanti or a brahmin.. Are you not scared?
“ Respected and worthy king Janak, Your court scholar Vandi, has become proud and arrogant because he has not come across some one like me, and in any case I accept the challenge so as to find peace for my father’s soul who was defeated by this man and made to drown himself, I assure you that your great scholar shall be humbled by me, once and for all,”
This is how Ashtavakr met Vandi and debated hard and long over issues related to deep philosophy, and in the end the assembly unanimously declared Ashtavakr victorious. The court scholar had to drown himself as per a tradition set by him and thus paid for his sin of being arrogant and proud of his learning. Such was the man who wrote Ashtavakr Geeta, a classic dealing systematically with the mystical experiences of the Self on its way to transcendent this world, and attain peace and bliss and then transcend these as well. It’s very clear explanation of self as the ultimate reality. After Ashtavakr defeated Vandi, king Janak accepted him as his Guru. This great work is written in the tradition of a dialogue betwen a Guru and a student, betwen Ashtavakr and Janak. ‘Ashtavakr Geeta is exclusively related to matters regarding the nature and means of realizing the Self. It insists on detachment from worldly objects as essential to Self-realization.

Ashtavakr Geeta opens up the secrets of self realization by laying down the ground rule that one who considers himself free becomes free and one who considers him self bound remains bound. This goes to establish the proverbial saying, “As one thinketh, so one shall be.” Here I present for you the essence of this great work in most easy to comprehend language.
For true liberation avoid the objects of the senses and cultivate tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment, and truthfulness as the antidote to the poison of sensual desires. There is no being or non-being, no unity or dualism. There is nothing outside of you. You do not consist of any of the elements of matter alone. To be liberated, know yourself as consciousness and be a witness to the play of elements. Seeing yourself as distinct from the body, as pure consciousness is the key to being peaceful. You are not a Brahmin nor a Shudra. You don’t belong to any caste. Your real self is beyond anything that the eye can see. You are unattached and formless, the witness of everything -- so be happy. Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely the game played by the mind and should be of no concern to you. You as a witness of everything including your physical self can be completely free of the samsara inspite of being in it. The cause of your bondage is that being a witness or an audience, you by mistake become an actor in the play. Burn down the forest of ignorance with the fire of the understanding and be free from distress. Your real nature is free, an action less consciousness, the all-pervading witness -- unattached to anything, desire less and at peace. It is from illusion that you seem to be involved in ‘Samsara’. Meditate on yourself as awareness is the key to establish perfect equilibrium, which isfree from all duality. You have long been trapped in the snare of identification with the body. Cut this snare with the knife of knowledge. Recognize that the apparent is unreal, while the un manifest is permanent. Just as one and the same all-pervading space exists within and without an utencil, so the eternal, everlasting God exists in the totality of things. i am a follower of 'Advaita' and admire Maharishi Ashtavakr for all the blessings he left for us, the comimg generations, in form of his immortal work, The Ashtavakr Geeta.

Balwant Gurunay

What our youth should ASPIRE TO BE

What is it that a youngster should aspire to be?

And how should he or she identify his or her true aspiration?

The youth today is ambitious, and the opportunities are limitless. The 21st century has opened up hundreds of new vistas for the youngsters, offering them many new and satisfying career choices. But in spite of this many a times I find them confused. As a result they go to counsellors and career consultants, who make them, go through a number of aptitude tests. But when the choices have been made by the youth about the career path they desire to tread, mostly I see them reconsidering their choices, as they feel that they have made the wrong choice. It is worth pointing out here that though many counsellors are very helpful and offer a sound advice to the students, a number of times these counsellors are nothing more than stooges or paid agents of some private institutes or universities. So the very purpose of these flashy but flimsy counselling exercises and tests is nothing more than an eye wash with the real purpose of convincing the young students to join one of the courses, offered by the institutes which have commissioned these counsellors. To further convince the gullible youngsters of the authenticity of these courses they are assured of a promising and a lucrative placement, after the completion of their courses, through the in house placement cells of these institutes. Students are all the more convinced when they find that the huge amount of fee that they have to pay to these institutes can be financed from well established and well known banks or financial institutes, which adds further credibility to these courses. So it all seems neatly laid out for them.

Their dreams are shattered and all hopes seem in vain, only when they realise that the kind of job they will actually be able to bag after finishing their studies, in these so called esteemed institutes, with huge buildings and flashy advertisements, will not even be good enough for them to enable them to pay back their study loans. Young students thus become sacrificial goats of this vicious game making them lose a few lakh rupees, and a few years of their precious youth, whereas turning the owners of these institutes in to neo rich prosperous snobs. The students are the real losers in the long run. This situation ends up in sadness and depression for the youth and sometimes even culminates in tragic suicides. Many of these misled students take to crime under intense financial pressures.
The issue is serious and the situation is alarming. The question here is what went wrong and where? The answer lies in attitudinal flaws in the minds of the students and their parents and their timely correction.

I remember a story. Once upon a time there was a monk who also was an accomplished sculptor. He wanted to teach his young students the importance of visualising, realising, seeing and perceiving clearly as to what they wanted to be, or what they wanted to accomplish in their lives. So he asked for a big stone to be brought in to the monastery and got it placed in a hall where he began to carve a statue out of that stone. Alone in a room with a large but shapeless piece of stone, he began to chisel away small chips off that stone. As was expected his young students got curious and came peeping into the hall. They saw the monk working on that stone and asked,” Master what is it that you are making?” The Master said, “I am not making any thing. There is some thing in this stone already and I am only trying to get it out.” The youngsters wondered and said,” Master, we don’t see any thing in there. It’s just a huge stone.” The master as he chiseled and chipped away at the great piece of marble said, “My dear children, I can see it. You are welcome in here only after a month now.”
After a month when the kids came in to see the stone, they were surprised to see a beautiful stone lion in the hall. They all clapped out of joy and that is when the Master spoke. What he said is very relevant for all the young people in this world. The Master said,” Dear children, we all are like a rough stone but inside we all have our unique desires, strengths, weaknesses and so on. The moment we see them clearly we can recognize the true self inside us and know what we are, a lion, a horse, a fairy or an elf. Once we can see that image clearly in our mind we just need to do the needful chiseling or some patch work here and there to turn our unchiselled selves in to beautiful people that we all are, just like this lion hidden in the rough stone.” The problem with our youth is they are not getting this kind of guidance at the right age. What the children in this story innocently observed was that their Guru had to "see" the lion before he could begin carving the statue out of the rough stone. The children in fact witnessed a vision being brought to life. The lion in that block of stone had to be released. Once he had been "seen" inside of that block of stone it was possible to "see" how to "get" him out. The critical element for any success is vision. The first thing that our parents and teachers at school level must do is, to stimulate and encourage children to visualize, and slowly reach a stage, where as youth they have a clear vision of themselves and their surroundings in light of their own strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis the opportunities and threats that their environment offers.

This alone if done well and at the right time shall ensure, that the youngsters choose the professions of their true calling, and live fulfilled lives as individuals and healthy members of a healthy society.

Balwant Gurunay.

Doris Day singing Que Sera Sera click this link.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc

Sufis and Sufism

Sufism is the mystical dimension and expression of the out come of a grand cultural mix that took place in Persia and greater Indian subcontinent. It is the direct outcome of inter mingling of, as well as a jealous struggle between the fundamental religions of this region. Through Sufism, the pure hearted and simple non political folks of this vast region, who were fed up with the never-ending struggle between the different religious, political and social stake holders of the region, found a pure hearted expression of their spiritual quest and day to day mundane issues.

For a simple non traditional Sufi also called a dervish, believing in purity of intention, faith and a belief in nonviolence, is generally more important, than the method or “tariqa”. The stress always remains on purifying one’s inner self and freedom of spirit in devotion to divine.

Many scholars of sufism claim that it is rooted in Muslim culture and tradition, whereas there also are factions of Islam — like Salafism and Wahhabism which consider Sufism heretical.

I In fact agree with Idries Shah, and believe in Sufi philosophy being universal in nature, its roots predating the arising of Islam and the other modern-day religions.

The lexical root of Sufi is rooted in soof or "wool", referring to safā or "purity". Sufism’s greatest message is that we may be woven in different patterns, designs, textures or colors of our physical existence, but peace lies in never forgetting that deep down at the level of our souls we all are pure wool and that purity is worthy of all pursuit, hence sufism stresses on universal brotherhood and tolerance. Sufism preaches the pursuit of 'pure colourless wool' or 'suf ' state of mind as opposed to the materilistic, never ending pursuit of colour, texture and design, which is nothing more than an illusion or 'maya'. The word sufi may also have originated from the Greek word Sophia meaning "wisdom". In Sufism a seeker abandons all notions of dualism and pursues nonndualism to ultimately reach a stage of "un-al-haq", I am God, meaning that a drop of ocean is a drop as well as the ocean,but the very moment its drop conciousness falls apart to realise its oneness with the vastness of ocean, it becomes the ocean, and the drop is no where to be found.

Every one including the scholars or followers of Sufism agree that Sufism cannot be learned through books alone. It can best be learnt by Murshad and Mureed System or the Guru Shishya Parampara. In teaching Sufism, an extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor is made.This widely accepted, and a very effective method of training used extensively by the modern management science, is infact a part of Sufi tradition. Sufism stresses up on learning all that is there to be learnt. just to reach the ultimate stage of learning, which is the stage of unlearning, which is quite different from non learning. In other words A sufi learns to learn so as to be able to unlearn again, keaping in mind that what ever has been learnt can change, refreshed or renewed by the greater forces of change in the universe. For a Sufi change is the only true constant in this ever expanding and changing universe.

"Har goshae kayanaat ko chaana maine, jo kuch jaan sakta tha vo jaana maine,

sab kuch jaan gaya jab main aye dost mere, kuch nahin jaanta is baat ko jana maine".

.

I searched all corners of the universe for what ever could be known with my limited capabilities, and after having known all I know one thing for sure, that I know nothing-

Sufi's by all means deny any rituals or superstitions. They dont believe in the concept of God being an aloof judge sitting in high place waiting for the judgement day to pass his harsh judgements against those who did not follow some specific way and reward those who pleased him with some pre-prescribed method. A sufi on the other hand looks at God as an all forgiving lover equally eager to embrace his beloved (a sufi) because the pining is there on both sides. In sufism God is the greatest manifestation of pure love and is not at all far from a loving and pure heart. Another great element of sufism is the ultimate reverence to the Guru,master or Murshad.

"Guru gobind dou khare ka ke lagun paaye.

balihari Gguru aapne jis Gobind dia milaye"

(Both my Master and God stand here in front of me ,

to whom should I pay my respects first,

I decide to honour my master first because its only because of him that i know or realise God)

The role of the Murshad is given the greatest importance and the place of greatest revrence also belongs to him. This is the reason that either a living master or his tomb is a place of pilgrimage for a sufi. This becomes very clear in the most famous poetry of Saint Sultan Bahu presented by me in the text of this writing.

Sufis believe in the concept of empty book. When a sufi (mureed) (disciple) is graduated by his Master (Murshad), he is given a symbolic empty book, Signifing no set of rules preached by the master and to be followed by the disciple. It is expected that once a disciple is truly enlightened , he can guide others or be guided him self by his pure concious alone. A sufi masters greatest goal is to take his student to a stage of wisdom and a state of enlightenment where no rules, no shariya can possibly apply.

Sufis for that matter dont think of building a Utopia, but certainly do believe, and in my experience do succeed as well in creating Utopian citizens for sure, thus doing the greatest service to the society. In an ever changing world, where all fundamentlist forces through out history, and even today, have worked and are working towards polarising humanity, thus creating conflict in society, Sufism stands tall as the champion promoter of universal brotherhood , love and peaceful co-existence.

The devotional practices of Sufis from different regions of Globe differ widely as a result of inherent nature of sufism to blend with local culture and tradition of the concerned region, but with factors like. tolerance, universal acceptance, love and above all devotional, meaningfully philosophical and mesmerizing music and dance being central to all of them.

For the purpose of this very short writing I am taking Sufi Saint Sultan Bahu’s case as an example. Just like the other great Sufi Saints,His mystical poetry is an expression of disillusionment with formal, legalistic and institutionalized forms of religion, and of optimistic faith in the possibility of a personal, individual spiritual relationship with God.

Kalam Sultan Bahu
Alif allah chambe di booti, mere murshad man vich laai hu.

Nafi asbaat da paani mileyo, har ragge har jaai hu.

Andar buti mushk machaiya, jaan phulaan te ayi hu.

Jeeve murshad kaamil bahu, jaen eh booti laayi hu.

Allah pareyon haafiz hoiyon, na geya hijaabon parda hu,

Parh parh aalim faazil hoiyon, taalib hoiyon zar da hu.

Lakh hazaar kitaban pariyan, zaalim nafas na marda hu,

Baajh fakeeraan koi na maare, eh oh chor andar da hu.

Eh duniya zan hauz paleeti, keti mal mal dhounde hu.

Duniya kaaran aalim faazil, goushen bah bah ronde hu.

Duniya kaaran lok vichaare, ik pal sukh na saunde hu.

Jina chhadi duniya baahu, kandhi chadh khalounde hu.

Andar hu te baahar vi hu, har dam naal chalenda hu.

Hu da daag muhabbat vaala, har dam peya saddenda hu.

Jithe hu kare rushnaai, chhad andhera vendha hu.

Men kurbaan tinhaan ton baahu, jo hu sahi karenda hu.

Imaan salaamat har koi mange, ishk salamat koi hu.

Mangan imaan, sharmaavan ishkon, dil nu gairat hoi hu.

Jis manzal nu ishk pahunchaave imaan khabar na koi hu,

Ishk salaamat rakhin bahu, diyaan imaan dharoi hu.

Eh tan mera chashma hove, murshad dekh na rajjaan hu,

Loo loo de vich lakh lakh chashma, ik kholan ik kajjan hu.

ena vekhiyan sabr na aave, hor kidey val bhhajaan hu

Murshad da deedaar hai baahu, lakh karoddaan hajjaan hu.

Eh tan rabb sachhe da hujara, vich pa fakira chhaati hu.

Nakar minat khawaajkhizar di, tere andr aab hayaati hu.

Shauk da diva baal anere, mat labhi vasat khaddaati hu.

Marne to pehlan mar jande, jinaan hakk di ramaz pachhaati hu.

One of the best ways to experience the Sufi spirit and understand sufi perspective of God is through Listening to Sufi music. Qawaalli is one of the most easily available formats prevalent today. It has the power to give you a direct experience of divinity. Traditionally the credit for devising this format goes to a great Sufi Saint of Delhi, Hazarat Amir Khusro Sahib from the silsila or lineage and tradition of Saint Hazrat Nizmudin Aulliya. Saint Amir Khusro is also credited with the invention of Tabla, most popular rhythm instrument of the sub continent and Tarranaa , another singing format. Here is a sufi composition by poet Naaz Khiaalvi sung by NFAK

The words of this qawaalli are reproduced here for your convenience.

TUM (GOD) IK GORAKH DHANDA (PUZZLE) HO

(OH GOD YOU ARE A PUZZLE, CAUSE YOU ARE BEYOND OUR LIMITED HUMAN PERCEPTION)

Kabhi Yahaan Tumhen Dhoonda, Kabhi Wahaan Pahuncha

Tumhari Deed Ki Khaatir Kahaan Kahaan Pahuncha

Ghareeb Mit Ga’aye, Pamaal Ho Gaye Lekin

Kisi Talak Na Tera Aaj Tak Nishan Pahuncha
Ho Bhi Nahin Aur Har Jaa Ho

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Har Zarre Mein Kis Shaan Se Tu Jalwa Numaa Hai

Hairaan Hai Magar Aqal, Ke Kaisaa Hai Tu Kia Hai

Tujhe Dair-O-Haram Mein Dhonda Tu Nahi Milta

Magar Tashreef Farma Tujhe Apne Dil Mein Dekha Hai,

Dhoonde Nahi Mile Ho, Na Dhoonde Se Kahin Tum

Aur Phir Ye Tamasha Hai, Jahan Hum Hain Wahin Tum
Jab bin Tere Koi Doosra Maujood Nahi

Phir Samajh Mein Nahi Aataa Tera Parda Karna.
Harm-O-Dair Mein Hai Jalwa-E-Purfaan Tera

Do Gharon Ka Hai Charaagh ik rukhe Roshan Tera.

Jo Ulfat Mein Tumhari Kho Gaya Hai,

Usi Khoye Hoay Ko Kuch Mila Hai

Na Buut-Khane,Na Kabe Mein Mila Hai,

Magar Tute Hue Dil Mein Mila Hai

Adam Bun Kar Kahin Tu Chup Gaya Hai,

Kaheen Tu Hast Bun Kar Aa Gaya Hai
Nahi Hai Tu To Phir Inkaar Kaisa,

Nafi Bhi Tairay Honay Ka Pata Hai

Main Jis Ko Keh Raha Hoon Apni Hasti,

Agar Wo Tu Nahi To Aur Kia Hai

Nahi Aaya Khayalon Mein Agar Tu,

To Phir Mein Kaisay Samjha Tu Khuda Hai

Hairan Hoon Is Baat Pay, Tum Kaun Ho Kia Ho

Haath Aao To Buut, Haath Na Aao To Khudaa Ho

Aqal Mein Jo Ghir Gaya La-Intiha Kiyon Kar Ho

Jo Samajh Mein Aa Gaya Phir Wo Khuda Kiyon Kar Ho

Falsafi Ko Behas Ke Ander Khuda Milta Nahi

Dore Ko Suljha Raha Hai Aur Sira Milta Nahi

Pata Yun To Bata Dete Ho Sub Ko La-Makaan Apna

Ta’ajub Hai Magar Raehte Ho Tum Toote Hue Dil Mein

Jab Ki Tujh Bin Nahi Koi Maujood

Phir Ye Hangama Aye Khuda Kia Hai

Chupte Nahi Ho, Samne Aate Nahi Ho Tum,

Jalwa Dikha Ke Jalwa Dikhate Nahi Ho Tum

Dair-O-Haram Ke Jhagre Mita’te Nahi Ho Tum,

Jo Asal Baat Hai Wo Batate Nahi To Tum

Hairaan Hun Mairay Dil Mein Samaaye Ho Kis Tarah,

Haalan Ke Do Jahan Mein Samaate Nahi To Tum

Yeah Ma Butt O Haram, Yeah Qaleesa-o-Dair Kiyoon,

Harjaayi Ho Jab hi To Batate Nahi ho Tum

Dil Pe Hairat ne Ajab Rung Jama Rakha Hai,

Ek uljhi Hui Tasveer Bana Rakha Hai

Kuch Samajh Mein Nahi Aata K Ye Chakkar Kia Hai,

Khel kia Tum Nai Azal Say Ye Racha Rakha Hai

Rooh Ko Jism Ke Pinjre Ka Bana Ker Qaidee,

Us Pay Phir Maut Ka Pehra Bhi Bithaa Rakha Hai

De ke Tadbeer K Panchi Ko Uraaney Tum Ne,

Daam-E-Tadbeer bhi Her Simt Bicha Rakha Hai

Kar Ke Araish E Qounain Ki barnuu tu ne,

Khatam Karne Ka Bhi Mansooba Bana Rakha Hai
La-Makaani Ka Bahr-Haal Hai Dawa Bhi Tumhein,

Nahl-O-Akrab Ka Bhi Paighaam Suna Rakha Hai

Ye Buraai, Wo Bhalaai, Ye Jahannum, Wo Bahisht,

Is Ulat Phiar Mein Farmaao To Kia Rakha Hai

Jurm Aadam Nai Kiya Aur Saza Beton Ko,

Adl O Insaaf Ka Mi’aar Bhi Kia Rakha Hai

De ke Insaan ko Dunya Mein Khilafat Apni,

Ik Tamasha Sa Zmaaney Mein Bana Rakha Hai

Apni Pehchaan Ki Khaatir Hai Banaya Sub Ko,

Sub Ki Nazaron Say Magar Khud Ko Chupa Rakha Hai

Nit Naye Naqsh Banatay Ho Mita Dette Ho,

Jaane Kiss Jurm-E-Tamanna Ki Saza Dette Ho,

Kabhi kankkar Ko Bana Dete Ho Hiire Ki Kani,

Kabhi Heeron Ko Bhi Mitti Mein Mila Dete Ho

Zindagi Kitney Hi Murdon Ko Ataa Ki Jis Ne,

Wo Maseeha Bhi Saleebon Pay Saja Dete Ho

Khuwahish-E-Deed Jo Kar Baithey Sir-E-Toor Koi,

Toor Hee Bark e Tajaali Say Jala Daitay Ho.

Naaley Namrood Mein Dalwatay Ho Qudrat Na Khaleeq,

Khud Hee Phir Naar Ko Gulzaar Bana Dete Ho
Chahey Kin-Aaan Mein Phainko Kabhi Maah-kinaan,

Noor Yaqoob Ki Aankhon Ka Bujha Dete Ho

Bech Ke Yusuf Ko Kabhi Misr ke Bazaaron Mein,

Aakhir- Kaar Shah-E-Misr us ko Bana Dete Ho

Jazb-O-Masti Ki Jo Manzil Pe Pahunchta Hai Koi,

Baith Ker Dil Mein Anal-Haq Ki Sadaa Dete Ho.

Khud He Lagwate Ho Phir Kufr K Fatway Us Par,

Khud He Mansoor Ko Sooli Pe Charha Dete Ho

Apni Hasti Bhi Wo Ik Roz Gawa Baithta Hai,

Apne Darshan Ki Lagan Jis Ko Laga Dete Ho
Koi Ranjha Jo Kabhi Khoj Mein Nikle Teri,

Tum Usay Jhang K Bele(medows) Mein Rula(lost) Dete Ho

Just-ju Le keTumhari Jo Chale Qais koi,

Us Ko Majnu Kisi Laila Ka Bana Dete Ho

Jot? Sassi ke Agar dil mein Tumhari Jaage,

Tum Use Tapte Hue thull(desert) mein Jala Dete Ho

Sohni Gar Tum Ko Mahiwaal Tassavur Kar Le,

Us Ko Bikhri Hui Lehron mein Bahaa Dete Ho

Khudh Joh Chaho To Sar-E-Arsh Bula Kar Mehboob,

Ek Hi Raat Mein Meeraaj Kara Dete Ho.

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho
Aap Hi Apna Pardaa Ho

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Jo Kehta Hu, Maanaa tumhen Lagtaa hai Buraa Sa,

Phir Bhi Hai Mujhe Tum Se Baharhaal Gilla Sa

Chup Chaap Rahe Dekhtey Tum Arsh-E-Barin se,

Taptay Hue Karbal Mein Mohammad Ka Nawasa

Kis Tarah Pilata Tha Lahuu Apna Wafa Ko,

Khud Teen Dino Say jo agarche tha Piyasa

Dushmun To Bahar Haal The Dushman Magar Afso's,

Tum Ne Bhi Faraaham Na Kia Pani Zara Sa.
Har Zulm Ki Taufeeq Hai Zaalim Ki Wirasat,

Mazloom ke Hisse mein Tasalli Na Dilasaa.

Kal Taaj Saja Dekha Tha Jis Shaqs ke Sir Pe,

hai Aaj Usi Shaqs ke Haathon Mein Hi kasa

Yeh Kia Hai Agar Puchoon To Kahte Ho Jawaaban,

Is Raaz Se Ho Sakta Nahi Koi Shanasaa.

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Hairat Ki Ik Dunya Ho, Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho
Har Aik Jaan Pey Ho, Lekin Pataa Nahin Maloom

Tumahra Naam Suna Nai, Nishaan Nahi Maloom

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho
Dil Say Armaan Jo Nikal Jaa’ye To Jugnu Ho Jaa’ye,

Aur Aankhon Mein Simat Aaa’ye To Aansoo Ho Ja’aye

Ja Pe Ya-Huu Ka Jo Be-Hu Karay Hu Mein Kho Kar,

Us Ko Sultaniyaan Mil Jaen wo Baahu Ho Jaaye

Baalgi Ka Na Kisi Ka Ho Churrii Ke Nichey,

Halk-E-Asghar Mein Kabhi Teer Tarazu Ho Jaaye

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Kis Qadar Beniyaaz Ho Tum Bhi

Daastan-E-Niyaaz Ho Tum Bhi

Raah-E-Tehqeeq Mein Her Gaam Pay Uljhan Dekhun,

Vanhi Halaat-O-Khayalaat Mein Anaban Dekhun

Ban Ke Rah Jaata Hoon Tasaveer Pareshaani Ki,

Gaur Say Jab Bhi Kabhi Duniya Ka Darpan Dekhun

Ek He Khaaq Pay Fitrat Ke Tajaadaat Itne,

Itne Hisson Mein banta ek Hi Angan Dekhun
Kahin Zehmat Ki Sulagti Hui Pat-jhar Ka Samaa,

Kahin Rehmat Ke Barastey Hue Saawan Dekhun

Kahin Phunkartey Darya, Kahin Khaamosh Pahaar,

Kahin Jungle, Kahin Sahra, Kahin Gulshan Dekhun

Khoon Rulata Hai Yeh Taqseem Ka Andaaz Mujhe,

Koi Dhanwaan Yahaan Pe Koi Nirdhan Dekhun
Din Ke Haathon Mein Faqat Ek Sulagtaa Suraj,

Raat Ki Maang Sitaron Sey Muzayyan Dekhun

Kahin Murjhaaye Hue Phool Hain Sach’chaii Ke,

Aur Kahin Jhoot Ke Kaanton Pay Bhi Joban Dekhun

Shams Ki Khaal Kaheen Khinchti Nazar Aati Hai,

Kaheen Sarmad Ki Utarti Hui Gardan Dekhun
Raat Kia Shey Hai Sawera Kia Hai,

Yeah Ujala Yea Andhera Kia Hai

Mein Bhi Naayab Hun Tumhara Aakhir,

Kiyoon Yeh Kehte Ho Ke Tera Kya Hai

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Dekhne Wala Tujhe Kia Dekhta

Tu Ne Her Rang Se Pardah Kar rakha hai,

Masjid Mandir Yeh Mehkhaney,

Koi Yeh Maaney Koi Woh Maaney

Sub Tere Hein Jaana Kaashaney,

Koi Yeh .........................

Koi hone Ka Tere Qaaiil Hai,

Inkaar Pe Koi Maaiil Hai

Ik Khalq Mein Shaamil Karta Hai,

Ik Sab se Akelaa Rehtaa Hai

Hain Dono Tere Mastanay,

Koi Yeh ................................

Sub Hain Jab Aashiq Tumhare Naam Ke,

Kiyoon Yeh Jhagre Hein Rahim-O-Raam Ke

Dair Mein Tu, Haram Mein Tu

Arsh Pe Tu, Zamin Pe Tu

Jis Ki Pahunch Jahaa Tak hai,

Us K Liye Wahin Pe Tu

Har Ik Rung Mein Yaksa Ho

Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho

Markaz-E-Justuju, Aalam-E-Rung-O-Boo,

Dum-Ba-Dum Jalwagar Tu Hi Tu Chaar-Su

Hu-Ke-Mahool Mein Kuch Nahi Illah Hu,

Tum Bohot Dilruba Tum Bohot Khoobaru

Arsh Ki Azmatein Farsh Ki Aabroo,

Tum Ho Qonein Ka Haasil-E-Aarzoo

Aankh Ne Kar Lia Aansu'on Se Wazu

Ab To Kar Do Ataa Deid Ka Ik Sabu

Aao Parde Se Tum Aankh ke Ru-Baru,

Chand Lamhe Milan, Do Ghari Guftaguu,

Naaz Japta Phiray Ja Baja Qu-Ba-qu

Wahda-huWahda-hu la Shareeka-La-hu
Allah Hu Allah Hu Allah Hu Allah Hu Allah Hu

To savour this great composition in the immortal voice of Nusrat Fateh ali Khan, click on this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo0EqAWHGdg

video with the english translation of the qawaalli

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKQ2NQ7BR9Q&feature=related

...Balwant Gurunay...