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First Guru Tegh Bahadur Award
conferred on Justice Bains
VFF seminar launches frontal attack on Indian brahamanical
system
that kills Human Rights
WSN Bureau
 CHANDIGARH:
In a unique effort to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and opening a frontal battle against
Indian brahamnical stratagems and forces, several Sikh
organizations, political and social leaders, religious personalities
and intellectuals gathered to understand linkages and
interconnections between "Neo-brahmanism, Human Rights and Social
Democracy" at a seminar organized under the aegis of Voices For
Freedom.
The event also
saw Voices For Freedom, vowed to the cause of the human rights
movement and inspired by the tireless work and sacrifice of many who
have been striving to make our world more egalitarian, conferring
the first Guru Tegh Bahadur Award for Lifetime Service in Human
Rights on Justice Ajit Singh Bains (retd).
The award
received an extra sheen when, amidst a galaxy of religious, social,
human rights and political leaders, Justice Bains received the
shining crystal pillar inscribed with his name from young
professional Bibi Navkiran Kaur, the daughter of late S. Jaswant
Singh Khalra, himself an iconic figure for Human Rights activism
across the globe.
The event,
unique in itself as participants heard in rapt attention an
intellectually engaged and daring scholar and author, Braj Ranjan
Mani, for hours that extended much beyond lunch time. Even then
there was no end to those who wanted to engage with the author
activist on many aspects of the lecture on the theme "Neo-Brahamnism,
Human Rights and Social Democracy". (Read excerpted version on page
8-10. For full version, visit www.WorldSikhNews.com).
Interestingly,
representatives of many different colors of politics, including Bhai
Daljit Singh Bittu of Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), Bhai Satnam Singh
Paonta, H S Dhami and Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa, Rajinder Singh
of Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat, lawyer Navkiran Singh, Gurmat Gian
Missionary College Ludhiana's Inderjit Singh Rana, and a large
number of university professors, students, lawyers, engaged
journalists and activists were among the audience which strove above
all partisan lines in an effort to engage with the scholar and his
work.
Talking about
the Guru Tegh Bahadur award, Rajinder Singh of Shiromani Khalsa
Panchayat said the award was instituted in the name of the ninth
Master as the Guru laid down his life for the protection of
religious rights of people whose religion he did not share.
Justice Bains,
who is a veteran human rights champion, having founded and led the
Punjab Human Rights Organization for well over two decades, humbly
accepted the award and said that the human rights tragedies in
Punjab brought him closer to Sikh religious ethos and he found 'true
socialism in the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib'.
Mani, noted
scholar and author of the path breaking best seller "Debrahamnising
History: Dominance and Resistance in Indian Society" (Manohar,
2005), dwelt at length on the topic, and reaffirmed that neo-brahmanism
is the root cause for the present in-equalitarian social and
political climate of the country.
He emphasized
that there is a need for unity of forces of togetherness to create
an exploitation-free society. He clearly demarcated that the
so-called minorities are in fact a large majority which is being
governed by a brute elitist minority.
He clarified
that neo-brahmanism and neo-imperialism have colluded in recent
times to the detriment of peoples' interests. They control the
levers of power and knowledge distribution and are perpetuating a
culture of intolerance.
Coordinating the
function on behalf of Voices for Freedom, Jagmohan Singh said that
irrespective of the difficulties and hindrances in the Indian
judicial dispensing system, Voices for Freedom would continue to
uphold the cause of human rights. He said that every year, the Guru
Tegh Bahadur Human Rights Award would be given to an
individual/organization whose work shows a commitment to the cause
of human rights.
10 December
2008
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