The Man who burnt all his Bridges to reach the point of no return!

True story of the first Passionate Idiots!

~ 1993 ~

The dingy rickety bus took a sharp turn over the precarious mountain curve and the young woman with a baby over her shoulders, leaned over for support on her man who stood out from the crowd of unruffled village folks that the HP Roadways bus roof was full of. This young man’s countenance was full of grit and a positive aura with eyes that looked very sharp and intelligent. His silhouette against the backdrop of the orange evening sky looked significant enough for most of the other travellers who peered at this couple that looked ‘out of place’ and too calm in this chaotic humdrum setting.

The young man looked at the setting sun with a curious tight smile on his face with a determination that was enduring and eyes afire with expectation. His face kept an eye on the large trunk that rested tied to the roof railing with all his life’s belongings packed in it. Soon his thoughts drifted to his last call a few hours back as a Medical Specialist at Maulana Azad Medical College. After writing the final prescription for his last patient, he had dropped his last few visiting cards into the waste-basket. One card had slipped from his hands and landed on his shoe. Silently, he picked it up and looked at it for the last time. His gaze stuck for a few moments on the name “Dr Davinder Singh, MBBS, MD”. Promptly, he looked away and muttered under his breath “I need to burn all my bridges”. He packed up and stepped out of his office chin up, never to look back.

He was jolted from his stupor by the wail of 3 yr old Amrit who decided it was time for her feed. He lovingly looked at his baby girl’s eyes as if he could see his future beckoning from within and then his gaze shifted to his wife of five years, Dr Neelam Kaur. He looked at her proudly for having stood rock-solid with him in these testing times. He felt that she had lived up to her solemn marriage vows and it felt reassuring that his pillar of strength was intact and glowing. The road was racing past him and he caught a fleeting glance of a milestone proclaiming ‘Rajgarh – 35 Kms’.

~ 1987 ~

Davinder Singh’s thoughts drifted off to the life-changing moment that was unique because of the solitary moment of meeting Baba Iqbal Singh ji of Baru Sahib at a friend’s place at Delhi in 1987. Davinder was fixated when his eyes fell on Babaji’s serene face and he gawked when he heard him speak in an unhurried baritone voice “Aao Doctor Sahib, tusi tey badi vadi degree kamaii hai” (Come Doctor Sir, you have earned a very high degree). Dr Davinder Singh stopped in his tracks, trying to unravel whether there was a hidden message in this statement. He had heard a lot about Babaji and had been trying to meet him for the past two years unsuccessfully. Davinder folded his hands in reverence, bowed his torso and greeted him softly, words eluding him. Babaji was speaking on the issue of “sacrifice for human welfare” which according to him was the real definition of ‘Kalgidhar’. The old man’s words seemed much profounder than whatever he had ever gathered about Kalgidhar. He was pleasantly surprised with the fact that something that he had associated with royalty and dressing up; was in fact much intense and significant and had something to do with a unique sacrifice that the world would remember for ever.

Caught in turmoil ever since the tragic riots of 1984, Davinder had decided to submit his life for Sewa for service to the downtrodden. He had opened a clinic in Tilak Vihar, the hot bed resettlement colony of riot victims and had been serving the unfortunate widows and children there. With his savings and influence as a Doctor, Davinder had been sending many kids to school in the local area. Today, he felt an urge to share his spontaneous thought of submission for selfless service to the under-privileged. Politely with hands folded, he reached out to Babaji and whispered “Maharaj, mainu vi sewa da mauka devo, mai is moh maaya tun door jaana chahanda haan” (Sire, please give me an opportunity to join you in service, I wish to stay away from materialistic world). The old man looked up askance and said “Achha, hmmm….!” (Okay, hmmm!). His experienced eyes were watching Davinder’s father, Brigadier Samloke who looked crestfallen and white-faced at this proposal from his son on whom he invested his sweat and blood. Babaji said again “Beta teri hajey ithey badi lodh hai. Ithon hi sewa kar” (Son, your presence is required more here). Although Davinder said “Satbachan” (Rightly said, Sir) but sleep eluded him that night.

Tossing and turning on bed, he was torn between thoughts. The relaxed and powerful face of Babaji kept haunting him. One part of him wanted to leave everything and surrender to Babaji and the other part reminded him of his father’s efforts as well the impending marriage in December 1988 with a sweet young Doctor that his family had chosen. Somehow he drifted to sleep with a conviction in his mind for earning his father’s blessings yet choosing to walk the path that he had decided upon.

His meetings with Babaji kept on happening and each time he fell deeper in love with the wise old man. He could not resist sharing his mind with Babaji and felt ever peaceful with the serene words of wisdom that he heard from him. Everytime he met Babaji, he felt him to have sensed his father’s discomfort of seeing his son walk the path less taken in this world. Five years passed by; Dr Davinder Singh and Dr Neelam Kaur were blessed with a lovely daughter, Amrit Kaur in 1990 but the young man was obsessed with his idea of joining Babaji at Baru Sahib. One fine day before Baisakhi in 1993, he had a chance meeting with Babaji in Delhi. Gathering up all his courage and wit, Davinder walked upto Babaji and said “Babaji, mainu apni sewa tey jorh lovo varna mainu kidrey hor sewa layi dhakkey khaney paingey” (Babaji, please allow me into your service or else I may have to roam around for some other place). Suddenly a thread broke somewhere and Babaji looked intensely at him with a wry smile and said “Achha? Chal tu Baru Sahib aajaa. Pandrah din reh key saara kujh dekh lai phir apaa agey di vichaar karangey” (Is it so? Okay you come to Baru Sahib for 15 days, stay there and see for yourself and we shall discuss after that).

~ 2013 ~

Those 15 days never came. The Doctor couple had started with the Akal Charitable Hospital. Gradually, they started handling the school, successfully did their B.Ed defying all advice from their teacher colleagues and Dr Davinder Singh was appointed as the Principal of Akal Academy, Baru Sahib. Later, he was also appointed the Secretary of the Trust. And today he is the Director of all Akal Academies while Dr Nelam Kaur is Principal, Akal Academy, Baru Sahib. 

What these two Passionate Idiots set-off, was a wave of young people sacrificing their careers, wealth, jobs and comforts to join the noble mission of Sant Attar Singh ji and thereafter providing an impetus to the dreams of Baba Iqbal Singh ji seeing the light of the day with a rural education revolution. 

Visiting Burla - Like it happened yesterday! #OdishaDiaries-1 #MyMalgudiDays

SOMEDAY YOU'LL LOOK BACK AND UNDERSTAND WHY IT ALL HAPPENED THE WAY IT DID!

This trip was being planned since past 23 years and even the tickets got wasted a couple of times due to last-minute cancellations. A hushed phone-call brought in the bad news "Lovely is no more". I had to be besides my dear old friend Gurudev Singh 'Vinky' since Lovely was his right arm. 

The smiling face of Lovely, his innocent demeanour and his childlike banters, haunted me. Dazed, tossing through the night,I planned my itinerary to Burla - the sleepy hamlet, which also happens to be my birthplace. After having spent 60% of my present life in Burla, I had moved to Delhi in 1994.

The drive from Raipur airport to Burla was quite a pleasant one and it hardly took us 4 hours. This was a far cry from the overnite 6 to 7 hours journey that we used to slog upon in the 90's. I could see the old-village charm yet the infrastructure was eye-popping.

23 years!! Yours truly was quite excited despite going there on a sad note. The trip to the 'world of Nostalgia' was all the more emotional and rememberable.

The trip to the Gurdwara Sahib was very touching. Dad had setup and managed this Gurdwara for atleast 30 years. The old Jamun tree had been chopped. Under this tree, I was taught Gurmukhi during the summer holidays by Giani Takhat Singh ji. Thankfully, the Mango tree is still there. The tin roof of the Darbar is now a pucca structure. But sadly, the entry roads to the Gurdwara sahib are now quite congested and cluttered with houses. It used to have more open spaces in the past. 

The Gurdwara was an extended home for us. Come Gurpurabs and we kids used to find an excuse to stay out late nights for 'Sewa' at the Langar. I miss the brick-lined flooring on the verandah, which now has been replaced by concrete. The brick flooring used to be cooler during summers and water was sprayed on it from time to time.

Many a faces are missing in Burla, most of them passed away timely or untimely. But the best part is that relationships are still warm in Burla and people are still affable and uncomplicated!

  

    

Age cannot Wear him down NICER honours Baba Iqbal Singh, 90 with Lifetime Achievement award

Age cannot Wear him down

NICER honours Baba Iqbal Singh, 90 with Lifetime Achievement award

New Delhi – 21 Mar 2016:

An unclean environment is an insult to the Creator. Everything that Nature has created is beautiful. But nature is forced to submit to the mankind’s inexcusable it is only man who makes his environment dirty and, very often, and for reasons best known to himself. It is in his hands to be clean, prevent diseases and prolongs life and its quality. Cleanliness has the power to make mind fresh and open to what is right and shut to predispositions that society today is partial to. We have to take cleanliness beyond every home to neighbourhood, to society and should not stop at developing clean civic habits but also clean social conduct.

The National Institute of Cleanliness Education Research (NICER) today honoured Baba Iqbal Singh, President Kalgidhar Trust and Chancellor of Eternal University, HP with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Afro-Asian Cleanliness Conference 2016 held at India International Centre, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. Dr. P R Trivedi, Founder Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Technological and Medical Sciences University, Arunachal Pradesh and President, Confederations of Indian Universities (CIU) presided over the function. National Institute of Cleanliness Education and Research (NICER) cosponsored by many universities from all over the country and funded by the Afro-Asian-American Chamber of Commerce, Occupational Research and Development (ACCORD) has designed a masterplan paradigm for cleaning up the country.

Baba Iqbal Singh retired as Director Agriculture from Himachal Pradesh in 1986 and thereafter started a small school with 5 students as envisaged by his predeccessors Sant Attar Singh ji and Sant Teja Singh ji, MA LLB AM Harvard.  This fountainhead today has progressed into a chain on 129 rural schools and 2 Private Universities alongwith a host of Social Development programs. One of the most remarkable contribution by Baba Iqbal Singh ji has been the Free Teachers Training Program, which till date has benefitted more than 2000 marginalised girls from rural areas through its free B.Ed training and jobs as Teachers or allied staff. Following the faith that the houses whose daughters are educated are the homes that keep the evil away . Education is the turning point of the clan to be clean. This keeps the society free from gender inequality, empowered, progressive and clean.

‘Clean to Clan’ to Babaji is doing everything that can turn a life around starting from cleaning the environment, sustaining the outer environment as clean as ever extending this to inner self of people for a society that is painstakingly clean. Comprehensive cleanliness to Babaji is a mandate which each one of us should follow – education, gender equality, women empowerment and a soul free from intoxicants all these when practiced together results a society – free from evil, keeps society strong by default to wade away from nefarious  designs.

Clean to Clan thus becomes the foundation of all of Babaji’s work, the comprehensiveness of this mandate works two ways – self to society and society to self, where the outside surroundings adds to totality. Whilst education, empowerment and gender equality brought about cleaning in society on one hand and added to general conscience to keep cleanliness in the surroundings this is well exhibited in village - Lana Bhalta, District Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. For the uninitiated, ‘Lana Bhalta’ is the winner of Swachh Mission award of Rs. 10 lakhs in Himachal Pradesh amongst 3243 Gram Panchayats. Here there are toilets in each household, a localised system to sift waste from water flowing out of every kitchen into soak pits; and not a scrap of garbage or filthy water is to be seen all under the aegis of Baba Iqbal Singh.

Each of the households in the village has been given a sanitation kit that includes a toilet brush, a jute bag for collecting garbage, a dust pan, a dust bin and a nail cutter. The five anganwadis in the panchayat are equipped with toilets that have special seats for children. Almost all items from the garbage bins are recycled. Raddi (wasted paper) is recycled into paper and stale, oily’ food into manure. Oil-free waste like raw vegetables and left-over food find their way into the vermi compost pit. Nothing is left unused. Waste from building material such as stones, bricks and rubble is used for construction; while glass, tin, shoes, clothes and toys are sold to trash buyers. Toxic waste is burnt in incinerators, while the entire garbage is made bacteria free. , Tthis model is fortified further through grass root level awareness and education to inculcate clean and healthy habits.

When we spoke to Baba  Iqbal Singh ji, he humbly shrugs off the mention of the lifetime achievement award and says “Cleanliness of Environment should be preceded by Cleanliness of the Mind, of the five vices. Pavan paani dharati aakas ghar mandar har bani. i.e. Air, water earth and sky are God's home and temple - sacred places which need to be protected and looked after. ”

 

Clarification on the Buses Issue on 23rd Nov ’15 – The Kalgidhar Trust Baru Sahib

Clarification on the Buses Issue on 23^rd Nov ’15 – The Kalgidhar Trust Baru Sahib

With deep anguish and pain we are sharing this clarification with Sadh Sangat. Since this tirade was carried out in the social media, facebook and whatsapp; initiated through fake ids and vulgar language; hence it did not warrant a rejoinder from us.

We are saddened by the recent accusations and baseless allegations spread against us by some misinformed persons. We wish to clarify that NO vehicle or Bus belonging to Baru Sahib was ever used in the recent political function. 

It is equally sad to see these people, using foul language and profanities against Baba Iqbal Singh ji, who has not only created the largest educational endeavor of the Sikh community but also dedicated his whole life to the Panth. These ignorant sinners manipulated innocent Sangat with falsehood. These are baseless accusations and we request the Revered Sangat not to take this on face value. 

Our heart bleeds when a divine persona like Baba ji is called a “Thug”. What these ignorant do not know is that:

-   Baba Ji left his class-1 job with the Punjab Government. Joined Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Department on a lower post. All as per directions of Sant Teja Singh Ji to realize the Tapo Bhumi of Baru Sahib.

-   He spent all his life-savings, salary & pension on this charitable mission. He never built any house for himself. He retired as Director of Agriculture, H.P.

-   He started the Akal Academy Baru Sahib with 5 students in 1986, which has in 29 years now grown into 129 Schools and 2 Universities with 60,000 students. Besides the Trust runs a 250-bed Hospital, 2 De-addiction Centers and the largest Women Empowerment program in North India.

The greatest contribution of Baru Sahib for Charhdi Kala of the Panth is that all students retain the Sikh attire and begin their day with Nitnem. And all the Gurdwaras within the Schools are maintained and run by the students themselves.

Regarding the recent events:

-   On 21^st November, Saturday, some bus contractors informed us of their inability to operate on 23^rd November, as they were required to make their buses available for one day for the political function.

-   The Principals of these Academies tried hard to dissuade them but they said that they were helpless. Despite all efforts no alternative arrangements could be made at such a short notice.

-   The Principals then consulted parents of the affected Akal Academies to see if the kids could be dropped to school on 23^rd morning. Most disagreed as they felt insecure due to the prevailing uncertainty. The parents informed the Principals of their inability to do so under the present conditions.

It is being clarified that all teachers and Principals reported to school even in the affected academies and classes were held for the students who could manage to come to school by making their own arrangements.

The Actual Facts:

About 1200 buses are used for transporting students in all Akal Academies.

-   Of these, about 200 are owned by The Kalgidhar Trust. All buses did their regular duties.

  None of the Trust owned buses went to any political function.

- 900 are hired by the Trust from Contractors. 20 did not report for duty on 23^rd.

-   About 100 buses are hired directly by the parents and there is no involvement of school in such arrangements. 17 did not report for duty on 23^rd.

Sangat in all its wisdom can see that just 37 buses out of a 1200 (3%) did not report for school duty on that day. This affected transportation of students in 4 Akal Academies out of 129 (3%), where classes were held only for those few students who could manage to reach the school on their own.

It is being stated categorically that:

(i)    Principals and staff of all Akal Academies reported for duty on 23^rd November.

(ii)  Normal classes were held in all the 129 schools other than the 4 affected schools.

May I humbly submit that for contracted buses, we do not have much option except penalizing them for the losses, if they occasionally skip their routes. We are currently in the process of obtaining legal advice regarding feasibility of terminating the contracts of the vendors who did not ply their buses to bring students on 23^rd November despite our strict instructions.

It is sad that after devoting all his life to the Sikh Panth, Baba ji has to witness such animosity from some misguided people. Equally sad is to see that panthic missions like Baru Sahib are being targeted by some vested interests that probably are doing a great disservice to the Sikh community. 

I hope that with these clarifications, misgivings propagated by some misguided persons would be resolved and this unsavory episode comes to an end.

Please give us your blessings, love, motivation and support so that the mission of Guru Nanak permeates to all corners of the world. 

- Ravinder Pal Singh, The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib