Thursday, October 24, 2013

Animal Flesh is not a Natural Diet of Humanity

The whole creation of the world consisting of 84 million different species, which includes inert matter, plant Kingdom and animal Kingdom that render the service to the mankind, which has got divine wisdom to realize the Supreme being within. In fact, the human being is an incarnation of the Divine, if he follows the holy instruction of the same. A man is born to realize the Divine within, by meditating on His Divine Name and virtues. Due to his divine wisdom, man is considered to be the superior most, among all the species of this Universe. All the species of the Universe, including inert matter are ordained to serve the human being according to the Divine Law, so that they can also improve their fate for achieving the ultimate divine goal through evolution. As such, according to the divine law, it is the destined duty of human being to render service and utilize the natural resources according to the will of Divine Lord so that natural ecological balance is maintained according to the natural rules and regulation designed by the Supreme Being.


According to the Divine Law, inert matter of the Universe is destined to serve and support its superior class i.e. plant Kingdom, which in turn is destined to serve and support the animal Kingdom, including human beings according to the Divine law. In other words, inert matter renders food to plant Kingdom, which in turn provides the food to the animal Kingdom including human beings. The food of the whole of animal Kingdom including human being is vegetarian, which is derived from plant Kingdom. But there are exceptions in the animal Kingdom like cat and lizard families, which sustain on eating flesh food of other animal species. According to this divine principle, God has created the physical frame of all these species accordingly.

  1. The skeletal frame of the carnivores is different from the herbivores. Carnivores are provided with sharp claws, whereas the herbivores have no such provision.
  2. Vegetarian animals including man have been provided with plenty of pores in their skin for sweating, which keeps the body cool, whereas the carnivores do not have pores. In their case, cooling of the body is only achieved by taking quick breaths through the tongue.
  3. Carnivores have sharp teeth to tear the flesh, whereas herbivores do not have such type of sharp teeth, but normal ones through which they can easily chew vegetation.
  4. Intestines of carnivores are only three times of their body-length, so that after digesting meat, they excrete the refuse quickly before it turns into poison. Whereas, in herbivores, their intestines are up to twelve times their body length, to completely digest thevegetarian food, discard its remnants through various modes, so that the nutrients of their food are completely absorbed. It is thus amply clear that their bodies are unfit for flesh eating.
  5. The saliva producing organs of vegetarians are fully developed, whereas in the carnivores they only have the small organs.
  6. The saliva of herbivores is alkaline while in case of carnivores it is acidic. Thus, meat eating by man is clearly violation of the Divine Order, which inflicts diseases.
  7. Carnivores have a very strong acidic stomach for complete digestion of flesh and bones, whereas vegetarians are provided with twenty times less dilution of acid for digestion of vegetarian food.
  8. If a particular class of living being defies the natural law of food assignment and loots the food assigned for another classification, then this ‘interference’ upsets natural balance with horrible results. For example, the carnivorous wild animals after leaving their normal habitat of the forest start attacking populated towns and cities in search of food. If this were to happen, then the killing of wild animals is justified to ensure the protection of humans and keeping the balance of life cycle. Similarly, if the insects overstep their jurisdiction of assigned food to harm others food, then to reduce their numbers through any means for maintaining the environmental balance is not a sin.

Food grains and vegetables form the natural food for man assigned by the Divine Lord.  Some people argue that even vegetation has got life, and then do we not become sinners by eating them? Here, it is important to clarify that vegetation is not endowed with wisdom unlike animal Kingdom. According to the Divine Law, the vegetation Kingdom has been created to support its superior Kingdom i.e. animal Kingdom. As such the herbivores (animal Kingdom) is to survive by getting food from the plant Kingdom. Hence, whatever is being done according to the Divine Law does not come under the category of sin.

Iqbal Singh Ji (Baba),
~ From Sikh Sidhant - An Epitome of Interface for Spiritualism of Humanity

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

A PIOUS COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORM

The heart of India is still in the villages. If India has to regain its lost glory, it is the villages that need to transform. At times where elders fail, the children show the way. Read the story of one such little village girl, who has transformed the destiny of her village.




Ganga Abloki is a small remote village, around 40 km from Muktsar, in Punjab. There lives a small girl, Gurjot Kaur, with her parents and family in this village. Almost four years back, when Gurjot opened her eyes to this world, she found her grand father, S. Darshan Singh and other male relatives indulged in ominous practices like drinking alcohol. Since she experienced all this since birth, there was actually nothing that Gurjot was worried about. The parents share good cordial relationship.
Gurjot was growing up and as she turned three, it was time to send her to school. There is no school in Ganga Abloki. So, her father decided to search for a good school for the girl, as he wanted his daughter to study and rise in life. His hunt for a good school brought him to Muktsar, where his friends and well-wishers informed him about the only first-class school in the town, the Akal Academy run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib.

Kuldeep Singh visited the school and found it to be up to his expectations. The Academy seemed to have a great potential for the children with modern facilities and outstanding opportunities. He learnt that the school is not only educating the students academically, but also spiritually. The children in the school are learning Gurmukhi and Gurbani. They are being imparted the lessons on moral values also. Apart from this, the school has latest infrastructure, updated curriculum, well-stocked library, modern laboratories and playground.

Everything seemed to be absolutely ideal, and Kuldeep Singh made up his mind to send his daughter to this school only. But there was still a stumbling block. Actually the school was in Muktsar-about 40 km away from his village, and the nearest stoppage of the school bus was 7 km away from Ganga Abloki. He discussed this with the school authorities, who convinced him to drop the child till this stoppage, and the school van will carry her further. WaheGuru motivated the poor fellow and destiny persuaded him to give his acceptance.

Thus Gurjot got admitted to the nursery class in Akal Academy, Muktsar and started preparing to take off in life. In the academy, Gurjot learnt to identify the letters of English, Hindi, and Punjabi, the numbers, and also, Gurbani. She started reciting paath with her class-mates. Although she could actually not read from the Gutka, yet she grasped the recitation while listening to others and humming with them. As a part of her routine in the school, she learnt to recite the paath in the morning, offer prayers before and after the meals and recite paath again at the end of the day.

Gurjot became fond of reciting her prayers regularly. Even on Sundays and holidays, when she was not to the school, she recited her prayers at home. Whenever she took her meals, she always offered her prayers, wherever she used to be. Finding their daughter indulged in Naam Simran, her parents thought that the little fellow might be under some pressure from outside to do so. They tried to convince her that its okay to follow it as part of the school curriculum, but she could take it easy at home. To their surprise, Gurjot not only clarified it to them that she was not under any pressure to recite the paath but also started reciting Gurbani to them. She asked her grandfather to shed his entire alcohol intake and follow the path of Naam Simran to be closer to Wahe Guru. The greatest achievement is that now the grand father has partaken Amrit & has become a real GurSikh. Now S. Darshan Singh inspires others to get baptized.

Initially, Gurjot’s family members were reluctant to change their lifestyle and routine, but soon, when they found a little creature offering her prayers punctually and whole heartedly, they also joined her. Naam simran led Darshan Singh shed all his bad habits. He had now become pious. The family experienced a fresh breeze blowing through the house. Prosperity prevailed all around the family. Darshan Singh was now advising others also to follow him. He started taking his granddaughter to talk to other people of the village and motivate them for Naam Simran.

When the villagers noticed such drastic changes in the family, they were so impressed that they wish to start the same school in their area so that the upcoming generation can be a Guru Nanak’s real children. Gurjot Kaur recites Gurbani path for the whole day & Ardas before & after evening meals also by seeing her Gurjot Kaur’s younger brother who has just turned three years now already know Mool Mantar & Ardas to be recited before & after the meals. He is ready to join the Academy in next session.

The villagers are so impressed by the miracle that has happened due to this little girl that they have decided to donate a piece of land from their property, so that a branch of Akal Academy could be opened within their village and their children don’t waste their precious time in traveling to far off Muktsar.

The youngsters should take a cue from the astonishing Gurjot Kaur and pledge to transform the world around them into a spiritually enlightened one.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 2nd Oct, '13

Monday, September 30, 2013

KERNELS OF TRUTH

Ushering out of the home where a family was decaying in the clouds of alcohol addiction, Manpreet Kaur born on 20th and relentless effort acting as a pillar for her family toact timely with her guidance of her mother Rajwinder Kaur by focusing that she can pull out her family from poverty and alcohol abuse by taking strongsteps, to plan her future carefully by ensuring right direction and steps to be economically independent. It was with this motion and thought that she joined the Women Empowerment program offered by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib in which she was given free education and training to become a teacher with full background and knowledge keeping up with the needs and demand of 21st constant Century Educator.

Today when she looks back on how lucky she was as she not only was the part of first batch of this program at the AIRWE - Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment, but she ended well by scoring 70% in her finals and was given a title of top scholar of that batch. This program not only helped her earn a living for her family but gave her a strong base of values which was imbibed in her. She became a propelling factor to give her father Sukhbir Singh a track to come out of the shambles of alcoholism. Though she still finds herself in a situation where she needs to keep a constant watch over her father, she had to switch to a school in Amritsar; she is now working as a coordinator of Junior High School.

As she is been engrained to be a workaholic she finds herself each day striving to keep up with the daily living expenses which are put on her shoulders that she even after school hours takes out time for teaching English to the children living near in her vicinity. She is heavily indebted to the trust which has helped her to come up and be a ray of hope for her family and her sister Rajkanwalpreet by becoming a tireless advocate for all womento work with full passion and energy helping each one in the position to “OPT OUT” by pursuing one’s passions rather than to be “PUSHED OUT” in the daily ordeals of life in which one can easily loose one’s own identity.

The truth is that one needs to DREAM and then transform them into THOUGHTS and then thoughts resulting in ACTION otherwise there is a great degree of chance to be lost in the world full of challenges. In her voice there is full strength and confidence enabling her to have best track record of being a teacher who inspires and ignites imagination and love for learning to her students.

~Ramandeep Singh
~New Delhi, 30th Sep '13

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Divinity's Unheralded Course for Mankind

We often hear our elders saying “God's ways are unforeseen and are good for one's own sake.“, which raises a doubt on our mind that what about when something tragic happens, how can that be for our own salutary ? Well, let’s try to construe that from young Suman’s life tale. Young Sumandeep Kaur,18, daughter of Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer & Maljeet Kaur, dwellers of village Sohain Khurd in Amritsar, Punjab infamous for its confinement towards women and their rights. 

Limited on their resources, parents often choose to institutionalize their male child, especially to conserve upon the costs & efforts involved in sending children to schools, which are often not located at a feasible distance. Suman’s was a family of five including a brother & grandmother but unfortunately her mother passed away while she was 16; leaving behind the entire burden of the house upon her father’s shoulders.. "I was very scared when my mother died. It really made me daunted because my mother's sudden demise made me lose my courage. My father's emotional state started deteriorating and he got addicted to alcohol and my family forgot  its faith in daily prayers to god as well" exclaimed Sumandeep with a deplorable face whilst boldly sharing the difficulties she faced in her life that turned upside down after losing her only support, her mother.

In spite of all odds, Sumandeep managed to complete her schooling though PSEB; she always remembered that it was her mother’s dearest wish that she studies well;  after schooling, understanding the financial constraints of the family she got herself enrolled for FREE Teachers Training Skill Development program at Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment Baru Sahib to further develop her intellect & start a career of her own. "The idea of getting a chance to receiving education for free, alongside food & accomodation was awe-inspiring. I learnt that the Kalgidhar trust was doing this easpecially for rural girls like me in villages where most people cannot afford education or avoid sending schooling for girls, fearing of wasting money.” , tells us wise Sumandeep Kaur. Having lived through phases of extreme situations, she is affirmed that the world out there is much by  its addiction to drugs or alcohol to realize the importance of imparting education to the youth, perhaps she embarked upon a mission to save & help as many as she can becoming a teacher.

Sumandeep’s family experienced her life changing right before their eyes; her alcoholic father foresweared   to give up drinking to be supportive & aspiring to. The family retroverted to its faith in god & prayer, the son too took baptism following the Sikh “a learner’s” way of life.

Today, Suman strongly believes that all that she aspires to be today was triggered from an act of destiny that once appeared only tragic & unnatural; with time she realized the mystical design the destiny was knitting for her whilst taking away her mother.

As humans, we face  situations where we lose something close to our heart & in no time we fall in limbo. Questioning & doubting God & his doings; failing only, to wait, to hold firm onto our faith in destiny as it eventually unfolds its craft; only to realize that the ways of almighty are far from being empathized by us 'belittled' humankind, that has no other option but patience, perhaps the only key to unravel the  mysteries of divinity.

Inspired? Sponsor a rural child for lifetime and give them a quality life!  - SPONSOR HERE.

~ Harshika Maakan, B.A. (hons.) Economics
~ Rajdhani College, Delhi University, 24th Sep '13

Sharing FREE Smiles… Transformation Story of Apoorva

Apoorva, from a rural village of Himachal, loved looking into mirror putting on her mother’s attire & make-up, who is now silent; traumatized by a fire mishap at her house, that burnt over 50% of her facial skin tissues. Now she does not want to remember her past, she instead tries to find life in her lifeless Barbie doll that looks pretty.
Her parents brought her to Akal Charitable Hospital, run by The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib; upon hearing about the Free Surgical Treatment that was otherwise out of their reach elsewhere, both financially & in terms of distance.

Specialist surgeon’s team from Canada, during their Rainbow Mission organized a FREE camp through the Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib; reviewed Apoorva’s critical case carefully & promised the similar looks to her like her Barbie doll.

With the grace of God, wishes and generous support of volunteers & donors, not only Apoorva’s face was restructured through plastic surgery for Free, but also the team of philanthropic enthusiasts, the doctors, helped her gain the lost confidence in herself through counseling sessions, helping her to move out of post-traumatic stress.

“More than the treatment, at first place, it was the assurance of support, that she will be treated is what build up hope in Apoorva’s heart”, told a volunteer therapist who took her counseling session post the surgery.

Cure is certainly brought in by the doctors, but the hope came from the supporters, who played the subtle key role on the road to her recovery; there is a magical psychological recovery process which triggers in both brain & heart, driven by nature, that actually ensure that the treatments work & the patient will adapt to the cure being provided, added the expert.

Step forward now, because someone, somewhere, like Apoorva is waiting for your help & all they need is your little support, support that can spark life into them. 

Be a part of the India Giving Challenge! Donate Here & help the ones in need...

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 24th Sep '13

Daughter of Destiny, Smiles today

Being called “Katti”by her friends and school mates, Manisha was shy playing or being amongst other children, not because she did not wish to, but because she could not SMILE or Laugh!

Manisha of Lohar Tikri Village, Renuka (Himachal Pradesh) had spent most of her childhood indoor, not that there were not enough children to be friends with or there was no one playing outside. Life in the hills, especially childhood, in fact, is more close to nature, wherein children enjoy the beauty & colors of nature more closely than any of us in our wishes or dreams.

But this was not the case with innocent Manisha, she preferred to remain indoors, voluntarily serving & helping her Rural parents, keeping herself indulged into household works i.e. from gathering wood for fuelto doing utensils or other such activities that would keep her isolated from the rest of the world.
Unlike other kids of her age, she grew into prime years of her childhood, only to become more conscious & losing confidence in herself.

Her problem was not something that other kids or anyone else around could empathize about; her fault, her inability, was a gift that nature provided her at birth. Manisha was born with a congenital deformity on her face known as Cleft-Lip problem, caused by abnormal facial development during gestation, a defect that 1 in every 700 infants is born with.

Fortunately, the natural defect has a medical cure through surgery, but sadly majority of such cases remain at disadvantage either due to financial constraints of the parents or inaccessibility to treatment facilities or both.

Luckily, one such case, of Manisha was identified in one of the FREE Medical Camps at Akal Charitable Hospital, Baru Sahib that was being observed 85 kmsfrom her village, where the volunteers of theorganizing charitable institution, The Kalgidhar Trust learned about the young Manisha through other patients who visited the medical camp.


She, because of her problem, was widely known in her village, so, our team decided to find-visit her at her home to register case for Free Surgery Treatment under our special surgery camps that see volunteer medical specialists & experts from India & Abroad.

With God’s grace & generous efforts put in by the medical experts during the charitable drive, the Manisha’s surgery was successfully completed, for her graceful smile was restored for the rest of her life, bringing the joy of childhood to her life that she now only could begin to experience after 9 years of living in isolation.

Manisha is now able to look into mirrors, happily as she adores & smiles looking at the ‘new her’ she never knew before. They say smile is the only natural expression of hope one can realize by oneself whilst looking into a mirror.

Going by the given scientific estimate, several children across the globe are getting deprived not only from their childhood, but from leading a normal life, a life that has expression of Smile missing from it.
Like Manisha, you too can be a reason for someone’s smile for a lifetime, the most noble & lasting thing money can buy.

Be a part of the India Giving Challenge! Donate Here to help kids like Manisha, who are waiting for miracles to happen!

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 24th Sep '13

Meditation & Yoga at Akal Academies

Food for Body & Soul for Healthy Well-Being

Body exercises play a pivotal role both for healthy well-being & spiritual uplift of the brain. Yoga & mediation lay a strong foundation developing focus, abilities & creativity, leading to perpetual growth & success.

Yoga alongside Meditation is an integral part of regular activities undertaken with Rural young students at all Akal Academies. Students not only practice alongside expert guidance but are also explicated about various forms of advance yoga techniques which helps in mind relaxation, which is much needed by the students, especially with ever-growing load of academics.

The teachers also join students during the sessions; the intent behind the practice is to imbibe the process into routine lives of the students & teachers to ensure they develop healthy lifestyles as they grow up with the ever-increasing complexities of life.

Development & healthy nurturing of brain is given special & equal importance as academics in the curriculum followed; it is believed that the techniques are supportive in subtle-development of overall moral & ethical values that only enhance if the mind remains in a peaceful state.

Pics of students during Yoga & Meditation Session at village Dhotian Akal Academy.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 22nd Sep '13


Saturday, September 21, 2013

Everything is Possible when we Defy the Limits of the Mind!


Success is the attained through hard work, loyalty, persistence and one’s ability to learn from his own failures, mistakes & weaknesses. True strength lies in an honest submission to one’s desires & dreams, which sets the premise for true devotion.

And this unrelenting devotion behind our efforts doesn’t let any task stay unaccomplished. We learnt this as we scrolled through Jasmeet Kaur’s life at Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment, Baru Sahib whilst she pursues Free Teacher Training & Skill Development program run by a charitable trust, The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib. 

Inhabitant of Sidhwan village near Amritsar, Jasmeet strolls through life with a killing spirit & zeal. She left no stone unturned during her foundation course in the 1st year to achieve proficiency in spoken English. She developed an excellent knowledge of the subject & a natural instinct for correct pronunciations, even for the words she had not heard before, just by looking at them. Her fluency and great caliber to develop  herself so quick, astounded everyone around, so much so that she would often switch to English while expressing her ideas & thoughts as she could describe more effectively & swiftly.  

Leadership is action, not position, a challenge to be something more than the average; is what we have learnt from  observing into young Jasmeet’s life, who demonstrated an essence of a true leader, consistently pulling herself up the rope of growth with the grip of strong efforts & strength of will power. Coming from a lower-middle class background, “the knowledge hungry” Jassi’s appearance has a charisma, which is accorded with all flair at the Akal Academy where she is interning at the moment. 

She affirms the belief that virtues of patience & listening, once acquired, give birth to a world of learnings & knowledge. “Speech is a weapon that guides and connects us with the outer world, wherein patience & listening are the stone that sharpens it ” explains us the simpleton.
Besides her academic interests, she is a lover of gadgets, always keen to know more about the upcoming technologies & science breakthroughs. Techie Jasmeet also secretly covets blogging and is fixated with the Akaash Tablet that was part of the tools provided by the centre.. 

She not only aspires to be an educated personality but also harnesses to be a pillar of support and strength to her peers; her closest friend Sukhwinder at the training center lacked creation of thoughts and struggled in speech. She bequeathed the spirit of learning in her and also helped her to improve her speaking and writing skills. And with Jasmeet’s benign support and love, Sukhwinder has not only been able to gain confidence but also showed  significant improvements in the recent assessments. 

Jasmeet’s vision is to be a Professor, so she can spread knowledge and unlock the golden gate of freedom for many like her. She is one of those 9 students of the centre who have been selected to appear for their 12th CBSE in English medium. 
Work of AIRWE has not only given feathers to her aspirations but also boosted up her morale, giving her a backbone to work in an organized and structured environment. The institute  not only proposes to help children to perform well in their academics but also inculcates value based education in them fostering human values.

The aim of education is not knowledge but action. It cultivates the grace and politeness in a being and affords the ability to think. It is a liberating and democratizing force, which helps us overcome all the circumstances. And the person from Malaysia who helped fund Jasmeet’s education was one of the few ones to realize it. Salute philanthrophy!

~ Gurleen Vedi
B.A (Hons.) - English
Mata Sundri College For Women, New Delhi

Thursday, September 19, 2013

EMBRACING THE SIMPLICITY…. MANIFESTING THE PLAINNESS!

Simplicity is the glory of expression and the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is the simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art!

Music is a refuge! Music doesn’t lie! After silence, that which comes nearest to the expressing the inexpressible…is music!

Amritpreet Kaur, Gurdaspur
‘Music is the greatest treasure in the world’- this saying is undeniably affirmed by Amritpreet Kaur of Gurdaspur, for whom, music is the movement of the sound to reach the soul.

Music is the shorthand of emotions and for her music was her religion, her passion and her beauty. She matriculated and passed her 12th grade from a Government school in Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur. She secured 70% in class 10th and 71% in her class 12th CBSE. In the 2008, she came to The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib with all her hopes and passion to excel in the stream of music. 

She polished her talent by imbibing the skills of ‘Prayag Sangeet in Instrumental’ at Baru Sahib for a year and currently she is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Music and proposes to be a musician in life. Not only she has made music her reverence, but she also wishes to spread these ‘surs and taals’ within the souls of other people too.Her sister too is a music admirer and teaches the harmony lovers in an Akal Academy at Amritsar. 

Aspirations and dreams have always resided within you but very few realize the importance of time and hit the masterstroke to achieve them. Amritpreet Kaur not only attained success with her best efforts and dedication but she is also an example for those who are still fixing up the wings to their dreams and trying to accomplish their goals.

Devout, thanks to Akal Academy, who not only endowed the instinct of courage in her, but also bestowed the benediction and blessed her soul with spirituality and eternal values. The value based education given by this Academy has raised her endeavor and spirit to work hard. 

It is said that ‘Music’ has a direct relation with the Almighty, so we assume that how well her spirit is attached to Babaji! We all have our inspirational models that make us move on our ambitions. Same way Amritpreet Kaur found the magnetic power of touching souls through Music. There is nothing in the world so much like prayer, as music is.

Therefore, let the strings of your Sitar hit your soul and let your fingers on the Surmandal experience the heavenly bliss. So play the music and not the instrument as music cleanses the understanding; inspires it and lift it into a realm.

~ Gurleen Vedi, BA (HONS) – English
~ Mata Sundri College For Women, New Delhi, 19th Sep '13

Friday, August 30, 2013

Wings of Desire – Breaking the Norms and Shinning Outright

When the time is right,

The efforts shine bright and

Bigger the aspirations,

Better is the way forward.


When I was born to the family of mine, I had no idea what was in store for me in this amazing world called ‘life’. Being a girl child from a not - well to do family, I could imagine myself behind the social norms that would confine me to my home doing household work with my aspirations and aim in life stay buried deep inside me.

But destiny had different plans for me. I was the chosen one, I was the one who was given a chance to live my dream and taste what success is like. The Kalgidhar Trust through AIRWE Baru Sahib picked me up, helped me grow each day spiritually and mentally. It was not easy for me to adapt to the good things that were happening to me, I fought a fight within me, a fight with my conscience that said I will not excel, the fight with myself to prove who I am, the fight to reach out to my ultimate goal.

The further I was going, the brighter I could see myself living my dream. The desire in me to excel, to not be just another name, pushed me to join Baru Sahib. From that very day, I experienced what a blessed child would have. I feel blessed and possess the power to have a say in whatever I do, I am the decision maker. I too was bound with the social evils, but I let them go and took a hand in hand with Akal Academy. Now, I have learnt how to fight for what is right for me. I don’t look back to where I was; I take inspiration from where I am and plan for where I will be. I am being groomed to be a teacher and this is where I am looking forward across the fence where I am working for the rural education and bringing in a positive change. I am here to excel and I dream for a better and brighter world ahead.

~ Deeksha Singh,
~ New Delhi, 30th Aug 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

Woman Entrepreneur Rattan Kaur Chawla looks back and extends her love for her alma-mater

Just received a below testimonial from one of our Akal Academy Alumni, Baru sahib student Rattan Kaur Chawla.
It is quite pleasant to hear from her after a long time. Her words just made our day today!

We, all members & volunteers thank Rattan Kaur Chawla with all our heart for taking out time to express her love for Baru Sahib.

God Bless!

Akal Academy Baru Sahib was a turning point in my life. I can say I was given a new life and rebirth of my soul. Coming from an affluent family in Delhi, I was much pampered at home. This was the time when my mother decided that I needed some urgent attention related to education. She decided that I had to be sent to a hostel. The topic of Akal Academy came up when my uncle suggested to my father that he has already sent his daughter to Akal Academy and told him all the good qualities of Akal Academy. My parents were really impressed after visiting Akal Academy Baru Sahib though I was not sure if I would be able to take up the challenge to study in there. But, then my parents persuaded me and there was no looking back after that. 
I adjusted very well to the environment, everyone's love and affection at Baru Sahib made me stronger everyday. I wanted to spend my entire life at Baru Sahib as it was so peaceful and divine. A divine power attracted me to the place. I achieved a lot in the four years that I spent at Baru Sahib. I think this knowledge of four years was more than I had gained in nineteen years of my life. A very important thing, which I feel today I learned from Baru Sahib, was the qualities of self-motivation and discipline from the routine activities during my stay at Baru Sahib. 
I was always encouraged by all the staff members at Baru Sahib in everything. It gave me immense confidence. I participated in most of the sports and enjoyed my stay at Baru Sahib thoroughly. I could not stay back in Baru Sahib after my 10th class as I had interest in commerce stream, which was not offered at Baru Sahib at that time. So, I had to move back to Delhi for my further studies where I joined G.D Goenka Public School. 
Further, to fulfill my dreams, I went to Australia in Griffith University Gold Coast for my Bachelor of Business. The great experience at Baru Sahib made my stay easy in Australia. Currently, I am handling my family business (Fun ‘N' Food Village at Delhi, Nagpur, Dubai, Taskent). I am leaving for Dubai to work and pursue my MBA in University of Wollongong, Dubai which is actually a branch of Wollongong University of Australia. It will be a great honour for me to assist Akal Academy in anyway I could. 
In the end, I would like to express thanks and gratitude to everyone at Baru Sahib who had the faith in me to be what I am today. I would by no means forget each moment spent with everyone at Baru Sahib.  
My message to all the students at Baru Sahib, “We humans are special creation of God worth far more than any earthly treasure. So, we should make the best use of our life."
Rattan Chawla,
Class X, 2000 Batch 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES

Ever wondered what tomorrow means, other than the dictionary meaning? Well in dictionary tomorrow just means 'a day after today'. The actual meaning of tomorrow is nothing but "a mystical land where 99% of all human activities, aspirations, dreams, motivations and achievements are stored". We humans have a habit of putting off our respective works for tomorrow. When given a task, all we say is "keep it there, on the table, I will do it tomorrow" but what if tomorrow never comes? Incidentally, no one can explain you better than Manpreet Kaur.
Manpreet, born to Chaman Singh, a carpenter who barely manages to stay afloat with his family expenses, she was brought up at a non-descript Hondla Kalan village in Mansa, Punjab, which was formerly a part of Phulkia Sikh Dynasty. Mansa is said to have been founded by Bhai Gurdas who hailed from Dhingar and is situated in the cotton belt of Punjab and popularly called the "Area of white gold".
Manpreet was a class tenth pass out from PSEB and is presently a student of AKAL INSTITUTE OF RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, Baru Sahib a Free Teachers Training program run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib. She has completed her foundation course in the first year of her stay at Baru Sahib and would be appearing for her Class-XII exams. Having scored a brilliant 89% in Maths in the Terminal exams, shows that she is a smart girl who is willing to learn.
Manpreet is concentrating on increasing her English vocabulary and studying science and social science regularly. She said that these are important to her because she wants to learn a lot and become something in life. She keeps on reading more and more English books for better clarity and understanding. She is highly goal-oriented and wants to try out new things and wants to work hard on both the paths ie. Scholastically and co-curricular activities.

Manpreet is beautiful, quite tall and has qualities that delight the senses and especially the sense of sight. She is inspiring and capable of eliciting wonder. She wears a gentle calm smile and is delightful and charming while being extremely dedicated and hardworking individual. One can depend on her completely for some specific tasks and she too excels in those tasks effortlessly with responsibility and has an obligation to do something as part of a role assigned to her. Thus she will never fail to fulfill the hopes or expectations of someone. She respects the system and portrays the same. Moreover, many a times she faces the disappointment of her companions because sometimes she has to comply her duties by disagreeing them or by even going against their wishes. For her, her duty is just another way to reach god.



Holding the identity of a true 'Punjaban', she believes in God to a greater extent. She wakes up the warden on time for the daily important time of the day "Nitnem". Manpreet despite being young herself and away from home; imparts a motherly feeling to all girls. She does not gives up and tries to work on each step, whether it is in the class or out of the class. She is a gifted learner and is one of them who never shirk from any responsibilities. Her curiosity factor is high and she gives in her best to learn new things.

Being human, the only areas of concern for Manpreet is that she sometimes struggles with her language skills and also has to learn to use her energy and enthusiasm in a more constructive manner.

Manpreet's areas of concern will be corrected in some time since she is talented and hardworking. Another distinctive feature of her is that she is extremely spiritual and always praises god. One day she will become a very good teacher at an Akal Academy and we know that someday, somehow what she has always wished for will come true. It may not always be the exact package but it will always be, what GOD thinks is best for her.
Salute to The Kalgidhar Trust who finds sponsors for helping deprived girls like Manpreet find a place of respect in the society!

You too can help a girl like Manpreet today, find several ways by Clicking Here
~ Harshika Maakan, Rajdhani College, 
~ New Delhi, 24th Aug 2013

Thursday, August 8, 2013

AN ORDINARY GIRL ON AN EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY!

“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of productive thoughts, events & outcomes; and in some cases, like a catalyst, it sparks off extraordinary dreams. It is a small thing that makes a big difference, redefining our attitude.”

The above thought catalyzes my mind as I witness a superlative evolution of a mindset amongst a batch of rural girls that I am currently training, under a Free Teachers Training program, working with a Himachal Pradesh based NGO; The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib.

A simpleton from Sangrur, Punjab, Manpreet Kaur, got herself enrolled for the foundation course in 2011. Bold & confident, she settled down in the one-off club as she joined. Having lost her father at a tender age, Manpreet made books her best friend. Whilst her mother made efforts as the sole breadwinner for the family, she could clearly notice the blaze that was fiercely springing within Manpreet; as they say a mother’s eyes can read our hearts, so she made every effort & put forth every support to get her enrolled at  the Akal Institute of Women Empowerment to ensure her skills and dreams get nurtured.


An ardent lover of non-fiction books, Manpreet carries a bold attitude that sparkles and shows through her eyes. Besides her groove at academics, we observed an astounding power of memory in her. She has an exquisite capability to remember things & apply logic, permutations and combinations to finish her work in any possible way. Not only does she learn her lessons well, but also helps professes others, conceptually & logically explaining others in a swift manner.

“We are not here merely to make a living for ourselves, but to enable the deprived to live more gracefully, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement and to enrich the world”, explains Manpreet, as we interview her. Her assistance and an ever-helpful attitude towards other girls, especially her friend Sangeet, is amazing. She supports her in her studies & helps her enhance her reading & writing skills. For herself, she polishes her skills by reading books, almost every day. 

With the third year down the training course, Manpreet’s elevated outlook & aspirations have only expanded, which made it evident to us that like her exclusive mindset, she is certainly set to standout herself from others, perhaps several others, not only at the institute, but beyond.

Not much to our surprise, we discovered that Manpreet harbors immense interest to be an Astronaut, she is already doing a rigorous search to zero out on all the available academic paths she needs to be on for the same.   

The teacher training course which prepares her for a career at Akal Academy, in fact, seems to have been only a stepping stone for her aspirations or rather a fundamental that seems to have unlocked her brain that is bound to go limitless.

It feels happy & satiated to have come across her, to have served her, supported her & having set ablaze her motivation to get going to reach for the sky. She may or may not become a an Astronaut, but surely we learnt that achievement is not always success, it is an honest endeavor, an effort to do the best possible under any and all circumstances & Manpreet’s perseverance towards life is surely leaving an example, an impression, an inspiration, for all of us & others she is destined to travel with, in her journey to the stars.

~ Gurleen Vedi, B.A (HONS)-English
~ Mata Sundri College For Women, New Delhi
~  8th Aug 2013

When God is by your side… things get Right!

Many of us have had experiences wherein we felt existence of god’s glory & the representation of his Being. They say “He upholds the universe by His all-powerful hands & His grace upon us can never be under estimated”. When He is by our side, everything turns all right. We become a new person all of a sudden & new avenues begin to open up for us & all we are required to do is praise, worship & follow his paths as swiftly as he himself carves them for us. Similar is the story of Balaggan village’s Gurpeet Kaur. We see her destiny being carved out for her out of nowhere by no one, but Him. Daughter of an penniless farmer Gurdev Singh, Gurpreet is an unsophisticated girl, who grew up in a gloomy environment of a gender critical district of Gurdaspur in Punjab. One can only sense the difficulties of her life, growing up in a society known for its women inequality & discrimination. Understanding these challenges may be way beyond our confined imagination, which remains all absorbed into city life.

Gurpreet is currently pursuing Free Teachers Training Program at  AKAL INSTITUTE OF RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT - Baru Sahib under the aegis of The Kalgidhar Trust, where she voluntarily applied & got selected an year ago after matriculating from PSEB (Punjab Board). 

Besides preparing for her 12th exams, Gurpreet is practicing hard, to excel in English. She is able to easily read books, which help her working out new sentences & improving her vocabulary & speech. She intends to learn from every activity that surrounds her at the institute, from playing knowledgeable games to classroom activities with her peers. Every activity adds to her knowledge that helps her understand & discover plentiful of other aspects of life, that she would be devoid of otherwise. Gurpreet always tries to be involved in productive activities & learn something out of them. 

Though she has completed her official part of reading & writing, as defined in the course module, but a inquisitive Gurpreet stays fascinated, her thirst for knowledge is perpetual and infectious.

In addition, Gurpreet works hard on her vocabulary, speaking skills with special focus on writing topics & reading books. Her subsequent goal is to improve her speaking skills &  practice writing; as a hobby that she can follow through her life. She is cheerful & happy about her good performance at the readers theatre. In the midst of her pursuit of interests, Gurpreet strikes a decent balance at academics alongside by scoring an effortless 75% in Maths whilst sparing most of her time polishing skills that she is prepared to take up professionally  

”I was not too pleasant a personality initially”, reveals Gurpreet as she tells us about her life before joining ETT course. She is known for her distinct leadership traits at the institute. And we were curious to ask her about how she does it? she smiles & replies “I have been an impulsive & angry person for the most of my life. Before I joined here, I was short tempered, so much so that I would fight with my sister almost everyday at home & no one at home would dare to put me down. I could not meet the terms with anyone”. She is often referred to as  “the angry young girl” at her village, she tells us secretly. She admits & realizes that it is God’s grace that was bestowed upon her enabling this transformation. She has become calm, composed & finds peace under the guidance of God, she says. Her path to serve God’s people emerged as she learnt to practice spirituality & understand the hidden peace that resides within us at her institute; from an arrogant first bencher, she turned into a patient listener. even if it is the last bench. She feels her life started all over again, like a re-birth. She gradually has become a coveted companion to everyone, and a great follower of faith in god. Having started to believe in God by dedicating her life towards good of others, this sudden change in her was unexpected & pleasantly surprising for everyone around her & even for her family, who heartily thank & appreciate Baru Sahib’s efforts in arranging for her sponsorship that is transforming her life in a way so beautiful that they could never imagine. Gurpreet now shares the clan of goal oriented & God lovers. Her desire to change, do something productive & push it further with faith; made her a better person. Since all the true followers of God have to pass the hurdles & obstacles set by Him, Gurpreet’s fate is no different. Different only is in her will-power & capability to absorb. Perhaps, we feel obstacles are for good & make us even stronger & better, if we keep the courage to never stop. Her hard work & dedication almost came to a standstill when she had to leave the Institute due to some family issues. Her dreams of becoming a Teacher at some Akal Academy seemed distant. Her mother needed her, hence she left the Institute to support her family. But in no time, destiny brought her back in action. She returned, better than ever, with a defined focus to serve others ensuring that girls like her have a better future, enabling them to claim transformation through Education. She pledged to give whatever it takes to serve as much as she can, as many as she can, to become a teacher after completion of the course. Each life is exclusive & touches us for a reason, Gurpreet, certainly has given us a beautiful learning, that no matter what we want, we can achieve what we crave for. All is takes is courage. Courage to take our steps in the right direction. Courage to stick on the path we choose. 

If we are determined enough, there isn’t anything that can stop or halt us. When we know that we are on the right path, God himself comes for help to bail us out of every situation. 

He ensures that we reach our path, because when God is by your side, everything is possible!

~ Harshika Maakan (Eco-Hons.), 
~ Rajdhani College, Delhi University, New Delhi
~ 8th Aug 2013

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

The Girl that Grew Wings!

Khiala Kalan is a sleepy village in gender-critical district of Mansa, with its own sets of challenges like patriarchal mindset, female feticide, discrimination against girls, drug abuse and rampant alcohol abuse. Happy a.k.a Harpreet, a bubbly, effervescent young girl from Khiala Kalan lived a childhood no different from other girls of her time. She came from a conservative lower-middle class Hindu family, in a society typically infamous for its women inequality.

She is one of the few rural girls who managed to get through schooling, proving their competence to their families, maintaining singular focus & motivation throughout, defying all the odds & pressures that pull down most others mid-way.

She scored a decent 75% in her 12th Board examinations, which earned her respect at her village, but being knowledge fancier, Happy seemed fascinated with her goals that she silently carried in her heart.

 They say “if you desire for something with pure & whole-hearted intent, then the entire nature conspires towards carving the path for you”. Just as Harpreet had begun to nurture her fervent desire for learning further; destiny revealed the next piece of jigsaw in her quest, a random friend happened to tell her about the Free Teachers Training Program run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib.

“Though the dots seemed to be connecting, but it was not at all as easy, as that sounds”, tells us Harpreet breathlessly and fluently, as she confidently goes through a feedback interview with us. Apparently, we were fascinated to arrange this interview, after noticing her superlative proficiency in English; which she acquired in just 4 months of her 3 year training program without having any significant prior knowledge of the language.

Apparently, she reveals that her parents were initially opposed to the idea of letting her be away from home & for further education. Also, they had reservations about her joining Baru Sahib, being a Hindu herself. But ever since they visited Baru Sahib and saw the environment with their own eyes & knowing about Sikhism as an epitome of all religions; their doubts evaporated and they felt comfortable, secured & happy about seeing her pursue her dreams there.

 Harpreet, though not baptized into Sikh way of life, loves & lives by the ways of a true “learner” i.e. a Sikh. She is part of reciting the five divine routine scriptures of the faith. She voluntarily asked to be renamed to Harpreet Kaur & carries herself piously in uniform attire that is respected at the institute.
Harpreet Kaur, is observed to be an exceptional student at the ETT program and a prospective teacher at an Akal Academy. Her enthusiasm, capacity to learn & absorption levels are enormous and she surely is set to soar up high with the wings she has grown.

Commendable is the work of unassuming organizations like Baru Sahib that are plodding on to bridge the gaps between haves and have-nots and the benefactors who choose to sponsor deprived girls like Harpreet.


~ Ramandeep Singh, Student
~ 6th Aug 2013, Rohini, New Delhi

Transformation begins from WITHIN!

India is moving ahead each day, with a new thought on every wing. Gone are those days when religion defined the ethics of our country. Not that the religion is ignored, but it’s just the new age generation twisting & customizing it to suit their needs.

Kalgidhar Trust under the vision of 89 years young visionary of 21st century, Baba Iqbal Singh, has been striving to bring back the true essence of spirituality as was professed through different religions in the past ages, which bounds the society together in the robe of core human values. A  web of 129 Akal Academies spread across 6450 villages thriving by nurturing & rejuvenating young deprived children of the current era, who are learning to grow up into peace-makers, for a better tomorrow, reinstating the primal being of humans.

For the youth, Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment located in Baru Sahib in the state of Himachal Pradesh has been able to provide a rural connect in the lives of girls coming from poor families who never imagine the prospects of educating them. The institute is bringing them hope; hope to attain social & financial independence for themselves & their family members.

 This done through conducting strategic “Skill Development & Teachers Training Programs“ for FREE, where any matriculated women gets an opportunity to get herself enrolled. Story of one such girl who realized her dreams in particular, Sharanjeet Kaur, a resident of Veerka village in Punjab; reveals the powerful transformation uprising. Sharanjeet comes from a family where having two meals a day is bliss. Her life uptill her matriculation was amiss, having no goal, no ambition in life. Her family, having turned into an atheist over a prolonged time of ignorance, was opposed  to support for women education.

Sharan, had lost all her hope & there was no one to intervene & fix things. Suddenly, her family turned its decision in her favor! Call it Sharanjeet’s good deeds or the enticement of included accommodation & food with “the FREE Program”, which perhaps would help the family save on her living expenses, that did the trick & landed  Sharan at the Akal Institute of Rural Women Empowerment. This became the turning point for Sharan & her family..

Sharanjeet was an emotional girl initially. She required to be motivated and pushed to step up & grow. Sharanjeet faced dual trouble. Firstly, she couldn’t focus well on her studies and secondly her family didn’t have money to come to meet her.

Sharanjeet felt disheartened and missed her family badly, which further made her studies suffer. But then, destiny took its course & one good day, light approached Sharanjeet’s life too with the blessings of the Divine. Sharanjeet’s father had come down to see her. However this happiness was short-lived. Her father fell seriously ill, bearing a heart attack whilst he was there. Her Teacher came to his rescue by getting him immediate medical attention, and by God’s grace, his life was saved. This incident created space for faith in her father’s heart and made him a believer & an inward thinker. Just few days past this incident, destiny played its second card. This time Sharanjeet fell ill herself and was advised bed rest. She missed her studies for a month & her family realized her importance in the family & the connection they shared with her

They say, if we always keep faith in the Almighty, be it the good or bad times, things will work your way. Fortunately, Sharanjeet recovered through a potentially serious life-threatening condition and came out as an altogether different personality. Now, she became sincere and focused than ever. All those who knew her say that she had a re-birth. One could see this girl cake-walking though hurdles & hard times wearing a smile this time. She also improved on her theatre skills, which helped her throughout and enhanced her abilities to become a teacher.

Transformation and turns in life, approach everyone’s way. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, only to reveal a pleasant reason, an evolution behind it, each time, be it anything anywhere, the destiny is predefined, exclusively crafted for each of us.

Sharanjeet’s story teaches us a dual lesson. First , hardwork can change our life, second, that faith in the Almighty is where it all begins to happen. Sharanjeet’s family today is religious, believing in almighty’s power, not afraid of what may come their way, for they have learnt to live through it with the spear of faith, with a smile.


~ Harshana Kathpalia, B.Com (Hons.)
~ Hindu College, New Delhi
~ 6th Aug 2013