<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible Un-Biased book.
Review: After reading Operation Blue Star and other books relating to this general topic I finally came across one that was unbiased and took information from the actual 'militants'. This book will take you a while to read because of the way it was written, however I definetly recommend it to all those wishing to learn what is really going on in India. I wish I could give this book to John Kerry and be read this you ignorant mofo. I'm referring to this Oklahoma speech during the democratic race on January 31st when he referred to Sikhs as terrorists in India. This book was a very good and informing read.
Rating:
Summary: Fighting for Faith and Nation
Review: By far one of the best books I have ever read. This book is not for just Khalistanis, but for everyone who wants to know the truth. It is written by a non sikh and a non indian for that matter giving it a bi partisian view of the punjab situation past and present. It is a well written and easy to read book. At times this book was so intense that I had to put it down so I would not over flow with emotion. This is not for the weak of heart, there are eye witness stories of militants and survivors of tragdey. I have read other books on the punjab crisis but non come close to the one on one interviews that Cynthia has given. These stories will grip your heart and turn it around. Stories of brave Sikhs IN OUR TIME! Many times people think that the days of Baba Deep Singh are gone, but after reading this book you will know there are countless of those kinds of Sikhs, who are upholding what Sikhi really is, while we live in luxury and just proclaim our selves as sikhs with high heads. There heads pay for our heads tanding tall today. We have been humiliated by the Government of India, and the only reason that we can even walk with our respect today is because of what the freedom fighters in punjab did for us. Many times you will see non-sikhs wearing a kara, I once asked one of my south indian friends, why do you wear a kara, and his response was, this is the sign of bravery. What bravery? today we wear a kara and proclaim to be brave, and this comes from the lives others have given. So many people dont know the truth, and even some of our own sikhs choose not to know the truth because they are fearful that it might make them uncomfortable in there 'comfortable' life styles. How can we live easily while the rest of our people suffer? This makes people take the easy way out, and decide, its better if i dont know, then to be made to feel guilty. I think i have gone off on a different direction, but back to the book. If you know english, and are someone who proclaims to be a sikh, then you owe it to those people who died, to at least READ about them, and what they went threw. They have given their today, so that Sikh Panth could have a prosperous future. Put down the TV Remote and pick up this book. For the sake of humanity READ THIS BOOK... Please join our group: Khalistan@egroups.com or email me at Khalistanee@hotmail.com The mission of the group is to inform people about Sikhs Struggle for Khalistan, and Injustice done to Sikhs and other minorities by INDIAN Govt.
Rating:
Summary: Fighting for Faith and Nation
Review: By far one of the best books I have ever read. This book is not for just Khalistanis, but for everyone who wants to know the truth. It is written by a non sikh and a non indian for that matter giving it a bi partisian view of the punjab situation past and present. It is a well written and easy to read book. At times this book was so intense that I had to put it down so I would not over flow with emotion. This is not for the weak of heart, there are eye witness stories of militants and survivors of tragdey. I have read other books on the punjab crisis but non come close to the one on one interviews that Cynthia has given. These stories will grip your heart and turn it around. Stories of brave Sikhs IN OUR TIME! Many times people think that the days of Baba Deep Singh are gone, but after reading this book you will know there are countless of those kinds of Sikhs, who are upholding what Sikhi really is, while we live in luxury and just proclaim our selves as sikhs with high heads. There heads pay for our heads tanding tall today. We have been humiliated by the Government of India, and the only reason that we can even walk with our respect today is because of what the freedom fighters in punjab did for us. Many times you will see non-sikhs wearing a kara, I once asked one of my south indian friends, why do you wear a kara, and his response was, this is the sign of bravery. What bravery? today we wear a kara and proclaim to be brave, and this comes from the lives others have given. So many people dont know the truth, and even some of our own sikhs choose not to know the truth because they are fearful that it might make them uncomfortable in there 'comfortable' life styles. How can we live easily while the rest of our people suffer? This makes people take the easy way out, and decide, its better if i dont know, then to be made to feel guilty. I think i have gone off on a different direction, but back to the book. If you know english, and are someone who proclaims to be a sikh, then you owe it to those people who died, to at least READ about them, and what they went threw. They have given their today, so that Sikh Panth could have a prosperous future. Put down the TV Remote and pick up this book. For the sake of humanity READ THIS BOOK... Please join our group: Khalistan@egroups.com or email me at Khalistanee@hotmail.com The mission of the group is to inform people about Sikhs Struggle for Khalistan, and Injustice done to Sikhs and other minorities by INDIAN Govt.
Rating:
Summary: Controversial topic gets an objective analysis
Review: Growing up as a Sikh in America I was far removed from the atrocities perpetrated on the Sikh community in India. I distinctly remember as a child watching my parents and family desperately calling India to relatives to ensure their safety. Then in 1994 on my first visit (after 13 years), I discussed the topic of the November 1984 riots with some of my relatives. I found their accounts to just as harrowing. What I found more disturbing was the censorship of the issue there. No books were written or at least could be obtained in India. To my surprise I came across this book one day on Amazon and decided to get it. I found the book to be intelligent, meticulously researched, and above all engrossing. Although I am far from an extremist I can understand the extreme position of the these "freedom fighters" Cynthia Manmood presents interviews dispersed with her opinions many of which her subjects, I'm sure would disagree with. Recommended book for anyone interested in current Indian history as well as Sikh history.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Un-Biased book.
Review: My recent interest in Sikhism led me to Mahmood's book, which has given me a much better understanding of the tragedy at the Golden Temple in 1984 (including circumstances leading up to, and following, the violence there). More importantly, it has reinforced my belief that uncovering the truth of the very human circumstances that lead to such violence can help us build bridges of understanding and hope for preventing such tragedies in the future. It is too easy to simply brand one's enemy as a terrorist, religious fanatic, or political extremist--but we must exert a bit more effort to see past such overly-simplistic labels--to see that our enemies are complex humans like ourselves, with many of the same hopes, values, concerns, fears, strengths and weaknesses. Jesus called upon us to love our enemies, and this book, in my opinion, begins to uncover some of the difficulties and revelations one might encounter in such a pursuit. As with most worthwhile pursuits in life, such attempts at uncovering the truth beneath both sides of an issue can be a complex, difficult, even dangerous paths to tread, but ones that we must traverse if we truly seek peaceful resolution of conflicts between people, countries, religions and cultures now and in the future.
Mahmood treads this difficult path to uncover the human side of the Sikh militants, and in my opinion, succeeds admirably. To be fair, I'd like to read more accounts of the events at Amritsar, to gain a more complete perspective of the thoughts and feelings of all those involved. Because the Indian government apparently made great efforts to conceal the truth behind the events of 1984, it seems finding more books that do as well as Mahmood's at shedding light on the violence may be difficult. Hopefully I'll find more gems like this one. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: no sikh in india cares about khalistan any longer
Review: This book does bring out hair-raising accounts of anti Sikh slaughter and lawlessness that prevailed in northern India in October 1984. But it does so with a bias which comes in to play anytime the complete story is not presented. Punjab in general and Sikhs in particular were doing well all over India before Bhindranwale raised unnecessary and downright communal demands of seperatism and ethnic cleansing. A person (Bhindranwale) who started out as a village religious preacher, used his position to try and become the 11th 'Guru'. Innocent vilagers were brainwashed into thinking that their religion was endangered. Why? Ethnic cleansing was attempted by killing hindus. Noone can justify these acts and ideas in the 20th century. In the interviews, what clearly comes out is that police assisted riots only fuelled militancy and everything Bhindranwale preached seemed justified post the rioting. But why did all this have to happen? I was a schoolkid in an Army cantonment in 1984. I remember the consternation Bluestar caused in our household. But a lot of it was directed at Bhindranwale and his band of 'singhs' for falsely 'endangering' our religion and then turning our gurdwara into a palace of intrigue and murder. Interviews with direct and indirect victims (like me) of terrorism (or militantism) should have been added to make this book complete.
Rating: 
Summary: BEST BOOK ON KHALSAS,
Review: THIS BOOK IS NOT ONLY "A BOOK ON SIKH`S HISTORY". THIS IS A MASTER PIECE WHICH IS CREATED BY DR.CYNTHIA MAHMOOD IN A EXCELANT PROFESSIONAL WAY.
Rating: 
Summary: 1984-India
Review: When Cynthia Keppley Mahmood narrated some of her experiences with the Sikh Militant during the fieldwork to one of her students, he remarked, "These people are magnificent." After reading the book, many readers may feel the same way while others may disagree depending on which side of the fence they stand - victim of terrorism or victim of injustice that leads to terrorism. Although Mahmood makes it very clear in no uncertain terms about her disagreement in regards to the route the Sikh militants have taken up to seek justice, she still manages to bring together a very unbiased and objective account. This book sheds light on the history and politics behind what led to the disaster of 1984 in India. And then the aftermath is recounted by the eye witnesses and victims now settled in the US. Inder Malhotra, one of the most distinguished journalists of that time, compared Sant J.S. Bhindrawale to Khoemini and Frankenstien but this first hand accounts of people who grew up with, lived with, and fought with Bhindrewale show a different picture. After reading this book, it is up to the reader to decide which account to believe. Finally, a version that tells the story on behalf of the militants, their justifications, and their ideology. The first hand accounts of people who were directly involved and affected during the Blue Star operation are extremely moving and shows the image in different light than what one has seen before. The bravery of Sikh men, women and even children is amazing. The illustrations, some provided by the international documentation of human rights violation in India, are tremendously moving. This is a read that will take a while due to its poignant nature, but worth the time to understand the depth and dimensions of this problem
Rating:
Summary: 1984-India
Review: When Cynthia Keppley Mahmood narrated some of her experiences with the Sikh Militant during the fieldwork to one of her students, he remarked, "These people are magnificent." After reading the book, many readers may feel the same way while others may disagree depending on which side of the fence they stand - victim of terrorism or victim of injustice that leads to terrorism. Although Mahmood makes it very clear in no uncertain terms about her disagreement in regards to the route the Sikh militants have taken up to seek justice, she still manages to bring together a very unbiased and objective account. This book sheds light on the history and politics behind what led to the disaster of 1984 in India. And then the aftermath is recounted by the eye witnesses and victims now settled in the US. Inder Malhotra, one of the most distinguished journalists of that time, compared Sant J.S. Bhindrawale to Khoemini and Frankenstien but this first hand accounts of people who grew up with, lived with, and fought with Bhindrewale show a different picture. After reading this book, it is up to the reader to decide which account to believe. Finally, a version that tells the story on behalf of the militants, their justifications, and their ideology. The first hand accounts of people who were directly involved and affected during the Blue Star operation are extremely moving and shows the image in different light than what one has seen before. The bravery of Sikh men, women and even children is amazing. The illustrations, some provided by the international documentation of human rights violation in India, are tremendously moving. This is a read that will take a while due to its poignant nature, but worth the time to understand the depth and dimensions of this problem
<< 1 >>
| 
