A saviour of Kashmir in the 1947 War, and a hero of the Indo-Pak War of 1965, General Harbakhsh Singh was one of the most outstanding generals India has produced since Independence. The book," In the line of Duty: a Soldier Remembers, " is a remarkable account of Gen. Harbakhsh Singh’s military career. He gives a graphic description of all the battles he fought and won. Understandably, given its title, limited space is given to his family life, children and grand children in this autobiographical account.

He belonged to the princely state of Jind, where his father, Dr. Harnam Singh, was in charge of a military hospital. He graduated from the Military Academy, Dehradun, in 1935, and retired from active service in 1969. His long, eventful, military career of 34 years,is full of adventures, bold decisions, and brave deeds. He died in November, 1999.

In World War II, he and his brother, Lt. Col. Gurbakhash Singh, were captured by the Japanese as prisoners of war in Singapore. He gives an interesting description of his experiences as a PoW, especially his relationship with the Indian National Army. Though he, along with his brother, declined to join the INA, despite the temptations of promotion and luxurious life of an army officer as compared to the hard life of war camp, he did not lack patriotic fervor; the brothers always sang Bande Matram and other patriotic songs at all their functions in the camp. Their reason for not joining the INA was that it did not have the approval of Indian leaders, Gandhi and Nehru. However, he always maintained cordial relations with the INA officers, and he had one meeting with Subhas Chandra Bose whom he greatly admired and respected. " I was lucky to have had an interview with him in Malaya and, to this day, I have yet to meet a more patriotic and devoted individual earnestly committed to the freedom of his country," he observes. Later, at the end of the war when the INA officers were arrested and kept in the Red Fort for trial, he looked after them.

Harbakhash Singh first rose to fame when he commanded the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment during operations in Kashmir in 1947-48. He attacked Shelatang on November 22, 1947, with two battalions - 1 Sikh and 4 Kumaon. In a brilliantly planned operation, he routed the enemy which had reached within 4 miles of Srinagar. The Battle of Tithwal won him the award of Vir Chakra.

During the Indo-Pak War of 1965, he was the GOC-in-C of the Western Command. Here he showed his real mettle as a general. It was a critical situation when Pakistan attacked with its ace Armoured Division (Pattons), and made advances in the Khem Karan sector. This created panic in Delhi, and General J.N. Chowdhary, Chief of the Army Staff, ordered Harbakhsh Singh to withdraw and hold a line on the Beas River. General Harbakhsh Singh refused, and decided to fight it out. According to Maj. Gen. D.K. Palit, former Director Military Operations in 1965 War, " Under Harbakhsh’s leadership, Centurians and Shermans…and the recoilless 106 mm guns played havoc with the Pakistani Pattons in one of the great victories of the war." Had Gen. Harbakhsh Singh carried out the orders, half of Punjab would have been under Pakistani occupation!

He had the courage of his convictions, and he was not afraid to use his own judgement and face the consequences. He does not mince words when he speaks about the incompetence and poor judgement of several generals of the Indian army, such as J.N. Chowdhary, Nirnajan Parsad, B.M. Kaul, and Kulwant Singh. He writes that Gen. Chowdhary did not go beyond Ambala in the 1965 War because it was too dangerous, but he was the "first" one to go to the Ichhogil Canal after the cease-fire was announced "with a photographer and have his photograph taken for the Press". The book is a good commentary on the personal ambitions of some army officers, their connections, intrigues, and manipulations for awards and honours.

Gen. Harbakhsh had the traits of many Punjabi men. He was tall, athletic, a soldier, a hockey player, and a leader of men who commanded instant loyalty and respect. Like the German General Rommel, he would stand shoulder to shoulder with his men in the battlefield. His soldiers would voluntarily cover him by walking or standing in front of him. "Sahib, apke goli na lag jae". He has nothing but praise and good words for the Indian Jawans.

Harbakhsh Singh was born into a Sikh family, was nurtured in the Sikh Regiment, and spent most of his time with Sikh troops. He had great faith in Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and Guru’s composition, "Deh Shiva var Mohe eh hai", was a source of inspiration to him in all situations. As a Colonel of the Sikh Regiment, he made it obligatory for the new recruits to take "Deh Shiva Var Mohe" as a vow, and learn it by heart. After the war when he visited the widow of Lt. Col. N.N. Khanna, she showed him a letter which the Colonel had written to his 4-year old son one day before his death in the war. It had lines from Colonel’s solemn vow, "Nische kar Apni jeet karun …."

Despite his religious belief and faith, Harbakhsh Singh was a very open-minded and secular man. After the 1965 War when India was returning the Pakistani territory, he ordered that all mosques be repaired and repainted, and that prayers offered before handing them back to Pakistan. He recommended Param Vir Chakra, the highest award for bravery, to Havaldar Abdul Hamid Khan who died a gallant death while knocking out the Pattons with his anti-tank guns in the Khem Karan sector in 1965. His eldest daughter, Harmala, is married to a Hindu professor, Dipankar Gupta.

Though he won many awards and honours, such as Vir Chakra, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan for his gallant service in the defence of his country, it is a pity he was denied full generalship. He was recommended by the then Chief of Staff Kumarmanglam, to be the next Chief of Staff after him, and it was approved by Indira Gandhi’s cabinet, but at the last minute Indira changed her mind and appointed Sam Manekshaw to the top position.

In the Line of Duty: A Soldier Remembers is indeed a splendid work which will appeal both to the general reader and army personnel. It is military history of India since Independence, written in an easily readable style. It should be added to every library in India, and should be prescribed as a text book in the military academy. Consisting of 440 pages, it is well illustrated and has a useful index. There is a minor error about the date of Nehru’s death; it is given as June, 1963, whereas he died on May 27, 1964. However, nobody will read this book to find out such information.

Various scholars, including indigenous Sikh savants as well as foreigners in far-off places, have taken in hand to write historical works on the Sikhs. Since they include material, ranging from much that is often mere chronological narrative, on to tenditious efforts implying that Sikh history is simply a ripple on the broad ocean of Indian history, it is difficult to perceive the drive of the historiographical flow. In this book Sardar Sangat Singh proves himself among those few who, in masterly style, have set forth a comprehensive and rounded account of the history of this remarkable nation, or you may call it a "family of believers and learners," an ecclesiastic entity. About this last term - in classical Greek the ekklesia was the freeze citizen-body of the polity, the polis-city, called out by the herald to exercise its corporate rights on behalf of the city-sate. The great Jewish translators of the Hebrew Bible who were given the name "Septuaginatalists" used it to refer to the nation-religion constituted by the call of the God to the elect, chosen people to come out, come together and make their national decisions. So the authors sets forth the history of how the Guru - personified in ten supreme teachers over a period of two centuries - laid down a way of life, of worship, of thinking and of being, of living and of dying. After this the light of the Guru still shone forth and guided in the ver-present Sri Guru Granth Sahib with its symbosis (shared life) in the sangat. The word Sangat itself goes back to some very ancient Indic thinking associated with a religious group or polity. The Buddhist use in Pali, which presumably reflects the Magadhi term used by Buddha Sakyamuni himself, takes up part of its meaning in indicating the select, elect and disciplined congregational of monks. As with many such old words, the Sikh Gurus gave it a new radiance of meaning to indicate the elect, both men and women, of whom the Khalsa is the core, who have devoted themselves to the Guru’s divine purpose.

Sardar Sangat Singh brings the history on the present day. He indicates the rhythm, the thesis, anti-thesis and synthesis of Sikh history. It becomes immediately clear that the this book stands in the upper echelons of the genre, taking its place with the greatest of the works which have followed from the days of Cunningham and Macauliffe. We have set before us the main factors which destroyed Buddhism in the land of its birth, which infiltrated Sikh Councils almost from the beginning, for Sikhism has no barriers against anyone, whatever their origin may be. So that again and again, leadership could be taken over by these people and the whole movement brought round to fulfil their desires. We see the dire consequences of this, especially after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and after Partition, leading on the terrible days of 1984 and its aftermath. This is not a picture of new India that I want to look at, but I cannot argue against it or redraw whichever way I turn. The author has placed the matter before us in measured, logical and unequivocal terms. He does not neglect that great new factor - the Sikh diaspora, which has spread across the world and helps us to set aright the dharmas of the religions which went before and have gone astray - as the Bachitar Natak puts it.

I commend the book to the reader with enthusiasm and confidence.

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In the contemporary world, Sikhism constitutes as one of the dominant religions, much more so in the present state of the Indian Punjab. Its history of the Gurus’ fight for religion, social justice and martyrdom have long received the serious attention of scholars. Generally speaking, studies such as the present one seek to review the Sikh Panth from the perspectives of the Land of the Five Rivers. But how the message of Sikh Panth spread beyond the limits of Punjab has hardly figured in the writings of Sikh scholars. The present study is an interesting attemptto review that unlit area of Sikh studies. Whatever knowledge we have of this field, this is primarily concerned with the first Sikh Guru’s udasis, ninth master’s visit to Assam, or the tenth Guru’s last sojourn in the Deccan. Scholars were more interested in highlighting Guru Hargobind’s pioneering role in the construction of the Akal Takht and his readiness to fight the Mughals They have generally ignored his equally decisive leadership in the propagation of the Sikh Panth outside Punjab. Dhillon has enriched our knowledge of this area and he therefore rightly deserves our plaudits.

The study brings out how Sikhism has gradually penetrated in far away places in eastern,western and central India under Guru Hargobind .In all these directions the Sikh sangats first carried the message of Sikhism and perhaps placed before the local population a model code of conduct, a comprehensive philosophy of life and a distinct way of social behaviour that prompted many of them to embrace the teachings of the Gurus. Such sangats grew up in Banaras, Patna, Rajmahal, Dhaka and a few other places in the east. Similarly, in the south they advanced as far as Burhanpur and even beyond and occupied an important position in the coastal trade of the region. In the north and north-west, a similar development occurred around this time.

The scholar has provided us a detailed and analytical exposition of those men who carried the spirit of the Sikh Panth beyond the frontiers of Punjab. They were mostly traders, soldiers, huzuri Sikhs and others. They belonged to different communities and in most cases the Khatris dominated the scene. Dhillon has made an excellent use of the various Sikh literary sources and referred to them while elaborating the role of the Punjabi Khatris in this part of the country. But he has also not failed to draw our attention to the interesting part played by Jats,Tarkhans and Aroras in popularising the tenets of the Sikh Gurus outside Punjab. They sometimes showed no less enthusiasm and attention in this field.

Dr Dhillon’s research finds support from the writings of other scholars like McLeod (l969),Bailey (l983) and McLean (l990). Indian vernacular sources - in Oriya and Assamese - also confirm what has been underlined by the scholar from the Guru Nanak Dev University. Besides, Marathi sources refer to Maharashtrian saint, Sant Namdev’s visit to Punjab and it may suggest the existence of a long standing link between Sikhism and the Marathi Sant tradition of the medieval times.

But long before Dhillon’s study, Dr Tak and Dr Sagar carried out an interesting research about Guru Nanak’s udasi in eastern India This significant research is missing in the bibliography provided in the volume.

Again, a brief discussion about how Sikhism was appreciated in the subsequent centuries would have enriched the scholarly content of the volume.Darling’s Punjab Peasant, J. C.Jha’s Bhumij Revolt and Sarat Kumar Roy’s pioneering study on the tribal peasants of the Chotanagpur region [now Jharkhand] underline that some of the Guru’s disciples were not always loved by the local people because of their greed and mercenary habits. Thus in this part of the Indian sub-continent, Sikhism sometimes differed significantly from the one preached by the Sikh Gurus. Do socio-economic char acteristics of Sikhism here sometimes represent a distinctly local or regional profile?

First, an apology. I received my review copy last Autumn and have only just managed to review it - eight months later. It is evidence of my recovery from a serious illness, but only now am I fully restored to health. I apologise to Sardar KS Bhinder and his publisher - who have produced an attractive volume with an interesting collage as a cover design. Many of the poems explore - or describe - aspects of the Sikh religion and its history and so justify this review in The Sikh Review. The poet will be well known to many readers of literature, but those who are unfamiliar with his writings will be frustrated if they hope to find any biographical information. It is a pity that none has been provided by this modest author and that he does not offer an introduction to his work. Instead he prefers to allow the poems to speak for themselves.

Contents range widely as these few examples of titles demonstrate; the Mystic, Cat Nap, Atom Bomb, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Apples, Nanak - World Prophet, Martyr’s Seat, (the subject being Guru Arjun), The War Widow, and the Beggar Woman. No explanation is offered for the order of the poems in the anthology, but the word ‘mystic’ appears in several of the titles and is the content of many others. Cat Nap, is a brief allusion to the pet but much more a reference to the state of the devotee in God’s presence.

I was frequently surprised, overawed, made jealous, and given a feeling of inadequacy when I came across the many allusions to Western culture and mythology. As Westerners we are often so woefully ignorant of India’s rich heritage which should also be ours as we increase our global awareness and the old boundaries between Asia and Europe become less distinct. ‘East is east and west is west’ is only partly true for some of us, and only ignorance rather than attitude makes it true at all. His allusions to Helen of Troy, (39), Behemoth, (32), Elysian bright, (33), and to Van Gogh, (38), for example, are always apposite. Sometimes his use of English idiom or colloquialisms is audacious; ‘With Guru Nanak I’m hand in glove’ (13), I’m all ears’ (58), ‘The sweet blushing bride with feet of clay’, (89), fool’s paradise, (108), of a minister of state at election time he writes, ‘To garner votes he goes the whole hog’ (131), and instantly, without further elucidation we know what he means! Guru Nanak has a verse in which he describes the way in which the love of family can become maya. Here we have a similar warning in a poem called ‘The Golden Child’:

Even the common place experiences, of seeing a child, as above, of an old beggar woman with a child in her lap, of flowers cascading down a wall, (81), are given a depth which, for this reviewer, is reminiscent of the verses of Clare or Wordsworth, who also mused upon the way that a child becomes unfamiliar with the heaven that lies about us in our infancy. All good poetry, such as the sonnets of Shakespeare, or Keats, or Gopal Singh’s ‘Man Who Never Died’, are vehicles which enable the reader to experience something of the subject. This is certainly true of the compositions in this anthology. But why is Epitaph, pasted as an almost after thought at the end of the volume?

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As implicit in its title this slim book seeks to light the lamp of gurbani on the path of the seeker. Sikhs need no introduction to the author. He served a somewhat controversial stint as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht (1986-90) through some very troubling times for Sikhs. But more importantly, there is hardly a Punjabi-speaking Sikh who has not been entranced by his keertan, which is noted by his very convincing and uniquely gurbani-laced exposition and development of moral & temporal themes. But all his presentations are only in Punjabi, whereas there is, now in the West, a new generation of Sikhs being brought up and raised in the diaspora whose Punjabi is limited to conversational simplicities. They cannot possibly follow his intricate citations from gurbani.

This is his first book written after a knee replacement surgery sidelined him for a few months. This book, too, is in Punjabi, so I will not attempt a formal review. But in this brief note I will attempt to provide a little of its flavor primarily because his essays in this book are easier to follow, even by those whose command of Punjabi cannot adequately tame the pace and complexity of his reasoning during keertan.

A wide range of topics is encompassed. They vary from an inspired essay on the idea, notion and meaning of Gurdwara to another that looks at the human body not as something false, not something to be mortified or rejected, but as something that is the embodiment of truth and of dharma and to be used to purposeful ends. In an essay on "Khalsa Akal Purkh Ki Fauj" Professor Darshan Singh neatly dissects the concepts of Akal Purkh, Fauj and the nature of an army’s discipline, and then challenges his readers to a newer understanding of the expression. There are 20 essays in this vein followed by brief commentaries on the proposed Nankshahi Calendar, World Sikh Council, the nexus between BJP and the Akali leadership in India, and the role of the notorious Rashtriya Sikh Sangat This last body, it must be pointed out, has active chapters in the United States as well and some Sikhs who actively collaborate with its antiSikh designs.

Each topic is briefly covered. Each essay is considerable shorter than it would normally be during a typical exposition in keertan by Professor Darshan Singh, but the style is similar. Justice is done to each topic. In these written essays gurbani citations also carry page
references from the cited sources that are of great help to the readers.

Gurtej Singh, National Professor of Sikhism, provides a nice introduction to the book. Although published and printed in India, the book is excellently produced. It has none of the unaesthetic and awkward glitches that are the hallmark of the run of the mill book produced in India. It is, in fact, luxuriously done and even carries a small picture of the author on each page. I realize that, to a degree, writing a book is somewhat of an ego trip, but I found this latter adornment to be an unnecessary massage for it. I am not sure that the author is to be blamed for it, he certainly doesn’t need it. It takes attention away from the scholarship of Professor Darshan Singh and distracts the reader.

An immensely enjoyable, thoughtful, readable and insightful book.

This pictorial album, offering some breathtaking panoramic views of the Himalayan shrine, lovingly dwells on both the history and geography of Sri Hemkunt. Its special merit rests on first hand account of successive stages of the architectural design of the shrine presented by none other than the designer Manmohan Singh Siali.

The Preface rightly traces back the concept of the present volume to Sr. Patwant Singh’s meticulously prepared book: Gurdwaras in India & Around the World, and acknowledges the debt to Ms Heather Michaud who travelled extensively through the area and wrote an extraordinary evocative account of the geography and environment of the region while tracing the origin and discovery of the snow clad shrine. Indeed The Sikh Review had the pleasure of first publishing her comprehensive and inspiring narrative [SR April-Aug 1998] and to share her concerns about the pollution and overcrowding of the mountain route leading up to the crystalline lake and lotus shaped shrine at 4400 metres above sea level.

Even before the present work came to our hands we were hoping that Miss Michaud, now a member of Canada’s diplomatic service, will publish her thesis as well as some of the breathtakingly beautiful transparencies she had taken during her many visits. The Rajguru-Siali presentation is no less instructive and indeed the text should be an architect’s text book as well as the lay reader’s delight.

We are, of course, aware of the purist scholar’s argument of how could the Sikh belief system permit the "pilgrimage" of a mythological site where Guru Gobind Singh is supposed to have mediatated a thousand years ago as the sage Dusht Daman. Evidently, faith seems to supersede the deductive logic, and the Himalayan shrine continues to beckon the pious and the curious. Even those who think they know best will admire the patience, devotion and ingenuity which have gone into building this highest Gurdwara on earth.

This is a remarkable directory of historical Gurdwaras in greater Calcutta prepared by the veteran preacher, Gyani Dalip Singh, the long-time Head Granthi of Gurdwara Jagat Sudhar and Bara Sikh Sangat.

Profusely illustrated, and based on meticulously verified information, the book, in terse racy Punjabi narrative, recalls Sikh history from the times of Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur, through the revolutionary epoch of Baba Gurdit Singh - of Kama Gata Maru fame - up to the more recent times when the Sikh Sangat rebuilt the magnificent Khalsa Higher Secondary School and is poised to launch inspiring programmes for the New Generation of Sikhs through several enterprising youth organisations.

Note: Copies available from: The Sikh Review, 116 Karnani Mansion, 25A, Park St. Kolkata. 700 016 for Rs. 25 only to cover postal registration charges.

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Published by SANBUN Publishers, A-78, Naraina Ind. Area (I) New Delhi. 110 028.

Pp. 92. Price (Paper back) Rs. 95.

Veteran diplomat and prolific writer, Sardar Mahindar Singh has assembled some two dozens of his illuminating essays on lines and times of Gurus and aspects of the Sikh heritage. This is a sequel to his delightful book: UNDIPLOMATIC MEMOIRS which was highly regarde by reviewers and readers alike. His direct style and elegant language make for breezy reading best suited for the younger readers. The Sikh Review has been privileged to feature some of his essays. This slim but instructive volume should find easy place on the shelves of every educated person, though the price could be more reasonable. - S.S.

Published by Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for Far Eastern Studies, 32 Nakhimovsky Ave. Moscow. 117 218. Russia.

A scholarly and balanced periodical broadly surveying social, cultural and political affairs across Asia and Europe. Also available in USA at: East view Publications, Inc. 3020 Harbor Lane North Minneapolis. Mn. 55447. USA. Email: periodicals@eastview.com

By Balbir Singh Sooch

Published by Sikh Vichar Manch, 27-D, Sarakha Nagar, Ludhiana. 141 001. Pp. 40 Price Rs. 60

Avowedly written to "expose the misdeeds of the corrupt nexus", this booklet is an outspoken and lurid exposé of the rampant corruption and incompetence in the administration. It deplores the misuse of law, ("the mother of corruption") dwells on the criminalization of police and demoralization in lower judiciary, but stops short of suggesting concrete remedial action.

By Dr. N. Muthu Mohan

Published by Institute of Sikh Studies (1997) 959 Sector 59. SAS Nagar. Chandigar. 160 059.

Pages 56 Price Rs. 100.00

A philosophic treatise by the eminent philosopher and scholar on aspects of Sikhism particularly dwelling on integrative monotheism concept of Man, Sikhs search for justice, the social ideal, concluding with a thought-provoking essay on Inter-religious Dialogue. - S.S.

By M S Rahi

Published by The Singh Legal Foundation (March 2001), 2040, Sector 21-C. Chandigarh.

Email:sikhfocus@rediff.com

Pp 66 Price Rs. 165.00 (£ 7.00 or US$ 10)

This collection of essays, by a noted jurist and human rights activist, explores general and specific issues of human rights in the context of treatment of Sikhs by the Indian establishment. The author sees the emergence of RSS and militant Hindutva in Punjab as an over threat to the distinctive Sikh identity and strikes a note of warning for Sikhs not to deviate from the Khalsa ideal. The last section deals with the need to reform the Gurdwara legislation so as to avoid divisive politics and preserve and enhance the Sikh traidtiional culture as well as the sanctity of the holy shrines. - S.S.

By Gyani Sant Singh Maskin

Published by Gurmat Samagam Asthan

Road No. 2, Alwar. Rajasthan. India.

Sponsored by International Sikh Brotherhood, Kabul. Afghanistan.

Pp 128 Price (not mentioned)

A sensitive and perceptive analysis of the state of prachar- propagation of Gursikhi - amont the Sikhs worldwide, wherein the legendary scholar - preacher Gyani Sant Singh stresses the true Path of Gurmat. He alerts the common audiences and sangat against the subtle and devious ways of narrow sectarian leaders such as Nirankaris, Radha Soamis, Namdharis and dera-dar sant sadhus who are making inroads into the mainstream Sikhism only to feather their own nests. He exhorts the kirtani and dhadhi jathas as well as pracharaks to make a deeper study of the Sikh philosophy so as to dwell on the core message of Gurmat, free from sanatanist obscurantism and man-mat. - S.S.