Cover Letter-(Form I-11) Revised 2012: Fill & Download for Free

If we Indians had scrutinised all the governments it had since independence the way we have scrutinised Modi’s government in the past two years, we would have been much more developed and ahead of what we are. Better late than never, we have realised how democracy works. Democracy is not allegiance to a certain party or family. Its about If we elect someone to power and entrust them with running our country, we have all the right to ask questions. I am glad we have started doing it.Coming to the question… Lets re read the manifesto and start marking…Drafting a Uniform Civil Code - Nothing much happening in this regard.Clean up the Ganga - The master plan seems good. Implementation awaited.Set up a National Optical-Fibre Network up to the village level; and Wi-Fi zones in public areas - Modi has been quite vocal about information highways. Digital India is a great step in this regard. Setting up Wifi zones in public areas has started with railway stations. Public squares and other areas to come up next. Smart Cities have the wifi clause already.Tourism - The inflow of foreign tourists have not increased significantly and we expect the government to undertake policies in this respect.Black Money - Nothing happening as promised. Mr. Modi… Mr. Jaitley… Are you listening???Improve Centre-State relations - This involves not simply the Modi Government but also the state governments. So, co operation from all states irrespective of political parties is the need. I don’t see any significant changes, though fund allocation structure has changed.Set up the Ministry of North-Eastern Region - The already existing ministry has been empowered and starting with infrastructure investments and railways, North-East India is been a priority for Mr. Modi. How he deals with Bangladeshi infiltration is something that needs to be watched.Committed to the abrogation of Article 370 on Kashmir - We understand Article 370 is not a simple issue. But not a single step has been taken in this direction. Moreover, the BJP formed a government with the PDP in J&K, which is a supporter of Article 370. This is a complete U-Turn from the promise.Digitisation of Government records will be taken up on top priority so that they are easily accessible - This is happening quite fast. And ministers using social media to connect to general public is commendable. we already have examples of how the railway minister and the external affairs minister have done great in this aspect.Performance review, social and environment audit would be mandated for all Government schemes and programmes - An app to track electrification of villages is a great one. But all government policies need to be tracked that ways.Initiate a National e-Governance Plan to cover every Government office from the centre to the panchayats - Started under Digital IndiaPursue a mission mode project under the ‘National Rural Internet and Technology Mission’ for use of telemedicine and mobile healthcare for rural healthcare delivery; use of IT for agriculture for real time information; Self Help Groups; retail trade and SMEs; and rural entrepreneurs, etc. - Started under Digital IndiaMake every household digitally literate with a goal to make India the Global Knowledge hub, with IT being a major driver and engine of growth - Started under Digital IndiaMandate digitisation of all government work to reduce corruption and delays - Started under Digital India. The rural electrification tracking app is just one. More expected.Rationalisation and convergence among the Ministries, departments and other arms of the Government will be ensured to focus on delivery - This is a long term thing. We hope its get done and Modi sticks to his plan of Minimum Government & Maximum Governance.Services of youth in particular will be tapped to contribute in governance with Fellowship and Internship programmes launched at various levels - This has started and various internship programmes are available with most of the minister/ministries.Initiate a mission mode project for filling the vacancies in the judiciary and for doubling the number of courts and judges in the subordinate judiciary - The Law Ministry is not doing anything great in this regard.Implement the National Litigation Policy in letter and spirit to reduce average pendency time of cases - Again, the law ministry has to act fast.Create a fund for modernisation of courts to improve the operational efficiency of courts - Dear Ministry of Law, we hope you are listening…!!!Establish an institutional mechanism to periodically review and give suggestions for refining our laws - One more… Unfulfilled promise.Modernise our Prison system with technology and infrastructure; to strengthen the security as well human right - I see no news in this regard too.Train and technologically enable the police to track, pursue, as well as prevent Cyber Crime - Police is a matter of the state government. I have heard only this being said.Bring Coastal States together on a common platform to discuss issues of Marine Policing - No news so far on this regard too.Facilitate training and capacity building of Police forces, modernise the police force, equipping them with the latest technology, and initiate the networking of police stations across the country for intelligence sharing and crime control. - Not much happening. Its high time we unite our state police forces and bring them under an autonomous unified command.Look at revising election expenditure limits realistically - Anything happening? I don’t see this too.Identify 100 most backward districts of the country to bring them at par with other districts through prioritised and integrated development - Will give you more time for this.Review successful Public Distribution System models, and incorporate the best practices to revise the existing PDS, to benefit the common man - The LPG subsidy give up and transfer of subsidy to accounts directly is a great step. We expect more.30. Radically transform the Food Corporation of India (FCI) - No news so far.Initiate a ‘Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojna’ at the national level to be overseen by a ‘Tribal Development Authority’ - No news so far.Strengthen and modernise minority educational systems and institutions; National Madrasa modernisation programme to be initiated - MHRD. Any policy in this respect???Empower Waqf Boards in consultation with religious leaders; taking steps to remove encroachments from and unauthorised occupation of Waqf properties - Why simply Waqf boards? Encroachments from and unauthorised occupation of all religious and cultural properties need to be included.Initiate building 100 new cities; enabled with the latest in technology and infrastructure – adhering to concepts like sustainability, walk to work etc, and focused on specialised domains - Smart Cities!!! announced. Will need more time.Review, amend and strengthen the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2012 and Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). - No news so far.Enact the ‘Rights of the Persons with Disabilities bill’ (RPWD). Provide a higher tax relief for the family member taking care of the disabled. - No news so far.Set up neighbourhood Children’s/ Youth Parliament across India that leads to vibrant student committees. - No news so far.Launch a ‘National Sports Talent Search System’, so that extraordinary sporting talent is identified at a very young age. Mandate all new housing colonies to include sports facilities. - No news so far.BJP is committed to 33% reservation in parliamentary and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment. - No news so far.Government will create an Acid Attack victims welfare fund to take care of the medical costs related to treatment and cosmetic reconstructive surgeries of such victims - No news so far.Introduce self defence as a part of the school curriculum - No news so far.Set up an All Women Mobile Bank to cater to women and a special skills training and business incubator park for women - No news so far.P.S. This answer is largely based on my information through news reports. Addition/Updates are welcome.

There seems to be a misconception that Aramaic isn't a Jewish language. The Talmud is largely composed in Aramaic, with the exception of the Mishnah which is written in Early Rabbinic Hebrew. There are also the Targums, or Aramaic versions of the Hebrew Bible as well as the Jastrow Aramaic Dictionary, all of these can be accessed on the Sefaria database of Jewish texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls are in Aramaic and even parts of the Hebrew Tanakh contain Aramaic phrases and words. The books of Daniel and Ezra are mostly composed in Aramaic.Some traditions even argue that Aramaic was the language of the patriarchs, even though evidence suggests that Abraham in particular probably would have spoken Akkadian since neither Hebrew nor Aramaic existed back then.What is Aramaic?Aramaic (arāmāyā; Old Aramaic: 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; Imperial Aramaic: 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; Square Script אַרָמָיָא, Syriac ʾEsṭrangēlā Script: ܐܪܡܝܐ) is a language belonging to the Northwest Semitic group of the Afroasiatic language family, which also includes the Canaanite languages, such as Hebrew, Edomite, Moabite, and Phoenician, as well as Amorite and Ugaritic, It gradually replaced Hebrew as the language of the Jews in those areas and was itself supplanted by Arabic in the 7th century AD.The original language which was spoken by Jews in the Second Temple era was primarily a Western dialect of Aramaic. Jesus and his disciples in particular spoke Galilean Aramaic, but probably also spoke and taught in Hebrew as a liturgical language, and perhaps also a fair bit of Koine Greek somewhere in-between as well.The Middle East, through all of its political turmoil, has been dominated by a single language group, known as Semitic, from the earliest times until the present day. During this time the Semitic tongue of Aramaic dominated the three great Empires -- Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian. It endured until the seventh century when, under rising Islam, it was displaced by a cognate Semitic language, Arabic. Even today there are some Syrians, Assyrians and Chaldeans who speak Aramaic as their native tongue -- including three villages north of Damascus.The Jewish people -- through all of their persecutions, sufferings and wanderings -- have never lost sight of their Semitic heritage, nor their Semitic tongue. Hebrew, a Semitic tongue closely related to Aramaic, served as their language until the great dispersion when a cognate language -- Aramaic -- began to replace it. Hebrew, however, continued to be used in their religious literature and is, today, the spoken language in the State of Israel.Aramaic Displaces HebrewAramaic was destined to become Israel's vernacular tongue; but before this could come about it was necessary that the national independence should be destroyed and the people removed from their own home.These events prepared the way for that great change by which the Jewish nation parted with its national tongue and replaced it, in some districts entirely by Aramaic, in others by the adoption of Aramaized-Hebrew forms. The immediate causes of this linguistic metamorphosis are no longer historically evident. The event of the Exile itself was by no means a decisive factor, for the prophets that spoke to the people during the Exile and after the Return in the time of Cyrus, spoke in their own Hebrew tongue.Although the writings of prophets still resounded in the time-honored language, and although Hebrew literature during this period may be said to have actually flourished, nevertheless among the large masses of the Jewish people a linguistic change was in progress. The Aramaic, already the vernacular of international intercourse in Asia Minor in the time of Assyrian and Babylonian domination, took hold more and more of the Jewish populations of Palestine and of Babylonia, bereft as they were of their own national consciousness. Under the Achæmenidæ, Aramaic became the official tongue in the provinces between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean; therefore the Jews could still less resist the growing importance and spread of this language. Hebrew disappeared from their daily intercourse and from their homes; and Nehemiah—this is the only certain information respecting the process of linguistic change—once expressed his disapproval of the fact that the children of those living in mixed marriage" could no longer "speak in the Jews' language".How long this process of Aramaization lasted is not known. About the year 300 B.C.Aramaic makes its appearance in Jewish literature. The author of Chronicles uses a source in which not only documents concerning the history of the Second Temple are reproduced in the original Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-22; 5:1-6, 7:12-26), but the connecting narrative itself is written in Aramaic (Ezra 4:23). In the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, the authorof the Book of Daniel begins his narrative in Hebrew, but when he introduces the Babylonian sages and scholars as speaking Aramaic to the king, as if only awaiting this opportunity, he continues his history in Aramaic (Dan. 2:4, 7:28).But doesn't the NT fail to mention Aramaic?Actually not really, no. Depending on which Bible translation you might see either one:Despite it's orthographical meaning, the Greek term Ἑβραϊστί (hebraistí) can refer to either Judaean Aramaic or Hebrew interchangeably since the two share much of the same vocabulary not to mention they use the exact same alphabet and sound system. In the Greek Septuagint the word Σῠριστί (suristí, i.e "Syriac") is used to indicate Aramaic (e.g. 2 Kings 18:26; Isaiah 36:11; Daniel 2:4).However these instances are referring to Ancient Imperial Aramaic. In all probability the word Σῠριστί fell completely out of usage by the time of the New Testament because Jewish dialects were much more closely associated with the Hebrew language. After all, Aramaic is a close sister of Hebrew and is identified as a “Jewish” language, since it is the language of major Jewish texts, and because of their remarkable similarity it may have been regarded as a sort of Hebrew-lite.Here is a list of the English Bible translations which refer to it as Aramaic:New International Version (NIV)English Standard Version (ESV)Christian Standard Bible (CSB)NET BibleSee also: Martin Turner's answer to Why in the New Testament does it speak of Hebraisti when no one spoke Hebrew? Why does it get translated to Aramaic in some translations? Did they even differentiate between Aramaic and Hebrew or they had no clue and it was all the same to them?Jesus Spoke AramaicJesus and his disciples were from Galilee, which was basically regarded as the 1st century Jewish equivalent of Hill Country. It consisted of mostly rural terrain with a few busy towns here and there. People there would have worn simple clothing, the traditional garb of the common Jewish folk, which was usually quaint, drab, and unbleached. Such cloth was hand-woven, usually from sheep or goat's wool.The culture in Israel during the time of Jesus was very much different than it is today. Hebrew was not a common language but was widely spoken and taught in the Synagogues and the Temple as a liturgical language. However rural folk might have has less exposure and thy certainly wouldn't have spoken it in day to day life.So Jesus would have been regarded as a Nazarene Jew of the artisan class. As such he probably maintained a rural-style Kosher look with desert clothes, his hair and beard most likely conforming to Mosaic regulations. He probably would have been a bit dirty and uncomely looking as well, since he traveled around and yet had no place to rest his head (Luke 9:58).There can be little doubt, at present, that the Gospel tradition arose in a Semitic milieu. Jesus himself spoke Aramaic; his Bible was the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, whether he read it -- or heard it read -- in Hebrew or in a running translation later known as the Targum; his teaching presupposed a familiarity with the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, with the current synagogue liturgy, based very largely on scripture. Also see this article:Hebrew Usage in the First CenturyThe Gospels originally started out as an oral tradition in Aramaic, though translated from time to time, and probably from a fairly early date, into Koine Greek. As can clearly be seen, some of the parallel sayings in the Gospels presuppose a common Greek original, suggesting a single translation, while others presuppose an original farther back, suggesting diversity of translation and transmission.Moreover, Jesus’ disciples were all Aramaic-speaking Jews, and the tradition as they and others handed it down was doubtless in that tongue. One should note that the various Aramaic phrases clearly indicate this:Ephphatha (Ἐφφαθά), Mark 7:34, > אתפתח /eṯpəṯaḥ/ “be opened".Abba (Ἀββά[ς]), Mark 14:36, Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:15, > אבא /ʔabba/ "Father".Raca (Ρακά), Matthew 5:22, > ריקה or ריקא, /râqa/ "vain, worthless”.𝑼𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔: 𝑂𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 "𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙".Mammon (Μαμωνάς), Mathew 6:24, Luke 16:9-13, > ממון or (emphatic) ממונה ,ממונא /mamon, cf. mamona/ "riches, treasure".𝑼𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔: 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝐴𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑐 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑅𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝐻𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑤, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐵𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐻𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑, 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑦, 𝑖𝑛 4𝑡ℎ 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑃𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 "𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑".Rabbuni (Ραββουνί), John 20:16, > רבוני /rǝbbuní/ "teacher, ie. master".Maranatha (Μαραναθά), 1 Corinthians 16:22, Didache 10:6, > מרנא תא /marana ṯa/ "LORD come!" or מרן אתא /maran ʔaṯa/ "Our LORD has come".Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani (Ἠλί, Ἠλί, λιμὰ σαβαχθανί), Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, > אלהי אלהי למה שבקתני /əlahí əlahí ləmáh šəvaqtáni/ "My God, why have you forsaken me?!".Korbanan (κορβανᾶν), Matthew 27:6, > קרבנא or קרבנה /qorbana/ "religious gift or offering".Sikera (Σίκερα), Luke 1:15, > שכרא /šaḵəraʔ/ "liquor, alcohol".Hosanna (Ὡσαννά), Mark 11:9, > הושע נה /hošáˁ-nah/ "Save us!".Gethsemane (Γεθσημανῆ), Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32, > גתשמני /gaṯ-šemanéi/ "oil press".Golgotha (Γολγοθᾶ), Mark 15:22, John 19:17, > גולגלתא /gulgalṯaʔ/ "skull, cranium".Gabbatha (Γαββαθᾶ), John 19:13, > גבהתא /gabbáṯaʔ).Akeldama (Ἀκελδαμά), Acts 1:19, > חקל דמה /ḥeqal damáh/ "field of blood".Pool of Bethesda (Βηθεσδά), John 5:2, > בית חסדא /bêṯ ḥesdaʔ/ "house of grace".There were a very wide range of different dialects of Aramaic around during the time of Jesus. Here I will list a few:Old Syriac (OS)Old Syriac was a dialect of Middle Aramaic of the Northwest Semitic languages of the Afroasiatic family that is written in the Syriac alphabet, a derivation of the Aramaic alphabet. Having first appeared in the early first century AD in Edessa,classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from the 4th to the 8th centuries, preserved in a large body of Syriac literature.The Peshitta, including the Syriac NT, is comprised in later dialects.Syriac was extremely rare and novel in the Holy Land, most especially during the 1st century AD. Out of all the material evidence dating to that period there exists only one in the form of a Tomb inscription, which was then re-inscribed so that those who were local could read it.Thus we can be very much certain that Jesus probably did not speak Syriac and that the Aramaic Peshitta do not contain his original spoken words—although it might be relatively close since technically it is more or less the same language. However the alphabet and orthography are very different.Revealing The Unearthly And Transcendent Beauty Of The Syriac Orthodox TraditionA page from a Syriac 'Peshitta' manuscript of the New TestamentThe Peshitta (ܦܫܺܝܛܬܳܐ‎ or ܦܫܝܼܛܬܵܐ pšīṭtā) is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Jacobite tradition, including the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Syro Malankara Catholic Church, Assyrian Church of the East and the Syro Malabar Catholic Church. The tradition can be traced all the way back to the ancient Church of Antioch. It was one of the five major churches of the pentarchy in Christianity before the East–West Schism in 1054, with its primary seat in the ancient Greek city of Antioch (present-day Antakya, Turkey).Few Christian denominations can claim the antiquity of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, whose foundations can be traced back to the very dawn of Christianity. The Church justifiably prides itself as being one of the earliest established apostolic churches. It was in Antioch, after all, that the followers of Jesus were called Christians as we are told in the New Testament, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26). Today the Syriac Orthodox Church is most well known for their incredibly beautiful music.The musical rendition Lord's Prayer in Aramaic that moved the Pope to tears, feat by Archimandrite Serafim Bit-HaribiFather Serafim and Nino Basharuli perform a duet in Aramaic.Musical rendition of Psalm 50 in SyriacSyriac Orthodox Prayer, Aboun D'bashmayoSyriac Orthodox hymn “Shlom Lekh”The Suffering of Jesus in Gethsemane, by Father Serafim and co.According to ecclesiastical tradition, the Church of Antioch is the second established church in Christendom after Jerusalem, and the prominence of its Apostolic significance is well documented. In his Chronicon (I, 2), the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea tells us that St. Peter the Apostle established a bishopric in Antioch and became its first bishop. He also tells us that St. Peter was succeeded by Evodius. In another historical work, Historia Ecclesiastica, Eusebius tells us that Ignatius the Illuminator, “a name of note to most men, [was] the second after Peter to the bishopric of Antioch” (III, 36).The Syriac Orthodox Church is quite unique for many reasons. Firstly, it presents a form of Christianity, which is Semitic in nature, with a culture not far from the one Christ himself experienced. Secondly, it employs in its liturgy the Syriac language, an Aramaic dialect akin to the Aramaic spoken by Christ and the Apostles. Thirdly, its liturgy is one of the most ancient, and has been handed from one generation to another. Fourthly, and most importantly, it demonstrates the unity of the body of Christ by the multiethnic nature of its faithful: A visit to your local Syriac Orthodox Church in Europe or the Americas would demonstrate, for example, the blend of Near Eastern and Indian cultures in the motifs and vestments of clergy. The Syriac Orthodox faithful today live primarily in Middle Eastern countries and the Indian State of Kerala, with many communities in the diaspora.The Aramaic PeshittaThe Syriac version of the Bible, known as the Peshitta (“simple”, or “common”), is the accepted Bible of Syrian Christian churches from the end of the 3rd century AD. The name Peshitta was first employed by Moses bar Kepha in the 9th century to suggest (as does the name of the Latin Vulgate) that the text was in common use. The name also may have been employed in contradistinction to the more complex Syro-Hexaplar version.Yemen takes its name from the Arabic word meaning "northerly." Of the vernacular versions of the Bible, the Old Testament Peshitta is second only to the Greek Septuagint in antiquity, dating from probably the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The earliest parts in Old Syriac are thought to have been translated from Hebrew or Aramaic texts by Jewish Christians at Edessa, although the Old Testament Peshitta was later revised according to Greek textual principles. The earliest extant versions of the New Testament Peshitta date to the 5th century AD and exclude The Second Letter of Peter, The Second Letter of John, the Third Letter of John, The Letter of Jude, and The Revelation to John, which were not canonical in the Syrian church.The Dialect of PalmyraPalmyrene Aramaic was a Western Aramaic dialect spoken in the Roman-controlled city of Palmyra (1st c. BCE–3rd c. CE), which was once a major economic hub in the Levant and now lies near the borders of Syria. It was common in the early couple of centuries AD and is solely known from inscriptions dating from the 1st century BC all the way to year 273 AD. The development of cursive versions of the Aramaic alphabet led to the creation of the Palmyrene alphabet.The entire corpus of Palmyrene Aramaic inscriptions known before 1996 has been collected in the comprehensive volume, Palmyrene Aramaic Texts (Hillers & Cussini 1996); those inscriptions discovered since 1996 have been recently published as well (Yon 2013; see also Yon 2012 for the Greek and Latin inscriptions from Palmyra). These studies have contributed greatly to the study of Palmyrene Aramaic, but none of them have directly addressed the development of the locally indigenous script (paleography), nor do the studies of Hillers & Cussini 1996 and Yon 2013 provide photographs or drawings of the inscriptionsThe Samaritan DialectSamaritan Aramaic, or Samaritan, was the dialect of Aramaic used by the Samaritans in their sacred and scholarly literature. This should not be confused with the Samaritan Hebrew language of the Scriptures. Samaritan Aramaic ceased to be a spoken language some time between the 10th and the 12th centuries.In form it resembles the Aramaic of the Targumim, and is written in the Samaritan alphabet. Important works written in Samaritan include the translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch in the form of the targum paraphrased version. There are also legal, exegetical and liturgical texts, though later works of the same kind were often written in Arabic.The Samaritans are a unique people whose history can be traced to Biblical times. They are not considered ethnically Jewish or Arab, despite the fact that Samaritans have lived in close proximity to both groups for thousands of years. Though they used to be numerous, there are now only about 700 Samaritans left, divided between two towns near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They rarely marry non-Samaritans, and their religious practices are distinct from all Jewish sects. Their ability to remain both (seemingly) genetically and culturally isolated in one of the most diverse regions on Earth has piqued the interest of both geneticists and historians, who have spent years trying to understand this unique group of people tucked away in the Levantine desert.Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (JBA)Jewish Babylonian Aramaic was the form of Middle Aramaic employed by writers in Lower Mesopotamia between the 4th and 11th centuries. It is most commonly identified with the language of the Babylonian Talmud (which was completed in the seventh century) and of post-Talmudic (Geonic) literature—which are the most important cultural products of Babylonian Jews. The most important epigraphic sources for the dialect are the hundreds of inscriptions on incantation bowls.Jewish Palestinian Aramaic (JPA)Jewish Palestinian Aramaic was a Western Aramaic language spoken by the Jews during the Classic Era in Judea and the Levant, specifically in Hasmonean, Herodian and Roman Judea and adjacent lands in the late first millennium BCE and later in Syria Palaestina and Palaestina Secunda in the early first century.Now for the Aramaic which Jesus spoke:Galilean AramaicGalilean Aramaic, or Galilean, otherwise known as סוריסטון (“Suriston”) is an obscure, Western dialect of Aramaic. Where it shares a great deal of core vocabulary and grammar with other Aramaic dialects (as all dialects do) there are a large number of quirks and differences that make it unique. The term Galilean dialect generally refers to the form of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic spoken by people in Galilee during the late Second Temple period, for example at the time of Jesus and the disciples, as distinct from a Judean dialect spoken in Jerusalem.Its closest contemporary cousins were Samaritan Aramaic and Christian Palestinian Aramaic (CPA), all of which share similar features. While there are a number of modern Eastern Aramaic dialects, the only dialect of Western Aramaic that survives to this day is spoken in the three villages of Ma’loula, Bakh’a, and Jub’addin in Syria (collectively known as the Ma’loula dialect). Sadly with current events and violence in the middle east, the fate of this dialect is uncertain.John Lightfoot and Johann Christian Schöttgen identified and commented on the Galilean Aramaic speech. Schöttgen's work, Horae Ebraicae et Talmudicae, which studied the New Testament in the context of the Talmud, followed that of Lightfoot. Both scholars provided examples of differences between Galilean and Judean speech.This dialect of Aramaic is attested in parts of the Jerusalem Talmud, of the aggadic Midrashim, the Palestinian deeds, the Aramaic documents of the geonic period, as well as synagogue inscriptions discovered in Eretz Yisra'el. The Palestinian Targum and the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan of the Pentateuch are written in a dialect which, for all practical purposes (except for a few details), is that of Galilean Aramaic.Galilean Aramaic covers a period from the first amoraim of the Jerusalem Talmud (third century CE) to the last geonim (beginning of the second millennium CE). It seems (on the evidence of manuscripts), that the Aramaic of the Mishnah also very closely resembles (or is identical to) Galilean Aramaic.PhonologyThe Eastern Aramaic speakers who were prominent in Judea prided themselves on articulate speech and viewed Galileans “loose” pronunciation with contempt. Where they would pronounce what are known as the Emphatic Consonants and Gutterals with exactness, such sounds were softened in Galilean. Several consonants that were distinct in Eastern Aramaic were blurred or interposed by Galileans and any unstressed vowel tends to be reduced to a simple shwa ｜ə｜, which is pronounced like the 'u' in the English word up.Vowels also tended to be different in places than most would expect in a Judean dialect. For example, where the Talmudic word שַׁבְּתָא (i.e. “sabbath”) is romanized as šabbəṯāˀ, Galilean speaking Jews on the other hand would've rendered it as שבתה｜šəbṯáh｜.VocabularyLike the differences inherent between British and American English, Galilean differed in its choice of words, as well as many of the meanings of words held in common. For example, the Aramaic verb סום (which means “to put” or “to place”) is completely ubiquitous in most Aramaic dialects. It is even recorded in the Syriac Peshitta as part of Jesus' last words: ܐܳܒ݂ܝ ܒ݁ܺܐܝܕ݂ܰܝܟ݁ ܣܳܐܶܡ ܐ݈ܢܳܐ ܪܽܘܚܝ ܀, i.e.｜ʔābb b-iḏaiḵ saˀēm ˀnā rūḥ(y)｜= “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”, and this appears in the same volume in nearly 800 other places. However, סום is completely absent in Galilean. It does not occur even once in the entire known corpus. In the original Galilean Jesus probably would have said: אבא בידך אמני אנה רוחי ｜ˀabba bayəḏáḵ amánei ˀənáh rûḥí｜= “Father into your hands I entrust my Spirit”.GrammarThis has as much to do with word order as it does do with how words are used. A very common example is the Present Participle. In Galilean it is used very much like the English Present Tense (“I go.”) rather than a true Participle (“I am going.”) as it appears in other dialects and it is used in much higher frequency. Furthermore, where with most Aramaic dialects, the subject follows the verb (like in the Syriac phrase ܪܳܚܶܡ ܐ݈ܢܳܐ ܠܶܟ݂｜rāḥĕm ˀənā lēḵ｜(“I love you” [f]), in Galilean the Participle’s subject always preceeds it, so it would be: אנה רחם לך ｜ˀənáh raḥem leḵ｜. Another good example is the verb/particle אית־ ｜ˀîṯ｜which means “there is.” In Eastern dialects, such as Syriac, אית־ tends to be inflected with endings and used in conjunction with the verb “to be” which would be הווי｜həwei｜. For example, in Syriac we find the phrase ܐܺܝܬ݂ܰܘܝ ܣܰܒ݂ܪܳܐ ｜ˀíṯaui sawrāˀ｜(“There is hope”). However, in Galilean, אית־ is never inflected, and is usually used on its own regardless of number or gender, therefore אית סבר ｜ˀîṯ səbar｜= “There is hope”.OrthographyLike nearly all other Aramaic dialects, Galilean is written without using true vowels. Instead, half-vowel letters (which represent our a, y and w) are used in combinations such as doubling them to indicate diphthongs. This was the precursor to the modern Hebrew vowel system known as “Tiberian” which gets its name from the Sea of Tiberias (better known as the Sea of Galilee). Galileans were also known to interchange א alef and ה he at the end of words, and opted to spell phonetically rather than classically.With all of these differences, a Galilean speaker tended to stick out with their speech in Jerusalem as much as someone from the American South sticks out in New England (and vice versa), and this is exactly what we see portrayed in the Gospels:[SOURCES]1. Scholars who are proficient in studying the Galilean Dialect:• Steven Fassberg• Edward Kutscher• David Marcus Golomb• Gustav Dalman• Hugo Oderberg• Pablo Carión Arg• G. Svedlung• E.Y. Kutcher• Hadrian Mar Elijah Bar Israel (Bishop of the Nazarani Church)• Steve Caruso (AramaicNT blogspot)• Michael Sokoloff• Caspar Levías• J.T. Marshall• Alejandro Diez Macho2. Textual evidence:• Bereshit Rabba• Pesiqta of Rav Kahana• Cairo Genizah• Targum Neophiti• Yerushalmi TalmudEvidence that the Writers of the Gospels Referred to the TargumimThe Targum Onkelos, תרגום אונקלוס, is the Jewish Aramaic targum of the Torah, accepted as an authoritative translated text of the Five Books of Moses and thought to have been written in the early 2nd-century CE.A targum (תַּרְגּוּם) is an ancient Aramaic paraphrase or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. Targumim were originally spoken translations of the Jewish scriptures (also called the Tanakh) that a meturgeman (professional interpreter) would give in the common language of the listeners when that was not Hebrew.Here are a few examples:Historically, the Jews referred to the Aramaic portions of Genesis, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezra as Targums, and later rabbis developed the Babylonian Targum, interpreting the Tanak or Old Testament (OT) Scriptures. The writers of the New Testament (NT), along with Jesus, employed the practice of interpreting/translating the Tanakh in their citations of the OT. These biblical NT interpretations, or Targums, were inspired (2 Timothy 3:16).Both the Gospels and the Book of Acts appear to contain a number of Targumim citations.Synagogue PracticeJames affirmed that the Torah was the text by which preaching in the synanogues was done on each Shabbat throughout every town of Judaea, (Acts 15:21). Therefore, synagogues, distributed over a widespread geographical area, functioned as the first century training center for Jewish understanding of the Torah on their religious day (Acts 13:27). The early Christians also regularly frequented the synagogues (Acts 6:9; 9:2, 20; 13:5, 14, 43; 17:2; 21:26) because the synagogue leaders afforded them the opportunity to give a “word of exhortation” (Acts 13:15).Paul’s word of exhortation was a summary interpretation of many passages from the Law (תּוֹרָה‎, tôráh) and Prophets (נְבִיאִים‎, nəḇi'im) and the Writings (כְּתוּבִים‎, kəṯuḇim), pointing the Jews to Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of these Messianic Scriptures (cf. vv. 17-37). One gospel writer gave elaborate detail of a typical Shabbat synagogue service (Luke 4:16-21). The reader stood, received the scroll, and opened it (vv. 16-17). The reader read the OT Scripture and then gave his “running” interpretation or Targum of the passage at hand (vv. 17b-19). The reader rolled up the scroll, handed it back, and sat down (v. 20). The reader preached his sermon or “word of exhortation” (cf. 21 ff.). This synopsis of these aforementioned biblical texts reveals foundation knowledge about the early Christians’ practice of employing the OT Scriptures in the synagogue.Evidence That The Synoptic Gospels May Have Been Derived From An Earlier ManuscriptA proto-Gospel would be an early written prototype, or "first written account" of the Gospels. The idea is that Matthew, Mark and Luke all had this proto-Gospel in front of them when they wrote their Gospel accounts; they copied, or translated, adding additional information and context where needed.The proto-Gospel is written in Jewish Aramaic originally, but the Gospel writers perhaps had a Greek translation as well.The proto-Gospel probably includes sayings (logia) of Jesus—most likely based on eyewitness accounts.The proto-Gospel represents the original preaching (kerygma) of Jesus and his Disciples before it was built upon by extra-biblical traditions.The strongest evidence for this is that Luke's Prologue (Luke 1: 1-4) clearly states that people before him have "drawn up an account" of Jesus' Ministry and that these people were "eyewitnesses" but that he is merely "writing an orderly account" of this source.The Syriac and Palestinian Churches have made the historical claim that the Gospels we're originally written in Aramaic. The most common type of Aramaic Primacy is referred to as Peshitta Primacy, regarding the Syriac New Testament, and although it makes some good arguments it must be said that there area number of problems with this theory.See:Aramaic Primacy of the GospelsEvidence of Peshitta PrimacyProblems With Peshitta PrimacyNow, obviously Jesus and his disciples didn't speak Syriac. However, there could have once been copies, or at least prototypes, of the Gospels written in other dialects of Aramaic.Some rabbinic traditions regard Aramaic as a holy language alongside Hebrew. There are parts of the Tanakh (Hebrew OT) which are preserved in Aramaic, such as a few lines in Isaiah. The middle sections of Daniel (2:4b-7:28) are written entirely in Aramaic, and likewise Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26 as well. The possible reason for this is disputed, but what is certain is that these sections are indeed Aramaic, not Hebrew. This is what is commonly called Biblical Aramaic, a dialect that closely resembles Hebrew. This is the basis for the insertion that Aramaic is a "holy language."It is also important to note the Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 7.2, which reads, “Let not the Aramaic be esteemed by you lightly my son; as the Holy One, blessed be He, has seen fit to give it voice in the Torah and the Prophets and the Writings.” This is because there is are Aramaic words in the Torah, sections of Ezra/Daniel (as mentioned) in the Writings, and a verse from Jeremiah in the Prophets. In Gen. 31:37; the name that Laban calls the place is in Aramaic, while Jacob gives it the same name in Hebrew. Jer. 10:11; the sentence denouncing idolatry is in Aramaic. The aforementioned sections of Daniel and Ezra.This seems to make a solid case. To be sure, no sections of the Tanakh are written (originally) in Greek.He who lives by the sword…In Matthew 26:52 Jesus rebukes Peter (i.e. Cephas) for his rashness, in slicing off a man's ear with his sword. He did this not only to rebuke Peter, but also to soften the minds of the multitude, who must be enraged at such an action; and which was still more effectually done by his healing the man's ear. Otherwise, in all probability Peter, and the rest of the apostles, would have had been all killed at once.But it is interesting to find that he does so in a more creative way than most people are aware. The Koine Greek text reads:παντες γαρ οι λαβοντες μαχαιραν εν μαχαιρη απολουνται/…pantes gar hoi labontes mahairan en mahairê apolountai/𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑒.However, a retro back-translation into Galilean Aramaic shows us that it would've read as follows:בגין כל דנסבון סייף בסייף נמותוןC.f./bagîn kol halên də-n’sav saiyp̄ bə-saiyp̄ nəmûṯûn/𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑢𝑝 𝑎 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑, 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 (𝑂𝑅 “𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑”) 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑒.Or /b-sof/, same root.Although fragmentary.Palestinian Syriac Lectionary of the Gospels (Lewis & Gibson 1899)In Western Aramaic dialects (specifically Galilean) the word *sayp̄ can mean either “sword” or “end.” Given the context, this wordplay is undoubtedly intentional: One who bears a sword shall ultimately die (in the end) by a sword. The Greek, of course, misses this, as no such pun exists with μάχαιρα (mahaira = “sword”).This wordplay is strong evidence that this saying within Matthew dates back to an Aramaic source—be it oral or written—which in turn strongly suggests that it is quite an early tradition.Furthermore this has interesting implications for the “Peshitta Primacy” view among some Syriac traditions, as it outlines differences between dialects. The same passage in the Peshitta reads:ܟܠܗܘܢ ܓܝܪ ܗܢܘܢ ܕܢܤܒܘ ܤܝܦܐ ܒܤܝܦܐ ܢܡܘܬܘܢ/kulhûn géyr hānûn da-n’savw sayp̄ēˀ b-sayp̄ēˀ nmûṯûn/𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑒.Not only does this double meaning not occur in Syriac, or other Eastern dialects from the era, the Peshitta misses it completely, instead by choosing to render both instances of /saipa/ in the plural—despite the fact that in the Greek it's singular—therefore making the pun impossible in the Peshitta.List of New Testament phrases in GAHere is a comprehensive list of quotes from the Messianic scriptures as well as miscalenous bits into Galilean, that way we can see how well they fit into ancient Jewish culture and motifs:“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)Translation: אנה ואבא ניהו חד ｜ənáh wə-abba níhû ḥad｜“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)Translation: אהיה אורחה ואמית וחייה׃ לה אנש אתא לאבא אם לית בי｜əlyih urḥaˀ wə-ammít wə-ḥayyaˀ leh ˀənaš aṯa lə-abba ˀim lêṯ biy｜“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” (Mark 1:15)Translation: שלם ליה זימנה ומטיית מלכותה דאלהה תובו והיימנון בבשׂורה｜š'lam lêh zîmnáh wə-maṭyaṯ malḵûṯáh d-ˀəláha tûvû wə-hayymənûn bə-vśûráh｜From the Beginning was the WORD [=targumic_”memra” ] and the WORD was with God and God was the WORD. This was from the beginning with God. Everything through him was made and outside of him nothing was made that is made. (John 1:1-3)Translation: מן רישא הווית מימרה ומימרה הוות לות אלהא ואלהא הווה מימרה הדין הו מן רישא לות אלהא כולה בה אתעבד ולבר מנה כלום לית אתעבד מה דאתעבד ｜min rêša hawêṯ mêmrah wə-mêmrah həwaṯ lúṯ əláhaˀ wə-eláhaˀ həwaṯ mêmrah hadín huˀ min rêša lûṯ əláhaˀ kulláh ba ˀəṯˁabaḏ wə-lavar menéh kəlôm lêṯ ˀəṯˁabaḏ di-ˀəṯˁabaḏ｜The sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, amen.”Translation: סימנה דצליבה׃ בשמיה דאבא ודברה ודרוח קודשה חד אלה אמין｜simanáh də-ṣəliḇaˀ_bə-šəméh də-abbaˀ wə-də-bəráh wə-də-rúḥ quḏšáh ḥad ˀəlah ˀamên｜Paschal greeting: Christ is risen! Surely he is risen!Translation: פסחה שאילה׃ קם משחה \ בירכתה קם ｜pəsáḥaˀ šəˀîlah_qam məšíḥaˀ-bírəḵəṯah qam｜O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.Translation: הו טלייה דאלהה די נשה חובין עממי רחים עלן׃ הו טלייה דאלהה די נשה חובין עממי הב לן שלמין｜huˀ ṭalyyah də-ˀeláha dî nəša hôvín ˀaməmmei rəḥîm ˁilan_huˀ ṭalyyah də-ˀeláha dî nəša hôvín ˀaməmmei hav lan shəlámîn｜“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:17)Translation: אתי מן דחייל מיני בתרי׃ דלית אנה שווי מיברך׃ ומישרי ערקתא דסנדלוי׃ אנה צבעית לכון במיין׃ ברם יצבע לכון ברוח קודשה ｜ˀəṯey man dəḥaiyel meni baṯari, dəlêṯ ˀənáh šauwei miḇrak wə-mišrei ˁəraqṯa də-sandloi, nah ṣbaˁyeṯ ləkon bə-maiyin, b'ram yəṣḇˁa ləkon bəruaḥ quḏšah｜“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” (Mark 1:15)Translation: שלם ליה זימנה ומטיית מלכותה דאלהה תובו והיימנון בבשׂורה｜š'lam lêh zîmnáh wə-maṭyaṯ malḵûṯáh d-ˀəláháh tûvû wə-hayymənûn bə-vśûráh｜For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)Translation: בגין כנ"ל רחמית אלהא לארעה דיהב בריה יחידי להון כל דמהמין ביה אלא לירית חייה עלמה｜ bagîn kenal raḥámiaṯ eláhaˀ lə-arˀáh dyahev yəḥîdai bərêh ləhôn kol di-məhamín bêh illaˀ lə-yarîṯ ḥayyaˀ əlamáh｜“Father, holy be Thy name, Thy kingdom come. They will be done, as on Heaven, also on Earth. Give us this our bread day by day, and forgive us our debts. As we too have forgiven our debtors. And put us not to trial [for our sins], but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4)Translation: אבא יתקדש שמך׃ תיתי מלכותה׃ תהווה רעותך׃ בארעה כנ"ל בשמייה׃ פיתתן דצורך הב לן יומנן ׃ ושבוק לן חובנן׃ הך אנן שבקיןלחיבנן׃ ולה תעאל לן לנסיון׃ ברם פצי לן מן בישה׃ אמין׃ ｜ˀAbba yəṯqadaš šəmaḵ_teṯe malḵuṯaḵ_tehəwe raˁutaḵ, bəarˁa kənal bišəmaya_pitṯan də-ṣoraḵ, hav lan yoməden_wa-švuq lan ḥovenan_heḵ ˀənan šəvaqin lə-ḥaivenan_wə-la taˁel lan lə-nisyon. Bəram pəṣi lan min biša, ˀameyn｜Please feel free to check out the following:Aramaic ｜Jewish Virtual LibraryGalilean Aramaic in the context of early ChristianityLOY Excursus: Greek Transliterations of Hebrew, Aramaic and Hebrew/Aramaic Words in the Synoptic GospelsProblems With Peshitta PrimacyJesus, the Son of Man, was LITERALLY Seen in the Clouds in A.D. 66 - Revelation RevolutionDoes Historical Account of ‘Chariots in the Clouds’ Actually Describe UFOs?Adonai YeshuaDamien Cowl's answer to What color was Jesus’ robe when he was put on trial and executed?Damien Cowl's answer to How was Jesus crucified?Damien Cowl's answer to Is Jesus the true messiah?Is the New Testament Jewish? (Part 1)Is the New Testament Jewish? (Part 2)Is the New Testament Jewish? (Part 3)Race and Appearance of Jesus (Part 1)Race and Appearance of Jesus (Part 2)What did Jesus wear?Affirming ChristianityDinner Table Messages

Cheque Validity : Revised validity period of Cheques, Drafts, Pay Orders & Banker's Cheques. As per RBI guidelines, with effect from April 1, 2012, the validity period of Cheques, Demand Drafts, Pay Orders and Banker's Cheques will be reduced from 6 months to 3 months, from the date of issue of the instrument.What is cheque bounce/dishonour of cheque?A cheque is said to be dishonoured or bounced when it is presented for payment to a bank but it is not paid because of some reason or the other. The following are some of the reasons why a cheque is generally bounced :Signature is not matchingThere is overwriting in the chequeCheque was presented after lapse of three months, i.e. after the cheque has expiredAccount was closedInsufficient funds in the accountPayment stopped by the account holderOpening balance insufficientDisparity in the words and figures mentioned on the chequeIn case the cheque is issued by a company, the same does not bear the seal of the companyMismatch in account numberIn case of joint account where both signatures are required, only one sign is thereDeath of the customerInsolvency of the customerInsanity of the customerCrossed chequeWhen a cheque is issued against the rules of trustAlteration in chequeDoubt in genuineness of the chequePresented at the wrong branchCrossing limit of overdraft (OD)Legal Remedies available in case your cheque is bounced :Cheque bounce is a criminal offence in India, covered under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The following information will act a useful guide in what steps can be undertaken in case your cheque is bounced:Step 1: Demand Notice:Once the cheque has been returned by the bank, then before filing a legal complaint against the drawer, you must first send a demand letter/ legal notice to such drawer within a period of 30 days from the date the cheque has been returned to you by the bank. The letter must demand the amount from the drawer and also the legal action that can be initiated against him under the Negotiable Instruments Act in case the amount is not paid within a stipulated time period (usually 15 days).Even though there is no prescribed format for this notice, its purpose of demanding payment and informing the issuer that s/he will be prosecuted in case payment is not made should be highlighted very clearly. Further, proof of delivery of such letter should be preserved carefully.Demand letter can be sent by the complainant her/himself. However, it is advisable to get the draft vetted by a cheque bounce lawyer before sending it to the person concerned.The following information should be stated clearly in the demand notice:A statement that the cheque was presented within its period of validityStatement of debt or legally enforceable liabilityInformation regarding dishonour of cheque as given by the bankDemanding the issuer to pay the amount due within 15 days of receiving such noticeStep 2: Drafting of Complaint:If the drawer has not replied to your demand notice within a period of 15 days from the date of the delivery of the demand letter or has refused to pay your amount, then the next option available in such a case is to file a complaint in court within a stipulated time period of 30 days. Before filing a legal complaint, it is important to understand that which court should you approach in such cases. You can file the complaint in a court within whose local limits of jurisdiction any of the following incidents have taken place:Where the cheque was drawnWhere the cheque was presentedWhere the cheque was returned by the bankWhere the demand notice was served by you.You must have all the following documents:ComplaintOath letterPhotocopy of all the documents such as cheque, memo, notice copy, and acknowledgement receipts.Step 3: Court Process for filing the case:Amount on cheque : Rs. 0 to Rs. 50,000/-Court fee : 200/-Amount On Cheque : Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 2,00,000/-Court fee : Rs. 500/-Amount on Cheque :Above Rs. 2,00,000/-Court fee : Rs. 1000Memo of Advocate is essential at the time of filing of the suit along with signatures of the complainant.After the case is filed in the court, all documents are cross-checked by Judicial Magistrate First Class, so original documents such as original cheque (bounced), original memo, a copy of the notice, receipt of the post office, receipt of U.P.C., acknowledgement receipt, are required at the time of cross-checking.The period of limitation is also verified at this stage.The Process Form, also known as the Bhatta, is filed by the complainant or lawyer, along with the address of accused.The court then issues summons to accused to appear in the court on the specific date.If the accused does not appear in court on the date of hearing, the court can also issue a bailable warrant on the request of the complainant.It the accused still does not appear before the court, the court may issue a non-bailable warrant of arrest.Important things to be kept in mind :A delay in filing the complaint after the lapse of 30 days may be excused by the magistrate only in exceptional circumstances.Dishonour of a cheque due to stop payment is also covered under Section 138 of the NI Act.Presentation of the cheque at the request of the drawer after the demand notice has been sent and the consequent dishonour of the cheque will not mean that the drawer’s time limit under the notice has increased.A cheque issued as a gift/donation/any other obligation, will not be covered under Section 138 of the Act. For this section to apply, the cheque has to carry a legal obligation.A cheque expires after three months from the date on which it is issued.