www.joincensus.com to spread awareness about Census amongst Sikhs and marginalised sections

To generate interest in Census participation and provide easily readable and downloadable information, print, audio and video materials and resources for all public-spirited organisations and individuals who would be ready to take this as a cause, a new website –www.joincensus.com has been launched. This pro-active initiative is by the Forum For Forgotten Sikhs –a forum of various organisations dedicated to create awareness about the marginalised sections of the Sikh community.

The site is multi-lingual, providing information in Punjabi, English, Hindi and Sikligari. The most significant feature of the website is that for the first time in the history of the world, the Sikligari language will be published on the Internet. The Sikligari language is spoken by the Sikligar Sikhs, which has been presented on the Internet in the Gurmukhi script. This will help spread awareness amongst the Sikligar Sikhs about Census and its importance. Additionally, it is expected that it will invoke curiosity and interest about the Sikligar Sikhs as well.

Census data plays an important role in the formulation of governmental policies for social and economic development. All material and articles will emphasize this. It will focus on preparing and training volunteers, particularly the economically weaker sections, the poor and those who are lethargic or unaware about the role and significance of Census data.

Historically speaking, in Punjab in 1961, manipulation of Census data -when many disowned their mother tongue changed the geography of the state. It severely impacted the political skyline and vitiated the relationship between communities. Consequently, Punjabi language came to be identified only with the Sikhs and since then the onus is on Sikhs, who are still struggling to protect it in all possible ways. It is our hope that, this time around, awareness amongst people and an alert media will ensure that no conspiratorial and motivated covert and overt steps are taken detrimental to the interests of the minorities and the marginalised sections of the community.

The development of the site is on on-going process with many more sections to be added as the Census taking and verification of data proceeds. Simple handbills containing guidelines, posters, audio and video files –all easily downloadable, will be added. A live media section will be another key feature as the Census is being hotly debated in and outside the Parliament.

We seek cooperation of all Sikh religious, social, political organisations, Gurdwaras, educational institutions, networking websites to popularise the website and its contents so that all of us stand to benefit and succeed in upholding the dignity and status of the Sikh people.

Time is of essence. Join us. Today. We need your effort and input for the next full year, particularly during the second phase of Population Enumeration.

Jagmohan Singh
Coordinator, Forum For Forgotten Sikhs
www.joincensus.com

‘Badals pushing Punjab backwards’

Amritsar Amarinder gets rousing welcome in Amritsar

Former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday got a rousing welcome in the holy city as he arrived to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. Terming his visit a thanksgiving to the Almighty for victory in the legal battle against his expulsion from the Assembly, he made a scathing attack on the SAD-BJP combine.

He translated the rousing welcome he got as anger against the state government. “I never thought the response would be so big. This shows that the days of the Badal government are numbered,” he said, speaking with mediapersons at party leader Jasbir Singh Dimpa’s residence.

He said the law and order situation was deteriorating in the state and the Badal government was “thrusting the state into backwardness”.

He also held the state government responsible for the low yield of the wheat and shortage of power in the state. He said “in such an atmosphere of distrust”, the elements of Naxalism and other anti-national elements “are bound to take roots”.

“When people are dissatisfied, as is happening under the present regime of Badal, the elements of extremism get stronger. The state government is sleeping over clear trends,” he said, adding that the recovery of explosives on Saturday from an abandoned car outside the District Congress Committee (Rural) office was “an attempt by ruling party leaders to divert attention from our road show”.

With thanks : Source : ExpressIndia : with link in headline above for the detailed news.

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Sarna brothers showed disrespect to Guru Granth Sahib

Delhi, India: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) supremo and his brother are in the midst of a controversy for allegedly staying away from the holy palanquin carrying Guru Granth Sahib during Fateh March in New Delhi.

Accusing them of showing highhandedness during the occasion, many members of Sikh Sangat alleged that the management of the DSGMC showed disrespect to Guru Granth Sahib when Fateh March reached New Delhi on April 28.

“While the public welcomed the march wholeheartedly when it reached Gurdwara Moti Bagh, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj and Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla, neither DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna nor his brother DS Sarna came to pay obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib or welcome Panj Piyaras.

Sangat alleged that even the floor outside Gurdwara Mehroli, the martyrdom place of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, was dismantled to not let the public go inside the Gurdwara.

“The most shameful moment was when the palanquin kept standing outside Gurdwara Rakab Ganj for at least one hour. When Panj Piyaras went inside the gurdwara, they were not even accorded a welcome. Neither a siropa was presented to them nor did the Sarna brothers presented Rumala Sahib to Guru Granth Sahib,” said Onkar Singh.

He said even when Fateh March reached Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla, its main doors were locked and the daily evening prayer was performed much before the scheduled time. “But the determined youth performed sukhasan of Guru Granth Sahib inside the gurdwara only as the people of a task force failed to control them.”

With thanks : source : SIKHSANGAT : with original link in headline above.

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Dr.Gurdeep Kaur with PM's daughter Prof. Upinder singh in Leuven

Dr.Gurdeep Kaur with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan singh ji's daughter Prof. Upinder singh, Prof.Winanad Callewaert & Prof.Idesbald Goddeeris in Leuven.

With best wishes

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Census is ON : please don't ignore it :

Census is being done in India between the 1st of April, 2010 and 30th June, 2010. This census is very important for everyone because every citizen will be provided a unique number and a Biometric card is being conceptualized. More details can be viewed on www.joincensus.com



Please do not ignore this census and keep in mind as below :

Check that the form is filled with PEN & not with pencil.
Check that no column is left unfilled.
Sign the form only if it is filled in pen.
Take a receipt after filling the form.
If no one comes to your place, plz check with neighbours about the census.
Fill in the religion column as ‘Sikh’.
Fill in the language column as ‘Punjabi’.
Do not forget the Kids & Youngsters, get them enlisted.

SikhsIndia

Peon's daughter makes it to IAS

Chandigarh, May 07 (PTI) Sandeep Kaur, the daughter of a peon from Morinda in Punjab, has made it to the IAS.

Sandeep is the eldest of her three siblings and attributes her success to her father employed in Morinda sub-tehsil.

Citing her father as her immense source of inspiration behind her success, Sandeep, a civil engineer from Panjab Engineering College, had the sole goal of making it to the IAS.

"I dedicated myself to preparing for the civil services and failure at earlier attempts made me stronger to prepare for the examinations," she says.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : Source : Yahoo News

SikhsIndia
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India has reason to smile

The wheels of fortune turned for Indian-origin candidates in the British elections as a suave 42-year-old Sikh businessman won a parliamentary seat once represented by an MP who promised “rivers of blood” over immigration.

Conservative candidate Paul Uppa ousted his fancied rival, the sitting Labour MP Rob Marris, by a razor-thin margin of 691 votes to take the Wolverhampton Southwest seat.

He was among a record eight Indian-origin candidates — half of them fresh faces — to make to the British parliament.

The city of Wolverhampton, located in west-central England and home to one of the largest Sikhs communities in Britain, became notorious when the local Conservative MP, Enoch Powell, made an infamous speech on immigration on April 20, 1968. “As I look ahead,” said Powell, “I am filled with foreboding; like the Roman, I seem to see ‘the River Tiber foaming with much blood.’”

Powell was sacked as a member of the shadow cabinet after the speech prompted outrage around the world, but as recently as in 2007 a Conservative candidate in the region was forced to stand down after claiming Powell was “right” when he gave his anti-immigration speech.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : Source : Hindustan Times

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Keertan Darbar on 16th May, 2010 at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh sabha, Krishna nagar, Delhi - 110051

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Newlywed found hanged, burned in home

A pregnant newlywed was found hanged and burned with a forged suicide note beside her, a UK inquest has heard.

Firefighters discovered Kuldeep Kaur Sidhu with a rope around her neck after being called to her house in Birmingham in May 2008.

The fake suicide note, believed to be written by her killer or killers, accused her husband of having an affair, the Daily Mail reports.

Birmingham Coroner’s Court heard that her husband’s Sikh family was unhappy about their marriage six months earlier because Mrs Sidhu was from a lower caste.

But husband Baljinder Sidhu denied any affair and insisted they were a happy couple who were trying for a baby.

A post-mortem later revealed the 25-year-old nursery nurse was six weeks’ pregnant.

The handwritten note found beside her charred body claimed Mrs Sidhu faced "living hell" because of her husband's alleged infidelity.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : NINEMSN

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A landmark Smethwick temple is in line for a £9million expansion.

An artist's impression of the proposed extension to the Smethwick Temple.

A landmark Smethwick temple is in line for a £9million expansion, taking over land where the town’s cinema once stood.

The Guru Nanak Gurdwara in High Street is one of the oldest temples in the country, and the project will see it almost double in size, with an 800-seater dining room, a wedding hall, a lecture theatre and classrooms.

There will also be living accommodation for around four priests, along with a roof garden.

The Prince’s Cinema was pulled down last year, leaving a gaping hole in the skyline along the High Street.

Surinder Buray, from Reade Buray Associates, the company designing and project managing the build, has submitted a planning application, which is pending consideration.

He said: “The building was the Princes Theatre in the early 19th century, then it was turned into a cinema. The owners of the Sikh temple next door bought it. It was demolished last year. It will be used by the temple and also as a community venue.”

If approved it is hoped work will start next year and is expected to be completed in two phases, as funding becomes available.

With thanks : source : EXPRESSANDSTAR.COM

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Fremont Gurdwara awards scholarships of $24,000 to Sikh Students

FREMONT (CALIFORNIA): Fremont Gurdwara Sahib is the first Sikh institute to give $24000 Scholarships to Sikh students in North America. As the applications were requested in January of this year the scholarships were awarded this Sunday. Applications were invited from high school seniors who plan to attend colleges and universities to pursue higher education.

Harpreeet K. Sangha developed software at Stanford University to compile information electronically. Two more volunteers, Dr. Harbans Singh Sraon and Shivtej K. Sandhu also volunteered for this project. Dr. Jagtar Singh and Shivtej Kaur Sandhu contributed $10,000 for this project and Surinder Singh; VP of Gaming Enterprise donated $ 1000 for this noble cause.

After receiving applications, four judges were appointed from Stanford University, Santa Clara University and University of California. Applications were judged for completeness, grade point average, recommendations letters. The judges worked independently and then they tallied the scores and came up with final list of winners.

Twenty top scorers were selected to award $1,000 each. Next 19 students were given complimentary award of $200 each as they had put some effort to complete the applications.

Awards and certificates of appreciation were given away on May 2, 2010 at Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont.

Dr. Harbans Singh Sraon announced the names of the winners and congratulated the students and advised them to work hard. He also thanked donors and management who initiated this noble act to encourage our next generation to excel in education. Sandhu handed over the certificates to the winners and appealed to the students to carry out our traditions to respect for parents and seniors.

Learning Punjabi will be effective in communication with parents. She also appealed the parents to understand from student’s point of view. She appreciated efforts of previous and current management, particularly Harjot Singh Khalsa for coordinating the project.

This is the list of students who got the scholarships is as Amandeep Kaur of Union City,Gurbhupinder Sahota of Selma,Japnam Singh of Mountain House, Jaskirat Singh of San jose,Hasneet Hora of San Ramon,Jasreen Kaur Gupta of Fremont,Lovedeep Singh of Hayward,Nayanjot Kaur of Fremont, Sandeep Gill of Union City,Sarvinder Kaur of Union City,Akta of Hayward,Annapreet Athwal of Fair Oaks, Harpreet Kaur of Turlock,Jaijeet Toor of Castro Valley,Jaspreet Nakai of Fresno,Manpreet Bassi of Turlock,Navneet Singh of Livingston, Ramanpreet of Union City, Sargunjot Kaur of Fremont, Sumeet Singh of Bakersfield..

Bhai Devinder Singh President of Gurdwara Sahib and management congratulated the students. Bhai Harjot Singh Khalsa, supreme Council member promised that next year the scholarships worth $ 50,000 will be awarded to Sikh students with the help of fundraising by sangat members.

with thanks : source : PUNJABNEWSLINE

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