'We don't need helmets'

Leaders of Sikh community call on PM, ask for reversal of Delhi Police order

It seems that Delhi Traffic police's efforts to make women two-wheeler-drivers and pillion riders wear helmets might go down the drain.

As the word spread that Delhi government had asked the Traffic Police to reverse an earlier order exempting women from wearing helmets while riding two-wheelers, members of Sikh community came out strongly against the proposal. Leaders of the community called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and gave him a memorandum that called for not implementing the order as it was against the tenants of their religion.

"We won't allow this as it goes against our religion. Sikh men are not allowed to wear anything over their turbans while Sikh women are supposed to keep their heads covered, so helmets do not go with our religious beliefs. Similar proposals in other countries had met with strong protests and governments of the US and Britain had to finally accept the recommendations of our community," said Paramjit Singh Pamma, who met the Prime Minister along with other leaders of National Akali Dal, Sikh Welfare Society and Shri Guru Nanak Sathsang Sabha of Chennai.

with thanks : MIDDAY : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Super successful Sikh is Toronto's biggest Indian car man

TORONTO: As the global meltdown grounded the auto industry, Toronto's biggest Indian car man, Nav Bhatia, only thrived. The multimillionaire Sikh has also been helping change stereotypes about Indians in Canada after being mistaken for a cab driver once.

"We have continued to post better results thanks to our clients," beams Bhatia who landed here from Delhi  in 1984 and is the biggest Indian origin Hyundai car dealer in Canada today.

Flip through any newspaper and you find him featured in full-page auto ads with his trademark right finger pointed up.

He is friends with the who's who of Canada, including BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie. "We are very good friends. Jim loves Indian food. He is very simple and cuts his lawn grass himself."

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

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Jonathan Aitken's daughter Alexandra marries in a turban

THE daughter of disgraced former Tory minister Jonathan Aitken has secretly married a member of a military Sikh order.

Alexandra Aitken, 30, wore a white turban at her wedding to Inderjot Singh in the Indian holy city of Amritsar, where she was blessed by 150 holy men.

Her dad, jailed for perjury in 1999 after a failed libel trial, was not at the ceremony.

with thanks : mirror.co.uk : link above for detailed news.

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Debate in Canada to ban kirpan

TORONTO: From a small incident in Quebec the debate to ban the ceremonial dagger worn by Sikhs has landed on Canada's National stage. It all started on Jan-18 when a delegation of Sikhs was barred from entering Quebec's National Assembly after refusing to surrender their kirpans.

Safety was the official reason given by the Assembly's security service for forbidding the Sikhs to wear their kirpans. Ironically, the members of the Sikh community were trying to get in to present their views on Bill 94, anti-niqab and anti-burka legislation that would require anyone dispensing or receiving a government-paid service in places like hospitals and schools to show their faces. 

 with thanks : times of India : link above for detailed news.

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Ceremonial swords allowed in Plymouth-Canton School District

Announcement from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools :
In December we informed you of a situation at one of our elementary schools in which a student was found wearing a religious emblem that resembles a small decorative sword, called a kirpan. At the time, we told you that our attorneys were reviewing both state and federal laws, as well as Board policies with regard to the prohibition of weapons or look-a-like weapons in any of its buildings. We said we would explore options that will ensure safety and best protect the rights of all students.

After an extensive review of all laws and policies pertaining to this issue, we have developed an accommodation plan that will address the situation. While our school district is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students, we must also balance the rights of students to express and practice their religion. In light of the strict scrutiny standard applied by Michigan courts in determining whether an individual’s right to freely exercise his or her religion has been violated, the District will amend its blanket restriction against wearing the kirpan in school.

Starting Monday, January 31, 2011, baptized students of the Sikh faith will be allowed to wear the kirpan at school with the following conditions:

1. Any kirpan worn at school should be sewn inside a sheath in such a way that the blade cannot be removed from the sheath.
2. The blade of the kirpan is restricted in length to no more than two and one-fourth inches. This would take the object outside the scope of the Revised School Code’s definition of a knife constituting a dangerous weapon.
3. The blade of the kirpan must be dull.
4. The kirpan should not be worn on the outside of the clothing and should not be visible in any way.
5. It will not be the practice of staff members to conduct random searches for the possession of kirpans. However, students who violate any of the above will be subject to discipline including a prohibition on wearing the kirpan to school in the future.

We have spent the past month working successfully with members of the local Sikh community to address District concerns. School officials are confident that these new administrative guidelines ensure a safe school environment and provide Sikh students the right to exercise their religion freely.

with thanks :  pccs : link above.

SikhsIndia

Closed door welcomes Jhinda

AMRITSAR(PUNJAB): In a development that might provide much fodder for strengthening the anti-SGPC stance in some quarters of Sikh community in the neighbouring state, Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) ad hoc president Jagdish singh Jhinda got a jolt when he found the gates of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)-managed Bhai Gurdas Hall locked on Saturday. Jhinda had reached here to hold a press conference.

As Jhinda and mediapersons arrived at Bhai Gurdas Hall, its gates were found to have been closed by SGPC task force. A furious Jhinda, who is also a SGPC member, entered into a heated exchange with SGPC president  Avtar Singh Makkar over phone, following which Jhinda was allowed inside. 

 

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikhs urged to celebrate March 14 as Environment Day

Washington, (IANS) An international Sikh group has appealed to all Sikh gurdwaras and institutions to celebrate March 14, the day Guru Har Rai became the 7th Sikh Guru in 1644 AD, as Sikh Environment Day.

EcoSikh said it has received confirmation of participation from many Sikh institutions in India and abroad. EcoSikh has also launched a website for gurdwaras and Sikh institutions to register their participation internationally.

Guru Har Rai is known to be a great humanitarian who had special sensitivity towards nature preservation and animal well being.

He maintained an extensive herbal garden for medicinal purposes for the benefit of the masses in Kiratpur Sahib, his birth place and his spiritual centre near Anandpur Sahib.

with thanks : sify : link above for detailed news.

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Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Nagar Keertan - Krishna Nagar - Delhi

Which is more important: Sikh Women Safety or Sikh Religious Code of Conduct?

Please comment your views regarding this major controversial issue..

Delhi Government's decision to enforce wearing of helmets by women driving or riding pillion on a two-wheeler could snowball into a controversy again.While the government is exploring ways to make necessary changes in rules to make helmets compulsory for women, leaders of Sikh organisations said they would oppose any such move tooth and nail.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee president Pramajit Singh Sarna said,"Wearing any headgear by women is prohibited in our religion, even if it is a helmet.We'll oppose any such move of the government.It has been more than 50 years since two-wheelers started plying in our country.I have not heard of women falling off scooters and dying because they were not wearing helmets".

While Traffic experts believe fatalities would come down drastically if women drivers and riders start wearing helmets.International road Federation chairman KK Kapila said,"I think Sikh organisations should be convinced by showing them statistics".

The proposal to make helmets mandatory for women had turned into a major controversy in the late 1990s too. While the Central Motor Vehicles Act had made it compulsory for anyone riding a two-wheeler to wear a protection on head, but exception were made to Sikh men wearing turbans.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Sikh-organisation-to-oppose-move/Article1-655884.aspx

Sikh man 'cannot become guard because of beard'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sikh man cannot become a prison guard as his beard means he cannot be fitted for a statutory issue gas mask, California's Attorney General has argued.

Kamala Harris said religious beliefs were not enough to overcome a corrections department ban on beards.

She argued in a court filing on January 6 that Trilochan Oberoi could not be properly fitted for a gask mask if he kept the facial hair required by his religion.

with thanks : telegraph.co.uk : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

NSO campaign to stop harassment of Sikhs in Poland; Legal precedent set in Polish Border Guard case.

London: January 22nd 2011; In August 2010 the NSO launched a campaign following a terse plea from Shammi Puri, a Gursikh geophysicist working with the UN in Poland. In 2010 the Polish Border on grounds of security began a policy of asking Sikhs to remove their turbans and place them on the conveyor for inspection. With the help of UK gurdwaras and other Sikh organisations, the NSO took advantage of a Prime Minister led Polish trade delegation to India to get the Indian government to criticise the Polish behaviour. External affairs minister Preneet Kaur outraged by the behaviour of the Polish authorities towards her fellow Sikhs made her feelings known to the Polish Prime Minister in no uncertain terms, leading to the Polish authorities grudgingly halting their harassment of Sikh visitors to Poland.

The present position is that while the insulting requirement for Sikhs to remove their turban has been temporally suspended, there has been no change in the rules, and the requirement. could be quietly re-introduced at any time. An indication of bad faith is that The Polish Border Guards are prosecuting Mr Puri for earlier impeding them in their duty. Mr Puri in response has reluctantly taken out a counter claim alleging undue harassment by the Polish Border Guards. The two cases poignantly highlight the difficulties Sikhs are facing in airports across Europe in a post 9/11 era.

On 12th January 2011, In the first substantial hearing of the counter action brought by Mr Puri, evidence was heard from 10 officers of the Border Guards who on their own admission were familiar with the claimant but insisting that they were doing their duty. The next Hearing has been listed for the 16th March 2011.

Shammi told the NSO that despite the ensuing legal proceedings, on a flight earlier this week from Warsaw to London, he was again targeted and searched, furthermore he was checked in a “puffer machine” and the machine detected the presence of some “forbidden substances” He was later to be vindicated by the Border Guard, following the use of a second screening machine, which highlighted the first had malfunctioned. Shammi informed the NSO that he felt this recent incident had added to the toll the legal action was taking. He feels it may have been designed to intimidate him deliberately in the middle of a trial.

Dr Indarjit Singh, Director NSO comments:

“Shammi Puri and Sikhs travelling to Poland and other parts of Europe deserve the full support of UK Sikhs. The NSO is already helping with the cost of the action in Poland . We appeal to other UK Sikh organisations and individuals to pledge their financial support to help us meet this challenge to Sikh identity.”

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• Sikh way of life
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Malaysian Sikh sets record for longest stint as TV news presenter

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 26: A Malaysian Sikh has set a new record as the ‘longest serving television news presenter’ after working 38-years with RTM.

Harjit Singh Hullon, 57, who said that it has always been his dream to appear on television, was awarded the title by the Malaysia Book of Records on January 25.

"Ever since the first time I tuned in to the radio, I knew I wanted my voice to be heard too," the Star Online quoted him as saying.

And what he liked most about the honour is that he did not break an existing record, but created a new one.
"It will not be an easy record to break," Hullon who joined RTM as a radio deejay in 1972, said.

The bilingual newscaster, known for his flawless Bahasa Malaysia and English, won the inaugural Infor­mation Minister’s Special Award at the Angkasapuri Awards presentation ceremony in 2006.

Hullon will be retiring this year but the father of two has no plans of sitting back and relaxing, saying that he wants to give back to the company that made him who he is today.

As a regular and familiar face to viewers of RTM as well as being the only Sikh newscaster on the channel, Hullon said his friends have given another meaning to the acronym ‘RTM’.

"My friends say it stands for ‘Regular Turbanned Man’," he joked.

On his loyalty to RTM, Harjit said he never thought of leaving the government broadcaster despite receiving offers from rival companies.

"Looking back, I know I made the right choice," he added.

with thanks : SIKHSANGAT

SikhsIndia

Akal Takht Jatehdar asks Indian PM to take up removal of Sikh's turban with Italian govt

AMRITSAR: Jatehdar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh in a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manomhan Singh Thursday asked him to break his silence over the Turban issue of German based Sikh who wase humiliated at airport of Italy when his turban was forcibly removed.

 

A German based NRI and president of Gurdwara (Sikh shrine) Berlin in Germany Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal in a complaint to Jatehdar stated that a few days back, he was humiliated in a very bad manner at Malpensa (Milaan) airport of Italy when his turban was forcibly removed on the pretext of security frisking.

 

Jatehdar said that when the turban of Jaswinder Singh was being removed at Italy’s airport, at that time Italian Airport Authority was asked to contact the Indian consulate which also remained failed to convince the Italian Airport security due to lack of awareness of Turban in Sikh community.

 

Jatehdar asked  Prime Minister said to raise such a sensitive issue with Italian Government at the earliest possible, since the sentiments of Sikh community across the globe were hurt by and large with this incident.

 

Adding further Jatehdar said that Turban was the essential and inseparable symbol of Sikhism as per the Sikh tenets. He said that to remove the turban of baptized Sikh at any airport of the world mean to show humiliation to Sikhism.

 

with thanks : punjabnewsline : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikh leaders meet Sonia Gandhi

JALANDHAR: A delegation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee and SAD (Delhi), led by president Paramjit Singh Sarna met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday to raise issues, including the Anand Marriage Act, granting of citizenship to Hindu and Sikh migrants from Afghanistan and the matter of blacklisted Sikhs.

The issue of the constitution of a separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) was also taken up with her. "We told her that this was a poll promise of the Congress to the Sikhs of Haryana and if the party wanted to keep them with it, the promise would have to be fulfilled," Sarna told The Times of India. 

With thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikh shrine in Baghdad lives on in memories

A desolate courtyard surrounded by fields of mournful graves is all that remains of an ancient shrine to the Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak inside a sprawling Muslim cemetery in Baghdad.

War, insurgents or looters have wiped any trace of a historical footnote that had preserved the memory of the Indian holy man's 16th-century journey through Arabia and his stay in Baghdad, hailed by Sikhs as an early example of inter-faith dialogue.

"No one visits anymore," lamented Abu Yusef, the lean and bearded Muslim caretaker, standing in the nearly-bare patio where a disorderly stack of broken electric fans and a discarded refrigerator replace the prayer books and articles of Sikh worship that had furnished a shrine whose modesty mirrored the apparent humility of the man it honoured.

"Before the war a few Sikh pilgrims would occasionally arrive," Abu Yusef said, referring to the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled ex-dictator Saddam Hussein and unleashed an unending cycle of violence.

with thanks : SIFY : link above for detailed news.

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