31 May 2009, 1810 hrs IST, PTI
KUALA LUMPUR: An ethnic Indian family is fighting with Islamic authorities in Malaysia for claiming the body of a Sikh art director who allegedly
converted to Islam 17 years ago.
The family of Mohan Singh, 41, who died last week, wants to cremate the body according to Sikh rites while the Islamic authorities want to bury him according to Muslim rituals.
Currently, Singh's body is in the hospital, family lawyer Rajesh Kumar said.
Islamic department officials claim that Singh had converted to Islam in 1992. The department has filed a case in the Shariah court while Singh's family members have filed a case at the high court.
The lawyer claimed that Mohan Singh was a practising Sikh and had gone to a Sikh temple with his sister recently.
The incident is the latest row over conversion in the Muslim-majority nation which had seen a number of recent legal disputes between converted Muslim husbands and Hindu wives over the faith of their children.
New Prime Minister Najib Razak had announced a landmark decision last month, declaring that minors could no longer be converted without both parents' consent.
Malaysia has also witnessed several cases when Islamic authorities have battled with relatives over the remains of people whose religion is disputed.
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Family-fights-for-right-to-cremate-converted-Malaysian-Sikh/articleshow/4600694.cms
sikhsindia
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Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sikhs to agitate if cases against protestors are withdrawn
Published by: Noor Khan
Sun, 31 May 2009
Jalandhar, May 31 : A day after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's assurance to Dera Sachkhand to review cases against protesters who indulged in violence after the killing of a sect leader in Vienna, a group of social and religious leaders today threatened an agitation if the cases were withdrawn.
The group had a meeting at local Paragpur Gurudwara and constituted a 101-member committee to take up its issues with the State Government.
Addressing the meeting former president of All India Sikh Students Federation Harinder Singh Kahlon said that the compensation announced by the state government for the kin of deceased protestors means it is honouring those who ransacked public property.
Founder President of Punjab Youth Clubs Organisations and committee member Joginder Singh Jogi said that cancellation of cases against protestors, who burnt properties of innocent people, would encourage them for doing it again and convey a signal from the State Government that it was favouring the violence.
He said if the State Government does not pay heed to their demands they would be forced to launch an intense agitation.
Badal told a sect delegation yesterday that he had constituted a committee headed by Regional Commissioner S R Ladhar and Inspector General of Police (Zonal) Sanjeev Kalra to review the cases against the Dalit protrestors.
with thanks : source : http://www.samaylive.com/news/sikhs-to-agitate-if-cases-against-protestors-are-withdrawn/631174.html
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Sun, 31 May 2009
Jalandhar, May 31 : A day after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's assurance to Dera Sachkhand to review cases against protesters who indulged in violence after the killing of a sect leader in Vienna, a group of social and religious leaders today threatened an agitation if the cases were withdrawn.
The group had a meeting at local Paragpur Gurudwara and constituted a 101-member committee to take up its issues with the State Government.
Addressing the meeting former president of All India Sikh Students Federation Harinder Singh Kahlon said that the compensation announced by the state government for the kin of deceased protestors means it is honouring those who ransacked public property.
Founder President of Punjab Youth Clubs Organisations and committee member Joginder Singh Jogi said that cancellation of cases against protestors, who burnt properties of innocent people, would encourage them for doing it again and convey a signal from the State Government that it was favouring the violence.
He said if the State Government does not pay heed to their demands they would be forced to launch an intense agitation.
Badal told a sect delegation yesterday that he had constituted a committee headed by Regional Commissioner S R Ladhar and Inspector General of Police (Zonal) Sanjeev Kalra to review the cases against the Dalit protrestors.
with thanks : source : http://www.samaylive.com/news/sikhs-to-agitate-if-cases-against-protestors-are-withdrawn/631174.html
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Girl who plucked eyebrow not true Sikh, says HC
31 May 2009, 0503 hrs IST, TNN
CHANDIGARH: Endorsing a hardline stand by high priests of Sikhism who barred a young girl admission in a minority institution on grounds that she violated a fundamental tenet of the religion by plucking her eyebrows, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday ruled that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee was fully justified in doing so.
Leaning on the side of a text-based, more conservative definition of who is a true Sikh and the importance of hair in Sikhism, the full bench of justices JS Khehar, Jasbir Singh and Ajay Kumar Mittal in a 152-page order said keeping unshorn hair was an essential and most fundamental component of the religion.
The order came on a plea by Gurleen Kaur and others who had challenged denial of admission into an MBBS course at the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, a Sikh minority institution, on grounds that they plucked their eyebrows and trimmed their hair.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC) had also ruled that ''she was not a true Sikh as she was plucking her eyebrows.'' The court said the requisite of maintaining Sikh `swarup' (appearance) was a permissible precondition for admitting students under the Sikh minority community quota.
The SGPC runs two medical colleges, two engineering institutes, one polytechnic, 40 degree colleges and 150 schools, most of them in Punjab.
Saturday's order, replete with references to Sikh history and Sikh model code of conduct, also noted that the Guru Granth Sahib is for guidance of Sikhs in their pursuit towards spiritual salvation. It does not deal with the code of conduct prescribed for Sikhs. It was the Sikh rehat-maryada (code of conduct) that dealt with issues like importance of unshorn hair.
It added that the Guru Granth Sahib made no reference to the terms amritdhari (Sikhs who wear the five Ks - kesh, kacchha, kanga, kara, kirpan - and who have partaken amrit), sehajdhari (who are learning to be Amritdhari Sikhs) and patit (who were born Sikhs but violated one of the tenets).
Reflecting on contours of Sikh identity, the bench held the cardinal principle of retaining unshorn hair was not only for adults but also for minors, as it was the adults who were required to maintain the hair of their children.
Although the bench took the view that unshorn hair was an inalienable part of Sikh swarup, it observed that keeping the kirpan was not as important.
The SGPC burst out in celebration moments after the verdict and its chief Avtar Singh Makkar said, ``We are happy with the judgment. Our stand that unshorn hair is of paramount importance for Sikhs has been vindicated.''
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Girl-who-plucked-eyebrow-not-true-Sikh-says-HC/articleshow/4598931.cms
sikhsindia
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A sikh Web Portal
CHANDIGARH: Endorsing a hardline stand by high priests of Sikhism who barred a young girl admission in a minority institution on grounds that she violated a fundamental tenet of the religion by plucking her eyebrows, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday ruled that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee was fully justified in doing so.
Leaning on the side of a text-based, more conservative definition of who is a true Sikh and the importance of hair in Sikhism, the full bench of justices JS Khehar, Jasbir Singh and Ajay Kumar Mittal in a 152-page order said keeping unshorn hair was an essential and most fundamental component of the religion.
The order came on a plea by Gurleen Kaur and others who had challenged denial of admission into an MBBS course at the Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, a Sikh minority institution, on grounds that they plucked their eyebrows and trimmed their hair.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC) had also ruled that ''she was not a true Sikh as she was plucking her eyebrows.'' The court said the requisite of maintaining Sikh `swarup' (appearance) was a permissible precondition for admitting students under the Sikh minority community quota.
The SGPC runs two medical colleges, two engineering institutes, one polytechnic, 40 degree colleges and 150 schools, most of them in Punjab.
Saturday's order, replete with references to Sikh history and Sikh model code of conduct, also noted that the Guru Granth Sahib is for guidance of Sikhs in their pursuit towards spiritual salvation. It does not deal with the code of conduct prescribed for Sikhs. It was the Sikh rehat-maryada (code of conduct) that dealt with issues like importance of unshorn hair.
It added that the Guru Granth Sahib made no reference to the terms amritdhari (Sikhs who wear the five Ks - kesh, kacchha, kanga, kara, kirpan - and who have partaken amrit), sehajdhari (who are learning to be Amritdhari Sikhs) and patit (who were born Sikhs but violated one of the tenets).
Reflecting on contours of Sikh identity, the bench held the cardinal principle of retaining unshorn hair was not only for adults but also for minors, as it was the adults who were required to maintain the hair of their children.
Although the bench took the view that unshorn hair was an inalienable part of Sikh swarup, it observed that keeping the kirpan was not as important.
The SGPC burst out in celebration moments after the verdict and its chief Avtar Singh Makkar said, ``We are happy with the judgment. Our stand that unshorn hair is of paramount importance for Sikhs has been vindicated.''
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Girl-who-plucked-eyebrow-not-true-Sikh-says-HC/articleshow/4598931.cms
sikhsindia
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Unshorn hair is basic Sikh tenet: HC
Pawan Sharma, Hindustan Times
Chandigarh, May 30, 2009
Retaining unshorn hair is one of the most important and fundamental tenets of Sikhism, Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled on Saturday.
A full bench upheld the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee precondition for maintaining ‘Sikh Swarup’ by students seeking admission under the Sikh minority community quota in institutions run by the religious body.
The bench dismissed the petition of Sikh students whom the Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, had denied admission in MBBS, despite merit, on the grounds that they had violated the Sikh religion by trimming beard and plucking eyebrows.
“On the basis of the undisputed factual position, that all the petitioners indulge in trimming their hair or plucking hair of their eyebrows, they can legitimately be denied of a benefit otherwise available to Sikhs,” justice Khehar said.
“We have repeatedly concluded…that retaining bodily hair unshorn is one of the most essential tenets of the Sikh religion. And as such, if a Sikh organisation or body decides not to extend any benefit, which is otherwise available to a Sikh, to a person who does not maintain his hair unshorn, its determination would be perfectly legitimate.”
with thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-News&id=aa5b5223-7966-447b-bfff-f6e60c3cc160&Headline=Unshorn+hair+is+basic+Sikh+tenet%3a+HC
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh Web Portal
Chandigarh, May 30, 2009
Retaining unshorn hair is one of the most important and fundamental tenets of Sikhism, Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled on Saturday.
A full bench upheld the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee precondition for maintaining ‘Sikh Swarup’ by students seeking admission under the Sikh minority community quota in institutions run by the religious body.
The bench dismissed the petition of Sikh students whom the Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, had denied admission in MBBS, despite merit, on the grounds that they had violated the Sikh religion by trimming beard and plucking eyebrows.
“On the basis of the undisputed factual position, that all the petitioners indulge in trimming their hair or plucking hair of their eyebrows, they can legitimately be denied of a benefit otherwise available to Sikhs,” justice Khehar said.
“We have repeatedly concluded…that retaining bodily hair unshorn is one of the most essential tenets of the Sikh religion. And as such, if a Sikh organisation or body decides not to extend any benefit, which is otherwise available to a Sikh, to a person who does not maintain his hair unshorn, its determination would be perfectly legitimate.”
with thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=RSSFeed-News&id=aa5b5223-7966-447b-bfff-f6e60c3cc160&Headline=Unshorn+hair+is+basic+Sikh+tenet%3a+HC
sikhsindia
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Men found guilty of fire-bombing Temple
Three Wiltshire men have been convicted of fire-bombing a temple and a house after being angered by the marriage of a Sikh woman to her Hindu boyfriend.
Sandip Rooprai, 21, of Penhill Drive, Swindon, acted out of a "misguided sense of honour" following his sister's wedding, Winchester Crown Court heard.
He and brothers Mukham Dogra, 18, and Jasdev Dogra, 19, of Cowdrey Close, Toothill, decided to make petrol bombs.
They then attacked a Bristol temple and the Swindon home of a wedding witness.
The brothers, who were friends of Rooprai, had driven with him to Bristol to attack the Gilbert Road Hindu temple where the marriage had taken place.
'Very good relations'
The Swindon house of the wedding witness, Alpona Begum Rahim, was then attacked by the men on two occasions in February 2008.
All three men had already pleaded guilty to arson after setting fire to a car that was parked outside the Rahim family home.
The jury found the men guilty of two counts of arson with recklessness as to whether life is endangered. However they were cleared of more serious charges of arson with intent to endanger life.
Speaking outside court, Bartook Pandya, who campaigns against racial attacks in Bristol, said the events were not representative of relations between the Hindu and Sikh communities, which he described as "usually very good".
He said: "Those marriages take place [in] lots of places. In India they are quite common. They are quite common here.
"And if this brother decides to fire-bomb, it is his own personal thing, it is nothing cultural, nothing from the community. I do not think the Sikh community would endorse that sort of behaviour."
Sentencing is expected on 6 July 2009.
with thanks : source : http://www.sikhnet.com/news/men-found-guilty-fire-bombing-gurdwara
sikhsindia
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sikhs in US say Vienna violence setback to their image
27 May 2009, 1516 hrs IST, IANS
NEW YORK: The Sikh community in the US has condemned the violence in a Vienna gurdwara that led to the killing of a religious leader and triggered large-scale violence in Punjab, calling it a "major setback" to the community's image.
In a statement on Tuesday, prominent Sikh leaders said they were saddened by the tragedy and the subsequent violence.
Washington-based Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), said: "No issue requires taking law into your own hand, no matter what the provocation. This (tragedy) is undoubtedly a major setback to the Sikh interests on the international scene, especially in western Europe and the Americas."
He said Sikhs have been working hard to create a positive image for themselves to practice their religion without restrictions in the western world. "(But) this incident has brought a bad name to rest of the peaceful Sikh community worldwide."
Since the violence in which the Dera Sach Khand sect leader was killed was reportedly triggered over the Sikh maryada or code of conduct, he appealed to the Sikhs' highest spiritual authority of the Akal Takht to issue an edict against violence on the issue.
Gurpal Singh Bhuller of the Association of Sikh Professionals and Sikh Association of Central Virginia, said: "We need to completely reject the attack on other worshippers in Vienna. Differences in theology, belief and form must be settled with reason and respect for the laws of the host country, the rights of its citizens, as well as the acceptance of all fellow human beings."
"It is a tragedy that this crime was committed by individuals to protect the sanctity of the (holy) Guru Granth which preaches tolerance and forgiveness," he added. Prominent Sikh writer I.J. Singh of New York said Sunday's clash in the Vienna gurdwara was contrary to Sikh teachings.
"Everyone is entitled to practice their own faith as they see fit. No body has any right to stop others much as we do not allow anybody to interfere in practice of our own faith. "History is full of examples where Sikhs have defended the rights of others to exercise their religion freely and we are known for this," he said.
Jasbir Singh Kang, Sikh leader of Yuba City in northern California, said: "The founder of the Sikh religion Guru Nanak taught us to have discussions whenever there is disagreement. You can have difference of opinion but cannot go to the extent of taking someone's life."
with thanks : source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Sikhs-in-US-say-Vienna-violence-setback-to-their-image/articleshow/4584241.cms
sikhsindia
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A SIKH WEB PORTAL
NEW YORK: The Sikh community in the US has condemned the violence in a Vienna gurdwara that led to the killing of a religious leader and triggered large-scale violence in Punjab, calling it a "major setback" to the community's image.
In a statement on Tuesday, prominent Sikh leaders said they were saddened by the tragedy and the subsequent violence.
Washington-based Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), said: "No issue requires taking law into your own hand, no matter what the provocation. This (tragedy) is undoubtedly a major setback to the Sikh interests on the international scene, especially in western Europe and the Americas."
He said Sikhs have been working hard to create a positive image for themselves to practice their religion without restrictions in the western world. "(But) this incident has brought a bad name to rest of the peaceful Sikh community worldwide."
Since the violence in which the Dera Sach Khand sect leader was killed was reportedly triggered over the Sikh maryada or code of conduct, he appealed to the Sikhs' highest spiritual authority of the Akal Takht to issue an edict against violence on the issue.
Gurpal Singh Bhuller of the Association of Sikh Professionals and Sikh Association of Central Virginia, said: "We need to completely reject the attack on other worshippers in Vienna. Differences in theology, belief and form must be settled with reason and respect for the laws of the host country, the rights of its citizens, as well as the acceptance of all fellow human beings."
"It is a tragedy that this crime was committed by individuals to protect the sanctity of the (holy) Guru Granth which preaches tolerance and forgiveness," he added. Prominent Sikh writer I.J. Singh of New York said Sunday's clash in the Vienna gurdwara was contrary to Sikh teachings.
"Everyone is entitled to practice their own faith as they see fit. No body has any right to stop others much as we do not allow anybody to interfere in practice of our own faith. "History is full of examples where Sikhs have defended the rights of others to exercise their religion freely and we are known for this," he said.
Jasbir Singh Kang, Sikh leader of Yuba City in northern California, said: "The founder of the Sikh religion Guru Nanak taught us to have discussions whenever there is disagreement. You can have difference of opinion but cannot go to the extent of taking someone's life."
with thanks : source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Sikhs-in-US-say-Vienna-violence-setback-to-their-image/articleshow/4584241.cms
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
A SIKH WEB PORTAL
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Recent violence has cost Punjab Rs7000cr
Recent violence has cost Punjab Rs7000cr
26 May 2009, 1938 hrs IST, IANS
NEW DELHI: Punjab has incurred property losses of up to Rs 7,000 crore on account of the violence by followers of the Dera Sachh Khand sect,according to conservative estimates arrived at by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
"Social tension in Punjab has caused a loss of Rs.6,000-Rs.7,000 crore of public property and pushed behind its investment prospects to a significant extent," Assocham said in a statement Tuesday.
Punjab has been wracked by widespread violence by followers of the Dera Sachh Khand sect protesting against the attack on religious leaders in a gurudwara in Vienna Sunday.
Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Phagwara towns of Punjab continued to be under curfew for a second day Tuesday. But the curfew was being relaxed for two to four hours.
In this connection, Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat appealed to the state administration "to immediately restore proper law and order in the state, especially in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Ambala".
"Any delay in curbing the social tension might cause a great harm to the economy of Punjab," Assocham said.
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Recent-violence-has-cost-Punjab-Rs7000cr/articleshow/4580972.cms
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
26 May 2009, 1938 hrs IST, IANS
NEW DELHI: Punjab has incurred property losses of up to Rs 7,000 crore on account of the violence by followers of the Dera Sachh Khand sect,according to conservative estimates arrived at by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
"Social tension in Punjab has caused a loss of Rs.6,000-Rs.7,000 crore of public property and pushed behind its investment prospects to a significant extent," Assocham said in a statement Tuesday.
Punjab has been wracked by widespread violence by followers of the Dera Sachh Khand sect protesting against the attack on religious leaders in a gurudwara in Vienna Sunday.
Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Phagwara towns of Punjab continued to be under curfew for a second day Tuesday. But the curfew was being relaxed for two to four hours.
In this connection, Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat appealed to the state administration "to immediately restore proper law and order in the state, especially in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Ambala".
"Any delay in curbing the social tension might cause a great harm to the economy of Punjab," Assocham said.
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Recent-violence-has-cost-Punjab-Rs7000cr/articleshow/4580972.cms
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
Most members of Dalit sect don't follow Sikh tenets
Most members of Dalit sect don't follow Sikh tenets
27 May 2009, 0130 hrs IST
Was the fight inside a Sikh gurdwara?
The fight was inside a Guru Ravidass temple in Vienna and not a Sikh gurdwara. Although Ravidass temples house Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, their identity lies in the Ravidassia ideology, and with followers of Guru Ravidass, a Dalit saint of the 14th century Bhakti movement of India.
How are Ravidassias and Sikhs different?
While Ravidassias bow before Guru Granth Sahib, they are not necessarily Sikhs. Most members of the community do not follow Sikh tenets. They are a separate entity and most of them are Hindu SCs and clean shaven. Sikhs and Ravidassias, however, share some part of their religious philosophy with Sikhs treating the ‘bani’ (words) of Guru Ravidass with the same reverence as the rest of Sikh gurus.
What’s Dera Sachkhand Ballan?
It’s nearly a century old dera founded by Baba Pippal Dass who was from Ravidassia community. The dera preached philosophy of Guru Ravidass and principles from Guru Granth Sahib. It’s the biggest dera of the community.
How are the main Ravidassia and Sikh rituals different?
The respect and rendition of Guru Granth Sahib is common to both and even a good part of the ‘Ardaas’. But some of the rituals differ. In kirtans at Ravidass temples, the emphasis is mainly on compositions by Ravidass.
Why are Dalit deras growing?
Sikh Gurus criticized the caste system. In the 18th century, caste reared its head again in Punjab, influencing Sikhs. The latest conflict is an indication of Dalit awakening, aided to a large extent by increasing money power.
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Most-members-of-Dalit-sect-dont-follow-Sikh-tenets/articleshow/4581887.cms
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
27 May 2009, 0130 hrs IST
Was the fight inside a Sikh gurdwara?
The fight was inside a Guru Ravidass temple in Vienna and not a Sikh gurdwara. Although Ravidass temples house Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, their identity lies in the Ravidassia ideology, and with followers of Guru Ravidass, a Dalit saint of the 14th century Bhakti movement of India.
How are Ravidassias and Sikhs different?
While Ravidassias bow before Guru Granth Sahib, they are not necessarily Sikhs. Most members of the community do not follow Sikh tenets. They are a separate entity and most of them are Hindu SCs and clean shaven. Sikhs and Ravidassias, however, share some part of their religious philosophy with Sikhs treating the ‘bani’ (words) of Guru Ravidass with the same reverence as the rest of Sikh gurus.
What’s Dera Sachkhand Ballan?
It’s nearly a century old dera founded by Baba Pippal Dass who was from Ravidassia community. The dera preached philosophy of Guru Ravidass and principles from Guru Granth Sahib. It’s the biggest dera of the community.
How are the main Ravidassia and Sikh rituals different?
The respect and rendition of Guru Granth Sahib is common to both and even a good part of the ‘Ardaas’. But some of the rituals differ. In kirtans at Ravidass temples, the emphasis is mainly on compositions by Ravidass.
Why are Dalit deras growing?
Sikh Gurus criticized the caste system. In the 18th century, caste reared its head again in Punjab, influencing Sikhs. The latest conflict is an indication of Dalit awakening, aided to a large extent by increasing money power.
with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Most-members-of-Dalit-sect-dont-follow-Sikh-tenets/articleshow/4581887.cms
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
Rise and rise of Dalit deras in Punjab
Rise and rise of Dalit deras in Punjab
27 May 2009, 0127 hrs IST, I P Singh, TNN
JALANDHAR: Along with their growing influence in the political arena, Dalits in Punjab are increasingly marking their presence in the state’s religio-cultural sphere.
This is manifest in the surfacing of exclusive Dalit deras or sects. Their rise, however, has been triggered largely by Ravidassias, who have taken a lead over other big ‘‘backward’’ groups like Valmikis and Mazhabis through sheer money power.
Although Dalits also visit deras frequented by others, there are at least 60 sects boasting of large following. More than half of these are located in the four districts of Doaba, considered the heartland of Adharmis — those Sikhs who joined Ravidassias. At least 40% of Doaba’s population comprises Adharmis.
Formed in the early 1970s as an umbrella body of different sects, the Sadhu Sampradai Society has religious heads of Ravidassia community officiating at the top echelons. The society organises various religious functions, whose frequency has increased in the recent past. Currently, the society is headed by Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure Wale. Dera Sachkhand Ballan has a major stake in the working of this society due to its sheer size and following.
"There are over 60 deras in Punjab that have exclusive Ravidassia identity," said S R Heer, the general secretary of Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Trust run by the Ballan-based sect. Dalit activist and BSP leader Ramesh Kaul said if the small deras are included, the number could well touch 100. These sects preach the word and philosophy of Guru Ravidas, a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement that flourished in the 14 and 15th centuries.
"Although these deras preach sermons from Sikh holy book, equal emphasis is laid on extracts written by Guru Ravidas that are included in Guru Granth Sahib," adds Kaul. Apart from carrying out religious discourses, deras of Adharmi also follow a social agenda of emancipation of the downtrodden.
with thanks : source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
27 May 2009, 0127 hrs IST, I P Singh, TNN
JALANDHAR: Along with their growing influence in the political arena, Dalits in Punjab are increasingly marking their presence in the state’s religio-cultural sphere.
This is manifest in the surfacing of exclusive Dalit deras or sects. Their rise, however, has been triggered largely by Ravidassias, who have taken a lead over other big ‘‘backward’’ groups like Valmikis and Mazhabis through sheer money power.
Although Dalits also visit deras frequented by others, there are at least 60 sects boasting of large following. More than half of these are located in the four districts of Doaba, considered the heartland of Adharmis — those Sikhs who joined Ravidassias. At least 40% of Doaba’s population comprises Adharmis.
Formed in the early 1970s as an umbrella body of different sects, the Sadhu Sampradai Society has religious heads of Ravidassia community officiating at the top echelons. The society organises various religious functions, whose frequency has increased in the recent past. Currently, the society is headed by Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure Wale. Dera Sachkhand Ballan has a major stake in the working of this society due to its sheer size and following.
"There are over 60 deras in Punjab that have exclusive Ravidassia identity," said S R Heer, the general secretary of Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Trust run by the Ballan-based sect. Dalit activist and BSP leader Ramesh Kaul said if the small deras are included, the number could well touch 100. These sects preach the word and philosophy of Guru Ravidas, a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement that flourished in the 14 and 15th centuries.
"Although these deras preach sermons from Sikh holy book, equal emphasis is laid on extracts written by Guru Ravidas that are included in Guru Granth Sahib," adds Kaul. Apart from carrying out religious discourses, deras of Adharmi also follow a social agenda of emancipation of the downtrodden.
with thanks : source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sikhs make claim on Royal Collection
The Queen has found herself at the centre of a dispute over treasures allegedly in her possession that were taken from India in the days of the British Raj, Mandrake can disclose.
Tim Walker: Edited by Laura Roberts
Last Updated: 6:49PM BST 25 May 2009
A Sikh group from Slough has written to Her Majesty requesting the return of the property.
Jagdeesh Singh, from the Sikh Community Action Network, tells me: "We have written to the Queen asking for access rights and the eventual return of items such as historic copies of the Sikh national sacred writings, together with swords and weapons of the Sikh gurus."
According to Singh, letters, diaries and writings of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the Sikh ruler exiled to Britain in the 19th century, are also part of the collection, some of which is housed at Windsor Castle. He says: "These things were plundered by the British and are now hidden away in various Royal palaces. I am sure that the Queen does not really know what is there and we would like to do a proper inventory."
A spokesmen for the Royal Collection insisted that it did not own any swords or armour relating to Maharaja Duleep Singh, while a colleague at the Royal Archives claimed to have only a number of papers relating to Singh but not his actual writings.
with thanks : source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5383774/Sikhs-make-claim-on-Royal-Collection.html
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
Monday, May 25, 2009
Riots flare in India after Sikh sect leader killed in Austrian temple
• Mobs attacks police stations, buses and banks in Punjab region
• India's Sikh prime minister 'deeply distressed' by disturbances
Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Monday 25 May 2009 17.10 BST
India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, appealed for calm , as riots prompted by the fatal shooting of a sect leader at a Sikh temple in Austria spread to several northern Indian cities.
Hundreds of people defied a curfew and army patrols, attacking police stations and torching the car of a senior officer and several trains. In two places, police opened fire on mobs, wounding at least four people, according to officials.
The violence centered on the city of Jalandhar, a stronghold of the Dera Sach Khand, a Sikh sect comprising mainly Dalits (formerly known as "Untouchables"). One person was killed when troops opened fire on a mob attacking a police station in Lambran village, according the state's top elected official, Parkash Singh Badal.
The violence followed the news that a leader of the Dera Sach Khand was killed, and another preacher wounded, in Vienna last night, when several Sikh men armed with knives and a handgun attacked the two during a visit to a temple. At least 15 other people were wounded, Austrian police confirmed.
Witnesses said the attackers were fundamentalist Sikhs from a higher caste, who accused one or both of the preachers of being disrespectful of the Sikh holy book – the Guru Grant Sahib.
While officially Sikhism does not recognise caste – the complex system prevalent among mainly Hindus in India, dividing people into hundreds of groups defined by livelihood, class and ethnicity – it remains deeply rooted.
Singh, India's first leader to belong to the Sikh faith, said he was "deeply distressed" by the attack and subsequent violence. "Whatever the provocation, it is important to maintain peace and harmony among different sections of the people," he said, adding: "Sikhism preaches tolerance and harmony."
The foreign minister, SM Krishna, said India was working with the Austrian authorities to "ensure that the perpetrators of this completely mindless and wanton attack are brought to justice".
lastnight, after news of the Vienna attack, hundreds of Dera Sach Khand followers, supported by other local Dalit organisations, took to the streets of Jalandhar, burning several vehicles and a bank, stoning buses and blocking railway lines and roads.
Sporadic violence was also reported from several nearby towns, said Sanjiv Kalra, a senior police official at Jalandhar, some 210 miles (337 km) north-west of New Delhi. Today morning, about 400 soldiers patrolled the area and police set up roadblocks across the city. Initially it appeared that the move had restored calm, but later protests spread to at least five nearby cities.
"Curfew in the entire district has been extended for an indefinite period and five columns of army have been deployed to control the violence," a local government official, A S Pannu told the Press Trust of India news agency.Sikhs make up less than 2% of India's nearly 1.2 billion people, the vast majority of whom are Hindus. Caste discrimination has been outlawed in India for more than a half century, and a quota system was established with the aim of giving Dalits a fair share of government jobs and places in schools. But their plight remains dire, living in poverty and kept down by ancient prejudice and caste-based politics.
with thanks : Source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/25/india-sikh-riots-killing-austria
sikhsindia
www.sohnijodi.com
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