The Sikhs of Labuan, Malaysia

by MUMIN MALAYSIA

One of the spots in Malaysia that has a significant population of Sikhs is Labuan. When I visited the island, I found a book titled "Sikhs in Saban and Labuan - A historical perspective", authored by Surjit Singh Gill.

The book begins with an introduction to Sikhism and Guru Nanak's teachings. And then it details the history of Sikhs in Sabah and Labuan. Sikhs form a minority in the population. The book says Sikhs have made contributions in areas such as defence, law and order and served in the public sector.

According to the book, the first Sikh to set fooot on the island was Bhagat Singh Sandhu who reached Labuan to join the coal company security service as early as 1868. He was only 20-years old. He was paid Rm 5, which was considered a handsome amount in those days.
In fact, Bhagat Singh is remembered by a monument along the old Macarther Road.

A significant contributor in the life history of Labuan was Gurbux Singh Sandhu (a Punjab-born man who arrived in Labuan in 1923). He was the founding president of the Indian Association of North Borneo, Labuan, formed in 1936. He served as a honorary Inspector on the Police Force.
The book laments the fact that the younger generation of Sikhs are losing touch with their religion and the mores of Sikhism.

Many young Sikhs cannot read or write Punjabi language in which the divine philosphy is written and spoken. The book urges the present generation to "remember their historical past ... and maintain identity in the volatile world order."

When I was in Labuan, I found a Gurdwara in a prestigious area in town. The book says that the gurdwara was built in the year 2000 at a cost of Rm 1.6 million.

I began talking to some Sikhs in Labuan and asked them about life on the island.

Manjit Kaur, working at Rent-a-Car, loves it here.

"It's a peaceful island," she says. "I have lived in Kuala Lumpur ("KL")... but I moved here to bring up my daughters. You get quality time to spend with your children. Half your life is not spent in driving - I can't say the same about KL," she says.

Manjit Kaur introduced me to the Secretary of the Gurdwara, Sital Singh.
He describes a typical day in Labuan: "Life begins early. At 7.30 a.m. all shops are open. Between 8 and 8.30 Government, Public Works and Immigration Offices open. The working day continues till 4.30 pm., after which people begin to wind up their day. I personally wind up my business at around 7.30 p.m."

"Labuan has religious institutions of all faiths: there are Masjids, Churches, Chinese Temples, a hindu temple and our very own Gurdwara," he says. But there is complete religious freedom, and each one is free to practice his or her own faith.

Sital Singh wouldn't move anywhere else in the world for anything. "I have visited the U.S. , Canada, India, Singapore and Australia. But nowhere in the world is life as stress-free, quiet and peaceful as it is here."

with thanks : source : sikhphilosophy.net

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Are your Travelling in bound to the United States. What does it mean to YOU?

Press Release by unitedsikhs.org

New York, NY, Your safety is our priority. Passengers flying from International locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place. Since the recent airport high alert on all in-bound flights to the United States, you will find that you are being screened for turbans at the airports and maybe profiled. Additionally due to the busy holiday travel season, both domestic and international travelers should allot extra time for check-in.

Passengers travelling internationally could see:

1. Increased security screening at gates and when they check their bags, as well as additional measures on flights such as stowing carry-ons and personal items before the plane lands.
2. Expect delays on US-bound flights. Keep in mind this is a holiday season and the busiest time of the year.
3. US-bound flights have been restricted for one carry-on item.

Sikh passengers have been known to be targets for increased security checks and associated harassments worldwide. Recently, a Sikh passenger was harassed in Poland during a security procedure at the airport without any justified reason.

We are seeing an increased number of cases where Sikhs returning from Pakistan after a visit to the Sikh shrines have to undergo excessive screening, delays and harassment at the US airports on in bound flights. This screening then becomes a pattern under which they get screened/harassed and delayed following on every International flight in bound to the United States of America.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement Saturday that passengers flying to the U.S. from overseas may notice extra security. However, she said "the measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere."

UNITED SIKHS is closely monitoring complaints of harassment from Sikh passengers for International in-bound flights and will take the issues on a case by case basis with the TSA and Department of Homeland Security. For this we need your help and request you to report your experience at all International Airports by filling in the form available at: http://unitedsikhs.org/exp-at-americanairports

Report all Turban (dastaar) related harassment experiences at the USA airports or International airports at http://unitedsikhs.org/turban_screening

If you feel that you have been racially profiled, if in the USA, please call us at:
1-888-243-1690 or from outside the USA at 001-646-688-3525. You can write to us at law@unitedsikhs.org

SikhsIndia
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High Court stepped in to set things right

CHANDIGARH: With the system consistently failing to come to the common man?s rescue, it was the judiciary that offered a glimmer of hope. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, often anguished and angry over the sorry state of affairs, came out with some important orders to help improve things.

This year's most important order was given by justice SD Anand of the HC, wherein he had directed the special CBI court, Chandigarh, to conclude Ruchika molestation trial within a month. The young, bright girl was molested by a high profile police officer of Haryana and later committed suicide because of the atrocities committed by the cop on her family members.

In an attempt to bring down cases of death due to road accidents, the high court directed the Punjab government to install speed governors in all transport vehicles running within the state.

Coming down heavily on the prosecution agency of the state, HC also asked Punjab government to pay Rs 1 crore compensation to five innocent persons who were sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment for the murder of a person who had later surfaced to mock the justice-dispensing system. HC also directed the lower court to initiate criminal proceedings against all those responsible for framing innocent persons in the murder case.

Deciding a vital issue related to the Sikh community, the court in its judgment passed in May held that unshorn hair were integral to the Sikh personality and Sikh educational institutions were within their right to specify conditions for
grant of admission to students.

please read the complete news by clicking headline above.

with thanks : source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Sikh priests to decide future course of action today

The Sikh priests will meet at the Akal Takht tomorrow to discuss the controversial issue of the Nanakshahi calendar. The Sikh groups deliberated a course of action today in case the calendar is tampered with and opposed any proposed amendments being sought by the Sant Samaj, headed by Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Khalsa.

They threatened to take the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to the Gurdwara Commission for introducing arbitrary changes in the calendar.

The American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) headed by Dr Pritpal Singh, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, SAD (Panch Pardhani), Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committee, Shiromani Panthic Council (SPC) have been opposing any change in the calendar that has been adopted by the majority of the Sikhs since 2003.

However, SGPC head Avatar Singh Makkar has been holding meetings with various Sikh bodies and jathedars, seeking the changes as per wishes of Khalsa.

Plz read complete news by clicking headline above .

with thanks : source : indianexpress.com

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Nagar Keertan from Fateh garh sahib

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Sikh groups join hands ‘to oust Badal from SGPC’

Bringing up a joint front against the Badal government, Panthic organisations have decided to contest the upcoming SGPC polls urging Sikh groups across the world to prevent SAD members from addressing religious gatherings in their areas. The announcements came following a rally held by these radical groups which came together at the Jor Mela on Friday.

Taking a tough stance against the SAD president and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, members of the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), SAD (Panch Pardhani), Dal Khalsa, Panthic Council and Sikh Students’ Federation joined hands to “cleanse” the SGPC from the corrupt “gang of Badal and his coterie”.

Tempers ran high at the conference at Fatehgarh Sahib, where leaders of Sikh groups fired salvo against Parkash Singh Badal and his son Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal for patronising self-styled godmen and allowing Hindutva forces a free hand in Punjab. “They can do anything for politics,” said KAC Chairman Bhai Mokham Singh.

Blaming the Badal duo for the Ludhiana violence where a Sikh, Darshan Singh Lohara, was killed in police firing on December 5, he urged the Sikhs world over to boycott Akali ministers. The leaders also paid tributes to Lohara and passed a resolution declaring him a “martyr of the faith”.

Another resolution was also passed urging the gurdwara management committees not to allow Akali ministers to speak from gurdwara stages because of their proximity with so-called deras and cults mushrooming in Punjab and other areas.

Opposing the “Badalisation of the SGPC”, speakers lambasted the SAD leadership for ruining Sikh institutions including Akal Takht for political mileage. “Oust Badal from gurdwaras,” they said.

Bhai Harpal Singh Cheema, the organiser of today’s conference, blamed SAD for “all the ills plaguing the Sikh institutions”. “We pledge to raise a joint platform with other like-minded groups to defeat Badals in the SGPC elections,” he added.

Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh asked the Sikhs to reject those who have posed threat to the basic fundamentals of Sikh religion for their benefits.

The conference also condemned the state government for slapping false cases against Daljit Singh, chairman of SAD (Panch Pardhani), to malign his image. “The state is playing with fire and if the cases are not withdrawn against him, the state government should be ready to face the music,” said a speaker.

The gathering also asked the Sant Samaj to lodge a written complaint against CM Badal at Akal Takht before December 30 for allowing a function of anti-Sikh cult led by Ashutosh Maharaj in Ludhiana.

with thanks : source : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Sikh-groups-join-hands--to-oust-Badal-from-SGPC-/559268

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Novelty: Spicy Sikh-run Indian eatery in Richmond Hill

Our favorite thing about living in Queens is the amazing bounty of cuisines available in the ethnic enclaves of our borough. A few years ago, Jackson Heights was considered the go-to nabe for Indian delights. Floral Park ran a distant second, probably because of its lesser access by public transportation.

There is a third contender, with a distinctly different character. Two different groups of Indian heritage have settled in Richmond Hill. One is Indo-Caribbean, from places like Guyana and Trinidad. When you see “roti” as the star attraction on the menu, the owners probably hail from our hemisphere.

The other dominant group of Indo-Richmond Hillians is the Sikhs. You can recognize devout Sikh men by their turbans. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded in the 15th century that embraces some of the practices and beliefs of both Hinduism and Islam. The state of Punjab, in India, is the heart of Sikh culture, so Punjabi-style Indian cuisine is what you are most likely to find at a Sikh dining establishment.

Novelty is a new Sikh-owned and -run Indian restaurant on 101st Street in Richmond Hill. Although strict Sikhs are often vegetarian, Novelty cooks up some awesome Indian grub, both vegetarian and non. It is no wonder, because we are told that their chef is the brother of the owner of Five Star Punjabi, that Long Island City institution much celebrated by both Indian food aficionados and South Asian cabbies.

Novelty offers most of the Indian dishes we’ve ever heard of, and a few we hadn’t. We started with a super rendition of chili shrimp, an Indian Chinese-style preparation that has caught on over here in a big way. The shrimp, sauteed with peppers and onions in a spicy sauce, were imposing in size and succulent, and the sauce piquant.

We also sampled their kaju roll, something new to us. It was as described, mashed potatoes in a thin crust. To our western palate, it was tasty, but would have worked better with other companion dishes. It comes as a plate of seven, so share an order around if you’re with a group. There are plenty of other tempting appetizers to complement it, like various pakoras (fritters) or chaat papri (crunchy shells, potato and chick peas topped with yogurt and tamarind sauce).

Lamb chops arrived at our table with major sizzle. Although not billed as one of their Tandoor Specials, they were served Tandoori-style on a scorching platter. This rack of lamb was heavily marinated in garlic and herbs in a yogurt-based marinade and then roasted on skewers. The chops, individually decorated with aluminum foil frills, were lean, tender and suffused with great flavors. This elegant entrée, while probably the most expensive item on the menu, is a real bargain at a mere $13.99.

Dairy products are very important to Punjabi cuisine. Ghee (clarified butter) is the fat of choice; yogurt and cream are essential to many sauces; and paneer, the versatile, non-melting homemade Indian cheese, pops up all over the place. Paneer bhurji was a new dish for us. Its central ingredient is paneer that has been grated into shreds and cooked with bell pepper, tomato, garlic and ginger. It is homey but delicious, especially when eaten in the traditional manner of scooping it up with a warm, elastic triangle of naan, the Tandoori bread.

Bits of paneer also made an appearance in vegetable jalfreji, a pleasingly spicy mixed vegetable dish in a tomato sauce. Sarson ka saag, a dish we sampled from the buffet table is a favorite, we are told, among Sikhs. We always thought “saag” meant spinach, but were wrong. In this case, the saag is made from mustard leaves. It has a different flavor (mostly in the aftertaste) than spinach, and is very tasty.

We couldn’t resist trying a beverage that was new to us — jaljeera pani. It was billed on the menu as being spicy. We didn’t find it so — only weirdly refreshing. The main flavoring is cumin (“jeera” in Hindi). This herb is added to Sprite (yes, the American soft drink) along with mango powder and possibly Kala namak (black salt, which adds a hint of sulphurousness). The result is a little sweet, a little herbal and faintly funky.

Desserts here are classically Indian. Choose from sweet Indian puddings like ras malai (milk pudding), kheer (rice pudding) or gajrella (carrot pudding). Or better yet, sidle up to the counter and pick some dense, fudgy homemade Indian sweets like barfi (don’t worry, it’s not what it sounds like) or gulub jamin.

with thanks : source : http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2009/12/24/queens_village_times/restaurants/queens_village_times_restaurantswuhqrxp12242009.txt

Maritime Sikh Society, Canada Elects All Women Office Bearers

The Maritime Sikh Society 10 Parkhill Road Halifax, N S B3P 1R3 902-477-0008

At its annual General Body meeting held on December 20, 2009 Maritime Sikh Society, Halifax, Canada elected all women office bearers to run the Gurdwara for the year 2010.

This is not the first time that a woman- Kanwal Kaur Sidhu,- has been elected President of this Gurdwara. In 1993, when Mrs. Gurdip Kaur Toor was elected President for the first time, all other office bearers were women. In 1994 Mrs. Surjit Kaur Sidhu and in 1998, Mrs. Gurinder Kaur Dhillon were the Presidents.

In fact the year 2009 was all devoted to recognize and promote women's seva to Guru Ghar. When the 2009 executive was elected, we made it a point to take oath of office from a woman..

Only women were honored at the end of this year. Mrs. Kuldip Kaur Chehil, Mrs. Satpal Kaur Sodhi and late Mrs. Gurdip Kaur Toor (represented by her husband) were presented Siropas- robes of honor by a senior and well respected lady, Mrs. Pritam Kaur. It was in recognition of their meritorious service to the Maritime Sikh Society since the society was founded forty years back.

We also gave two awards to young girls for rendering valuable service to the society. Miss Sonia Singh got the 'Bhai Ghanayya', ie, ‘Sevadar of the year’ award while the 'Best Speech in Punjabi' award went to miss Sargam Paul.

We associate women in all activities of the society. Besides preparing Guru Ka Langar, they mostly women, especially Satpal Kayr Sodhi, lead the Sangat in reciting Ardas. Mini ardas before putting Babaji to rest is always done by a woman, Swinder Kaur Clair or Shivinder Kaur Sekhon. On Akhand paths, mostly women take turns in reading the whole of Guru Granth Sahib, especially Nauven Mohulle de Silok. Majority of the devotees who sing shabad are women and young girls. This year on Baisakhi day in April, Amandeep Kaur was the only guest speaker and she did an excellent job in covering the significance of the birth of Khasla in 1699. She read her scholarly paper in chaste Punjabi. Only girls are taking music lessons from renowned musician Pandit Vijay.

Maritime Sikh Society is a progressive society where turbaned and non-turbaned Sikhs work in harmony. Though according to the constitution only Sikhs can become its members, we encourage Hindus who are devotees of Guru Ghar to become members and even invite them to serve on the executive. Guru’s message was universal, let every body get the benefit. From its very beginning there has never been a contest in the election to the new executive; it is always chosen unanimously. The Gurdwara library is pretty up-to-date containing works of both the Sikh and Western authors. We don't have a paid Granthi; all work is done by volunteers.

with thanks : source : www.sikhphilosophy.net

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For Bollywood heroes, it's cool to be a Sikh

NEW DELHI: What's common to actors Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar? All have recently played a Sikh hero in a Bollywood film.

Indeed, there's a profusion of Sikh characters in leading roles: the honest salesman in Rocket Singh, the love-smitten student Veer Singh in Love Aaj Kal (2009), the formidable army officer Balkar Singh in Heroes (2008) and the bumbling villager Happy Singh in Singh is Kinng (2008). Even Jackie Shroff played a gentle farmer Dayal Singh in Sohail Khan's Kisaan (2009).

Over the decade many films have depicted Sikh characters in leading roles. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) and Jo Bole So Nihaal (2005) are some such films. What's new is that today's Sikh hero has acquired a mellow, romantic shade as evident in films like Love Aaj Kal and Rocket Singh. Social scientist Shiv Vishwanathan points out that young Sikhs in recent films are shown as playing "non-military characters" unlike what was frequently projected in earlier ones. "Today's Sikh protagonist in Hindi film has broken the stereotype," he says.

Director Imtiaz Ali's films, Jab We Met (2007) and Love Aaj Kal, had plenty of Sikh characters. He narrates an interesting story behind his decision to do so. "I come from Jamshedpur and there is a sardar in my close group of friends. Whenever we would think of going to a movie, he would say, "What's the point? It's not as if by watching films I can get into the industry. Sardars don't make it in films." That got me wondering why a sardar can't be a hero?" says Ali on phone from Jamshedpur.

His desire to have Sikhs in leading roles grew stronger after watching Sunny Deol as Major Kuldeep Singh in J P Dutta's Border (1997), and a patriotic Tara Singh in Anil Sharma's Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). "While Border established that a lead actor can be a Sikh, Gadar went on to shatter any other bias," says Ali. He adds, "I think Sikh heroes is a great trend. Why can't a handsome sardar be a hero? We should move beyond the clichi of chocolate heroes and look around our neighbourhood for real characters."

Agrees writer Jaideep Sahni, who fleshed out Rocket Singh's character and claims to be naturally disinclined towards the 6'2" kind of hunk imagery. "If one has a choice that doesn't go against the story's concept, then as film-makers we owe it to the audience to give them variety," says Sahni.

Sahni also feels the Hindi film industry restricts a filmmaker into a 'language jail'. "We normally can't cast a lead character from a Telugu, Tamil or North-East zone. My desire to break out of this 'jail' inspired Rocket Singh's character," says Sahni.

Film historian Firoze Rangoonwalla has a theory behind the recent rise of the Sikh protagonist. He says that the urban, multiplex films had hitherto alienated the cinema-going middle-class audience of north Indian heartland. "To target them producers have turned their focus on characters who look and speak like them. So we have Yash Chopra and Karan Johar often introducing Punjabi characters. This is a business-oriented action taken to cater to the ethos of that territory," he says.

Nonetheless, the profusion of Sikh heroes is in stark contrast to the Bollywood of 1960s and 1970s when a hero had to be clean-shaven and fair. The Sikh was consigned and confined to character roles. "It was assumed that a turbaned Sikh with a beard didn't have pan-India mass appeal. Also, they were viewed as representatives of a particular community with a distinct style of speaking," says Rangoonwalla citing examples of Dharmendra in Tarachand Barjatya's Jeevan Mrityu (1970) and Prem Nath in Manmohan Desai's Desh Premee (1982). "At best, a sardar played a good friend to the hero or was relegated to being a side character/comedian," he says.

Such a portrayal continued down the decades until Govind Nihalini's Vijeta (1982), where hero Kunal Kapoor played Sikh Air Force pilot Angad. Now the abundance of Sikh characters as regular heroes underlines the growing maturity of Bollywood as well as its audience.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/For-Bollywood-heroes-its-cool-to-be-a-Sikh/articleshow/5376357.cms

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In Harimandir Sahib on April 30, 1877 at 4.30

In Harimandir Sahib on April 30, 1877 at 4.30 in the morning, a strange thing happened. There were about four hundred devotees enjoying spiritual peace of celestial music in Harimandir Sahib when suddenly a flash of lighting was seen which in the form of a big resplendence entered through the door on the mountain-side and exploded exactly like a ball in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and illuminating everything went out, becoming a streak of light through the southern door--though at the time of its exploding there was a dreadful and forceful sound, no harm of any kind occurred to any devotee sitting inside and no harm to the building or anything else in the precinct. All the people described this supernatural scene as the wonderful doing of Sri Guru Ram Das himself" (translation based on one in Strange but True in Sikhism by SS Kohli p.11)

Sikhnet / Maple Leaf

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Sikh matrimonial - latest profiles

Supreet singh, Toronto, Canada

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