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SikhsIndia - Online Sikh News Channel : A wake up call for the Sikh Community with Sikh news, views, images, videos for the sikhs around the world. Links are being provided at the bottom of each news item with sole aim to generate awareness on SIKH ISSUES.
Smithsonian trained Jacob, an internationally sought veteran museologist, has been the founding director of two museums in his career.
The 650,000-square-foot museum and heritage center rises above a seven acre web of reflecting pools connected by a 165-meter pedestrian bridge connecting different zones of the museum galleries, library, cafe and performing arts theater, with exhibits celebrating 500 years of heritage, aspirations and living traditions of the Sikh diaspora.Phase 1 of the $224 million project opens in the fall of 2010.
with thanks : source : http://sikhsangat.org/2010/01/george-jacob-named-as-director-of-the-anandpur-sahib-sikh-museum/The request, made to Victoria Police in a letter yesterday, asks for "increased vigilance" from local authorities around the high-profile Sikh temple in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Blackburn, which has previously been visited by the Premier and the state Opposition Leader.
The letter, written by the secretary of the Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha temple at the behest of its president, Dashran Singh, says: "As you are no doubt aware, there have been an increased number of violent incidents involving (the) Indian community in Melbourne.
"This is a matter of concern for all Australians.
"We will appreciate if you can assist by having increased vigilance in the area, especially during night-time, to build confidence amongst the community," says the letter, seen by The Australian yesterday.
Early on Wednesday a Sikh temple in Lynbrook, on Melbourne's southeastern fringe, was set on fire. Mr Singh yesterday said another Sikh temple in Cragieburn in Melbourne's north was also vandalised last week with eggs and stones.
"We take the trouble to collect money to build our buildings for worship. This is very worrying," he said.
Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu, who visited the Blackburn temple, or gurdwara, before travelling to India last year, said he was "greatly concerned" about the recent attacks on Indians and their places of worship.
"In light of recent events, the police need to work very closely with the Indian community right across Victoria to make sure there is no repeat of any violence or vandalism," he said.
Temple worshipper Vikramjit Kaur, who attended the Blackburn gurdwara yesterday with her four-year-old daughter Supreet and her mother, Surinder Kaur, said "there should be more security - when you hear about these (cases of vandalism), you are worried."
Mr Singh said to date he had received "great support" from local authorities, but said he would be comforted by more security.
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police yesterday said authorities were "taking every incident very seriously."
But she said, "no matter how many police we have, we simply can't be present for every crime that takes place".
with thanks : source : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sikhs-call-for-security-after-melbourne-temple-attack/story-e6frg6nf-1225819478091CRANBOURNE’S Sikh community says it is under attack after yesterday’s deliberately lit fire in a partially-built Lynbrook temple.
Police are still investigating the blaze, which started at about 12.30am inside the Nanaksar Sikh Temple.
It is the latest in a string of incidents at the Evans Rd site during the past 12 months, including graffiti, theft, break-ins and petty vandalism.
Speaking to the Leader, Raj Singh said the community was “angry and very upset.’’
“Racist sentiment seems to be boiling over at the moment and it looks to us as if we are being targeted,” Mr Singh said.
“We’re a peace-loving people. We believe all religions are good and we all worship the same one God. We just want to be abel to live in peace.”
Mr Singh said the damage was negligible.
“It is the psychological damage that is the real concern,’’ he said.
“To think that the surrounding community is targeting us like this is extremely upsetting to us.’’
Mr Singh said the 900-strong congregation ultimately hoped to build a school and retirement village on the 13ha site, making it a self-contained community.
“We want to be a part of the Cranbourne community. This is our home now. We’ve been here since 1988,’’ he said.
Builder Paul Birch said he was disgusted and angered by the “mindless destruction.’’
“There’s just no logic to it. They are harmless people,’’ Mr Birch said.
“We will be looking into security guards or dogs to put an end to this once and for all.’’
Police are urging anyone with information to call Casey CIU Det-Sen-Constable Paul Stowe on 9705 3111The partially built Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar temple in Melbourne's outer southeastern suburbs, home to a congregation of Sikhs, many of whom come from the Punjab in northern India, is believed to have been set on fire with the use of molotov cocktails early yesterday.
Distraught temple elder Satnam Singh said the wilful destruction of a "God house" was an attack on Indians.
Detective Senior Constable Paul Stow, in charge of the investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious, but detectives were yet to establish whether race or religion had motivated the arsonists.
"At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is (race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a temple," Detective Constable Stow told The Australian yesterday.
The Sikh temple, known as a gurdwara, is in the middle of a large empty paddock in front of a sprawling housing estate at Lynbrook, on Melbourne's suburban fringe. The fire could put further pressure on bilateral relations between India and Australia, which have come under renewed strain since the stabbing of a 21-year-old Punjab-born accounting graduate, Nitin Garg, in a park in Melbourne's west earlier this month.
Among the members of the Indian community who visited the temple yesterday to survey the damage was the consul-general of India in Melbourne, Anil Kumar Gupta, who walked around the site taking notes and talking with elders. One worshipper, who asked not to be named, said he was informed by police that three molotov cocktails and a jerry can containing petrol were found inside the temple. Constable Stow confirmed that "a number of items were located to suggest accelerant was used".
Despite initial police reports indicating that a group of teens had lit "a couple of small fires" in piles of rubbish in the temple, Constable Stow said police believed the arson to be a "deliberately lit fire" rather than a bonfire that had burned out of control.
A police spokeswoman last night said investigators were keeping an open mind about the investigation.
"We can't discount anything," she said.
Victorian police have been criticised and caricatured in India for being too quick to rule out racism as a motive for attacks on Indian students.
Walking through the blackened interior yesterday, Mr Singh said the fire was "very, very personal".
"This is an attack on religion, this is very bad," he said. "This should not have been done, this is a God house, everybody who comes here prays to God."
When asked whether he believed the attack to be race-related, Mr Singh said: "Yes, attack on Indians."
The deputy high commissioner of India, V.K. Sharma, yesterday said: "We have no comment to make."
It is believed two people were seen leaving the temple near midnight.