PM asks Canada to curb Sikh militancy from its soil

Toronto, June 26 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said there are some elements "wedded to terrorism" outside India, including in Canada, who try to keep the issue of Sikh militancy alive and asked Ottawa to curb such anti-India activities from its soil.

"Sikh extremism, separatism and militancy were a problem in India more than two decades ago. Today, Punjab is at peace and there is growth and prosperity.

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

with thanks : source : PTI News

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Won’t review Sikh blacklist: Govt

Toronto, June 26

Tremendous pressure from the Sikh community notwithstanding, India today said it won’t review the ‘blacklist’ of radicals, who had taken political asylum in foreign countries, including Canada.

This assumes significance on the eve of two-day G-20 Summit, scheduled to begin here from tomorrow.

Immediately after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — accompanied by his wife, Gursharn Kaur landed at Toronto, the spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that there was no room for reviewing the blacklist of those who had indulged in anti-India activities, at least in the near future.

The Prime Minister Office (PMO) was under pressure from the Sikh community worldwide to allow the blacklisted persons to join the mainstream. President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Parmjit Singh Sarna had submitted a written request to the PMO that the representatives of the Sikhs should be invited by the PM in Toronto during his visit to find some solution to the longstanding demand of the community. The NRI Sikhs had also promised to suspend their proposed protest during Manmohan Singh’s visit if they were given time to discuss the matter. Around 100 blacklisted hardliners had taken political asylum in Canada, Germany, USA, UK and other countries. Some efforts were made to review the blacklist during the NDA government also.

The PM is unlikely to meet any representative of the hardliners due to his firm stand against international terrorism. Also, meeting radicals would send a wrong signal at this crucial juncture. Only two months ago, Manmohan Singh had conveyed his firm stand on the activities of separatist forces to his Canadian counterpart when they met in USA for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the PM would be paying a visit to the memorial for Kaniskha victims on June 28.

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

with thanks : source : Tribune

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Pakistan offers to set up corridor for Sikh pilgrims

Islamabad, June 26 (PTI) Pakistan has offered to set up a special corridor for Sikh pilgrims to visit the sacred Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which lies only three kms from the international border, a senior official has said.

Pakistan is ready for talks with India to create such a special corridor for a safe passage for pilgrims, Syed Asif Hashmi, chief of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) that is responsible for maintaining the shrines of minority communities in Pakistan, told reporter at Hasanabdal yesterday.

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

With thanks : source : PTINEWS

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Youth Icon

Sukhwinder Singh’s animation feature is based on the life of Sikh martyr Bhai Taru Singh

Animation is an interesting medium, with the power to attract irrespective of age, class or gender. “And we’re using it to reconnect with our roots,” says Sukhwinder Singh, an IT professional turned animation filmmaker whose animation feature, Bhai Taru Singh, deals with one of Sikh history’s young martyrs who sacrificed his life for religion.

“We live in a time where technology is our religion and where the youth have forgotten their past. Four years ago, we entered this field to create awareness on this issue through cinema, internet and animation,” says Singh, the CEO of Vismaad Mediatech Pvt Ltd in Mohali. Along with his Singapore based partner Bakhtawar Singh, Sukhwinder will be screening Bhai Taru Singh at the Tagore Theatre on June 26 and 27.

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

With thanks : source : Indian Express

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First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai

Coming up at a cost of $20 million, the Guru Nanak Darbar at Jebel Ali, Dubai, will be the first official Sikh gurdwara in the entire Gulf, catering to religious needs of a 50,000-strong Sikh community. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum, vice-president and prime minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai, who granted permission for building the gurdwara, has given 25,400 sq ft land free.

Surender Singh Kandhari, businessman and Captain of Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, had approached authorities with his dream project and though it took him some time to convince them about the concepts of sangat and langar, while even translating excerpts from the Guru Grant Sahib, it was approved.

"Sikhs don’t worship idols like in Islam and once authorities were convinced that setting up a gurdwara was not anti-Islamic, things quickly started falling in place. My dream is to make Guru Nanak Durbar the best, second only to the Golden Temple in Amritsar," adds Kandhari.

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

With thanks : Source : Times of India

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'Flying Sikh' Hoping To Hit Pay-dirt With New Car

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- Former world production car rally champion, Karamjit Singh, also known as the 'Flying Sikh' hopes to revive his fortunes in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) with his new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

The 'Flying Sikh' winner of the 2002 FIA Production Car World Championship for Drivers and 2002, 2004 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and numerous other rally titles, would be driving a RM700,000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X in next year's Asia Pacific Rally Championship next year, courtesy of PENNZOIL, who sponsored the car.

Apart from international honours, Karamjit, 48, has won the Malaysian Rally Championship for 10 consecutive years with a number of co-drivers, Ron Teoh, Allen Oh, John Bennie and Jagdev Singh with his eight-year old Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V111, that has since suffered major repairs.

"Our former car, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, is already eight years old and many of the parts needed to be repaired or replaced regularly, mainly the breaks and gear-box.

"Using an old car sometimes disrupts our preparations during races," Karamjit, Malaysia's professional race driver in rallying, who was part of the Petronas EON Racing Team and Team Proton Pert Malaysia team using Proton 4WD rally cars in the past, told Bernama when contacted Friday.

He added that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V111 suffered a major breakdown during the first round of the Malaysian Rally Championship (MRC) during the second leg which was a distance of 589km at Ladang Tai Tak in Johor, two months ago.

Karamjit said he and his co-driver Jagdev were currently busy preparing themselves to compete in the second round of the Malaysian Rally Championship, a distance of 400km in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, from July 17-18.

Detailed news can be viewed from the link in headline above.

With thanks : source : BERNAMA

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Gatka camp revives an ancient art

With thanks : Dainik Jagran City Plus.

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SGPC Elections: Discrepancies in voter forms, Sikh bodies to meet PM

AMRITSAR: Various factions of Shiromani Akali Dal and other Sikh bodies joined hands to remove discrepancies in the voter forms for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) election.

The President, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGPC), Paramjit Singh Sarna,

said a two-member committee comprising former SGPC Secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta and Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in this regard.

He said certain terms in the forms were objectionable to the Sikh community and amounted to violation of the Sikh Rehat Maryada (code of conduct) and the Sikh Gurdwara Act.

Sarna reiterated that various Akali factions would unitedly contest the elections against the SAD (Badal).

The meeting held on Wednesday was attended by Various Akali parties, including the SAD (Longowal), SAD (Delhi), All-India Shiromani Akali Dal, Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), Dal Khalsa and SAD (Panch Pradhani).

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

with thanks : source : PunjabNewsLine

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Keep away from Sikh religious matters, Badal tells Congress

IANS

June 24 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday asked the Congress party not to interfere in the religious matters of the Sikhs with an eye to the forthcoming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) general elections.

Addressing a public rally in this town in Patiala district, 110 km from Chandigarh, Badal said the Congress was trying to wrest control of the SGPC, the mini-parliament of Sikhs, through its 'B' team comprising of Delhi State Gurdwara Management Committee president (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna and Akali Dal-Amritsar president Simaranjit Singh Mann.

'It is not surprising but ironical that the Congress, which claims to be a secular party, is deliberately encroaching upon the jurisdiction of Sikh religious matters by indirectly lending support to Sarna and others in the SGPC elections,' he said.

Badal said the Congress party could not befool the people of Punjab, especially Sikhs, as successive Congress governments at the centre and in the state had betrayed the people of Punjab.

He charged the Congress government in neighbouring Haryana with trying to interfere in SGPC affairs by allowing the setting up of a separate SGPC for that state.

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

with thanks : source : sify

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l'll contest on all 170 SGPC seats: Sarna

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) will not hesitate to take support of Congress leaders and workers willing to help during the ensuing Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. This was stated by Paramjit Singh Sarna, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee here on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, he said, “Our party is open to have an alliance with like-minded parties and religious groups.”

Sarna announced that his party would contest on all 170 seats of SGPC.

Detailed news can be viewed from the link in headline above.

with thanks : source : Times of India

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