2 Sikhs in Afghan poll fray, want to be first elected non-Muslims

Election campaign posters plaster Kabul’s traffic circles these days but one face stands out. Of a Sikh. But he is not the only Sikh candidate in the fray — there is another, a woman.

Pritpal Singh Pal and Anarkali Kaur Honaryar are running for positions in Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga, the 250-seat lower house of parliament, elections for which are scheduled on September 18.

If they win, they will become the first democratically elected non-Muslim parliamentarians in the country — Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have held parliamentary positions before through nomination.

Both are Independent candidates from the Kabul province and are up against Mohammad Mohaqiq and Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, former Mujahideen commanders who are now established politicians.

“I want to serve people regardless of religion. I’m an Afghan,” says 44-year-old Pal, a native of the Pashtun-majority province of Paktia where his parents were also born.

With thanks : Indian Express : Link in headline above for detailed news.

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CBI given time to file reply in '84 riots case against Tytler

A Delhi court on Saturday allowed the CBI two months' time to file a detailed reply to an application filed by a victim for certain documents relied upon by the probe agency in giving clean chit to former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Additional Sessions Judge V K Khanna granted the request of CBI prosecutor Sanjay Kumar for being given two months' time to prepare the reply on the plea of Lakhwinder Kaur.

"There is no provision in the Criminal Procedure Code for supplying the documents sought by the applicant," Kumar claimed.

His contention that a similar application of Kaur was dismissed by the lower court was strongly objected to by senior counsel HS Phoolka who claimed the plea was allowed.

with thanks : Hindustan times : link in headline for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Tearful reunion for truck driver's family

KOLKATA: Family members of truck driver Gurjant singh reached the city in the early hours of Friday. Flanked by a battery of men from the Sikh community, the 40-year-old truck driver's elder brother, Veer Singh, and maternal uncle Kaur singh headed first to Calcutta high court and then to CID headquarters Bhabani Bhavan later in the afternoon.

It was, however, a long wait for the family members before they could meet Gurjant. Veer was allowed to meet his brother only after being interrogated by CID sleuths. When they finally met, the bothers broke down over a hug. The silence was finally broken when Veer mustered up the courage to ask how Gurjant was doing. Gurjant broke into tears again after hearing about his parents and children from Veer."My brother said that he was being treated well at Bhabani Bhavan. But he is worried about our parents, his children and wife. It was tough for me to see my brother in police custody. But I feel better after seeing him," said Veer.

with thanks ; source : Times of india : link in headline above for detailed news.

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Sikhs in Kashmir Valley need not fear: Chidambaram

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said Sikhs need not have fear in the Kashmir Valley, where some Sikh families have reportedly received anonymous letters from extremists asking them to either embrace Islam or leave. "We are aware of the so-called threat but there is nothing to fear. The chief minister (Omar Abdullah) has assured that the Sikh community will be given protection," Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members voiced protest over the issue forcing a brief adjournment.

The home minister told the house that the central government has been in talks with the state government for ensuring the safety of Sikhs in the Valley.

"Let the house be assured that the state and centre are working together and Sikhs will be protected," Chidambaram said.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : link in headline for detailed news.

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Beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Saroop's in Delhi : SikhsIndia

This is really a shocking vid and was taken in very abnormal circumstances with shaking hands on viewing the condition of Guru Granth Sahib saroop's & Gutka's.

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Sikh Bodies respond to beadbi of 2500 Saroops

Amritsar, August 19: After the recent Phoolka-Sarna controversy, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee head Avtar Singh Makkar (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna are at loggerheads again. This time, they are crossing swords over “disrespect” shown to holy ‘Birs’ (the Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib), ‘Gutkas’ (brief narrations of Gurbani) and other holy books in various gurdwaras and other places in Delhi.

Makkar said they had found hundreds of religious scriptures lying in pitiable conditions, with many “submerged in sewerage water”. SGPC officials had been asked to go to Delhi and bring the holy scriptures back to Goindwal Sahib for their last rites. “In Sikh tradition, the Birs and Gutkas are cremated. We have brought hundreds of them to Goindwal.

Sarnas were approached for the same by many but they showed no respect, which amounts to blasphemy,” said Makkar, adding that now they would cremate the books with full honours.

According to SGPC officials, the religious books and holy scriptures were collected from Delhi with the help of local religious leader Baba Phuman Singh at Dera Karam Singh. “We have been told that many Sikhs had approached the DSGMC but Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh Sarna did not even hear the complaints,” said a top SGPC office-bearer.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh took a strong stand and supported Makkar. “The SGPC has every right to see if any disrespect is being shown to the holy books. It did the right thing by bringing the books here to cremate them in an appropriate manner,” he said.

He added that Baba Gurinder Singh at Goindwal had been entrusted with the task of cremating the scriptures. “It is a matter of concern that the Sarna brothers had shown disregard to the matter. We have received complaints against them and those are under consideration,” said the jathedar who discussed the matter in a hurriedly called meeting on Tuesday.

with thanks : SikhSangat

PLZ NOTE, we had shown pics of these Saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji in our earlier posts.

SikhsIndia

SGPC poll irregularities: report sought

Kapurthala (Pun), Aug 19 (PTI) Gurdwara Elections Chief Commissioner H S Brar has sought a report from Kapurthala district administration on the alleged irregularities in enrollment of non-Sikh voters for upcoming Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) polls.

Deputy Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary today said Brar sought the report from the administration, regarding charges of irregularities in enrollment of 'Patit' Sikh voters at Begowal and Bhadas villages falling under the Bholath assembly constituency, within two days. Chaudhry said he has directed Bholath SDM Ranjit Kaur, the revising authority, to conduct door-to-door survey and submit the report immediately for forwarding it to the Sikh Gurudwara Election Commission.

with thanks : IBN Live : link in headline for detailed story.

SikhsIndia

Embrace Islam or leave Valley, Sikhs threatened

SRINAGAR: Sikhs in the Kashnir valley have received anonymous letters from Islamic militants asking them to either embrace Islam and join the protests against civilian killings or pack up and leave the Valley. The 60,000-strong Sikh community is the single largest minority group in the Valley.

An organisation of Kashmiri Sikhs said that several community members have received these letters. "Community members have received unsigned letters at various places," said All Party Sikh Coordination Committee (ASCC) coordinator Jagmohan Singh Raina. He said the community has decided to stay put and fight these "evil designs" at a meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.

with thanks : Times of India : link in headline for detailed story.

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Delhi HC refuses to stay trial against Sajjan Kumar in riots case

The Delhi High Court today refused to stay the trial against senior Congress leader and former MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which six persons were killed.

Justice A. K. Pathak declined the plea of Kumar, against whom the charges of murder and rioting were framed by a lower court, to immediately stay the trial till his petition challenging framing of charges is decided by the court.

Refusing the plea of the politician to stay the criminal proceedings for his alleged involvement in riots in Sultanpuri Area, the court issued notice on his petition to CBI and asked the probe agency to file its reply by September 16 when the case will be further taken up for hearing.

with thanks : HINDU : link in headline for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

First stone laid for new Sikh temple

Members of Manchester's Sikh community witnessed the laying of the first foundation stones at the proposed site for the new Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara, Education and Cultural Centre in Whalley Range.

Labelled as a future iconic land mark for Manchester, over 700 people attended the special ceremony including the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mark Hackett and other dignitaries, where a vegetarian breakfast, langar was served.

The members of the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara have raised £1.1m towards the £2m project.

The completion of the new building is due on 14 March 2011 with the Grand opening ceremony coinciding with the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in April.

More details of work in progress and options to make any contributions can be found on the website www.manchestergurdwara.co.uk

with thanks : menmedia : link in headline above.

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Man who ‘attempted’ to kill Mamata is a poor Sangrur trucker

Mauran (Sangrur), August 17

Their world came crashing down on August 9 when Gurjant Singh’s truck hit a car in Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s convoy in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district.

Apart from praying for Gurjant’s well-being, there is very little his wife, three children and elderly parents can do. Every day is a struggle on Gurjant’s monthly salary of Rs 2,500. Besides the small sum, the family holds five bighas land and depends on what they can grow on it. The 40-year-old, who has been driving for 17 years, once owned a truck but had to sell it off.

“We don’t even have money to go to West Bengal let alone pursuing the matter legally,” says Gurjant’s wife Gurbans Kaur. The trucker’s 85-year-old hearing-impaired father Harneek Singh sits quietly outside the family’s one-room house, a prayer on his lips.

As the newsteam entered the sleepy Mauran village on Dirbah Road in Sangrur today afternoon, almost the entire village gathered around it in anticipation of some good news on the Gurjant front. The moment they got to know that their “visitors” were journalists, hope instantly gave way to disappointment. Gurjant’s 75-year-old mother Surjit Kaur couldn’t hold back her tears.

“My son is illiterate. He doesn’t even know the Prime Minister’s name. How can he conspire to eliminate the Railway Minister?” she cries, pleading Gurjant’s innocence. “The West Bengal police should come here and see Gurjant’s home. Then they will know whether he can commit a crime…” her voice trails off.

The news of Gurjant’s arrest has left his three children — daughters Parwinder Kaur (15) and Kirandeep Kaur (12) and son Jatinder Singh (9) — in deep shock. All of them have stopped going to the village school.

Gurjant’s elder brother and immediate neighbour Veer Singh blames the family’s misfortune on West Bengal politics. “The accident occurred because of the truck’s brake failure but my brother got dragged into the mess,” he says.

On August 9, Gurjant Singh’s truck had hit a car in Mamata’s convoy at Kolaghat Bridge in East Midnapore as she was returning to Kolkata from a rally in Lalgarh. Gurjant was arrested and initially booked for rash driving but let off on August 11. Immediately after, he was charged with conspiracy and attempting to murder Mamata and re-arrested. He is in 12-day police remand.

The entire village vouches for Gurjant’s innocence. “He is innocent. All his life, he has never even had an spat with anyone,” says a group of villagers that has gathered around The Tribune team. One of them, Navpreet Singh, is more vocal. “How come the West Bengal police charged him without coming to our village for investigations? We don’t know what is happening to Gurjant in jail there…” he says.

with thanks : SIKHSANGAT

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