Pak denies visas to Sikh pilgrims

Pakistan has denied visa to more than 150 Sikh pilgrims who were to take part in the celebrations of Guru Ram Das, the founder of Amritsar, in Lahore on October 9. The delegation was to leave for Lahore on Thursday under the banner of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). “No specific reasons was given for rejecting the application. These men would go to Pakistan on the next gurpurb that is in November,” said SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh. “There have been several occasion when names of pilgrims were deleted arbitrarily,” the SGPC functionary said.

with thanks : indianexpress : link in headline above.

SikhsIndia

Local Sikhs fulfil their temple dream for Norwich

About 10 minutes' drive from the centre of Norwich a group of men and women are putting the finishing touches to what will be Norfolk's first Sikh gurdwara or temple.

Some of them are levelling out the gravel at the side entrance to the flat-roofed shoebox-shaped building. Others are up ladders hammering in nails. From Sunday it will be known as Gurdwara Sri Guru Ramdass Parkash.

It was a second-hand furniture shop and despite the hard work still has the look of an office block. But that is of little concern to the city's tiny Sikh community. This is their pride and joy.

"I will be very happy and all my family will be very happy," said 78-year-old Chanan Singh Suwali, President of the new temple.

with thanks : BBC news : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Kiwi-Indian candidate implicated in alleged Auckland city council voting scam

Wellington, Oct 8 (ANI): An Indian origin man, Daljit Singh, who is a Labour candidate running for the Papatoetoe local boards, has been named as one of two men charged over an alleged voting scam in New Zealand.

Singh, a real estate agent and chairman of the Supreme Sikh Council of New Zealand, has been charged with forgery to influence the Auckland super-city council election.

According to Stuff.co.nz, Labour Party President Andrew Little said "swift disciplinary action" could be taken against Singh, if he was found guilty of the alleged fraud.

"There is no tolerance in our party for conduct that undermines the integrity of the electoral process. If it is established that Mr Singh has acted in this way then he can expect swift disciplinary action, including having his Party membership removed from him," Little added.

with thanks : OneIndia : link in headline above for detailed news. Pic with thanks : stuff.co.nz

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"CWG 2010 Awareness Drive at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib"

As we all are aware that during CWG 2010 in New Delhi(India), around 25000 visitors from all over the world are expected to visit Sikh shrines in Delhi.Therefore, Sikhi Sidak in association with YSL & United Sikhs and support from Dharam Prachar Committee (Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee) plan to organize camp in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib premises to educate & create awareness among people from different parts of the world about"Who Sikhs are?" and how Sikhs stand as a Separate Religion & Identity?

They plan to distribute the pamphlets or brochure with general information about Sikh Religion and interact with foreigners personally to make them understand uniqueness of Sikh religion .

This is an opportunity; where-in little effort can make Sikh values to reach every corner of the world.Therefore,its a sincere request to come forward & spare some time on 9th & 10th October between 11am .to 5 pm to join "Games Awareness Drive" at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib & contribute in spreading awareness & message of Sikh Gurus among foreigners.

To volunteer for this camp & be part of this Community Service (from 3rd October - 13th October 2010) for at least one day in promoting Sikhism & Sikh Values;please log into www.sikhisidak.com

Associate Professor(Dr.) Gurdeep Kaur
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College,
University of Delhi,
Dev Nagar.
Delhi,INDIA

Sikh Museum set to open this weekend

Khalsa Darbar are putting the finishing touches to Canada's first multimedia Sikh museum.

The museum, said to be the first of its kind outside India, opens its doors to the public this Sunday, Oct 10, at its Dixie/Derry Roads location.

The brainchild of British Columbia author Dr Raghbir Singh Bains, the museum will house more than 50,000 pages of text in various languages, thousands of pictures, audio, video and animation, as per Surrey-based newspaper The South Asian Link.

According to his online biography, Bains "produced and programmed the Multimedia Sikh Museum in India, the first of its kind in the world, using new technology to make it easily accessible and interactive for all."

The museum in Mississauga will will cover the history and culture of the Sikh religion, Bains earlier told Surrey-based The South Asian Link.

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

SikhsIndia

Priyanka & Robert visit Golden Temple, listen to Gurbani for a while

Amritsar : Before President Pratibha Patil paid a visit to the Golden Temple on Wednesday, the Sikh shrine had another set of high-profile visitors. They were Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, her husband Robert Vadra and their children who paid obeisance in the morning.

The family had arrived in the city on Tuesday evening and checked into a hotel after watching the Retreat Ceremony at Wagah-Attari border check post. Their visit was kept a closely guarded secret and they did not speak to the media who surrounded them at the Golden temple

complex.Priyanka said it was a personal visit that they had been planning for a long time. The Vadras took a ‘parikarama of the shrine and paid obeisance at the Akal Takht. They also listened to Gurbani for some time inside the Darbar Sahib.

with thanks : expressindia : link in headline above. pic with thanks : DNAINDIA

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Prince Charles leaves behind impressions of his love for Punjab and Sikhs

FATEHGARH SAHIB: Prince Charles who visited Punjab for the second time on Monday, during his previous visit in 2006 and on several other occasions went overboard to shower praises for Sikhs, Punjab farmers and contribution of the border state in the green revolution of India.

Having special love for farmer community, Prince Charles see a great future for organic farming in Punjab. During both visits his main emphasis remained wooing farmers for organic farming.

When this correspondent accessed the official website of Prince Charles, in his speech delivered during the function of Consumer Goods Forum, London on June 23, 2010 he is quoted saying, “ we need to look at the way we use water, for instance. The World Bank has reported that in the Punjab over sixty per cent of groundwater is now being overdrawn by farmers. I have been there; I have seen it. Punjabi farmers now have to dig expensive bore holes over 200 feet deep to get at what remains of the water and, as a result, their debts are becoming ever deeper too – so is the salt contamination of their soil… This is why I started an initiative some four years ago to try and help a number of Punjabi farmers to convert to a more genuinely durable, sustainable organic system and to develop added value markets for their produce.”

with thanks : punjabnewsline :gurpreetsinghmehak : link in headline above for detailed news. Pic newsfeed.time with thanks.

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Shorn hair among Sikh youth irresponsible: Ex-Jathedar

The local chapter of the Global Sikh Brotherhood (GSB) held a seminar on the issue of “Sikh identity in the present adversities” at a gurdwara in Phase X on Tuesday. Former jathedar of Akal Takht Prof Manjit Singh was the chief guest and founder chief of the GSB Hardeep Singh, who is also local SGPC member, presided over the function.

Discussing the importance of keeping unshorn hair in Sikhism, various speakers termed it in accordance with nature and ethics of the religion. Prof Manjit Singh, in his lecture, said, “The reasons of declining acceptability of keeping unshorn hair among youth is the result of our irresponsible attitude. We, the parents, Sikh religious institutions and academic centres must accept that we are lacking somewhere in performing our duty of creating the awareness and required atmosphere”.

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

SikhsIndia

Sikh human chain protects the President

Sikhs formed a human chair to protect the President Pratibha Patil as she and her family made the serene experience in the tranquillity offered in Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) the Sikh Holiest Shrine.

This is the Presidents first visit to the Holy Sikh Shrine; she paid homage to the Holy Sikh Scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib.

The entourage that accompanied the VIP visit included Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Bathinda MP and Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Badal and other dignitaries accompanied the president during her maiden visit to the Sikh shrine.

According to Sikh traditions the president was given a 'Siropa' (religious gift blessed by Guru Granth Sahib) by the Granthi (priests)

During the visit the President will plant trees and attend a function that will address the growing concern of female foeticide destruction by Punjabi women.

with thanks : emgonline : link in headline.

SikhsIndia

CBI's case against Sajjan suffers setback as witness turns hostile

CBI's case against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case today suffered a setback in a Delhi court as a prosecution witness in the trial against him turned hostile, claiming he had not given shelter to one of the victims during the riots. "It is incorrect to suggest that Jagsher Singh alias Golu had also taken shelter in my house during that period or that I stated so in my statement (before CBI)," Ram Avtar Sharma, prosecution witness, told Additional Sessions Judge Sunita Gupta.

"Had he taken shelter in my house, then I must have mentioned this fact in my statement because he was known to me," the witness added "voluntarily".

In his cross-examination by CBI, Sharma, 49, testified that he was not making a false statement under pressure from Kumar. "It is incorrect to suggest that I have been pressurised by accused Kumar to resile from my statement.

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

SikhsIndia

CWG : Deh shiva bar mohe ehe.....

Common wealth Games in Delhi were inaugurated yesterday amidst the Military band playing : Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ehe, Shubh Karman te ........ and later Awal Allah Noor Upaiya, Kudrat de Sab bande. What a pleasant surprise ! What a spectacular show !

pics with thanks from : ibnlive, zee news, the hindu, sify .....

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