A luxury train trip across Sikh takhts

A luxury train will carry the devout and sightseers to four of the country’s five Sikh takhts, with a flight to the fifth takht on the ninth day completing the circuit.

The Deccan Odyssey, taken on charter from the Maharashtra government, will make its first trip from Delhi on December 29, so that passengers can spend the New Year at the Golden Temple. “A Spiritual Journey to the Guru’s Abode” will cover Kiratpur Sahib, Anandpur Sahib (site of the takht Keshgarh Sahib), Amritsar (Akal Takht Sahib), Bathinda (Damdama Sahib), Jaipur, Agra, Nanded (Hazur Sahib) and Mumbai, from where passengers will take a flight to Patna on January 5, visit Patna Sahib, and fly back to Delhi the next day, Luxury Trains and Luxury Holidays CEO Sajivve Trehaan told The Indian Express. The Amritsar leg will include a trip to the Wagah border and back.

“The USP is the New Year at the Golden Temple. We have sold 60 of the train’s capacity of around 80 seats,” Trehaan said from London, where his company is wooing NRI passengers.

The train’s 21 coaches include two with two presidential suites each, called Platinum Class, for which the daily fare is $1,250 for single passengers and $1,060 per head when shared by two. Forty rooms in 10 other coaches have gold class ($920 single, $730 shared) and silver class ($750, $585) seats. The train includes two dining cars, a spa car, a lodge and a business centre-cum-conference hall.

With thanks : IndianExpress : link in headline above for more detailed news.

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The fare will cover the meals; the Taj Group will take care of the catering.

Indian envoy insulted, asked to remove turban

Texas: After Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar was subjected to a pat-down at an airport in the USA, another Indian envoy has been humiliated in America. India's permanent representative at the United Nations, Hardeep Puri, was frisked and asked to remove his turban.Puri, a Sikh, was asked to remove his turban at the airport in Austin, Texas three weeks ago where he had gone for a lecture. He was asked to remove the turban even though the airport security had been told of his diplomatic status.Puri refused to remove his turban and the matter was resolved but only after local police intervened.

The Government has already lodged a formal complaint with US authorities.

The incident involving Puri is the third such incident in the last three months in which Indian envoys have been signalled out for intrusive security checks.

Earlier, Neera Shankar was pulled out from an airport security line and patted down by an American security agent in Mississippi despite being told of her diplomatic status. The incident took place on December 4 at the Jackson-Evers International Airport where saree-clad Shankar was about to board a flight to Baltimore after attending the Mississippi State University's programme.

The USA had on December 11 tendered an official apology to India and Meera over her pat down by an American security agent. The US government said that Meera's pat down was not meant to be a put down, while promising a review of airport screening guidelines.

William Burns, a senior State Department official, personally conveyed his regrets and promised Meera a review of airport screening guidelines.

The apology was issued after External Affairs minister SM Krishna, in line with public opinion and opposition protests warned that US diplomats, too, would be frisked in India if such incidents recur.

with thanks : IBNLive & In.com

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FBI chief regrets remarks about Sikh Americans

FBI director Robert S. Mueller has apologised to a Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization for remarks linking Sikh Americans to terrorism at an intelligence conference in October. The apology came in response to a letter of concern from the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) over a report in The Washington Times about statements made by Mueller.

"I would like to apologize for, and clarify, any misunderstanding that the account in this newspaper story may have caused," his office said in a letter to.

"The statement cited was intended to reiterate the FBI's responsibility for, and commitment to, deterring and investigating terrorist threats and activity. I can assure you it was not meant to single out any specific community, including Sikh-Americans."

Recognizing SALDEF's partnership with the FBI, the letter said: "The FBI and you, representing Sikh Americans and communities across the country, have worked closely together and developed an ongoing dialogue on a variety of issues of mutual interest,".

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

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Anil Kapoor's No Problem gets into trouble with Sikh community

Hemkund Sahib Yatra - Slide Show : SikhsIndia

Hemkunt Sahib Gurdwara Slideshow: Sikhsindia’s trip to Hemkund sahib, india (near Mahe), Union Territory of Pondicherry, India was created by TripAdvisor. See another Mahe slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

Daswndh to help others !

GUR FATEH JI,

Plz forwrd this mail to all ur contacts and help generously 4 the cause. Daswndh can't be only donated in Gurdwara Golaks. Golaks r overflowing but management comitees will not part wth a rupee to help the needy.Their only interest is in MRBLE and GOLD.Gurdwaras are being laided with MARBLE and GOLD and then this will be the cause for all the disputes. We r supposed to AKLI KICHE DAAN -TO DONATE WITH WISDOM. YOUNGSTERS SHOULD take the initiative and bring the movement of change.

A GURSIKH FAMILY FROM KASHMIR IS BADLY IN NEED OF UR SUPPORT AND HELP AS BOTH MOTHER AND SON R A CASE OF RENAL FAILURE AND HAVE TO UNDERGO TRANPLANTATION SURGERY AT PGI CHANDIGARH.THEIR CONTACT NO IS

09815439834 ; A/C NO MANJEET SINGH SBI 11354264685

THANKS SATWINDER KAUR 9999982994

Kawal's Help drive - sad demise

Sat Shri Akal,

All the respected people I Papinder Kaur would like to thanks you a lot for helping me in Kawal's Medical Drive. Yesterday when I was searching something I came across the SikhsIndia blog where we had request for help, is still there. I was not able to post the changes.

I would request you to post in the sikhsindia blog that Kawal has passed away on 19th September 2010 after a long fighting journey of one year and thirteen months.

Regards
Papinder

We are really very sorry to know about the sad demise of Kawal ji. Donno if we could do anything for the departed soul. We had uploaded on 29th January, 2010, asking : CAN YOU HELP / ASSIST HER IN ANY WAY ?

with best regards

B S Vohra
SikhsIndia

Drug addiction blights the Indian state of Punjab

There is growing concern in India about the rapid rise in drug addiction cases in Punjab, one of the country's wealthiest states.

The main university in the region has claimed that 70% of young Punjabi men are hooked on drugs or alcohol.

The problem is at its worst along the border with Pakistan where heroin originating from Afghanistan is smuggled into the country.

The BBC's Mark Dummett reports from Amritsar.

PLEASE VIEW THE DETAILED NEWS ON BBC VIDEO FROM THE LINK BELOW :www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11920796

with thanks : BBC News

SikhsIndia www.sohnijodi.com www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com

Mughal Emperor Zafar’s descendant to visit Pak Sikh shrines to seek forgiveness

Attari, Dec.6: A descendant of former Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar has said that she will go to Pakistan to seek forgiveness in Sikh shrines there. “My life has changed after I had visited the Golden Temple in 2004 to seek forgiveness for the atrocities committed by my ancestors – the Mughal Emperors on Sikh gurus,” said Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Sultana Begum has been living a life of penury on the pavements of Kolkata.

She told ANI on Monday before leaving for Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border that she was getting Rs.400 as pension earlier, but the government had now raised it to Rs.6000 per month.

She also claimed that President Pratibha Devisingh Patil had given her assurances about providing her with a house.

She said that after her return from Pakistan she would meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Sultana has led a harsh life, especially after the death of her husband, Prince Mirza Mohammad Badar Bukht in 1980.

She was married to him for 15 years. Badar Bukht was the son of Prince Jamshed Bukht and great grandson of Prince Jawan Bukht who was son of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and Crown Queen Zeenat Mahal.

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

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Madonna receives multi-million dollar gift from Sikh

Members of the Madonna University community had more than a million reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving, thanks to the generosity of area philanthropist Deepinder Uppal.

A professor of English and communication at Southwestern Michigan College with an upbringing in Sikhism and a childhood spanning the globe, Uppal was first enlisted to mentor Dean Adkins, director of major gifts and gift planning at Livonia's Madonna University, in order for Adkins to better understand the growing Sikh presence in Southeast Michigan philanthropy. A frequent visitor to campus, Uppal became strongly acquainted with Madonna values and the serendipitous possibilities in philanthropy at Madonna University.

“When I heard Dean talk about how there were specific planned giving instruments that could not only help me solve some financial issues in my life right now but also could simultaneously create an irrevocable planned gift to do good, to further Madonna's vision, I was all for it,” Uppal said. “These types of charitable solutions had never been presented to me before.” After discussing various options with Adkins, Uppal recently recorded a multi-million dollar intention with the University in the form of a deferred gift.

Uppal teaches and believes that religion should be a unifying concept, not a point of division. Founded in Punjab in the 15th century, Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that, today, ranks as the fifth largest religion in the world, with some 20 million followers.

“This is an opportunity to promote a dialogue between two religions,” Uppal said. “I feel I am doing my part to live out the sentiments one may find in Wand Kay Shako,” the teaching of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev that one should share one's wealth with others in the community to profoundly inspire and support society.

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

SikhsIndia

PM may bring up ban on turbans with Sarkozy

NEW DELHI: As French President Nicolas Sarkozy landed in Delhi on Sunday, government sources indicated that the contentious issue of Sikh turbans in France would again be taken up with the French side. The government is expected to politely convey to Sarkozy how strongly India feels about the issue when he holds delegation-level talks with PM Manmohan Singh on Monday.

Sarkozy had an informal meeting over dinner with Singh after landing in Delhi from Agra on Sunday evening. In the past too, Singh has taken up the issue with Sarkozy and while the president has displayed understanding of the situation, Sikh groups continue to believe they are being discriminated against by the French government. Currently, it is difficult for a Sikh to acquire any identification-related document if he doesn't get himself photographed without removing his turban.

In his September 2008 summit talks in Paris, Singh had emphasized to Sarkozy that the turban was "a very essential part of the Sikh way of life". Sarkozy had then said that he had an "open mind" on the issue. Again in July 2009, after the French National Day celebrations, Singh had handed over a "non-official" document to Sarkozy on how to handle the problem. Sarkozy had then assured that there was no ban in France on Sikhs wearing turban.

With thanks : Times of India : link in headline for detailed news.

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