Sikh taxi driver awarded for honesty in Australia

IANS

Sydney, Nov 20: A Sikh taxi driver in Australia, who returned A$110,000 in cash he found on the rear seat of his cab to its owners, has received a Melbourne City Council award for his honesty.

Lakhwinder Singh Dhillon found the money after dropping off a group of people at Crown Casino in Melbourne last month.

The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle presented Singh with a certificate of commendation, the Herald Sun reported Wednesday.

Singh said the seven men and two women, whom he had picked up from Chinatown in his maxi cab, seemed very drunk.

"When I saw all that money, I thought, what is happening, it is something amazing, what should I do," Singh said.

After finding the cash, he drove to a police station but he soon received a call from the owners to return the money at the casino where he left them.

Singh believed they were visitors from China staying at the casino.

"They gave me a A$500 reward. One of them said: 'You're very honest, you're a very good man, you've helped us a lot'," Singh said.

"He is truly an inspirational Melbournian - it was the act of an honest man of integrity," mayor Doyle said.

Singh said he was greatly honoured by the award.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

UK Sikh man sues son over £415 million hotel fortune

London: A prominent British Sikh hotelier is all set for a legal face-off with his 86-year-old father, who plans to sue his businessman son for failing to share with him the family wealth of 415 million pounds. 

Bal Mohinder Singh is suing his eldest son, Jasminder Singh, head of Britain’s successful Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotels group, for abandoning the Sikh tradition of sharing family wealth by excluding him from the business. The case will come up in the High Court in London from Tuesday. 

with thanks : Pune Mirror : LINK

US Sikh with beard gets $50,000 for job denial

IANS

New Jersey, Nov 20: An Indian-American Sikh man, who was denied a job for keeping a beard by a car dealership in New Jersey five years ago, will receive $50,000 as compensation in an out-of-court settlement.

Gurpreet Singh Kherha, a resident of Little Falls, New Jersey, who had applied for a sales position at Tri-County Lexus in February 2008, was told by the hiring manager that although he was well-qualified, he could not be hired because of the dealership's strict "no beard" policy.

Kherha then took his case to the Sikh Coalition, a community organisation, which filed a discrimination claim along with the the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in November 2008, and a lawsuit was filed in New Jersey State Court in February 2010.

The terms of the settlement with the Sikh Coalition and EEOC over alleged hiring malpractices also requires Tri-County Lexus dealership to enter into a two-year remedial programme.

The programme includes revising its written policies and procedures prohibiting employment discrimination and providing ongoing training to all staff on anti-discrimination laws, with a focus on religious discrimination and religious accommodation laws.

The dealership will also be required to ensure that a copy of its revised policies is provided to any applicant who requests a religious accommodation during the hiring or interviewing process.

The EEOC will monitor and ensure the dealership's compliance with the terms of the court-ordered consent decree.

"As this settlement demonstrates, Sikh Americans have a right to live, work, and thrive in the US, just like anyone else," said Gurjot Kaur, staff attorney at the Sikh Coalition.

"We will continue to stand up against employers who fail to understand their legal obligations to provide religious accommodations and keep Sikhs and other religious minorities out of the workplace," she said.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

Dr.Kristina Myrvold : "Young Swedish Sikhs :Translating Sikhism and Negotiating Identities in Northen Europe"

Dr,Kristina Myrvold's lecture on "Young Swedish Sikhs : Translating Sikhism and Negotiating Identities in Northen Europe "was very well received at UC Riverside. As a Swedish scholar of Sikhism she did an excellent job in highlighting the evolution of Sikhism in Northern Europe, particularly how young Sikhs are asserting their identity in a Swedish cultural context.  

( Dr.Kristina Myrvold  with Professor Pashaura Singh ( University of California,Riverside,USA)

Pics Parkash Utsav at Gurdwara Rakabganj sahib, Delhi

Happy Gurpurab

Happy Gurupurab ji. Aap sab nu lakh lakh vadhaiyaan hovan ji.

Obama greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak birthday

IANS

Washington, Nov 16: President Barack Obama has greeted "Sikh friends" around the world on the birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak saying Sikh values of pluralism were also "central to who we are as Americans."

"This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak's timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another," he said in a message on Friday.

Expressing gratefulness "to the many Sikh Americans who give life to these values and enrich our country every day," Obama said they reminded "us that these shared principles are not only at the heart of the Sikh faith, they are central to who we are as Americans."

White House is also set to celebrate Guru Nanak's birth anniversary on Wednesday.

Here is the text of Obama's message:

"I want to extend my best wishes to all our Sikh friends, across the United States and around the world, who this weekend are observing the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru.

"This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak's timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another.

"Here in the United States, we're grateful to the many Sikh Americans who give life to these values and enrich our country every day, reminding us that these shared principles are not only at the heart of the Sikh faith, they are central to who we are as Americans.

The Sikh community welcomed Obama's greetings saying he and his administration have shown particular respect for Sikhs and their religious observances

Obama "has stood with Sikh community in the most challenging times last year during the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting and he tried his best to give comfort to the Sikhs and the nation," said Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education.

"We are committed to be a partner with President Obama in building a loving society where no one feels left out," he said.

with thanks : IANS : LINK : 

Chinese soldiers stunned by Indian Gatka : Hindustan Times, Delhi

Ragi Amarjit singh ji Patiala wale with Sangat

Pics : Gurmat Samagam at Chand Mohalla, Gandhi nagar, Delhi