Every Sikh feels deeply hurt over outrageous and repeated incidents of Beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, showing solidarity with Punjab.
Picture Courtesy- Leela Suresh Tripathi
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
‘Black Diwali’ following desecration of holy book
Every Sikh feels deeply hurt over outrageous and repeated incidents of Beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, showing solidarity with Punjab.
Picture Courtesy- Leela Suresh Tripathi
A Sikh Helpline Launches in Australia
A statement released by the service providers has been published below:
“With the aim of providing much needed support platform for Sikhs in Australia, the Sikh Helpline service is launched by Red Khanda Inc. The Helpline sewa run by volunteers will provide Australia-wide sangat confidential counselling, information and help on various issues in Punjabi and English.
“Presence of Sikhs in Australia
can be traced back to early settlement periods but the number of Sikhs
in Australia since those periods had not grown much until the end of
20th century mainly due to white Australia policy and Sikhs from Punjab favouring
Canada, UK and USA over Australia. This scene has changed in last 10
years when young Sikh students and skilled migrants shifted their focus
to Australia and made down under their home. The Sikh Australians are
positively contributing to growth and development of their adopted
country.
“While Sikh Australians report
their experience in Australia en masse as good, the challenges faced by
Sikh Australians cannot be pushed aside. Living away in a foreign land
and as minority immigrant in adopted country is never easy but for Sikh
Australians the incidents like 9/11 and Martin Place siege bring alive
realities of racism and hatred. Adults and children come face to face
with bullying, harassment and discrimination on day to day basis. Some
can deal with situations on their own, others need some system of
support to gather a response to these problems.
“Then there are our in house
issues which need to be attended. Although Sikhi propounds abstinence
from intoxicants and mandates equality, but the harsh truth is that some
Sikh households do suffer from domestic violence, addictions etc. Due
to stigma attached with such issues the victims don’t want to discuss
things openly and need community support. Growing up in high pace modern
materialistic societies either gives one less exposure to Sikhi or
sometimes causes confusion and conflicts within about ones faith and
identity.
“Above are some examples of
situations and circumstances when one needs to seek help and guidance.
With a view to help fellow Sikhs in need to help in such situation Sikh
Helpline Australia is being launched.”
The confidential service has now rolled out and is available as a community run service throughout Australia.
With Thanks : Sikhs Helping Sikhs
Bandi Chorh Diwas : Diwali of Sikhs
In Sikh history, after Baisakhi, which marks the establishment of Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, Bandi Chorh Divas is considered the second most important day in planning of the Sikh freedom from the Mughal empire.
Diwali coincides with Sikh festival of Bandi Chhor Divas (Prisoners’ Release Day or Day of Liberation) which attracts large number of devotees.
Monday, November 9, 2015
U.S. Sikh Groups Meet with U.S. State Department on Panjab Crisis
Voices for Freedom and other human rights groups met with the Department of State and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to voice the concerns of the American Sikh community regarding the current situation developing in Panjab, India. Also in attendance were Sikh community leaders from around the United States. Memoranda explaining the details of the plight of the Sikh community of India were distributed to each office.
Last month, in the village of Bagari and in numerous other places in Panjab, Sikh holy scriptures were desecrated. During a peaceful protest by the Sikhs in Panjab against the desecration on October 14, 2015, two Sikhs—Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Avtar Singh—were shot and killed by the Panjab police. The police disrupted the peaceful protest by violating the protesters’ Freedom of Speech and Expression, as well as their Right to Assembly, which are both enshrined in the Indian constitution.
Timeline of the current Crisis in Panjab
On October 12, 2015, peaceful protests began protesting in Panjab after more than one hundred pages from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Sikh guru, were torn and scattered around the village of Bargari in Panjab.
In response to the lack of police action in this case,Sikh protesters gathered and began a peaceful sit-in, reciting prayers, or meditating, in nearby Kotkapura. On October 14, 2015, Panjab Police reportedly sanctioned the use of teargas, water cannons, and brute force against this group of protesters. Two protesters were shot and killed by the police, sparking outrage among state residents as well as the international community.
The Sikh community continues to wait for details to emerge regarding this incident and what action will be taken to investigate the killings of two unarmed protesters.
With Thanks :Sikhs Helping Sikhs
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Punjabi Becomes Third Language in Canada's House of Commons
TORONTO: Punjabi has now become the third most common language, after English and French, in the House of Commons of Canada after 20 Punjabi-speaking candidates were elected to the Parliament in October.
In total, 23 lawmakers of Indian-origin were elected after October 19 general elections. Three of the 23 lawmakers do not speak Punjabi, Hill Times online reported today.
Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau, who won from Papineau, Quebec constituency, will unveil his Cabinet later this week. Some of Punjabi-speaking lawmakers are expected to be included in the Cabinet.
Meanwhile, Navdeep Bains of Liberal Party said that the elected 20 Punjabi-speaking lawmakers represent all constituents regardless of their party affiliation or ethnic origin.
"It speaks to our commitment to diversity and allowing individual to play an important role in our political institutions," Mr Bains said.
"The main issue to understand is that we have a very clear mandate to execute our platform and we also have a responsibility to represent our constituents, which are very diverse," he added.
"The voice of the Indo-Canadian community will now be very well represented in the parliament. In the overall aspect of it, the South Asian community won," Deepak Obhrai of Conservative Party was quoted as saying.
According to Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey, 430,705 Canadians identified Punjabi as their mother tongue, making it the third most common language after English and French, the report in the daily said.
The 430,705 native Punjabi speakers make up about 1.3 per cent of Canada's population and the 20 Punjabi-speaking lawmakers represent almost six per cent of the House of Commons, the report added.
with thanks : NDTV : LINK
Arrested Barkingside Sikh’s anger after turban grabbed at central London protest
A 48-year-old Sikh man has called for a public enquiry after being arrested and having his turban “grabbed” and thrown to the floor during a protest in central London.
Ropinder Singh, of Glenthorn Gardens, Barkingside, was arrested on suspicion of public disorder offences outside the Indian High Commission, Aldwych Road, on October 22, when hundreds gathered to protest about the destruction of Sikh scriptures in India.
Videos filmed during the sit-in protest show about 10 police officers immobilising Mr Singh on the ground and his turban being thrown on the floor.
Images also show him being arrested without his turban.
Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, who described the police handling of the protest, which involved officers from the mounted police, as “heavy handed and inappropriate”, told the Recorder he expected questions to be answered.
with thanks : ilfordrecorder : LINK : for detailed news.
Punjabi community in Canada thrilled as 3 sikhs get cabinet berths
Ottawa: The Punjabi community in Canada made history on Wednesday when two turbaned Sikhs were sworn in as cabinet ministers, as 42-year-old Justin Trudeau took oath as the country's 23rd prime minister at a grand public ceremony here.
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Another Sikh, Amarjeet Sohi, who is not turbaned, has been sworn in as minister for infrastructure. A former bus driver, Sohi was jailed in India for two years in the 1980s.
Navdeep Bains, who played a key role in Trudeau's election as the Liberal Party leader in 2013, has been awarded with a cabinet berth.
Bains, who became MP for the third time last month by winning from Mississauga-Brampton, previously served as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister in 2005 when he was MP from 2004 till 2011 when he lost.
with thanks : thehansaindia : LINK : for detailed news.
Four Sikhs Sworn In As Cabinet Ministers In Canada
NAVDEEP Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and MP for Mississauga-Malton (Ontario), played a key role in Trudeau’s leadership bid in 2013.
He was a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management and holds an MBA with a specialization in finance. As a Certified Management Accountant, he has worked several years in accounting and financial analysis for the Ford Motor Company of Canada.
HARJIT Singh Sajjan, Minister of Defence and MP for Vancouver South, is a retired Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and a combat veteran. He was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and served three separate deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Sajjan has received numerous recognitions for his service, including the Meritorious Service Medal for reducing the Taliban’s influence in Kandahar Province. He is also a recipient of the Order of Military Merit, one of the military’s highest recognitions. Sajjan also served as an Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Sajjan was a police officer with the Vancouver Police Department for 11 years. He completed his last assignment as a Detective-Constable with the Gang Crime Unit specializing in organized crime. He proudly tackled gang violence and drug crimes in Vancouver. Sajjan is also a human security specialist, and has lectured to a wide audience in both Canada and the United States.
AMARJEET Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and MP for Edmonton Mill Woods in Alberta, was elected three times as an Edmonton City Councillor.
Dedicated to improving Edmonton’s infrastructure and livability, Sohi represented the city on the Canadian Urban Transit Association, and has been a strong advocate for light rail transit. Sohi also advocated municipal interests to other levels of government through his delegation to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association. He has been a prominent leader on municipal and provincial issues, volunteering with Public Interest Alberta, the Centre for International Alternatives, and the Canadian Labour Congress.
BARDISH Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism and MP for Waterloo (Ontario), is a natural leader and organizer and is devoted to inclusion and community building. From assisting with recreational sports for kids to volunteering with seniors, Chagger is committed to strengthening the bonds of the Waterloo community.
In her role with the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Chagger has worked to foster diversity within the community providing opportunities for social and economic engagement. As the former executive assistant to former Member of Parliament Andrew Telegdi, Chagger has a deep understanding of the issues that are important to residents of Waterloo, including manufacturing, technology and innovation.
Justin Trudeau, the 42-year-old son of charismatic former prime minister Pierre Trudeau who is credited with opening Canada to new immigrants in the 1970s, led the Liberal Party to win 184 seats in the 338-member House of Commons.
With thanks : theindianpanaroma : LINK : for detailed news report.
The First Sikh To Ever Become The Defence Minister Of Canada Was Born In India
Harjit Sajjan, an Indo-Canadian Sikh, was named Canada’s new defence minister on Wednesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took oath as the country’s 23rd prime minister at a grand public ceremony in Ottawa. Yes, a Sikh for the first time in the history of Canada has been chosen as the Defence minister. Needless to say, this will take Sikhism in the Canada to a whole another level.
Harjit Singh, a former police officer and veteran of three military deployments to Afghanistan, was born in Punjab, India. Singh’s family migrated to Canada when he was five and never looked back. After completing his studies, Mr Sajjan initially worked as an officer for the Vancouver Police Department. In 1989, he joined Canadian reserved forces and eventually moved on into the Army on a full-time basis. Singh has served in Afghanistan and Bosnia and been twice a special adviser on Afghanistan.
With thanks : allindiaroundup : LINK : for detailed news.
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