Sikh community shaken after AM-PM fatal shooting

YAKIMA, Wash. - Kamaljit Singh has lived in Yakima for 11-years and said he had never heard of such an incident against a Sikh member in this community.

"I was pretty shocked, the guy just came from India he was new, got shot its terrifying," said Sikh temple member, Kamaljit Singh.  

The 25-year-old male clerk who was killed during an armed robbery Thursday morning has been identified as Yikram Jaryal from Punjab, India.

Sikh community members said he had just arrived about a month ago, just looking to work his way up.

His family members looking for a way to take his body back to India.

Sikh community members ready to help.

"We are going to get together and hopefully support the family of the victim," said Singh.

But what shocks the community the most is that the suspects shot Jaryal even though he handed the suspects the money.

with thanks : YakTriNews : LINK : for detailed news

1984 anti-Sikh riots case: SC tags petitions seeking probe

The Supreme Court today said that a plea seeking a CBI probe into a 1984 anti-Sikh riots incident in Kanpur in which 127 persons had died, will be heard along with a petition in which an SIT inquiry has been ordered.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar tagged the plea with another similar petition related to the 1984 riots which will come up for hearing on April 24.

"Since an SIT inquiry is already going on, we are tagging this petition with the earlier one," it said.

The plea filed by Manjit Singh GK, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, said that even after 33 years, no constructive action has been taken by the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government to provide justice and rehabilitate and compensate the victims of the 1984 riots in Kanpur.

The petition has claimed that the Centre and the U P government have not taken any action to punish the accused persons despite having "clear and cogent data".

"Looking at the gravity of the situation and apathetic attitude of the respondent (governments), it is expedient and in the interest of justice that likewise Delhi, in the inquiry and investigation with regard to deaths, disabilities, destruction of property and compensation, the investigation may be referred to either the CBI or the SIT, so that the truth could be unearthed and victims could be compensated.

with thanks : DNA : LINK : for detailed news

India rejects Ontario Assembly's move to call 1984 anti-Sikh riots as 'genocide'

New Delhi: The Indian government on Thursday strongly rejected the motion passed by the legislative assembly of Ontorio in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. 

Earlier today, the Ontario government termed the 1984 Sikh massacre in India as 'genocide'. 

However, the Indian government strongly rejected the move and termed it as misguided. 

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay confirmed the report and said that Indian government has taken up the matter with the Canadian leadership.

"We have noted the passage of a Private Members' Motion in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on April 6. We reject this misguided Motion which is based on a limited understanding of India, its constitution, society, ethos, rule of law and the judicial process."

"Our views have been conveyed to the government and political leadership in Canada," he said. However, the spokesperson did not give further details.

He was replying to a question regarding passage of a private members' motion in the legislative assembly of Ontario.

The motion by Harinder Malhi, a Liberal member of provincial parliament, read "That, in the opinion of this House... Should reaffirm our commitment to the values we cherish - justice, human rights and fairness - and condemn all forms of communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance in India and anywhere else in the world, including the 1984 Genocide perpetrated against the Sikhs throughout India, and call on all sides to embrace truth, justice and reconciliation."

with thanks : Zee News : LINK : for detailed news

Canada’s provincial assembly recognizes 1984 Sikh massacre as genocide

JALANDHAR: The legislative assembly of Ontario province of Canada on Thursday passed a motion recognizing the anti-Sikh violence of November 1984, as genocide. The motion was moved by Liberal member of provincial parliament (MPP) Harinder Malhi (Brampton-Springdale) and it received support from all three provincial parties.

Malhi also quoted Indian home minster Rajnath Singh's use of expression "genocide", at a public event in December 2014, for the massacre as she argued for the motion.

The motion read, "That, in the opinion of this House, the legislative assembly of Ontario, should reaffirm our commitment to the values we cherish - justice, human rights and fairness - and condemn all forms of communal violence, hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance in India and anywhere else in the world, including the 1984 genocide perpetrated against the Sikhs throughout India, and call on all sides to embrace truth and reconciliation."

with thanks : Times of India : LINK : for detailed news

’84 riots: Kanpur victims file fresh petition in SC

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 7

Victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots from Kanpur today moved the Supreme Court demanding setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murders of over 125 people.

In a petition filed in the apex court, petitioners Manjit Singh GK and others demanded re-investigation of at least seven cases registered at Bazaria and Nazirabad police stations that had been closed by the police for want of evidence.

Complaining that no significant action had been taken by the authorities, the petitioners said: “There is mockery of criminal justice system as far as the case of riots victims is concerned.”

The petitioners alleged that even after 33 years there was no constructive action on part of the Uttar Pradesh Government and the police to provide them justice or to rehabilitate and compensate them.

“It’s an irony...that in the city of Kanpur, in the knowledge of the petitioners, 127 persons belonging to the Sikh community were brutally murdered/burnt to death in different police station areas. However, none of the police stations is even ready to acknowledge their deaths,” the petitioners submitted.

Petitioners’ counsel Prasoon Kumar told a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that no action had been taken to prosecute perpetrators of the crime.

The Bench posted the matter for hearing on April 24 along with another PIL on anti-Sikh riots in Delhi where almost 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots that broke out following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

with thanks : Tribune : LINK : for detailed news

UNION MINISTER VENKAIAH NAIDU, MANOJ TIWARI AND PARVESH VERMA LEAD IMPRESSIVE ROAD SHOW FOR SIRSA

New Delhi, April 6 : Union Minister Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, Delhi BJP President Mr. Manoj Tiwari and Member Parliament Mr. Parvesh Sahib Verma today led the impressive road show in favour of the Bhartiya Janta Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal combine candidate Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Rajouri Garden.

        This road show started from Khayala and passed through different areas of the constituency.

        Addressing enthusiastic supporters and workers of the BJP-SAD combine Mr. Naidu said that the huge response to the road show has made it ample clear that like the people of the country, residents of this constituency too have made up their mind to vote for the good work being done by the NDA government led by Prime Minister Mr. Narinder Modi. He said that pro BJP-SAD combine wave in the constituency is clearly visible and this victory in this bye poll will begin an era of victory of the BJP-SAD in the ensuing MCD elections and later in the assembly elections.

        Union Minister said that ruling AAP and Congress are out of race in this bye election which is visible from poor response to their election programs. He said that the one point agenda of the Delhi CM and AAP convener Mr. Arvind Kejriwal is to use the public exchequer for his personal gains and the party has nothing to do with the welfare of the public or development of Delhi. He said that similar is the case of the Congress which is facing series of defeats due to its non performance while running the UPA government for 10 years and ruling Delhi for 15 years.        Mr Naidu said that on other hand agenda of governance of the BJP led NDA government at the centre and in other states was a guiding principle for the government to work for welfare of people and development of nation.

        Speaking on the occasion Mr. Manoj Tiwari Delhi BJP President said that people of the Delhi had voted for AAP to get rid of the corruption of the Congress party but Mr. Arvind Kejriwal has created a new definition of corruption by legalizing the loot of the public exchequer and finding ways to use the public money for promotion of his party. He said that this party had increased salary of MLAs manifold after assuming power  and spent huge amount of money of people of Delhi in Punjab campaign by giving advertisements worth crores of rupees with which Delhities had nothing to do. He said that now people here have realized their blunder and they want to make a new beginning and this new beginning will be in the form of victory of Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Rajouri Garden.

        On the occasion Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa thanked entire leadership for canvassing for him and assured them that with the blessings of people and after emerging victorious he will immediately start working on the development of constituency and welfare of public as per the guidelines of Prime Minister Mr. Narinder Modi.

                Other prominent who were present on the occasion included senior BJP leaders Sham Jaju, Vijay Goel, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, OP Babbar, Subhash Arya,  Rajiv Babbar, Ramesh Khanna and Satya Narayan Dang besides others.

Sikh Heritage Month In Canada: John A. Macdonald, Harjit Sajjan Poster Illustrates 150 Years Of Change

The image shows the country's first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, eye to eye with Canada's first defence minister of Sikh heritage, Harjit Sajjan.

Macdonald's featured quote, "Send me an army of Sikhs," is excerpted from a letter he wrote to Queen Victoria:

"War will come someday between England and the United States and India can do us yeoman's service by sending an army of Sikhs … across the Pacific to San Francisco and holding that beautiful and immortal city with the surrounding California — as security for Montreal and Canada."

While his suggestion is somewhat cheeky, Macdonald's words reveal a lot about how Sikhs were viewed in 1867, and for years after that.

That contrasts greatly with the caption above Sajjan's photo: "An army led by a Sikh."

And that's exactly the difference 150 years makes.

The poster was created by the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada as a "conversation piece" to "stir emotion and create dialogue."

with thanks : huffingtonpostcanada : LINK : for SLIDE SHOW AND DETAILED NEWS STORY. MUST VIEW.

US Congress recognises Vaisakhi as creation of Khalsa

In a resolution in the first session of 115th Congress, the house of representatives on Wednesday recognised the day of Vaisakhi, a Sikh festival, as the creation of Khalsa in 1699.

The resolution was submitted by Congressmen John Garamendi and Patrick Meehan, who co-chair the American Sikh Congressional Caucus.

The resolution has come at a time when incidents of hate crime against the Sikh community are on the rise in the United States and the U.S. administration is apparently eyeing to create awareness to control such incidents.

The resolution said, "Vaisakhi is an annual Festival celebrating the spring harvest season and it is particularly significance to the Sikh religion and is one of the most important dates in Sikh History."

with thanks : Business Standard : LINK : for detailed news

30 years after anti-Sikh riots, cops issue fresh summons to two accused

Three decades after the anti-Sikh riots, police have issued fresh summons to two people for their alleged involvement with the case pointing to India's crawling criminal justice system.

Thousands of Sikh men and boys were bludgeoned, slashed and burned to death by mobs in the days after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984. Activists have accused the then ruling Congress of having turned a blind eye and say some of its leaders helped orchestrate the violence.

That year, a mob allegedly killed and injured some Sikhs in south Delhi's Mahipalpur area. Among those who died were Hardev Singh and Avtar Singh. The then investigation officer had submitted an "untraced" report and the person, who was booked for rioting, was acquitted by the trial court in 1986.

Cops have booked two 54-year-old residents of Mahipalpur- Naresh Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh. Both are facing charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, weapon possession, attempt to murder, murder, etc. They have been summoned to court on April 6.

with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK : for detailed report

Sikh woman raped, killed by homeless man: UK court told in murder trial

An Indian-origin hotel housekeeper whose body had been discovered from a wasteland near Heathrow airport in west London last November was raped and murdered by a homeless stranger, a UK court was told on Wednesday.

Pardeep Kaur had been reported missing on October 17, 2016, by a relative after she did not come home from work.

The 30-year-old’s missing person’s investigation was soon taken over by the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, who arrested and charged Vadims Ruskuls, from Latvia, for Kaur’s murder and preventing her lawful burial.

Her murder trial opened at the Old Bailey court in London this week, where the jury was told that Ruskuls “pounced” on Kaur as she walked to work, ‘Evening Standard’ reports.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK : for detailed news

Shah Rukh Khan is a Sikh, Anushka Sharma turns a Punjabi kudi as they shoot a song together, see pics

Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma have been shooting for the last schedule in Punjab for their untitled film directed by Imtiaz Ali. While their earlier pictures saw them roaming in sun-baked fields of Punjab, giving us a major throwback to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, the duo has been caught by the camera again as they shot for a Punjabi number. The song is being choreographed by Bosco Martis. Now, every time Shah Rukh has donned the character of Punjabi, he has got all the elements just right. Given that this is a romantic film, how can he not dance to a Punjabi love song?

Bosco Martis has made several celebrities dance to his tunes. Kala Chashma (Baar Baar Dekho), Cheez Badi (Machine) and Tamma Tamma Again (Badrinath Ki Dulhania) are a few of his recent hits. So, we can be assured that the choreographer will yet again spread some magic on the silver screen.

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK : for detailed news story.