Original Link :
http://cityplus.epapr.in/20759/East-Delhi/Vol-6_I-16_Dec-21-Jan-06#p=page:n=7
Monday, January 9, 2012
Judicial interference in Sikh religious affairs is unacceptable
I am strongly of the view that religious affairs should be left to religious leaders and scholars because interference by other authorities; be it judiciary or executive most of the times turns out to be unacceptable and some times undesirable.
Though the Punjab and Haryana high court judgment allowing “Sehajdharis” to vote in the gurdwara elections came last month, I did not react to it immediately because I was surprised and amused after reading it. I went through all records, scholars’ views and scriptures and found no substantial evidence on “Sehajdhari” being an active part of Sikh ethos.
Sehajdhari, according to scholars, are those who are not Sikhs but believe in gurus and gurbani. This is a very wide canvass. Even the tenth Sikh guru, Gobind Singh ji, has clearly stated “Manas ki jatt sabhey ek hi pachenbo”; similarly it’s part of Sikh lore that “Awal allah noor uphaya kudrat de sab bande”— mankind belongs to one almighty.
But Guru Gobind Singh ji, who founded the Khalsa Panth, also made it very clear that the Sikh has to have a distinct identity. He said in no uncertain words: “Rehat pyari moh ko Sikh pyara nahi” (I will not like the Sikh who does not accept a distinct rehat identity).
In daily prayer, one thing is always mentioned: “Sikhan no Sikhi dan, kesh dan (Sikh(s) should be blessed with uncut hair)”.
The term Sehajdhari came into vogue after the formation of the Khalsa because many people slowly came into the Sikh fold after accepting and understanding its tenets.
Prominent examples of Sehajdhari becoming Sikhs include Master Tara Singh, the late Sardar Inderjit Singh, Bhai Mohan Singh and eminent scholar, professor Sahib Singh.
Justice JS Khehar is currently a judge of the Supreme Court. While heading a full bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court on May 30, 2009, he had held, “Retaining hair unshorn is a fundamental tenet of the Sikh”. He added, “Not only that, under the ‘Sikh rehat maryada’, a Sikh is not permitted to dishonour hair, or even to harbour any antipathy to hair of the head with which a child is born”.
Holding that religion must be perceived as it is, and not as another would like it to be, justice Khehar gave this landmark verdict on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the definition of a Sikh as contained in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, filed by Gurleen Kaur who had been denied admission to an MBBS course at the SGPC-run institution on the grounds that individuals with plucked eyebrows or trimmed beards are not eligible as these were against tenets of Sikh religion.
So there is a clear distinction between a Sehajdhari and a Patit (person who has willingly cut his hair and given up the Sikh identity).
Many Sikhs have discarded their identity especially in Punjab. They are the people who are now claiming that they are Sehajdhari, which is blatantly wrong. And on this issue judicial intervention is not acceptable. Remember the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Shah Bano case, which even forced the then union government headed by Rajiv Gandhi to introduce a bill in Parliament nullifying that decision because the government viewed the judgment as interference in religion? So why are Sikhs being made an exception? The recent judgment allowing Sehajdharis voting rights in gurdwara elections is at variance with the verdict of the same court delivered by justice Khehar.
Gurdwaras form the backbone of the Sikh community. Here prayers are recited every day, exhorting Sikhs to follow the teaching of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Here “Amrit Prachar” (baptism ceremony) is held to infuse the spirit of rehat maryada among Sikhs. How can these gurdwaras be run by Patits or by those who do not accept the basic creed of the Sikh religion?
There are several Hindu temples in the country where no non-Hindu is allowed to worship, leave aside administrating them. No non-Muslim can go to Mecca and Medina. So why should Sikh gurdwaras, administration or elections come under judicial preview?
While there is state interference in their religious affairs, when it come to Sikhs’ legitimate demand of separate marriage act, no action is taken.
One may ask why people who have willingly given up the Sikh identity are so desperate to be known as Sehajdhari. I believe this is becase they are in ‘non-man’s land’. They are confused because they don’t want to call themselves Hindus.
Eminent Sikh Scholar Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha in his iconic work “Hum Hindu Nahi” very clearly and incisively explain the creed of SIkhism.
Whenever I go to other parts of the country, Sikhs complain: “We live by our religon against all odds and are proud of being Sikhs and its distinct identity, but we find it hard to explain to others when we see clean-shaven people coming from Punjab claiming to be Sikhs”.
It is time for the Sikhs leadership, clergy, scholars and intellectuals to put their differences aside and think about the future of the community and also make it clear to the government to leave Sikh institutions alone. Earlier attempts to interfere have led to disastrous consequences.
This is also the time to make the idfference between Shehadharis and Patits clear and spell out who has the right to vote and admninister gurdwaras. Sikhs need no state interference in this regard.
Source: Dr. Tarlochan Singh (Former Chairman, National Commission for Minorities).
with thanks : sikhsangat : link in headline above.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
India ( Amritsar ) getting world's largest driverless pod car system
200 electric vehicles will shuttle 100,000 passengers a day to and from holy site.
Conjuring up memories of the driver-free taxis — Johnny Cabs — seen in the 1990 sci-fi action flick Total Recall, a huge new fleet of autonomous vehicles will soon serve the Indian town of Amritsar. Developed by Ultra Global PRT, the system of 200 electric Passenger Rapid Transit cars will dwarf the one it built at London's Heathrow airport in 2010.
Traveling along a two-mile-long system of elevated roadways between seven stations, the PRT vehicles are expected to ferry 100,000 people a day within Amritsar, location of India's Golden Temple, a Sikh holy site that attracts as many as 500,000 visitors each day during peak times of the year. Ultra Global expects 35% of the site's visitors to utilize the vehicles, which will cost about the same as conventional taxis or rickshaws to hire.
with thanks : tecca : link in the headline above for detailed news.
SikhsIndia
Please pass on this message to BPL Sikh community of Delhi
WJKK - WJKF,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CTCAhuOGOWk
If you know about any Sikh family under the BPL category, in Delhi, please help it by spreading this news / message of FREE MEDICLAIM POLICY BY DSGMC. We must try to bring the entire BPL Sikh community under this scheme to serve the community. Please feel free to contact us for any more details.
With Best regards.
B S Vohra
SikhsIndia
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
SikhsIndia : Blog, Facebook, youtube, Twitter, Flickr .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CTCAhuOGOWk
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Hailstones at Golden temple on Friday
HAILSTONES: An Indian girl picked up hail after a hail storm and heavy rain outside the Sikh Shrine Golden temple in Amritsar on Friday. (Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images).
with thanks : link in the headline above.
SikhsIndia
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www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com
www.RWABhagidari.com
Friday, January 6, 2012
Khanda Baba Deep singh ji : SikhsIndia
SikhsIndia
www.sikhsindia.blogsport.com
( Blog, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, flickr )
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www.rwabhagidari.blogspot.com
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Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Gurdwara Lakhanmajra - 18 KM from Rohtak : Pics
Pics by Sd. B S Vohra
SikhsIndia
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Akal Takht defers hearing on Amitabh plea on ’84 riots
The Akal Takht on Tuesday deferred indefinitely the case involving Amitabh Bachc-han’s alleged role in inciting violence in 1984 Sikh riots.
Earlier, the hearing was scheduled for December 22 but put off due to unavailability of Sikh high priests for this meeting. As many as five Sikh high priests were supposed to give their verdict on Bachchan’s plea.
Bachchan, in a sealed letter to the Akal Takht, had pleaded his innocence in the riots. He had sent the letter after facing criticism from various Sikh organisations about an invitation pertaining to inauguration of Khalsa Heritage complex, Virast-e-Khalsa, at Anandpur Sahib. As a result of this, he did not attend this function.
with thanks : indian Express : link above for detailed news.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
HC issues notices to Centre, Punjab gov on Sehajdhari issue
Chandigarh, Jan 3 (PTI) Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to the Centre, Punjab government, SGPC and Gurudwara Election Tribunal for February 8 on a PIL by Sehajdharis (non-baptised Sikhs), seeking fresh elections of SGPC and inclusion of Sehajdhari in revised list. On December 20, the High Court had quashed the Centre's notification debarring Sehajdharis from voting in the Sikh body's polls. The petitioner appealed that till the fresh elcetions are held, newly elected members of SGPC, which is the apex religious body of the Sikhs, be restrained from acting. It was submitted by the petitioner that the election of SGPC held on September 18, 2011 was made conditional and outcome of the writ petitions challenging notification issued by the Central government on October 8, 2003 disfranchising Sehajdharis by the full bench of the High Court as well as by the Supreme Court in the Special Leave Petition.
with thanks : ibnlive : link in headline above for detailed news.
Live Broadcast from Takhat Siri Hazur Sahib Now on SikhNet
In memory and celebration of the Prakash Purab (Birthday) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji which occurs this year on Saturday, Dec 31st, we are excited to announce the launch of daily live audio broadcast from Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib.
This will enable thousands of Sikhs all over the world to join in and listen to Kirtan that is happening live from Takhat Siri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, India.
Although this broadcast channel just became available on SikhNet Radio and on the Gurbani Media Center mobile app, it will continue indefinitely after the coming Gurpurb, so that you will always be able to listen to kirtan from Takht Sachkand Siri Hazur Sahib. It is now a permanent SikhNet Radio channel - Channel 7.
This new live audio broadcast has been made possible by the partnership of SikhNet and the Hazur Sahib Gurdwara management. Special thanks to Dr. P. S. Pasricha (Chairman) as well as Jasbir Singh Dham (Adviser to Chairman) who helped make this new service possible on this auspicious occasion.
Starting early morning on December 31st (India time - Standard Time +05:30 UTC) you can listen to the special celebrations going on at Takhat Siri Hazoor Sahib in celebration of the birth of Siri Guru Gobind Singh ji.
You can listen to the Live Broadcast directly on the SikhNet Radio page (Channel 7) as well as on your mobile device using the SikhNet Radio / Gurbani Media Center mobile apps. In the following week the live audio will also be available directly on the Hazur Sahib website.
with thanks : SikhNet : link in headline above.
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