Gurtej Singh ( Bhagat Singh of The Present Time ): 22 years old Martyred Sepoy Galwan valley in Ladakh

22 years old Martyred Sepoy Gurtej Singh

Meet  Martyred Gurtej Singh who was killed during a violent clash near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China at Galwan valley in Ladakh.

 Gurtej was seen carrying 4 Chinese soldiers with his both hands alone & throwing them over the ridge. He lost his balance & fell into ridge, his head was bleeding but he didn’t stop. He killed 12 Chinese soldiers with his bare hands before making supreme sacrifice. He was only 22 years old.

 Martyred Gurtej had joined the Army in 2018 was the youngest among his three brothers and had completed his 12th class in the non-medical stream.

Gurtej Singh cremated with full honours .Gurtej’s father and brothers lit the pyre, a contingent of the army gave a gun salute to the martyr, prior to which bugles sounded the Last Post.

The mortal remains of the Martyr Sepoy Gurtej Singh, 22, were consigned to flames on Friday at his native village Birewala Dogran village in Budhlada sub-division of the district,Mansa.

Finance Minister Punjab Manpreet Singh Badal laid a wreath on the behalf of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government. “I am here to pay homage to Gurtej on the behalf of Punjab Government and Punjab people. I salute all the mothers of Punjab and India, who bravely send a piece of their heart to sacrifice their lives for the country,” said Manpreet Badal, reminding country people that India got freedom by sacrificing their sons.

 Finance minister said that though the loss suffered by the family was immeasurable and could not be compensated with money, the Punjab Government will provide Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia compensation, along with a government job to a next of kin of the deceased to help the family to alleviate some of their sufferings.

A number of people, who poured in from different parts of the district gave a tearful adieu to the Martyred Sepoy Gurtej. Slogans like “Shaheed Gurtej Singh Amar Rahe” “Inquilab Zindabad” reverberated the air as Gurtej’s coffin, draped in tricolour was taken to the cremation ground in the presence of army officials, who paid floral tributes to him.

 

Link: https://www.royalpatiala.in/22-years-old-martyr-sepoy-gurtej-singh-cremated-with-full-honours-father-lit-the-pyre/

Sikh community in Lakewood demands hate crime charges after store owner is run over

Lakhwant Singh (right), owner of Two Angels Liquors in Lakewood, Colorado, has been hospitalized since April 29, when a customer came into his store late night and began an altercation, later ramming his car into the 61-year-old man. “He is still unable to move,” Onkar Singh, Lakhwant’s son, told India-West, adding it will be at least another month before his father is able to leave a rehabilitation facility. (photo courtesy of Onkar Singh

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- The Sikh community is demanding justice for a store owner who was verbally and physically abused by a customer in Lakewood.

The district attorney's office has filed attempted murder charges against the suspect, but the family of the victim says that’s not good enough. They want him to face hate crime charges.

Lakhwant Singh has lived in Colorado for over 20 years and operates a convenience store in Lakewood.He is a member of the Sikh community, a religious group originating in India.

"Sikhs maintain a physical and recognizable identity with their faith which includes a turban and unshorn hair," Nikki Singh, a family spokesperson and policy manager for the Sikh Coalition, told Denver.

Eric Breemen

An arrest affidavit in the case states Eric Breemen came into the store back in April and just started knocking things off of the counter."The attacker started going off on them, telling them that they didn’t belong in this country, telling them that they were from the Middle East," Amrith Kaur Aakre, legal director for the Sikh Coalition said.

Singh followed Breemen out of the store.

The report says Breemen attempted several times to run over Singh and was eventually successful. “He had to have significant surgery on his pelvis and he has metal plates throughout his body," Aakre said.

Singh had a broken arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding, spinal fracture and needed staples in his head. He was in the hospital for over a month and was recently transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for further treatment. It will be years before he fully recovers and he doesn't have full use of his hand.

"Before this happened he and other members were doing a lot of work to provide supplies and volunteer work to essential workers during COVID," Singh said.

Breemen faces a long list of charges including attempted murder, but the Sikh community wants him charged with a hate crime. They believe there is clear evidence the crime was motivated by bias because Breemen told Singh to go back to his country and told officers he was an Arab.

"Terrible crimes of violence occurred here but that is not the underlying offense. The underlying offense is the bias motivation," Aakre said.

The district attorney's office is still investigating and more charges could be coming.

Breemen’s next court date is July 24.

Link :https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/sikh-community-in-lakewood-demands-hate-crime-charges-after-store-owner-is-run-over

Mumbai Police’s latest social distancing advisory post :What to say to your ‘party-animal’ friends who ask you to ‘get together?’ Mumbai Police answers

Who would have thought that a line from the song Ek Main Aur Ek Tu from 1975 romance-thriller Khel Khel Mein could be used so creatively to send across an important message on social distancing. However, Mumbai Police just did that. Taking to Instagram, the department shared such a post which is not just creative but is also winning people over.

In the post’s caption, they shared what one should say when their ‘Party-Animal’ friends ask them to ‘get-together’. The department used the line from the song to reply to the question. The line says, “Dooriyan waqt ane par mitayenge [we will be closer when the time is right].”

Now, what can be a more befitting answer. 

 Since being shared less than 30 minutes ago, the post has already sparked all sorts of comments from people. Expectedly, there were a few who couldn’t stop gushing over Mumbai Police’s creativity and some praised the team handling the department’s social media. There were a few people who simply used laughing out loud emojis to express themselves.

“Nailed it,” wrote an Instagram user. “Mumbai Police got no chill,” expressed another along with a heart emoji. “You guys are killing it,” wrote a third.

“This is epic,” wrote a fourth and we do agree.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/what-to-say-to-your-party-animal-friends-who-ask-you-to-get-together-mumbai-police-answers/story-oFc0J6A6Eypvx94kPW6uLK.html

Delhi Civic School Students to be provided with masks made from Turbans

Masks made of Sikh turbans will be distributed among students of civic schools.

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “vocal for local”, masks made of Sikh turbans will be distributed among students of civic schools, North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh said on Monday.

He said these masks will be distributed in phases in various schools under the three municipal corporations.

“Our PM spoke about being ‘vocal for local’ during this pandemic. So during the lockdown, many Sikh brothers donated their turbans, which were collected and sanitised. Then people volunteered to stitch masks out of them,” Singh said.

The mayor also inspected Hindu Rao Hospital on Monday to oversee the preparedness in coronavirus wards.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/delhi-civic-school-students-to-be-provided-with-masks-made-from-turbans/story-7fZwGarChzBKIihdwWzcdI.html

Two Bihar cops are stationed outside Navjot Singh Sidhu's Amritsar home for 4 days :Why ?

     Two Bihar cops outside Sidhu's' resident in Amritsar

Two cops from Bihar have been sitting outside Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu's residence in Punjab's Amritsar since June 18. For four days, they have been waiting for the former Punjab minister to sign a piece of paper so they can go back to their home state. 

The wait does not seem to end. 

Two Bihar cops outside Sidhu's' resident in Amritsar

On Monday, when the two Bihar Policemen - one decked in full uniform and the other in plain clothes - were asked about the purpose of their stay, they said they have to get his signature on a bail bond paper in a case that was registered against him for his remarks at a poll rally in Katihar in 2019. 

The cricketer-turned-politician is, however, not ready to meet the police personnel

"We have been sitting outside MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu`s residence since June 18 to get his signature on a bail bond paper in a case that was registered against him for his remarks at a poll rally in Katihar in 2019. He is not ready to meet us," said Bihar Police Sub-Inspector Janardan Ram in Amritsar.

Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu was booked for violation of the code of conduct for making objectionable remarks against a community while addressing an election meeting in Katihar district of Bihar in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Since June 18, two sub-inspectors of Bihar Police are coming to Navjot Singh Sidhu's residence to involve him in the investigation, in that case, waiting 4-5 hours daily outside his house. Bihar Police Sub Inspector Janardhan says that if there was a common man, he would have come to the police station himself but Navjot Sidhu is a former minister, so they themselves have come but Sidhu is not meeting them despite being in the house.

"Though everyday people are coming to meet him and Sidhu is also meeting people, but he is not signing on our papers," said Janardhan.

The cop said he has apprised his higher officials about the situation and he will remain stationed till further orders.

Link:https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-why-two-bihar-cops-are-stationed-outside-navjot-singh-sidhu-s-amritsar-home-for-4-days-2829191

2 Covid-19 positive nurses who appeared for exam from quarantine facility : Salute Their Spirit

2 young nurses (tested positive for Covid -19) from Rajindra Hospital appeared for their exam from the isolation facility 

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday saluted the spirit of two nurses from Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital, who despite testing positive for Covid-19, requested to appear for their exam from the isolation ward.

“Salute the spirit of these 2 young nurses from Rajindra Hospital, Patiala who tested positive for Covid-19. This, however, did not dishearten them and the Government agreed to their request to appear for their exam from the isolation facility itself,” the chief minister tweeted.

 Link:https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/capt-amarinder-lauds-2-covid-19-positive-nurses-who-appeared-for-exam-from-quarantine-facility/story-1YbgfLu6SCWbDX0NykEIpM.html

Indian American Sikh Gursoach Kaur : 22 Year Old is first Turbaned Sikh woman in the NYPD

Indian American Sikh Gursoach Kaur : First Turbaned Female Officer in US Law Enforcement

Gursoach Kaur is 22 and completely badass. This Indian-American is the first turban-wearing Sikh woman in the NYPD. She graduated from the New York Police Academy  and became the force’s first turban wearing recruit. There are just under 2000 Sikh police officers in the NYPD, of them 10 are women but only one, Gursoch, wears a turban.

 She says her presence will also mean she can explain to people what the significance of the turban is. ‘I feel blessed,’ Kaur told Desi Talk in an interview. The turban it is believed stands for compassion and service to humanity. ‘People haven’t seen anything like that. It’s great because it gives me an opportunity to tell them what’s behind the turban, educate them. That’s how we love one another,’ she added.

Her recent achievement has been widely praised across the Sikh community in the U.S. The Sikh Officers Association of New York City tweeted a photo of Kaur celebrating her presence in the force. Gursoch wants to become a full-pledged police officer in the NYPD.’We are the eyes and ears of the community,’ she told Desi Talk. ‘I go on parades, am controlling traffic, making sure everybody is safe.’

America has half a million Sikh community people living there. Gursoch said to PTC news that women shouldn’t think they are any less than men“Wherever men can work, we too can work there. God has given us equal rights,” she says.

Gursoch wears the NYPD symbol in the front of her blue turban. In 2016 a massive lobbying by the Sikh community was consented to, which permitted wearing of the badge on the turban.

“It was important to me that as a member of the Sikh community, I too could share the importance of our community to the world.”

‘Officer Kaur will make all Sikhs around the world proud! By the community seeing officer Kaur wearing a turban and in uniform they will feel nothing but pride, seeing one of their own serving her community,’ Delare Rathour, NYPD officer said.

Female Sikhs do not traditionally wear the turban, only some do in India and Canada. However women are turn pro-choice and making their own decisions about how they would like to wear their religion on their sleeve.

For the first time, Sikhs in the US will be counted as a separate ethnic group in the 2020 Census as per reports.

Link:https://www.shethepeople.tv/top-stories/inspiration/22-year-old-gursoch-kaur-is-first-sikh-woman-in-the-nypd/

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)- Online Webinar and Counselling Session for Issuance of Sikh Minority Certificate and Admissions in UG and other programmes 2020

SGPC in action to develop jungle around 50 historic Sikh shrines

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—With the support of Khadoor Sahib based Kaar Sewa sect head Baba Sewa Singh, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee has taken up a project to plant trees in one acre land of 50 historic Sikh shrines across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The project is aimed to develop the jungle for the betterment of the environment.

 Sharing the development with Sikh24, SGPC’s chief secretary Dr. Roop Singh informed that the work to develop jungle by planting trees has begun in several historic Sikh shrines including Gurdwara Satlani Sahib, Gurdwara Patshahi Panjvi (Batala), Gurdwara Beerh Baba Budha Sahib Ji (Jhabal) and Gurdwara Baba Beer Singh Rattoke. “We will complete this project by November this year,” he added.

Link:https://www.sikh24.com/2020/06/21/sgpc-in-action-to-plant-trees-in-one-acre-land-of-50-historic-sikh-shrines/#.XvA22ZozbIU

Prof. Dr. Deepak Manmohan Singh : Senate of The Punjabi University, Patiala,India

Prof.Dr.Deepak Manmohan Singh

Heartierst Congratulations to Dr.Deepak Manmohan Singh for his nomination as Senate of the Punjabi University,Patiala for a period of Two years ( 17th June 2020 till 16th June 2022).

With Thanks :Sehajpreet Mangat

Kartar Singh Lehri who cremated Padma Shri Nimral Singh Ragi : He cremates abandoned Covid victims

kartar Singh Lehri

AMRITSAR: With many people refusing to cremate bodies of persons who died of Covid-19, even if they happen to be deceased loved ones, it is up to the administration to perform their last rites. Under such circumstances, Kartar Singh Lehari, a patwari has volunteered to cremate bodies of people who died of the disease. His first such cremation was spiritual singer Padma Shri Nimral Singh Ragi, who died of coronavirus infection on April 2. Since then, Lehari has cremated 21 bodies of Covid 19 patients.

Lehari told TOI on Sunday that being a patwari, he was asked by his seniors to identify a cremation ground for Ragi’s last rites. However, he recalled the resistance they faced from residents of the area around Verka cremation ground, who feared the spread of coronavirus infection if the body of a person who died of the disease was cremated nearby. “Late in the evening, using lights of vehicles, the ambulance driver, the helper and I wore PPE kits. We took Ragi’s body from the ambulance and prepared a pyre. The pyre was lit by Ragi’s son,” he said.

According to him, there is no higher form of service to humanity than giving a dignified send-off to people rejected by their own. Therefore, he said he approached his seniors to volunteer his services for cremation of persons dying of coronavirus infection in future.

“Till now, I have cremated 21 people who died of Covid-19 and it has now become a mission of my life,” he said, adding that his wife Jaswinder Kaur, a teacher, never objected to him for doing the ‘risky’ job. “I tell my wife whenever I go to cremate a person who died of Covid 19. She offers prayers for me until I come home but I take adequate precautions like removing the clothes and taking a bath before entering my home,” he said.

Due to misinformation and social stigma surrounding the cremation of Covid 19 dead, the next of kin of the deceased often disown their loved ones and refused to even accompany them to the cremation ground.

“But now, in some cases, family members of Covid 19 deceased have started coming forward to at least light the pyres. Earlier, relatives, including wives or children would refuse to come to the cremation ground. Those who did would remain at a distance and record videos on their mobiles,” he said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/he-cremates-abandoned-covid-victims/articleshow/76500455.cms

Harmeet Singh :Pakistani news channel hires first male Sikh news anchor, earns Twitterati’s praise

“Pakistan’s 1st Sikh News Anchor Harmeet Singh only on #PublicNews.” 

A Pakistani news channel is garnering a lot of praise for hiring a male Sikh as its newscaster. This comes after a female Sikh and a transgender were hired by two other TV stations recently. Private news channel Public News has employed Harmeet Singh, who belongs to the Sikh minority community in Pakistan. Taking to Twitter, the official handle of the media house posted a video of Singh, and captioned, “Pakistan’s 1st Sikh News Anchor Harmeet Singh only on #PublicNews.”

 

 “Pakistan’s 1st Sikh News Anchor Harmeet Singh only on #PublicNews.” 

Many took to social media to laud the news channel. While some commented on Pakistan’s move to be more inclusive, others stated that it was ‘nice’ to see a Sikh man on a Pakistani channel. 

Harmeet Singh is a resident of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Chakesar city. His family is based in Pakistan, NDTV rep

Speaking about his appointment, Mr Singh said he had always been inclined towards Pakistani media industry. He had completed his masters in Journalism from Federal Urdu University Karachi.

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/pakistan-first-sikh-male-news-anchor-5237397/

https://archive.siasat.com/news/pakistan-meet-harmeet-singh-first-sikh-anchor-1375613/

Punjab: Health minister overrules health secretary, puts dismissal of lab technicians in abeyance

“Amritsar is a hotspot. Maximum cases of Covid in Punjab are from that district. These technicians are needed for testing. The state government’s fight against the deadly virus will be hit if we start throwing people out at this juncture,” said  Health Minister Balbeer Singh Sidhu.

A day after Punjab Health Secretary Anurag Aggarwal ordered dismissal/termination of contract of 22 lab attendants posted at District Hospital, Amritsar, citing VIP culture, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu overruled the health secretary and put the orders in abeyance on Saturday.

Sidhu confirmed toThe Indian Express that the Health Secretary’s orders were “arbitrary”. “How can anyone dismiss 22 lab technicians like this? It is not a joke to take away jobs like this. That too at a time when the state is fighting Covid and there is so much of pressure on the healthcare system."

Sidhu added, “Amritsar is a hotspot. Maximum cases of Covid in Punjab are from that district. These technicians are needed for testing. The state government’s fight against the deadly virus will be hit if we start throwing people out at this juncture. We are rather asking doctors and technicians to volunteer so that we do not have a shortfall.”

The health minister also stated that Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had promised jobs to the youth. “And we are throwing people out. That too with a stroke of a pen. This is not done. Nobody even discussed it with me. How can we say that the technicians were not following transfer orders? After all, there is a system. This is a government which is running. Everything is documented and on paper. The technicians cannot go to work at a place if they are not posted there.”

Responding to Aggarwal’s claim that there were only five sanctioned posts in the hospital and there were 27 technicians deployed, Sidhu said, “if there is a surplus, we should make lists. Then we should decide what is to be done. We can take a call later. This is no time to open these fronts when the state is fighting Covid.”

Aggarwal had ordered the dismissal/termination of contract of 22 lab technicians saying they were influential and whenever he ordered their transfer, it was not done. He had called it VIP culture and had also stated that they were too influential that a fair inquiry could not be conducted against them.

In his orders, he had written: ”We have to come out of VIP culture. Since all the surplus lab technicians are very influential, no fair inquiry can be held against them. Therefore under Article 311(2) (b) of Constitution of India, they are dismissed from the service and if some of them are on contract, their contracts are to be terminated with immediate effect.”

Link:https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-health-minister-overrules-health-secretary-puts-dismissal-of-lab-technicians-in-abeyance-6468536/

83 community transmission cases in Amritsar in 5 days

Dist records first 100 community transmission cases in 17 days and took 10 more days to record another 100 cases

The district administration and the health department are on toes as the Covid-19 spread in the community is increasing rapidly in Amritsar, with 83 cases being reported in five days where the patient had no travel history or been in proximity to an infected person from outside the state.

After relaxations in the lockdown were announced on May 19, it took 17 days (till June 5) for the district to record 100 community transmission cases and next 10 days (till June 15) to reach 200-mark of community transmission cases. However, the community transmission cases showed a sudden spike in the last five days as 83 more cases got added to the list.

To date, the district, which has been put in the ‘red-zone’ category, has recorded 752 Covid-19 cases, of which 499 patients have recovered and 31 had succumbed to the disease.

Since May 19, over 445 Covid-19 cases were reported in the district of which 283, approximately 63%, are community transmission cases. Sixty-six such cases surfaced on Thursday, Friday and Saturday alone.

“These community transmission patients were tested in flu corners after they showed symptoms of the disease. Their source of infection could not be traced yet but the administration and health department have made three containment and two micro-containment zones in the district, to further contain the spread of the disease. The cases are being increased rapidly as the lockdown was uplifted and people are community in the market without taking precautionary measures,” said civil surgeon Dr Jugal Kishore.

A health employee takes swab samples of a women at the Civil Hospital in Amritsar on Friday.

 “Also, to control its spread and to find out how much the community has been infected, we are taking over 1,000 swab samples daily from the district, which is being tested at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The recovery rate in Amritsar is high and the active patients will soon get recovered,” he said.

ESI HOSPITAL CLOSED AFTER PHARMACIST TESTS POSITIVE

A day after a pharmacist of ESI Hospital, Amritsar, tested positive for Covid-19 the hospital has been temporarily closed.

“A team of the health department visited the ESI Hospital where a pharmacist was found infected. The swab samples of the entire staff have been taken for testing and disinfectants were sprayed. Till the reports of all the staff members are awaited, the hospital will be closed. The close contacts of the pharmacist have been quarantined,” said Dr Kishore.

Link:https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/83-community-transmission-cases-in-amritsar-in-5-days/story-MkK19yFYr36OMGWvKAsJ2N.html