Anarkali Kaur makes Sikhs proud
Jagmohan Singh
The beleaguered Sikh community in Afghanistan could not have had a better role model. At 25, Anarkali Kaur Honaryar is a doctor, an activist, a Radio presenter and a member of the independent Afghan Human Rights Committee and the official Constitution Committee. With the dupatta decently covering her head, she presents an image which makes every Sikh proud of her.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Free Afghanistan (RFA)’s has declared her as the Person of the Year and Sikhs worldwide are quite happy to learn that.
The Sikh society is male dominated and the society in Afghanistan is terribly male-oriented. With the shadow of the Taliban looming large, the grit and determination of Anarkali Kaur can easily be compared with the legendary courage of Sundri of Bhai Vir Singh.
Since the last decade or so, a sizeable chunk of the community has fled Afghanistan to reside in India, Europe and the United Kingdom. A large number of them have been granted asylum and the Southall Bazar, once the centre of Punjabi Sikhs is now virtually called the Afghani Sikhs Street. They are ubiquitous by their small and unique turbans and the brashness of their youth. Not much is known about the status of their women, though. A large number of Afghani Sikhs live as stateless persons in India as India continues to grant them stay on a year to year basis, without confirming their residency.
Though Anjali Kaur could not fulfil her dream to become a pilot, she is certainly chanelling her life with respect and would be a shining star for all those who fight for an equal world.
Honaryar works for the country's Independent Human Rights Commission and has been consistently campaigning for equal rights and democracy. She was also a member of the Afghan Constitution Committee.
She was chosen as Person of the Year by human rights groups and journalists’ unions in Afghanistan.
with thanks : worldsikhnews.com
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Indian 'riot politician' cleared
A former Indian federal minister accused over the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 has been cleared by police.
Congress party politician Jagdish Tytler said the case had destroyed his career but he had now been vindicated.
Sikh groups and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have criticised the police report.
Mr Tytler had been cleared in November 2007 but a month later the case was reopened after a witness said he saw Mr Tytler leading a riot mob.
The riots, sparked by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, left more than 3,000 Sikhs dead.
Mr Tytler has consistently denied any role in the rioting.
'Truth is out'
India's federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its final report on the investigations into the riots to a Delhi court last week.
In the report, which was opened in court on Thursday, the investigative agency said it wanted to close the case against Mr Tytler.
"This case destroyed my career. And media portrayed me as a criminal. But the truth has finally come out. How can I react to the truth?" Mr Tytler told reporters in Delhi.
The CBI move angered Sikh groups.
"The victims have no rights. A criminal who is a politician who has money has all the rights," an unnamed victim told a private television channel.
The BJP has accused the CBI of working under the instructions of the Congress party government.
Mr Tytler is a Congress candidate for the forthcoming general elections.
'No evidence'
In November 2007, the CBI closed a case against Mr Tytler, saying there was "no evidence" or "witness" to establish that he had a role in the rioting.
But soon after, Jasbir Singh, who lives in California, claimed that he saw Mr Tytler lead a mob on a Sikh temple in Delhi during the riots.
Three Sikhs were burned to death in the attack on the temple.
Mr Singh, who lost 26 family members in the rioting, left the country after the incident.
The court asked the CBI to carry out a fresh investigation.
Mr Tytler had earlier been implicated by a judicial commission set up to investigate the 1984 killings.
The report, by retired Supreme Court judge GT Nanavati, was the ninth inquiry commission into the riots, and was set up in 2000 by the then governing BJP.
The inquiry found "credible evidence" against Mr Tytler and recommended further investigation into his role.
Mr Tytler submitted his resignation as a minister for expatriate Indians after being implicated in the riots.
He said he had resigned to have his "name cleared".
with thanks : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7978224.stm
Congress party politician Jagdish Tytler said the case had destroyed his career but he had now been vindicated.
Sikh groups and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have criticised the police report.
Mr Tytler had been cleared in November 2007 but a month later the case was reopened after a witness said he saw Mr Tytler leading a riot mob.
The riots, sparked by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, left more than 3,000 Sikhs dead.
Mr Tytler has consistently denied any role in the rioting.
'Truth is out'
India's federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its final report on the investigations into the riots to a Delhi court last week.
In the report, which was opened in court on Thursday, the investigative agency said it wanted to close the case against Mr Tytler.
"This case destroyed my career. And media portrayed me as a criminal. But the truth has finally come out. How can I react to the truth?" Mr Tytler told reporters in Delhi.
The CBI move angered Sikh groups.
"The victims have no rights. A criminal who is a politician who has money has all the rights," an unnamed victim told a private television channel.
The BJP has accused the CBI of working under the instructions of the Congress party government.
Mr Tytler is a Congress candidate for the forthcoming general elections.
'No evidence'
In November 2007, the CBI closed a case against Mr Tytler, saying there was "no evidence" or "witness" to establish that he had a role in the rioting.
But soon after, Jasbir Singh, who lives in California, claimed that he saw Mr Tytler lead a mob on a Sikh temple in Delhi during the riots.
Three Sikhs were burned to death in the attack on the temple.
Mr Singh, who lost 26 family members in the rioting, left the country after the incident.
The court asked the CBI to carry out a fresh investigation.
Mr Tytler had earlier been implicated by a judicial commission set up to investigate the 1984 killings.
The report, by retired Supreme Court judge GT Nanavati, was the ninth inquiry commission into the riots, and was set up in 2000 by the then governing BJP.
The inquiry found "credible evidence" against Mr Tytler and recommended further investigation into his role.
Mr Tytler submitted his resignation as a minister for expatriate Indians after being implicated in the riots.
He said he had resigned to have his "name cleared".
with thanks : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7978224.stm
Indian turban makes it big in German fashion
by Neeraja Ganesh
NEW DELHI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- In a first of its kind, a turbaned Indian American Sikh named Sonny Caberwal who is in India these days, has become the international face of the prestigious German men's magazine GQ.
Turbans, even if worn as symbol of Indian religion Sikhism, is in some nations, including Germany, associated with Osama bin Laden, where Sikhs have been targeted in hate attacks after the September 11 attack.
However, the 30-year-old Sikh has been featured in GQ's style Germany Spring Summer-2009.
He will go down as a "footnote in history for being a stereotype buster," the newspaper the Mail Today noted Thursday.
"It's not about me, but about Sikh identity and about our culture and traditions being shown in a positive light to people around the world," the Mail Today quoted Caberwal as saying in Mumbai.
Caberwal has received hundreds of comments and e-mails from people around the world telling him how proud they were to see their own identity being represented positively.
Caberwal's portfolio was shot in Hamburg, Germany, in January.
Conde Nast, the publishers of CQ discovered Caberwal after he appeared in 25th anniversary ad of leading American fashion house Kenneth Cole in 2008.
The GQ collection was for formal wear but they thought using turbaned Sikh would be cool, Caberwal told Mail Today.
Although he has been lucky in modeling world, Caberwal says there are still some challenges for turbaned model to gain mainstream attention.
On the positive side, he says there is definite place for unique and interesting looks, and in the western world, the turbaned look falls in that category.
Among the Sikhs, the turban is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety.
The Sikhs wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair. The turban is mostly identified with the Sikh males, although some Sikh women also wear turban. The Sikhs regard the turban as an important part of the unique Sikh identity.
The turban has been an important part of the Sikh culture since the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The Sikh warriors, the Khalsa, wear turban, partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut, according to the wish of their last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Editor: Fang Yang
with thanks : http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/02/content_11120758.htm
NEW DELHI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- In a first of its kind, a turbaned Indian American Sikh named Sonny Caberwal who is in India these days, has become the international face of the prestigious German men's magazine GQ.
Turbans, even if worn as symbol of Indian religion Sikhism, is in some nations, including Germany, associated with Osama bin Laden, where Sikhs have been targeted in hate attacks after the September 11 attack.
However, the 30-year-old Sikh has been featured in GQ's style Germany Spring Summer-2009.
He will go down as a "footnote in history for being a stereotype buster," the newspaper the Mail Today noted Thursday.
"It's not about me, but about Sikh identity and about our culture and traditions being shown in a positive light to people around the world," the Mail Today quoted Caberwal as saying in Mumbai.
Caberwal has received hundreds of comments and e-mails from people around the world telling him how proud they were to see their own identity being represented positively.
Caberwal's portfolio was shot in Hamburg, Germany, in January.
Conde Nast, the publishers of CQ discovered Caberwal after he appeared in 25th anniversary ad of leading American fashion house Kenneth Cole in 2008.
The GQ collection was for formal wear but they thought using turbaned Sikh would be cool, Caberwal told Mail Today.
Although he has been lucky in modeling world, Caberwal says there are still some challenges for turbaned model to gain mainstream attention.
On the positive side, he says there is definite place for unique and interesting looks, and in the western world, the turbaned look falls in that category.
Among the Sikhs, the turban is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety.
The Sikhs wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair. The turban is mostly identified with the Sikh males, although some Sikh women also wear turban. The Sikhs regard the turban as an important part of the unique Sikh identity.
The turban has been an important part of the Sikh culture since the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The Sikh warriors, the Khalsa, wear turban, partly to cover their long hair, which is never cut, according to the wish of their last human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Editor: Fang Yang
with thanks : http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/02/content_11120758.htm
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sikhs who wear turbans and have unshorn hair
Sikhs who wear turbans and have unshorn hair are regularly decreasing in numbers. The shocking trends can be verified by standing at the gates of any gurudwara worldwide. Please view our slide show presentation : Khalso mero roop hai khaas on the left side of this page. Looking forward for your valued comments on the decreasing numbers.
Best regards
SikhsIndia
Best regards
SikhsIndia
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sikh blogs & Sikh websites
If you have a Sikh Blog or a Sikh Website or a Sikh web portal, please mail us a few lines about your blog, website, portal for uploading on our sikh blog.
Best regards
SikhsIndia
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.sohnijodi.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
Best regards
SikhsIndia
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.sohnijodi.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
Sunday, March 29, 2009
shrinking number of young Sikhs who wear turbans and have unshorn hair
The rapidly shrinking number of young Sikhs who wear turbans and have unshorn hair has alarmed many in this religious minority of 20 million. Although there are no formal surveys, community groups say that only 25 percent of Sikhs younger than 30 follow the practice. Many young Sikhs say the daily tedium of combing and tying up their long hair and a desire to assimilate are pushing them to give up the turban, a sacred symbol of a religion founded in the 15th century.
read complete report as & at :
A Ritual Slowly Unravels In India
Alarm Grows as More Sikh Youths Give Up Turbans
By Rama LakshmiWashington Post Foreign Service Sunday, March 29, 2009;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/28/AR2009032801901.html with THANKS.
read complete report as & at :
A Ritual Slowly Unravels In India
Alarm Grows as More Sikh Youths Give Up Turbans
By Rama LakshmiWashington Post Foreign Service Sunday, March 29, 2009;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/28/AR2009032801901.html with THANKS.
Anti-Sikh riots case: CBI files final report
Staff Reporter : हिंदू
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the final report on the probe into a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case involving the former Union Minister, Jagdish Tytler, in a court here on Saturday।
He is now the Congress candidate for North-East Delhi.
The CBI submitted the report in a sealed cover to Metropolitan Magistrate Ram Lal Meena. The court will consider the report on April 2.
The report was filed after the agency examined Jasbir Singh, a California-based witness, whom it earlier declared untraceable. The witness submitted an affidavit against Mr. Tytler before the Nanavati Commission, which went into the riots. Protesters gathered outside the court complex, shouting slogans against Congress leaders, including Mr. Tytler, demanding that the culprits be punished.
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the Centre was misusing the CBI to give Mr. Tytler a clean chit.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/29/stories/2009032960731400.htm
विथ थैंक्स
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the final report on the probe into a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case involving the former Union Minister, Jagdish Tytler, in a court here on Saturday।
He is now the Congress candidate for North-East Delhi.
The CBI submitted the report in a sealed cover to Metropolitan Magistrate Ram Lal Meena. The court will consider the report on April 2.
The report was filed after the agency examined Jasbir Singh, a California-based witness, whom it earlier declared untraceable. The witness submitted an affidavit against Mr. Tytler before the Nanavati Commission, which went into the riots. Protesters gathered outside the court complex, shouting slogans against Congress leaders, including Mr. Tytler, demanding that the culprits be punished.
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the Centre was misusing the CBI to give Mr. Tytler a clean chit.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/29/stories/2009032960731400.htm
विथ थैंक्स
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