Sikh Personalities : Dr.Gurdeep Kaur - Academic Profile

SikhsIndia
21st June, 2009

Dr. Gurdeep Kaur is an Associate Professor,(reader), in the Department of Political Science, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College,University of Delhi, Dev Nagar,Delhi. She has done her PH.D from Dept. of Political Science, Univ. of Delhi, with title of Thesis , The Concept of State in Sikhism with Special Reference to Guru Granth Sahib. Currently She is Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Theology, Katholieke University,Leuven, Belgium.

She already has three popular books to her credit. Out of which two books on Sikhism are Political Ideas of the Sikh Gurus and Political Ethics of Guru Granth Sahib.

Her Recent Publications/Papers/Conferences include : 'State in Sikhism’; 'Khalsa, political Implications', with Sunita Puri in Encyclopedia of Hinduism 1999, Univ. of South Carolina;, 'Contribution of Sanskrit to Sikh Scripture; The Nature of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Kingdom; Relevance of Sikh Scriptures in the present context', presented at World Punjabi Conference,United Kingdom, London, 'Environment and Sikhism' , ‘Welfare State Perspective in Sikhism’ In XIXth IPSA ,World Congress, Durban, South Africa, 'Women in Sikhism’, ; Ethics in Religious Scriptures & its Contemporary Relevance 'presented at International Conf. 'Parliament of the World Religions', Barcelona, Spain.

She also Participated as Delegate in the ‘9th World Punjabi Conference’ at Lahore Pakistan, January30-February 1,2004. In August 09,she is going to Limerick, Ireland to present a paper on Sikhism & Ecological Balance in the International Conf. on Interdisciplinary Theological Perspective on Ecology & Economy.

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Mastuana temple to effect structural changes: Akal Takht

Mastuana temple to effect structural changes: Akal Takht
21 Jun 2009, 0511 hrs IST, Yudhvir Rana, TNN

AMRITSAR: Coming down heavily on the management of Mastuana gurdwara for reportedly planning a replica of the venerated Golden Temple, Sikh religious bodies and intellectuals who gathered under the aegis of Akal Takht on Saturday called for demolition of domes, doing away with a pond and changing the structure's name of Sri Guru Singh Sabha.

Unleashing the broadside at a meeting convened by him at Teja Singh Samundari Hall, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, while talking to the media later, said, "My statement is to be treated as hukamnama. The congregation of Sikh religious bodies has decided that the gurdwara'a sarovar be filled with earth, Har Ki Pauri and four domes be demolished and its name changed."

Appearing unforgiving towards Baba Baldev Singh Suharaewala for hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs with a Golden Temple look-alike, formerly known as Gurdwara Sach Khand, Angitha Sahib, the jathedar added, "He will be summoned to Akal Takht for submitting a clarification."

The changes will reportedly be effected under the supervision of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee engineers to rule out any likening whatsoever to Harmandar Sahib.

The meeting which lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours was attended by representatives of 55 different Sikh religious bodies, including Nighang organizations, SGPC president and office bearers and former central minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. In fact, some radical Sikh groups like Dal Khalsa even demanded the pulling down of the complete gurdwara.

Incidentally, jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh left the meeting in between, expressing his resentment over the presence of jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib Giani Iqbal Singh.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chandigarh/Mastuana-temple-to-effect-structural-changes-Akal-Takht/articleshow/4682432.cms

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Protesters rush B.C. Sikh temple

Hundreds of people crowded at Abbotsford, B.C., temple Thursday evening to protest a performance by a controversial high priest.

Baba Mann Singh Pehowa, a priest who has faced allegations of rape in India, was supposed to sing at the Kalghidar Sikh temple, but he never made it to the microphone.Hundreds of protesters rushed the temple.

Police officers were on scene working to control the crowd.Pehowa waited inside the temple, and was eventually given a police escort out of Abbotsford.

In addition to being accused of rape in India, it is also alleged he has committed blasphemous acts in the Sikh religion, such as having people bow down to him.

Pehowa has faced similar protests during visits to Australia and the United States.

with thanks : source : http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/06/18/bc-abbotsford-temple-protest.html

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Independent Rajya Sabha Sikh MP Tarlochan Singh, the former chairman of National Commission for Minorities in India

Shastar Vidya camp finished at Delhi

SikhsIndia
18th June, 2009

Jathedar Gurcharan Singh ji, popularly known as Gatka Master or Ustad ji, organised a Gatka camp of 30 days, at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Krishna Nagar, Delhi. A good number of boys & girls including small kids of 3 years participated in the camp. On the last day of the camp i.e. today, all the participants played gatka in front of a massive gathering. Viewing small kids playing Gatka was a pleasent surprise for one & all. Jathedar Gurcharan Singh ji is a Member of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee as well Chairman of Guru Harkrishan Public school, Hargobind enclave, Delhi.

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Sikh Jatha returns from Pakistan after observing 403rd Martyrs Day

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Attari (Punjab), June 17 - ANI: After observing 403rd Martyrs Day of Guru Arjan Dev, the 5th master of the Sikhs, the Sikh Jatha (group) of nearly 200 devotees returned at Attari railway station from Pakistan on Wednesday through a special train.

The group, during its 10 days stay in Pakistan, visited Nankana sahib, Sacha Sauda, Rohri sahib, Punja Sahib and Gurdara Dera sahib in Lahore.

A few members of the group had an opportunity to visit Gurdara Kartarpur sahib situated in Narowal district of Pakistan Punjab.

The main function was held at Gurdwara Dera Sahib where nearly 5000 devotees from all over the world assembled to observe the Martyrdom Day of their 5th master.

Devotees returning from Pakistan opined that the Government of Pakistan should give country-wide visa so that they could have visited other Gurdwaras in Pakistan.

There are more nearly 172 historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan but Pakistan grants specific visa to visit only 5 of them.

The devotees demanded that the Heads of the Governments of India and Pakistan should take these issues on their top agendas and facilitate the pilgrimages.

Every year thousands of devotees from India visit Pakistan to pay obeisance to their holy shrines.

Sikhs considered Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev the first Sikh master, as their Mecca.

The devotees have been demanding a corridor to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is situate in Pakistan nearly 2.5 kilometres from Dera Baba Nanak, which is on the Indian side. - ANI

with thanks : source : http://www.littleabout.com/news/18814,sikh-jatha-returns-pakistan-observing-403rd-martyrs-day.html

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Legendry Sikh artist Dya Singh is an icon of the Australian music scene

Dya Singh is an icon of the Australian music scene and has quietly gained a phenomenal 'standing' worldwide as a 'world music' artist in the last 15 or so years. Dya Singh is one of the many Indian artists that MAV supports and promotes through our mission to foster cultural diversity and respect through the promotion, enhancement and celebration of multicultural arts in Australia. His 'world music' and 'Sikh spiritual' music group has travelled to USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Kenya, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and throughout Australia since its formation in 1994. He is now based in Melbourne

Dya Singh has extraordinary musical talent and knowledge and he has enormous skills that he has contributed to the musical sector in Australia both musically and culturally. He is a highly valued artistic individual benefiting not only the Sikh community, but the wider Australian community with his knowledge and capabilities in music. He believes music is a way to bring communities together and create understanding.

These are the excerpts from Article " Legendry Sikh artist Dya Singh is an icon of the Australian music scene".

You can read the complete News / Article at : http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=5709

With thanks : Source : As above

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