Sikh boy’s refusal to cut hair costs him his job

Sikh boy’s refusal to cut hair costs him his job
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 30
Discrimination on religious ground has brought the dream of 24-year-old Harshdeep Singh Anand, a local Sikh boy, to find a lucrative job abroad to an abrupt end. He has been virtually stranded for the past three weeks at Abu Dhabi without any money, waiting to return home.

His joy knew no bounds when he was selected for the post of Chief-de-Partie by the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel, Abu Dhabi, after a walk-in interview held in New Delhi. However, he had no inkling of what was in store for him when he boarded the plane on July 29 to take up the new job in the oil-rich land. Everything seemed fine as he took up the assignment and started performing his duties. His ordeal started when after a week the director of operations Salah told him firmly that “if you want to continue in the job, you have to cut your hair and become clean-shaven.” He expressed his inability to do so and tried to explain to him that it was against his religion to cut hair. Salah did not relent and asked him to resign from the job forthwith.

Harshdeep drew his attention to the fact that no such condition had been mentioned in his appointment letter and it was known that he was a Sikh with long hair as he was selected for the job after an interview. He was a graduate in hotel management and hospitality on the basis of which he was selected. His plea did not cut ice with Salah who insisted that he should resign.

However, he refused to quit as he was not at fault and had no reason to do so. He flatly told Salah that he would have to terminate his services if he did not want him; he would not oblige him by resigning. Salah lost no time in sacking him. He was asked not to enter the hotel.

His father Paramjit Singh had been running from pillar to post to get justice for his son. He has sent representations to the Indian High Commissioner at Abu Dhabi, the National Human Rights Commission and other organisations. He has also taken up the matter with Sikh religious bodies including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar, and the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and urged them to take up the matter at the highest level as other Sikhs also faced the same problem.

Meanwhile, the executive committee of the local Sri Guru Singh Sabha has passed a resolution condemning the action of the Armed Forces Officers Club in sacking Harshdeep and urged the Government of India to ensure that employment conditions which led to discrimination against Sikhs were scrapped. The State Sikh Welfare Council has also sent a representation to the President of India in this regard asking her to ensure justice to the boy.

with thanks : source : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090831/himachal.htm#

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Delegation from the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Religion & Worldview, K.U.Leuven, Belgium

Delegation from the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Religion & Worldview, K.U.Leuven, Belgium was in India for almost 30 days. It stayed at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj sahib for 3 days and is there on the last day of the trip - today. Earlier they visited Golden Temple Amritsar.

We appreciate the efforts of Sardar Tarjeet Singh ji Nagi, Member DSGMC as well Dr. Gurdeep Kaur, Reader in Delhi University, for arranging everything at New Delhi.

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com - A Sikh web portal
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com - A Sikh Blog

Laleman Tine - Ardaas at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi

The Belgiun delegation reached at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi and a prayer was held in the memory of Lileman Tine, who expired in Leh on 27th August. The Ambassador of Belgium was present in the Ardas. All the students as well the leading professor looked pale, sad and tired. It was a pleasent trip of 30 days, but turned into a worst experience on the last days of the trip, which will never be out of mind of these students. We pray to the Waheguru to give strength to the family of Laleman Tine, to bear this precious loss of life.

Belgian Ambassador at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj sahib, New Delhi

Belgian Ambassador at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj sahib, New Delhi for meeting the Belgian Delegation and for the Ardaas of Laleman Tine, who expired in Leh on 27th August.

Laleman Tine, bachelor student of Theology and Religious Studies.

De sporen van je leven
Kan ik lezen
In zoveel dingen om ons heen.

Je bent gedroomd
Verwacht
Er echt geweest
Nu dragen wij je
In gedachten mee
Van hier naar daar
En over de tijd heen.
Je was er ooit.
Je bent er nog steeds.

Dag kind
Uit ons leven
Vaak ver weg
Vaak dichtbij
Wij spreken nog je naam
Wij dromen nog je dromen
Wie het niet kan horen
Tonen we zoveel dingen
Rondom ons
Jouw sporen zie je goed.

Dag kind
Zo spreekt de Heer.
Al gaat het nog zo diep,
dit lijden zal ik keren.
Ik hoorde toen je roep.
Vrees niet.
Ik maak je vrij.
Ik zal je niet beschamen, mijn kind, je bent bij Mij.
Ik riep je toch bij je naam.


The traces of your life
Can I read
In so many things around us.

You're dreaming
Expected
There really was
Now we carry you
Them in mind
From here to there
And over time.
You were there once.
You're still there.

Child Day
From our life
Often far away
Often close
We still speak your name
We still dream your dreams
Who can not hear
We show so much
Around Us
Your tracks see you well.

Child Day
Thus says the Lord.
Everything is still so deep,
I will turn this suffering.
I heard when you call.
Fear not.
I make Fri
I will not disappoint you, my child, you're with me.
I called you by name anyway.

Source : http://theo.kuleuven.be/page/indiablog/

SikhsIndia

Life-sentence for 3 in anti-Sikh riot case

Life-sentence for 3 in anti-Sikh riot case
NEW DELHI, August 29, 2009


A trial court here on Saturday sentenced three to life imprisonment, holding them guilty of making attempts to murder three members of a Sikh family during the anti-Sikh riots at Shastri Nagar in North Delhi in 1984.

Riots had broken out in the Capital in the wake of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Additional Sessions Judge Surinder Singh Rathi awarded life imprisonment to the three, Mangal Sen alias Billa, Brij Mohan Verma and Bhagat Singh, holding them guilty of offences of attempt to murder, rioting and dacoity.

The court had held them guilty on August 22.

While sentencing the three accused, the Judge passed severe strictures against the Delhi police and the State machinery for their role during the riots in the Capital. “Even though we boast of being the world’s largest democracy and Delhi being its national capital, the sheer mention of the incidents of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in general and the role played by the Delhi police and State machinery in particular makes our heads hang in shame in the eyes of the world polity,’’ the Judge observed.

“It is evident that our society is becoming more and more intolerant towards one another, and this dangerous trend is acquiring dangerous proportions,’’ the Judge further stated.

The Judge expressed particular uneasiness over the fact that the convicts who had looted the victims and burnt their house were not strangers to them (victims) but were their next door neighbours.

In the instant case, Joginder Singh and his two sons, Jagmohan Singh and Gurvinder Singh were seriously injured while their house was burnt down by a mob, led by the three accused on November 1, 1984.

with thanks : source : http://beta.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article11404.ece

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com - A sikh web portal
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com - A sikh blog

Governing body formed for University at Nankana Sahib

Governing body formed for University at Nankana Sahib
Published on Friday, August 28, 2009 by Azaad

Nankana Sahib, Pakistan: Efforts of Sikhs from all over the world have yielded a positive outcome with decks being cleared for the establishment of proposed world-class Baba Guru Nanak International University at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. The government of that country has formed a governing body for the supervision and management of the project.

The university is being set up at the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev to perpetuate his memory and impart education about Sikhism, Sikh rituals and Sikh culture not only to Pakistan-based Sikh students, but also to Sikh students from rest of the world. The project is likely to be inaugurated in November, said USA-based Dr Pritpal Singh, who has been made a member of the governing board.

The demand for the university had gained momentum in 2006-07 when a number of Sikh leaders from across the world met then Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and prevailed upon him to initiate the project. SGPC chief Avtar Singh is said to have pleaded for setting up the university at that time.

Though the Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan has nominated the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) as member of the government body, the name of Avtar Singh has not found its way into the list.

The orders issued by the board project director, Col Azhar Ul Haq Adeeb (retd), on August 26 said the chairman of the Evacuee Trust would also be the chairman of the governing committee. Other members of the governing board included Mian Imran Masood (executive director), Zafer Saeed Padhiar, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Rai Shah Jehan Bhatti, president of the PSGPC, Dr Pritpal Singh from California, US, Manmohan Singh Khalsa from the UK, Azhar Ehsaan Advocate, Faqir Syed Saif Uddin, Sardar Sham Singh, Sardar Bishan Singh, and Sardar Mastaan Singh.

“The university is being set up on 2,500 acres being provided by the Pakistan government at Nankana Sahib. The Gurmat Sangeet faculty is being set up at the proposed university and its entire expences will be borne by the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The university will be set up on the lines of Oxford or Cambridge universities,” said Dr Pritpal Singh, President of the AGPC.

With thanks : source : http://sikhsangat.org/2009/08/governing-body-for-gnd-nankanasahib/

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com - A sikh web portal
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com - A sikh blog