We just want to promote Sikhi in the sikh community. Hope, even you are thinking likewise, due to the rising percentage of trimmers, vanishing turbans & maa boli Punjabi.
Please suggest, what we can do, what we should do and what we must do, together, to preserve Sikhi in the Sikh community atleast. Please add your comments, suggestions, ideas, views in the comments box, just at the end of this post.
Best regards
SikhsIndia
Guru Granth Sahib Sewak Jatha
Monday, November 16, 2009
White House and Sikh Community Celebrate the Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, Founder of the Sikh Faith
Washington, DC, USA: The White House and the Sikh community celebrated the 540th Gurpurab (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji by holding a celestial musical performance yesterday. The White House Office of Public Engagement organized the event which was attended by Sikh organizations and leaders of the Sikh community from around the country. In her speech, Director of Office of Public Engagement, Christina M. Tchen congratulated the Sikh community on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, and thanked both UNITED SIKHS and SCORE for their assistance in organizing the event. Following performances by religious musicians from Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, also known as Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, and Sikh Dharma International, various Sikh leaders spoke about Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, and also about the issues of the Sikh community in America.
Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS spoke at the event, stating, “The Sikh community remembers that Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's teachings emphasized speaking forcefully against social evils and injustices. It is pertinent that Sikhs follow Guru Sahib's teaching and speak out against civil, human and religious rights violations of Sikhs and others. Sikh Americans must be pro-active in advocating for their rights and press the government to address issues of employment discrimination, bullying in schools against Sikh children, hate and bias crimes, and religious and racial profiling at airports and borders. Finally, Sikhs must work together to be able to practice their faith freely and wear all five kakaars (articles of faith), including the kirpan (religious sword), at all times, whether in the military, law enforcement, at school, or at events like this one.” We will be having meetings with high level administration officials regarding the kirpan in the weeks to come.
Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS, congratulating the community on Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's Gurpurab, and reminding them of their duty to advocate for justice
Sikh Community Leaders with Officials from the White House Office of Public Engagement
A diverse group of Sikh organizations and individuals attended the event, including but not limited to: Sikh Dharma International, SCORE, Sikh Coalition, Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah, Sikh Cultural Society NY, and Sikh Youth of America
Ex-City Councilman Richmond, California and Executive Board Member of the California Democratic Party, Harpreet Singh Sandhu also spoke at the event, commenting, “we greatly appreciate the recognition of this important day where millions of Sikhs around the world celebrate the founding of the Sikh faith; it was pleasure to see officials speak so highly of the Sikh community and our identity.”
Commenting on the event, Harbans Singh, a Sikh community leader from New York stated, “We appreciate the White House's outreach to the Sikh Americans and recognition of this important day for the Sikh community.”
Gurdial Singh, President of Gurdwara Ravidass of New York, stated, “President Obama has brought new hope for the equal protection of civil liberties for all Americans, and we are thankful of his support for the Sikh community.”
Again, we would to like to remind the Sikh Community that it is through overcoming our differences and working together that we will be able to overcome challenges to religious identity and our honorable way of life as prescribed by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji.
We thank all Sikh organizations and leaders for participating in this event, and extend our deepest gratitude to the White House for celebrating Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's 540th Gurpurab (birth anniversary); we especially thank Paul Monteiro, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement, for inviting a diverse group of organizations and individuals to the meeting.
Issued By:
Jaspreet Singh
Staff Attorney
UNITED SIKHS
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS spoke at the event, stating, “The Sikh community remembers that Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's teachings emphasized speaking forcefully against social evils and injustices. It is pertinent that Sikhs follow Guru Sahib's teaching and speak out against civil, human and religious rights violations of Sikhs and others. Sikh Americans must be pro-active in advocating for their rights and press the government to address issues of employment discrimination, bullying in schools against Sikh children, hate and bias crimes, and religious and racial profiling at airports and borders. Finally, Sikhs must work together to be able to practice their faith freely and wear all five kakaars (articles of faith), including the kirpan (religious sword), at all times, whether in the military, law enforcement, at school, or at events like this one.” We will be having meetings with high level administration officials regarding the kirpan in the weeks to come.
Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS, congratulating the community on Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's Gurpurab, and reminding them of their duty to advocate for justice
Sikh Community Leaders with Officials from the White House Office of Public Engagement
A diverse group of Sikh organizations and individuals attended the event, including but not limited to: Sikh Dharma International, SCORE, Sikh Coalition, Gurdwara Baba Makhan Shah, Sikh Cultural Society NY, and Sikh Youth of America
Ex-City Councilman Richmond, California and Executive Board Member of the California Democratic Party, Harpreet Singh Sandhu also spoke at the event, commenting, “we greatly appreciate the recognition of this important day where millions of Sikhs around the world celebrate the founding of the Sikh faith; it was pleasure to see officials speak so highly of the Sikh community and our identity.”
Commenting on the event, Harbans Singh, a Sikh community leader from New York stated, “We appreciate the White House's outreach to the Sikh Americans and recognition of this important day for the Sikh community.”
Gurdial Singh, President of Gurdwara Ravidass of New York, stated, “President Obama has brought new hope for the equal protection of civil liberties for all Americans, and we are thankful of his support for the Sikh community.”
Again, we would to like to remind the Sikh Community that it is through overcoming our differences and working together that we will be able to overcome challenges to religious identity and our honorable way of life as prescribed by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji.
We thank all Sikh organizations and leaders for participating in this event, and extend our deepest gratitude to the White House for celebrating Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's 540th Gurpurab (birth anniversary); we especially thank Paul Monteiro, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement, for inviting a diverse group of organizations and individuals to the meeting.
Issued By:
Jaspreet Singh
Staff Attorney
UNITED SIKHS
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
Ambassador for Peace : Dr. Gurdeep kaur
Our heartiest congratulations to Dr. Gurdeep kaur for getting
the AMBASSADOR OF PEACE award.
SikhsIndia
Vote underway for control of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh temple
By Cheryl Chan, Vancouver Province,
November 16, 2009 12:02 AM
Thousands of Sikhs braved pouring rain and howling winds Sunday night to cast their vote in a pivotal election that will decide the leadership and direction of North America’s second largest Sikh temple.
An hour before polls closed at 8 p.m., voters were still lined up outside Princess Margaret Secondary on 72nd Avenue to elect a new 18-member board of directors for Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple on Scott Road.
“You’ve never seen anything like this before. People want change,” said Surinder Hehar who was in line for his voter card with his wife and two young boys.
Surrey RCMP cordoned off a two-block radius around the school to ensure voters weren’t intimidated.
At stake is the future direction of the 32,000-member strong temple, which has been riven by two factions — the moderates and fundamentalists — and a contentious debate over furniture in the temple dining hall that erupted into violence twelve years ago.
The moderates, who have controlled the temple for the last decade, have allowed tables and chairs in the common eating area.
It is led in this election race by businessman Harjinder Singh Cheema.
Its challenger, the Sikh Youth slate led by Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, want traditional mats on the floor, but struck a compromise by saying elderly or disabled members will have the option of eating on tables and chairs.
Despite the call to return to the traditional manner of eating in the temple, the Sikh Youth slate bills itself as a group of progressive-minded Sikhs.
It is running three female candidates and has mounted a more aggressive political-style campaign with a website, YouTube campaign videos, and a Twitter presence.
It also offered supporters free bus rides to the school.
The temple’s last president, moderate Balwant Singh Gill stepped down last month after 11 years at the helm.
Last year’s elections saw an upstart youth group headed by Amardeep Singh win by an almost 6,000-vote margin over the moderates, which ran divided slates.
The results were thrown out by B.C. Supreme Court after allegations of fraud on nomination forms.
Instead of a costly court battle, the rival factions decided to hold a second vote.
The result of the vote is not expected until after midnight.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
with thanks : source : http://www.canada.com/life/Vote+underway+control+Surrey+Guru+Nanak+Sikh+temple/2226736/story.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
November 16, 2009 12:02 AM
Thousands of Sikhs braved pouring rain and howling winds Sunday night to cast their vote in a pivotal election that will decide the leadership and direction of North America’s second largest Sikh temple.
An hour before polls closed at 8 p.m., voters were still lined up outside Princess Margaret Secondary on 72nd Avenue to elect a new 18-member board of directors for Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple on Scott Road.
“You’ve never seen anything like this before. People want change,” said Surinder Hehar who was in line for his voter card with his wife and two young boys.
Surrey RCMP cordoned off a two-block radius around the school to ensure voters weren’t intimidated.
At stake is the future direction of the 32,000-member strong temple, which has been riven by two factions — the moderates and fundamentalists — and a contentious debate over furniture in the temple dining hall that erupted into violence twelve years ago.
The moderates, who have controlled the temple for the last decade, have allowed tables and chairs in the common eating area.
It is led in this election race by businessman Harjinder Singh Cheema.
Its challenger, the Sikh Youth slate led by Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, want traditional mats on the floor, but struck a compromise by saying elderly or disabled members will have the option of eating on tables and chairs.
Despite the call to return to the traditional manner of eating in the temple, the Sikh Youth slate bills itself as a group of progressive-minded Sikhs.
It is running three female candidates and has mounted a more aggressive political-style campaign with a website, YouTube campaign videos, and a Twitter presence.
It also offered supporters free bus rides to the school.
The temple’s last president, moderate Balwant Singh Gill stepped down last month after 11 years at the helm.
Last year’s elections saw an upstart youth group headed by Amardeep Singh win by an almost 6,000-vote margin over the moderates, which ran divided slates.
The results were thrown out by B.C. Supreme Court after allegations of fraud on nomination forms.
Instead of a costly court battle, the rival factions decided to hold a second vote.
The result of the vote is not expected until after midnight.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
with thanks : source : http://www.canada.com/life/Vote+underway+control+Surrey+Guru+Nanak+Sikh+temple/2226736/story.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia
Sunday, November 15, 2009
New Ragi jatha : Bibi Gurvinder kaur ji, Delhi wale
New Ragi jatha :
Bibi Gurvinder kaur ji & Bibi Daljeet kaur ji Khalsa, Delhi wale, Can be contacted on Cell number 9268121958.
SikhsIndia
November: The saddest month of the year
Khushwant Singh
November will go down in our history as the saddest month of the year because of what happened in November 1984. Mrs Gandhi was murdered a day earlier. And hell broke loose on Sikhs who had nothing whatsoever to do with her dastardly murder: upwards of 5,000 were slaughtered across India all the way down to Karnataka. On its heels came the Bhopal gas tragedy in which over a thousand were choked to death and thousands more maimed for life.
Have these tragedies lessons to teach? Yes, they tell us how to avoid their recurrence. First, let us take a closer look at the assassination of Mrs Gandhi. I have good reasons to believe that she was averse to deploying the army to clear the Golden Temple to rid it of Bhindranwale and his goons entrenched in the Akal Takht. She was persuaded to do so by her advisers who evidently knew very little about the Sikhs, their history and what the Golden Temple meant to them. She was assured that the operation would be over in a couple of hours as Bhindranwale would lay down arms as soon as he realised he had to face armoured tanks and aircraft. As it transpired, the battle lasted two nights and days with heavy casualties of life and sacred property. When Mrs Gandhi visited the Temple two days later, she was shocked by the sight. There were dead bodies still floating in the sacred tank and the Akal Takht was in ruins. Mark Tully has rightly described it as “The fatal miscalculation”. Mrs Gandhi herself should have known that her life was in peril.
Another aspect of the tragedy, which is rarely mentioned, is the cowardly silence maintained by leaders of the Sikh community, both Akalis and Congressmen, against the hateful utterances of Bhindranwale against Hindus and his gangsters pulling out Hindus from buses and shooting them. They were scared of losing their lives because Bhindranwale only knew one way of dealing with critics — killing them. I know because I was on his hit list for many years. This created a lot of ill-will against Sikhs and is the main reason why so few came to their help when they were attacked. It has not yet got into the skulls of Sikhs living abroad. Many gurudwaras overseas have Bhindranwale’s photographs on display and speakers refer to him as a martyr.
All that is now history. What remains is to punish those who took part in the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. Hundreds have been named by eye-witnesses. Barely 20 have been brought to justice. As I keep repeating ad nauseam, crimes unpunished breed criminals. You can be sure if these criminals are not brought to justice soon, many of those who suffered will take to crime.
About the Bhopal gas tragedy, all I can say is that it was caused by criminal neglect of safety measures. We continue to use sub-standard material in laying roads, building houses and factories. We pay the price for doing so.
with thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/November-The-saddest-month-of-the-year/H1-Article1-476567.aspx
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
November will go down in our history as the saddest month of the year because of what happened in November 1984. Mrs Gandhi was murdered a day earlier. And hell broke loose on Sikhs who had nothing whatsoever to do with her dastardly murder: upwards of 5,000 were slaughtered across India all the way down to Karnataka. On its heels came the Bhopal gas tragedy in which over a thousand were choked to death and thousands more maimed for life.
Have these tragedies lessons to teach? Yes, they tell us how to avoid their recurrence. First, let us take a closer look at the assassination of Mrs Gandhi. I have good reasons to believe that she was averse to deploying the army to clear the Golden Temple to rid it of Bhindranwale and his goons entrenched in the Akal Takht. She was persuaded to do so by her advisers who evidently knew very little about the Sikhs, their history and what the Golden Temple meant to them. She was assured that the operation would be over in a couple of hours as Bhindranwale would lay down arms as soon as he realised he had to face armoured tanks and aircraft. As it transpired, the battle lasted two nights and days with heavy casualties of life and sacred property. When Mrs Gandhi visited the Temple two days later, she was shocked by the sight. There were dead bodies still floating in the sacred tank and the Akal Takht was in ruins. Mark Tully has rightly described it as “The fatal miscalculation”. Mrs Gandhi herself should have known that her life was in peril.
Another aspect of the tragedy, which is rarely mentioned, is the cowardly silence maintained by leaders of the Sikh community, both Akalis and Congressmen, against the hateful utterances of Bhindranwale against Hindus and his gangsters pulling out Hindus from buses and shooting them. They were scared of losing their lives because Bhindranwale only knew one way of dealing with critics — killing them. I know because I was on his hit list for many years. This created a lot of ill-will against Sikhs and is the main reason why so few came to their help when they were attacked. It has not yet got into the skulls of Sikhs living abroad. Many gurudwaras overseas have Bhindranwale’s photographs on display and speakers refer to him as a martyr.
All that is now history. What remains is to punish those who took part in the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. Hundreds have been named by eye-witnesses. Barely 20 have been brought to justice. As I keep repeating ad nauseam, crimes unpunished breed criminals. You can be sure if these criminals are not brought to justice soon, many of those who suffered will take to crime.
About the Bhopal gas tragedy, all I can say is that it was caused by criminal neglect of safety measures. We continue to use sub-standard material in laying roads, building houses and factories. We pay the price for doing so.
with thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/November-The-saddest-month-of-the-year/H1-Article1-476567.aspx
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 14, 2009
United Sikhs - Delhi
United Sikhs - Delhi : We have noticed that there are a lot of needy people who could enjoy the benefits of the Government schemes available, but just because, they are not educated or are not aware of these facilities,they could not. Considering these set of underprivileged people, we UNITED SIKHS - DELHI would like to take an initiative to help all those in need by providing them the complete information about the Government schemes which may benefit them according to their respective needs. We would help in completing the formalities and would guide them in order to get the aid.
For more information, you may contact :
Mrs. Satwinder kaur,
Cell. 9313562539
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
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