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SikhsIndia
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Paradigm shift in US Army: Sikhs allowed religious symbols

IN INDIA Sikhs in the Army are a common sight. They have a fine martial tradition. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji had transformed all followers of the Sikh Dharma into soldiers of the faith to defend and protect the weak from the strong oppressor. The United States had accepted Sikhs in the Army with their unshorn hair, an uncut beard, a turban and so on until 1984 when the new regulations forbade them from sporting their religious symbols and look different in the Army. That saw an end to the Sikh entry into the US Army.

The Iraq and Afghan wars made the US policy makers change regulations. More and More surgeons and orthodontists were needed to treat and provide comfort to the sick and the injured officers and enlisted men of the US Army. here was an opportunity for Tej Gagandeep Singh to join the US Army and undergo training with men and women who joined the Officers Training School.

We are Americans. We are US citizens. protecting and Defending America is our duty and that we shall do - that was the solemn pledge that Capt Tej Gagandeep Singh made solemnly along with other American men and women who had successfully completed the tough training. The 32 year old Sikh was permitted to maintain and sport all religious symbols of his Sikh Dharm.

He said that he asked for no exemptions in the tough schedule and did every act that a trainee is required to do. His fellow trainees had no problems with him and his different look due to his religious symbols was never an issue with other white and black American trainees. The Sikh American dental officer is now ready to be deployed anywhere in the world along with other officers and Enlisted Men and Women.

With thanks : source for detailed news : http://www.merinews.com/article/paradigm-shift-in-us-army-sikhs-allowed-religious-symbols/15801943.shtml

SikhsIndia
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Sikh IAS officer may be made PSB chief as stopgap measure

In the absence of an eligible Sikh candidate to head Punjab & Sind Bank after its current chairman and managing director GS Vedi retires on June 30 this year, the government might consider appointing a Sikh IAS officer for the top job.

Days after the ministry of finance wrote a letter to the Prime Minister’s office seeking its approval for appointing a non-Sikh as the head of the public sector bank, Tarlochan Singh, ex-chairman, National Commission for Minorities and currently a member of the Parliament, wrote to the finance minister suggesting that such a decision would hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.

“I’ve spoken with the finance minister on this and also written a letter. He has agreed to consider appointing a Sikh civil servant to run the bank until the government is able to zero in on an eligible Sikh banker for the job. There are a lot of candidates who will match the eligibility criteria for the top job in a few years,” said Singh.

For detailed news, plz click the headline above.

SikhsIndia

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Apology issued after nurse cuts Sikh's beard

B.C.'s Fraser Health Authority is investigating why staff at a seniors care facility made the "terribly unfortunate human error" of cutting the beard off an elderly Sikh patient, the second time such an incident has occurred in the past two years.

A nurse cut the man's beard out of what she thought was medical necessity, according to David Plug, Fraser Health's vice-president of communications.

"The nurse thought that she had more consent than she actually did from the family," Plug said. "It was a terribly unfortunate human error."

Unshorn hair and beards are one of the five articles of faith for baptized Sikhs.

The controversy prompted Fraser Health Authority CEO Nigel Murray to appear on a Punjabi-language radio station Wednesday to apologize.

"We just wanted to reassure the wider Sikh community that we believe it was an unfortunate mistake," Murray said.

The elderly man died last week. His identity and the cause of his death have not been made public.

Similar incident in 2008

Plug said Fraser Health apologized to the man and his family immediately after the incident occurred earlier in March, while the man was still alive.

Fraser Health is one of the largest authorities in B.C., with responsibility for the 1.5 million people in communities stretching from Burnaby to Hope, which includes the highly concentrated Sikh populations in the city of Surrey and the Fraser Valley.

In 2008, Fraser Health took system-wide steps to educate staff about cultural sensitivities after a nurse at Royal Columbian Hospital cut the beard of a 70-year-old Sikh man in intensive care.

Since that incident, executive directors at all clinical facilities have been given information about the Sikh religion.

Plug said the nurse involved in the latest beard-cutting incident had been on the job for six months. It was not known whether she had been briefed on the significance of hair and beards to Sikhs.

Fraser Health will hold more formal education sessions about the issue at all its senior facilities, Plug said.

With thanks : source : http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/03/24/bc-sikh-beard-cut-fraser-health.html#ixzz0jAXXXqYv

SikhsIndia
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www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
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First turbaned Sikh in a generation joins U.S. Army

When the 31-year-old Tejdeep Singh Rattan graduated into the army from Fort Sam Houston at San Antonio, Texas this week he did something that no member of his community had done in nearly three decades. He became the first Sikh in a generation who had continued wearing a traditional turban and yet joined the United States military, a feat not achieved since 1981.

On graduation day, surrounded by a gaggle of other members of the Sikh community and media a beaming Captain Rattan said to reporters, “I'm feeling very humbled. I'm a soldier. This has been my dream.”

Harsimran Kaur, Legal Director of the Sikh Coalition, a community-based organisation, spoke to The Hindu about the rare exception that Captain Rattan’s case is. She explained that in 1981, the U.S. Army banned “conspicuous” religious articles of faith for its service members. This included a ban on Sikh turbans and unshorn hair.

Ms Kaur said that Captain Rattan was initially enrolled in a dentistry course and signed up for training for the army back in 2006 through a Health Professionals. At the time he was told he would be able to enter the army wearing the traditional Sikh turban. However by the time he was near graduation, in 2008, he was informed that that decision had been revoked. It was at this point that the Sikh Coalition got involved, Ms. Kaur said.

The Sikh Coalition along with legal counsel supported Captain Rattan in putting in an application for an exemption from the U.S. Army. After a process that was drawn out over nearly six months, they finally got news that the application had succeeded. Additionally another Sikh applicant had succeeded, it was learnt -- Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, also with a medical background.

For Detailed news, plz click the headline above.

SikhsIndia

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Vandalism At Guelph Gurdwara

On early Friday morning, vandals threw bricks through the front window of the Gurdwara. This attack follows weeks of controversy surrounding attempts to rezone a piece of land to build a new Gurdwara to accommodate the growing Sikh community in Guelph. The Sikh community in Guelph has recently faced increasingly intolerant and often racist comments opposing the move.

Although those who oppose the re-zoning of the proposed Gurdwara site have a right to express their views, there is no room for bigotry, racism or now violence in the dialogue. The Sikh community can be asked to defend their zoning application, but they should not be put in the position of having to defend their presence in the community. Canadians pride themselves on the multicultural fabric of their nation and Sikhs are an integral part of that fabric. There is no reason a Gurdwara should be any more difficult to integrate into the community than a church or synagogue. WSO

With thanks : Source : Mapleleafsikh

SikhsIndia
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Better Facilities for Pilgrims at Sikh Gurdwaras Assured

ISLAMABAD — The federal government has spent Rs260 million for maintaining and up-keeping Sikh Gurdwaras across the country while millions more have been earmarked for 22 other projects designed to improve facilities, Chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Syed Asif Hashmi said.

Talking to reporters at Gurdwara Punja Sahib Hasan Abdal, one of the most important Sikh temples in the country, Hashmi said three of the new projects would be undertaken at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Another 16 will be launched in Nankana Sahib in addition to the three earmarked for Punja Sahib Hasan Abdal.

“The PPP government right from the first day in office in 2008 embarked on an aggressive plan for addressing the issues related to the religious shrines of Sikhs and other minorities,” Hashmi said. He said Rs49 million were spent on providing additional facilities and improvements in Sikh Gurdwaras alone. In the first four months of 2009 an amount of Rs172 million was spent on this count. Special attention was paid on providing safe and comfortable journey to Gurdwaras and temples.

He said all possible facilities are provided to Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities including security, on-site comforts and uninterrupted observance of festivals and religious rites during sacred days. The trust also plans to build a 100-bed hospital at the Punja Sahib along with a well-equipped trauma centre where modern treatment facilities would be made available.

The project for ‘lungerkhana’ at Punja Sahib to allow free meal had remained dormant for five years but has now been completed within four months. A three-storey building has been completed at a cost of Rs20 million where about 500 people can have their meals.

For the upcoming Bisakhi festival fool-proof arrangements have been made to ensure security and peaceful atmosphere for yatrees, he said.

with thanks : source : khaleejtimes.com
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com