Sikhs being targeted deliberately in Italy-Harsimrat

CHANDIGARH: Member Parliament from Bathinda ,Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Thursday that Sikhs were being deliberately targeted in the airports of Italy repeatedly and Government of India owes an explanation to the country for its complete failure to safeguard the interests of Sikhs despite various hollow assurances.

Registering a strong protest in a communiqué to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Harsimrat said that she on behalf of entire Sikh community was lodging a protest over intolerable way Sikhs are treated at airports in Italy and other countries of the world. She also moved adjournment motion over recent incident of forcible removal of turban of Commander of Jet Airways at Milan airport thereby hurting the sentiments of Sikh community and government’s utter failure to ensure dignity of Sikhs. 

 

Pointing to the total failure of Congress led UPA government in pressurizing Italy government, she referred to the latest incident that happened with Ravijodh Singh Dhupia, a commander of Jet Airways, who was forced to remove his turban at Milan Airport. She said that it was intolerable and unfortunate that the officials deployed on international airports harass Sikhs again and again by removing their turbans under security check excuses. She said that repeated incidents in the Italy have proved that the Union Government has failed to convey to the Italian Government and other foreign governments not to remove the turbans of Sikhs. She said that to ask a Sikh to remove his turban was in fact an atrocity on him and all over the world Sikhs in one voice have stood up to call this an act of great violence and cruelty on Sikhs.

with thanks : PunjabNewsLine : link in headline above for detailed news.

Proud to be Sikh

As the film 'I Am Singh' releases today, some prominent Sikhs speak to DT about how 9/11 changed the world's perception towards them

A turban is the honour and pride of all Sikhs. It is very important for each Sikh and when, because of mistaken identity, they are asked to remove their pagdis, then everyone should unite to fight it. This film is to educate the West about the difference between the Arabs and Sikhs. Innocent people were targetted across the world after 9/11, because of mistaken identity,"- Ajit Pal Singh (former Indian ockey captain and winner of Hockey World Cup, 1975)

Sikhs are treated as the irrelevant minority. "I Am Singh" is a voice that echoes a sentiment of Sikhs across the world, who stand for universal brotherhood. The Sikhs are the survivors. They stand for truth and are martial. "Iss film ko dekhna mere liye mazhab hai, iss film ko support karna mera dharm hai" - Navjot Singh Siddhu (cricket and TV personality) .

with thanks : TIMES OF INDIA : link in headline above for detailed news.

 

Amitabh pleads innocence in 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Amritsar, Dec 1 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has pleaded his innocence in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in various parts of the country in which thousands of Sikhs were massacred, a top Sikh religious leader said.

In a letter to jathedar (chief) Gurcharan Singh of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, Amitabh stated that he had no role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The letter was delivered to the Akal Takht head by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member from Mumbai, Gurinder Singh Bawa.

with thanks : thaindian : link in the headline above for detailed news.

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After memorials on Sikh history, Punjab to erect one for freedom fighters, martyrs

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday announced that a memorial — to be named Jang-e-Azadi — will be built to showcase the rich contribution of Punjabi freedom fighters and martyrs to the country’s struggle for freedom.

Speaking after inaugurating and dedicating \Wadda Ghallughara Ghallughara Martyrs’ Memorial to the people and Khalsa Panth, Badal announced that the Jang-e-Azadi will be set up in Doaba. “We will spend Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore on the memorial,” he said, adding that the nitty-gritty of the project will be finalised in next cabinet meeting.

Underlining the sacrifices made by Punjabis in the freedom struggle, Badal said that despite constituting a mere two and a half percent of the country’s population, Punjabis had made 80 per cent sacrifices in the freedom struggle. He added that the memorial will showcase how Punjabis fought against the British Rule.

with thanks : Indian Express : link in headline above for detailed news.

Centre ready for certain amendments in Anand Marriage Act: Salman Khurshid

MALERKOTLA: Punjab Congress presidentAmarinder Singh will have his say in making amendments to the century-old Anand Marriage Act, being hotly debated in Sikh circles. 

Amarinder will discuss the modalities of amendments to be made with Union home minister and the report prepared after Amarinder' deliberations with home ministry would be put before the Union cabinet for approval. Revealing this here on Wednesday, Union law and justice and minorities minister Salman Khurshid said Union government is ready to make certain amendments or to frame new act altogether. 

Salman Khurshid on the sidelines of a Congress rally said, "the union law ministry is thinking of making certain amendments to the act wherein the marriages solemnized under Anand Karaj Act could be registered in the deaths and birth act and these will be certified.Or a separate act for registration of marriages could be made incorporating Anand Marriage Act wherein marriages solemnized under Sikh Act could be accommodated and the Nikahnama by Muslims too could be taken up".

with thanks : Times of India : link in headline above for detailed news.

It’s cool to be a Sikh

It has become fashionable to play a Sardar on screen. Akshay Kumar did it in Singh Is Kinng. 

Ajay Devgn in The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Saif Ali Khan in Love Aaj Kal and Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year. And the latest actor to cash in on the trend of playing a Sikh character on screen is debutant Gulzar Chahal, who takes pride playing a Sardar in his very first venture - I Am Singh. 

Says the actor, "I am a Jat Sardar and thus the character's portryal in I Am Singh came very naturally to me. It takes immense guts to play this kind of character that too in your very first film because the turban and the beard make your looks go through a complete transformation. The audience has accepted our main actors in Sardar roles and I hope to make a mark, too." 

with thanks : Times of India : link in headline above for detailed news.

Pilot told to take off turban at Milan airport

A Sikh senior commander with Jet Airways on Tuesday was asked to take off his turban during security check for his Flight 141 to Delhi from the Milan airport.

The incident happened just six months after the Italian government’s promise against continuation of such a practice.

After an uproar over the humiliation caused to golfer Jeev Milkha Singh’s coach Amritinder Singh, who was made to take off his turban at the same airport in March this year, Italy had announced in June that Sikhs travelling to the country will no longer have to remove their turbans at the airports during security screening.

with thanks : Indian Express : link in headline above for detailed news.

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