Tohra's wife gets cabinet rank

Chandigarh, June 9 (PTI) Punjab government today decided to grant cabinet rank to iconic Sikh leader and former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra's wife Joginder Kaur Tohra.

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With thanks : source : PTI News

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400 Sikhs pilgrims arrive for Jor Mela

LAHORE: Over 400 Sikh yatris arrived at 3:45 pm yesterday to attend the 404th death anniversary of Guru Arjun Dev Jee at Gurdwara Dera Sahib to be held on June 15.

The yatris left for a three-day visit to Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal after they were warmly welcomed by officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Perbandhak Committee (PSGPC).

Talking to The Express Tribune, the ETPB spokesperson Aamir Hashmi assured that the Sikh pilgrims would be provided with the best facilities during their 10-day stay in the country.

Meanwhile, other members of Gurdwara Parbhanhak committee emphasised the need to take confidence building measures.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PSGPC member Sardar Ragbeer, welcoming the yatris, said, “India and Pakistan should resume talk on bilateral relations.” This would ease the visa obtaining process for so many Sikhs interested in annual pilgrims to Pakistan, he added.

The yatris are scheduled to leave Hassanabdal for another religious visit to Gurdwara Jana Asthan in Nankana Sahib on June 11. They will return to Lahore on June 14 to attend the festivities at Gurdwara Dera Sahib scheduled for June 16.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2010.

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‘Khanda’ On Underwear – US Firm Calls back Design

LU­D­HI­A­NA­: A leadi­ng clot­hi­ng r­et­ai­ler­ oper­at­i­ng f­r­om­­ t­he US has deci­ded t­o wi­t­hdr­aw i­t­s desi­gns car­r­yi­ng t­he ob­j­ect­i­onab­le use of­ t­he Kbanda reli­gi­o­­us i­nsi­gni­a and an i­mage o­­f­ t­he Si­kh guru o­­n i­t­s p­ro­­duc­t­s, i­nc­ludi­ng underw­ear and t­ho­­ng c­o­­llec­t­i­o­­n.

F­o­­llo­­w­i­ng an o­­ut­rage i­n t­he Sik­h­ co­mmu­n­ity settl­ed i­n the US, C­afe­Pr­e­ss, a­n­ o­n­lin­e­ re­ta­il cha­in­ tha­t imp­o­rts­ fro­m P­un­ja­b­ a­n­d K­e­ra­la­-ba­s­e­d g­a­rme­n­t ma­n­ufa­cture­rs­, s­a­id its­ p­ro­ducts­ did n­o­t ca­rry­ “a­n­y­ ma­licio­us­ in­te­n­t” a­n­d o­ffe­re­d a­n­ a­p­o­lo­g­y­ “fo­r a­n­y­ o­ffe­n­ce­ its­ p­ro­ducts­ ha­d ca­us­e­d” to­ the­ co­mmun­ity­.

A­ Ludhia­n­a­-ba­s­e­d re­p­re­s­e­n­ta­tive­ o­f the­ re­ta­il cha­in­ s­a­id tha­t be­in­g­ o­n­lin­e­ clo­thin­g­ re­ta­ile­r, the­ cha­in­ a­llo­ws­ third p­a­rtie­s­ fro­m a­ro­un­d the­ wo­rld to­ cre­a­te­ the­ir o­wn­ de­s­ig­n­s­ a­n­d ho­s­t the­m o­n­ the­ir we­bs­ite­. “The­ is­s­ue­ ha­s­ be­e­n­ bro­ug­ht in­to­ o­ur n­o­tice­ a­n­d the­ de­s­ig­n­s­ withdra­wn­. It ha­s­ be­e­n­ cla­rifie­d tha­t the­ cha­in­ wo­uld us­e­ g­re­a­te­r ca­utio­n­ a­n­d s­tricte­r me­a­s­ure­s­ in­ mo­n­ito­rin­g­ co­n­­ te­n­t o­n­ its­ we­bs­ite­,” the­ re­p­re­s­e­n­ta­tive­ s­a­id.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : HT

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Lessons Not Learnt

The facts speak for themselves. Twenty-six years after the country's worst industrial disaster in the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, which killed around 4,000 people immediately and several thousands over the years, a trial court sentenced seven of the accused to two years in jail. The accused, all former employees of Union Carbide, were out on bail immediately. This is an all-too-familiar story of the Indian state and its law-enforcement agencies failing to deliver justice. Be it the 1984 anti-Sikh riots or the 1992 Ayodhya demolition, the state has been unable to either punish the perpetrators or adequately compensate victims.

The tortuous legal history of the Union Carbide disaster is replete with missteps, collusion and plain inefficiency on the part of different state agencies. A few months after the tragedy, the Indian government had filed a claim of $3.3 billion in US courts against Union Carbide. After a US district court transferred all litigation to India, the government in 1989 settled for a measly $470 million compensation in an out-of-court deal which worked out to under Rs 75,000 each for death victims and about Rs 25,000 for the injured. Moreover, more than 15 years later the government hadn't disbursed the entire compensation. The courts were equally lax in trying the perpetrators. The main accused, former Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson, was declared a fugitive in 1992 and has never appeared in an Indian court. Furthermore, in 1996, the Supreme Court reduced the charges against the accused from culpable homicide not amounting to murder, punishable by a maximum 10-year jail term, to causing death by negligence, which invites a sentence of only two years.

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With thanks : source : Times of India

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Indian Sikh delegation in Pakistan calls for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor

Amritsar, June 8 (ANI): A Sikh delegation visiting Pakistan on Tuesday called on the Governments of India and Pakistan to resolve their demand for the "Kartarpur Corridor".

Several organizations have been coordinating programs to create a corridor (passport/visa-free passage) between Dera Baba Nanak (on the Indian side) and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib (about three kilometers from the India-akistan international border in Pakistan’s Narowal District).

About 300 Sikh devotees entered Pakistan on Tuesday to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth spiritual leader of the Sikh community.

Guru Nanak Dev, the first spiritual leader of the community spent 17 years at a place where Gurdwara Kartarpur is situated. A few years ago, Pakistan allowed Sikhs devotees from India to visit to Gurdwara Kartarpur.

In 1999, Pakistan dictator General Pervez Musharraf committed to providing safe passage to the Sikh pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has also shown his interest for building the corridor.

While addressing a gathering in September 2004, the Prime Minister announced that he would take up with Pakistan the issue of the Kartarpur corridor and provision of access to those visiting Nankhana Sahib.

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With thanks : source : ANI

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Akal Takht calls upon excommunicated persons to return to Sikh fold

Amritsar, June 7 (ANI): Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, on Sunday offered another chance to excommunicated community persons to return to Sikh fold.

The five Sikh Jathedars, or high priests, said that all those persons who have been excommunicated from the Sikh community should present themselves before the Akal Takth here to submit an apology.

"The Sikh community has taken an important decision that till today the people who have been excommunicated from the Akal Takht, they are getting another golden chance. They need to produce themselves in front of the Akal Takht sahib within the next one month and do an apology prayer. If they fail to come out within one month then the devotees should act against them strictly," said Gyani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht.

In January this year Gyani Darshan Singh Ragi, a former high priest of the Akal Takth, was expelled from the religion for making objectionable remarks against the tenth spiritual guru, Guru Gobind Singh, during a congregation in the United States in November 2009.

Reportedly, he failed to clarify his position before the five Jathedars for his objectionable remarks.

Incidents of excommunicating in Sikh religion are not uncommon; followers are liable for being declared Tankhiya for flouting Sikhism practices like cutting hair or trying to bring disrepute to the Guru Granth Sahib. (ANI)

With thanks : source : ONEINDIA with link in headline above.

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26th anniversary of Operation Blue Star observed

Amritsar, Jun 6 (PTI) Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, today observed the 26th anniversary of Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple here as genocide day, saying the wounds inflicted on the community's psyche by the offensive were yet to heal.

"The Sikh community all over the world still feels the unhealed wounds of Operation Blue Star, Akal Takht Jathedar Gyani Gurbachan Singh said addressing a function held by the SGPC to mark the occasion at the Temple where the operation was carried out by the Indian army in 1984 to flush out pro-Khalistan militants.

DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED FROM THE LINK IN HEADLINE ABOVE.

With thanks : source : PTI

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