Dastar Issue :Outcome of the Meeting between Consul General of India and Italian Authorities

Mr.S.K.Verma(Consulate General of India in Milan)

The meeting between Mr.S.K.Verma,Honourable Consul General of India in Milan and Italian Authorities was held in a friendly and cooperative environment to find the common ground in respect of the problems being faced by the Sikh passengers at Malpensa Airport.The Italian authorities included those from the Civil Aviation Authority, SEA and Frontier Police.

Representatives of the Indian Sikh community explained the relevance and significance of Dastar to the Italian authorities present there.Mr. S.K.Verma,the Consul General of India,Milan,appreciated the efforts made by the Italian authorities,so far,in reducing the total number of Sikh passengers at Malpensa Airport, put through manual inspection of their Dastars.Earlier,Dastars of all Sikh passengers were subjected to mandatory additional manual inspection.

After continuous dialogue,the Malpensa airport authorities have installed separate enclosures with mirror and curtain for manual inspection of Dastars.The issue of new technology intervention to resolve the problem at hand,too,was discussed.As one of the creative solutions,the Sikh community in northern Italy promised to get in touch with the highest Sikh religious body in India to see if permission for the security personnel at the airport could be obtained for touching and inspecting the Dastars by
hand, without asking the passengers to take them off.

The Italian authorities mentioned that the random selection of passengers,including
those belonging to the Sikh religion will continue.

Dr.Gurdeep Kaur
University of Milan
Milan,Italy

Associate Professor
SGND Khalsa College
University of Delhi
Delhi,India

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with thanks : AAJTAK  & NDTV Channels.

US: Gurdwara locked down after violation of rules

Chicago: A gurdwara here has been locked down by police authorities after it was allegedly found violating several rules related to safety standards.

Gurjot Parkash Sahib gurdwara, located in the suburb of Island Lake, was locked down by police on December 8 because of certain safety violations that had put public safety in jeopardy.

The authorities found that fire exit doors of gurdwara were locked from inside with deadbolt and there were also sleeping rooms in its basement.

with thanks : IBNlive : link in headline for detailed news.

Central scholarship not reaching minority students

ALANDHAR: Centre has withheld scholarship money for minority students of Punjab belonging to Muslim, Sikh and Christian religions under its scheme after state government failed to submit utilization certificate for Rs 40.59 crore. The amount was given by ministry of minority affairs during last financial year.

The facts came out in a meeting of Planning Commission of India. Senior Supreme Court advocate H S Phoolka, who attended the meeting being a member of the Steering Committee on Empowerment of Minorities, has now written to Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal asking him to take immediate steps on the issue as over 2.73 lakh students are being deprived of the scholarship due to negligence of official machinery in Punjab.

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

Sikh US soldier receives combat award

WASHINGTON: Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, the first turbaned US Sikh soldier in last 30 years has received Bronze Star Medal, the fourth-highest combat award for his meritorious services in Afghanistan.

Kalsi, a doctor, received the medal for "exceptionally meritorious service as an emergency medicine physician" while deployed in Afghanistan during the first half of 2011, the Sikh Coalition said in a statement yesterday.

He was the first Sikh to be allowed to go on active duty with a turban, beard and unshorn hair in more than 20 years.

Working for the rights of Sikhs in the US, Sikh Coalition was instrumental in Kalsi joining the US Army after he was refused an entry on religious grounds.

with thanks : Economic Times : link in the head line above for detailed news.

Rare Pictures of Gurdwara Panja Sahib

Heartiest thanks from Sikh Community to Iftikhar Quratulain(who lives in Islamabad,Pakistan)for sharing these wonderful and Unique photos of Gurdwara Panja Sahib.

Dr.Gurdeep Kaur
University of Milan
Milan,Italy

Associate Professor
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College
University of Delhi
Delhi,India

Consul General of India's Meeting with Italian Authorities on Dastar Issue

Mr.S.K.Verma ,Honourable Consul General of India in Milan,Italy has been invited by the chief of Police for an official meeting along with other leaders of the Sikh Community at Malpensa Airport on 9th December 2011.This Meeting is fixed to discuss Dastar issue which Indian authorities had taken up so many times with the Italian authorities.