Wednesday, January 21, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE ANNOUNCES PRESTIGIOUS DR. MANMOHAN SINGH SCHOLARSHIP 2009

St. John’s College, a leading college of the University of Cambridge, today released details of this year’s prestigious ‘Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships’, the programme first launched at the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi last year.

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Giving wings to prayers

The all consuming aspiration of large numbers of Punjabis to settle permanently abroad can sometimes assume bizarre forms. One such is the sight at the main sanctum of Gurdwara Sant Baba Nihal Singh Ji Shaheedan in Talhan, a small settlement 10 km east of Jalandhar, which looks like a child’s nursery. That too of a child obsessed with aviation. It is littered with dozens of toy aeroplanes of various sizes and colours.

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Friday, January 16, 2009

These Sikhnis have an eye on Miss Kaur crown

MUMBAI: The Dadar gurdwara is the scene of an unlikely revolution. A svelte beauty wearing low-waist jeans is reciting the Jap Sahib to her neighbour. At the head of the table, a team of beauty experts is handing out customised grooming tips for the next day's beauty pageant.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sikh spends distressing times in Korean Jail


Good looking, devout and down to earth Jasprit Singh Chawla has been in a Korean prison for the last thirteen months. Nominated by Lloyds last year for the “Shipmaster of the Year” award for his heroic efforts during the oil spill, the captain of Hebei Spirit which inadvertently caused a huge oil spill off Taen county, South Chungcheong Province, has been imprisoned despite one of the lower courts exonerating him of any blame for the damage.
His wife, Gurpreet Kaur has been running from pillar to post, single-handedly looking after her children and meeting her husband at the cold cells of the Cheongju Detention Center.
The chief officer of the ill-fated ship –Shyam Chetan, is also in the same prison, though they are not allowed to talk with each other in the high security jail where they are let out for one of the 24 hours in the whole day.
In December 2007, a crane barge broke free from one of the barges towing it and ran into the side of the Hebei Spirit, which was at anchor, which caused tons of crude oil to flow into the sea. The incident is seen as an environmental disaster, which has affected tourism and fishing.
In the first instance a court had cleared Jasprit Singh and his officer but later an appeals court sentenced them to a year and half on charges of negligence.
Surving on plain rice, vegetarian Jasprit Singh’s health is deteriorating but he maintains a character of steel with the support and richness of his abiding faith in God, his Sikh way of life and his reading habit.
But he points out that conditions in the are much better than in Daejeon, where they were originally held. There was no heating in Daejeon and the cell was barely larger than a single bed.
Like Gurpreet Kaur, the wife of Syam Chetan and his father, Commodore DR Syam are also engaged in bestirring the Indian bureaucracy and others to take steps to quicken the release of the beleaguered seamen.
Though the Indian embassy claims that they are trying to do their best, surely they are not doing enough as Jasprit continues to survive on rice and water.
Maritime organizations, including The International Transport Workers Federation are shocked at the developments. Dehradun-based Uttarakhand Sikh Federation has sought immediate intervention of the Prime Minister’s office and would be petitioning the Korean embassy in New Delhi to take up the case in right earnest and ensure justice, though Manjit Singh Chawla, the father of Jasprit Singh has rued that so far nothing has been forthcoming from the PMO.
It is learnt that international Sikh advocacy and human rights groups are contemplating meeting Korean authorities over the matter in the coming days.
13 January 2009

With thanks : WSN Bureau, Photo Courtesy: The Korea Herald

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Delhi CM celebrates Parkash Utsav of Guru Gobind Singh ji

Delhi CM celebrates Parkash utsav of Guru Gobind Singh ji
sohnijodi.com — SikhsIndia : Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheela Dixit, celebrated Parkash utsav of Guru Gobind Singh ji on 10th of January, 2009 at her residence at New Delhi. All the prominent sikh personalities of Delhi, including the Sarna brothers, as well members of DSGMC, attended the celebrations. Keertan was done by Bibi Ashu Preet Kaur of Jallandhar.Pics will be uploaded soon on www.sohnijodi.com

A collection of Sikh News by SikhsIndia & sohnijodi.com

Sikh news by SikhsIndia and sohnijodi.com
sohnijodi.com — A collection of all the important news items related to Sikhs in the last one year is now available on the sikh web portal www.sohnijodi.com . You can view any of the detailed news by clicking on the specific news item. Please log on to : http://www.sohnijodi.com/sikhsindia%20sikhsnews.htm

Monday, January 5, 2009

Mistaken Identity : Sikhs in America after 9/11 by Amanda Gesine


“… the opportunity to be part of this project was a dream come true. I admit I knew nothing about Sikhs and Sikhism. But for me personally, it has been an amazing journey of discovery. If you grew up in a sheltered town like I did, you were not exposed to different cultures.

Please read the complete article on the sikh web portal http://www.sohnijodi.com/

Happy Gurupurab


HAPPY GURUPURAB
Please view pics of Gurdwara Mandi sahib, Pics of Beddings, Rabab sahib, Gun & Kuppi, as well Signatures of Guru Gobind Singh ji on our Sikh web Portal http://www.sohnijodi.com/

Sunday, January 4, 2009

SGPC finally throws open Sehajdhari Sikh Issue

SGPC finally throws open Sehajdhari Sikh issue
Sat, Jan 3 02:31 AM
Having drawn flak on the Sehajdhari issue, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, on Friday, convened an emergency meeting of the Sant Samaj, Taksal and various Sikh bodies to seek their opinion before filing a fresh affidavit on the matter before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. While SGPC authorities claimed the meeting to be a "grand success", with participants endorsing their stand, SGPC detractors termed the meet to be a mere "joke".
"It was a congregation of yes men. The SGPC invited the persons who hardly speak against them and the so-called convention was a formality sans healthy discussions," said Dal Khalsa General Secretary Kunwarpal Singh.
He said neither they nor Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), who were critical of the SGPC on the debacle of filing a "wrong affidavit" earlier before the HC, were invited for the meet. "No responsibility of the officials has been fixed for the erroneous affidavit so far," said KAC convener Mohkam Singh.
On the other hand, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, who presided over the meeting, said they had sent the invitations to various Sikh bodies and most of them attended the meet. "The SGPC is a paramount Sikh body, directly elected by the Sikh people. The participants who are prominent Sikh personalities unanimously endorsed our stand on filing a fresh affidavit on the Sehajdhari Sikh issue, as per the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925," he said.
He added that they discussed the matter at length and would move ahead to approach the court.
The Samaj leaders, including Baba Avtar Singh, Baba Hari Singh, Damdami Taksal head Harnam Singh Khalsa, head of one faction of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha Baldev Singh, Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Chief Khalsa Diwan head Charanjit Singh Chadha and AISSF chief Rajinder Singh Mehta took part in the meet.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh is abroad. "Makkar is a misfit for the post of SGPC head. During his term, there have been numerous controversies and the Sehajdhari debacle is the latest. When the SGPC had already decided to file a fresh affidavit on the issue, rejecting the previous one, why are these formalities being done," questioned former minister and former SGPC secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta, who is a vocal voice on the issue.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee head Paramjit Singh Sarna told The Indian Express from Delhi that neither the SGPC nor anyone is entitled to discuss the word "Sikh" as it had been defined by Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh. "It is a mockery of religious affairs," said Sarna, adding that the previous affidavit was altered as per the dictates of RSS and Makkar and CM Parkash Singh Badal will have to provide an answer to the Sikh public.
Meanwhile, when asked about the three-member panel not even beginning work on the probe to affix responsibility for submission of "wrong affidavit" earlier, Makkar said the panel was on the job and would soon submit a detailed report.
The SGPC had been under fire for not taking the views of the Sikh masses before taking a decision on who is a Sehajdhari Sikh.
with thanks : yahoo india news

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Sehajdhari Sikh: SGPC to submit amended affidavit

AMRITSAR: Promising to end days of confrontation and confusion, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said on Friday that it would submit an amended affidavit on the definition of Sehajdhari Sikh in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

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Friday, January 2, 2009