Punjabi village in USA all set for annual Sikh parade

Yuba City (California): Yuba City, known as the first Punjabi village in the US, is all set for the annual Sikh Parade next week.

Home to the descendants of the earliest Indian immigrants to the US, Yuba City, near the California capital of Sacramento, is famous for its annual Sikh Parade. Over 75,000 Sikhs from around the world are expected to attend the 30th anniversary of the parade next week.

The parade is organized to mark the day of the installation of the Sikh scripture of the Guru Granth. The festivities will begin Friday (Oct 30) with the start of the non-stop recitation of the Granth at the city's main Sikh Temple in the morning. The evening will end with a spectacular display of fireworks to be attended by main leaders of the city.

"It is the Sikh way of saying thank-you to the local community,'' said Balraj Singh Dhillon, president of the Sikh Temple.

The next day, the Sikh community will hold an 'Open House' with elected officials, dignitaries and ordinary citizens.

"We will present Cultural Safari, is a 17-minute video, to educate leaders, school children, teachers and administrators about what it means to be a Sikh American,'' said city surgeon Jasbir Singh Kang.

Sikh scholar I.J. Singh, who has written many books on Sikhism from a western perspective, will also enlighten the audience about the Sikh religion.

Upon the completion of its non-stop reading (or akhand path), the holy Granth will be installed on a lavishly decorated float and take through the streets of Yuba City.

Thousands are expected to follow the Guru Granth Sahib in a procession.

The organizers said 50 floats depicting Sikh history and culture will be part of the parade, expected to extend up to four and a half miles.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the parade, the Sikh community has decided to launch a "massive'' food drive to collect food items for the poor and needy.

"As part of our food drive, 250,000 meals will be prepared and distributed to the needy to show our tradition of caring and sharing,'' said Kang.

with thanks : source : http://www.samaylive.com/

SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

Little India in Kent, Washington

There was a time when I participated in the office potlucks, and while my coworkers enjoyed their favorite Indian dish they would always ask me for recipe. Most of the stores where we bought our ingredients were in Canada at that time. And aside from the drive there was the hassle we would face at the customs.



Times have changed since then. We now have a lot of Indian grocery stores here in 'Little India,' and new ones are opening up every few months. It really reminds me of India. Then, whenever a special guest would visit us; we had to run out to the store and pick up some sweets or Indian samosas from the sweet shop. Things are similar here nowadays. Some evenings I walk to the Indian market. While we stroll along the shops we often sit at 'Pabla Indian Cuisine' to enjoy a snack. My son loves Samosa burger more than the regular burger!



So much has changed, really. The recent report in the Seattle Times: "Kent School District joins trend of minority students outnumbering whites" reflects this trend. The Kent School District this year became the seventh Seattle-area district in which minority students outnumber white students. It's part of a demographic shift that's happening in districts across Washington and the nation.

While the Indian community evolves into a major community, so are the Indian businesses growing in great numbers.



A fairly decent shop is within the walls of Sikh Gurudwara Sahib in Renton. It is run by Kundan Singh. He sells all the needs of the Sikh community including the Kanga (the wooden comb used to massage the scalp as it combs the hair), Kara (the Sikh iron bangle), Kirpan (the Sikh sword), Kachera (the military undergarment). These are part of the 5 K's mandated by Guru Gobind Singh for every Sikh. He also sells, various books, music tapes and disks, turbans, etc. Kundan Singh said that although it is within the Gurudwara Sahib it is not supported by the Gurudwara Management.

"Although we have accepted the fast American way of life, we can't adapt to the American food" said one gentleman. "And above all Indian food is healthy and nutritious. It is the American way to eat a fast breakfast which may include bread or cereal. Indians prefer good Indian food for dinner which has to be soothing and healthy. We want our kitchen to smell spicy in the evening."



Turmeric Powder has been known to be a miracle golden powder. It has been used in Indian food for centuries. Yet recently, science has accepted its benefits as an anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory agent. Although it sells expensively in health stores it is one of the ubiquitous spices found in Indian stores. And the price is fairly cheap!

Contributed by:
Aasra Magazine:
“Connecting Communities”
Email: Aasra@q.com
Phone: 206-550-3154

SikhsIndia
Spreading awareness
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Real Life Super Hero: Harbhajan Singh Aulakh

Sports lovers around the world may associate the name ‘Harbhajan Singh' with cricket, but a grand old athlete from Melbourne, Australia, may soon become the more recognizable sports personality with that name!

77-year old Harbhajan Singh Aulakh is competing at the World Masters Games being held in Sydney and is tipped to be one of the more successful veteran athletes in the world.

He has competed in seven events so far and has already won three gold, three silver and one bronze medal. With another six events still to come, who know what the final tally might be!!

Earlier this year in February-March, Harbhajan Singh won six gold medals at the 12th Australian Masters Games held in Geelong (Victoria) and since then, he had his sights set at the upcoming World Masters in Sydney.

At the Australian Masters, he was to compete in 11 events, but unfortunately a muscle pull forced him to withdraw after six events. He says ruefully,"I had to forfeit my pet events because of the muscle pull, otherwise I would have won many more gold medals at the Australian Masters. But as a result of that, I've practiced and trained really hard during the last few months. I know exactly what my competition is and I know how to beat them. So I'm taking part in 13 events at the World Masters in Sydney".

Amazingly, he had won a gold medal in every event that he participated in at the Australian Masters, and even in Sydney, he has kept up the winning streak by winning a medal at every event so far.

He is participating in 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 5000m Walk, 100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, Steeple Chase, Long Jump, Triple Jump and High Jump.

Migrating to Australia just over two years ago and proudly displaying the Australian flag at the World Masters tournament, Harbhajan Singh says, "I've made Punjabis and Indians happy all my life; this time round, I want to make the Australians happy by winning medals for them."

Sardar Harbhajan Singh is a simple soul who describes himself as an "illiterate village bumpkin"; but the great spirit and determination that he embodies could as easily be described as essentially Punjabi or quintessentially Australian!

"Nobody has ever paid or sponsored me to compete at any event, whether nationally or internationally. I've done it all at my own expense, because I love competing and I don't want to rely on any one's generosity," he says.

Prior to the Sydney tournament, he had won 68 medals (of which a whopping 43 are gold) in national and international events, including the Asian Games and previous World Masters Games.



An accomplished hockey player in his heyday and a school teacher in the prime of his life, he began participating at veterans events since 1981 and has never looked back since. He has won medals in Malaysia, UK, Australia and many other countries apart from India, always paying his own way to the tournaments.

Born on June 16, 1932 in district Gurdaspur of Punjab, he was involved in sports right from his early childhood years. He recalls that back in the old days when he was a youngster competing at various sporting events around Punjab, the winners weren't presented with medals - instead, they won utensils (pots or pans) made of copper or brass!

With a laugh he told me that his mother was most pleased when he won a competition because he would bring home shiny new pots and pans! As an incentive, she would make special "sweet water" for him - just jaggery mixed in water - and goad him on to win more competitions, so her kitchen would be the envy of every other woman in Punjab!

"I collected many utensils in my younger days, thanks to that ‘sweet water'", laughed Harbhajan Singh.

That's the simplicity of this man, who credits his remarkable success in the track field to two women - his mother and his wife. Deeply grateful to the Almighty for his spectacular success, he is also proud of his Melbourne-based son, who provides him with complete financial support, giving him the ability to compete world wide.

"Its not easy to continue doing this, both personally and financially. But I know that if I want to continue, my son wouldn't hesitate in supporting me", he says.

Young at heart, and youthful in his outlook, Harbhajan Singh prefers the company of youngsters. "I may be 77 years old, but my mind tells me, I'm still very young. When I go to tournaments, I prefer to stay with young athletes rather than with the older coaches. I find that I learn a lot from youngsters, from their technique, as well as from their outlook".

Whether or not he becomes the better known Harbhajan Singh in the world of sport, he may soon be rightfully called Australia's own Fauja Singh. And as his medal tally continues to grow in Sydney, Harbhajan is an inspiration to all - that any one can achieve anything, at any age, at any world stage, as long as they put in the required hard work and have the right attitude in life.


Editor's Note: S. Harbhajan Singh's final tally is 10 medals: 4 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze. He picked up a gold yesterday and a silver and bronze today, even though he had pulled a muscle during his second-last event. He will not be competing in the final two events that were slated for today. But its a rich harvest of 10 medals, and we congatulate him for it. (Oct 18, 2009)

with thanks : source : By : Manpreet kaur singh www.sikhchic.com

SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

SIKHS Complain to BBC Trust for Misuse of Sikh Insignia

Press Release: 22nd October 2009 8th Katik (Samvat 541 Nanakshahi)

Press Release
SIKHS Complain to BBC Trust for Misuse of Sikh Insignia





The Khanda, a Sikh Religious Insignia
Questions Put to the BBC in the UNITED SIKHS letter

What, if any, checks did the BBC news reporter and producer make to ascertain the nature and significance of the Khanda to the Sikh community, before it was used?
What was the reason for using the Khanda in the report? Have you have used the Cross or the Crescent and Star whenever you report on Christians and Muslims committing offences?
Why was it necessary to mention the Sikh religion in a crime report and why did the producer allow the link?
What training does the BBC provide its staff to familiarise them with religious insignia so that there is no abuse that could lead to community tensions?
Does the BBC accept that the irresponsible use of the Khanda in the said news report could increase community tensions and that it can lead to incitement of religious hatred?
What measures will be taken to appease the Sikh community so that the said report, is not misconstrued by the Sikh community as a deliberate attempt to insult them?
Will the BBC produce specific positive documentaries on the Sikh faith to mitigate the effect of the insulting use of the Khanda and the insulting link of the crimes to the Sikh religion?
How will the BBC ensure that this and such incidents do not recur?
Is the BBC prepared to publically apologise to the Sikh community, without parading the offending news item to ensure that the rape victim would not have to relive the memory of the report nor that the Sikh community would be insulted again?

London, UK - UNITED SIKHS complained today to the Chairman of the BBC Trust for the misuse of the Khanda, a Sikh religious insignia, in BBC’s news reports last week on the sentencing of three men for heinous rape crimes.

The Sikh community had been very shocked and saddened by a BBC news report, on Friday 16th Oct 2009, about a Sikh rape victim from Wales, who had suffered prolonged abuse at the hands of those she would expect to be protected by, especially from such a young age.

It was, therefore, a double blow for the Sikh community when they saw the irresponsible use, by the BBC in the same news report, of a Sikh religious insignia, the Khanda, and the suggestion that the Sikh religion was connected to the crimes.

The news report had ‘victimised’ the entire Sikh community when the BBC used the Khanda, which is no less significant than the Cross, when they showed the convicted men, whose faces were darkened to protect the identity of the rape victim.

Further, the report, by innuendo, maligned the Sikh community as it made references to the Sikh religion, which had no relevance to the rape incidents. The community felt as though the reporter was trying to link the Sikh religion to the incidents.

The Khanda is a sacred symbol that symbolizes eternity and righteousness and is commonly seen at Sikh Gurdwaras and on the Sikh flag- the Nishaan Sahib.

“What was the reason for using the Khanda in the report? Have you have used the Cross or the Crescent and Star whenever you report on Christians and Muslims committing offences?” Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS legal director, asked in the letter to the BBC Trust.

“Does the BBC accept that the irresponsible use of the Khanda in the said news report could increase community tension and that it can lead to incitement of religious hatred?” she said in the letter, which was also copied to the National Community Tension Team (NCTT), set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers, ACPO. We have requested an urgent meeting with the BBC to address the Sikh community’s concerns.

On seeing the Khanda used in the above-mentioned way, the Sikh community had immediately started a national ‘text’ campaign to contact the BBC for the removal of the Khanda from the news item.

“We were contacted by hurt and irate Sikh youths who said something should be done about this outrageous misuse of the Khanda by the BBC in a flagrant disregard to the religious sensitivities of Sikhs,” said Mejindarpal Kaur.

UNITED SIKHS has asked the BBC to investigate how this irresponsible act was allowed to happen when Sikhs have lived in the UK for many years and the Khanda is a well known Sikh insignia. You may read the letter here.

You may read a previous press release on our efforts to create awareness and understanding of Sikh religious rights at http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PR-15-10-2009.html

UNITED SIKHS encourages the Sikh community to exercise their freedom of religion fearlessly, and to contact us with any problems, concerns, or incidents of discrimination.



Issued by:
Rishipal Singh
Director
UNITED SIKHS
Phone: 07709830442

US prejudice : 9/11 fears put Sikhs on scare list with Muslims

Washington, DC - On 16th October, the civil rights concerns of the Sikh American community were featured on RT--an international English-language news channel broadcast to more than 200 million viewers in 100 countries on five continents throughout the world.


especially after 9/11 when the anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States was growing. According to a recent poll, 40% of Americans admitted to have a prejudice against Muslims. Oftentimes because of Sikhs' turbans, they get mistaken for Muslims and end up becoming targets for hate crimes, work place discrimination, and racial profiling at airports. Today, because of their turbans, Sikhs still can't enlist in the U.S. army and in some states they can't teach in public schools.

with thanks : youtube.com

contributed by : Dr. P S Puri, USA

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

US allows Sikh security officers to wear turban and beard

PTI 21 October 2009, 11:41am IST

WASHINGTON: Sikhs in US will be allowed to serve in uniform with their beards and turbans under a legal settlement reached with the US Department of
Homeland Security, a Sikh advocacy group claimed on Wednesday.

In a statement, Sikh Coalition said the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to pay Raghbir Singh, a Sikh who wears a beard and turban in accordance with his religious beliefs, monetary damages for his wrongful termination in 2005.

"Holding the federal government accountable for discriminating against Sikhs sends a strong message to private employers. If the government includes Sikh-Americans in its workforce, it should encourage other employers to do the same," said Harsimran Kaur, legal director, Sikh Coalition.

"Beyond monetary recognition, we're pleased the government recognised the need to edit its policies to accommodate for religious differences," said Khari Tillery, who represented Singh along with the Sikh Coalition and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

"Singh's turban and beard did not affect his ability to perform his job duties and he was an exemplary employee," he argued.

Singh is a former contracted federal security guard who was fired from his Fresno post in 2005 when his supervisors reported that his beard and religious turban failed to comply with homeland security uniform.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-allows-Sikh-security-officers-to-wear-turban-and-beard/articleshow/5144375.cms

SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

Sikh Brother To Meet Muslim Sister After 62 Years

Srinagar, Oct 21: Separated in early childhood from his sister in the violent upheaval in Muzaffarabad during Kashmir’s division 62 years ago, an elderly Sikh is keenly awaiting a reunion through the cross-LoC bus.

For Gurcharan Singh Ransi, who still carries fond memories of his native town in the other part of Kashmir, Thursday is a day ordained directly by providence, for he would be traveling to Muzaffarabad to meet his sister whom he has not seen for the last 62 years.

Ransi has lived most of his grown-up life in Jammu, and is presently in Srinagar for the highly anticipated trip that has materialized after years of trying. As a child in the Bandi Jamadaar area of Muzaffarabad, Ransi had witnessed the upheaval in that part of the state when India landed its troops in Kashmir on October 27, 1947 after the tribal invasion from Pakistan areas.

The events that followed tore families apart, with nearly 500 households leaving behind loved ones as they fled the chaos, turmoil and violence in a bid to save their lives. Young Ransi was among the droves of Sikhs and Hindus that fled Muzaffarabad during the bloody period, tragically severed from his beloved sister whom the family could not take along.

The long years of separation have only intensified his yearning to meet his lost sibling, who, according to Ransi, has since embraced Islam and adopted the name of Reshma Begum. Heartbreaking tales of this nature are legion in the partitioned subcontinent, and Ransi may be among the lucky ones getting finally to see a long separated family member. And the tears in his eyes at the mention of his sister bridge the gap of decades and the divides created by borders and faiths.

with thanks : Source : http://www.kashmirobserver.net

SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

IAS officer used riot-victims’ funds to pay power bills

Shruti Setia Chhabra, TNN 20 October 2009, 03:56am IST

CHANDIGARH: Funds marked for 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims used to pay electricity bills of a Punjab cadre IAS officer!

Information procured under the RTI Act has revealed that Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, when posted as additional deputy commissioner (development) Ludhiana, in 2002, had abused her position to divert the riots victims’ funds on September 11, 19 and 24 that year for paying power bills of her official residence.

Documents procured by NGO Resurgence India, a copy of which is with TOI, reveal that the officer made payments worth Rs 23,714 by projecting the expenses as those of her camp office (at her residence) even though there is no provision for it. Even if it is presumed that the officer was entitled to set up an office at her official residence, electricity bill of the entire premises — Kothi No. 1, Rose Garden, Ludhiana — could not be attributed to the camp office — the bill for which could not have been more than 5-10% of the total amount.

The documents reveal that the officer categorically certified, while approving the contingent bill for Rs 3,317.50, that, “The charges on account of electricity consumption/kerosene oil/telephone calls included in these bills are for bonafide purposes of rural development agency and not for private use.”

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/-IAS-officer-used-riot-victims-funds-to-pay-power-bills/articleshow/5140361.cms

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

Disabled Sikh woman to skydive against fascism

London, Oct 19 (IANS) A feisty Indian-origin woman with cerebral palsy has announced plans to jump more than 14,000 feet from a plane to help raise funds for the fight against fascism in Britain.

Wheelchair-bound Rupy Kaur, 22, plans to carry out her skydiving feat Dec 6 in Lake District, a picturesque region in northwest England.

The psychology graduate of Manchester University said money raised from the act will go toward two of Britain’s best-known groups campaigning against fascism and racism – Searchlight and Hope Not Hate.

The move by Kaur, who is a disability activist, comes amid a recent surge in violent demonstrations by racist and anti-immigration groups in towns and cities with large non-white populations across Britain.

Kaur is particularly critical of the anti-immigration British National Party (BNP), which is the midst of a major controversy over a decision by BBC television to invite its leader to participate in a popular current affairs panel discussion show called Question Time this week.

“When I first heard of the BNP, I thought nobody would be that stupid as to vote for them. There have been many wars and nobody would want to incite hatred, would they?” Kaur says on the Hope Not Hate website.

“The sad fact is there are people who support them.”

The BNP has more than 50 elected representatives in local authorities all over Britain and two in the European Parliament.

Kaur, who takes her inspiration from Gandhi and declares pride in her Indian origin, said she comes from a family of fighters for justice: her grandfather had to fight prejudice and racism as a ragman in order to become a successful businessman.

Born with cerebral palsy, Kaur started her education in a special needs school but authorities were forced to admit her to a mainstream school following a campaign by her uncle.

Although she did not have a note-taker in lessons and was considered to be a ‘health and safety hazard’ – which meant she could not stay back in school without a support worker – she scored three A-grades in her 12th standard exams.

After finishing school, social services advised her to stay at home to do a ‘Learn Direct’ course but her cousin helped her “battle with them in order for me to study at Manchester” – one of Britain’s best universities.

“Gandhi once said, ‘We are the change we seek in the world.’ If you are proud to be British then I believe that you should stand against fascism,” said Kaur.

“This jump is a major thing for me.

“It would be awesome to know that people are supporting me and this cause so get your hands in your pockets … by doing so you’ll be making a positive difference in the world.”
Kaur can be sponsored on the website www.hopenothate.org.uk/skydive

(Dipankar De Sarkar can be contacted at dd.sarkar@ians.in)

with thanks : Source : IANS ; sindhtoday;


SikhsIndia
http://www.sohnijodi.com/
http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

51 Akhand paths Sukhasan vid by SikhsIndia

Plz view this VID of 51 Akhand paths Sukhasan. Though some prob in the vid. Plz bear with it.

SikhsIndia

http://www.sohnijodi.com/ http://www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com/

Sikh clergy to scrap Nanakshahi calendar?

Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 16In a move that could kick a storm in the entire Sikh world, the Sikh clergy is likely to give a re-thinking to the widely accepted Nanakshahi calendar even to the extent of its replacement with a new calendar in their bid to put an end to the long-standing dilemma over observance of important Sikh events.

The Nanakshahi calendar is a solar calendar which starts with the birth of the first Sikh Guru Nanak in 1469 and it has been in use in over 90 per cent gurdwaras across the world since 2003, when it was released at the Takht Damdama Sahib on the Baisakhi Day in presence of the then Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and the then SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar. Vedanti and Badungar, had got the first copies of calendar, which, however, was being opposed by a section of orthodox Sikh sects such as, the Sant Samaj and the Damdami Taksal.

The peculiar feature of the calendar was that since it was based on the length of the tropical solar year and not on the basis of the lunar cycle, the dates of important Sikh events did not fluctuate as was the case with the old lunar-based calendar. As of now, all important Sikh days, except for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, were being observed in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar, which, was even recognised by the Punjab and the Central governments.

The fresh and controversial discussion, it was learnt, would be held in an emergency but, secret meeting of the Sikh clergy to be held at the Akal Takht tomorrow. The meeting would be presided over by the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and other Sikh high priests Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar of the Takht Damdama Sahib, Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar of the Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Iqbal Singh,Jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib, and Kulwant Singh, the Jathedar of the Takht Hazoor Sahib or one of his representatives were likely to participate in the meeting which, was likely to end up as a stormy affair as some of Jathedars could put up an opposition to the idea of revocation or change of calendar on the grounds that it was already duly recognised world over and by apex Sikh institutes like the Akal Takht and the SGPC.

“We are going to have a discussion on the calendar issue as we want to put an end to the dilemma prevailing in the Sikh world,” was all what was said by one of the Jathedars when contacted about the agenda of the meeting.

The issue assumed importance and could have certain political overtones in view of the forthcoming elections for the president of the SGPC and the elections to general house of the SGPC to be held during next year. A large section of the Sikh community was of the view that the calendar was important as it re-affirmed the Sikh faith’s separate identity from the Hinduism or the Islam.

It would be a big blunder to replace the calendar and the entire Sikh diaspora would be opposing it, said Dr Pritpal Singh, vice-president of the American Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

with thanks : source : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20091017/main5.htm

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com