Judge rules Sikhs must understand charges made against them

A Sharjah court in the United Arab Emirates has adjourned the trial for seventeen men from the Sikh community who have been sentenced to death, as the appeal to save their lives commenced today. On the 16th June another hearing will be made; Judge Yunis Al-Reda will now hear the appeal once all court proceedings and reports of the case against the accused have been formally translated into Punjabi.

In police custody, the men have been subjected to torture methods and other human rights violations. According to the LFHRI (Lawyers for Human Rights International) ‘The Sikh religion has been mocked and slandered. The lawyers who spoke to the tortured men heard how the officials in Sharjah jail made the prisoners stamp on religious bracelets and necklaces until they broke into pieces, then torment the men about ‘what their God is doing for them.’

The Indian embassy has assured that they will supply a translation of the documents within a week. Up until now, none of the young boys held in custody have been given information about the case against them in the language they understand. The Emirati lawyer who originally represented the seventeen, did not mention to the court anything about the torture they boys were subjected to. In the original court case where the death penalty was given to all men, the trial proceedings were translated from Arabic into Hindi, which the men did not understand.

Sikhs around the world have been pushing for a fair trial, to implement basic human rights. Over 10,000 Sikhs gathered opposite Downing Street on the 16th May to support these Sikhs and to urge the British Government to ensure that these boys have a fair trial, and all evidence against the accused is made available.

The young men aged between 21 and 25 are migrant workers from India. They moved to Dubai in search of work to send money back to their loved ones in Punjab. Dubai, a luxury paradise has been built by the hands of men such as these. The families of the seventeen men contest their innocence and have appealed to the Indian Government to step in and repatriate the men back to India.

Judge Yunis Al-Reda has ruled the appeal proceedings in Court will continue on the 16th June, once the seventeen young men have been given access to hear the evidence and understand the case against them in a language they understand, Punjabi. This gives the Sikh community and human rights activists time to put pressure on the judicial, to ensure these young boys are freed and sent back to their loving families in India.

With thanks : source : SikhiWiki - Released this news on 16th may, 2010.

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Names of the 17 imprisoned Indians in UAE

• 1. SATNAM SINGH S/O HARBANS SINGH, AGED 24 YEARS V.P.O KUHLI KALAN , DISTRICT LUDHIANA. PANJAB, INDIA.

• 2. KULWINDER SINGH S/O BALDEV SINGH, AGED……… YEARS V.P.O BANGSIPURA , TEHSIL JAGRAON, DISTRICT LUDHIANA,PANJAB,INDIA.

• 3. NAVJOT SINGH S/O AMRIK SINGH, AGED……………YEARS. V.P.O RAIPUR, DISTRICT LUDHIANA, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 4. TARANJIT SINGH S/O BALBIR SINGH, AGED……………YEARS. VILLAGE JAGDISHPURA , P.O KULTARAN, DISTRICT KAITHAL. HARYANA,INDIA

• 5. BALJEET SINGH S/O BALWINDER SINGH, AGED………YEARS. VILLAGE SANGWAL, DISTRICT JALANDHAR. PANJAB, INDIA.

• 6. SUBHAN S/O PYARE LAL, AGED………….YEARS. VILLAGE LOHIAN KHAS, DISTRICT JALANDHAR, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 7. DALJIT SINGH S/O MALKIAT SINGH, AGED………..YEARS. V.P.O AITIANA TEHSIL RIAKOT, DISTRICT LUDHIANA, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 8. KULDIP SINGH S/O SUBA SINGH, AGED……….YEARS. VILLAGE ……………………..DISTRICT MOGA, PANJAB, INDIA

• 9. HARJINDER SINGH S/O SITAL SINGH, AGED………YEARS. NEW VISHKARMA COLONY , PHAGWARA, DISTRICT JALANDHAR, PANJAB,INDIA.

• 10. ARVINDER SINGH S/O BALRAJ SINGH, AGED………YEARS. VILLAGE GOKHWAL, P.O BATALA, DISTRICT GURDASPUR. PANJAB,INDIA.

• 11. SATGUR SINGH S/O GURMAIL SINGH, AGED ……….YEARS. VILLAGE GHANUA JATTAN , DISTRICT SANGRUR, PANJAB,INDIA.

• 12. SUKHJINDER SINGH S/O GURMAIL SINGH, AGED…………YEARS. NEAR GURU CHAND GURUDWARA, PATTI, DISTRICT AMRITSAR, PANJAB,INDIA.

• 13. KASHMIR SINGH S/O MOHINDER SINGH, AGED……..YEARS. RATTO KE GURUDWARA, P.O KHEMKARAN, TEHSIL PATTI DISTRICT AMRITSAR, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 14. RAM SINGH S/O MALKIAT SINGH, AGED ……..YEARS. VILLAGE KAWEVA, P.O PAREET NAGAR TEHSIL AJNALA, DISTRICT AMRITSAR, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 15. SUKHJINDER SINGH S/O MUKHTIAR SINGH, AGED..……YEARS. V.P.O MIANI BAGHU PURIA, TEHSIL BHULATH, DISTRICT KAPURTHALA,PANJAB, INDIA.

• 16. DHARAMPAL SINGH S/O PARAMJIT SINGH, AGED………YEARS. V.P.O JHOKE TEHAL SINGH, DISTRICT FEROZEPUR, PANJAB, INDIA.

• 17. SUKHJOT SINGH S/O JAGDEV SINGH, AGED 23 YEARS. VILLAGE SANGHERA, BARNALA , PANJAB, INDIA.

With thanks : source : SikhiWiki

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Amnesty International says UAE abused Indian prisoners

Rights group Amnesty International has condemned authorities in the United Arab Emirates over the alleged torture and forced confession of 17 Indians.

They were sentenced to death last month for killing a Pakistani man.

Amnesty says the men were taken to the scene of the killing in the emirate of Sharjah and forced to re-enact it.

It says they were made to beat a police officer posing as the dead man a month after their arrest - an act filmed and presented as genuine evidence.

There has so far been no comment so far on the allegations from the UAE authorities.

'Faked video'

Citing evidence produced by Indian rights group Lawyers For Human Rights International (LFHRI), Amnesty said that the 17 men were beaten with clubs, given electric shocks, deprived of sleep and forced to stand on one leg for prolonged periods.

"This is a mockery of justice. These 17 men have been tortured, forced to confess and sentenced to death based on a faked video," Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hassiba Hadj Sharaoui said.

"Amnesty International is calling on the UAE authorities to investigate the allegations of torture and abuse and to ensure the 17 men receive a fair trial on appeal," the group said in a statement.

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

With thanks : source : BBC News

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Sikh councillor takes over as the new mayor of Slough

London, May 25 (PTI) An NRI Sikh councillor Jagjit Singh Grewal has become the new mayor of the London Borough of Slough.

73-year-old Grewal who was honoured with the Glory of India award last year by the India International Friendship Society, succeeded Joginder Singh Bal.

Mayor Grewal, Virendra Sharma the newly elected Labour MP from Ealing Southall and several newly elected councillors of various boroughs were felicitated here by the Indian Overseas Congress (London) during a gala ceremony at the Indian Gymkhana Club.

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

With thanks : source : PTI

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Sikhs thrash ‘preachers’ at gurdwara

The historical Sukh Singh Mehtab Singh Gurdwara of Hanumangarh town turned into a battleground when a group of preachers allegedly made derogatory statement against Guru Govind Singh, the 10th guru of Sikhs. The incident took place during the morning prayer on Monday when five visiting speakers used foul language against the Sikh guru following which the sangat, a congregation of Sikh community, beat up four preachers, while one slipped into the crowd.They were then handed over to the police.

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

With thanks : source : todaynews

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Kaal - A short story

A man dies and goes to heaven....he says to Lord Almighty.....you never gave any notice that i was going to die so i didnt prepare or pray .

God said so I did....first I weakened your eyesight...you got specks...now operation to get your eyesight corrected.

Then I made your hair go white to remind you...you dyed your hair.

Then I made your legs shaky....you ate multivitamins.

Then I made your teeth fall...you got a denture made forgetting that all these were reminders...

The man was speechless.

A true Sikh who helped everyone, says neighbour

The bodies of H.S. Ahluwalia, co-pilot of the Air India flight which crashed in Mangalore, and crew member Tejal Anil Kamulkar were flown in here on Sunday.

Tearful scenes were witnessed as the bodies, covered with wreaths, were transferred from an aircraft to ambulances. Distraught relatives gathered at the airport consoled one another.

“May his soul rest in peace. He was a true Sikh who helped and served everyone,” Inder Singh Kohli, a neighbour of the Ahluwalias, told journalists.

Ahluwalia's body was taken to a neighbourhood gurdwara for prayers, and then cremated at 9 p.m. He is survived by his mother, two brothers and a sister.

Tejal's body was taken to her house at Dombivili in Thane. Words failed Anil Kamulkar, who received the remains of his daughter. “I don't feel like saying anything. She was very nice. It's all in God's hands. She always wanted to be an air hostess and I made her one. I will always remember everything [about her],” said Mr. Kamulkar, who came to the airport along with his son.

Tejal, 25, joined Air India Charters Limited as airline attendant on training on July 7, 2009. After training, she was “engaged” with the airline “on a fixed-term contract for five years from January 22, 2010 and on the date of her death [May 22], completed exactly four months of service.”

The airline was not certain when the body of another crew member from Mumbai, Sujata Siddharth Survase, would arrive here.

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

With thanks : source : Hindu

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Another Sikh channel (Sikh TV) to launch on Sky !

London, 24 may-A new channel devoted to the Sikh faith and culture is on the cards to launch on Sky Digital in June next month.

The channel, which will be simply known as Sikh TV is said to be in its "final phase” of launch and will be available on sky.

Sikh TV will be the second Sikh channel to be available on the digital platform after Sikh Channel, which has been broadcasting on Sikh issues.

It is not known if Sikh TV has any connection with Sikh Channel' However, sources have indicated that the channel will have some involvement from former workers of the existing Sikh Channel.

Sikh TV will be based in west midlands with a base also opening in Southall. The channel is going to launch an official registered charity. Sikh TV wants to steer away from pledging for donations from viewers-a tactic used by the current Sikh Channel, which keeps the service afloat. Sikh Channel has regularly requested for viewers to set-up direct debits to keep the channel running as it been found the sustainability difficult due to high operational costs.


DETAILED NEWS CAN BE VIEWED, WITH THANKS, FROM THE LINK AS BELOW :
http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=9399

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E mail ID hacked ?

It seems that the E mail ID of our Sikh Web Portal www.sohnijodi.com has been hacked as we are not able to open our e mail account with our Yahoo ID sohnijodi. The error message says that :

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Unfortunately we are unable to process your request at this time. This error is usually temporary. Please try again later. If you continue to experience this error, it may be caused by one of the following: You may want to scan your system for spyware and viruses, as they may interfere with your ability to connect to Yahoo!. For detailed information on spyware and virus protection, please visit the Yahoo! Security Center. This problem may be due to unusual network activity coming from your Internet Service Provider. We recommend that you report this problem to them. While this error is usually temporary, if it continues and the above solutions don't resolve your problem, please let us know. Return to Yahoo!

Please try Yahoo! Help Central if you need more assistance.

Any suggestions please. We have removed the link from let us know above.

Thanks

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"Bhale Amardas Gun Tere, Teri UpmaTohe Ban Aave"

"Bhale Amardas Gun Tere Teri UpmaTohe Ban Aave". Sri Guru Amardas Sahib ji de Parkash Purab diyaan Aap ji ate aap ji de pariwar nu Lakh Lakh Wadhai hove ji.

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pic with thanks from Wikipedia

Judge recuses himself in case of missing Sajjan chargesheet

NEW DELHI: The fate of the missing chargesheet filed in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and which had named former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar as an accused remains undecided. The sessions court judge who was to deliver the order on whether direction could be issued to the police to file the chargesheet before a competent court recused himself on Friday from hearing the case citing "personal reasons".

Additional sessions Judge V K Goyal was to pronounce the order on an application by the prosecution seeking direction on a chargesheet prepared by police against Sajjan Kumar but never submitted before a judicial officer.

The judge, however, decided to send the file to the district judge for transferring to another court. "Due to certain personal reasons I do not want to adjudicate on this matter. Let the file be placed before learned district judge VIII with a request to transfer the same to some other court of competent jurisdiction," ASJ Goyal said, directing the parties concerned to appear before the district judge on May 24.

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With thanks : source : Times of India

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