Guru Nanak legacy in Odisha forgotten

The locals of Jajpur district seem to have forgotten Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion, who, during his pilgrimage to Puri, had landed in Jajpur in 1506.

“A well was dug in Jajpur town to provide water to Guru Nanak and his disciples during their visit to the place. A large number of people used the well considering the water to be holy like the water of the river Ganga. But now some influential persons in a clear nexus with officials are trying to damage the 500-year-old well,” said Gurucharana Singh Gill of State Sikh Pratinidhi Board.

The ancient well is now covered with garbage. It is a matter of regret that some persons are trying to erase the memory of Guru Nanak by leveling the well. The altar (gadi) of Guru Nanak near Barahanath temple in Baranath village of Jajpur town, where Nanak sat during his visit to Jajpur, is also neglected.

“Though belated, the altar of Guru Nanak and the 500-year-old well could still be restored to its original design,” said a researcher of Jajpur Eakadashi Padhi.

with thanks : dailypioneer : link in headline above for detailed news.

GHPS - Hargobind Enclave - Adventure camp for Students

Adventure Camp in GHPS, Hargobind enclave, where teachers also participated alongwith the students !

Chinese restaurant ad causes controversy

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DUBAI // An advertising agency has come under fire for a Chinese restaurant advertisement that its critics say is racist.

The advert for China Times, which has branches in Deira City Centre and Jumeirah Plaza, features photographs of three men - a Sikh, an Arab and a black man - whose eyes have been digitally altered to look Chinese, with the slogan "Brings out the Chinese in everyone".

Created in 2009 by an agency in Dubai, the advertisement was approved by the restaurant but never used. It was also entered in an advertising industry competition in Dubai.

Now the ad has found its way on to the internet and has attracted criticism, particularly among users of social media websites.

"I feel it is really shameful to see a ridiculous stereotype like that used to promote a restaurant," said Katrina Hall, an Australian expatriate who lived in China for six years and is fluent in Mandarin.

"Surely people have more intelligence than that? Surely there is a better way to attract customers?"

She added: "I personally find the advertisement to be highly offensive and racist and I am sure I am not alone. In a country as diverse and culturally rich as UAE, which has such a huge number of people from all around the world, I would hope that there would be a bit more respect than just making a mockery of 'slanted eyes'."

TD&A DDB, the agency that created the ad, entered it in the Dubai-based Lynx awards for the advertising industry, but it did not win.

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

Gurudwara Kitchen

with thanks : Hindustan Times : link above.

Judge – border guards can order removal of Sikh turbans

A court has ruled that when border guards ordered British-Sikh Shaminder Puri to remove his turban at Warsaw airport in October 2009 they were “acting within the law”.

Warsaw airport

Judge Jacek Tyszka ruled that though Warsaw airport border guards had violated his dignity when he was passing through controls at the airport, the action was not illegal under Polish law.

“Such an inspection may be unpleasant but it is sometimes necessary,” the judge ruled.

Puri, who was not in court to hear the verdict, told the Gazeta Wyborczanewspaper by telephone yesterday that “I am disappointed by the verdict. Now we must carefully read of the judge's ruling and consider an appeal”.

Shaminder Puri, a fluent speaker of Polish after he studied for a degree in the country 30 years ago, had demanded a public apology from the border guards and media which had covered the case, and 10,000 euro be paid to charity.

with thanks : thenews : link in headline above for detailed news.

Sehajdhari row: Sikh hardliners condemns HC verdict

Amritsar: Radical Sikh organisations on Wednesday condemned the order of Punjab and Haryana High Court, which allowed 'sehajdharis (non-baptised Sikhs) to cast votes in SGPC polls.

"The High Court decision has plunged the Sikh community into fresh crises...Sehajdharis are non-Sikhs, describing them as part of Sikhism is untrue," Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said.

He said due to some political reasons, Sehajdharis were given voting rights in 1959 though there was no such provision in the original Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925.

However, this "anomaly" was corrected in 2003 when a Union government notification debarred Sehajdharis from casting votes in SGPC polls, he said.

with thanks : IBNLive : link in the headline above for detailed news.

SGPC to challenge HC verdict on Sehajdhari Sikhs' voting rights

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee will be challenging the verdict delivered by Punjab and Haryana high court granting voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs, in the Supreme Court.

A day after the Punjab and Haryana high court gave a verdict the SGPC and the SAD went into a huddle to discuss the issue. The matter will also come up for in depth discussion in core committee meeting of SAD scheduled for Thursday evening.

"The SGPC will not take it lying down," saidSukhdev Singh Dhindsa, senior SAD leader.

The newly elected SGPC is also likely to appeal to the Sikh Gurdwara Commission not to issue orders of re-election but to challenge the matter in the Supreme Court. On the flip side, on Wednesday, a delegation of Sehajdhari Sikhs met Sikh Gurdwara Commission chief H S Brar, and handed him over a copy of the HC verdict quashing the notification denying voting rights to them.

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

Gurmat Samagam : Sri Guru Nanak Sewak Jatha

Sikh taxi drivers inspiring artist Dan Connell

HC restores voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs in SGPC Polls

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday restored the voting rights of Sehajdhari (non-baptized) Sikhs in the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC) polls. SGPC is the highest religious body of Sikhs.

With the court orders, the recently constituted body of SGPC would cease to operate and fresh elections will be held to include the Sehajdhari Sikhs in the voters list.

The orders were passed by a full bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice MMS Bedi and Justice Muttaci Jeyapaul of Punjab and Haryana high court while allowing a petition filed by the Sehajdhari Sikh Federation (SSF) and two others challenging a October 8, 2003 central notification which deprived Sehajdhari Sikhs of their voting rights in the SGPC polls.

with thanks : TOI : link in headline above for detailed news.

HC verdict on Sehajdhari Sikhs' voting rights today

CHANDIGARH: On Tuesday, the Punjab and Haryana high court is likely to pronounce the much-awaited verdict on the voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs in Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC) polls. The verdict holds the possibility of affecting the fate of recently-held SGPC elections.

The case pertains to a petition filed by Sehajdhari Sikh Federation and two others challenging the October 8, 2003 Central notification which deprived Sehajdhari Sikhs of their voting rights in SGPC polls.

The petitioners had mainly challenged the Union government notification "whereby Sahjdhari Sikhs are not being considered as Sikhs in view of the impugned amended Section 49 and Section 92 of the Gurdwara Act".

The petitioners had submitted that the original Act declared Sahjdhari Sikhs as qualified electors for SGPC elections and the apex court had in numerous judgments held that the state cannot regulate the definition of religion.

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

India's heated death penalty debate

At a Delhi Sikh temple, Mukhtar Kaur offers prayers for her son Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

For the past 10 years, he has been on death row, convicted of carrying out a bomb attack in 1993 in which nine people were killed.

It has taken this long for the appeals against his sentence to pass through the various courts in the maze that is the Indian judicial system.

"This is like dying every day," she says. "For me and for him."

In May this year, the Indian president rejected his final mercy petition.

But Bhullar has still not been executed as lawyers and civil groups campaigning on his behalf push for clemency on the grounds that he was convicted after the police secured a confession under a now outlawed anti-terror law.

with thanks : BBC news : link in headline for detailed news report :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16160920

The seat of power that is now an official garbage dump

LAHORE - The condition of Lahore’s heritage sites seem to be growing from bad to worse. In a recent discovery Pakistan Today learnt that the baara-dari of Sikh Maharaja Sher Singh, the third son of Ranjit Singh, has become an ‘official’ garbage dump, and what once used to be a symbol of grandeur is now home to drug addicts.

Maharaja Sher Singh was the third son of Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh empire. He ruled from 1841 till his death. His Baara-dari or ‘twelve doored’ mansion is situated on the outskirts of Kot Khwaja Saeed locality in Lahore, a few kilometers ahead of the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort. It seems to have been neglected for decades.

Apparently, the Lahore Solid Waste Management department has constructed a waste enclosure inside the premises of the historical building and it is suspected that this has been done after demolishing one side of the building.

It is already in a precarious state after the attacks in 1992 in reaction to the Babri Mosque demolition in India. In a recent visit to India, Sayed Asif Hashmi, the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) chairman had stated that Pakistan was making an all out efforts for the protection and maintenance of Sikh heritage. 

with thanks : pakistantoday : link in headline above for detailed news.

FOUND IT ON THE NET !

West Coast Sikhi Camp :Celebrating Tradition & History

Sikhi Camps: A platform to experience Sikhism.

In every nation, the youth are its future. Such camps played an important role in preserving tradition, history, customs and values among youths and help in transforming them into informed and vibrant members of society.

Topics related to civic, educational and personal development programs will gear them to learn how to become contributing members towards the UN millennium goals.The workshops on tradition and history will train the youth to act responsibly in their roles in life guided by the concept of Miri-Piri (spiritual and temporal),as established by the 6th Guru,Guru Hargobind.This concept established that,the Sikh Nation is for ever free for times to come and owes its allegiance to one God (Akaal Purakh).It will train them to stand for the protection of human-rights and justice for all, provide humanitarian aid to the needy, and provide empowerment through education to all. These camps provide a unique environment that promotes friendship, leadership, and community.

More information can be found at http://wcsikhicamp.com/

With thanks :UNITED SIKHS

First Sikh museum opens Saturday with Lt.-Gov. Point

Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point will be in Abbotsford Dec. 17 to officially open the Sikh Heritage Museum, the first of its kind in Canada, at the historic Gur Sikh Gurdwara on South Fraser Way.

"There are no other museums (on Sikh history) in the country. There are exhibits but not a museum in itself that caters to Sikh heritage," said Navneet Sidhu, a project coodinator with the University of the Fraser Valley.

The museum will feature photos and artifacts donated by local Indo-Canadian families, including a few who had uncles and grandfathers settle here almost a century ago. The project has been two years in development and is supported by federal government funds, through Canadian Heritage.

The temple, or gurdwara, was declared a national historic site by former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and former Heritage Minister Sheila Copps in the summer of 2002.

with thanks : abbotsfordtimes : link in the headline above for detailed news.

Sri Guru Nanak Dham, Rameshwaram : pics by Dr. H S Puri

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

Our CEO : Sd. B S Vohra

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.

Sikh man burnt alive in Mercedes, death trap allegedly laid by student

London:  A young medical student, Mundill Mahil, ordered two men to kill 21-year-old millionaire Gagandeep Singh in London to punish him for trying to rape her a few months earlier. 

That's what the prosecution has argued in a London court.

In February, Ms Mahil allegedly convinced Mr Singh to visit her home with text messages. Two men there - one of who was allegedly infatuated with her - then attacked Mr Singh before bundling him into the boot of his Mercedes and setting it on fire.

with thanks : NDTV : link in headline above for detailed news.

Rajya Sabha condemns removal of Sikhs' turbans overseas

The Rajya Sabha Wednesday condemned the incidents of forcing Sikhs to remove their turbans in the name of security, particularly in Italy.

Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan joined the members during Zero Hour in condemning the recent incidents where disrespect has been shown to Sikhs' turbans.

The issue was raised by Shiromani Akali Dal member Naresh Gujral, who referred to the latest incident involving Jet Airways commander Ravijodh Singh at Milan airport.

"The entire House joins in condemning this incident and this should be conveyed to the government," Khan said.

Gujral said Sikhs are being publicly humiliated and the community is outraged.

with thanks : DNAIndia : link in headline above for detailed news.

Land of the free, home of the beards?

The U.S. Armed Forces are moving in the right direction. According to news reports late last week, the Army will allow Menachem Stern—an orthodox Jewish Rabbi—to attend military chaplaincy training without shaving his religiously-mandated beard. Although significant barriers remain in place for religious minorities wishing to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, the Army’s acceptance of Rabbi Stern is a positive development.

And it is welcome news to the Sikh community. In April 2009, more than 60 years after President Harry Truman issued an executive order promising equal opportunity “for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin,” Sikh Americans challenged restrictive Army appearance regulations(adopted during the Reagan administration) that effectively prohibited turbaned, bearded Sikhs from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

For Sikhs, this prohibition made no sense in light of the Sikh reputation for martial prowess. Over three centuries ago, in the face of persecution by Mogul and Afghan invaders, the founders of the Sikh religion encouraged their disciples to inculcate the qualities of saints and soldiers (sant-sipahi), including adherence to a code of discipline that requires adherents to wear a visible uniform consisting of a turban and uncut hair. Consistent with Sikh religious teachings, these articles are inseparable constituents of Sikh religious identity, signifying a commitment to upholding freedom, justice, and dignity for all people.

Generation after generation, inspired by their religious faith and martial heritage, Sikhs have served in the U.S. Army since World War I; sacrificed their lives by the thousands for the Allies during both World Wars; produced several Victoria Cross recipients in the British Army, where they can still freely serve with distinction; and accepted the surrender of Pakistani forces on behalf of the Indian Army, which, until recently, was led by a Sikh general.

with thanks : washington post : link in headline above for detailed news report.

Losing the Turban: Indian Sikhs at odds on essentials

excerpts :

It's a trend that has alarmed the leadership of the world's 25-million-strong Sikh community and fueled debate on whether you can still be considered a good Sikh if you cut your hair.

Sikhs discuss the issue of vanishing turbans at a political party meeting in New Delhi.

That debate intensified with the release of a new movie called "I Am Singh," which looks at the hardships of Sikhs in America who were mistaken for terrorists after the September 11, 2001, attacks because of their turbans.

"We live for the turban. We die for the turban," say the lyrics of a song in the movie.

Manjit Singh, the local president of the Sikh nationalist political party Shiromani Akali Dal, says he hopes the movie will help revive Sikh pride.

with thanks : cnn : link in headline above for detailed report with pics.

Comments awaited.

Video: CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Probe of Attack on Sikh in Calif.

with thanks : youtube

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Sikh intellectuals seek criterion for Panth Rattan

AMRITSAR: While jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh is going to bestow title of Panth Rattan Fakhar-e-Quom to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday, there is a demand from Sikh intelligentsia to lay down guidelines for giving such awards.

"There is no tradition of conferring such titles from Akal Takht, nor it is an annual feature and if such titles are to be conferred, Sikh high priests should lay down norms," said Balwant Singh Dhillon, professor at Guru Nanak studies department at Guru Nanak Dev University.

While justifying the title for Badal on the basis of his political services, he said high priests should also acknowledge the work of other Sikhs.

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

Our CEO Sd. B S Vohra on NDTV : लोकपाल पर महाबहस :

Muqabla: देशभर में लोकपाल के कई मसलों पर लगातार बहस छिड़ी हुई है... एक जायजा इस बार के मुकाबला में। Mr B S Vohra asked two questions. Please view the complete video at the link below :

http://khabar.ndtv.com/PlayVideo.aspx?id=217599
Read more at: http://khabar.ndtv.com/PlayVideo.aspx?id=217599&cp


With thanks : NDTV

Sikh man stabbed waiting for plane at Fresno airport

A Sikh man in his mid-50s was stabbed near the security area at Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Sunday evening, Fresno Police said.

The man was waiting in a public area near the Transportation Security Administration terminal around 5:30 p.m. with his translator when the suspect, described as a 26-year-old white man, approached him, Fresno police Lt. Tom Rowe said. The victim thought he had been punched in the upper torso, but was actually stabbed, Rowe said.

The suspect ran from the airport but was arrested by airport police officers on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Rowe said. The victim was treated at the airport for non-life threatening injuries and declined to be taken to a hospital, instead opting to board his flight, Rowe said.

 With thanks : fresnobee : link in headline above for detailed news.


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I Am Singh : A Family’s Irreparable Loss for the Crime of Being Sikh

Once there were two eras, B.C. and A.D., says an aging, grieving Indian woman at the start of “I Am Singh,” sitting in a graveyard near ground zero in Manhattan. Now there is before and after Sept. 11. And with that, this drama commences its impassioned if melodramatic jeremiad against anti-Sikh sentiment in America. More than a plea for tolerance, it is an assertion of pride in Punjab, home to much of India’s Sikh population.

But neither Punjab nor New York is the principal setting. Ranveer Singh (Gulzar Chahal), in India, learns that one of his brothers has been killed, and another is missing, after an attack by skinheads in Los Angeles; his beaten father has been hospitalized. In California, Ranveer consults the police, only to face stonewalling and rebuke.

with thanks : movies.NYTIMES : link in headline above for detailed movie review.

Golden gate of history

The holy city of Amritsar (meaning pond of nectar), derived its name from the sarovar that surrounds the beautiful Golden Temple.

The town, which can undoubtedly be mistaken for a dusty small city by first-time visitors, is amongst the most popular pilgrim centres for Sikhs. Not only does it attract the local Indian travellers but it is certainly a part of the ‘places to visit’ list of foreign tourists also.

The sense of purity that one experiences inside the gurudwara premises is unforgettable. The magnificent Golden Temple and other gurudwaras situated in various corners of this small town gives it an apt name — Guru ki nagari.

This historic city was once known as Ramdaspur after the name of the fourth Sikh Guru who founded the city. In 1947, after the Partition, the state of Punjab was one of the worst hit areas and was divided into parts out of which few went to Pakistan and the rest remained with India making Amritsar a border city.

Amritsar is a mix of old heritage and recently developed township areas. As soon as the name of the city comes into one’s mind, what people are reminded of is the world heritage site of Harminder Sahib. The clean water, the pure surroundings and the beautiful carvings on the top of the main hall are most attractive features of the gurudwara.

with thanks : asianage : link in the headline above for detailed news.

Sikhs being targeted deliberately in Italy-Harsimrat

CHANDIGARH: Member Parliament from Bathinda ,Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Thursday that Sikhs were being deliberately targeted in the airports of Italy repeatedly and Government of India owes an explanation to the country for its complete failure to safeguard the interests of Sikhs despite various hollow assurances.

Registering a strong protest in a communiqué to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Harsimrat said that she on behalf of entire Sikh community was lodging a protest over intolerable way Sikhs are treated at airports in Italy and other countries of the world. She also moved adjournment motion over recent incident of forcible removal of turban of Commander of Jet Airways at Milan airport thereby hurting the sentiments of Sikh community and government’s utter failure to ensure dignity of Sikhs. 

 

Pointing to the total failure of Congress led UPA government in pressurizing Italy government, she referred to the latest incident that happened with Ravijodh Singh Dhupia, a commander of Jet Airways, who was forced to remove his turban at Milan Airport. She said that it was intolerable and unfortunate that the officials deployed on international airports harass Sikhs again and again by removing their turbans under security check excuses. She said that repeated incidents in the Italy have proved that the Union Government has failed to convey to the Italian Government and other foreign governments not to remove the turbans of Sikhs. She said that to ask a Sikh to remove his turban was in fact an atrocity on him and all over the world Sikhs in one voice have stood up to call this an act of great violence and cruelty on Sikhs.

with thanks : PunjabNewsLine : link in headline above for detailed news.