British Army recognises Sikh's contribution

IANS

London, Nov 23: The historic contribution made by Sikh soldiers who fought for Britain has been honoured by the British Army at an event at the Royal Military Academy in Camberley, Surrey.

Thousands of Sikhs died fighting for the British Indian Army during the two World wars.

Academy curator Anthony Morton said during the days of the British empire, Sikh soldiers were highly regarded by British officers for their martial prowess.

"Today is really about commemorating the Sikh contribution to the armed forces both today and in the past," BBC quoted Lt.Col. John Kendall, who organised the event at the Indian War Memorial room at the academy, as saying.

Author Jay Singh Sohal believes contribution of Sikhs in the British Army is largely unrecognised, which is why events like this are important.

"British Sikhs, third generation, fourth generation can take inspiration from the fact that their forebears fought for Great Britain," he said

with thanks : IANS : LINK

President greets nation on Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom day

IANS

President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday greeted the nation, especially the Sikh community, on the 332nd anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur on November 24.

This year it marks the 332nd anniversary of the guru's sacrifice for religious freedom.

"Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day is an occasion for every citizen of India to remember the guru's supreme sacrifice and strive to be worthy of his great legacy," Mukherjee said in a statement.

"On this day, let us re-dedicate ourselves to national unity, communal harmony and all-round progress of our motherland. Let hatred and violence find no place in our minds," he said.

"May the life and teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the humanism that he stood for guide us on our path at all times," he said.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

Sikh taxi driver awarded for honesty in Australia

IANS

Sydney, Nov 20: A Sikh taxi driver in Australia, who returned A$110,000 in cash he found on the rear seat of his cab to its owners, has received a Melbourne City Council award for his honesty.

Lakhwinder Singh Dhillon found the money after dropping off a group of people at Crown Casino in Melbourne last month.

The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle presented Singh with a certificate of commendation, the Herald Sun reported Wednesday.

Singh said the seven men and two women, whom he had picked up from Chinatown in his maxi cab, seemed very drunk.

"When I saw all that money, I thought, what is happening, it is something amazing, what should I do," Singh said.

After finding the cash, he drove to a police station but he soon received a call from the owners to return the money at the casino where he left them.

Singh believed they were visitors from China staying at the casino.

"They gave me a A$500 reward. One of them said: 'You're very honest, you're a very good man, you've helped us a lot'," Singh said.

"He is truly an inspirational Melbournian - it was the act of an honest man of integrity," mayor Doyle said.

Singh said he was greatly honoured by the award.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

UK Sikh man sues son over £415 million hotel fortune

London: A prominent British Sikh hotelier is all set for a legal face-off with his 86-year-old father, who plans to sue his businessman son for failing to share with him the family wealth of 415 million pounds. 

Bal Mohinder Singh is suing his eldest son, Jasminder Singh, head of Britain’s successful Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotels group, for abandoning the Sikh tradition of sharing family wealth by excluding him from the business. The case will come up in the High Court in London from Tuesday. 

with thanks : Pune Mirror : LINK

US Sikh with beard gets $50,000 for job denial

IANS

New Jersey, Nov 20: An Indian-American Sikh man, who was denied a job for keeping a beard by a car dealership in New Jersey five years ago, will receive $50,000 as compensation in an out-of-court settlement.

Gurpreet Singh Kherha, a resident of Little Falls, New Jersey, who had applied for a sales position at Tri-County Lexus in February 2008, was told by the hiring manager that although he was well-qualified, he could not be hired because of the dealership's strict "no beard" policy.

Kherha then took his case to the Sikh Coalition, a community organisation, which filed a discrimination claim along with the the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in November 2008, and a lawsuit was filed in New Jersey State Court in February 2010.

The terms of the settlement with the Sikh Coalition and EEOC over alleged hiring malpractices also requires Tri-County Lexus dealership to enter into a two-year remedial programme.

The programme includes revising its written policies and procedures prohibiting employment discrimination and providing ongoing training to all staff on anti-discrimination laws, with a focus on religious discrimination and religious accommodation laws.

The dealership will also be required to ensure that a copy of its revised policies is provided to any applicant who requests a religious accommodation during the hiring or interviewing process.

The EEOC will monitor and ensure the dealership's compliance with the terms of the court-ordered consent decree.

"As this settlement demonstrates, Sikh Americans have a right to live, work, and thrive in the US, just like anyone else," said Gurjot Kaur, staff attorney at the Sikh Coalition.

"We will continue to stand up against employers who fail to understand their legal obligations to provide religious accommodations and keep Sikhs and other religious minorities out of the workplace," she said.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

Dr.Kristina Myrvold : "Young Swedish Sikhs :Translating Sikhism and Negotiating Identities in Northen Europe"

Dr,Kristina Myrvold's lecture on "Young Swedish Sikhs : Translating Sikhism and Negotiating Identities in Northen Europe "was very well received at UC Riverside. As a Swedish scholar of Sikhism she did an excellent job in highlighting the evolution of Sikhism in Northern Europe, particularly how young Sikhs are asserting their identity in a Swedish cultural context.  

( Dr.Kristina Myrvold  with Professor Pashaura Singh ( University of California,Riverside,USA)

Pics Parkash Utsav at Gurdwara Rakabganj sahib, Delhi

Happy Gurpurab

Happy Gurupurab ji. Aap sab nu lakh lakh vadhaiyaan hovan ji.

Obama greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak birthday

IANS

Washington, Nov 16: President Barack Obama has greeted "Sikh friends" around the world on the birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak saying Sikh values of pluralism were also "central to who we are as Americans."

"This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak's timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another," he said in a message on Friday.

Expressing gratefulness "to the many Sikh Americans who give life to these values and enrich our country every day," Obama said they reminded "us that these shared principles are not only at the heart of the Sikh faith, they are central to who we are as Americans."

White House is also set to celebrate Guru Nanak's birth anniversary on Wednesday.

Here is the text of Obama's message:

"I want to extend my best wishes to all our Sikh friends, across the United States and around the world, who this weekend are observing the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru.

"This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak's timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another.

"Here in the United States, we're grateful to the many Sikh Americans who give life to these values and enrich our country every day, reminding us that these shared principles are not only at the heart of the Sikh faith, they are central to who we are as Americans.

The Sikh community welcomed Obama's greetings saying he and his administration have shown particular respect for Sikhs and their religious observances

Obama "has stood with Sikh community in the most challenging times last year during the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting and he tried his best to give comfort to the Sikhs and the nation," said Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education.

"We are committed to be a partner with President Obama in building a loving society where no one feels left out," he said.

with thanks : IANS : LINK : 

Chinese soldiers stunned by Indian Gatka : Hindustan Times, Delhi

Ragi Amarjit singh ji Patiala wale with Sangat

Pics : Gurmat Samagam at Chand Mohalla, Gandhi nagar, Delhi

Gurmat samagam : must visit today if nearby

Elderly Sikh assaulted in Britain dies

An 80-year-old Sikh man, who was assaulted by a teenaged girl in the British city of Coventry in August this year, has died.

Joginder Singh, who was assaulted on Trinity Street in Coventry city centre by Coral Millerchip, 19, around 8.30 p.m. Aug 10, died Nov 3, the police of West Midlands county said in a statement Thursday.

The incident was captured on closed circuit television (CCTV) and the footage was widely circulated on social media.

The victim, who suffered a cut nose and swelling, hailed from the Canley neighbourhood of the city.

Millerchip also spat on the victim and verbally abused him.

Millerchip confessed to the crime last month, but following the death of Singh she is likely to face more stringent charges.

"Following the assault, Singh was re-admitted to hospital and was being treated for a diagnosed condition and at this stage it is unclear if that is directly connected with the assault," Matt Markham, an officer in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said in the statement.

Singh was reportedly "fighting for his life" when Millerchip appeared in Coventry Magistrate's Court in August for her first hearing.

Prosecutor Pamela Meinert, during the hearing, said that Singh was in a critical condition in hospital.

However, she added that she was not sure whether his condition had anything to do with the attack.

Singh was discharged from hospital after the attack but was later re-admitted for treatment.

The post-mortem examination report has not yet come and police said further tests were being done to know the actual cause of his death.

"It's really bad news - an extremely sad day for the community," Harjinder Singh Sehmi, the counsel of the deceased, said.

with thanks : Business Standard : LINK

The August news can be read from the LINK

Turbaned Sikhs barred from flying Emirates aircrafts

New Delhi,Nov 4 (TruthDive): Sikhs wearing a turban are not allowed to fly aircrafts of Emirates Airlines. A CNN-IBN report says that it has the email exchange between the Sikh pilot and the airlines.

The Sikh pilot has alleged that Emirates Airlines, after shortlisting him for an interview turned him down only because he wears a turban. As a pilot for almost nine years now, and flying more than 5,500 hours in national and international routes,he was shortlisted for an interview with gulf-based Emirates airlines. He was turned down, because he is a turbaned Sikh.

The pilot got to know from friends that there is a company policy against turbaned Sikhs and at first he laughed saying that such a big company would never do that. In the subsequent mails he sent, it was a shocker for him. He was told he need not come as there is a rule being followed and the company is not making any exceptions.

To clear his doubts, he emailed his photograph to the Emirates. With one week before the final round, he was told that wearing the cap is a mandatory part of the uniform, hence he had been disqualified. If they have any policy against turbaned Sikh pilots, they should mention that turbaned Sikhs should not apply, he points out.

with thanks : TruthDive : LINK : for detailed news.

Thousands from Europe converge at Geneva for 'genocide' petition

GENEVA: The Justice Rally held in front of the UN office in Geneva witnessed mammoth participation of Sikhs from across Europe, and even the US and Canada. Those coming from European countries travelled in specially hired buses and their journey ranged from 5 hours to 20, depending on their place of starting the trip.

Around hundred Sikhs travelled down to the rally site in two buses. As their journey took 12 hours, they brought along their langar (food). Baljit Singh Dhesi, who led the contingent, said they started on Thursday night and claimed that there was great enthusiasm in the people to participate in the rally. Several women also attended in the rally. As there are estimated to be less than 500 Sikhs in Switzerland and very few in Geneva, for the locals it was a novel thing -- to see so many turbaned Sikhs in front of the UN office. "I have seen few rallies of this size here," remarked a journalist of a local newspaper while trying to get to the depth of the issue and purpose of the rally.

with thanks : Times of India : LINK : for detailed news.

The 34th annual Sikh Parade : Vid

80,000 people attend Sikh parade

By David Bitton/A-D reporter

Tens of thousands of people descended on Yuba City on Sunday, brightening up Tierra Buena and Butte House roads with their colorful attire, for the 34th annual Nagar Kirtan and Sikh Parade.

Mandeep Bassi-Sandhu, 27, who described herself as a proud Sikh, said she has been coming to the event with her family her entire life.

Arriving 31⁄2 hours early paid off for the Elk Grove resident, who was able to watch the Guru Granth Sahib, or Sikh holy scriptures, go by in the main float while sitting on the rear-bumper of her vehicle.

"Every time I go to India I don't see this much culture," Bassi-Sandhu said. "India is really here in Yuba City."

The Guru Granth Sahib remained covered during the parade, which saw people stacked up 10 people deep in places near the temple on a blustery autumn day.

An estimated 80,000 people attended the parade according to Tejinder Dosanjh, a spokesman for the Sikh Temple.

Dosanjh said he was surprised how many people walked with the float the entire parade route.

Friends Rajinder Kaur, 39, and Dimple Bajwa, 31, both of Sacramento, said the event is a great way to reconnect.

The two hadn't seen each other in about eight months.

Kaur noted that she also enjoys coming to the event to sample the wide variety of free food handed out at numerous locations throughout the parade route.

"This event reminds us of our culture and traditions," Bajwa said. "We celebrate this like you celebrate Christmas. It is our God's birthday."

Before his death in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru, gave Sikhs the Guru Granth Sahib, or Sikh holy scripture.

"The Guru Granth Sahib is our Guru and our teacher," Dosanjh said.

The holy book teaches about peace, human equality and helping the needy, he said.

"It was a great day and a great event," Dosanjh said. "Everybody was blessed with peace and happiness."

CONTACT David Bitton at 749-4796. Find him on Facebook at /ADdbitton or on Twitter at @ADdbitton.

with thanks : appeal democrat : LINK

HAPPY DEEPAWALI

A little flicker of light in endless darkness makes a difference..HAPPY DEEPAWALI wishes to all !

Happy Diwali : Data Bandi Chor Diwas Diyaan Lakh Lakh Wadhaiyaan hovan ji !