Army tells Sikh officers to change appearance

Army tells Sikh officers to change appearance

By Tony Lombardo - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Apr 25, 2009 8:31:13 EDT

Torn between their Sikh faith and their military duty, two soldiers are fighting Army policy that requires them to shave their beards, cut their hair and remove their turbans.

“I don’t think it’s fair for anybody to ask me to choose between my religion and my country,” Capt. Kamaljeet Kalsi said. “Shaving my beard and taking off my turban — these are part of my body. It’s part of my being.”

Kalsi, a doctor trained in emergency medicine, and 2nd Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, were first recruited for the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. Kalsi said the recruiters with the Army Medical Corps gave assurances that wearing a beard and turban — mandatory articles of the Sikh faith — would not be a problem. And during several years of graduate school and medical training, Kalsi and Rattan both said their beards and turbans drew no concerns.

Now facing active duty in July, Kalsi and Rattan said their superiors are no longer accepting of their religious accommodations. As a result, the soldiers, through a civil rights group called the Sikh Coalition, recently filed formal complaints with the Army Inspector General’s Office and the Defense Department.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks, in a prepared statement, said that while the Army places a “high value” on religious freedoms, special exceptions to regulation are not guaranteed.

“There are times when the Army cannot accommodate for religious reasons, such as when those religious observations would interfere with the wear of proper military headgear or protective clothing or equipment,” Banks said.

Kalsi, a 32-year-old New Jersey native, said he represents the fourth generation of military service in his family. He hopes his 3-month-old son, Kabir, will represent the fifth.

“This is a struggle for acceptance for our community,” Kalsi said. “The greatest nation in the world, the United States, is so diverse. We’re at the forefront of freedom throughout the world, and yet we have an army that doesn’t accurately reflect the diversity of its people.”

with thanks : source : http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/army_sikhs_042509w/

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Launch of the British Sikh Police Association

Thu, Apr 23, 2009 11:02:16
Launch of the British Sikh Police Association


A national body for Sikh Police Officers and Police Staff is to be launched to meet the needs of Sikhs in the police service.

There have been a number of enquiries in the last decade about community policing and racism in the police service. There have been many other issues related to Sikhs and the police service. After the attacks in New York in 2001, Sikh communities around the world became the target of race hate campaign by the ignorant and the bigots.

There are many local and national issues which require tackling by the Sikh community. The Sikh community can and is doing as much as possible but they require a partner from within.

Since March 2008 a series of meetings have been held around the country. Police Officers and Police staff from Thames Valley Police, Metropolitan Police service, Leicestershire Constabulary, West Midlands Police and Kent Constabulary have participated in a series of discussions on the way to progress.

It was apparent to all that a national body of Police Officer and Police Staff was needed. The level of support and enthusiasm for such a venture encouraged the participants. Discussions progressed well and support increased. Other Sikh officer from forces with very small number of Sikh personnel also came into the fold.

Further work and discussions led to a constitution being adopted and the decision to launch the association nationally was taken.

Thames Valley Police management was approached and with their support and encouragement a date and venue was set.

The launch of the BRITISH SIKH POLICE ASSOCIATION (BSPA) will at Thames Valley Police HQ in Kidlington, OXFORD on 29th April 2009.

Everyone is welcome to the launch.

The aims and objectives of the BSPA are;

To establish a national forum for Sikh members of the British police services

To assist the British police services in developing strategies to recruit, retain and progress Sikh members of the service hence increasing Sikh representation in the police service at all levels

To provide a religious, cultural and social forum for members of the BSPA through celebration of dates and festivals on the Sikh calendar.

To promote an understanding of the Sikh Faith and the Sikh values of democracy, equality and justice within the police services

To provide support and advice to Sikh members of the police service.

To promote social cohesion and integration.

Contact: Kashmira Singh Mann 07811 433 026
Gian Singh Chahal 07980 705 539
Maninder Kaur Desoura 07931 308 832
Jaswant Singh Uppal 07896 291 055
Balwinder Singh 07980 683 422
Kooldip Singh Johal 07971 092 001

with thanks : http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=4751

PM no Sikh, says SGPC chief Makkar

PM no Sikh, says SGPC chief Makkar
23 Apr 2009, 0432 hrs IST, Khushwant Singh


HOSHIARPUR: Whipping up a huge row on Manmohan Singh’s Sikh credentials and in an attempt to counter the Congress party’s propaganda on projecting
the prime minister as representative of the community, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee on Wednesday said the PM is not a Sikh, triggering angry protests from Congress leaders.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, who said “Manomohan Singh is not a Sikh’’ and kept up the tirade as he addressed an election rally at Hoshiarpur’s Roshan ground in support of BJP candidate Som Prakash, added, “Any Sikh connected with the Congress can never be a true Sikh. Giani Zail Singh, Buta Singh, Darbara Singh and now Amarinder Singh are all examples in front of you.’’

The SGPC said the PM had rejected a list of 20 demands on Punjab and Sikhs some time back. “Even if one demand had been met by the PM, I would have still called him a Sikh who has done something for the community,” Makkar said to a gathering of BJP-Akali supporters.

The Congress immediately lashed back saying Manmohan Singh did not need any certificate either from the SGPC chief or the Akalis. Party spokesman Sukhpal Khaira said, “Sikhs supporting the Congress, and who are in large numbers, do not need a certificate from Makkar. In fact, it is most outrageous coming from such a highly placed person and he needs to apologize to the PM and the countrymen, including Sikhs, who take pride in Manmohan Singh leading the country.’’

The remark challenging PM’s religious belief by the SGPC president seems to be part of a well planned strategy to thwart votes coming from here to the Congress because of the PM.

with thanks : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Wo Tera Noor Tha

Wo Tera Noor Tha

Wo tera Noor tha,
ki jisne,
Hind bacha diya ;

Wo tera Garoor tha,
ki jisne,
Singh saja diya

Wo teri Aan thi,
har ik juban par,

Wo teri Shaan thi,
ki sabne,
apna sir jhuka diya

Wo tera Noor tha,
ki jisne,
Hind bacha diya
By :
Mr Vohra
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com

Dera: No question of unconditional apology

Dera: No question of unconditional apology

Sirsa, April 20
The Dera Sacha Sauda today made it clear that an unconditional apology to the Akal Takht without negotiations was not possible and the controversy arising out of the alleged impersonation of Guru Gobind Singh by their Guru - Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh - could be resolved only through dialogue with all sikh bodies.

“Any apology without negotiations is not practical,” dera spokesman Dr Aditya Insaan said, adding: “Earlier also the rug has been pulled from under out feet and because of this we want all concerned parties to sit together to resolve the issue amicably. It cannot be that some accept the outcome of our talks and some do not.”

Dr Insaan said Gurmeet Ram Raheem had made repeated offers in recent months stating he was ready for talks with the Akal Takht. He said these could not fructify because of the demands that the Guru presented himself alone before the august body. “Let the government take responsibility for his (dera head's) security,” Dr Insaan said.

Sources in the dera say it is facing a crisis of loss of faith because earlier attempts to resolve the controversy have failed. They claimed while earlier there was an objection as to why the dera was not seeking an apology from the sikh community, the third round of talks failed despite a draft clearly seeking an apology from the sikh ‘panth’ also.

They said it was in this light that the guru had urged that the media mediate in any future talks so that there is complete transparency and ensure they were not derailed by some “unseen force”.

Dera sources said they were interested in holding talks. They claimed that the third round of talks had failed because the government was wary of giving credit for resolution of the controversy to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee head Paramjit Singh Sarna despite the fact that the “draft apology” had been completely accepted by members of the Sant Samaj and others who attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the dera also released the transcript of answers given by Gurmeet Ram Raheem during the ‘majlis’ yesterday. According to the transcript, the Guru is quoted as saying: “We have been the first movers, never the second. Our responsible persons are always ready. Please mediate and get the talks started.”

with thanks : http://www.tribuneindia.com & Mr. Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

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British school in Sikh student row to foot 200,000 pounds

British school in Sikh student row to foot 200,000 pounds
London (PTI): A British school has been asked to pay a 200,000-pound legal bill, including damages to a Sikh student, in a racial discrimination case over banning her from wearing a religious bangle.

The High Court has ordered the Aberdare Girls' School in Wales to pay the student banned from wearing the Sikh Kara damages believed to be at least five figures, leading British newspaper the 'Sunday Express' reported.

The 200,000 pounds legal bill also includes an invoice from human rights group Liberty, who actually brought the case on behalf of 15-year-old Sarika Watkins-Singh.

In fact, the story dates back to early last year when Ms.Singh was excluded from school for her refusal to stop wearing the bangle, which she claimed was fundamental to her religious belief.

Though the school denied any racial discrimination, Ms. Singh spent nine weeks being taught in isolation as the bangle was against its uniform policy. She won the case last June, in which her exclusion was ruled to be "unlawful".

Critics have slammed the massive cost of the case as "a waste of taxpayers' money" and claimed pupils will "suffer" as a result.

"This case means a headache for the taxpayer who will ultimately be forced to stump up. This just emphasises the need for schools to be given full control of their rules and regimes without risk of politically correct enforcement," TaxPayers' Alliance spokesman Mark Wallace said.

with thanks : http://www.hindu.com

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Army joins in Sikh celebrations

Army joins in Sikh celebrations
Thousands of people have been taking part in a celebration in Derby marking one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar.

Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) marks Sikh New Year and the founding of the Sikh community, known as the Khalsa.

The army joined hundreds of Sikhs in a procession through Derby on Sunday.

This year members of the Sikh community wanted to mark the historic tie between Sikhs and the army. Lt Col David Hollas said these go back a long way.

'Old friendships'

He said: "The Sikh community has a very strong military tradition.

"And it's that sort of shared history that I'm trying to re-engineer - to actually say to British Sikhs: 'We're your army and let's continue the journey together'".

Councillor Ranjit Banwait, of Derby City Council, helped secure the army's attendance after a request by representatives of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Princes Street, Derby.

He added: "Sikhs fought bravely, not only in places like North Africa and Italy in the Second War World War with the British Eighth Army, but also in the terrible conditions of the trenches of the First World War in France, serving alongside their British comrades.

"Having the army at the parade will help celebrate old friendships and forge new ones."

Figures show there are currently about 500,000 Sikhs in Britain.

with thanks : http://news.bbc.co.uk

sikhsindia
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Sikhs guarding Chinese cemetery since 1930’s

Sikhs guarding Chinese cemetery since 1930’s

China: For nearly 70 years, two statues of Sikh guards have stood faithfully over Qing Dynasty magistrate Chew Gek Leng’s grave. The brightly coloured pair are a familiar sight to visitors to Bukit Brown Cemetery, off Sime Road.

Foreigners take pictures of them. Punters seek 4-D numbers from them. Except for a new paint job every two years, the pair have lasted their long vigil mostly unscathed.

Until now.

On 28 Mar, when Mr Chew’s oldest grandson, Mr James Chew, 68, a retired bank officer, went with his sister to visit the grave during the Qing Ming Festival, he found to his horror that the noses of both statues were broken.

The sentry on the left, which has the Chinese words for ‘house guard’ painted on it, also had the top of its rifle broken. (The other guard is labelled ‘patrol’).

It is a popular grave, and there are no shortage of gawkers, which Mr Chew does not mind. But he said: ‘Take pictures, but please don’t take away a piece of the grave’.

It is not known if the damage was the work of vandals.

The 1.5m-tall, splendidly uniformed duo with bushy black beards and bright red turbans are an arresting sight amid the grey headstones and green foliage of the graveyard. These statues even come with a guard dog each, which lies by the butt of each rifle.

Mr Chew called the statues ‘a landmark’ among visitors, and he wasn’t exaggerating.

Though rainclouds cut short the time The New Paper spent at the tomb on Good Friday with Mr Chew, at least two family groups stood and looked at the statues during the one-hour period.

One woman, who declined to be named, said: ‘We recognise these two statues. We see them, then we know how to go (to the grave we are visiting).

‘Everyone knows the guards.’

The grave is now looked after by the third generation of a family of grave caretakers.

People come to pay respects

One of them is Madam Queenie Quek, 49. Her grandmother first looked after the grave, then her mother, and now her.

Her face lit up when she saw Mr Chew, and she quickly came down with a Chinese paintbrush to ask him to draw pupils on the Sikh statues’ eyes, which had been painted white.

Mr Chew joked as he painted: ‘Otherwise, they’re blind.’

Madam Quek said that during Qing Ming Festival and the Hungry Ghost Festival, officials from various temples around Singapore will come to pay their respects, offering tea and burning incense.

‘Maybe it’s because he’s a magistrate, and they found out that he was a major official?’ said Madam Quek.

Her sister-in-law, Madam Oh Kim Gek, 53, has been looking after the grave for 30 years.

As for the damage, she suspects that it was a lorry that caused it since they stood by the road.

But who was Mr Chew Gek Leng, who died in 1940, and why does he, a Chinese immigrant, have statues of Indian soldiers at his grave?

Mr James Chew said his grandfather fled to Singapore from China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.

He brought his two wives, his servants and his slaves, to escape death at the hands of warlords.

He had been given Sikh guards in China, whom he did not bring along. .

As he came from five generations of physicians, he started practising medicine when he arrived, at a large house near Jalan Eunos.

The grave that he was entombed in was a major undertaking. The statues were made in China and the granite was also shipped over from his home country.

Before he died, he also had a large coffin stored in the house.

Mr Chew Gek Leng’s Sikh statues first made news in 1993, during the impending exhumation of graves in Bukit Brown Cemetery.

Although Mr James Chew is a practising Christian who worships at Wesley Methodist Church, he believes that it is his duty to maintain the grave of his grandfather.

But he is old. Who will take over when he is gone?

He sighs. He has two daughters, but one of them is married in Sydney, Australia. He is considering paying a temple to take over his work.

He said: ‘I’ll let the next generation decide what to do.’

with thanks : www.sikhsangat.org

Your comments awaited on two contradicting news reports about Sikhs in Pakistan

Please read the two news reports about sikhs, as below, and give us your most valued comments, on these self contadicting news reports :
1.
Minorities in Pakistan playing key role in nation building; PM Pakistan

2.
Sikhs pay Rs 20 million in 'tax' to Taliban in Pak's Aurakzai

Thanks & Regards
SikhsIndia

Minorities in Pakistan playing key role in nation building; PM Pakistan

Minorities in Pakistan playing key role in nation building; PM
ISLAMABAD, Apr 14 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Tuesday said minorities in Pakistan were playing a vital role in nation building and reiterated his government’s resolve to provide them better facilities. Addressing a delegation of Sikh yatrees, currently in Pakistan to celebrate Besakhi, the Prime Minister said the government was proceeding on the path to implement the Charter of Democracy that seeks representation for the minorities in the Upper House.
The Prime Minister said two members from the minorities were already part of the Senate and the government was benefitting from their advise on national matters and issues related to the minorities.

The Prime Minister said the government was providing multiple entry visas to the members of non‑Indian Sikh community and said he wished to facilitate more Sikhs from India to visit Pakistan. However he regretted that the relations with India have soured following the Mumbai attacks.

He said he believed in inter‑faith harmony and to bring people from all faiths together for the betterment of the country and the nation.

Gilani said his government was endeavoring to provide best possible facilities to the Sikh yatrees and understands their religious needs and obligations. In this regard he cited the setting up of the Prabandhak Committee to deal with the problems of the Sikh community.

The members of the Sikh delegation lauded the role of the government in facilitating them. They particularly regretted the negative propaganda being unleashed against Pakistan and of threats of terrorism in the international media.

They noted that this propaganda was aimed at tarnishing the image of Pakistan and prayed for safety, security and solidarity of the country. They were also appreciative of the warm hospitatlity shown by the people of Pakistan and said they did not see any threats or fear as was being propagated.

The delegation members pointed at the facilities provided at the railway station, transportation to Nankana sahib and excellent boarding and lodging.

They were also appreciative of the good upkeep of the various gurdawars in the country. They urged the Prime Minister for multiple entry five to ten year visas for the community.

Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti invited the Prime Minister for the ground breaking ceremony of the Nankana university to be established on 250 acres.

with thanks : http://www.app.com.pk

Sikhs pay Rs 20 million in 'tax' to Taliban in Pak's Aurakzai

Islamabad, Apr 16 (PTI) Members of Pakistan's minority Sikh community living in the restive Aurakzai tribal region have paid Rs 20 million as "tax" to the Taliban after militants forcibly occupied some of their homes and kidnapped a Sikh leader.
The Taliban had demanded Rs 50 million as 'jizia' a tax levied on non-Muslims living under Islamic rule but the militants finally settled for Rs 20 million.

After the amount was paid yesterday, the militants vacated the homes they had taken over and released Sikh leader Saiwang Singh, officials in the tribal region near the northwestern city of Peshawar were quoted as saying by the Daily Times newspaper.

The officials said the Taliban had announced that the Sikhs were now free to live anywhere in Aurzakzai Agency. The militants also announced they would protect the community, saying that no one would harm them after they had paid jizia.

Sikhs who had left the area would now return to their homes and resume their business, the officials said.

The militants had occupied at least 10 homes of Sikhs in Qasimkhel village on Tuesday. About 35 Sikh families have been living in Qasimkhel for many years.

The Taliban demand for jizia was resolved at a jirga or council held yesterday through the efforts of local tribal elders. The militants had said the Sikhs should pay jizia in accordance with Shariah or Islamic law. PTI

with thanks : ptinews.com