Wed, Jul 15, 2009 9:56:43
Sikh Captain Court Marshaled for false allegations of sexual harassment
Captain Poonam Kaur claimed she had been sexually harassed, her allegations have resulted in her dismissal form the Indian army
An Army General Court Martial (GCM) on Saturday dismissed of the Army Service Corps (ASC) of Captain Poonam Kaur
The GCM, conducted at 5-Armoured Regiment in Patiala, indicted Capt Kaur on several other counts as well, including disobeying the orders of her Commanding Officer (CO), for providing false information to get married accommodation in Kalka and for addressing the media to discuss her service matters in contravention of Army rules, Indian Express has reported
Kaur was, however, acquitted of the charge of “having an unbecoming conduct and character” and with regard to allegations of her having physical relations with her former driver Sepoy Sunil Kumar.
Capt Poonam Kaur of ASC had, during her Kalka posting (beginning in October 2007), charged her Commanding Officer Colonel R K Sharma, besides two other officers Lt Col Ajay Chawla and Major Suraj Bhan with physically and mentally harassing her after she turned down their physical advances. A Court of Inquiry subsequently set up by the Army had found Capt Kaur guilty on 20 counts last July. A General Court Martial was later held in Patiala, where Capt Kaur was attached with the 5 Armoured Regiment, Indian Express went on to report.
with thanks : source : http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=6323
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sikhs protest school exemption in Oregon religious freedom bill
by Harry Esteve, The Oregonian Wednesday July 15, 2009, 8:41 PM
A bill passed by the Oregon Legislature that broadens religious freedom in the workplace has prompted protests by some faith leaders because it exempts schools.
The bill requires employers to allow workers to wear certain clothing, grow beards and take certain days off to observe their religious practices. But it specifically carves out school districts in Oregon, one of two states that expressly forbid teachers from wearing religious clothing.
The exemption drew the ire of some groups, especially Sikhs, whose members wear turbans and other distinctive clothes -- and have been barred from teaching in Oregon as a result.
The new law "fails in its essence if it doesn't honestly and comprehensively provide religious freedom for all Oregonians," said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, law director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Washington, D.C.
"It smacks of irony," Jolly said of the bill, which was hailed by legislative leaders as improving the climate for diverse religions in Oregon. "It takes two steps forward and 10 steps back."
The bill, titled the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act, grants workers wide religious leeway as long as the activity, clothing or other practices don't cause an undue hardship on the employer. Religious organizations typically applaud such measures.
But the school exemption has highlighted what some think is a glaring hole in Oregon's efforts to expand religious freedoms.
"It seems like it would apply to a Muslim woman wearing a hijab or a Jew wearing a yarmulke," said Richard Foltin, director of national and legislative affairs for the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C. "We're especially concerned about that."
Oregon has had a law on the books for decades that states, "No teacher in any public school shall wear any religious dress while engaged in the performance of duties as a teacher." Pennsylvania has a similar law.
Oregon's law was tested in the 1980s, when a Sikh teacher was suspended from her job as a Eugene special-education teacher for wearing a white turban and white clothes to class. The case went to the Oregon Supreme Court, which upheld the suspension. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
"The underlying policy reflects the unique position that teachers occupy," said Jake Weigler, spokesman for the state Department of Education. "In this case, the concern that a public school teacher would be imparting religious values to their students outweighs that teacher's right to free expression."
Sikhs tend to stand out in such cases because the religion requires members to wear turbans, said Hari Nam Singh Khalsa, a Portland attorney who said a judge once told him to remove his "hat" or leave the courtroom. After a discussion in the judge's chamber, the matter never came up again.
Khalsa said he understands that schools present a tricky problem because of the clash between freedom of expression and church-state separation.
But, he said, "It's hard for me to imagine that just because somebody is wearing something that is required by their religion that this is in any way suggestive to students of an endorsement of the religion."
Jolly, the Sikh legal fund representative, has written a letter to Gov. Ted Kulongoski urging a veto of the bill. A spokeswoman for Kulongoski said the governor expects to sign the bill because vetoing it would not change Oregon's law prohibiting teachers from wearing religious garb.
Yet even the bill's strongest champion, House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, admits it falls short. He said he offered a similar bill in 2007 that would have allowed teachers to wear religious clothing, but it didn't pass.
"I think all Oregon workers should have the right to freely exercise their religion and do their job," Hunt said. But the bill didn't have the votes to pass without the exclusion for teachers, he said.
"It was one of those legislative compromises you do."
with thanks : source : http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/07/school_exemption_in_religious.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh web portal
A bill passed by the Oregon Legislature that broadens religious freedom in the workplace has prompted protests by some faith leaders because it exempts schools.
The bill requires employers to allow workers to wear certain clothing, grow beards and take certain days off to observe their religious practices. But it specifically carves out school districts in Oregon, one of two states that expressly forbid teachers from wearing religious clothing.
The exemption drew the ire of some groups, especially Sikhs, whose members wear turbans and other distinctive clothes -- and have been barred from teaching in Oregon as a result.
The new law "fails in its essence if it doesn't honestly and comprehensively provide religious freedom for all Oregonians," said Rajdeep Singh Jolly, law director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Washington, D.C.
"It smacks of irony," Jolly said of the bill, which was hailed by legislative leaders as improving the climate for diverse religions in Oregon. "It takes two steps forward and 10 steps back."
The bill, titled the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act, grants workers wide religious leeway as long as the activity, clothing or other practices don't cause an undue hardship on the employer. Religious organizations typically applaud such measures.
But the school exemption has highlighted what some think is a glaring hole in Oregon's efforts to expand religious freedoms.
"It seems like it would apply to a Muslim woman wearing a hijab or a Jew wearing a yarmulke," said Richard Foltin, director of national and legislative affairs for the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C. "We're especially concerned about that."
Oregon has had a law on the books for decades that states, "No teacher in any public school shall wear any religious dress while engaged in the performance of duties as a teacher." Pennsylvania has a similar law.
Oregon's law was tested in the 1980s, when a Sikh teacher was suspended from her job as a Eugene special-education teacher for wearing a white turban and white clothes to class. The case went to the Oregon Supreme Court, which upheld the suspension. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
"The underlying policy reflects the unique position that teachers occupy," said Jake Weigler, spokesman for the state Department of Education. "In this case, the concern that a public school teacher would be imparting religious values to their students outweighs that teacher's right to free expression."
Sikhs tend to stand out in such cases because the religion requires members to wear turbans, said Hari Nam Singh Khalsa, a Portland attorney who said a judge once told him to remove his "hat" or leave the courtroom. After a discussion in the judge's chamber, the matter never came up again.
Khalsa said he understands that schools present a tricky problem because of the clash between freedom of expression and church-state separation.
But, he said, "It's hard for me to imagine that just because somebody is wearing something that is required by their religion that this is in any way suggestive to students of an endorsement of the religion."
Jolly, the Sikh legal fund representative, has written a letter to Gov. Ted Kulongoski urging a veto of the bill. A spokeswoman for Kulongoski said the governor expects to sign the bill because vetoing it would not change Oregon's law prohibiting teachers from wearing religious garb.
Yet even the bill's strongest champion, House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone, admits it falls short. He said he offered a similar bill in 2007 that would have allowed teachers to wear religious clothing, but it didn't pass.
"I think all Oregon workers should have the right to freely exercise their religion and do their job," Hunt said. But the bill didn't have the votes to pass without the exclusion for teachers, he said.
"It was one of those legislative compromises you do."
with thanks : source : http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/07/school_exemption_in_religious.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh web portal
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sikh women celebrate Teeyan and Jago
Tue, Jul 14, 2009 11:00:33
Hundreds of excited clamorous women met to celebrate the age old culture of Teeyan at Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College in Chigwell Essex.
The event was organised by the Sikh Women's Alliance's successfully for the third year, aiming to promote traditional village singing and women getting together to celebrate and have a fun day.
Teeyan is a traditional panjabi event where women come together to celebrate the beginning of the monsoon season. Teeyan is about happiness, prosperity and well-being.
In today's 21st century, women still living in patriarchal society face many problems to do with alcohol abuse, mental illnesses, family breakdowns, depression, divorce, female foeticide, demand for expensive weddings and dowry and the list goes on.
One of the main aims of this event, organised by Sikh Women's Alliance and Ekta Project to empower and inspire women to see themselves as equal and important, and not be made into an inferior gender through age old cultural customs and superstitions.
Over 200 women attended with many stalls selling jewellery, clothes, shawls and food was plentiful for all, with demands for more such events in towns all over UK.
Women themselves spontaneously got up and sang old traditional poetry, passing on their skills to the younger generation.
Original rap music was started originally in the villages of Panjab, but with
the modern bhangra tunes, this tradition has been forgotten whereby you make your own music and poetry and banter with each another about issues and have a laugh.
By Councillor Balvinder Saund
Chairperson
Sikh Women's Alliance UK
with thanks : source : http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=6280
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh web portal
Monday, July 13, 2009
Rs.200 mn-worth 'desi ghee' order to Milkfed for SGPC gurdwaras
2009-07-12 15:31:00
Punjab-based milk products supplier Milkfed will supply its Verka brand desi ghee (clarified butter) worth Rs.200 million (Rs.20 crore) to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) run gurdwaras (Sikh temples). The ghee is used for preparing 'kada prasad' and 'langar' served in community kitchens.
The SGPC has signed an agreement in this regard with the semi-government Milkfed, officials said Sunday.
'Milkfed has been supplying ghee to SGPC gurdwaras for the last two decades. The order last year (2008-09) was for Rs.12 crore (Rs.120 mn). The enhanced order is acknowledgement of our consistent quality,' Milkfed managing director V.K. Singh said.
Singh said that Verka ghee was very popular in Punjab and neighbouring states like Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that Milkfed products had captured substantial market share in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia.
Singh said that export of desi ghee to these countries during the year 2008-09 was worth Rs.160 million (Rs.16 crore), an increase of 20 per cent compared to the previous year. He added that despite global recession, Milkfed was set to increase its ghee export to Rs.180 million (Rs.18 crore) this year.
with thanks : source : http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jhmp54igabh&title=Rs_200_mn_worth_desi_ghee_order_to_Milkfed_for_SGPC_gurdwaras
Punjab-based milk products supplier Milkfed will supply its Verka brand desi ghee (clarified butter) worth Rs.200 million (Rs.20 crore) to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) run gurdwaras (Sikh temples). The ghee is used for preparing 'kada prasad' and 'langar' served in community kitchens.
The SGPC has signed an agreement in this regard with the semi-government Milkfed, officials said Sunday.
'Milkfed has been supplying ghee to SGPC gurdwaras for the last two decades. The order last year (2008-09) was for Rs.12 crore (Rs.120 mn). The enhanced order is acknowledgement of our consistent quality,' Milkfed managing director V.K. Singh said.
Singh said that Verka ghee was very popular in Punjab and neighbouring states like Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that Milkfed products had captured substantial market share in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia.
Singh said that export of desi ghee to these countries during the year 2008-09 was worth Rs.160 million (Rs.16 crore), an increase of 20 per cent compared to the previous year. He added that despite global recession, Milkfed was set to increase its ghee export to Rs.180 million (Rs.18 crore) this year.
with thanks : source : http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jhmp54igabh&title=Rs_200_mn_worth_desi_ghee_order_to_Milkfed_for_SGPC_gurdwaras
BBC suspends Brit Sikh star over sex pest claims
July 12th, 2009
LONDON - The BBC has suspended Brit Sikh Hardeep Singh Kohli, the star of the One Show, after he was accused of sexually pestering a female researcher.
According to reports, furious Beeb bosses have axed the comedian from his roving reporter role on the show for six months.
The female researcher lodged her complaint about Harpreet’s behaviour two months ago.
Kohli, 39, who had been regarded as one of the BBC’s rising stars, was hauled in front of bosses who demanded that he apologise to the woman.
A spokeswoman confirmed his removal from the BBC1 show yesterday.
She said: “The producers of The One Show received a complaint regarding Hardeep’s behaviour towards a production colleague. Hardeep was reprimanded and immediately apologised.
“He agreed to take some time away from the show to reflect on his behaviour. This leave of absence has been agreed to be six months.”
The One Show, hosted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley, has become one of the BBC’s flagship magazine programs, regularly pulling in six million viewers a night.
Kohli - instantly recognisable by his brightly-coloured turbans - had become one of its main attractions.
The Glasgow-born star has appeared in a number of other high-profile shows, most recently a two-part special called Famous, Rich and Homeless, where he lived on the streets for three nights to experience the life of a down and out.
Kohli - who has a 16-year-old daughter and a son, 11 - had a messy split from wife Sharmila two years ago and moved out of the family home in North London into a trendy loft apartment in the centre of the city.
Kohli’s ban only applies to The One Show and not other BBC programs, the corporation said last night. (ANI)
with thanks : source : http://silverscorpio.com/bbc-suspends-brit-sikh-star-over-sex-pest-claims/
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
LONDON - The BBC has suspended Brit Sikh Hardeep Singh Kohli, the star of the One Show, after he was accused of sexually pestering a female researcher.
According to reports, furious Beeb bosses have axed the comedian from his roving reporter role on the show for six months.
The female researcher lodged her complaint about Harpreet’s behaviour two months ago.
Kohli, 39, who had been regarded as one of the BBC’s rising stars, was hauled in front of bosses who demanded that he apologise to the woman.
A spokeswoman confirmed his removal from the BBC1 show yesterday.
She said: “The producers of The One Show received a complaint regarding Hardeep’s behaviour towards a production colleague. Hardeep was reprimanded and immediately apologised.
“He agreed to take some time away from the show to reflect on his behaviour. This leave of absence has been agreed to be six months.”
The One Show, hosted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley, has become one of the BBC’s flagship magazine programs, regularly pulling in six million viewers a night.
Kohli - instantly recognisable by his brightly-coloured turbans - had become one of its main attractions.
The Glasgow-born star has appeared in a number of other high-profile shows, most recently a two-part special called Famous, Rich and Homeless, where he lived on the streets for three nights to experience the life of a down and out.
Kohli - who has a 16-year-old daughter and a son, 11 - had a messy split from wife Sharmila two years ago and moved out of the family home in North London into a trendy loft apartment in the centre of the city.
Kohli’s ban only applies to The One Show and not other BBC programs, the corporation said last night. (ANI)
with thanks : source : http://silverscorpio.com/bbc-suspends-brit-sikh-star-over-sex-pest-claims/
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Sunday, July 12, 2009
But why don't you wear a turban ?
Yes, I wear Turban.
Yes, i wear turban because I am a Sikh.
Yes, i wear turban because I am proud of being a Sikh.
But why don't you wear a TURBAN ?
Why you trim your beard ?
Why you wear a cap instead of Dastar ?
Just think again.
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh web portal
Pay hike unjustified.Punjab MLAs need to practice austerity
Pay hike unjustified
Punjab MLAs need to practice austerity
AT a time when Punjab’s finances are in doldrums, the manner in which its legislators, cutting across party lines, have joined together to get their pay and perks enhanced is regrettable. Clearly, if the MLAs’ pay and perks are increased, it will be a drain on the state exchequer. Their argument that instead of reimbursement of their telephone bills, conveyance and other expenditure, they should be paid in cash as part of their salaries is also flawed and should not be entertained. Equally unsustainable is their demand for pay revision in the context of the state government’s decision to implement the Pay Commission’s recommendations for its employees.
Punjab’s legislators are a pampered lot in terms of the perks and allowances they enjoy. Yet, they are unhappy and ask for more. Shockingly, the government pays even their income-tax. This amounts to squandering tax-payers’ money. It is surprising that Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal stands isolated on the issue of revision of pay and his appeal for scrapping subsidies has fallen on deaf ears.
What makes matters worse is the role of the officials. It is common knowledge how Punjab boasts of a bloated bureaucracy and a top-heavy police force. It is as if the legislators and officials have ganged up at the exchequer’s cost. If the powers-that-be are interested to stem the rot, streamline governance and work for general well-being, they need to put service before themselves. The government spends heavily on salaries, pensions and loan repayments. Consequently, it has hardly anything left for development. The legislators would do well to strive for generating more revenue instead of appropriating the scarce resources for their own benefit.
with thanks : source : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090711/edit.htm#2
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Punjab MLAs need to practice austerity
AT a time when Punjab’s finances are in doldrums, the manner in which its legislators, cutting across party lines, have joined together to get their pay and perks enhanced is regrettable. Clearly, if the MLAs’ pay and perks are increased, it will be a drain on the state exchequer. Their argument that instead of reimbursement of their telephone bills, conveyance and other expenditure, they should be paid in cash as part of their salaries is also flawed and should not be entertained. Equally unsustainable is their demand for pay revision in the context of the state government’s decision to implement the Pay Commission’s recommendations for its employees.
Punjab’s legislators are a pampered lot in terms of the perks and allowances they enjoy. Yet, they are unhappy and ask for more. Shockingly, the government pays even their income-tax. This amounts to squandering tax-payers’ money. It is surprising that Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal stands isolated on the issue of revision of pay and his appeal for scrapping subsidies has fallen on deaf ears.
What makes matters worse is the role of the officials. It is common knowledge how Punjab boasts of a bloated bureaucracy and a top-heavy police force. It is as if the legislators and officials have ganged up at the exchequer’s cost. If the powers-that-be are interested to stem the rot, streamline governance and work for general well-being, they need to put service before themselves. The government spends heavily on salaries, pensions and loan repayments. Consequently, it has hardly anything left for development. The legislators would do well to strive for generating more revenue instead of appropriating the scarce resources for their own benefit.
with thanks : source : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090711/edit.htm#2
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Sikh route to Italy’s cheese empire
TRIENT, ITALY: Far away from the lassi kingdom of Punjab,Indian Sikhs are doing Chak
de Phatte in the province of parmesan.In Italy’s central Emilia- Romagna region,home to the famous cheese, cattlesheds that produce milk for parmesan are managed by Indians,mainly from the 30,000-strong Sikh community.So the joke goes among Italian parmesan makers: “If Sikh workers go on strike, Italy will not produce parmesan.”
Not a chance, their admirers retort. “Sikhs are good,honest guys, they work really
hard without complaining,”said a policeman based in Reggio Emilia, a wealthy city
in Emilia-Romagna, declining to be named as he is not allowed to speak to the media.
“They don’t drink, don’t quarrel,it’s like they don’t exist.” With its abundance of water,endless fields, farms and cattlesheds,Emilia-Romagna is,in a sense, he ‘Punjab of Italy’.And it is famous for its gastronomic specialities, strong socialist sympathies and racing cars — its home to legends like Ferrari, Maserati,
Lamborghini and Ducati.“I’ve been in Italy since 1992.I work very hard, but it’s good
here,” said a 40-year-old man from Punjab’s Sangrur town.“I’m well-paid, and on Sunday I watch football on TV. I’m a supporter of Juventus.” Alongside football, faith is alive too. A nearby town has the second biggest gurudwara of Europe, Gurudwara Singh Sabha, opened in 2000 in the presence of Romano Prodi,then President of the EU. And Emilia-Romagna’s parks often have Sikh children playing cricket, a little-known sport in Italy.But young Italians don’t want to sweat in the farms
and dairies. “Milking cows?” said a young woman in Italian. “No man, it’s a job for immigrants.”
with thanks : source : http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/world/25784-sikh-route-italy-s-cheese-empire.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
de Phatte in the province of parmesan.In Italy’s central Emilia- Romagna region,home to the famous cheese, cattlesheds that produce milk for parmesan are managed by Indians,mainly from the 30,000-strong Sikh community.So the joke goes among Italian parmesan makers: “If Sikh workers go on strike, Italy will not produce parmesan.”
Not a chance, their admirers retort. “Sikhs are good,honest guys, they work really
hard without complaining,”said a policeman based in Reggio Emilia, a wealthy city
in Emilia-Romagna, declining to be named as he is not allowed to speak to the media.
“They don’t drink, don’t quarrel,it’s like they don’t exist.” With its abundance of water,endless fields, farms and cattlesheds,Emilia-Romagna is,in a sense, he ‘Punjab of Italy’.And it is famous for its gastronomic specialities, strong socialist sympathies and racing cars — its home to legends like Ferrari, Maserati,
Lamborghini and Ducati.“I’ve been in Italy since 1992.I work very hard, but it’s good
here,” said a 40-year-old man from Punjab’s Sangrur town.“I’m well-paid, and on Sunday I watch football on TV. I’m a supporter of Juventus.” Alongside football, faith is alive too. A nearby town has the second biggest gurudwara of Europe, Gurudwara Singh Sabha, opened in 2000 in the presence of Romano Prodi,then President of the EU. And Emilia-Romagna’s parks often have Sikh children playing cricket, a little-known sport in Italy.But young Italians don’t want to sweat in the farms
and dairies. “Milking cows?” said a young woman in Italian. “No man, it’s a job for immigrants.”
with thanks : source : http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/world/25784-sikh-route-italy-s-cheese-empire.html
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A sikh web portal
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Dr. Ravinder singh Bajaj is now a contributor to sikh blog SIKHSINDIA
SikhsIndia
11th July, 2009
We are pleased to inform that Dr.Ravindar Singh Bajaj, Consultant Paediatrician, is now a contributor to our Sikh Blog : SikhsIndia.
Thanks
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh web portal
An endearing look at Sikhs everywhere
Shubha Singh, Indo-Asian News Service
Book: Sikhs Unlimited
Author: Khushwant Singh
Price: Rs 495;
Publisher: Rupa
Did Chandigarh lose out to Bangalore as the e-capital of India due to then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao's insistence that since Punjab had the benefit of the Green Revolution the next revolution should go to a southern state?
According to Gurujot Singh Khalsa, one of the pioneers of the off-shoring and back office processing business in India, he started his initial venture in northern India, but real time data transfer between India and the United States could begin only after the first satellite earth station was set up in Bangalore in December 1993.
Khalsa's HealthScribe company was the first commercial subscriber to use its facilities for data transfer. Later, his other company First Ring became the first to do voice transfers, which set off the trend for the call centre business.
This anecdote is related in a book titled Sikhs Unlimited, and Gurujot Khalsa is one of the Sikhs profiled in the book. Punjab lost out to Bangalore as even the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee did not take seriously Khalsa's proposal to jointly set up an earth station in Mohali in 1991, according to him.
The book maps the lives of Sikhs living aboard, celebrating the achievements of the Sikh diaspora that has excelled in diverse fields - from the arts to theatre to entrepreneurship.
The author of the book, Khushwant Singh chose to spend time with his subjects, living in their homes to be able to draw personalised portraits of each of them. The author's style is simple and readable. The book is written as a part travelogue, but it is the portraits of individuals that are interesting rather than the author's own journeys.
He has selected an interesting group of people to write on - they are not just the usual bunch of non-resident celebrities.
The portraits include entertainers like the standup comedian Sodhy Singh Kahlon of the Britain-based comedy troupe called Funjabis; Channi Singh, the King of Bhangra Pop and painters like the twin sisters, Amrit and Rabindra KD Singh, who have adapted the miniature style of paintings to depict contemporary themes.
Fauja Singh began running as a way to fight depression, and now the 92-year old marathon runner is a worldwide icon. He starred in Adidas' Impossible is Nothing campaign in 2004, and has beaten his own record at every new marathon.
Not so well known in India is Harvinder Singh Sahota who invented the Sahota Perfusion Balloon that is used in angioplasty surgeries all over the world. Chirinjeev Singh Kathuria has the knack of floating companies that become huge successes. His company Planetspace plans to send tourists into outer space.
The book brings out the irony of Sikhs wearing turbans being targeted after the 9/11 terrorist strikes, when one of America's largest private security firms Akal Security is owned by a Sikh. Guruteg Singh Khalsa's Akal Security provides security to American airports, court houses, harbours and major corporate offices.
The author has done his homework well to portray engaging personalities and little known facts.
with thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=8648fcf0-08c8-4470-80ee-277bc7f48825
SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
A Sikh portal
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Where are the Dharam Parchar Committees formed by SGPC & DSGMC
Those, who paid gold coins for Sikh heads in mughal rules, could not finish the sikhs. And today, we are loosing Sikhi, by paying money from our own pockets at the Barber shops. Trimmed beards, caps on head, tambaku & whisky in mouth have become so common in Sikhs that even the movie makers project Sikhs as trimmers and not as bearded. The efforts of our Dharam Parchar Committees are not visible. The leaders are playing political games. The preachers are charging huge sums for Keertan Samagams and we are happy on getting Saropas in the Live relay of those programmes on various TV channels, BUT SHOCKING, nobody cares to count the rising percentage of Trimmers in such Keertan samagams. May i ask from the sikh community that where are the Dharam Parchar committees formed by SGPC & DSGMC.
SikhsIndia
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