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Govt To Consider Adding Vasakhi To Calendar Of Annual Festivals

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- The government is to consider including the Sikh new year of Vasakhi celebrated on April 14 in its calendar of annual festivals, the Dewan Negara was told on Wednesday.

Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie said the ministry could help promote the festival to enhance awareness among the people.

She was replying to a question from Senator Datuk Daljit Singh Dalliwal who had asked for Vasakhi to be included in the calendar.

Heng said a festival had to be dominant to be included in the calendar of festivals, and it was also dependent on the ministry's budget.

"It is the desire of the ministry to give recognition to the festivals of all ethnic groups in the country, but the country has 47 ethnic groups and if every festival is celebrated at the national level, it will involve a huge financial allocation," she said.

The ministry now focused on six festivals at the national level, which were Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Kaamatan and Gawai Dayak, she added.

woth thanks : source : BERNAMA -- http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=462615

SikhsIndia
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Granth Sahib University to commence session March 2011

Over a year after its creation was announced, the management of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University Wednesday said the institution would start functioning from the March 2011 session.

The Sikh religious university is being set up at Fatehgarh Sahib, 60 km from here.

The decision to start the academic session of the university was taken Wednesday at a meeting of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Memorial Trust, held here under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

University vice-chancellor Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia said the construction work of the buildings of the university, which was being funded by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), was in full swing and about 80 percent of the work has been completed. He added that the rest of the work would be completed by the end of March 2010.

The fee structure of the new university has been proposed to be nominal and lower than in the private sector institutions imparting education, Ahluwalia said.

The new university would focus on imparting education in most modern technologies such as nano-technology, bio-technology, information technology and business management besides comparative study of different religions.

The university would also house faculties of schools of emerging technologies, basic sciences, management, social sciences, arts, languages, engineering, architecture, law and social justice.

with thanks : source : http://sify.com/news/granth-sahib-university-to-commence-session-march-2011-news-education-jmqrucbjicf.html

SikhsIndia
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Sikhs removed from US Airways flight reach settlement

PTI 16 December 2009, 03:45pm IST

WASHINGTON: Three Sikh musicians, removed from a flight at the Sacramento airport in California about a year ago, have received an apology and an undisclosed amount from the US Airways under a settlement with the airlines.

Sikh organisations had termed the incident as a case of racial profiling and discrimination.

The three eminent Sikh musicians are, Davinder Singh, Gulbag Singh and Iqbal Singh - known as classical religious performers.

The incident is reported to have occurred on November 15, 2008 when they were ordered to leave the plane they had boarded at the Sacramento airport for Salt Lake City for a performance.

"However, airline employees did not provide any explanation as to why they were being removed, but they were told, through a Punjabi interpreter, that the pilot would not fly with them on board," a media release said.

"After suffering humiliation in front of other passengers, the musicians were each handed a USD 5 meal voucher and forced to delay their travel until the next day. They experienced no problems boarding the Delta flight on which they were rebooked," it said.

"To date, the airline has failed to provide any legitimate security concerns justifying the removal. The removal was apparently sparked by passengers' and crew- members' fears of the musicians' based on their ethnic and religious appearance," the United Sikh said in a statement.

with thanks : source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sikhs-removed-from-US-Airways-flight-reach-settlement/articleshow/5343701.cms

SikhsIndia
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Golf Ball .............

When things in your life seem , almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented..

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

with best wishes

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

At Bhog, Darshan’s Kin Given Rs 40 Lakh

LOHA­RA­ (LUDHI­A­N­­A­): It w­as a so­­mber o­­c­c­asio­­n fo­­r th­e family­ o­­f D­arsh­an Singh­, w­h­o­­ d­ied­ in p­o­­lic­e firing su­ring th­e D­ec­ember 5 p­ro­­test by­ Sikh­ ac­tivists in Lu­d­h­iana. Bu­t befo­­re th­e Bh­o­­g fu­nc­tio­­n h­eld­ h­ere o­­n Mo­­nd­ay­ end­ed­, th­ere w­as nearly­ Rs 40 lakh­ in c­o­­mp­ensatio­­n p­aid­ to­­ th­e family­ o­­f th­e p­o­­o­­r au­to­­-ric­ksh­aw­ d­river.

Th­e mo­­ney­ c­ame in fro­­m th­e go­­vernment as w­ell as rad­ic­al Sikh­ o­­rganizatio­­ns, bo­­th­ try­ing to­­ w­o­­o­­ th­e family­ c­au­gh­t in a sensitive situ­atio­­n ah­ead­ o­­f th­e u­p­c­o­­ming SGP­C­ elec­tio­­ns.

W­h­ile th­e Sikh­ o­­rganizatio­­ns w­ant th­e family­’s su­p­p­o­­rt to­­ c­arry­ o­­n th­eir tirad­e against th­e S­AD­ go­v­ern­men­t, th­e latter­ w­ould­ like to s­ilen­ce th­e w­h­ole is­s­ue as­ ear­ly­ as­ pos­s­ib­le.

A d­ay­ after­ D­ar­s­h­an­ S­in­gh­’s­ fun­er­al, h­is­ s­on­ Gur­m­eet S­in­gh­ j­oin­ed­ th­e Pun­j­ab­ Police as­ a con­s­tab­le on­ D­ecem­b­er­ 7. Even­ as­ h­e d­id­ n­ot m­eet th­e ph­y­s­ical r­equir­em­en­ts­, th­os­e w­er­e w­aived­ b­y­ th­e D­GP in­ accor­d­an­ce w­ith­ gover­n­m­en­t or­d­er­s­ to offer­s­ h­im­ a j­ob­. H­e is­ cur­r­en­tly­ h­om­e on­ leave.

Over­ th­e pas­t few­ d­ay­s­, th­er­e h­as­ b­een­ a s­tr­eam­ of gover­n­m­en­t officials­ as­ w­ell as­ h­igh­-pr­ofile r­ad­ical S­ikh­ lead­er­s­ vis­itin­g th­e fam­ily­ h­ous­e in­ th­is­ village.

Om­ M­on­d­ay­ m­or­n­in­g, a b­atter­y­ of gover­n­m­en­t officials­ an­d­ S­AD­ lead­er­s­ vis­ited­ th­e h­ous­e ah­ead­ of th­e B­h­og cer­em­on­y­ . W­h­ile M­in­is­ter­ H­ir­a S­in­gh­ Gab­r­ia gave R­s­ 5 lakh­, th­e S­GPC h­an­d­ed­ over­ a ch­eque for­ R­s­ 5 lakh­ an­d­ pr­om­is­ed­ “an­y­ oth­er­ h­elp n­eed­ed­.”

In­ th­e after­n­oon­, S­ikh­ lead­er­s­ w­alked­ in­. Th­e UK cell of D­al Khalsa, Akan­d­ Kir­t­an­i J­at­ha an­d­ the S­ikh Fed­eratio­n­ to­g­ether co­n­trib­uted­ Rs­ 5 lakh; D­elhi Sik­h G­urd­wa­ra­ M­a­na­g­em­ent­ Co­m­m­it­t­ee presid­ent­ Pa­ra­m­jit­ Sing­h Sa­rna­ g­a­ve R­s­ 2.5 l­a­kh; Dam­­dam­­i­ T­ak­sal Rs­ 50,000; Ra­n­ji­t S­i­n­gh Da­rdri­a­n­a­ Rs­ 1 l­a­kh; a­n­d a­ F­ra­n­ce-ba­s­ed S­i­kh bo­dy ga­ve Rs­1 l­a­kh. There were a­l­s­o­ ma­n­y o­ther o­rga­n­i­z­a­ti­o­n­s­ tha­t ga­ve va­ryi­n­g a­mo­un­ts­ o­f­ mo­n­ey to­ Da­rs­ha­n­ S­i­n­gh’s­ f­a­mi­l­y.

A­ka­n­d Ki­rtn­i­ Ja­tha­ l­ea­der R.P­ S­i­n­gh decl­a­red Da­rs­ha­n­ S­i­n­gh wa­s­ a­ ma­rtyr o­f­ the S­i­kh co­mmun­i­ty. “I­, o­n­ beha­l­f­ o­f­ UK-ba­s­ed S­i­khs­, a­n­n­o­un­ce tha­t i­f­ the f­a­mi­l­y do­es­ n­o­t a­ccep­t the go­vern­men­t jo­b, a­n­d rema­i­n­s­ wi­th us­, we wi­l­l­ s­ettl­e the who­l­e f­a­mi­l­y i­n­ a­n­y f­o­rei­gn­ co­un­try o­r a­n­ywhere i­n­ I­n­di­a­ they wa­n­t. We wi­l­l­ wei­gh the f­a­mi­l­y a­ga­i­n­s­t curren­cy, but they s­ho­ul­d f­o­l­l­o­w the p­a­th Da­rs­ha­n­ S­i­n­gh to­o­k,” he s­a­i­d.

A­mo­n­g the s­p­ea­ker a­t the Bho­g ceremo­n­y were Da­mda­mi­ Ta­ks­a­l­ hea­d Ha­rn­a­m S­i­n­gh Kha­l­s­a­, f­o­rmer A­ka­l­ Ta­kht Ja­theda­rs­ Ra­n­ji­t S­i­n­gh a­n­d Ja­s­bi­r S­i­n­gh Ro­de, DS­GMC p­res­i­den­t P­a­ra­mji­t S­i­n­gh S­a­rn­a­, S­A­D (A­mri­ts­a­r) p­res­i­den­t S­i­mra­n­ji­t S­i­n­gh Ma­n­n­, Da­l­ Kha­l­s­a­ l­ea­der S­a­tn­a­m S­i­n­gh P­a­un­ta­ S­a­hi­b, S­a­n­t S­a­ma­j hea­d S­a­rba­jo­t S­i­n­gh Bedi­, a­n­d Kha­l­s­a­ A­cti­o­n­ Co­mmi­ttee co­n­ven­o­r Mo­hka­m S­i­n­gh. A­l­l­ o­f­ them co­n­demn­ed Chi­ef­ Mi­n­i­s­ter P­a­rka­s­h S­i­n­gh Ba­da­l­ a­n­d S­A­D p­res­i­den­t S­ukhbi­r S­i­n­gh Ba­da­l­ a­s­ “a­n­ti­-P­a­thi­c”.

S­O­URCE-HT

taken from : punjabnews.org

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
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Allahabad HC upholds life term to cop for killing 5 Sikhs in 1984

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday upheld the life sentence awarded to a constable for killing five Sikhs at a police station in the aftermath of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination.

A division bench comprising Justice Rakesh Tiwari and Justice A K Roopanwal dismissed the appeal of Tilak Ram, who had challenged the punishment awarded to him by sessions court in Meerut on July 30, 2007. He had claimed that he was of unsound mind at the time of the incident.

Ram had opened fire on a group of Sikhs who had gathered at Badaut police station (now in Baghpat district) in the early hours of Nov 5, 1984 and had even threatened fellow police personnel when they tried to stop him from doing so.

In his appeal, Ram had pleaded that he was of unsound mind at the time of the incident and was incapable of knowing the nature of his act and hence incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong.

The court, however, dismissed his plea saying it was "not a schizophrenic act" but "an instance of Sikh killing, the like of which had happened and was happening at that time because of assassination of Indira Gandhi".

PTI

with thanks from : http://www.zeenews.com/news587706.html

SikhsIndia
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Try to save the Sikhi

Those who paid gold coins, in Mughal rules, for a sikh head, could not finish the Sikhs. But today, our kids are paying, from our own pockets for trimming the beards, for cutting hairs, for buying caps, for eating tambaku and for consuming liquor. They can not speak Punjabi. They can not recite Gurbani. Ask any trimmer and he will give a dozen explanations to prove, that, he is more than a sikh.

It's a wake up call for all of us.We can atleast try our best to save the Sikhi. We are looking for persons who can join us in this endeavour. Please add your comments, suggestions, ideas, views in the comments box below.

best regards

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sikhsindia

Gurmat Samagam : Sri Guru Nanak Sewak Jatha

You can also upload details of Gurmat Samagam in your Gurdwara on our Sikh Blog as well sikh web portal with over one lakh hits per month. Please mail us the details, pics, posters, cards etc. for uploading without any obligation.

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Sd. Arvinder singh Lovely

Arvinder Singh Lovely is the Minister for Education, Tourism, Languages, Gurudwara election & Gurudwara Administration in the current cabinet of the elected Indian National Congress (INC) Government being headed by Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi.

Arvinder Singh Lovely was born on 11 December 1968 to Sd. Balvinder Singh. He pursued his graduation from SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi in Political Science. He was elected to the Students' Union of the college. He was also elected as the General Secretary of the National Student Union of India during 1992-1996. He was elected to the Delhi Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1998. He was made a Minister in the cabinet in 2003.

He has again been won in Delhi Legislative Assembly elections 2008 consecutively third time. He is now the education and transport minister in the cabinet.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvinder_Singh_Lovely

SikhsIndia www.sohnijodi.com www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com

CBI for prosecuting Tytler, Sajjan Kumar for 1984 riots

Responding to a calling attention motion in the Rajya Sabha, on the progress of relief and steps taken to punish the guilty involved in the anti-Sikh riots, Chidanbaram said: "The CBI has completed investigation or re-investigation of seven cases against Tytler, Kumar and late Dharam Das Shastri."

"While in four cases, the CBI has sought permission under criminal procedure code (Cr PC) Section 196 from the Competent Authority to prosecute the accused persons, in one case the closure has been filed and accepted by the court," he added. (ANI)

with thanks : source :http://sify.com/news/CBI-for-prosecuting-Tytler-Sajjan-Kumar-for-1984-riots-news-jmopkdfgbab.html

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