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In a positive step towards saving the major dilution of sikh identity the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee released the Nanakshahi Calendar for Nanakshahi Samvat 542.
Paramjit Singh (President DSGMC) distributed copies to sangat and informed that they have ordered 3 lac copies to their printer in Gurdwara RakabGanj Sahib and these will be out in a day or two.
It was reported that Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh of Takht Damdama Sahib took a bold stand, for which any changes discussed at Akat Takht Sahib meeting were not made public.
It now seems probable that what the Jathedars could not do, the SGPC will do – kill the letter and spirit of the Nanakshahi Calendar.
The sikh worldwide are unhappy of these supposed changes because:
1.) More than 95% sikhs are following this calendar.
2.) Many panthic scholars smell the Brahmanical fold and Punjab’s Badal Govt influence in this.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been named the 'Chic Sikh' of 2009 by popular online Sikh magazine sikhchic.com
Two others sharing the honour are Delhi lawyer Harvinder Singh Phoolka, who has crusaded for the rights of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, and former bureaucrat Saran Singh of 'The Sikh Review'.
'The three were selected after a two-month write-in by sikhchic's worldwide readership,' sikhchic.com editor T. Sher Singh, who is based in Toronto, told IANS.
The prime minister has been chosen not only for his international image but also for achieving the distinction of becoming prime minister for the second consecutive time.
with thanks : source : http://sify.com/news/Manmohan-Singh-is-Chic-Sikh-of-2009-news-National-kbcn4chcjgd.html
Mr B S Vohra, CEO of Sikh Blog www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com has launched another blog for the welfare of East Delhi Resident Welfare Associations, on this New Year's Day. Almost 200 Registered RWA's as well many more of the unregistered RWA's are being connected by him on a single platform. The details of the new blog have been published by prominent News Papers of Delhi such as Hindustan times, Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala etc. Aaj Tak TV Channel team also spent 2 hours with Mr Vohra to know more about the blog. The News of this blog is being relayed on Delhi Aaj Tak today. Please log on to the new blog www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com and add your most valued comments, to make it a grand success.
Ramaninder K Bhatia, TNN 2 January 2010, 05:42am IST
Chandigarh: For the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the new year has certainly brought new hope, beginning with permission for prosecution of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. A day after a go-ahead from Delhi Lt Governor, comes another heartening news that nearly 31 appeal cases involving 98 riot-accused, which were hanging fire in courts since 1996, will now come up in the Delhi High Court on January 6.
“These criminal appeal cases originated from one case, involving an incident of loot and arson in East Delhi area in November 1984, which was decided by the then sessions judge, SN Dhingra, in 1996. Now, the cases are slated to come up on January 6,” said Delhi-based noted lawyer HS Phoolka, who is helping the riot victims in legal cases.
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In the wake of Delhi Lieutenant Governor's Office granting sanction to CBI for prosecution of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, BJP on Thursday asked why Jagdish Tytler was being "spared" and demanded time-bound trial against the accused.
"What about Jagdish Tytler (another Congress leader accused in the riots)? Why is he not being prosecuted? And why was there so much delay?" BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said reacting to the Lt Governor's move.
Both Kumar and Tytler were earlier accused of encouraging mobs to attacks Sikhs after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her bodyguards.
CBI had filed a closure report in court in connection with Tytler's case, saying that no evidence was found against him.
"The people of India want justice in the heinous crimes committed against innocent Sikhs who were killed and had to face atrocities. The guilty should be prosecuted immediately and in a time-bound trial," Prasad said.
Tytler and Kumar were given tickets in the last general elections by the Congress but the party had to change its decision after a public outcry. Sajjan Kumar was replaced by his brother Ramesh Kumar as the candidate for South Delhi. J P Aggarwal got the ticket from North-East Delhi in place of Tytler.
With thanks : Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/Why-is-Tytler-being-spared-in-1984-riots-asks-BJP/492487/H1-Article1-492503.aspx
Nudged by Home Minister P Chidambaram to expedite sanction of prosecution against the accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna has set the ball rolling to begin judicial proceedings against former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar.
Khanna is understood to have accorded sanction on Wednesday for prosecuting Kumar for spreading enmity between two communities.
The CBI had asked for prosecution sanction for four cases of rioting in Sultanpuri and Mongolpuri on November1, 1984.
The CBI had registered the case against Kumar after the G.T. Nanavati Commission report of February 2005, which called for fresh examination of complaints where he had been named but no chargesheet was filed.
Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said, “Law will take its own course. Congress does not interfere in legal matters.”
With thanks : source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/india/CBI-gets-nod-to-prosecute-Sajjan-Kumar-in-84-anti-Sikh-riots-cases/Article1-492487.aspx
New Delh: An “insane” cop, who turned Ram to Ravan within minutes and shot dead six members of the Sikh community at a police station during the 1984 riots, was given life by the Allahabad high court recently.
The court upheld a trial court judgment delivered two years ago on July 30, saying Tilak Ram acted out of rage, not insanity, as claimed.
A group of Sikhs running from a blood-thirsty mob near Meerut had sought refuge at a police station where Ram was posted 25 years ago, at about 3.50 am on November 5, 1984. His job was to protect the community under fire after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. But in the heat of the moment, Ram snatched a rifle from one of his colleagues, loaded it and fire at the group, killing six and injuring three.
After emptying the rifle, his defence was that he was overpowered by a deity. He said he was mentally unstable and had suffered a schizophrenic attack. Justices Rakesh Tiwari and AK Roopanwal said the unrepentant Ram indeed acted in an insane manner just as thousands of others across the country did during the anti-Sikh riots and scrapped his appeal against the trial court judgment delivered after almost a 22-year-long trial.
Ram acted out of anger, not insanity, the judges said, adding that it was cold-blooded execution of Sikhs who had taken shelter in police station.
It was an ugly expression of communal hatred against Sikhs who were being held responsible for the “treacherous” murder of the then PM of India, “undoubtedly, a tall and widely-popular political personality adorned by millions”.
Cop Ram’s act was not a “sequestered, isolated or unconnected incident having no nexus with the social and political atmosphere around”.
“Instead, it was a just another instance of Sikh killing, the like of which had happened and were happening at that time all over the country. It was not a schizophrenic act. It was, in fact, an act which had direct bearing with assassination of the late Mrs Indira Gandhi and its aftermath communal outrage [sic],” the court said.
Thousands of people who indulged in large-scale arson, loot and murder of Sikhs at that time did not suffer from schizophrenia or any other mental ailment, which may be termed legal insanity, HC said, adding that their insanity was only in the figurative sense of the term and denoted a highly-irrational behaviour.
with thanks : source : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mad-cop-gets-life-for-killing-6-during-anti-sikh-riots_1329254
Apparently buying more time on the controversy, the Sikh clergy on Wednesday adopted changes in the Nanakshahi calendar but shied away from announcing these. The five high priests referred the draft containing the amendments to the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for a final decision.
The move is unprecedented as the Akal Takht is considered supreme in taking decisions relating to religious issues.
After a marathon meeting, the five Sikh high priests said they has adopted "certain changes". "We are not making any announcements on what are the changes introduced. The same are being sent to the SGPC executive body, which would consider and take a final decision. The announcement would then be made from the Takht," said Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh.
Panthic leaders said that the move was aimed at buying more time to allow the dust to settle on the issue. Giani Gurbachan Singh admitted that it was difficult for the clergy too to reach a consensus.
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