Deportation of family enrages Sikh leader

Venkat Raman

A prominent member of the Sikh community in Auckland is enraged over the harassment and “nasty” treatment meted out to his wife and toddler son by Immigration officials at the New Delhi airport. At press time, Ranvir Lali Singh, Secretary of the New Zealand Sikh Society Auckland and a builder, was considering lodging a serious protest after his homemaker wife Shubhneet Kaur and their two-year-old son Bachint Vir Singh returned to New Zealand spending three agonising days travelling between New Zealand and India and barred from entering their home country.

Mr Singh said that his wife and son had travelled to India on a valid visitor permit stamped on their New Zealand passports by the Wellington based Indian High Commission recently.

They were to spend a month in their home country, meeting family and friends.

Shubhneet Kaur has been a resident of New Zealand since 1997 and has since become a citizen of this country. Bachint was born in Auckland in August 2007.

Mr Singh said that the much-anticipated holiday was destroyed and his wife subject to insult and ill-treatment, because of the intransigent officials in India.

“I was shocked to learn that Shubhneet and Bachint were stopped by Immigration at the New Delhi International Airport upon their arrival on January 12. They were supposedly on the ‘Government of India Black List,’ about which we did not know. The officials harassed them and showed no sympathy. Only terrorists and criminals are placed on Black Lists. I cannot understand how a humble housewife and a two-year-old child could be on such a barred list,” he told Indian Newslink, while waiting for their arrival at the Auckland International Airport on January 14.

An Indian High Commission official told this newspaper that the Mission was not aware of the incident and that “there was no record of the two New Zealanders on the Mission’s Black List.

“We need to find out from New Delhi,” the official said.

The ordeal of the two harassed passengers did not end with their deportation from India. They were subject to “unnecessary bag search and interrogation” for more than four hours at the Auckland International Airport.

Immigration and Customs officials wanted to know from Shubhneet Kaur why she was held up at the New Delhi International Airport and why she and her son were deported, the answers to which the harassed woman could not obviously provide.

Mr Singh now wants answers to a number of his own questions.

“How do a housewife and toddler get on to a Black List?”

“If they were in the Black List, how did the High Commission issue a Visitor Visa to both of them? Does not the Indian Government convey the names of those in the Black List to diplomatic missions? If this is so, why were we not informed?”

“What is the basis on which people are Black Listed?”

While Mr Singh awaits answers to these questions, Indian Newslink understands that similarity of names often confuse Immigration officials in India.

But one observer said, “Surely, a mother travelling with a toddler cannot be branded a terrorist! The officials at the New Delhi International Airport should have checked properly and allowed the young woman and her son to enter the country.

“It is equally unbecoming of the officials at the Auckland International Airport to further harass the depressed woman. After all, she is a New Zealand citizen. There should be a proper inquiry into this incident,” he said.

Labour MP and the Party’s Foreign Affairs spokesman Chris Carter said he would take up the matter with the Indian High Commissioner and New Zealand Immigration and Customs.

with thanks : source : http://www.indiannewslink.co.nz/index.php/frontpage/4014.html

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Indian envoy's bid to appease Sikhs

THE Indian high commissioner has urged Melbourne's Sikh community to let the law take its course in response to the burning of a temple.

Sujatha Singh warned against allowing "a few bad elements" to spoil the warm relationship between the two nations.

In her first public address since the murder of 21-year-old accounting graduate Nitin Garg and last week's arson attack on the temple, Ms Singh assured a Melbourne congregation that the Indian government was "very closely monitoring" the wellbeing of Indians in Australia.

Ms Singh said she had been in daily -- "even sometimes hourly" -- contact with the relevant Australian authorities to address community safety concerns.

Speaking to hundreds of worshippers at Blackburn's gurdwara, or Sikh temple, the largest of its kind in Victoria, Ms Singh said: "The incidents that have taken place in recent times have troubled us all, Indians and Australians alike.

"They have been condemned in the strongest possible terms by all right-thinking people."

Ms Singh drew particular attention to the arson attack at the gurdwara in Lynbrook, on Melbourne's southeastern fringe, late last week.

The partially constructed Sikh temple is suspected to have been torched with Molotov cocktails in the early hours of Thursday.

The high commissioner visited the burnt-out Lynbrook temple yesterday morning.

"The incident of arson is receiving the full attention of the concerned authorities," she told the Blackburn worshippers.

"I would like to assure you that both governments are united in their desire to see progress in bringing the perpetrators of these incidents to justice, and in bringing these incidents to a complete stop, ensuring that they do not happen again."

Ms Singh spoke of a tradition of strong ties between India and Australia, and implored the Indian community not to allow "a few bad elements" to spoil "the warmth and good feeling" which continued to exist between the two nations.

After giving her warmly received address, Ms Singh met privately with the president of the Blackburn temple, Dashran Singh, and the vice-president of the Victorian Sikh Association, Jag Bal.

Mr Singh said yesterday's visit marked the first time a high commissioner had attended a service at the Blackburn gurdwara. "Some of the unfortunate incidents of recent months affecting the Indian community are of great concern to all of us," he said.

Mr Bal said he hoped that the high commissioner would be able to give him a firm indication of what assurances the Australian government had given her during their lengthy discussions over the past fortnight. "I want to discuss what support or counselling is being given to the victims of race crimes in Melbourne," Mr Bal said.

Detective Sergeant Gary Kear said that contrary to initial police reports, detectives did not believe the Lynbrook arsonists were young kids mucking about.

"Witnesses have told us that voices that were heard inside the temple were more mature," Sergeant Kear said.

Last week the Blackburn temple wrote to Victoria Police requesting additional security, particularly at night. Two uniformed police officers were present at yesterday's service.

with thanks : source : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/indian-envoys-bid-to-appease-sikhs/story-e6frg6nf-1225820598424

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George Jacob named as director of the Anandpur Sahib Sikh Museum

A Kaur

Anandpur Sahib, Punjab: A former Project Director at The Smithsonian’s prestigious National Museum of American History, George Jacob, has been named director of the Khalsa Heritage Complex in Anandpur Sahib reports the Midland Daily News. The Khalsa Heritage Complex is one of the largest museum complex in India currently in advanced stages of construction.

Smithsonian trained Jacob, an internationally sought veteran museologist, has been the founding director of two museums in his career.

The 650,000-square-foot museum and heritage center rises above a seven acre web of reflecting pools connected by a 165-meter pedestrian bridge connecting different zones of the museum galleries, library, cafe and performing arts theater, with exhibits celebrating 500 years of heritage, aspirations and living traditions of the Sikh diaspora.Phase 1 of the $224 million project opens in the fall of 2010.

with thanks : source : http://sikhsangat.org/2010/01/george-jacob-named-as-director-of-the-anandpur-sahib-sikh-museum/

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Sikhs call for security after Melbourne temple attack

THE president of Melbourne's largest Sikh temple has requested additional night-time security from Victoria Police in the wake of an arson attack on another Sikh temple earlier this week.

The request, made to Victoria Police in a letter yesterday, asks for "increased vigilance" from local authorities around the high-profile Sikh temple in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Blackburn, which has previously been visited by the Premier and the state Opposition Leader.

The letter, written by the secretary of the Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha temple at the behest of its president, Dashran Singh, says: "As you are no doubt aware, there have been an increased number of violent incidents involving (the) Indian community in Melbourne.

"This is a matter of concern for all Australians.

"We will appreciate if you can assist by having increased vigilance in the area, especially during night-time, to build confidence amongst the community," says the letter, seen by The Australian yesterday.

Early on Wednesday a Sikh temple in Lynbrook, on Melbourne's southeastern fringe, was set on fire. Mr Singh yesterday said another Sikh temple in Cragieburn in Melbourne's north was also vandalised last week with eggs and stones.

"We take the trouble to collect money to build our buildings for worship. This is very worrying," he said.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu, who visited the Blackburn temple, or gurdwara, before travelling to India last year, said he was "greatly concerned" about the recent attacks on Indians and their places of worship.

"In light of recent events, the police need to work very closely with the Indian community right across Victoria to make sure there is no repeat of any violence or vandalism," he said.

Temple worshipper Vikramjit Kaur, who attended the Blackburn gurdwara yesterday with her four-year-old daughter Supreet and her mother, Surinder Kaur, said "there should be more security - when you hear about these (cases of vandalism), you are worried."

Mr Singh said to date he had received "great support" from local authorities, but said he would be comforted by more security.

A spokeswoman for Victoria Police yesterday said authorities were "taking every incident very seriously."

But she said, "no matter how many police we have, we simply can't be present for every crime that takes place".

with thanks : source : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sikhs-call-for-security-after-melbourne-temple-attack/story-e6frg6nf-1225819478091

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Sikhs fear more attacks after Lynbrook temple blaze

CRANBOURNE’S Sikh community says it is under attack after yesterday’s deliberately lit fire in a partially-built Lynbrook temple.

Police are still investigating the blaze, which started at about 12.30am inside the Nanaksar Sikh Temple.

It is the latest in a string of incidents at the Evans Rd site during the past 12 months, including graffiti, theft, break-ins and petty vandalism.

Speaking to the Leader, Raj Singh said the community was “angry and very upset.’’

“Racist sentiment seems to be boiling over at the moment and it looks to us as if we are being targeted,” Mr Singh said.

“We’re a peace-loving people. We believe all religions are good and we all worship the same one God. We just want to be abel to live in peace.”

Mr Singh said the damage was negligible.

“It is the psychological damage that is the real concern,’’ he said.

“To think that the surrounding community is targeting us like this is extremely upsetting to us.’’

Mr Singh said the 900-strong congregation ultimately hoped to build a school and retirement village on the 13ha site, making it a self-contained community.

“We want to be a part of the Cranbourne community. This is our home now. We’ve been here since 1988,’’ he said.

Builder Paul Birch said he was disgusted and angered by the “mindless destruction.’’

“There’s just no logic to it. They are harmless people,’’ Mr Birch said.

“We will be looking into security guards or dogs to put an end to this once and for all.’’

Police are urging anyone with information to call Casey CIU Det-Sen-Constable Paul Stowe on 9705 3111

with thanks : source : http://cranbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/sikhs-fear-more-attacks-after-lynbrook-temple-blaze/


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Gurdwara Lakhpat Sahib Ji

Gurpreet Singh Anand

Intrepid traveller, who braved the cold of the North Pole, South Pole and Mount Everest, takes us on a journey in the footsteps of the travels of the first Master, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji in Gujarat. During the course of an earlier interview, the author told us, “Life is a journey, from one path to another, from one pilgrimage to another and I am destined to do that.” Exclusive to World Sikh News, this first person account candidly brings to life, the aura and pristine glory of the place with awe and respect. Like his words, the pictures taken by the author bring forth the beauty and expanse of the place.


Some weeks back, my passion for travel took me to Gujarat. I was amazed to come across a lesser known facet of Sikh history. I saw evidence of the visit of Guru Nanak Sahib to Gujarat and also learnt that except for some scholars, Sikhs had forgotten about this place and other places visited by Guru Nanak. Better late than never. It is time to connect the dots of history and discover our rich heritage linked to our founder Guru Ji.

During his second Udasi (travels) from 1506-13 and fourth Udasi from 1519-21, Guru Nanak Sahib travelled to Mecca through the then to the Port of Basta Bandher, in the then province of Sind. Today, this place is called Lakhpat and is about 135 kilometers from the town of Bhuj on the edges of the Cori Creek on the tip of the border between India and Pakistan.



Lakhpat fort is about 20 kilometers from Korini village where there is also a big Sarovar to the memory of Guru Nanak Dev ji Sahib's visit. Lakpat was so named, it is said, as the daily income from sailings of inbound and outbound ships to shore exceeded one lakh cories (the then local currency). Today the Sindhu River no longer flows on its banks as it was diverted during the great earthquake of Bhuj in 1819 to the west to an area what is now in Pakistan's Sind province. Even today in the soil you can find millions of shells from the dried bed of the Sindhu River.

It will come as a surprise to Sikhs, that the Gurdawara was restored to its present immaculate state by the strenuous efforts of United Nations volunteer programme during a seven month period between February and September 2003.

Since 1947, the Lakhpat Fort is housing the lat outpost of the Border Security Force and is hope to some 400-500 people within its walls and several Temples and Sufi Darghas. It also has Gurdawara Pehili Padshai "Lakhpat Gurdawara". There is Hatkeshwar Temple that houses fossilized shells, The Gosh Mohmmad Kuba, Darghah of Syed Pir Shah and Nanai Mai Darghah –all stand witness to the glorious past.

Legend has it that the place visited by Guru Nanak was the house of a Brahman and is located within the fort of Lakhpat. According to the local people, that house was converted into a Gurdwara some two hundred years ago and vast tracts of land were bestowed on the Gurdwara for upkeep, maintenance and regular expenses of the shrine.



The Gurdwara complex comprises of a main building that has a courtyard and a separate structure which is a two storied gateway on the western side with massive wooden doors. The internal and external walls have paintings in line patterned with floral motifs of the period -ships, flowers, royal personage, etc. The walls have graffiti by religious travellers in old Gurmukhi script. Constructed in limestone, the Gurdwara has on its walls statues of elephants, flowers, Chabutras and statues in human and animal form embedded to its walls. The verandah has exquisitely carved wooden columns. The whole arena has a touch of the old and a beautiful nostalgic charm to it.

The walls have graffiti by religious travellers in old Gurmukhi script. Constructed in limestone, the Gurdwara has on its walls statues of elephants, flowers, Chabutras and statues in human and animal form embedded to its walls. The verandah has exquisitely carved wooden columns. The whole arena has a touch of the old and a beautiful nostalgic charm to it.

The main room has relics associated with Guru Nanak Sahib, which relics, it is said, were bestowed by Guru Sahib to the Brahmin in whose house Guru Sahib stayed. These include Charan paduka -khdawans or wooden footwear and a Palki of the great Guru, both of which are housed in asealed glass enclosure, where there is Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib. As much as I know, these are perhaps the holiest relics of Guru Nanak Sahib on Indian soil. In the adjacent room within a wooden and glass panel are kept old handwritten Gurmukhi religious books and old religious scriptures



It will come as a surprise to Sikhs, that the Gurdawara was restored to its present immaculate state by the strenuous efforts of United Nations volunteer programme for a seven month period between February and September 2003. Thanks to their efforts, the assistance of the local community and the Sikh Sangat from Gandhidham, the Gurdwara has the unique distinction of being awarded the Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation award for the year 2004 by UNESCO. Carried out under the aegis of CRCI (Cultural Resources Conservation Initiative), it was a major conservation project.

Conferring the award UNESCO stated "the restoration of this Sikh house of worship demonstrates a sophisticated holistic understanding of both the technical and social aspects of conservation; careful attention to detail and sensitive repair work have ensured the retention of the building's historic character. The emphasis on involving and empowering the community ensures the long term survival of the historic building and its associated cultural traditions.” From what I learnt, more than $ 43,000 grant was made by UNESCO to bring restore the holy place to its pristine glory, with conservation architects and masons brought in from Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to assist in restoration work .



Those desiring to feel the ambience of the visit of Guru Nanak Sahib can visit the can visit the Gurdwara Sahib, to which a Yatri Niwas, Langar Hall, Diwan Hall, modern amenities are being added.

The care taker of the Gurdwara Sahib who is overseeing the work is S. Lakha Singh from Baruch and the Granthi Sahib Bhai Sukhchain Singh can be contacted at 9909606367 for arrangements to travel and stay.

Gurpreet Singh Anand lives in Delhi. He may be contacted at pilgrim_gsa@yahoo.co.in

with thanks : source : WSN

Melbourne Sikh temple arson 'an attack on religion'

AN elder at a Melbourne Sikh temple suspected to have been torched by arsonists has described the early-morning vandalism as an "attack on religion", placing further strain on diplomatic relations already damaged by a spate of serious assaults on Indian students.

The partially built Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar temple in Melbourne's outer southeastern suburbs, home to a congregation of Sikhs, many of whom come from the Punjab in northern India, is believed to have been set on fire with the use of molotov cocktails early yesterday.

Distraught temple elder Satnam Singh said the wilful destruction of a "God house" was an attack on Indians.

Detective Senior Constable Paul Stow, in charge of the investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious, but detectives were yet to establish whether race or religion had motivated the arsonists.

"At this stage there is nothing to suggest it is (race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a temple," Detective Constable Stow told The Australian yesterday.

The Sikh temple, known as a gurdwara, is in the middle of a large empty paddock in front of a sprawling housing estate at Lynbrook, on Melbourne's suburban fringe. The fire could put further pressure on bilateral relations between India and Australia, which have come under renewed strain since the stabbing of a 21-year-old Punjab-born accounting graduate, Nitin Garg, in a park in Melbourne's west earlier this month.

Among the members of the Indian community who visited the temple yesterday to survey the damage was the consul-general of India in Melbourne, Anil Kumar Gupta, who walked around the site taking notes and talking with elders. One worshipper, who asked not to be named, said he was informed by police that three molotov cocktails and a jerry can containing petrol were found inside the temple. Constable Stow confirmed that "a number of items were located to suggest accelerant was used".

Despite initial police reports indicating that a group of teens had lit "a couple of small fires" in piles of rubbish in the temple, Constable Stow said police believed the arson to be a "deliberately lit fire" rather than a bonfire that had burned out of control.

A police spokeswoman last night said investigators were keeping an open mind about the investigation.

"We can't discount anything," she said.

Victorian police have been criticised and caricatured in India for being too quick to rule out racism as a motive for attacks on Indian students.

Walking through the blackened interior yesterday, Mr Singh said the fire was "very, very personal".

"This is an attack on religion, this is very bad," he said. "This should not have been done, this is a God house, everybody who comes here prays to God."

When asked whether he believed the attack to be race-related, Mr Singh said: "Yes, attack on Indians."

The deputy high commissioner of India, V.K. Sharma, yesterday said: "We have no comment to make."

It is believed two people were seen leaving the temple near midnight.

with thanks : source : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/melbourne-sikh-temple-arson-an-attack-on-religion/story-e6frg6nf-1225819009767

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UNITED SIKHS Congratulates Our Former Legal Director on His New Position at the United States Department of Justice

New York, NY: Harpreet Singh, Esq., former Legal Director of UNITED SIKHS recently joined the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service as the Regional Director of Region III. The Staff and Volunteers at UNITED SIKHS wish him all the best in his new position where he will work to prevent and reduce community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin.

Harpreet Singh joined UNITED SIKHS as Legal Director in 2003 and has been an invaluable member of the legal team in a majority of the advocacy endeavors undertaken by the organization. One of his most important cases at UNITED SIKHS consisted of winning a groundbreaking kirpan (a religious sword worn as one of five articles of faith) case in 2005 in Detroit, where a Sikh student was arrested for wearing a 10-inch kirpan. The judge in that case ruled that the kirpan should not be considered a knife or a weapon, and the ruling has been used by many advocates to defend the right to wear the kirpan. He also worked on many other important cases, such as the recent US Airways settlement with the Sikh religious musicians, and a variety of profiling, hate crime, and employment discrimination cases.

As part of UNITED SIKHS’ legal team, Harpreet Singh consistently provided his expertise and service to the Sikh community not only in United States, but also in landmark Sikh civil rights cases around the world, including the UNITED SIKHS Right to Turban campaign in France, students’ right to turban in Belgium, and advocating for humanitarian aid and rights of Sikhs and other minorities in Pakistan.

In addition to his legal role, Harpreet represented the Sikh community’s interest in pending legislative matters in Congress and partnered with various coalitions of civil rights organizations to influence legislation. His advocacy duties included representation of the Sikh community’s concerns regarding employment discrimination, hate and bias crimes, school bullying, racial and religious profiling and immigration reform during meetings with White House officials, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the State Department.

Additionally, he played a pivotal role in building a strong relationship with the United States Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), and has spearheaded several collaborative projects with them, which have increased the reporting of the Sikh community of incidents of religious discrimination in the workplace.

Harpreet Singh, Former Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS, congratulating the community on Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's Gurpurab, and reminding them of their duty to advocate for justice at a 2009 celebration organized by The White House Office of Public Engagement.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service (CRS) is a federal agency responsible for working with governments, public/private organizations and community groups to resolve and prevent conflict situations stemming from differences in ethnic origin, race, and color. CRS mediators are often called upon to diffuse situations which may otherwise end up in violence and racial tensions.

“While we are sad to see Harpreet leave, we are thrilled at the opportunities that await him in this new position,” says Kuldip Singh, Director, UNITED SIKHS. He adds, “We wish him all the best for a bright career, and look forward to working with him in the future on relevant issues concerning civil rights and community relations.”

To send Harpreet Singh a congratulatory message, please email law-usa@unitedsikhs.org with a subject line: Congratulations Harpreet Singh, Esq, and the message will be passed on. All duties that were previously handled by Harpreet Singh will be looked over by Jaspreet Singh, UNITED SIKHS Staff Attorney.

For a previous press release on policy level representation of Sikh civil and human rights, visit: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-10-11-2009-00.html

Issued by:
Jaspreet Singh
Staff Attorney
UNITED SIKHS
646-315-3909
Email: law-usa@unitedsikhs.org

Sikhs target of 'Allah' attack

Vandals threw stones at a Sikh temple, adding to religious tensions over a string of attacks on churches in Muslim-dominated Malaysia.

The church attacks - since Friday eight have been hit with firebombs and one with paint - came after a court overturned a Government ban and allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word "Allah" to refer to God. Some of the Sikh scriptures also use "Allah".

Twenty small stones were thrown into the compound of a gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur's Sentul neighbourhood, district police chief Zakaria Pagan said.

Only a 100-year-old mirror was damaged and no one was hurt.

Stones were also thrown at a telecom building next door. A temple volunteer and office building security guard heard the attack, but did not see any suspects. Pagan said police believed the incident was "mischief", and unrelated to attacks on the churches.

Temple chief Gurdial Singh said he was surprised by the attack but not concerned. He said it was an isolated incident by "someone taking advantage of the situation".

"We have already done our prayers. To us, it's a small issue."

However, the 120,000 Sikhs in Malaysia were not going to stop using "Allah", he said.

"We cannot change our scriptures ... I think the Government has not handled it properly. We need dialogue ... As far as we are concerned we are doing our prayers [using Allah].

There is no way any law is stopping us."

The Muslim-dominated Government argues "Allah" is exclusive to Islam and forbids non-Muslims from using it. The Arabic word, which predates Islam, is routinely used by Christians in other Muslim countries.

The Malaysian Government has banned "Allah" in published material and not in everyday speech.

With thanks : source : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/religion-and-beliefs/news/article.cfm?c_id=301&objectid=10620032

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Now a Sikh temple targeted by arsonist in Melbourne

Sikh temple targeted by arsonist
ANDRA JACKSON
January 14, 2010 - 1:42PM

Police are investigating an overnight fire that damaged a partially constructed Sikh temple in Melbourne's south-east.

Firefighters were called to the temple on Evans Road in Lynbrook early yesterday morning by a neighbour who noticed an intruder inside the building.

Firefighters arrived at about 12.30am to find three bonfires had been lit. They were extinguished in a short time, a CFA spokeswoman said.

A fireman said that three seats had been set alight and some damage had been caused but it would have been far worse had the building been completed

A police spokeswoman said investigators believed a teenager seen in the area might be responsible.

"They said it does not appear to be of a racial nature," the spokeswoman said.

Master Darshan Singh, the president of the Sri Guru Nanak Satsang temple in Blackburn, said it was the second incident at a Sikh temple in recent weeks and the community was "very concerned and very worried. The situation is not improving."

"These are race related. I do not believe the recent murders are. That can happened to anyone but this was definitely an effort that is race related," he said.

Mr Singh said that following yesterday's fire he had contacted Nunawading police and requested security measures to protect the Blackburn temple.

With thanks : Source : http://www.theage.com.au/national/sikh-temple-targeted-by-arsonist-20100114-m8rf.html

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