Include peace corridor in Indo-Pak talks: Sikhs

CHANDIGARH: Ahead of secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan, the global Sikh community has now raised the long pending issue of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, with the hope that this religious and emotional issue would act as a balm to soothe sore relations between the two nations.

While the demand for a corridor to the historical Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib — which is located barely 1.5km inside the Pakistan territory from the Indian border near Dera Baba Nanak — has been a long pending one with various Sikh organizations appealing to the two countries from time to time, the United Sikh Mission (USM), a California based NGO, recently approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi to raise the issue with the neighbouring country in the coming days.

“We have received a very encouraging response from both Rahul Gandhi and the Prime Minister, and it seems that the Sikh community’s ardent wish may finally come true now,” Rashpal Singh Dhindsa, USM chairman, told TOI from California. Naming the project as a ‘peace corridor’, thereby giving an emotional hue to the issue, he added, “The one (corridor) which would bring lasting peace between the two countries.”

“It would be great if the issue is taken up during the upcoming secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan as it would bring remarkable results, especially since the solution to the problem is at hand and very doable,” said Punjab MLA Jassi Khangura, who was an NRI from UK till recently — before he shifted to India and contested elections successfully. “All it requires is a reasonable amount of will power on both the sides,” added Jassi, who receives similar requests from Sikhs in UK and elsewhere during his frequent visits abroad.

The gurdwara holds a special place in the heart of Sikhs as it was here that the first Sikh master, Guru Nanak Dev, spent his last years. While Hindus and Muslims then had built their respective shrines at the place, a gurdwara was constructed later by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh.

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With thanks : source : Times of India

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Sikh's turban ban not racism: New Zealand club

Members of a New Zealand club which denied a Sikh man's entry because he was wearing a turban say the issue has nothing to do with racism and they are ready to defend their rules in court.

The Sikh Council of New Zealand is seeking action from Human Rights Commission against the south Auckland's Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club after volunteer worker Karnail Singh was barred entry because his turban breached its no-headwear policy.

The issue was not one of racism, said Con Linton, a member since the late 1960s. He said the 3,500-member club has members belonging to different culture including Asian, Iraqi, Pacific Island, Pakeha and Maori.

"You could possibly stereotype us and say we are rednecks with people who do not like turbans but that would be democracy at its worst. Where it (the headwear policy) originated I don't know but people have never found it hard to conform with - until lately," he said.

Several club members said that it "has access to barristers and solicitors like anyone else" and will fight any moves to enforce changes, The New Zealand Herald reported.

"To me it would appear the feeling is quite clear that we are a private club with its own rules much like many other clubs throughout the country," said Peter Kelly, a member for 43 years.

"But if there is an enforcement on this particular issue on the Manurewa Cossie club, it surely will have repercussions on other clubs and some of their rules in general. "I think we would fight - why wouldn't we ?"

Kelly, 75, said the turban issue was raised at the club's annual meeting on last Sunday, where only five of the 304 people voted to amend the policy of excluding religious headwear.

"I daresay that if I went down to the Sikh temple I would take my shoes off ... that is one of their conditions I believe, so if it is I would just comply," he was quoted as saying. "All we are saying is just comply with the rules of the cossie club."

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with thanks : source : Hindustan times

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A Sikh Face in Ireland

An Exhibition at Chester Beatty Library,Dublin Castle,Ireland exploring the Sikh presence on the island of Ireland
This exhibition is produced and supported by the Forum on Migration and Communication(FOMACS).It includes photographic portraits and life stories of Sikhs,an animated film on the wearing of the Sikh turban,and a photographic and sound installation featuring contemporary Sikh muscians.(www.fomacs.org)

Sikh group asks US lawmakers to stop racial profiling

Washington, Jun 18 (PTI) American Sikh community leaders have complained US lawmakers that they were experiencing racial profiling, mostly during travel, after 9/11 and the trend has increased of late.

"It's not fair. It's not safe," complained Amarjeet Singh, programme director of advocacy group Sikh Coalition, in his testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Asking them to intervene to end their ordeal, the Sikh leaders have urged the US lawmakers to take immediate steps to end this profiling.

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With thanks : source : PTI News

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Gold walls for Bangla Sahib Gurdwara ?

New Delhi, India: If all goes according to the plan, the main prayer hall of the historic Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in the Capital will soon shine with yellow metal.

Around 125 kg of gold, costing nearly Rs 23.75 crore (as per the current market rate) will be required for the ambitious project.

The gold will be crafted in form of fixed-sized plates, which would be finally joined together and will adorn the walls of the religious place that is very close to Delhi’s commercial hub, Connaught Place.

The first lot of 30 kg of gold was handed over by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to Baba Harbans Singh – who has launched a kar seva (voluntary service) to make the project a reality – on Friday.

DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna says the work will be completed in around 18 months and will be done in phases to ensure that devotees are not put to any discomfort.

The gold plates will be fixed at a height of six feet from the ground to prevent any damage to them. The entire inside portion of the main hall would be covered by gold. The outer portion of the dome of the gurdwara is already gold-plated.

The move has, however, sparked off a debate, with critics saying that the money required for the project could have been spent on education of community children and other welfare works.

“It is a sheer waste of resources that can be used to uplift the condition of riot victims,” said Jarnail Singh, author of the now famous book on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots “I Accuse..”.

Sarna’s rival in politics and the head of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Manjit Singh GK, says the wise move would have been to educate the community kids with the donation. But Sarna is unfazed. Lashing out at Manjit, he said: “He is jealous of the good work done by us for the Sikh community.” Cost, says Sarna, is not an issue.

Some portion of the gold has been donated by managing bodies of various schools runs by the DSGMC in Delhi.

The community members are making donations, he added.

In the past, the DSGMC had gifted a golden “palki” to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan which is currently sitting in a store house.

With thanks : sikhsangat

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New Zealand Sikhs challenge club's turban ban

IANS

Wellington: The Sikh Council of New Zealand announced on Thursday it would take legal action against an Auckland club that will not admit turban-wearing Sikhs to its premises because it bans all forms of headwear.

The Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club voted to confirm the "no hats" policy on Sunday six months after prominent local Sikh Karnail Singh was refused entry to a function in his honour because of his turban.

The club premises had been hired for a private function to honour his work as a volunteer visitor to the elderly, a town ambassador and community gardener.

After Sunday's vote, one club member told the New Zealand Herald, "Many felt that once you change the rules to let in people who wear turbans, then the next thing is that we will also have to let people who wear hoodies and balaclavas into the premises."

The Sikh Council's secretary Verpal Singh said it would seek legal assistance from the Human Rights Commission for a court ruling that the ban infringed on the Human Rights Act.

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with thanks : source : IBN Live

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Vegetables injected with chemicals to increase size

Ferozepur, Punjab: The residents of the border district, who have witnessed destruction and uprooting time and again due to flooding of the Sutlej and Indo-Pak wars, face a challenge to their lives once again and this time it is from chemically infested vegetables.

Consumption of such vegetables, which are being grown in various parts of the district, has made the residents’ lives worse.

The menace connected with the injection of various chemicals into vegetables, which cause deformities and cancer in human beings, came to light in a number of villages of the district where the growers have been injecting Oxytocin into vegetables and fruits to get more yield and bigger size.

KK Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, ordered a probe after coming to know about this problem. He said he had asked the district health authorities to inquire into the matter. “We have been injecting chemicals in the plants during the growth of vegetables so that vegetables and fruits could give a fresh and attractive look to the customers,” said Taranjeet Singh (name changed), a vegetable grower, on condition of anonymity and not disclosing the name of his village.

“People want to buy fresh-looking vegetables, hence we use this method as we find it expensive to use fertilisers to increase the fertility of soil,” said Mokham Singh, another vegetable grower.

These growers have also been using other harmful chemicals apart from Oxytocin. The packets of some of the chemicals, which were being used by them, did not carry any wrapper on which the brand name or details of contents were written.

with thanks : sikhsangat.org

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Gatka camp at Krishna nagar, Delhi - pics 1

Gatka camp at Krishna nagar, Delhi - pics 2

Gatka camp at Krishna nagar, Delhi - pics 3