LITTLE INDIA IN WA

There was a time when I participated in the office potlucks and while my coworkers use to enjoy the favorite Indian dish they would always ask me for recipe.  Most of the stores were in Canada then from where we were getting our grocery; not to mention the hassle we would face at the customs.

Times have changed since.  We have a lot of Indian grocery stores, and new ones are opening every few months.  It often reminds me of India. Whenever a special guest would visit us; we had to run to the store and pick up some sweets or Indian samosas from the sweet shop. Things are similar nowadays.  Some evenings I walk to the Indian market. While we stroll along the shops we often sit at  the Pabla Indian Cuisine to enjoy a snack. My son loves Samosa burger more than the regular burger. 

So much has changed, really. The recent report in the Seattle Times: "Kent School District joins trend of minority students outnumbering whites"  reflects this trend. The Kent School District this year became the seventh Seattle-area district in which minority students outnumber white students. It's part of a demographic shift that's happening in districts across Washington and the nation".

And while the Indian community evolves into a major community so are the Indian businesses growing in great numbers.  A fairly decent shop is within the walls of Sikh Gurudwara Sahib in Renton. It is run by Kundan Singh. He sells all the needs of the Sikh community including the Kanga (the wooden comb that is suppose to massage the head as it combs hair), Kara (the Sikh iron bangle), Kirpan (the Sikh sword), Kachera (the military undergarment). These are part of the 5 K's mandated by Guru Gobind Singh for every Sikh. He also sells, various books, music tapes and disks, turbans, etc. Kundan Singh said that although it is within the Gurudwara Sahib  it is not supported by the Gurudwara Management. "We can't adapt the American food; although we have accepted the fast American way of life," said one gentleman. "And above all Indian food is healthy and nutritious. It is a quick American way to eat breakfast which may include bread or cereal, Indians prefer a good Indian food for dinner which has to be  soothing and healthy.  We want our kitchen to smell spicy in the evening."  Turmeric Powder has been known to be a miracle golden powder. It has been used in Indian food for centuries. Yet recently, science has accepted its benefits. Although it sells expensive in health stores it is one of the major spices in Indian stores. Even the price is fairly cheap. 

Sincerely,
Sarab Singh
Editor, Aasra Punjabi English Magazine
PO Box 5716, Kent, WA 98064
Phone: (206) 550-3154

SIKH WEDDING - Anand Karaj – A union of two souls

Like the beautiful earth, adorned with jewels of grass-

Such is the mind, within which the Love of the Lord abides. 

All one's affairs are easily resolved, O Nanak,

When the Guru, the True Guru, is pleased II 1 II

"They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies." (Guru Amar Das, Pauri, pg 788)

A family enjoys a wedding party during the wedding of Tripat Singh Chawla and Jasmine Marwaha.

Anand Karaj is the prescribed form of Sikh marriage.  The words literally translate as 'Blissful Union". The image of Sikh is reflected by “Saint-Soldier”. To embodiment this divine image, the Sikh Gurus mandated everyone to marry. This “union of bliss” leads to “union with God”.  In Sikh religion marriage is an important part of life. Everyone has to get married. Even the priests or religious persons are married. We all are required to work, and care for our families. No one can boast of or be proud to stay an unmarried life. 

The Sikh marriage is a very special ceremony in which two individuals are joined in an equal partnership. It is joyous and festive event which is very family orientated and informal in its atmosphere. Sikh marriages are usually arranged with families acting as little more than introduction services. The ultimate choice is always left to the girl and boy. In some cases the boy and girl choose each other first and then seek their parents consent and blessing. 

The Reht Maryada which is The Official Sikh Code of Conduct specifies that no thought should be given to the perspective spouse’s caste, race or lineage. As long as both the boy and girl profess the Sikh faith and no other faith they may be joined in wedlock by the Anand Karaj ceremony. The Reht Maryada strictly forbids any sort of dowry arrangement as marriage is not to be viewed as a business transaction. Sikhs are also discouraged from consulting horoscopes or following any other superstitions pertaining to determining a wedding date or time. The Anand Karaj ceremony can be performed in any Gurdwara or home where Sri Guru Granth Sahib has been respectfully installed. The religious ceremony cannot be performed in a hotel or banquet hall. There are no restrictions as to what time the ceremony should start or what time it should end although they are usually performed in the morning with the religious ceremony taking no more than a few hours. 

An engagement ceremony called the kurmai is not required but is sometimes performed typically one week before the wedding. It is usually conducted in the Gurdwara or at the home of the boy. It involves Ardas (the common Sikh prayer), Kirtan (hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib) and langer (common meal) if performed in the Gurdwara. If performed at home, the bride’s family visits the house of the groom for a short time. In both cases the groom is usually presented him with a kara, kirpan or Indian sweets. They brides family in turn are presented with an Indian suit and sweets for the girl. 

In the east marriages are typically a three day affair which begins with the Braat (grooms family and friends) setting off for the girl’s house in the evening. They are received, entertained and hosted by the girl’s family and spend the night at her house. The following day the ceremony takes place at the local Gurdwara or at the girl’s home. Following the religious ceremony festivities, song and dance continues the remainder of the day with the groom and his family departing with the bride the following day. In the west because of the constraints in time and difficulty in coordinating so many people, wedding are usually a one or two day affair. Either the wedding occurs in the morning followed by a dinner and dance banquet in a hall or hotel at night, or the religious ceremony and banquet take place on consecutive days. In rarer cases only the religious ceremony takes place without any banquet.

India is a land where caste system has infiltrated every walk of life for ages. The Sikh Gurus felt a need to educate and bring equality. Sadly, dowry, caste and other omens have swept into Sikh religion also. Husband looks one way; wife has altogether a different personality. Jealousy, hatred and greed ultimately lead to divorce. Wife does not listen to husband, while husband does not care for wife.  I personally have witnessed quite a few divorces. We speak of Panth, Sikh religion, but unless life changes, it leads to divorce.  Life drags along. Husband finds a new wife. Wife finds a new husband. Children life is hurt. Fighting or socializing does not lead to Anand Karaj. Very few marriages become Anand Marriages. 

Sincerely,
Sarab Singh
Editor, Aasra Punjabi English Magazine
PO Box 5716, Kent, WA 98064
Phone: (206) 550-3154

Why I swapped my party girl lifestyle to marry a Sikh warrior

For years she had a reputation as a hedonistic party girl. Now Alexandra Aitken, daughter of former government minister Jonathan, has married a devout Sikh and changed religion, too. How did her transformation come about? Here, Alexandra, 30, tells her intriguing story . . .

Frankly, if someone had told me ten years ago, when I was living the party girl ­lifestyle in London, that a decade later I’d be a teetotal vegan, I simply wouldn’t have believed them.

If they’d gone on to tell me that I’d also have converted to Sikhism, changed my name to Harvinder Kaur Khalsa and be married to an Indian warrior whom I fell in love with before we even exchanged a single word, I’d have laughed my head off.

After all, I was positively allergic to organised religion. It just seemed so grey to me. But then I don’t really think of Sikhism as a religion, more a path for anyone who is looking for something more spiritual.

With thanks : dailymail.co.uk : link above for detailed news. 

SikhsIndia

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First Asian woman police officer 'should be honoured'

Calls have been made for a memorial to honour Britain's first ever Asian woman police officer.

Karpal Kaur Sandhu joined London's Metropolitan Police exactly 40 years ago, on 1 February 1971.

It was a dream come true for the mother-of-two - but her life came to a brutal end in 1973 when she was murdered by her husband. 

He objected to her career, claiming it was neither Asian nor ladylike, and was given a life sentence for his crime.

With thanks : BBC News : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

'We don't need helmets'

Leaders of Sikh community call on PM, ask for reversal of Delhi Police order

It seems that Delhi Traffic police's efforts to make women two-wheeler-drivers and pillion riders wear helmets might go down the drain.

As the word spread that Delhi government had asked the Traffic Police to reverse an earlier order exempting women from wearing helmets while riding two-wheelers, members of Sikh community came out strongly against the proposal. Leaders of the community called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and gave him a memorandum that called for not implementing the order as it was against the tenants of their religion.

"We won't allow this as it goes against our religion. Sikh men are not allowed to wear anything over their turbans while Sikh women are supposed to keep their heads covered, so helmets do not go with our religious beliefs. Similar proposals in other countries had met with strong protests and governments of the US and Britain had to finally accept the recommendations of our community," said Paramjit Singh Pamma, who met the Prime Minister along with other leaders of National Akali Dal, Sikh Welfare Society and Shri Guru Nanak Sathsang Sabha of Chennai.

with thanks : MIDDAY : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Super successful Sikh is Toronto's biggest Indian car man

TORONTO: As the global meltdown grounded the auto industry, Toronto's biggest Indian car man, Nav Bhatia, only thrived. The multimillionaire Sikh has also been helping change stereotypes about Indians in Canada after being mistaken for a cab driver once.

"We have continued to post better results thanks to our clients," beams Bhatia who landed here from Delhi  in 1984 and is the biggest Indian origin Hyundai car dealer in Canada today.

Flip through any newspaper and you find him featured in full-page auto ads with his trademark right finger pointed up.

He is friends with the who's who of Canada, including BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie. "We are very good friends. Jim loves Indian food. He is very simple and cuts his lawn grass himself."

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

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Jonathan Aitken's daughter Alexandra marries in a turban

THE daughter of disgraced former Tory minister Jonathan Aitken has secretly married a member of a military Sikh order.

Alexandra Aitken, 30, wore a white turban at her wedding to Inderjot Singh in the Indian holy city of Amritsar, where she was blessed by 150 holy men.

Her dad, jailed for perjury in 1999 after a failed libel trial, was not at the ceremony.

with thanks : mirror.co.uk : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

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Debate in Canada to ban kirpan

TORONTO: From a small incident in Quebec the debate to ban the ceremonial dagger worn by Sikhs has landed on Canada's National stage. It all started on Jan-18 when a delegation of Sikhs was barred from entering Quebec's National Assembly after refusing to surrender their kirpans.

Safety was the official reason given by the Assembly's security service for forbidding the Sikhs to wear their kirpans. Ironically, the members of the Sikh community were trying to get in to present their views on Bill 94, anti-niqab and anti-burka legislation that would require anyone dispensing or receiving a government-paid service in places like hospitals and schools to show their faces. 

 with thanks : times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

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Ceremonial swords allowed in Plymouth-Canton School District

Announcement from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools :
In December we informed you of a situation at one of our elementary schools in which a student was found wearing a religious emblem that resembles a small decorative sword, called a kirpan. At the time, we told you that our attorneys were reviewing both state and federal laws, as well as Board policies with regard to the prohibition of weapons or look-a-like weapons in any of its buildings. We said we would explore options that will ensure safety and best protect the rights of all students.

After an extensive review of all laws and policies pertaining to this issue, we have developed an accommodation plan that will address the situation. While our school district is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students, we must also balance the rights of students to express and practice their religion. In light of the strict scrutiny standard applied by Michigan courts in determining whether an individual’s right to freely exercise his or her religion has been violated, the District will amend its blanket restriction against wearing the kirpan in school.

Starting Monday, January 31, 2011, baptized students of the Sikh faith will be allowed to wear the kirpan at school with the following conditions:

1. Any kirpan worn at school should be sewn inside a sheath in such a way that the blade cannot be removed from the sheath.
2. The blade of the kirpan is restricted in length to no more than two and one-fourth inches. This would take the object outside the scope of the Revised School Code’s definition of a knife constituting a dangerous weapon.
3. The blade of the kirpan must be dull.
4. The kirpan should not be worn on the outside of the clothing and should not be visible in any way.
5. It will not be the practice of staff members to conduct random searches for the possession of kirpans. However, students who violate any of the above will be subject to discipline including a prohibition on wearing the kirpan to school in the future.

We have spent the past month working successfully with members of the local Sikh community to address District concerns. School officials are confident that these new administrative guidelines ensure a safe school environment and provide Sikh students the right to exercise their religion freely.

with thanks :  pccs : link above.

SikhsIndia

Closed door welcomes Jhinda

AMRITSAR(PUNJAB): In a development that might provide much fodder for strengthening the anti-SGPC stance in some quarters of Sikh community in the neighbouring state, Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) ad hoc president Jagdish singh Jhinda got a jolt when he found the gates of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)-managed Bhai Gurdas Hall locked on Saturday. Jhinda had reached here to hold a press conference.

As Jhinda and mediapersons arrived at Bhai Gurdas Hall, its gates were found to have been closed by SGPC task force. A furious Jhinda, who is also a SGPC member, entered into a heated exchange with SGPC president  Avtar Singh Makkar over phone, following which Jhinda was allowed inside. 

 

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikhs urged to celebrate March 14 as Environment Day

Washington, (IANS) An international Sikh group has appealed to all Sikh gurdwaras and institutions to celebrate March 14, the day Guru Har Rai became the 7th Sikh Guru in 1644 AD, as Sikh Environment Day.

EcoSikh said it has received confirmation of participation from many Sikh institutions in India and abroad. EcoSikh has also launched a website for gurdwaras and Sikh institutions to register their participation internationally.

Guru Har Rai is known to be a great humanitarian who had special sensitivity towards nature preservation and animal well being.

He maintained an extensive herbal garden for medicinal purposes for the benefit of the masses in Kiratpur Sahib, his birth place and his spiritual centre near Anandpur Sahib.

with thanks : sify : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia