PETPB will open Gurdwara Babe Ki Ber for Sikh jathas on Baisakhi: Sarna

AMRITSAR: For the first time, Sikhs of India would be able to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Babe ki Ber, Sialkot, Pakistan. Delhi Sikh Gurdwar Management Committee (DSGMC) presidentParamjit Singh Sarna, who spoke to TOI on Sunday after his return from Pakistan, saidPakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) has agreed, in principal, to renovate and open the complex for Sikh jathas from India.

"It will be a historic occasion, when a Sikh jatha from India will pay obeisance at Gurdwara Babe ki Ber on this Baisakhi," he said.

Gurdwara Babe Di Ber is situated near the banks of Aik stream, along the Sialkot-Pasrur road in Pakistan. During his visit to Sialkot, first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev had stayed outside the town under a Ber tree. The gurdwara holds significance for Sikhs. The Akali movement which started in 1920, by the Kartar Singh Jhabbar-led Singh Sabha, chose Babe ki Ber as the first shrine for reform.

Sarna said DSGMC had also asked PETPB to construct a gurdwara at Chandu di Haveli, which is also known as Lal Haveli. The Haveli is associated with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. "It is in a dilapidated condition," he said.

DSGMC has become the first Indian Sikh body to get the management and renovation as well as booking rights of around 200-bed sarai, made with the contribution of Sikhs of Delhi and those in foreign countries, at Gurdwara Tambu Sahib, Nanakana Sahib, Pakistan, he added.

with thanks : TOI : link in headline for detailed news.

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Complainant denies filing affidavit in case against dera chief

BATHINDA: In a new turn to the case against Dera Sachha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh wearing clothes similar to that of 10th guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, and hurting sentiments of community members, the complainant on Saturday told the court that he had not submitted any affidavit to police stating that he was not present at Dera Salabatpura in Punjab and did not see the dera chief dressed up like the Sikh guru.

Complainant Rajinder Singh Sidhu, who had been issued summons by court on January 28 to remain present in court on Saturday, told the court that he had not filed any affidavit. Sidhu, who is president of Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Bathinda, moved an application in the court seeking documents submitted by police on his behalf. Sidhu told TOI that the affidavit was filed by police on January 27 in the court, along with statements of two other people. The court has now adjourned the case to February 11.

with thanks : TOI : LINK in headline above for detailed news.

DSGMC - Sarna ji - 1st Feb. 2012 - Part 2 : SikhsIndia

Press conference by DSGMC President Sd. Param jit Singh Sarna ji on DSGMC Elections, Bala Sahib Hospital, Free mediclaim policy for BPL Sikh community of Delhi, Re development of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. : Video by : SikhsIndia

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Amrit Bani Granth installed at Ravidassia shrine

JALANDHAR: Two years after announcing the founding of Ravidassia religion by Dera Ballan, the Asi-Dharmi community has finally installedAmrit Bani Granth at the Guru Ravidass dham - the biggest and most opulent upcoming shrine of the community - in Buta Mandi area of Jalandhar.

Dera Ballan had announced to found the new religion on January 30, 2010, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass after the killing of its deputy head Sant Ramanand in May 2009 at a temple in Vienna by some Sikh radicals.

Earlier, the dera gave prime place to Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib and every religious ceremony was performed around it. Guru Ravidass Dham is managed by Sri Guru Ravidass Education and Charitable Trust, which is headed by Seth Satpal Mall, a close confidant of Dera Ballan management, who was an aspirant of Congress ticket in the assembly election but could not get it.

The management had been avoiding installing the Amrit Bani Granth while replacing Bir of Guru Granth Sahib for the last two years even as there was strong demand from a sizeable chunk of the population in Buta Mandi, a stronghold of the community, and radical elements of the community had even been castigating the management.

Ravidass Dham has a grand structure and work on it has been going on for the last few years. Around a year back there has been a vertical divide in the management over its control and also over the issue of replacing Guru Granth Sahib with Amrit Bani.

with thanks : Times of India : link in the headline above for detailed news.
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Gurdwara Rakab Ganj sahib Re-development work started by DSGMC : SikhsIndia

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US Sikh body hires lobbying firm after Jay Leno row

WASHINGTON: A Sikh body in the US today announced the hiring of a lobbying firm to educate the American media about the true identity, image and message of Sikhism and the importance of the Golden Temple to the community in the wake of popular TV host Jay Leno's controversial remark that sparked a global outrage. 

"The lobbyists will approach NBC to provide aforum to a panel of Sikh scholars and notables to educate media and American public about the sanctity and sensitivity of the Sri Harmandir Sahib," said Sikh for Justice in a statement. 

The decision comes in the wake of the controversial remarks on the Golden Temple by Leno on the NBC news channel. 

In the programme, the Golden Temple was shown as the summer home of Mitt Romney, the leading Republican presidential candidate. 

with thanks : TOI : link in the headline for detailed news.

DSGMC - Sarna ji - 1st Feb. 2012 - Part 1 : SikhsIndia

Press conference by DSGMC President Sd. Param jit Singh Sarna ji on DSGMC Elections, Bala Sahib Hospital, Free mediclaim policy for BPL Sikh community of Delhi, Re development of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, etc. Video by : SikhsIndia

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Sikhs struggle under Afghan intolerance

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Another electoral battle readies for SAD

JALANDHAR: With the elections of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) scheduled on March 11, another electoral battle is ready for Shiromani Akali Dal.

For PPCC president Amarinder Singh, this will be an electoral battle through proxy as SAD (Delhi) headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna has been openly aligning with him and even campaigned for the Congress in the just-concluded polling in Punjab.

SAD had a considerable clout on DSGMC, sometimes complete sometimes partial; but in 2001, a separate Akali Dal was formed by Sarna under the name of SAD (Delhi) which ended Badal-led SAD's control on DSGMC in 2002 elections in which Badal's party got 16 votes. Sarna further reduced SAD (Badal)'s clout as they got 12 seats in the 2007 elections.

with thanks : TOI : link in headline above for detailed news.

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Punjab polls: Clan in mind, border seat votes big

GURU HAR SAHAI (FEROZEPUR): This sleepy assembly segment bordering Pakistan seems to have truly woken up and come out and voted in droves, making it one of the seats that recorded high polling.

One reason behind the record 90% turnout, with total voter population of 1.45 lakh, is being attributed to Sanjha Morcha fielding a Rai Sikh candidate from Guru Har Sahai.

Political observers said the area has a large population of around 30,000 Rai Sikhs and it was after many years that a candidate of this community was in the fray, which helped mobilize large number of voters.

Interestingly, a Rai Sikh candidate, Sajawar Singh, had recorded two wins from this constituency- as in independent in the1985 elections and as a Congress nominee in the 1992 polls.

In 1985, he bagged a vote share of 23.59% of the total 69.60% polled. In 1992, his share rose to 30.86% of the total 62.61% polling.

with thanks : TOI : link in headline for detailed news.