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Sd. Paramjit singh Sarna, President, DSGMC on Delhi Aajtak TV Channel

Sd. Paramjit Singh Sarna, President, DSGMC as well our CEO Sd B S Vohra, in a programme on MCD elections, LIVE ON DELHI AAJTAK TV CHANNEL. Though it was aired a few days ago, its being uploaded on his blog now.

Delhi Ka Dabang kaun : AAJTAK TV Channel

Delhi ka Dabang kaun : programme on : AAJTAK : regarding MCD elections in Delhi : Our CEO Sd B S Vohra was also present there with his as usual querries / objections. 

Sikh community to register their marriage under Anand Karaj Act

DSGMC Press conference : Baisakhi Greetings : Anand Marriage Act : MCD Elections

At 101, Fauja Singh still Running !

London/Chandigarh, Apr 1 (IANS): As he turned a memorable 101-years-old Sunday, Sikh marathoner Fauja Singh did not have his birthday celebrations on his mind at his London home. Instead, the oldest athlete on earth is busy preparing for his next event - the London Marathon - on April 22.

Getting up early Sunday at his Ilford-London home, Fauja was on the tracks to run six laps as the 'Sikhs in the City' team organized an event in London to run 101 laps of two km each to commemorate his 101st birthday.

Even at 101, what is top-most on his mind is the preparation for the London Marathon for which he is already training and not his birthday cake.

"Mere coach ne mainu dovara jinda kar ditta hai (my coach has given me a fresh lease of life)," Fauja Singh told his Chandigarh-based biographer Khushwant Singh.

Last year, Fauja Singh had become, perhaps the only man in the world to have lived a 100 years to see his biography being released at that age. The biography 'Turbaned Tornado' (Rupa/Rs.250) was released at the Atlee Room of the House of Lords in London in July last year.

An illiterate person who converses only in Punjabi, Fauja had told IANS how he yearned that he could have read his biography.

As Fauja Singh prepares for the London marathon, no insurance company in Britain is ready to issue him a policy for the event.

"No company here is ready to insure him. We are willing to accept insurance even from India from anyone who has the confidence in Fauja's ability," Fauja's coach Harmandar Singh said.

with thanks : LINK for detaied news.

Gurdaspur firing victim a 'Sikh martyr': Akal Takht

The Akal Takht has decided to declare engineering student and Gurdaspur police firing victim Jaspal Singh as a martyr of the Sikh 'nation'. His portrait will also be installed in the Sikh museum. Jaspal was killed in police firing on March 29 to control the spiralling of violence between twocommunities.

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh will make this announcement at the bhog and antim ardas of Jaspal on April 7 at his native village, Chour Sidhwan.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar will also announce free MTech level education to the only sister of Jaspal Singh.

with thanks Hindustan Times : LINK for detailed news.

We'll examine Rajoana's mercy plea on merit, says Chidambaram

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday said that his ministry would examine on merit the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced to death for assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and it would be submitted to the President for a final decision.

Mr. Chidambaram said that Rajoana's mercy petition, filed by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, has reached the Home Ministry two days ago and has been added to the list of mercy petitions of condemned prisoners.

At his monthly press conference, Mr. Chidambaram said that execution of a condemned prisoner has to be put on hold once a mercy petition was filed before the President and it should be kept in abeyance till a decision was taken on the prayer.

He said guidelines in this regard were very clear. “Once a mercy petition is filed on behalf of a sentenced prisoner, the sentence cannot be executed unless there is a decision on the mercy petition. So, when we got the copy of the mercy petition (of Rajoana) from the President's Secretariat, we immediately drew the attention of the government of Punjab to the standing guidelines and the instructions,’’ he said.

“By drawing the attention of government of Punjab to the standing guidelines and instructions, does not mean the Home Ministry is expressing any opinion on the merits of the mercy petition,’’ he said.

with thanks : The Hindu : LINK for detailed news.

Police kept eyes 'closed' during anti-Sikh riots: CBI

The CBI on Saturday told a court that the Delhi police, acting in a pre-planned manner during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, kept its "eyes closed" to the violence. 

Advancing final arguments in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, in which veteran Congress leader Sajjan Kumar has been accused of instigating a mob in Delhi Cantonment area, CBI counsel RS Cheema said the city police "deliberately" did not act the way it was supposed to.

"This was a case where the police acted in a pre-planned manner and every policemen was keeping his eyes closed," Cheema told Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) J R Aryan.

He said about 150 complaints were made regarding the riot incidents but only five FIRs were registered by the police.

"Whatever action was taken by the police was taken against the people who helped the Sikhs. Police did not take action against the main culprits. No policeman was recording complaint during the riots. They were not interfering to help the victims," he said.

Cheema said even the police officials, who were defence witnesses in the case, had said in their statements that they had not seen anything during the riots.

During the arguments, the court asked the prosecutor if the CBI has any "direct evidence" against Sajjan Kumar and other five accused Kishan Khokkar, Girdhari Lal, Mahender Yadav, Balwan Khokkar and Captain Bhagmal to show they were instigating the mob to kill the Sikhs.

"Apart from the witnesses, do you have press reports or photographs published in the newspapers to show that Sajjan Kumar was addressing the mob? Do you have direct evidence against the accused?," the judge asked.

with thanks : HINDUSTAN TIMES : LINK FOR DETAILED NEWS.

Virasat-e-Khalsa soon becoming a place of worship for Sikhs

Pic from virasatekhalsa.in

Virasat-E-Khalsa, the new museum of Sikh history at Sri Anandpur Sahib, is increasingly being regarded as a place of worship by thousands of Sikhs who visit it daily.

The museum celebrates the 500-year-old Sikh heritage and chronicles the events that led to the birth of Sikhism. The symbolic representation of the 10 Sikh Gurus has elevated the museum in the eyes of the tourists here — mostly Sikhs who come visiting from the country or abroad.

The museum, which was thrown open to the public in November last year, is open from 8 am to 8 pm. Around 8,000 tourists daily visit this complex spread over 65 acres.

A large number of visitors are seen entering the Khalsa Heritage Complex barefoot and with covered heads. Though musuem authorities gently tell tourists that they don’t have to enter barefoot, but devotion takes precedence over any such advisory.

Chief Executive Officer of Anandpur Sahib Foundation, Dr Karamjit Singh Sra, said: “A guard near the pass windows suggested that we should have carpets on the walkway, leading from the parking area to the museum building. He said the days are getting hot and visitors face trouble walking barefoot. When I told him to request people to keep their shoes on, he said a large percentage of visitors leave their footwear in their vehicles before they reach the pass windows.”

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK for detailed news.

India orders stay of Rajoana execution after appeals for mercy

India has granted a stay of execution in the case of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was found guilty of playing a key role in the assassination of the chief minister of the north-western Punjab state in 1995.

The hanging scheduled for Saturday would have been India's first capital sentence in eight years.

Indian press reports confirmed the country's home ministry had ordered a stay of execution to allow time for consideration of mercy petitions to President Pratibha Patil by top Sikh clerics. The chief minister of Punjab also met Patil on Wednesday night to ask for clemency on Rajoana's behalf.

This week, a court in the Punjab state capital, Chandigarh, rejected an appeal by the director of the jail where Rajoana is being held.

Rajoana was convicted in 2007 after an 11-year trial and has refused to plead for clemency, although co-conspirators have successfully appealed against their sentences.

Many Punjab traders and businesses observed a one-day strike on Wednesday called by Sikh organisations in protest at the planned execution. Tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed around Punjab in recent days to maintain order.

Some groups have called him a "living Sikh martyr" and there are fears the execution could reopen old wounds.

"The death penalty is always wrong and the Indian government should immediately stop this execution," said Meenakshi Ganguly, south Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

With thanks:
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/29/india-stay-rajoana-execution-appeals