Can Sikh women wear helmets for safety, DSGMC asks Akal Takht

Days after Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit disagreed with her Transport department’s undertaking to the Delhi High Court that it was willing to change rules and make it mandatory for women to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has asked the Akal Takht, the supreme religious and temporal seat of Sikhism, to decide whether Sikh women should be allowed to wear helmets in the interest of safety.

The DSGMC move to step beyond religious compulsions on grounds of safety follows the Transport department’s submission that it was willing to change provisions in the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules that exempted women from wearing helmets. But Dikshit differed, saying the rule making it optional for women pillion riders to wear helmets was formulated in 1999 on requests by a particular community — she didn’t name the Sikhs — and that exemption couldn’t be withdrawn so easily.

Bhajan Singh Walia, Senior Vice President of DSGMC, told Newsline that they have approached the Akal Takht to take a call, given the safety issue involved.

“Essentially, the High Court’s decision is in totality for all men and women in view of safety of people travelling on busy and dangerous Delhi roads. But our religion absolutely prohibits people from wearing any form of a cap, and wearing a helmet (a form of cap) goes against the tenets of our religion,” Walia said.

“Our religious texts have given elaborate details about the way we should preserve our kesh (hair). Our hair can’t be trimmed, cut or even clipped. If at all one has to preserve his/her hair, it has to be done in a proper turban,” he said.

with thanks : INDIAN EXPRESS : LINK for detailed news.

Bala Sahib Hospital

डीडीए ने गुरुद्वारा प्रबंधक कमिटी को नोटिस भेजा

प्रस॥ नई दिल्ली : डीडीए ने गुरु हरकिशन हॉस्पिटल मामले में दिल्ली सिख गुरुद्वारा प्रबंधक कमिटी को कारण बताओ नोटिस भेजा है। नोटिस में कहा गया है कि हॉस्पिटल के लिए जमीन 25 जून 2002 को सौंपी गई थी। जिसके दो साल बाद वहां निर्माण कार्य हो जाना चाहिए था। लेकिन फील्ड स्टाफ की जांच रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक बिल्डिंग अभी भी पूरी नहीं बनी है और उसे बनाने से पहले बिल्ंिडग प्लान का अप्रूवल भी नहीं लिया गया।

इस आधार पर जमीन दी गई थी कि इसे बेचा या ट्रांसफर नहीं किया जा सकता। यहां ओपीडी चलेगी और मुफ्त इलाज किया जाएगा। लेकिन यह नोटिस में आया है कि इस प्लॉट का कमर्शल इस्तेमाल हो रहा है जो शर्त का उल्लंघन है। डीडीए ने कमिटी से 15 दिन में जवाब देने को कहा है। 


with thanks : NBT : link 

Sikhs launch race profiling app for phones

A Sikh rights group in the United States has launched a unique smartphone app that would allow people to register complaints about ‘racial’ airport security screenings.

The Sikh Coalition, which released the Fly Rights app claimed that the 11 US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening complaints probed during the early part of 2011 were woefully unrepresentative of how many fliers were actually being pulled aside on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity.

“I would say that some of our board members have more than 11 complaints in a quarter,” ABC News quoted Sikh Coalition programme director Amardeep Singh, as saying. “With the app, what we are trying to do is say ‘No, there are more people out there that have issues with the screening procedures than you think’,” he said.

with thanks : Hindustan times : LINK

Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Ji : SikhsIndia

Khanda Baba Deep singh ji : SikhsIndia

The Booming Economy of Punjab

  By Dr Srimal Fernando,  Asia Correspondent

The Indian state of Punjab is one of the most vibrant and dynamic states in the whole of India. Situated in the northwest of the country Punjab is called the “Land of Five Rivers”. This unique piece of land covers an area of 50,362 square kilometers. The state's 27 million inhabitants (Estimates 2011) spread across twenty two districts are well known for its socio-economic achievements. Agriculture continues to be the bedrock of the Punjab economy and earned its reputation as the “Granary of India”.  By South Asian standards, the economy of the state has a diverse and rich resource base. Poverty has been reduced over the past 30 years, and a social safety net put into place. There are a number of popular people and celebrities that have already made their presence felt in different streams and activities. Among them is the incumbent Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the internationally acclaimed personalities from Punjab. Another personality is Shri Prakash Singh Badal who has been the Chief Minister of the state since 2007. His party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), together with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been, once again, elected to power by winning the 2012 assembly elections in the state. Shri Prakash Singh Badal has been the Chief Minister of Punjab for a record-breaking fifth time. The states major economic resources are its fertile land, the irrigation systems and its well-educated, technically sound population. These factors have contributed to achieve higher levels of productivity and a better competitiveness level in the global economy.

The economy of the state depends heavily on agriculture, industrial exports and tourism .The state is endowed with vast agricultural resources. Being an agricultural state the majority of its workers are engaged in farming and animal husbandry. The state produces most of India's grains than any other state in the country. Wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, fodder are the vital economic indicators of Punjab's agrarian society. The state has two crop seasons “Rabi”, the spring harvest season and the “Kharif” the autumn harvest season. The rice produced in the state is marketed and processed in different types of rice mills. There are about 2,200 grain hullers mostly in rural areas of the state. The Punjab sugarcane industry has undergone a major overhaul during the last five decades. The sugar production too has increased in recent years. Morinda Co-operative sugar mill is one of the largest sugar crushing mills in the state with a daily crushing capacity of 4,000 tones. Animal husbandry has been an essential part of Punjab’s economic life. The dairy industry of the state is part of a long and proud agricultural tradition of the state. Punjab is one of the largest milk producing areas of India with  a capacity of 10 per cent of the country’s total production capability. Moga, is one of the largest milk processing plants in the state with a total production capacity of 435 thousand liters of milk.

Punjab is one of the most industrialized states in India. The state has a large manufacturing sector serving both the local and exports sectors. The large and small scale factories are scatted in all parts of the state.  The majority of the industrial workers are engaged in small scale industries that make up 160,000 units (Estimates 2010). Large and medium business units are four hundred in number (Estimates 2010). The state's diverse industries range from Steel Rolling, scientific instruments, agricultural goods, electrical goods, bicycles, garments, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines to manufacturing of sports goods. Over the past few years the industrial sector employed over a million. The state has positioned itself as a key destination for operations of multinational companies in a variety of industries. In recent years, the state has successfully attracted many big-names and reputed global companies such as Nippon, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Nestle, Glaxo, Smithkline and Motorola. The state economy has witnessed rapid growth in the bicycles manufacturing industry. Today the state of Punjab is the largest bicycles manufacturer in India. Handicrafts and cottage industries of the state have been extremely popular. Punjab has more than 39,000 (Estimates 2010) small cottage industries providing widest avenues for the state’s labours.

Both modern and ancient culture is visible all over the state. Punjab’s natural and historical attractions appeal to many visitors from all parts of the world. Moreover, the fast growing tourism sector is another major pillar in the overall economic field of the state. According to the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) the state has been ranked the fourteenth tourism destination in India from twenty eighth position.The first planned city of India is the state’s capital; Chandigarh. It is a bustling affluent metropolis with glitzy shopping malls, boutiques and colorful markets which houses the intellectual elite as well as the seat of government. It serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana .The pilgrimage to the holiest of Sikh shrines,  the Golden Temple  of Amritsar is regarded as the holiest city of Sikhism. It attracts millions of Sikhs from all over the world. Punjab's educational system and technical training is considered to be the best in India. The state has achieved universal literacy of more than 71 percent. The state's high proportion of tertiary graduates and its performance as a modern technological society with thirteen universities promotes high quality of professional education. Currently the state is ranked seventh in terms of education amongst the states of India. The state has a large potential for hydroelectricity, thermal and renewable energy. The state is constructing  several power plants with the vision of becoming a state with a power surplus by 2013. As one of the fastest growing economies in the country, the state of Punjab has a unique prospect to position itself on a path of continuing sustainable economic prosperity for its entire people.

 

LINK WITH THANKS


source of the article as 
www.thediplomaticsociety.co.za

Private school bans wearing turban in Shimla, Singh Sabha says

By Nagender Ranta

SHIMLA: The 18-year-old Sikh boy studying in a Christian private school in Shimla was banned wearing a turban in the school, said Guru Singh Sabha, Shimla, an apex body of the Sikhs in the capital of the state.

 

“A Sikh boy studying in plus 2 class in St. Edward’s School here in Shimla was denied wearing turban. The Guru Singh Sabha wrote a letter to the Principal in the Month of March when the school reopened  but the school administration did not respond on this sensitive religious matter. Ultimately, we decided to go to the media as it hurts our religious sentiments. We would welcome if school administration allows wearing turban to the senior students. We want the issue to be resolved amicably,” Jaswinder Singh,President , Guru Singh Sabha Shimla,  told Punjab Newsline.

 

The Guru Singh Sabha severely criticized this move of the private school calling it violation of the right to freedom of religion granted under the Indian Constitution.

 

We have given ultimatum to the principal of the school if this practice does not end and wearing turban was not allowed, we would begin a protest in front of the school and need be, can launch a protest movement across the state. The school is purposely hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community, he added.

 

“The Sikhs in Shimla feel hurt by this act of violation of the religious right of wearing turban, which is the religious identity of our community. We are a secular democratic country and such an act leads to spread of communalism in the society especially when an educational Institution practices such unconstitutional activity in its campus,” said President of the Guru Singh Sabha, Shimla.        .

 

We have given ultimatum to the principal of the school if this practice does not end and wearing turban was not allowed, we would begin a protest in front of the school and need be, can launch a protest movement across the state. The school is purposely hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community, he added.

 

The school administration denies such allegations. The principal of the school said that we have no objection on wearing turban in the school and the matter has already been settled with the parents.

 

with thanks : PunjabNewsLine : LINK for detailed news.

Anand Karj Act

On behalf of Sikh Community,DSGMC President ParamjIt Singh Sarna along with other Sikh dignitaries visited Sonia Gandhi's house to convey thanks for Central Government's approval towards making a separate law to register marriages under the Anand Marriage Act.

Visit to Sri Kalgidhar Sahib Gurdwara : Europe's largest Gurdwara in Cremona,ITALY

With thanks : Gill Family,Cremona,ITALY.

Sikh leaders want Manmohan-led Congress Government at Center to quit

Amritsar, April 24 (ANI): There have been strong reactions in Sikh circles to the final conclusion of arguments in the Delhi Court that was hearing cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

On Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had concluded that Congress leader Sajjan Kumar had incited mobs to attacks Sikhs during the riots in New Delhi.

Sikh leaders have called on the Manmohan-led UPA Government at the Centre to quit and take moral responsibility for their leaders secret involvement in the anti-Sikh riots.

Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the Congress has no moral right to stay on in power at the Centre.

He said the Sikhs had all along maintained that the Congress leaders had taken the law into their own hands in 1984, and added that the Gandhi family was also responsible for the killing of hundreds of the Sikhs.

Majithia said the Congress and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi acted hand in glove with the killers of Sikhs, and added that Congress leaders and activists incited mobs to act violently and in a retributive manner.

"Our stand had been vindicated that the Congress was responsible for the killing and massacre of the Sikhs in the national capital and other cities of the country in 1984'', said Majithia.

BJP State Executive Member Rajinder Mohan Singh said in a statement that what they had been saying for the years has now come true.

"The CBI has finally admitted that violence against the Sikhs had the backing of Congress leaders,'' he stated, adding it was Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar who incited the mobs against the Sikhs.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee's executive member, Rajinder Singh Mehta, said anti-Sikh riot victims were yet to get justice 28 years after the violent event. 

with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK for detailed news.