Prominent Sikhs form peace committee following clash at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj

JALANDHAR: Following the ugly clash at gurudwara Rakab Ganj on November 15 some prominent Sikh personalities and organizations have formed a Peace Committee as there are apprehensions that violent scuffles can take place in the coming days especially on Gurpurabs and Nagar Kirtan days.

Representatives of Shirmani Akali Dal (Badal) and Paramjit Singh Sarna led SAD (Delhi) have also been included in the peace committee. Senior Supreme Court advocate H S Phollka said that a number of meetings were held by various Sikh Organizations initiated by the Sikh Forum to discuss the unfortunate incident of violence at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj. This incident had not only amount to desecration of Gurudwara Sahib, it has also lowered the image of the Sikh Community in the whole World.

"The most disturbing part is the likelihood of this kind of violence continuing in future. According to intelligence reports there is every likelihood of violent incidents during the Nagar Kirtan on November 24 and 27 and also during the congregation on both the Gurpurabs of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Nanak Dev on November 25 and 28 respectively.

"There was general refrain among the devotees that something should be done by the Sangat to stop the violence and deteriorating the image of the community any further," Phoolka disclosed. The peace committee would speak to both the sides urging them to pursue their political fights without resorting to violence.

The five member peace committee includes former PGI Chandigarh director and noted Sikh author Dr J S Neki, prominent Punjabi writerb Ajeet Caur, former CBI director Joginder Singh, Political science professor at IGNOU, Dr. Amarjit Singh Narang and advocate Phoolka. Latter would be the coordinator of the Committee. The two nominees of the Sarna group include Bhajan Singh Walia and Tarsem Singh while the nominees of the Badal group are Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Harmeet Singh Kalkaji.

Phoolka said that a 'Candle Light Vigil' would also be held at the spot of the violence that is Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib on Friday at 5 PM. The Peace Committee has started working and interacting with both the groups, said Phoolka. 

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

Education beyond the classroom & beyond books at GHPS, Hargobind

Value Education : The school (Guru Harkrishan Public School, Hargobind Enclave, Delhi-92) is committed to the concept of "Education Beyond the Classroom" and "Education Beyond Books". What the teacher tells carries more weight than what Mom and Dad say.

So, to carry the message forward, the school organizes regular sessions (depending on the age group), highlighting maintenance of hygiene, correct eating habits, avoiding the intake of junk food.

 

Mrs. Jasmeet Kaur

Principal

Guru Harkrishan Public School,
Hargobind Enclave, Delhi-92
Phone:- 011-43714444

http://ghpshargobind.org

Guru Nanak’s birthday: 21 special trains for Sikh pilgrims

LAHORE, Nov 19: A total of 21 special trains will be operated to facilitate participation of Sikh pilgrims coming from India and various cities of Pakistan in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Devji to be held on Nov 28 at Nankana Sahib.

On Nov 24, the first special train will be operated from Karchi at 8am, second from Larkana at 12noon, third from Jacobabad at12.30pm and the fourth from Rohri at 2pm for Nankana Sahib, says a Pakistan Railways announcement.

On Nov 25, the first special train will be operated from Wagha at 10am, second at 12noon and third at 1pm for Nankana Sahib.

On Nov 26, a special train will be operated from Nankana Sahib for Lahore through Sheikhupura at 9am while from Lahore to Nankana Sahib at 9pm.

On Nov 29, the first special train will be operated from Nankana Sahib for Larkana at 12.30pm, second for Jacobabad at 1.30pm, third for Karachi at 2.30pm and the fourth for Rohri at 3.30pm. The fifth special train will leave Nankana Sahib for Hassanabdal at 1pm, the second 2pm and the third at 3pm.

On Dec 1, the first special train will leave Hassanabdal for Lahore at 4.30pm, the second at 5.30pm while the third at 6.30pm. On Dec 4, the first special train will leave Lahore for Wagha at 4.30pm, the second at 5.30pm while the third at 6.30pm. — Staff Reporter

with thanks : DAWN : LINK

Exhibition on rare Sikh articles targets youth

Nanakshahi coins, Sikh manuscripts, rare weapons and much more were put on display in the Sikh Virasat Sambhal exhibition organised by Narinderpal Singh at Gurdwara Guru Gyan Parkash at Jawaddi village which concluded on Sunday. 

Narinderpal has a hobby to collect such rare things and plans to take his exhibition to other parts of the city as well. “Over the years, I have collected these rare things and I have spent lakhs of rupees on this collection. I want to make the young generation aware of our rich cultural heritage. So I keep on organising such exhibitions,” he says. 

On display were 184-year-old handwritten Guru Granth Sahib, which Narinder got from a UP-based family, Adhyatam Parkash Granth of 1669 AD, Bhagat Vani, Bhai Gurdas di Vaaran and 18 other handwritten manuscripts. 

Nanakshahi coins during the reign of all the Sikh Maharajas were also displayed. These included Nanakshahi coins of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, coins during the reign of Maharajas of Nabha, Patiala, Kaithal and Jind. 

Old weapons used in wars between Mughals and Sikhs were also on display. These included daggers, swords, bichua, katar and zambia. 

Narinderpal has converted the ground floor of his house into a museum where he will display all these rare things. He is working on digitisation of the entire collection.

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK

Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family : SikhsIndia

Sd. Hardeep Singh Chadha, Son in Law of Sd. Harvinder singh Sarna, died on Saturday, in a farm house in Delhi.  He was the younger brother of Ponty Chadha, who also died in the tragic incident. 

"There was no property dispute between them at all. Had there been, we would have meditated between them and resolved," said Hardeep singh Chadha's father-in-law Harvinder Singh Sarna. 

"They both had separate businesses and Hardeep had a distillery plant and paper mill in Hargobindpur in Punjab," Harvinder Singh Sarna said. 

Harvinder Singh Sarna is the younger brother of Paramjeet Singh Sarna, who is president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). 

Paramjeet Singh Sarna also supported the version of his younger brother. "There was no property dispute between them," he said. 

Antim Ardas will be performed at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib on 23rd November.

Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. 

SikhsIndia 

www.sikhsindia.blogspot.in

Dikshit denies govt hand in violence

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit has promised action against people involved in a clash last week outside the Rakabganj gurdwara and rubbished suggestions that her government had a hand in the violence.
 

"It was a clash between two factions of Sikhs, which is being given political colour by some for their vested interests," she said about the clash on Thursday at the central Delhi gurdwara which left several people injured. 

Her comments on Saturday comes after her Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, alleging that a move by her government to amend the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee election procedure was "unjustified" and "provocative" and had led to the violence.

Dikshit was in Ludhiana, Punjab, to attend an event organised by the Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust to celebrate the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 

The chief minister said it was not the first time that an amendment had been proposed in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Act, adding that the matter would be taken up in the Assembly session. "The Badal government should not interfere in any elections taking place in Delhi," she added.      

She referred to Nehru as a great visionary and a committed soldier who participated in the freedom struggle.

She described Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as a leader of the future, saying it was premature to comment whether he would be the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 elections.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : Link

Gurdwara Act row: Sheila Dikshit dares Parkash Singh Badal to ‘leash her’

LUDHIANA: The face-off between Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit over the management of Delhi gurdwara affairs escalated on Saturday, with the latter daring Badal to "try leashing her" for her government's decision to amend the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act 1971 to allow direct election to the post of president.

A furious Badal had on Friday called up and shot off missives to PM Manmohan Singh and Delhi LG Tejendra Khanna, seeking a "leash on Dikshit-led Delhi government" and action against those who had attacked the SAD(B) leaders and workers at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib on Thursday.

Speaking exclusively to TOI on Saturday, Dikshit said, "Put me on leash if you want Mr Badal. The Cabinet has already cleared the amendment. It will be sent to the ministry of home affairs and I will personally make sure that the Act is ready by December. There shouldn't be any uncertainty and ambiguity on this".

Dikshit's visit to Ludhiana comes two days after clashes between two rival Sikh factions — Delhi unit of SAD (Badal) and Paramjit Sarna-led camp — at the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee meeting at the Rakabganj gurdwara.

The melee at the 229-year-old gurdwara near the Parliament, that ensued for 30 minutes, had left at least eight people critically injured as the groups used sticks, stones and kripans against each other. The clashes fuelled the tension simmering since October 9 when the Delhi cabinet proposed to raise the tenure of the governing council of Delhi's gurdwaras from two years to four years through the Gurdwara Act amendment (2012). The same amendment also provides for direct election to the post of DSGMC president.

In his letter, the Punjab CM had also urged the Centre "to stop Delhi government from going ahead with its dangerous move to interfere in the religious affairs of the Sikh community".

Dikshit said she had not been briefed on the contents of Badal's letter. " Mr Badal is free to write to whoever he wants. My suggestion to him is that he should not interfere in elections which are not taking place in his state," she added. She also hit out at the opposition, saying many amendments were made to the 1971 Act even by the BJP-led government. 

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

‘No role in Rakab Ganj violence’

Denying that the Delhi Government had any role to play in the violence pertaining to gurdwara politics at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib here on Thursday, Delhi Gurdwara Election & Gurdwara Administration Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said over the weekend that the main intention behind the proposed amendment to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill, 2012, was to remove corruption and horse-trading and make the administration more accountable.

“We were receiving a lot of complaints about corruption in the gurdwara management. It was said that the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee [DSGMC] switched loyalties easily in the absence of any anti-defection law. Consequently, the positions of the chairman and other members of various institutions were being compromised. We wanted to clean up the system,” said Mr. Lovely.

He said the Delhi Cabinet had passed the proposed amendment on October 8 as it came under its purview. “The Act was brought by the Delhi Assembly and so it can also be amended only through its approval. So where is the question of interference?” he said.

He said just as chairmen of various bodies and banks are elected directly while members were elected separately, so too the Delhi Government had proposed the introduction of a two-vote system for separate elections for the post of president of DSGMC and its members.

“We want to give the power of election to the people of Delhi. They will be able to elect the DSGMC president as also its members. What is the harm in it? Why is the Shiromani Akali Dal [Badal] leadership so perturbed with this?” Mr. Lovely said.

He said it will be better if SAD leader and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal focused on his State rather than projecting himself as the champion of the cause of Delhi’s Sikhs. “Punjab today is suffering from acute drug addiction. Mr. Badal should eradicate the problems of his State first,” Mr. Lovely said, echoing views expressed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Punjab recently.

Mr. Lovely’s statements assume significance as the SAD (Badal) has been repeatedly accusing the Congress of interfering in Sikh politics in Delhi. It has also charged that the Delhi Cabinet’s decision to pass the proposal for amending the DSG Bill was motivated by politics.

with thanks : The Hindu : LINK

SGND Khalsa College : Celebration of Founders Day

Ponty Chadha & his younger brother died in bullet injuries

 

Ponty Chadha & his younger brother died in bullet injuries during firing at their farm house few minutes ago. Details awaited. Both were taken to hospital & declared brought dead. Details awaited.

DSGMC PC after the Brawl at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib : SikhsIndia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHh1EBWtDXg&feature=youtu.be