Punjab approves Rs.250 crore Sikh tourism plan

Chandigarh, Feb 6 — To boost tourism in the state, Punjab's chief minister Wednesday approved a Rs.250 crore plan for Sikh circuit tourism for developing Sikh religious places.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sikh scholars, historians, representatives of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and officials of tourism and local government departments here.

Badal directed the state tourism department to submit a detailed report on the project to the union tourism ministry.

Explaining details of the project prepared by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, Principal Secretary (Tourism) Geetika Kalha said that the project aims at developing the surroundings of prominent Sikh religious places in a holistic manner.

She said all the three Sikh Takhts - the Akal Takht (Amritsar), Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib), and Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo) - would be covered under the Sikh circuit tourism for development and beautification.

Other gurdwaras and Sikh historic places at Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi, Dera Baba Nanak, Chhapar Chiri and other places would also be developed.

The holiest of the Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib - popularly known as the Golden Temple - in Amritsar, 250 km from here, attracts millions of devout and visitors every year.

With thanks : IANS

Sikh family, including two young children, found dead in suspected murder-suicide in Atlanta suburb

Police in Johns Creek, Ga., are still piecing together how Shindiver Grover, his wife Damanjit, and their two sons were killed. Their bodies were found on Monday morning after Damanjit didn't show up for work.

 

Sindiver Grover, 52, Damanjit Kaur-Grover, 47, Gurtej Grover, 5, and Sartaj Grover, 12, were found dead in their Johns Creek, Ga., apartment on Monday in what police said was a murder-suicide. 

A Sikh family found dead in an Atlanta suburb on Monday morning were the victims of an apparent murder-suicide, police say.

The bodies of Shindiver Grover, 52, his wife Damanjit, 47, and their two sons, Sartag, 12 and Gurtej, 5, were found in their first-floor apartment in Johns Creek, Ga., at around 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to local reports.

Police said one of Damanjit's co-workers alerted authorities after she didn't show up for work, local WSBTV reported.

Johns Creek police Chief Ed Densmore described the apartment as a "complicated" crime scene, and they weren't sure how the victims died.
It didn't appear that any shots were fired, Densmore said.


with thanks : nydailynews : LINK : for detailed news & pics.

Sukhbir thanks delhi sikh sangat for their support

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on wednesday profusely thanked the Delhi Sikh Sangat for overwhelmingly ensuring the win of Shiromani Akali Dal in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections and giving them an opportunity to restore the old glory of historic Gurdwara Sahiban.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Badal said that he was overwhelmed with the love and affection shown by voters of Delhi and reiterated his resolve to fulfil every promise made in the manifesto.

Badal said that this election is a reminder to Sarnas that those who would stab Sikh community by hobnobbing with Congress would be severely punished by them.

He said that he had been reiterating that Sarna was acting as a proxy for Congress party by pressurising witnesses of 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases to protect Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar and ensuring their acquittal in different cases.

He said that Sikh voters of Delhi have shown the exit door to Sarnas for his act of treachery and now the next step for SAD was to ensure early conviction of all accused of 1984 Sikh massacre.

Badal said that SAD would continue to fight till every accused of the massacre were given exemplary punishment.

Describing the elections as eye opener for traitors of Sikh Panth, Badal said that Sarnas have not learnt any lesson from history. He said that any person who plays game to undermine the authority and supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib had to bite the dust.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK : for detailed news.

DSGMC Poll Results

Ward No	Constituency	Winning Candidate	Party
1	Chandni Chowk	Amarjeet Singh Pinky	SAD(D)
2	Defence Colony	Tarvinder Singh Marwah	Singh Sabha
3	Cannaught Place	Hardev Singh  Dhanoa	SAD(B)
4	Safdarjung	Kuldeep Singh Sahni	SAD(B)
5	Vasant Vihar	Dr Daljit Kaur	SAD(B)
6	Preet Vihar	Darshan Singh	SAD(B)
7	Lajpat Nagar	Jatinder Singh Sahni	SAD(D)
8	Greater Kailash	Manjit Singh G.K.	SAD(B)
9	Kalka Ji	Harmeet Singh Kalka	SAD(B)
10	Malvia Nagar	Gurvinder Pal Singh	SAD(B)
11	Shiv Nagar	Onkar Singh Thapar	SAD(B)
12	Sham Nagar	Satnaam singh Aulakh	SAD(B)
13	Shakur Basti	Gurlaad Singh kahlon	SAD(B)
14	Rajinder Nagar	Paramjit Singh CHandok	SAD(B)
15	Janakpuri	Gurmeet Singh Meeta	SAD(B)
16	Ashok Nagar	Amarjeet Singh Pappu	SAD(B)
17	Tagore Garden	Jeet Singh	SAD(B)
18	Vishnu Garden	Harjinder Singh	SAD(B)
19	Tilak Nagar		SAD(B)
20	Sahib Pur	Chaman Singh	SAD(B)
21	Rajouri Garden	Harpal Singh Kochar	SAD(D)
22	Subash Nagar	Tajinder singh Bhatia	SAD(D)
23	Ramesh Nagar	Tanvant singh	SAD(B)
24	Moti Nagar	Rawel Singh	SAD(B)
25	Punjabi Bagh	Manjinder singh Sirsa	SAD(B)
26	Tri Nagar	Satpal Singh Namdhari	SAD(B)
27	Wazir Pur	Ravinder Singh Khurana	SAD(B)
28	Naveen Shahdara	Kulwant Singh Bath	SAD(B)
29	Geeta Colony	Manmohan singh	SAD(B)
30	Gandhi Nagar	Bhupinder Singh Sabharwal	SAD(D)
31	Vivek Vihar	Balbir Singh	SAD(D)
32	Khureji	Jatinder Pal Singh Narula	SAD(B)
33	Model Town	Gurdev Singh Bhola	SAD(B)
34	Kamla Nagar	Capt Inderpreet Singh	SAD(B)
35	Civil Line	Jasbir Singh Jassi	SAD(B)
36	Pahar Gunj	Prabh Jeet Singh Jeeti	SAD(D)
37	Pitampura	MPS Chadha	SAD(B)
38	Rohini	Samardeep Singh	SAD(B)
39	Shakti Nagar		SAD(B)
40	Karampura	Gurmit Singh Shunty	SAD(B)
41	Tibbia College	Kuldeep Singh Karol Bagh	SAD(B)
42	Hari Nagar	Avtar Singh Hit	SAD(B)
43	Dev Nagar	Paramjit singh Rana	SAD(B)
44	Patel Nagar	Manminder s Ayur	SAD(B)
45	Vikas Puri	Inderjit singh Monty	SAD(B)
46	Dilshad Garden	Ravinder singh Lovely	SAD(B)

Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee polls record low turnout

NEW DELHI: An abysmally low 42.2% turnout on Sunday in the 51-member cash-rich Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections, which had assumed heightened importance after the entire Punjab cabinet shifted base to Delhi during the last three weeks, dimmed the hopes of a clear majority for both the parties - the incumbent Congress-backed Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) and Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Only 1.75 lakh Sikhs, out of the 4.16 registered voters, came out to cast their votes, the directorate of gurudwara elections (DGE) said.

The elections brought an end to the high-strung month-long poll campaign to DSGMC, which enjoys control over 10 historical gurudwaras, 30 schools, 15 colleges, six hospitals and 15 dispensaries.

The election is being seen as a primer to the assembly polls in the national capital after the ruling committee president and main candidate Paramjit Sarna was given open backing by the Congress against Punjab CM Parkash Badal-led SAD and BJP combine.



With thanks : Times of India : LINK : for detailed news.

DSGMC elections: 42% polling, counting on Jan 30

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections on Sunday passed off peacefully with 42.2% polling across 46 wards in the national capital. 

There was no untoward incident and no re-polling has been ordered at any booth, a spokesman of the director, gurdwara elections,said. The counting is scheduled for January 30.

"Elections remained peaceful with order maintained by the police," said SAD (Delhi) president Paramjit Singh Sarna.

Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said the polling percentage remained low as there were "several bogus votes that we never allowed to be cast this time".

The elections witnessed a straight neck and neck contest between SAD and SAD (Delhi).

Campaigning from both sides had ended at 5pm on Friday. The door-to-door campaigning continued till the polling on Sunday.

Delhi is divided into 46 wards to elect the DSGMC members. In the 51-member house, five members are nominated.

with thanks : HINDUSTAN TIMES : LINK

DSGMC elections turn into clash of titans

Punjab Newsline : By Our Political Editor-

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) elections are turning out to be the clash of titans as the senior Punjab politicians are fighting it out against each other for their supporters in Delhi. While the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal have directly taken on the incumbent DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna, he in turn is being supported by the Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh.

While both the Badals, alongwith most of their ministerial colleagues and officers, are camping in New Delhi for last few days, Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife and the Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur also joined the campaigning for Sarna, the Badals’ bête noir.

Capt Amarinder and Perneet Kaur addressed a few rallies in support of Sarna and his candidates today. The PCC president lashed out at the Badals, alleging that they had robbed and looted the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhik Committee in Punjab and were now eyeing the Delhi gurdwaras.

He cautioned the Sikhs of Delhi against the designs of the Akalis led by the Badals saying they had no business to interfere in Delhi affairs. He pointed out, while Punjab while they could not handle Punjab as lawlessness and law and order were at its worst and economy of bankrupt, they were dreaming of grabbing Delhi gurdwaras.

Since Congress being a secular party does not fight any religious elections, the party has however been openly supporting the Sarnas. However, Capt Amarinder made it clear that he was supporting Sarna brothers as a true Sikh. He said, as a Sikh he had every right and authority to watch the interests of the gurdwaras and save these from loot and robbery. He said, he will ensure that the Akalis led by the Badals were made to bite the dust in Delhi.

On the other hand the Akali Dal is directly fighting the elections to the DSGMC. The senior and the junior Badal are giving the Sarnas run for their money and for the first time they have faced a real challenge to their authority in Delhi Sikh politics.

The Badals at the same time seem to have taken a big gamble by getting so much involved with the Delhi elections as dethroning the Sarna brothers will not be an easy task. In case they are not able to dethrone him it will be a great setback since they have turned it into a personal battle of prestige against Sarna.

Although the DSGMC elections will not have any direct impact on the Punjab politics but it will certainly have an impact on the panthic politics in the state since Sarna has been taking lot of interest in Punjab. He has carved good influence among the urban Sikh community, which otherwise mostly identifies with the Akali Dal. If Sarna manages to win, it will mean a straight defeat to Badals at his hands as they have virtually made it a direct fight and embolden him further to take more interest in state politics. 

with thanks : Punjab Newsline : LINK

It is a close fight for the control of Sikh affairs in Delhi

Tuesday, January, 22 2013

By Jagtar Singh-
 
CHANDIGARH: With the national capital being virtually under siege of the Punjab government, temperature is rising in Delhi’s Sikh religio-political matrix. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab is out to capture the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for which polling would be held on January 27 in which the eligible Sikh voters would elect a 46-member House to manage their religio-political affairs. Apart from managing the Sikh shrines, the DSGMC runs a number of educational and health institutions. It is going to be a close fight. The stakes are much higher than just controlling this second most important Sikh body in the country after the Amritsar based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

The body is presently being dominated by the Delhi Akali Dal headed by Delhi businessman Paramjit Singh  Sarna. Being in power for the last two terms, the Delhi Akali Dal is also confronted with anti-incumbency. Sarna at one time used to be close to Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra who presided over the affairs of the SGPC for more than a quarter of a century. Presently, Sarna is considered close to the Congress.

The Shiromani Akali Dal campaign is being led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Singh Badal who also heads the party. The entire cabinet, besides senior party leaders, are camping in Delhi. Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia is campaigning in Sarna’s constituency of Punjabi Bagh. The effort is to defeat Sarna at any cost who has his own strong and weak points.

Sukhbir, considered to be expert in managing elections, is trying to replicate Punjab model in Delhi. Liquor is literally flowing freely. The Delhi Akali Dal is attacking the Shiromani Akali Dal on this very issue. It may be mentioned that money and liquor play a significant role in the elections in Punjab. Not only the Akali Dal,  almost every party has to resort to such tactics in the sensitive border state. A senior leader in Delhi, however, said the Sikhs in Delhi would not be influenced by such tactics adopted by the Shiromani Akali Dal. The Shiromani Akali Dal  tried to revive its fortune in Delhi when it brought in Manjit Singh GK replacing old war horse Avtar Singh Hit.

with thanks : PUNJAB NEWS LINE : LINK : for detailed news.

Mika Singh celebrates Sikh guru’s birth anniversary

To mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, Mika Singh organised a langar for people of different faiths and religions. In Mumbai, the langar was held at two gurdwaras and also at the Haji Ali Dargah. The singer organised a langar at a gurdwara in Delhi, too.

Says Mika, "Guru Gobind Singhji was a visionary who was also a warrior, poet, thinker and philosopher. His birth anniversary holds the highest honour in our hearts. With his blessings, I have got whatever I wanted, that too, in such short time. It's time to give back. By organising langars at different religious places of worship, I'm only spreading his message of love and peace."

The singer-turned-actor's charity organisation trains women to master skills — like stitching, tailoring or making novelty items — that can be pursued professionally, making them independent. There are also plans to come up with a 24X7 helpline for women in distress after the Delhi gangrape incident. "There should be instant action and, along with my organisation, I'm working towards it. The first helpline will start in Delhi, followed by other cities," informs Mika. 

with thanks :Times of India : link

SGPC to get Sikh history rewritten, forms five-member panel

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is referred to as mini Parliament of Sikhs, has decided to get Sikh history re-written following research in this regard. 

For this, SGPC has constituted a five-member committee, including Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh and historian Dr J S Grewal. SGPC Secretary Roop Singh will be the co-ordinator of the panel. 

“There has been a long pending demand from both across the country and abroad that a research should be conducted on Sikh history so that it could be written afresh,” SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said. 

When contacted, SGPC Administrative Secretary Dalmegh Singh said the idea aimed at look for comprehensive details about Sikh history so that doubts and confusions caused could be clarified. “Following the research, the book will be published by SGPC,” he added. 

“The panel will conduct a research by sifting through the archives and books on Sikh history. We will also seek feedback from scholars and historians who have already written books on Sikh history,” Dr Jaspal Singh said. 

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK

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