Sarna brothers oppose building of memorial in gurdwara premises

Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother Harinder Singh Sarna of Shiromani Akali Dal, Delhi, have opposed the construction of a memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots on the premises of at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib Complex near Parliament House in New Delhi, saying that the memorial is not acceptable on the gurdwara premises, and thus should be built somewhere else.

A day after Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit stated that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was within its rights to construct the memorial as long as it did not violate building by-laws, Sarna brothers - in their first appearance since their whopping defeat in Delhi gurdwara polls - on Sunday held a press conference here over the issue.

The duo maintained that as per the traditions of Sikh religion, the memorial was not acceptable within the Gurdwara Sahib complex; however if it was being built at some other site they would have no objection.

Paramjit Sarna said the memorial on the Gurdwara premises would be disrespect to the Guru, in whose memory it was laid; and thus they were objecting the memorial inside the premises.

They added that during their term of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, they too had planned to a memorial on the gurdwara premises for beautification at an estimated cost of Rs. 350 crore, but Manjit Singh GK spoiled it.

The brothers said that they want a memorial to be built for Sikhs who died during in the Partition in 1947.

During a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, they demanded clemency for Devinder Singh Bhullar, they said, adding that the Congress president was quite positive on the issue.

Blaming Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal for acquittal of Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-sikh riots case, they said the Badal government failed to bring the victims to justice.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the foundation stone ceremony of the proposed memorial by the top SAD and BJP leaderships, including BJP president Rajnath Singh and leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj, has already been planned at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib Complex located near Parliament House in New Delhi.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK

NDMC notice to Gurdwara committee ..... : Hindustan Times

SHOCKING INCIDENT AT TAKHAT SHRI KESHGARH SAHIB ( ANANDPUR SAHIB)

ON 4th june 2013 I was at Takhat Shri KESHGARH SAHIB WHER I SAW GUNDA GARDI of Katha vaachak of the TAKHAT, bhai GURVINDER SINGH.

At morning time after completion of ASA DI VAAR kirtan , Gurbani vichaar Katha was done from 6:30 - 7:30 am by Bhai Guvinder Singh (katha vaachak of TAKHAT SRI KESHGARH SAHIB). After the completion of the katha an Amritdhari Gursikh of 62 yrs who was listening the Katha went to meet bhai saab to ask about some Gurbani Vichaar ,during that communication 5-8 more ppl from sangat also joined that conference and when Gurvinder singh was unable to answer his Gurbani question then he asked that Gursikh to walk alone with him to AKHAND PAATH room where he will help him to understand his Gurbani query with other Katha vaachaks.

After taking him to Akhand Path room he locked the room from inside and STARTED BEATING HIM AND EVEN REMOVED HIS TURBAN. seeing all this other sewadars came to intervene in the matter and stopped Gurvinder Singh.

IS THIS IS THE DUTY AND CHARACTER OF KATHA VAACHAK OF TAKHAT SHRI KESHGARH SAHIB ?

AFTER this when some sangat started gathering there gurvinder singh ran away from that point. Then I accompanied that Gursikh old man and went to the manager of TAKHAT SAHIB. we complained him and narrated the whole incident to him.after hearing all the story he took us to SINGH SAAB JATHEDAAR OF the TAKHAT SHRI KESHGARH SAHIB and we narrated the whole incident to him too,after hearing our complaint SINGH SAAB asked us to give all this in writing and assured us that action will be taken against gurvinder singh. then I had written an application and gave it to the manager.

IS THIS THE ACTION OR JUST A MERE TALKING ? as he had not called the katha Vaachak gurvinder singh in front of us and clarified for the same.

IS THIS KIND OF GUNDA GARDI IS ACCEPTABLE IN BIG TAKHAT OF SIKHS ?

TURBAN OF A GURSIKH KHALSA IS REMOVED WHERE GURU GOBIND SINGH JI BAPTISED SIKHS AND TURNED THEM TO KHALSA AND ASKED THEM TO RESPECT KESH AND TURBAN.

WHAT ACTION SHUD BE TAKEN AND WHO HAS AUTHORITY TO TAKE ACTION ? 

IS THIS INCIDENT IS NOT AN ASHAME TO KHALSA PANTH ?

after watching all this I am ashamed and my heart is broken.if this kind of incident can happen in the birth place of KHALSA then what will happen outside.

please give your help and suggestions and share it with all sikhs of the world

harjinder singh

British town gets its first Sikh mayor

IANS

London, May 31: A Sikh man has for the first time become the mayor of the town of Warwick in England's West Midlands region.

Prabhjit Singh Dhillon, who has been elected the 280th mayor of Warwick, described it as a "privilege", the Coventry Telegraph reported Friday.

"I have become the 280th mayor, a privilege for a local Warwick boy and first Sikh since that time," Dhillon, a former local schoolboy, was quoted as saying.

"My mayoral year is a mere blip in the last 1,100 years of former mayors in this historic town."

After being sworn in mayor, Dhillon asked everyone present to observe a minute's silence in honour of Drummer Lee Rigby, the British soldier who was hacked to death at Woolwich in London May 22.

"I liken my year to the Olympic torch bearers of last year, in that I am picking up the torch of history from the outgoing mayor and carrying it forward, passing it on to the next mayor in a year's time," he said.

Dhillon said that this year's theme is celebrating the town's rich treasure trove and building a greater sense of community.

Warwick is the county town of the English county of Warwickshire.

with thanks : IANS : LINK

Sikh can't wear turban to work, says Irish court

LONDON: An Irish high court has dismissed a Sikh man's appeal to be allowed to wear a turban while on duty for the Garda Reserve, a volunteer group formed to assist Ireland's police force.

Judge Kevin Feeney dismissed Ravinder Singh Oberoi's appeal on Thursday under the country's Equality Act. Oberoi has completed all three stages of his training, but was told he has to take off his turban as it does not comply with the full Garda uniform.

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

'Anti-Sikh riots were worse than '02 violence'

AHMEDABAD: He had caught the attention of the nation when he hurled his shoe at the then Union home minister P Chidambaram in April 2009 and brought the 1984 anti-Sikh riots back to public attention. Jarnail Singh, a journalist-turned-activist, is now trying to get justice for the victims of the Delhi riots by creating public consensus on the 1984 violence. On Sunday, he will take out a token march on SG Road.

Comparing the Gujarat riots of 2002 with the 1984 riots, Singh told journalists on Saturday that the latter were more horrific not only in the execution but also in their aftermath. "In the case of the 2002 riots, the media raised questions and the judiciary took note and set up an SIT which summoned even the state chief minister. But nothing has happened for the victims of 1984 riots as the government has always tried to belittle the issue. In Gujarat, a former minster is behind bars but, in Delhi, the accused have become ministers and held important positions again and again," he said. Singh has also penned a book on aftermath of the anti-Sikh riots.

He said that several commissions were appointed to probe the riots that killed over 3,000 Sikhs in a matter of three days but nothing has come out of them. No action has been taken against the political heavyweights or the 72 policemen named in various cases.

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

First Sikh in Pakistani Assembly

Islamabad: In a landmark move, Ramesh Singh Arora, the first Sikh who was nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League (N), was sworn in as a member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly in Lahore on Saturday.

Mr Arora has termed it an honour to be the PML (N)'s representative, adding he would now be able to raise critical issues related to the safety and well-being of minorities in Pakistan on a priority basis.

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also nominated Swarn Singh, former president of the Pakistan Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) to the Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The Sikh diaspora has welcomed the move, saying appointment of Sikhs in Assemblies in Pakistan will go a long way towards safeguarding the rights of the Sikh community.

Newly elected members of the Pakistan’s National Assembly also took oath at the first session of the house on Saturday. Outgoing Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza administered the oath to the members.

Prominent personalities in the new assembly include Nawaz Sharif who has been elected as a member of the House after a period of over 13 years. Mr Sharif is expected to be sworn in as Prime Minister and appoint his Cabinet in the coming week.

Pict: historic day: Ramesh Singh Arora, second left, is greeted by well-wishers after taking oath as a member and the first Sikh of the Punjab Provincial Assembly on Saturday in Lahore. His role will be to ensure development of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan.

with thanks : DeccanChronicle : LINK

SHOCKING : Hard Kaur turns abusive at Chandigarh

Hemkunt Sahib doors will open on 25th May i.e. tomorrow

150 years of Sikh history explored by national museum

A project exploring over 150 years of Sikh history has been launched by the National Army Museum (NAM) in collaboration with the Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail (ASHT).

‘War and Sikhs’ is a community project created to raise awareness of the vital contribution of Sikh soldiers to the British Army and to give British Sikhs ‘ownership’ over how their history and artefacts are understood and described.

Over the next four months the Museum will be running a series of interactive workshops where volunteers will get exclusive access to some of the Museum’s rarest collection items relating to Sikhs.

with thanks : Asian age : LINK : for detailed news with pics.

Finland Sikh fights for right to wear turban

A Sikh bus driver in Finland is fighting for his right to wear a turban while at work. 

Gill Sukhdarshan Singh, who works at the Veolia bus company at Vantaa near the Finnish capital of Helsinki, is trying to set a precedent by making the authorities allow him to wear a turban at work.

Yle, the Finnish public broadcasting company, reported Tuesday.  "I have a right to my turban, and I am a Sikh" the report quoted Singh as saying. "I believe it is no problem to any other religions, as we do not disturb any other religion, we only believe in our religion", said Singh.

Singh was among the first Sikhs to move to Nordic country in the 1980s.  After a visit to the Indian state of Punjab in December last year, he decided to wear a turban while at work.  Nobody raised any objection for two months but then the authorities concerned told him to remove it to comply with company uniform rules. 

Singh's son Sukhnavdeep Singh Gill also wears a turban and says he would like to complete his military service in Finland wearing it.  Sukhnavdeep said., "It is my right to go for military service. I want to be a part of it, and my religion shouldn't be a problem. I don't want to be treated differently, it's my right"

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