10,000 Amritsar students dance in world record bid

Amritsar, Oct 3: Over 10,000 students in this Sikh holy city on Saturday staked their claim in the Guinness World Records with the largest dance performance in one place. Organisers said the students at the historic Khalsa College campus here in Punjab also took a pledge against drug abuse.

“Shake your legs, Keep away from drugs” was the theme of the dance performance, organised by the Sun Foundation and the Amritsar district administration.

with thanks : india.com : LINK : for detailed news report.

US Sikh group raises USD 210,000 for needy Punjab students

Washington, Oct 6 :  The Sikh Human Development Foundation, a Washington-based philanthropic organisation has raised over $210,000 for its scholarship programme for underprivileged children in Punjab who wish to pursue higher education. Over 350 guests from metropolitan Washington area came to support the Foundation at a gala, featuring pop singer Jaz Dhami, here Sunday. 

SHDF has been giving scholarships to bright but poor students in Punjab and surrounding areas since 2001. Inviting all to donate, SHDF chairman Gajinder Singh Ahuja said: “We need your help. They (students) need your help.”

with thanks : india.com : LINK : for detailed news.

Takht Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Mal Singh attacked

Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Mal Singh was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon by a pathi outside his residence at Anandpur Sahib on Tuesday.

As per reports, the incident took place around 11.40 am, when Giani Mal Singh was coming out of the manager’s office and going towards his residence .A temporary pathi of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Joga Singh (25) attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon. Giani Mal Singh sustained minor injury on his right thigh in the attack.

The security guards of the jathedar immediately overpowered the assailant, who was beaten up by the SGPC employees. Later on, he was handed over to the police.

Senior police officials including Rupnagar senior superintendent of Police (SSP) Varinder Paul Singh also reached the spot.

It may be mentioned here that the security of the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib jathedar had been increased after the exoneration to Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by the Sikh high priests, including Giani Mal Singh.

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

MUST READ : Wedding between Sikh bride and non-Sikh groom stopped by 'thugs' at London temple

Members of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara said a group of around 20 men opposed the 'mixed marriage' and forced it to be stopped on Friday

A group of men have stormed a Sikh temple in London to stop an inter-faith marriage, forcing the couple to cancel their wedding day.

Members of the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, in Southall, said the final preparations were underway on Friday when the men arrived.

Sohan Singh Sumra, vice-president of the temple, told The Independent a group of up to 22 people arrived shortly after 8am.

“They were all thugs,” he added. “None of them were recognised by any of the Sikh groups here.

“It was because it was a mixed marriage…they just came here to spoil it and intimidate us.”

Mr Sumra said police were called to remove the “threatening” men and that the gurdwara, which was inaugurated by Prince Charles, is now considering hiring private security.

He said the men had threatened to stop the wedding (Anand Karaj), between a Sikh woman and her white, non-Sikh, fiancé in a phone call the night before.

Members of the Havelock Road gurdwara contacted the bride’s family and they chose to go ahead, he said, but they could not continue after the temple was stormed on the wedding day.

“I've been in this temple since 1994 and I've never seen this sort of thing,” Mr Sumra said. “We will always listen to people’s suggestions but there was no reasoning with them. It was a sad day.”

Mr Sumra said he had attended many marriages between couples of different religions and races, and that the vast majority of the Sikh community had no issue with it.

with thanks : independent.co.uk : LINK : for detailed news report. MUST READ.

MUST READ : The British Sikh men trying to stop women marrying outside their religion

Britain’s Sikhs, long seen as a minority success story, are plagued by a faction of young men ‘defending’ their vision of the culture – and seeking to impose their views by attacking the nuptials of women who marry ‘out’

It was meant to be the happiest day of their lives – a celebration of modern multicultural Britain at the biggest Sikh gurdwara (temple) in the Western world. On 7 August 2015, in west London, a British Sikh bride and her Polish Christian groom sat together and absorbed the religious blessings at their wedding ceremony. She wore a cream and red dress, while he wore a red turban, in keeping with Sikh traditions.

But that morning, 20 uninvited men were determined to put a stop to the wedding. They stormed upstairs to the main hall and demanded that the priests end the ceremony, hurling insults at people who objected. One of them told a priest that, if their demands weren’t met, he would get 1,000 of his friends to come to the temple within the hour. The police were called and eventually the couple were forced to proceed into a hurried ceremony, while the protesters watched and took pictures of them to publish online.

This was not an isolated incident. The next weekend an interfaith wedding in Lozells, Birmingham, nearly turned into a mass brawl after protesters tried to stop it and, again, the police had to be called. The following weekend, another wedding in Coventry only managed to go ahead after some negotiations with the disrupters. In each case, the bride was a Sikh woman and the groom a non-Sikh man.

with thanks : Independent.co.uk : LINK : for detailed news story. MUST READ.

Southampton Sikhs to hand out meals for Langar week

HAMPSHIRE’S Sikh community will be opening their hearts to hundreds of people by dishing out free meals.

Members of the faith will be reaching out to residents in Southampton next week by distributing vegetarian curry to shoppers and people on their way home from work.

The huge operation is part of an international drive where Sikhs worldwide tackle world hunger and fostering unity between communities.

The Langar Week celebrations are based on the faith’s ancient Langar system nurturing equality by encouraging people of all backgrounds to share food together, regardless of faith, gender, age or status.

The system was launched by the first Sikh Guru Nanak and also marks his birthday.

with thanks : dailyecho : LINK : for detailed news.

6th Annual Sikh awards held in Delhi

Details can be viewed at : LINK

80-yr-old Sikh NRI to walk across India for charity

London, October 4

An 80-year-old NRI philanthropist in the UK will undertake a 4,160-km long walk from Kanyakumari to New Delhi in six months to raise 1.5 million pounds for various charities.

Balwant Grewal, who is the chairman of India Association, will commence his marathon walk from Kanyakumari on October 25 and finish in New Delhi on April 4 next year.

The London-based NRI, known to his friends as Bobby, would cover Madurai, Pondicherry, Chennai, Nellore, Guntur, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Asansol, Ranchi, Gaya, Patna, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow and Noida.

During the charity walk, a four-day Mobile Cancer Screening camp will be held in Patna from February 26 and one in Delhi in April where about 400 to 500 patients will be screened every day, Joint Secretary of the India Association Rajan Bhanot told PTI.

The funds he would raise would go to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Children's Charity and the British Asian Trust in the UK and deserving causes in India.

Bobby had earlier walked from Amritsar to Kanyakumari and Edinburgh to London to raise funds for charitable causes and cancer research in UK and India.

From the funds raised so far, the Indian Association donated 80,000 pounds to St Marks Hospital (Harrow) for Bowel Cancer Research in 2009, 50,000 pounds to the Northwick Park Hospital for Cancer Research in 2007, 45,000 pounds to Northwick Park Hospital and Oxford University for HIV research in 2007, 2,000 pounds to Earthquake Relief in Gujarat and House building in Bhuj in 2005, 25,000 pounds to Haiti Earthquake.

with thanks : Tribune : LINK : for detailed news.

Hello Langar,Goodbye Hunger :International Langar Week : 5th - to 11th October 2015

With Thanks : Media DSGMC

Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Talvar’ – The hidden Truth

A great effort by Meghna Gulzar who has done justice to the story by clearly depicting that how the Law enforcing agencies operate in our country.

It is a dramatic presentation based on the Noida Double Murder case, where 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar, was found dead at her home with her throat slit. The Body of the servant Hemraj was also found on the rooftop, the next day with similar wounds. The case had baffled everyone, but the investigation agencies had declared that it was an “honour killing” by the girl’s parents, Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar, after finding her in a compromising position with the servant.

It’s sad that every such killing is being considered as the Honor Killing even though there may be certain hidden facts behind it. It’s also very sad that certain officers who just want to get commendations, or under certain pressures, try to hush up the matter even if it’s against the spirit of justice, i.e. Ten Guilty Persons may Go Scot Free but not even a single Innocent Person should be Convicted.

It’s a well written story where Irrfan Khan plays the role of an investigative officer, while Neeraj Kabi and Konkona portray the roles of Aarushi's parents.  Directed by Meghna Gulzar and written by Vishal Bharadwaj, "Talvar" also stars Tabu in a special appearance. It’s a beautiful movie that must be watched to welcome & promote every such project that comes in the support of natural justice for one and all.

The movie has already got the international attention and has opened to the overwhelming response with the packed house at the 10th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that showcased the world premiere of the movie.  The movie has garnered huge appreciation for its screenplay and the story at the TIFF and loved by the audience unanimously. Please view the Trailer of the movie being embedded below and you can check more details along with pics at the link : http://jungleepictures.com/talvar/

Even though it’s a serious movie, still there are certain well written spots where you get a sharp smile on your face. The film is being released on the 2^nd October and we are sure that you will #TalvarThisFriday with your friends & family members.

Delhi Heritage House Fellowship to Dr.Mohinder Kaur Gill and Dr. Harbans Singh Chawla

With Thanks : Media DSGMC