‘Desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib’: No Fireworks at Golden Temple this Diwali

There will be no spectacular show of lighting and fireworks this Diwali at the Golden Temple as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided not to celebrate the festival in the wake of series of incidents of alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.

After ‘Black Diwali’ of 1984, this will be third time when there will be no celebrations at the Golden Temple. Diwali coincides with Sikh festival of Bandi Chhor Divas (Prisoners’ Release Day or Day of Liberation) which attracts large number of devotees.

In 1984, ‘Black Diwali’ was observed in protest against Operation Bluestar. The festival was also not celebrated at the Golden Temple in 1992, the year in which Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, the assassins of Gen A S Vaidya, were hanged.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said that in the wake of a series of incidents of alleged desecration of the holy book in Punjab, the SGPC has decided not to celebrate Diwali at the Golden Temple.
The SGPC decision comes a day after representatives of panthic organisations, during a bhog ceremony of two protesters killed in police firing, asked the Sikh community to observe ‘Black Diwali’ over the incidents of alleged desecration.

 See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/desecration-of-the-guru-granth-sahib-no-fireworks-at-golden-temple-this-diwali/#sthash.gMXPDZh9.dpuf

Sikhs exhorted to observe ‘Black’ Diwali : "Ros Divas"

 No Celebrations This Time: The Golden Temple without illumination in Amritsar

The call given by various Panthic organisations, including the Sant Samaj, to observe Black Diwali this year in protest against the incidents of Guru Granth Sahib’s sacrilege at various places has its effect in all parts of the region. The call was given after incidents of sacrilege and police firing at Bagrari, near Kotkapura. Management committees of various gurdwaras have not illuminated Sikh shrines in urban and rural areas this year. Some of them have also put up boards in front of gurdwaras urging people to observe black Diwali strictly. A board put up at Gidderbaha, the area that the Badals dominated for decades, urges people to shun illumination of their houses and bursting of crackers. People have been asked to put up black flags at the rooftops of their houses instead of lighting lamps. They have also been urged not to distribute sweets. Even the Golden Temple this year does not have the grand illumination that is usually seen on Diwali every year. 

The SGPC has reportedly not made any special arrangements for its illumination this year so far. The complex is tastefully decorated on Diwali every year, thereby attracting a large number of people from far-away places to be a witness to the grand celebrations. Reports coming from various places indicate that the announcement to observe black Diwali has also been made from gurdwaras located in rural and urban areas. At some places, black flags have been put up to protest incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. Late this evening, at a roundabout near Singh Sabha Gurdwara and Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara in Ludhiana, a group of Sikhs held placards appealing people to observe black Diwali. In local parlance, it has been named “Ros Divas”. The developments have affected the usual trade and business activity, including sale of sweets, crackers and other stuff. 

“The sale is down and business is not even 40 per cent of what it was last year,” said Roshan Malhotra, an Ahmedgarh-based wholesale dealer of crackers. Small shopkeepers, who had taken crackers on loan to sell these at their shops in various villages, have returned most of the stock in the absence of sales, he said.

  Link :http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/sikhs-exhorted-to-observe-black-diwali/157172.html

‘Black Diwali’ following desecration of holy book

Students of Akal Academy, ‪‎Baru‬ Sahib put forth their Thoughts with powerful message!
Every Sikh feels deeply hurt over outrageous and repeated incidents of Beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, showing solidarity with Punjab.

 Kalgidhar Trust - Baru Sahib  :https://www.facebook.com/BaruSahibHP/ 
 Picture Courtesy- Leela Suresh Tripathi

A Sikh Helpline Launches in Australia

Sikhs in the UK have, for a number of years now, made use of the The Sikh Helpline, which aims to serve the Sikh population there with support and advice. Australia too has now set up its own version of a Sikh Helpline for Sikhs in the country, as an avenue for seeking counseling and advice for numerous issues that commonly effect the community.

A statement released by the service providers has been published below:

“With the aim of providing much needed support platform for Sikhs in Australia, the Sikh Helpline service is launched by Red Khanda Inc. The Helpline sewa run by volunteers will provide Australia-wide sangat confidential counselling, information and help on various issues in Punjabi and English.

“Presence of Sikhs in Australia can be traced back to early settlement periods but the number of Sikhs in Australia since those periods had not grown much until the end of 20th century mainly due to white Australia policy and Sikhs from Punjab favouring Canada, UK and USA over Australia. This scene has changed in last 10 years when young Sikh students and skilled migrants shifted their focus to Australia and made down under their home. The Sikh Australians are positively contributing to growth and development of their adopted country.

“While Sikh Australians report their experience in Australia en masse as good, the challenges faced by Sikh Australians cannot be pushed aside. Living away in a foreign land and as minority immigrant in adopted country is never easy but for Sikh Australians the incidents like 9/11 and Martin Place siege bring alive realities of racism and hatred. Adults and children come face to face with bullying, harassment and discrimination on day to day basis. Some can deal with situations on their own, others need some system of support to gather a response to these problems.

“Then there are our in house issues which need to be attended. Although Sikhi propounds abstinence from intoxicants and mandates equality, but the harsh truth is that some Sikh households do suffer from domestic violence, addictions etc. Due to stigma attached with such issues the victims don’t want to discuss things openly and need community support. Growing up in high pace modern materialistic societies either gives one less exposure to Sikhi or sometimes causes confusion and conflicts within about ones faith and identity.

“Above are some examples of situations and circumstances when one needs to seek help and guidance. With a view to help fellow Sikhs in need to help in such situation Sikh Helpline Australia is being launched.”

The confidential service has now rolled out and is available as a community run service throughout Australia.

  

With Thanks : Sikhs Helping Sikhs

Bandi Chorh Diwas : Diwali of Sikhs

Bandi Chorh Divas is a Sikh festival where Sikhs celebrate the release of Guru Hargobind Singh, the sixth Sikh Guru, from Gwalior fort on the orders of Mughal emperor Jahangir.
In Sikh history, after Baisakhi, which marks the establishment of Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, Bandi Chorh Divas is considered the second most important day in planning of the Sikh freedom from the Mughal empire.
 Diwali coincides with Sikh festival of Bandi Chhor Divas (Prisoners’ Release Day or Day of Liberation) which attracts large number of devotees.

U.S. Sikh Groups Meet with U.S. State Department on Panjab Crisis

                                                     Washington, DC- 

Voices for Freedom and other human rights groups met with the Department of State and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom  (USCIRF) to voice the concerns of the American Sikh community regarding the current situation developing in Panjab, India. Also in attendance were Sikh community leaders from around the United States. Memoranda explaining the details of the plight of the Sikh community of India were distributed to each office.

 Last month, in the village of Bagari and in numerous other places in Panjab, Sikh holy scriptures were desecrated. During a peaceful protest by the Sikhs in Panjab against the desecration on October 14, 2015, two Sikhs—Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Avtar Singh—were shot and killed by the Panjab police. The police disrupted the peaceful protest by violating the protesters’ Freedom of Speech and Expression, as well as their Right to Assembly, which are both enshrined in the Indian constitution.

                                      Timeline of the current Crisis in Panjab

 On October 12, 2015, peaceful protests began protesting in Panjab after more than one hundred pages from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Sikh guru, were torn and scattered around the village of Bargari in Panjab.

In response to the lack of police action in this case,Sikh protesters gathered and began a peaceful sit-in, reciting prayers, or meditating, in nearby Kotkapura. On October 14, 2015, Panjab Police reportedly sanctioned the use of teargas, water cannons, and brute force against this group of protesters. Two protesters were shot and killed by the police, sparking outrage among state residents as well as the international community. 

The Sikh community continues to wait for details to emerge regarding this incident and what action will be taken to investigate the killings of two unarmed protesters.

 With Thanks :Sikhs Helping Sikhs

Candle March : Protest Against Disrespect of Sri Guru Granth Sahib & In the Memory of 1984 Sikh Riots in Delhi

With Thanks : Media DSGMC

Canada now has the world’s most Sikh cabinet

with thanks : washingtonpost : LINK : for detailed report.

Punjabi Becomes Third Language in Canada's House of Commons

TORONTO:  Punjabi has now become the third most common language, after English and French, in the House of Commons of Canada after 20 Punjabi-speaking candidates were elected to the Parliament in October.

In total, 23 lawmakers of Indian-origin were elected after October 19 general elections. Three of the 23 lawmakers do not speak Punjabi, Hill Times online reported today.

Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau, who won from Papineau, Quebec constituency, will unveil his Cabinet later this week. Some of Punjabi-speaking lawmakers are expected to be included in the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Navdeep Bains of Liberal Party said that the elected 20 Punjabi-speaking lawmakers represent all constituents regardless of their party affiliation or ethnic origin.

"It speaks to our commitment to diversity and allowing individual to play an important role in our political institutions," Mr Bains said.

"The main issue to understand is that we have a very clear mandate to execute our platform and we also have a responsibility to represent our constituents, which are very diverse," he added.

"The voice of the Indo-Canadian community will now be very well represented in the parliament. In the overall aspect of it, the South Asian community won," Deepak Obhrai of Conservative Party was quoted as saying.

According to Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey, 430,705 Canadians identified Punjabi as their mother tongue, making it the third most common language after English and French, the report in the daily said.

The 430,705 native Punjabi speakers make up about 1.3 per cent of Canada's population and the 20 Punjabi-speaking lawmakers represent almost six per cent of the House of Commons, the report added.

with thanks : NDTV : LINK

Arrested Barkingside Sikh’s anger after turban grabbed at central London protest

A 48-year-old Sikh man has called for a public enquiry after being arrested and having his turban “grabbed” and thrown to the floor during a protest in central London.

Ropinder Singh, of Glenthorn Gardens, Barkingside, was arrested on suspicion of public disorder offences outside the Indian High Commission, Aldwych Road, on October 22, when hundreds gathered to protest about the destruction of Sikh scriptures in India.

Videos filmed during the sit-in protest show about 10 police officers immobilising Mr Singh on the ground and his turban being thrown on the floor.

Images also show him being arrested without his turban.

Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, who described the police handling of the protest, which involved officers from the mounted police, as “heavy handed and inappropriate”, told the Recorder he expected questions to be answered.

with thanks : ilfordrecorder : LINK : for detailed news.

Punjabi community in Canada thrilled as 3 sikhs get cabinet berths

Ottawa: The Punjabi community in Canada made history on Wednesday when two turbaned Sikhs were sworn in as cabinet ministers, as 42-year-old Justin Trudeau took oath as the country's 23rd prime minister at a grand public ceremony here.

While 42-year-old Indian Canadian Harjit Sajjan was appointed defence minister, 38-year-old Navdeep Bains got the portfolio of innovation, science and economic development.

Another Sikh, Amarjeet Sohi, who is not turbaned, has been sworn in as minister for infrastructure. A former bus driver, Sohi was jailed in India for two years in the 1980s.

Navdeep Bains, who played a key role in Trudeau's election as the Liberal Party leader in 2013, has been awarded with a cabinet berth.

Bains, who became MP for the third time last month by winning from Mississauga-Brampton, previously served as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister in 2005 when he was MP from 2004 till 2011 when he lost.

with thanks : thehansaindia : LINK : for detailed news.