'Angels from Heaven': People thank Sikh volunteers helping feed families, international students during COVID

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Sharing a message that Jasbir Singh recently received from an Indian-origin student who called him an 'angel', Mr Singh said while his emotions warmed his heart, "he was just following the teachings of the Sikh Gurus."My religion tells me that all people are same; Jasbir Singh

floor.

"Angels from Heaven"

Hailing them as "Angels from Heaven," people receiving help from volunteers of the Australian Sikh Association and International Students Help Organisation thank them for their selfless service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Sikh Association has been distributing cooked meals and grocery kits ever since coronavirus started disrupting lives of Australians earlier this year.

Jasbir Singh, a volunteer with the Sydney-based charity group says people who receive help through them have been sending them overwhelming messages of thanks and gratitude.

 "My religion teaches me to be kind and generous towards all without any discrimination and that is exactly what we have been doing through our efforts," he said.

The group which has been joined by volunteers of the International Students Help Organisation also delivers free cooked meals to returning travellers in mandatory hotel quarantine.

"We also deliver food at hotels in Sydney four days a week where people spend 14 days in quarantine after returning from overseas. They call us for vegetarian Indian meals usually," said Mr Singh.

Link:https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/angels-from-heaven-people-thank-sikh-volunteers-helping-feed-families-international-students-during-covid

Sikh-owned Indian restaurant in the Sante Fe City vandalised with hate messages in US' New Mexico; damage worth $1,00,000 caused

The Restaurant walls were full of hatred messages;Tables were overturned,glassware smashed into piles on the floor.

Washington: An Indian restaurant owned by a Sikh in the Sante Fe city in the US state of New Mexico was broken into and vandalised with hate messages scrawled on its walls, according to a media report.

The damage caused to India Palace restaurant is estimated to be worth USD 1,00,000, local Santa Fe Reporter newspaper reported on Tuesday. The vandalisation is being investigated by local police and the FBI, it said.

The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), a non-profit civil rights organisation, has condemned the incident.

"This kind of hate and violence is unacceptable and swift action must be taken to ensure the safety and security of all Americans," said SALDEF executive director Kiran Kaur Gill.

According to the local daily, tables were overturned, glassware was smashed into piles on the floor, wine racks were emptied, a statue of a goddess was beheaded and computers were stolen.

The vandals also turned over and destroyed food warmers, while the front desk area was gutted, plates smashed and the kitchen rendered completely unusable, it said.

 “I walked into the kitchen, I saw everything and I was like, hold on, what? What is going on here?” owner Baljit Singh told Santa Fe Reporter. “White power,” “Trump 2020,” “go home,” and far worse were spray-painted on walls, doors, counters and any other available surface. “Some phrases contained threats of violence and derogatory racial slurs,” the daily said.

Link: https://www.firstpost.com/india/sikh-owned-indian-restaurant-vandalised-with-hate-messages-in-us-new-mexico-damage-worth-100000-caused-says-police-8519181.html

‘ Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ : one will be blessed eternally who says that God is the ultimate truth.

 

The Chinese don’t like the Sikhs, their war cry ‘ Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ ( which means one will be blessed eternally who says that God is the ultimate truth) frightens them , their huge frames with long hair and beard frightens the clean shaven slick looking Chinese. 

On the night of 15th June, as the 16th Bihar troops faced a murderous and treacherous unprovoked Chinese assault , taking heavy casualties, they found critical support from the gunners of the 3 Medium Field Regiment.

The valiant Khalsas launched a barehanded counter-attack with their trademark blood curling war cries about an hour after the Bihar troops had got embroiled in the savage hand-to-hand combat , having to fight with sticks , bare hands, rocks and with weapons snatched from the Chinese.

The Sikhs went straight for the jugular, attacking a ‘senior looking officer ‘ protecting by six Chinese guards.

“They killed all the six guards and dragged  the senior officer by the scruff of his neck in a bloody fight lasting for 30 minutes,” said an eye-witness of the 16th Bihar Regiment. ” They fought like men possessed, smashing Chinese heads with rocks and slashing them with swords snatched from the Chinese.” 

Other Chinese troops in the vicinity fled or stayed away , in sheer fright .  Two Sikh gunners died when struck by swords but one of them strangled a Chinese to death in the squeeze of his massive biceps , all along shouting ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal.” 

The angry , bloodied Sikhs were about to thrash the senior officers when the JCO leading them glanced at the stars on his epaulets and stopped them, imagining he must be colonel.  The JCO was right — this was the Chinese colonel who had planned the treacherous attack  on Colonel B.Santosh Babu, CO, 16th Bihar.

This CO greatly helped fast tracking of GOC level negotiations* held between the two sides on 17/18 Jun, leading to quick exchange of 10 Indians against the lone captured Chinese  Commanding Officer. 

 That the ten Indians including two majors were released without torture and torment might owe itself to the Chinese Colonel being in the custody of Sikh gunners.Down India’s medieval and modern military history , the burly and fearless Sikhs have turned the fate of many a battles with sheer bravery.They ---and their corps commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh — again proved they are peerless warriors on the night of 15th June.

 Link: https://theeasternlink.com/bole-so-nihal-sat-sri-akal/ 

Gurtej Singh ( Bhagat Singh of The Present Time ): 22 years old Martyred Sepoy Galwan valley in Ladakh

22 years old Martyred Sepoy Gurtej Singh

Meet  Martyred Gurtej Singh who was killed during a violent clash near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China at Galwan valley in Ladakh.

 Gurtej was seen carrying 4 Chinese soldiers with his both hands alone & throwing them over the ridge. He lost his balance & fell into ridge, his head was bleeding but he didn’t stop. He killed 12 Chinese soldiers with his bare hands before making supreme sacrifice. He was only 22 years old.

 Martyred Gurtej had joined the Army in 2018 was the youngest among his three brothers and had completed his 12th class in the non-medical stream.

Gurtej Singh cremated with full honours .Gurtej’s father and brothers lit the pyre, a contingent of the army gave a gun salute to the martyr, prior to which bugles sounded the Last Post.

The mortal remains of the Martyr Sepoy Gurtej Singh, 22, were consigned to flames on Friday at his native village Birewala Dogran village in Budhlada sub-division of the district,Mansa.

Finance Minister Punjab Manpreet Singh Badal laid a wreath on the behalf of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government. “I am here to pay homage to Gurtej on the behalf of Punjab Government and Punjab people. I salute all the mothers of Punjab and India, who bravely send a piece of their heart to sacrifice their lives for the country,” said Manpreet Badal, reminding country people that India got freedom by sacrificing their sons.

 Finance minister said that though the loss suffered by the family was immeasurable and could not be compensated with money, the Punjab Government will provide Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia compensation, along with a government job to a next of kin of the deceased to help the family to alleviate some of their sufferings.

A number of people, who poured in from different parts of the district gave a tearful adieu to the Martyred Sepoy Gurtej. Slogans like “Shaheed Gurtej Singh Amar Rahe” “Inquilab Zindabad” reverberated the air as Gurtej’s coffin, draped in tricolour was taken to the cremation ground in the presence of army officials, who paid floral tributes to him.

 

Link: https://www.royalpatiala.in/22-years-old-martyr-sepoy-gurtej-singh-cremated-with-full-honours-father-lit-the-pyre/

Sikh community in Lakewood demands hate crime charges after store owner is run over

Lakhwant Singh (right), owner of Two Angels Liquors in Lakewood, Colorado, has been hospitalized since April 29, when a customer came into his store late night and began an altercation, later ramming his car into the 61-year-old man. “He is still unable to move,” Onkar Singh, Lakhwant’s son, told India-West, adding it will be at least another month before his father is able to leave a rehabilitation facility. (photo courtesy of Onkar Singh

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- The Sikh community is demanding justice for a store owner who was verbally and physically abused by a customer in Lakewood.

The district attorney's office has filed attempted murder charges against the suspect, but the family of the victim says that’s not good enough. They want him to face hate crime charges.

Lakhwant Singh has lived in Colorado for over 20 years and operates a convenience store in Lakewood.He is a member of the Sikh community, a religious group originating in India.

"Sikhs maintain a physical and recognizable identity with their faith which includes a turban and unshorn hair," Nikki Singh, a family spokesperson and policy manager for the Sikh Coalition, told Denver.

Eric Breemen

An arrest affidavit in the case states Eric Breemen came into the store back in April and just started knocking things off of the counter."The attacker started going off on them, telling them that they didn’t belong in this country, telling them that they were from the Middle East," Amrith Kaur Aakre, legal director for the Sikh Coalition said.

Singh followed Breemen out of the store.

The report says Breemen attempted several times to run over Singh and was eventually successful. “He had to have significant surgery on his pelvis and he has metal plates throughout his body," Aakre said.

Singh had a broken arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding, spinal fracture and needed staples in his head. He was in the hospital for over a month and was recently transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for further treatment. It will be years before he fully recovers and he doesn't have full use of his hand.

"Before this happened he and other members were doing a lot of work to provide supplies and volunteer work to essential workers during COVID," Singh said.

Breemen faces a long list of charges including attempted murder, but the Sikh community wants him charged with a hate crime. They believe there is clear evidence the crime was motivated by bias because Breemen told Singh to go back to his country and told officers he was an Arab.

"Terrible crimes of violence occurred here but that is not the underlying offense. The underlying offense is the bias motivation," Aakre said.

The district attorney's office is still investigating and more charges could be coming.

Breemen’s next court date is July 24.

Link :https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/sikh-community-in-lakewood-demands-hate-crime-charges-after-store-owner-is-run-over

Mumbai Police’s latest social distancing advisory post :What to say to your ‘party-animal’ friends who ask you to ‘get together?’ Mumbai Police answers

Who would have thought that a line from the song Ek Main Aur Ek Tu from 1975 romance-thriller Khel Khel Mein could be used so creatively to send across an important message on social distancing. However, Mumbai Police just did that. Taking to Instagram, the department shared such a post which is not just creative but is also winning people over.

In the post’s caption, they shared what one should say when their ‘Party-Animal’ friends ask them to ‘get-together’. The department used the line from the song to reply to the question. The line says, “Dooriyan waqt ane par mitayenge [we will be closer when the time is right].”

Now, what can be a more befitting answer. 

 Since being shared less than 30 minutes ago, the post has already sparked all sorts of comments from people. Expectedly, there were a few who couldn’t stop gushing over Mumbai Police’s creativity and some praised the team handling the department’s social media. There were a few people who simply used laughing out loud emojis to express themselves.

“Nailed it,” wrote an Instagram user. “Mumbai Police got no chill,” expressed another along with a heart emoji. “You guys are killing it,” wrote a third.

“This is epic,” wrote a fourth and we do agree.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/what-to-say-to-your-party-animal-friends-who-ask-you-to-get-together-mumbai-police-answers/story-oFc0J6A6Eypvx94kPW6uLK.html

Delhi Civic School Students to be provided with masks made from Turbans

Masks made of Sikh turbans will be distributed among students of civic schools.

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “vocal for local”, masks made of Sikh turbans will be distributed among students of civic schools, North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh said on Monday.

He said these masks will be distributed in phases in various schools under the three municipal corporations.

“Our PM spoke about being ‘vocal for local’ during this pandemic. So during the lockdown, many Sikh brothers donated their turbans, which were collected and sanitised. Then people volunteered to stitch masks out of them,” Singh said.

The mayor also inspected Hindu Rao Hospital on Monday to oversee the preparedness in coronavirus wards.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/delhi-civic-school-students-to-be-provided-with-masks-made-from-turbans/story-7fZwGarChzBKIihdwWzcdI.html