Sikh man 'cannot become guard because of beard'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sikh man cannot become a prison guard as his beard means he cannot be fitted for a statutory issue gas mask, California's Attorney General has argued.

Kamala Harris said religious beliefs were not enough to overcome a corrections department ban on beards.

She argued in a court filing on January 6 that Trilochan Oberoi could not be properly fitted for a gask mask if he kept the facial hair required by his religion.

with thanks : telegraph.co.uk : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

NSO campaign to stop harassment of Sikhs in Poland; Legal precedent set in Polish Border Guard case.

London: January 22nd 2011; In August 2010 the NSO launched a campaign following a terse plea from Shammi Puri, a Gursikh geophysicist working with the UN in Poland. In 2010 the Polish Border on grounds of security began a policy of asking Sikhs to remove their turbans and place them on the conveyor for inspection. With the help of UK gurdwaras and other Sikh organisations, the NSO took advantage of a Prime Minister led Polish trade delegation to India to get the Indian government to criticise the Polish behaviour. External affairs minister Preneet Kaur outraged by the behaviour of the Polish authorities towards her fellow Sikhs made her feelings known to the Polish Prime Minister in no uncertain terms, leading to the Polish authorities grudgingly halting their harassment of Sikh visitors to Poland.

The present position is that while the insulting requirement for Sikhs to remove their turban has been temporally suspended, there has been no change in the rules, and the requirement. could be quietly re-introduced at any time. An indication of bad faith is that The Polish Border Guards are prosecuting Mr Puri for earlier impeding them in their duty. Mr Puri in response has reluctantly taken out a counter claim alleging undue harassment by the Polish Border Guards. The two cases poignantly highlight the difficulties Sikhs are facing in airports across Europe in a post 9/11 era.

On 12th January 2011, In the first substantial hearing of the counter action brought by Mr Puri, evidence was heard from 10 officers of the Border Guards who on their own admission were familiar with the claimant but insisting that they were doing their duty. The next Hearing has been listed for the 16th March 2011.

Shammi told the NSO that despite the ensuing legal proceedings, on a flight earlier this week from Warsaw to London, he was again targeted and searched, furthermore he was checked in a “puffer machine” and the machine detected the presence of some “forbidden substances” He was later to be vindicated by the Border Guard, following the use of a second screening machine, which highlighted the first had malfunctioned. Shammi informed the NSO that he felt this recent incident had added to the toll the legal action was taking. He feels it may have been designed to intimidate him deliberately in the middle of a trial.

Dr Indarjit Singh, Director NSO comments:

“Shammi Puri and Sikhs travelling to Poland and other parts of Europe deserve the full support of UK Sikhs. The NSO is already helping with the cost of the action in Poland . We appeal to other UK Sikh organisations and individuals to pledge their financial support to help us meet this challenge to Sikh identity.”

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Malaysian Sikh sets record for longest stint as TV news presenter

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 26: A Malaysian Sikh has set a new record as the ‘longest serving television news presenter’ after working 38-years with RTM.

Harjit Singh Hullon, 57, who said that it has always been his dream to appear on television, was awarded the title by the Malaysia Book of Records on January 25.

"Ever since the first time I tuned in to the radio, I knew I wanted my voice to be heard too," the Star Online quoted him as saying.

And what he liked most about the honour is that he did not break an existing record, but created a new one.
"It will not be an easy record to break," Hullon who joined RTM as a radio deejay in 1972, said.

The bilingual newscaster, known for his flawless Bahasa Malaysia and English, won the inaugural Infor­mation Minister’s Special Award at the Angkasapuri Awards presentation ceremony in 2006.

Hullon will be retiring this year but the father of two has no plans of sitting back and relaxing, saying that he wants to give back to the company that made him who he is today.

As a regular and familiar face to viewers of RTM as well as being the only Sikh newscaster on the channel, Hullon said his friends have given another meaning to the acronym ‘RTM’.

"My friends say it stands for ‘Regular Turbanned Man’," he joked.

On his loyalty to RTM, Harjit said he never thought of leaving the government broadcaster despite receiving offers from rival companies.

"Looking back, I know I made the right choice," he added.

with thanks : SIKHSANGAT

SikhsIndia

Akal Takht Jatehdar asks Indian PM to take up removal of Sikh's turban with Italian govt

AMRITSAR: Jatehdar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh in a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manomhan Singh Thursday asked him to break his silence over the Turban issue of German based Sikh who wase humiliated at airport of Italy when his turban was forcibly removed.

 

A German based NRI and president of Gurdwara (Sikh shrine) Berlin in Germany Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal in a complaint to Jatehdar stated that a few days back, he was humiliated in a very bad manner at Malpensa (Milaan) airport of Italy when his turban was forcibly removed on the pretext of security frisking.

 

Jatehdar said that when the turban of Jaswinder Singh was being removed at Italy’s airport, at that time Italian Airport Authority was asked to contact the Indian consulate which also remained failed to convince the Italian Airport security due to lack of awareness of Turban in Sikh community.

 

Jatehdar asked  Prime Minister said to raise such a sensitive issue with Italian Government at the earliest possible, since the sentiments of Sikh community across the globe were hurt by and large with this incident.

 

Adding further Jatehdar said that Turban was the essential and inseparable symbol of Sikhism as per the Sikh tenets. He said that to remove the turban of baptized Sikh at any airport of the world mean to show humiliation to Sikhism.

 

with thanks : punjabnewsline : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikh leaders meet Sonia Gandhi

JALANDHAR: A delegation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee and SAD (Delhi), led by president Paramjit Singh Sarna met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday to raise issues, including the Anand Marriage Act, granting of citizenship to Hindu and Sikh migrants from Afghanistan and the matter of blacklisted Sikhs.

The issue of the constitution of a separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) was also taken up with her. "We told her that this was a poll promise of the Congress to the Sikhs of Haryana and if the party wanted to keep them with it, the promise would have to be fulfilled," Sarna told The Times of India. 

With thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Sikh shrine in Baghdad lives on in memories

A desolate courtyard surrounded by fields of mournful graves is all that remains of an ancient shrine to the Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak inside a sprawling Muslim cemetery in Baghdad.

War, insurgents or looters have wiped any trace of a historical footnote that had preserved the memory of the Indian holy man's 16th-century journey through Arabia and his stay in Baghdad, hailed by Sikhs as an early example of inter-faith dialogue.

"No one visits anymore," lamented Abu Yusef, the lean and bearded Muslim caretaker, standing in the nearly-bare patio where a disorderly stack of broken electric fans and a discarded refrigerator replace the prayer books and articles of Sikh worship that had furnished a shrine whose modesty mirrored the apparent humility of the man it honoured.

"Before the war a few Sikh pilgrims would occasionally arrive," Abu Yusef said, referring to the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled ex-dictator Saddam Hussein and unleashed an unending cycle of violence.

with thanks : SIFY : link above for detailed news.

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Flag hoisting ceremony on the eve of Republic Day at Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College

Dr.Man Mohan Kaur(Principal,Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College,University of Delhi,Dev Nagar),hoisted National Flag on the eve of Republic Day celebrations in the College premises.Professor Harmohinder Singh Sarna(Executive Member of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee),Dr.Amardeep Singh Bindra (In- Charge of NCC Wing of the College) and other staff members with their presence boosted young National Cadet Corps (NCC) students of the college who marked the day with Grand March Past .

Plans to include Sikh trainers in NS camps

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 24, 2011): The National Service Training Department is planning to include Sikh trainers in National Service (NS) camps in the future, said department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil today.

The NS service department has also urged volunteers or NGOs identified by the Malaysian Sikh Union to visit all nine NS camps nationwide to get feedback on problems or complaints by Sikh trainees.

Abdul Hadi said the measures in line with the government’s aim to instill unity and patriotism among trainees of various races and culture.

He also said the initiatives will help prevent a similar incident last week where 17-year-old Sikh trainee Basant Singh woke up at the Sungai Bakap camp in Penang to find his hair snipped off.

The cutting or shaving of hair is one of the four taboos in Sikhism.

Abdul Hadi was speaking in a press conference today after meeting the family of Basant and members of the Union of Perak Sikh Organisation (UPSO) in Wangsa Maju.

The family of Basant and UPSO made no comments on the hair-cutting incident as they are waiting for police to complete investigations.

Abdul Hadi said the parents have been informed that Basant is free to switch camps or defer his national service training although he cannot be exempted from NS.

with thanks : thesundaily : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

'No determination on diplomatic immunity for Nath'

The United States has made "no determination" on the question of diplomatic immunity for Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath against the backdrop of the summons issued against him by a US court on a lawsuit alleging his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The State Department here said that US is looking forward to working with Kamal Nath in his new capacity as the Urban Development Minister. 

with thanks : Hindustan Times : link above for detailed news.

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Anti-Sikh riot nails Kamal Nath; NY court summons

New Delhi, Jan 23: Just after a few days that the Urban Development Ministry has been allotted to him, a major set back for Kamal Nath came on his way.

A New York court summoned Kamal Nath in regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and Washington also declined to provide diplomatic immunity to the minister.

A media report stated that a civil lawsuit was filed in a New York court in Apr 2010 alleging his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi.

However, there is no legal case against Kamal Nath in India in connection with the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

with thanks : oneindia : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Kamal Nath summoned by US court in 1984 Sikh riots case

Washington, Jan 23

 

Indian Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has been summoned by a New York court for a pre-trial conference Feb 9 for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

 

The trial will proceed as the US State Department has declined to intervene in the case due to the seriousness of allegations of human rights violation against Kamal Nath, according to Gurpatwant S. Pannun, legal advisor for Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a US based human rights advocacy group.

After being summoned by the Southern district court of New York Dec 10, 2010, Kamal Nath had sought diplomatic immunity. His request for immunity has now been turned down by the State Department, Pannun said.

In April 2010, SFJ along with two individuals filed a law suit against Kamal Nath under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) & Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) asking the court to order compensatory and punitive damages against the minister.

According to Pannun: "Alien Tort Claims Act of United State, the law under which trial against Kamal Nath will be held is specifically created to provide remedy and forum to victims of genocide to vindicate their complaints."

with thanks : prokerala : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia