'Hate crime' attack on Sikh family home on wedding day

Police say they are treating an attack on the home of a Sikh family whose daughter was about to marry a man from a different religion as a hate crime.

The door of the terrace house in Coventry was damaged and its windows were smashed early on Saturday.

The family members, who asked not to be named, said they were targeted because a daughter was due to marry a Hindu man in a Sikh temple later that day.

The wedding later went ahead peacefully, as planned.

The family said they had been threatened in the weeks leading up to the wedding by some "hardline" Sikhs, who were unhappy about non-Sikhs getting married in one of the religion's temples, known as gurdwaras.

They said the people had also made aggressive calls to the gurdwara where the wedding was due to take place.

'Very frightening'

The father of the family told BBC Asian Network that at about 01:30 BST on Saturday he heard the glass in the house's front windows shatter.

He said: "It went 'bang, bang, bang'. It was very frightening."

The family were given a police escort to and from the gurdwara for the wedding.

with thanks : BBC News : LINK : for detailed news.

Awareness on DENGU : from net !

Awareness on DENGU : from net !

New York film festival to showcase Sikh culture

New York, Oct 26 (IANS) Sikh Art & Film Foundation's 9th AnnualInternational Film Festival to be held here Nov 2-3 will present 14 groundbreaking films sharing the culture, values, self-esteem and struggle of contemporary Sikhs.

The Sikh Heritage Award Gala Nov 2 will premiere a multi-million dollar public service announcement campaign called "Be Proud", created by Founder & CEO of RadiumOne, Gurbaksh Chahal and sponsored by SAFF.

The Be Proud campaign, created in the wake of the tragic Gurudwara shootings of six Sikh worshippers in Wisconsin in August, will begin airing nationwide in November, bringing its anti-hate, pro-unity message to Americans from all walks of life, SAFF said in a media release.

The campaign, which is backed by noted figures such as Deepak Chopra, Ben Kingsley, Lisa Ray, Jay Sean, and Gurinder Chadha, is about eliminating hate with the "unifying truth that we are all a little different and we should be proud of what makes us unique", according to Chahal.

Be Proud will also be recording videos at the gala that will be used on the Be Proud website, beproud.org.

with thanks : YAHOO NEWS : LINK : for detailed news.

SAD (D) seeks visa on arrival for Sikh pilgrims of both India and Pakistan

AMRITSAR: Shiromani Akal Dal (Delhi) has demanded from both Indian and Pakistan governments to issue visas on arrival to Sikh pilgrims of both nations. While talking to TOI on Monday, General Secretary of SAD (D) Harvinder Singh Sarna said that Sikh devotees of both nations had to pass through cumbersome formalities for getting visas to travel across the borders for paying obeisance at Gurdwara's. 

"We have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue with his Pakistani counterparts so that Sikh's religious aspirations were fulfilled and they were not harassed in fulfilling their religious commitments" he said. Sarna informed that SAD(D) had also passed a resolution in party's meeting that calls for urging both governments to issue visas on arrival to Sikh pilgrims of both India and Pakistan. "A major mistake was committed during 1947 Indo Pak partition as there was no consideration made on the maintenance of around 175 historical Gurdwa's left back in Pakistan, we want to rectify that mistake, if Sikhs from India will get easy access to their Gurdwara's in Pakistan they will ensure that maryada (code of conduct) was implemented" he said. 

with thanks : TIMES OF INDIA : LINK : for detailed news.

Badals meet PM, oppose Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention on the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act issue. 

The two wanted the Prime Minister to advise the union home ministry to stop the Delhi government from amending the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, regarding direct election to the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

The two called the move by the Delhi government as "ill conceived" and "politically motivated". "The interference of the government in the religious affairs of Sikhs could lead to serious conflicts," the chief minister told the Prime Minister. The chief minister impressed upon the Prime Minister to ask the Delhi government for immediate withdrawal of the proposed amendment.

Describing the amendment bill as "absurd", the chief minister said it violated the agreement reached between Jawaharlal Nehru and Master Tara Singh, which specifically talked about the commitment of the union government not to take any steps on Sikh affairs without consulting the Sikh community and representatives of Sikhs through the SGPC.

"This attempt on part of the government would lead to fresh suspicion, resentment and alienation in the minds of Sikhs, already recovering from the painful and discriminatory blows. In addition, it would also lead to unprecedented corruption in gurdwara affairs," Badal said.

with thanks : HINDUSTAN TIMES : LINK : for detailed news.

Preserve Sikhi atleast in the Sikh Community !

Giani Sant Singh Ji Maskeen

Tumko na bhool paenge !

Amendments in the Delhi Gurdwara Election Bill !

PC : Sd Paramjit Singh Sarna on amendments in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara elections bill : SikhsIndia