Countdown to new memorial for WW1 Indian heroes

Pictures have been unveiled of a new permanent memorial in honour of the Indian soldiers who fought during World War One.

The "WW1 Sikh Memorial" will take the form of a statue at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, and it will commemorate around 130,000 Sikh soldiers who fought in the Great War.

A national campaign for the permanent memorial began back in August. Work is now well underway for the statue, and it is due to be unveiled in a special ceremony at the Arboretum in March next year.

Despite only making up 1% of the Indian population at the time, the Sikh contribution to the war efforts is recognised as remarkable. They constituted 20% of the British and Indian Army and were represented in more than a third of regiments at the time.

with thanks : itv : LINK : for detailed news with more pics.

Shilanayaas of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University !

Shilanayaas of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha Vishva Vidyalay in East Delhi by HRD Minister Smriti Jubin Israni. Pic with thanks from : Jivan Rastogi

Helmets for Sikh women : Hindustan Times

Sikhs advocacy group ask US lawmakers to ensure religious liberty in military

WASHINGTON: Sikhs enjoy greater religious liberty in the militaries of countries like India, Canada and Britain than the US, a Sikh advocacy group has said, presenting a case for removal of barriers for the members of the community to join armed forces in America.

"Sikh service members in the militaries of Canada, India, and the United Kingdom can expect to enjoy a greater measure of religious liberty than their peers in the United States," the Sikh Coalition said in a written submission to the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personal.

with thanks : Economic Times : LINK : for detailed news.

U.S. Based Eco-Sikh Backs Water Conservation Efforts In India

WASHINGTON – Eco-Sikh, a Washington based organization, has launched a water conservation programme in India’s Punjab state amid reports of severe groundwater depletion there and other parts of Northern India.

Eco-Sikh’s Punjab team is actively working to teach locals about how and why they should conserve water and live in harmony with the Earth, it said.

The group has also asked the Punjabi diaspora to relay environmentally-friendly practices to their counterparts in India by teaching them how to farm plants that use less groundwater.

CBS News’ 60 Minutes programme last week highlighted with satellite images how Punjab and rest of India are losing groundwater at an alarming rate posing an impending disaster.

“The evidence is credible that the food basket of India is in serious danger and this issue should be treated with urgency and with immediate action by the state and central governments,” Eco-Sikh President Rajwant Singh said.

“When people in Punjab do not have access to water because it is being overused, the results will be disastrous,” said India Project Manager, Ravneet Singh.

In the U.S. too, California is facing its fourth year of summer droughts, which has forced residents to take major steps to conserve water, such as not irrigating their land and taking shorter showers, Eco Sikh noted.

Like in Punjab, Californian farmers must find new ways to conserve water, or else face major water droughts that will leave their plots of land like deserts, said Eco-Sikh’s U.S. programme manager, Sumeet Kaur.

with thanks : thelinkpaper : LINK

Hungry Vancouver man learns values of Sikhism after turning to Reddit for help

LARISSA CAHUTE

VANCOUVER DESI

When Vancouver’s Tommy Castelli — a recovering heroin addict who’s been clean for eight months and suffers from liver disease — ran out of money waiting for his December disability cheque to arrive, he turned to social media in a desperate search for a “free bite to eat.”

And while Reddit is often known for its trolls and cruel anonymous commenters, Castelli was greeted with a surprising response — generosity and a lesson in the values of Sikhism.

“I am hungry and have no money. I’ll save you the sad story, anyone know where I can either get a free bite to eat or food to cook today, I haven’t eaten in two days,” Castelli posted to the Reddit Vancouver board earlier this week.

“I live off a very small amount of money,” Castelli, who lives in an SRO in downtown Vancouver, told Vancouver Desi on Friday, clarifying that he wasn’t asking for money, but rather a safe place to find a free meal to tide him over until his next payment came in. “For the most part, people have been incredibly generous.”

“People gave me helpful advice and I was really moved.”

Some Redditors privately messaged Castelli and dropped off groceries, homemade meals and even meal tickets to a local community centre.

“It (also) started a really great conversation about Sikhism,” Castelli said.

One Reddit user pointed out that Castelli can “always have dinner at one (of) the Sikh temples,” and shared a link to a directory.

Another user further commented, expanding on the Sikh concept of ‘langar,” which is the kitchen found at all gurdwaras where free meals are served to visitors.

“Never forget this, every single Sikh temple in the world will welcome you with open arms (and) offer you free food without any sort of judgment,” the user wrote. “You will be welcomed there for free food, free of judgment, even if you came there every day for every meal. Nothing will be asked of you in return.”

with thanks : vancouverdesi : LINK : for detailed news.

Mixing tradition with fashion to bring style to Sikhism

Young Australian blogger Karan Kaur is treading a fine line between her Punjabi morals and her love of fashion.

Meet the 20-year-old student from Glendenning who's bringing some catwalk style into wearing a turban.

For Karan Kaur wearing a turban is the heart of her identity as a Sikh, but styling it up isn’t always easy.

That’s why she created “Style with Kaura” an Instagam account that mixes her Punjabi culture and her love of fashion. 

with thanks : SBS : LINK : for detailed news.

Sikh woman elected as council member in California

Washington: A Sikh woman has been elected for the first time as a council member of California's Yuba City that has one of the largest concentration of Sikhs in the US.  

The first women of Sikh descent to be elected as Yuba City council woman, Preet Didbal was sworn in by her daughter, Arianna Khan and her mother, Gurbaksh Didbal on Wednesday.

"This is a big day. It is very emotional and I still can't believe it," Didbal was quoted as saying by KCRA 3 News.

Currently a correctional health care services manager in the California Department of Corrections, Dibal said she encountered some of that traditional thinking during her campaign and was taken aback by it.

"In general, the women have always been more subservient and have followed the lead versus being the leader. Our culture is very different and hopefully starting to open up and educate young girls not to be subservient. It's exciting to be an example," Dibal was quoted as saying by the local Appeal Democrat newspaper.

PTI 

with thanks : Zee News : LINK

Walking side-by-side : Unconventioal Sikh wedding ceremony symolising Gender Equality

Shawn Singh Tucker and Baljit “Bally” Kaur Lehal walked  together side-by-side  around the Guru Granth Sahib during their marriage ceremony  in Atlanta, GA :visual indication of Egalitarianism in Sikhism

Someone would call this act unusual. Some would call it controversial while others might call it awesome. Regardless of one’s opinion, the bride-and-groom walking side by side around the Guru Granth Sahib (as opposed to the more common groom in front of the bride) is definitely an unconventional act.The couple thought about To do their Anand Karaj in this way so it would embody the Sikh spirit of equality more visibly.

“As a kid, when I watched my cousin sister get married, it didn’t make sense to me that the bride walked behind the groom,” said Shawn. “I wondered ‘If men and women are equal in Sikhi, like my parents keep telling me, why is it this way?’ From then on, I knew I wanted to try something different.” 

“In Sikhi, marriage is one of the biggest public statements that you make. Sadly, in our society men always come before women; men are central and public. But in Sikhi, we are supposed to be equal so, it really bothered me that our most sacred religious ceremony put the man first,” said Shawn. “Plus, I’ve told all my non-Sikh friends that equality is a core Sikh value so if they were to see me walking in front, it would be really hypocritical. It would make no sense.”

“I agreed with what Shawn was saying,” said Bally. “I was really supportive of his thoughts. Many people said we couldn’t do it side-by-side because it’s against tradition, but doing something simply because ‘it’s tradition’ doesn’t make sense. You need to know the logic behind it.”

Bally added, “We never got anywhere by following the rules. Guru Nanak broke every norm and questioned everything. That’s how Sikhi came about, by challenging the status quo. So, why should we stop now? Why shouldn’t we question things that don’t make sense?”

 Link :http://www.kaurlife.org/2014/12/02/unconventional-anand-karaj/

Jagriti Yatra - 300 saal guru de naal : SikhsIndia - 27.5.2008

Gurdwara San Sahib : SikhsIndia