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Bhai
Ashok Singh Participated in International Seminar
Patiala, February 26-28, 2008. Prof Harbans Singh, Department
of Encyclopeadia of Sikhism organized a three-day International
seminar on Religion and Human Social Responsibility on November
26-28, 2008 in Punjabi University, Patiala.
Bhai Ashok Singh, President, Institute of Sikh Studies,
said that to understand or write about Sikhism, the basic
ideological differences between the existing religious thoughts
must be understood. The objectives and the goal of the existing
ideologies is mokash/nirvan, and according to them the universe
is a myth, maya. To attain the goal, one should renounce
grisht and take sanyas. These are negative and weak values,
and make man individualistic. Family is the nucleus of society
and society is the part of civilization. This makes a person
anti-social to an extent. Whereas Sikhism, as propounded
by Guru Nanak, is true, having been created by the Truth.
Sikhism is the only monotheistic religion which does not
believe in incarnation of God (Avtarwad). Nor does it allow
idol worship. Sikhism can rightly be described as a social
religion.
At another Seminar on ‘Terrorism’ held at Punjabi
University, Patiala, Bhai Ashok Singh spoke in the concluding
session. He said that terrorism is a reaction of the weak
against the mighty, speech of the speechless against the
powers that be. It attains dangerous levels of crime when
it gets religious sanction. To control terrorism, its causes
must be treated.
At the end of the seminar, Bhai Ashok Singh presented a
set of the Institute of Sikh Studies’ publications
to the German and Turkish delegates.
~~~
Pak Cabinet clears Anand Marriage Act
Amritsar, January 23. The Pakistan’s cabinet has passed
draft of the Anand Marriage Act to allow Sikhs to register
marriages under a separate marriage Act.
The
draft of the Act was prepared by Sikh scholars, including
lawyers, headed by K T S Tulsi. The draft was prepared under
the guidance of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
(DSGMC), which took it to Pakistan recently.
Dr Pritpal Singh, coordinator, American Gurdwara Prabandhak
Committee (AGPC), said he had received a message from Sayyad
Afzal, Federal Law Minister of Pakistan, informing him that
the Act had been cleared by the cabinet of Pakistan.
A demand for the Anand Marriage Act was put forward by Dr
Pritpal Singh, while addressing the Sikh sangat at Gurdwara
Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, on the birth anniversary of
Guru Nanak Dev.
The Law and Justice Committee, Government of India, has
also taken up the Anand Marriage Act. The Anand Marriage
Act dates back to 1909. (Courtesy : The Tribune, dated
24-1-2008)
~~~
Eastern
Europe’s First Gurdwara to Come up in Poland
Warsaw, January 9. A gurdwara, said to be the first in Eastern
Europe, will come up in Warsaw, as the authorities here
have finally given their green signal.
The proposed gurdwara has been registered as a religious
institution. Respecting the religious identity of the Sikh
community here, the authorities have also allowed them to
wear turban and keep a kirpan.
“This is a glorious day for the Indian community in
Poland,” Singh Sabha chief administrative officer
J J Singh said. “Unlike France, where the Sikh community
is facing many difficulties in maintaining its identity,
the Polish authorities have given us what we had asked for
here. The rights of a minority community are being respected
which is most gratifying,” Singh told IANS.
For the past three years, the Singh Sabha Community had
been using a rented house in Warsaw to perform religious
ceremonies.
In Poland, apart from a small number of Sikhs, there are
1,200 Sindhis who too have faith in the teachings of Guru
Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and Guru Granth Sahib.
Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the India-Polish Cultural
Committee, said: “This was a long- cherished demand
which has been accepted very gracefully by a largely Catholic-dominated
country. In the era of globalisation, people everywhere
should have the right to practice their religion.”
Indian ambassador to Poland Chandra Mohan Bhandari also
expressed satisfaction and said it was a positive step to
strengthen Indo-Polish relations. (Courtesy : The Tribune,
January 10, 2008)
~~~
Punjabi on the Rise in Canada
Vancouver, February 11. With the latest census showing a
35 per cent increase in its speakers since 2001, Punjabi
is set to become the fourth largest spoken language in Canada.
Today, it is the sixth largest spoken language after English,
French, Chinese, Italian and German, though it is already
at the fourth position in the province of British Columbia.
But
as India overtakes China as the largest source of immigration
for Canada this year, Punjabi is projected to surpass Italian
and German by 2011 to become the fourth largest spoken language
in the country.
Balwant Sanghera, president of the Punjabi Language Education
Association (PLEA) that is celebrating the sixth International
Mother Language Day on February 24, said: “Punjabi
is growing by leaps and bounds in Canada and within the
next three to four years it will become Canada’s fourth
largest spoken language.”
Citing the latest census figures, he said 3,67,505 persons
said Punjabi was their mother tongue, showing a growth of
35 per cent since 2001.
“This places Punjabi as the sixth most spoken language
(after English, French, Chinese, Italian and German). The
difference between the number of Punjabi speakers and those
of German and Italian is very small. By the next census
of 2011, Punjabi will overtake both to occupy the fourth
place,” he added.
Sanghera, who retired as a school psychologist in British
Columbia, said Punjabi was one among 10 most spoken languages
out of a total of 6,000 in the world.
“More than 150 million persons in 150 countries speak
this language. Mini Punjabs in Canada, the USA, the UK,
Australia and Singapore are testaments to it. Here in Surrey
and Abbotsford cities, Punjabi is the second most spoken
language after English,” he said.
In British Columbia province, Punjabi is taught in the University
of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University
College of the Fraser Valley, Kwantlen University College
and many schools.
Hospitals, city halls, airports and markets carry Punjabi
signs. And it is common to see the Punjabi sign of “Aseen
Punjabi Bolde Haan” at banks.
Guidelines on provincial issues - elections, health, old
age and education - come out in Punjabi, as do government
bills and notices.
Interestingly, Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan is a Punjabi
speaker, who surprised everyone last year by delivering
his speech in Punjabi at a Sikh function. — (Courtesy
: The Tribune, February 12, 2008)
~~~
‘1984 Riots a Blot on Nation’
Chandigarh, February 23. The functioning of judiciary came
under the scanner this afternoon at a panel discussion on
“Impact of 1984 carnage on Punjab”. Eminent
speakers like Justice S.S. Sodhi made startling revelations
on how the career of at least one judicial officer was jeopardised
for coming out with the truth about the torture of prisoners
for finding out if they were terrorists.
A former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and ex-chairman
of the TRAI Justice Sodhi was also vocal about the “unfortunate
role” of Justice Ranganathan Mishra Commission in
the matter.
Some of the other speakers, including senior advocate Anupam
Gupta and journalist Manoj Mitta, too were critical of the
judiciary’s functioning post 1984 riots.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Sodhi said a District
and Sessions Judge, Tara Singh Cheema, was denied the chance
of becoming a high court judge, even though he did not have
a single adverse entry, after a report submitted by him
confirmed the torture of prisoners at the Nabha high security
jail.
Giving details, Justice Sodhi said he and Cheema found prisoners
had been badly tortured after he was deputed to go on an
inspection tour to Patiala district. They had tales to tell
and the effect of torture was visible.
Justice Sodhi said the law did not permit anyone to be moved
from the jail to an interrogation centre. But a group of
prisoners from Nabha prison were taken to Ladha Kothi, an
interrogation centre converted into a jail, for discovering
who was a terrorist.
Justice Sodhi said he directed Cheema to look into the matter;
and his report confirming torture was marked to the then
Chief Justice for putting it up on the judicial side. After
two judges refused to take up the matter, it came back to
him.
Eventually, 25 police officers were indicted for torture
and compensation was paid by the then Barnala government.
However, in the whole process Cheema was not elevated.
The former Chief Justice added that no Sikh Judge was trusted
to deal with Sikh terrorist cases. Describing the riots
as a blot on the nation, the former Chief Justice said the
guilty were still roaming free. Compensation was given to
the victims miserly after they had to struggle; and was
much delayed. (Courtesy : The Tribune, February 23, 2008)
~~~
Tytler led Mob to Kill Sikhs: Eyewitness
Chandigarh, February 21. The CBI today recorded the statement
of the head granthi of Majnu Ka Tilla Gurdwara, New Delhi,
Giani Surinder Singh, an eyewitness to the 1984 anti-Sikh
riots.
Surinder Singh in his statement recorded before the investigating
officer of the case, DSP S.S. Kishore, who came from Delhi,
alleged that Congress leader Jagdish Tytler led a mob that
burnt alive three Sikhs during the riots.
Talking to mediapersons outside the Sector 30 office of
the CBI here, Surinder Singh demanded the government should
conduct a fair probe into the riots. He insisted, “Tytler
should be hanged for the heinous act committed against the
Sikhs”. Surinder Singh reached the CBI office around
11 am and came out at 4: 30 pm after recording his statement.
He told waiting mediapersons that the CBI officer thoroughly
questioned him regarding the riots and it took the officer
over five hours to record his statement.
Expressing satisfaction over the attitude of the investigating
officer, Surinder Singh said justice could be done only
if the CBI conducted a fair probe into the case. Denying
the charges that he earlier resiled from his statement,
he alleged that his signatures were taken on blank papers
and his statement was faked. He alleged Tytler had pressurized
him and his family. The statement to the Nanawati Commission
shown as his statement was not his as he and his family
was under constant threat. He, however, said now that the
entire Sikh community, including the SGPC, Akal Takht and
the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) and other
organisations had assured job and security to his family,
he was not afraid.
Surinder told the CBI that he was the head granthi at Gurdwara
Pulbangesh in Azad market, Delhi at the time of the riots.
On October 31, 1984, around 8 pm, some hooligans set afire
the car of Gurcharan Singh Grover, owner of B-Tax, when
he was going to pay obeisance at the gurdwara. They also
set the gurdwara on fire and devotees ran out of it to save
their lives. They also set Grover’s residence on fire.
The next morning, he added in his statement, around 9 am,
Tytler led a group of armed persons carrying iron rods,
cans of kerosene and Congress flags attacked the gurdwara.
Tytler was inciting the crowd to assault the Sikhs. The
mob burnt alive Thakur Singh, a former inspector of the
Delhi Police, and a sewadar at the gurdwara. The mob also
put a burning tyre on Badal Singh killing him instantly.
Surinder watched the gory scene helplessly. He stayed with
a Muslim family for eight days and when he returned home
he found his house plundered. (Courtesy: The Tribune, February
22, 2008)
~~~
Sajjan Incited Mob to Eliminate Sikhs: Witness
Mohali, March 11. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
today recorded the statement of 1984 riots victim, Gurcharan
Singh, who has been bed-ridden after a mob burnt him alive
on the fateful morning of November 1, 1984. Gurcharan told
the CBI that Sajjan Kumar, a senior Congress leader, incited
the mob to eliminate Sikhs and was leading them.
Gurcharan Singh, who was 17 then, along with his brother,
Tejinder Singh were left incapacitated for life in the attack,
his father and maternal uncle were brutally done to death
by the mob at their Nawada village residence. The mob burnt
their houses, shops and killed Sikhs before throwing him
into a burning truck. His brother was assaulted with bricks
resulting which his spine was fractured and he was left
handicapped.
A CBI official from Delhi came to Gurcharan Singh’s
Balongi village residence this morning and recorded his
statement, which lasted for four hours. The official, however,
refused to comment on what Gurcharan Singh said in his statement.
Narrating the horrifying sequence of events, Gurcharan Singh
told media persons that it was 8:30 am on that day, when
Sajjan Kumar came to the village and met the sarpanch, Kirpa
Ram. He was leading a mob, which was carrying rods, and
other weapons along with kerosene oil. Pala, a depot holder
provided the kerosene. Sajjan told the mob to attack Sikhs
following which the rioters burnt the Gulab Bagh Gurdwara
in their locality of which his father Naad Singh was the
head priest. He tried to shoo away the mob, which assaulted
him with bricks and rods killing him there.
The assailants then barged into his house and dragged his
family out. His maternal uncle, Santokh Singh, was bludgeoned
with bricks before iron rods were thrust into his eyes.
He died on the spot.
Talking to The Tribune Gurcharan Singh rued that for over
23 years no one either from the government or from Sikh
community bothered to spare a thought for his plight. “When
I gained consciousness, I found myself at my acquaintance’s
residence. I was hospitalised and was discharged after 10
days. We shifted to Mohali after the incident and were forced
to live a miserable life and that too under threat”,
said Gurcharan Singh in a feeble voice.
Gurcharan Singh said the SGPC had started giving him Rs
10,000 per month. Besides this a local businessman Tarlochan
Singh gave him Rs 20,000 and promised to help him further
in his cause. (Courtesy: The Tribune, February 12, 2008)
~~~
UK Cop Wins Racial Discrimination Case
London, February 26. A Sikh policeman in Britain has won
a racial discrimination case against the Greater Manchester
Police (GMP) that rejected 12 applications from him to join
it.
Sangram Singh-Bhacker (40), is likely to be awarded a five-figure
compensation by the tribunal which noted that he was a qualified,
physically fit officer who had been accepted by the Wiltshire,
Merseyside, West Yorkshire and Cheshire forces, as well
as British Transport Police, his current employer. (Courtesy:
The Tribune, February 22, 2008)
~~~
Letters to Editor
Dear
Editor,
It was a pleasure to have met you today with Mr Mohinder
Singh (member of IOSS) and I find you to be a very learned
and intellectual person with a clear vision about future
and I feel honoured to have met you today. Moreover, you
are a great team builder and an organisation builder having
a great insight into psychology.
As discussed with you, following are the brief details of
various ventures for Sikh community which I have initiated
:
a. www.retiredsikhs.com : Objective of this website is to
utilize the pricital experience of Retired Sikhs, provide
help to them to look for jobs, business opportunities, matrinomial
of their children, talk to people of their age, profession
and to connect worldwide to solve their problems and also
to utilize this huge potential of talent availble globally.
Status: Currently you can find Sikhs from 28 countries and
140 cities of India on board at the moment from a wide variety
of professions – Defence, Bureaucrats, Police, Teaching,
Engg, Doctors, Commissioner of Police, VP, GM, Chief Engg
to a clerk.
Charges : Free of Cost.
Database : Open for everyone.
b) www.saraibooking.com : Objective of the this is to search
for a Sarai (place to stay in Gurdwara), contact details,
address, facilities, charges, history of Gurdwara etc and
contact the Gurdwara directly to book a room for you and
your family stay so that you can have the darshan of the
holy places comfortably. Hence, you can plan your Pilgrimage.
c) www.gurdwarajobs.com: Objective of this website is to
find jobs for Ragis, Pathis, granthis etc., worldwide in
Gurdwaras. On the other hand, Gurdwaras can browse the database
and contact them directly for interviews and appointments.
Amait Pal Singh
<info@retiredsikhs.com>
¤
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2007, All rights reserved.
