US Sikhs reject offer of cooption by SGPC

An article by
Dharmendra Rataul in The Indian Express


Amritsar, November 28 The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s ambitious plan of incorporating 10 NRI Sikhs in its general house seems to have run into rough weather with the American diaspora rejecting it.

US NRIs are of the view that they cannot let themselves be subservient to the SGPC, but would bow their heads before the Akal Takht, so the religious body should take the proposal back.

Surprised at the move, American Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (ASGPC) chief Dr Pritpal Singh told The Indian Express, “I appeal to the SGPC to take the proposal back as there are no takers for it. We will not be part of the SGPC. We have our own committee similar to the SGPC and we will not like any interference,” he said.

The SGPC— which had been pursuing the matter of co-option with the Union government that was in the process of issuing a notification — had passed a resolution in this regard at its general house meeting on November 23.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar had raised the issue at the meetings with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil, and they had promised to do the needful.

The SGPC, which was seeking a suitable amendment in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, to pave way for co-option, said they would have members from the foreign countries on the basis of their population percentage and special focus would be on the USA, Canada, the UK and other European countries, where Sikhs are in a large numbers.

“The move is aimed at giving adequate representations to the Sikh diaspora,” said SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh.

Dr Pritpal, however, said, “The SGPC controls gurdwaras in north India and is running under an Act of the Indian government. How can that Act be applicable to American or Canadian citizens? We will oppose the move tooth and nail.”

He said they seek guidance from the Akal Takht and not the SGPC, which should work to better its administration of gurdwaras in India. If the SGPC’s proposal is accepted by the Centre, the number of the SGPC members will rise to 200 from the present 185, apart from the five high priests.

“The move is to widen the scope of the religious body, which is the only democratically elected body, controlling the largest number of gurdwaras. Dr Pritpal should stop commenting on the issue and do his own work while we are doing our,” said another SGPC official.

He added that only ‘sabat surat’ Sikhs (who do not shorn their hair) would be entitled to become the member.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Cooption-US-NRIs-opt-out/244744/

Sikh elected as mayor in US

This ‘Harry’ Stands Out From the Crowd
LAUREL HOLLOW, N.Y., July 28 — Harvinder Anand, the new mayor of this Long Island village of multimillion-dollar homes, private beaches and yachtsmen, is, like many other residents, a successful business executive, a boater and a connoisseur of world travel. His Sikh turban and beard drew double takes when he moved to the community about 10 years ago, but it does not get many anymore. At least not among the locals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/nyregion/01mayor.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

FBI wants more Sikhs to join the agency

New York, May 28 (IANS) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would like to recruit Sikh youths in the US who possess Punjabi language skills.

At a meeting held last week between the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the Sikh Foundation of Virginia (SFV) and FBI officials, Sikh community leaders urged the agency to increase the recruitment and retention of Sikhs.

FBI representatives told SALDEF that Sikh youth and young professionals, including those who possess Punjabi language skills, are highly desirable to the FBI, information posted on the SALDEF website said.

"SALDEF is working closely with the FBI and other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security to encourage active recruitment efforts within the Sikh American community," said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh.

"We urge Sikhs from across the country to collaborate with SALDEF to organize similar events in their local communities to explore opportunities with federal agencies," Singh said.

Founded as the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) in 1996, SALDEF is a national civil rights and educational organisation in the US. Its aim is to protect the civil rights of Sikhs in the country and ensure a fostering environment in the US for future generations.
Indo-Asian News Service

Sikh wins discrimination case in US

The Times of India reports that a Sikh has won discrimination case in the US:
A California judge has ordered a fitness centre to pay damages to a Sikh man after the firm denied him a job on religious and ethnic grounds.
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Bally Total Fitness to pay $24,000 to Sukdev Singh Dhaliwal, who applied for a sales job with the fitness centre in 2004. During the course of the interview Dhaliwal, who was born and raised in California, was asked about his religious and ethnic background and later denied the job...READ FULL STORY HERE....http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sikh_wins_discrimination_case_in_US/articleshow/1957462.cms

Vaisakhi celebrations in US

US media has also reported on Vaisakhi celebrations in US
Sikh Community Brings in New Year
By Rachel Ensign
On Saturday, more than 75 people gathered together in Barton hall to celebrate the Sikh holiday of Vaisakhi with a moon bounce, a D.J. and samosas, a popular South Asian pastry.The event was run by the Cornell United Sikh Students Association. Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the world with 23 million adherents worldwide. The religion originated in northern India in the sixteenth century and its members are known for their uncut hair and distinctive turbans....read full story....http://cornellsun.com/node/22713

New Gurdwara Sahib at Chesapeake, Virginia

Chesapeake in Virginia gets a new gurdwara sahib.
read here....

Region's first Sikh house of worship opens in Chesapeake
By JANETTE RODRIGUES, The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE - A woman dressed in a tunic and flowing pants slipped off her shoes after she entered a Sikh house of worship just off Great Bridge Boulevard.
She washed her hands, pulled up the scarf draped across her shoulder so it covered her hair and walked into the prayer room, where a reader sitting on a raised platform chanted scripture from the Sikh holy book. She bowed her head to the floor before sitting cross-legged on it......http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=122876&ran=75411