Another amazing achievement of Sikh diaspora. Sikhs in Cyrprus have built a gurdwara Sahib in the capital city of Nicosia. Setting up gurdwara was not easy since the place tends to have orthodox tendencies.
More details and pictures can be found in this blog.http://cyprus-sikhs.blogspot.com/
and here
http://cyprus-sikhs.blogspot.com/2007/08/gurudwara-sangatsar-sahib.html
Monday, August 20, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Sikh faces turban ban in Irish reserve force
Independent reports that
A SIKH member of the Garda Reserve is banned from wearing his ceremonial headdress, the turban.
Integration Minister Conor Lenihan last night backed up the Garda Siochana ruling, saying immigrants to this country must accept our culture.
read full article here. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/sikh-member-of-the-reserve-is-banned-from-wearing-turban-1057548.html
A SIKH member of the Garda Reserve is banned from wearing his ceremonial headdress, the turban.
Integration Minister Conor Lenihan last night backed up the Garda Siochana ruling, saying immigrants to this country must accept our culture.
read full article here. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/sikh-member-of-the-reserve-is-banned-from-wearing-turban-1057548.html
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Sikh spirit in a multicultural army
Sikh spirit in a multicultural army
writes Daniel Hannan in response to the move to have a Sikh regiment in the British army
You couldn’t ask for more loyal, more patriotic or more soldierly immigrants than the Sikhs. How encouraging, then, that a number of community leaders should have floated the idea of recruiting a British Sikh regiment.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/danielhannan/june07/sikhspirit.htm
writes Daniel Hannan in response to the move to have a Sikh regiment in the British army
You couldn’t ask for more loyal, more patriotic or more soldierly immigrants than the Sikhs. How encouraging, then, that a number of community leaders should have floated the idea of recruiting a British Sikh regiment.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/danielhannan/june07/sikhspirit.htm
No to Sikh regiment in British army
Sikh regiment dumped over 'racism' fears
By Sean Rayment, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:35am BST 24/06/2007
Defence chiefs have abandoned plans to raise a regiment of British Sikhs amid fears that the move would be branded racist.
The Indian Army's Sikh Regiment: Sikh regiment dumped over 'racism' fears
The Indian Army's Sikh Regiment, which was formed in 1846
The proposal to create the regiment, reminiscent of those that fought for Britain in the two world wars, was dropped by the Ministry of Defence after discussions with the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/24/nsikh124.xml
By Sean Rayment, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:35am BST 24/06/2007
Defence chiefs have abandoned plans to raise a regiment of British Sikhs amid fears that the move would be branded racist.
The Indian Army's Sikh Regiment: Sikh regiment dumped over 'racism' fears
The Indian Army's Sikh Regiment, which was formed in 1846
The proposal to create the regiment, reminiscent of those that fought for Britain in the two world wars, was dropped by the Ministry of Defence after discussions with the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/24/nsikh124.xml
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
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
Monday, May 28, 2007
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
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
Saturday, May 19, 2007
what could be reason behind sacha sauda controversy
The Indian express has a very interesting article.
it says that since the CBI case was coming near, the dera tried to create a controversy deliberately. However people did not react to it. Hence it tried another trick. Even that did not succeed. Finally, it tried issued advertisements and it was successful
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=236969
Flurry of activity after High Court reprimand in dera case
Navjeevan Gopal
Bathinda, May 18: Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has remained increasingly in the news ever since April 16 when the High Court pulled up CBI asking investigative agency to submit by May 28 the final report on Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's involvement in the murder of two persons, including journalist Ram Chander Chattarpati, and sexual molestation of some women in the well-guarded dera area.
It started when thousands of dera followers gathered in Mansa and staged a dharna on April 24 raising anti-government slogans, threatening to go berserk and blocking traffic after a glass pillar housing dera's religious tag line "Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera Hi Aasra" at Mansa crossing was allegedly vandalised on the intervening night of April 22 and 23. The dera followers were blaming SAD (Badal) for the incident and were demanding immediate arrest of the persons responsible for the act. Police arrested six persons in that connection, but categorically denied, SAD had any role in the incident. "We had told dera people that SAD was in no way involved in damaging the dera symbol," said Mansa SSP Ram Singh.
Advertisement
The speedy action of police where the "miscreants" were arrested appeared to snatch the issue from dera followers, even as everything was done to blow the issue to maximum proportions. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Shamsher Singh Dullo, former state CM Capt Amarinder Singh's wife and MP Preneet Kaur and many other Congress leaders had dashed to Mansa and had aired inflammatory speeches, with an assurance to back dera and its followers.
Then, according to a dera spokesman, the Jaam-e-Insaan ceremony was started by dera chief on April 29 from Sirsa. Evidently it failed to catch attention of society, Sikhs in particular. Siginificantly, the dera neither issued an advertisement nor issued any press release to announce the start of its campaign.
However, it made sure that a press kit was delivered to all correspondents at Bathinda and ads were published prominently in at least three major newspapers when a similar ceremony was performed on the evening of May 11 at Salabatpura, around 50 kilometers from Bathinda. The dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a ceremony akin to Khalsa creation ceremony by Guru Gobind Singh, gave dera's followers a liquid to drink, which dera chief termed as Jaam-e-Insaan (Roohani Sharbat).
The dera press kit included pictures in which the dera chief was shown like Guru Gobind Singh in different postures - like stirring the liquid adopting Bir Aasan, exactly like Guru Gobind Singh did while creating Khalsa and wearing outfit with Kalgi, Kamarkassa, Pajami, Poshak and Jutti, just like Guru Gobind Singh.
Simultaneous release of ad and press note, even as there was no event or anniversary to justify the same, also points towards a well calculated strategy, where dera wanted to hit the nail on the head to shift focus from CBI final inquiry.
Another catch is the 47 tenets given in the advertisement, one of which reads "Do not hear the criticism of your Guru". This could well explain why dera followers are enraged after dera chief's effigies are being burnt in many parts and every possible derogatory language, expressions and poster are being used against him, in protest against his sacrilegious act.
However, this development forced by radicals would have been least anticipated by dera, who might have been thinking that state CM Parkash Singh Badal, who never locked horns with dera, even after dera opposed SAD in elections, would not let anything happen that could cause trouble to dera chief.
From mobilising its followers to vote for Congress to making Sikhs notice the mischievous ads, the dera media managers, on the face of it, appear succeeding in sending the desired message in an effective manner. Whether they achieve the desired results is a thing to be seen as May 28 approaches nearer.
it says that since the CBI case was coming near, the dera tried to create a controversy deliberately. However people did not react to it. Hence it tried another trick. Even that did not succeed. Finally, it tried issued advertisements and it was successful
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=236969
Flurry of activity after High Court reprimand in dera case
Navjeevan Gopal
Bathinda, May 18: Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has remained increasingly in the news ever since April 16 when the High Court pulled up CBI asking investigative agency to submit by May 28 the final report on Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's involvement in the murder of two persons, including journalist Ram Chander Chattarpati, and sexual molestation of some women in the well-guarded dera area.
It started when thousands of dera followers gathered in Mansa and staged a dharna on April 24 raising anti-government slogans, threatening to go berserk and blocking traffic after a glass pillar housing dera's religious tag line "Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera Hi Aasra" at Mansa crossing was allegedly vandalised on the intervening night of April 22 and 23. The dera followers were blaming SAD (Badal) for the incident and were demanding immediate arrest of the persons responsible for the act. Police arrested six persons in that connection, but categorically denied, SAD had any role in the incident. "We had told dera people that SAD was in no way involved in damaging the dera symbol," said Mansa SSP Ram Singh.
Advertisement
The speedy action of police where the "miscreants" were arrested appeared to snatch the issue from dera followers, even as everything was done to blow the issue to maximum proportions. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Shamsher Singh Dullo, former state CM Capt Amarinder Singh's wife and MP Preneet Kaur and many other Congress leaders had dashed to Mansa and had aired inflammatory speeches, with an assurance to back dera and its followers.
Then, according to a dera spokesman, the Jaam-e-Insaan ceremony was started by dera chief on April 29 from Sirsa. Evidently it failed to catch attention of society, Sikhs in particular. Siginificantly, the dera neither issued an advertisement nor issued any press release to announce the start of its campaign.
However, it made sure that a press kit was delivered to all correspondents at Bathinda and ads were published prominently in at least three major newspapers when a similar ceremony was performed on the evening of May 11 at Salabatpura, around 50 kilometers from Bathinda. The dera chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in a ceremony akin to Khalsa creation ceremony by Guru Gobind Singh, gave dera's followers a liquid to drink, which dera chief termed as Jaam-e-Insaan (Roohani Sharbat).
The dera press kit included pictures in which the dera chief was shown like Guru Gobind Singh in different postures - like stirring the liquid adopting Bir Aasan, exactly like Guru Gobind Singh did while creating Khalsa and wearing outfit with Kalgi, Kamarkassa, Pajami, Poshak and Jutti, just like Guru Gobind Singh.
Simultaneous release of ad and press note, even as there was no event or anniversary to justify the same, also points towards a well calculated strategy, where dera wanted to hit the nail on the head to shift focus from CBI final inquiry.
Another catch is the 47 tenets given in the advertisement, one of which reads "Do not hear the criticism of your Guru". This could well explain why dera followers are enraged after dera chief's effigies are being burnt in many parts and every possible derogatory language, expressions and poster are being used against him, in protest against his sacrilegious act.
However, this development forced by radicals would have been least anticipated by dera, who might have been thinking that state CM Parkash Singh Badal, who never locked horns with dera, even after dera opposed SAD in elections, would not let anything happen that could cause trouble to dera chief.
From mobilising its followers to vote for Congress to making Sikhs notice the mischievous ads, the dera media managers, on the face of it, appear succeeding in sending the desired message in an effective manner. Whether they achieve the desired results is a thing to be seen as May 28 approaches nearer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)