Baba Fatah Singh Gatka Akhara Ustát
Young and very young Akhara members
Akhara members picking up the ‘tools of their trade’
Giving their all !
365.The Man in Blue – Respect the Guru Granth Sahib !
Harjinder Singh
The Man in Blue
There used to be a group called ‘respect for Guru-Ji’, and maybe there still is, although I have not heard from them for a while. The group’s main focus was on ‘Sikh’ weddings in hotels and other ‘polluted’ venues. I argued that the problem is not so much ‘polluted’ venues as ‘polluted’ sangats.
A group of real Sikhs practising Sikhí as taught by the Guru Granth Sahib will not be affected by wherever they are. Some Sikh students from the Midlands used to visit the Student Union bar, drinking non-alcoholic drinks, not using bad language, showing all present that it is possible to have a good time without drinking, smoking or using drugs.
When travelling I sometimes have lunch in a pub, as pubs almost always offer a vegetarian option and have user friendly prices. It is all a question of being like the Lotus Flower, which grows in mud but keeps clean.
I agree with the campaigners in this respect : people who want to have a wedding (which for many is what you do before the serious business of drinking starts) in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib should normally have the wedding in a Gurdwara. This is based on the hope that in a Gurdwara there might be some restriction on Panjabi or Western practices that are not in tune with the Rehat Maryada and the teachings of Guru.
As Vaisakhi is approaching fast we have been preparing for the annual Nagar Kirtan. The Hounslow Nagar Kirtan is on the 5th of April, the Southall one is a week later and I think Slough Nagar Kirtan follows a week after that.
If you look at Nagar Kirtans from the point of view of ‘respect for Guru-Ji’ they should be banned ! In spite of people with brooms going ahead of the procession our streets are just dirty. Loads of non-Sikhs with uncovered heads will be about, smoking, drinking, using foul language and walking in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. We will not even consider what goes on between Sikhs/ people of Sikh background during the Nagar Kirtan.
I have been involved in organising the Sikh part of the Vaisakhi on the Square event. Looking at it from the ‘Respect for Guru-Ji’ point of view, you see Trafalgar Square surrounded by drinkers and smokers and an afternoon session entirely devoted to bhangra and no doubt involving ladies who should really cover up a bit more.
The choice we have to make is between protecting the ‘respect’ of the Guru Granth Sahib and taking the Guru out of the Gurdwara and showing it to the non-Sikhs. Sikhs who are seriously trying to be on Guru’s path can go anywhere without being polluted. I do not believe it is in any way possible to ‘insult’ God or the Guru Granth. I believe we should go out of our way to share the Guru’s teachings with all.
Hola Maholla at Hounslow Singh Sabha – Sangat
Chele of the Taekwondo master
Sadh Sangat
Mother & Son
Sadh Sangat
Hola Maholla at Hounslow Singh Sabha – Kirtan
Harvir Singh Tabla, Narinder Kaur Dilruba, Varinder Kaur Sarangi
Mandeep Kaur tells the story of Hola Maholla
Kiranjot Kaur with her father Amar Singh
Harvir Singh, Narinder Kaur & Varinder Kaur
Kirtan in Rág using traditional instruments at Hounslow Singh Sabha
Sarangi
No frets, a very good ear is required
Dilruba
This instruments has frets, and even I hit a right note every now and then when I was studying with Surjit Singh
Tablas
A most beautiful instrument, very subtle, talks to you, does the most beautiful rhythms, but even some professional jatha members bang the tabla, instead of giving the tabla the chance to do the talking.
Hola Maholla
On Sunday the 22nd of March, a day of no rain and quite a bit of sunshine, the Hounslow Singh Sabha hosted a Kirtan, Gatka and Taekwondo manifestation in the Gurdwara’s courtyard to celebrate Hola Maholla.
The pictures above of young Sikhs doing kirtan in rág using traditional instruments were taking during the first half of the afternoon. I wanted to show the beauty of the instruments and think that I succeeded. Especially the sarangi is just exquisitely beautiful ! For those that have not heard these instruments being played, I can assure that they sound beautiful, so sweet !
I will produce three more pages on the Hola Maholla celebrations, one more on kirtan, one on Gatka and one on Taekwondo.
364.The Man in Blue – Gurdwara Sikh Sangat, Bow, London, UK
Singh – Singh
Dramatic View of the Gurdwara on fire
It is not good news to hear that a Gurdwara has been set fire to, and that the fire was started from the sach khand, destroying birs of the Guru Granth Sahib and doing very serious damage to the building.
Even so, a building, even a building that has been a Church, a Synagogue and then a Gurdwara, is at the end of the day only ‘bricks and mortar’. The burning of birs of the Guru Granth Sahib is very sad and very regrettable, but the arsonist has burnt paper, cardboard and bookbinding, not the Shabad, not the word of God, which is eternal and indestructible.
The Indian media have widely reported the fire as a racist attack. Apparently Sikhs in Hyderabad burnt the UK flag during a protest. In reality we do not know the motives of the arsonist. Some of the rumours doing the round suggest a worse possibility than a racist attack.
I heard from three different sources (who might all have heard it from one source) that there is a conflict between committee members and within the sangat over a possible sale of the present building. Some are very strongly in favour of selling and building a new Gurdwara elsewhere, others are very strongly against it.
Apparently a very acrimonious debate on this issue took place the day before the fire. I know that conflicts in Gurdwaré are often taken to extremes, and I know that in the past crimes have been committed as part of Gurdwara conflicts. You never know of course, but I would think or sincerely hope that Sikhs, however misguided, would not set fire to a Gurdwara, would not set fire to the sach khand.
It is of course possible that there is a racist or ‘religious’ motive behind the attack. But here too there are doubts : which non-Sikh group or individual would know the meaning of the sach khand and know where it is located ?
If the arsonist is an individual acting on his own, and if he does not start talking about it to family and friends, it is going to be difficult for the police to find the culprit. If he is part of a right-wing racist group or a Taliban or RSS type outfit, it should be easier for the police to track him down.
The police might know far more than even Harmander Singh, and surprise us all by arresting a criminal who does not fit any of the speculations that are doing the rounds.
Once we know why the arsonist set fire to the Gurdwara, we should not burn flags or hate all people of the same background as the criminal. Sikhs should at all times seriously try to practice the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib, as per the hukam of Guru Gobind Singh.
Liberal Democrats London Spring Conference
London Liberal Democrats
Spring Conference
Wednesday March 18 2009
Baroness Ros Scott, Party President
Since moving from Hounslow to Southall I have kept a low profile as far as Liberal Democrat activities are concerned, but the last couple of months I have been gradually getting back to be an active Liberal Democrat instead of being just a paper member. This week I attended both the London Spring Conference and the Ealing Hustings meeting where we selected our prospective parliamentary candidates.
This year there is only one election for those living in the London Region, but the conference saw presentations from and question and answer sessions with MEPs, MPs and London Assembly Members.
I am not going to give you a full report on the conference, I am just touching on a few highlights.
I was very taken by the speech of our new party president Baroness Ros Scott. She spoke in a very relaxed conversational style, she of course indulged in ‘propaganda’ but she linked the propaganda to actual strong points of the Liberal Democrats. She was very outspoken about the fact that the party does not do ‘Europhobia’.
We do not love everything that comes from Brussel (it is either the French Bruxelles or the Dutch Brussel, not the funny English hybrid form Brussels) and we do not want ’Europe’ to start micro-managing national and local matters as New Labour tries to micro-manage the country from Whitehall. That is not liberal, not democratic and not practical.
But we do want to belong to the European club, we do want to work together with other liberals and with members of other parties for the welfare of all.
Baroness Sally Hamwee, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Tom Brake MP
Sarah Ludford is a good example. She is a lawyer and she has been working hard in the European Parliament defending the Human Rights of Europeans. She is a friend of the Sikhs and works closely together with Liz Lynne, another Liberal Democrat MEP, to raise Sikh issues in the European Parliament.
Vince Cable MP and Baroness Sally Hamwee
And then there was Vince …
The Liberal Democrats through its spokesman on economic affairs Vince Cable have been warning for years that economic prosperity based on personal and national debt was like a bubble that was going to burst sooner rather than later. New Labour and the Conservatives poked fun at him, and now of course it turns out that Vince was right after all. Not that it is very nice to be right when you see the economy collapsing, businesses going bankrupt, people made redundant and people being chucked out of their houses because they cannot no longer pay their mortgages.
There was a good turnout of Liberal Democrats, amongst whom those that know her can spot our good friend Phyllis
Non Existing London Gurdware
In my quest to offer a complete set of photographs and addresses of London and West Midlands Gurdware I visit various websites to look for addresses.
Amongst the addresses of Gurdware or Sikh organisations from websites I came across the following that promised but did not deliver.
Edgware Gurdwara
28 Highlands,Waltham Drive
Edgware, London HA8 5PQ
I first went to Waltham Drive and found no Gurdwara and no bit of the drive called Highlands. A week later I went to a street in the same area called The Highlands, but there was no Gurdwara either on number 28 or anywhere else in the street.
Singh Sabha Gurdwara
68 Gloucester Drive
London N4 2LN
I walked from Finsbury Park to Gloucester Drive and found no Gurdwara, not on number 68, not anywhere.
Sikh Art & Culture Centre
21 Montague Road
Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 1LG
No nameplate announcing any organisation by this name, but it might be that the H S Sidhu who lives at 21 Montague Road is the Sikh Art & Cultural Centre.
Sri Guru Singh Sabha
93 Waye Avenue,
Cranford, Middlesex TW3 3UA
There is an ordinary terraced house at number 93, and most definitely no Gurdwara.
Dashmesh Sat Sang Sabha
6 Evelyn Grove,
Southall, Middlesex UB1
Same here, an ordinary terraced house and no Gurdwara to be seen.
Siri Guru Singh Sabha
74 Avarn Road,
London SW17
Has anybody any information on this Gurdwara ? I have never heard of it, and neither have my multi-faith or my Sikh contacts in South London.
To see my collection of Gurdwara pictures,
which is expanding every week :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157611278213681/
More on the fire in the Sikh Sangat Gurdwara, Bow, East London, UK
From Harmander Singh
harmanders@btinternet.com
18/03/2009
Dear all,
Below is the official statement of the Executive Committee of Gurdwara Sikh Sangat at Harley Grove, Bow, London E4 2AT.
There will be an official Press Conference early next week.
I also wish to inform everyone that the Mayor of London has written a personal letter of condolence (re SGGS) and support to the Sangat of the Gurdwara and the sikh community in general.
There are also messages of support from the local authority and police.
At the meeting of the Steering Group of the Faiths Forum for London (comprising representatives of nine religions) earlier today, further messages of support to the Sikh community were recorded.
Harmander Singh
Principal Advisor to Sikhs In England
Official Statement of the Executive Committee of the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat
Tuesday, 17 March 2009:
On Monday the 16th March 2009 at approximately 1.30pm, whilst some women were attending a Satsang a male person unknown to the worshipers entered the Temple through a side entrance. One of the worshipers came from the main hall and confronted the intruder coming down from the top floor and inquired why he was in the building. He replied that he had come to meet someone and then ran out.
Shortly after a fire was discovered coming from the top floor Sachkhand room (this room is where the Guru Grant Shaibs/holy books are kept) within the Temple complex.
The fire brigade was duly called, but unfortunately the fire had spread to such a degree that they were unable to control this resulted in substantial damage being caused to the Temple rendering it unusable for the foreseeable future.
It is our opinion that the fire was started by this intruder who intended to cause maximum damage to the building with complete disregard to the safety of the worshipers by burning down the room and the contents which is most sacred to the Sikhs.
We are unsure of the motives behind this incident and are providing our full support to the Police and Fire Authority with their investigation.
We would also request if anyone has any information or can assist the police in any way, please contact them on the following numbers:
- Lime House Police Station – 020 7275 4750, and/or
- Crime stoppers – 0800 555 111
On behalf of our community we would like to extend our thanks to all the responsible authorities, involved in responding so promptly. We would especially like to thank the local residents who railed to our support at these difficult times.
We will be issuing further updates and statements as the investigation progresses.
Fire in the Harley Grove Sikh Sangat Gurdwara, Bow, London, UK
Gurdwara Sikh Sangat
Harley Grove
Bow, London E3 2AT
See below for two links to more recent news !
This is the Gurdwara that was on fire yesterday 16/03 and that has been badly damaged by the fire. Please read the e-mail by Harmander Singh underneath :
Dear all,
Nearly six hours later, Fire Appliances are still dousing the Gurdwara Sahib in the East End of London (Harley Grove).
Extensive damage including the roof caving in and Sach Khand totally destroyed. Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the Darbar Sahib was not affected as there was a ladies Satsang earlier in the day.
Fire experts and the Police are carrying out investigations as to how the fire started.
There were no human injuries.
It is a grade II listed building of major historical importance having been a Church and Synagogue in the past. Only recently, a major internal refit was commenced but well underway.
It is suggested that the Sikh community remain calm and united in this time of sorrow.
I shall share any relevant and substantiated information as it becomes available
Harmander Singh
UK
The langar area behind the divan.
In case of a fire in a Gurdwara there are two possible causes that come to my mind : either ‘improvised’ electrical wiring or something that started in the kitchen area.
More news :
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/
‘Arsonist’ attacks Sikh temple
