The third part of my pictorial report on the Southall Nagar Kirtan
All pictures will be gradually uploaded to my flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/
The Sikh Federation Float
Nishan Sahib with its new cover
Finally, about 90 minutes after the official time, the nagar kirtan is on its way
Looking back to the Singh Sabha Gurdwara
More to follow !
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue
The second part of my pictorial report on the Southall Nagar Kirtan.
All pictures will be gradually uploaded to my flickr account
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/
The Palki with the Gurdwara in the background
The Sangat, the Palki and the Gurdwara
Young Singhs
Dabinderjit Singh Slough Wala
UNITED SIKHS voiced serious concerns over the position of the Sikh community in the case of a possible India-Pakistan nuclear conflict, while presenting at the United Nations 62nd Annual DPI/NGO Conference in Mexico City. Marking the second global effort by Sikhs to draw attention to the situation in the Indian sub-continent, the presentation, “Nuclear Disarmament: Reconciling Security Between India and Pakistan with Basic Ethics and Through Non-Violence” highlighted instances in recent history where the threat of actual nuclear conflict has arisen between the two nations on five different occasions, the serious local and global consequences of a nuclear conflict, and argued for the urgent and immediate need for nuclear disarmament. A limited, regional nuclear conflict between the two countries would be a complete disaster for the Sikh community who predominantly lives in Panjab, a region divided between the countries. Some experts suggest that such a conflict would result in a global famine resulting in a billion starvation deaths from the environmental impact, in addition to loss of life due to direct impact.
In his presentation, Jaspreet Singh, Staff Attorney, UNITED SIKHS, stated “When the bombs were dropped on Japan, the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not allowed to have a single voice in the matter; men, women, children, just perished. The fear of the Sikh community in relation to India and Pakistan is the same.” Interspersed with examples of ethics of justice and defense in Sikhism, the presentation made it clear that the use of nuclear weapons is not morally justifiable in any situation given the far-reaching damage they cause without concern or consideration of those who are not directly involved, nor do they allow for dialogue between conflicting parties. He also argued against the notion that general deterrence results from having nuclear arms, and further argued that general deterrence, even if true, is not worth the possible nuclear conflict.
The conference, held in Mexico City from September 9 to September 11, 2009 attracted almost 1300 representatives from non-government organizations from over 50 countries. The international community gathered at the conference called on governments and international organizations worldwide to strengthen their commitments to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons and to promptly start negotiating a convention prohibiting and eliminating those weapons everywhere within an agreed time-bound framework.
The hostile political situation between India and Pakistan has prompted Sikh leadership in India and across the world to come together to voice their concern as a community and as members of civil society. Sikh organizations have appealed to the international community to intervene and de-escalate the situation to diffuse the threat of a nuclear war between the two countries.
In addition to representation by UNITED SIKHS, panelists for the session included Dr. Sohan Lal Gandhi and Kirit Daftari from the Jain community, who highlighted the importance of non-violence in conflict resolution.
For a report on the civil rights of the global Sikh community, please visit:
FirstGlobalSikhCivilRightsReport.pdf
Issued by:
Rucha Kavathe
Media and Communications Intern
UNITED SIKHS
(646) 315-3909
law-usa@unitedsikhs.org
I took many pictures of the 25 October Southall Nagar Kirtan
On this and following posts a selection of them
All pictures will gradually be uploaded on my flickr account
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/
Young sangat outside Havelock Road Singh Sabha
One of the many food stalls which you find all along the route
Pritpal Singh interviewing Pritipal Singh for Sikh Channel
The Palki Sahib and Sadh Sangat outside the Gurdwara
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Many of you may have heard that Tytler has been dropped from the delegation to visit London tomorrow.
Thank you for the assistance of all those that wrote to MPs. It is estimated we contacted over 100 MPs in less than 24 hours. We look forward to many more joining the Sikh Lobby Network so we can take up such matters quickly and exert pressure on MPs.
Simply send your name and postal address to info@sikhfederation.com to join the Sikh Lobby Network and join this sewa.
Letter sent by Rob Marris MP, Chair All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs
Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP
Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH
28 October 2009
My ref: RHM/281009/01
Dear David,
Jagdish Tytler: citizen of India, Entry to the United Kingdom
I write as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs.
I understand that Mr. Jagdish Tytler may have been granted a visa to enter the UK on 29 October 209. He is a controversial former politician from India, who is alleged to have been deeply involved in the November 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in India, in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984. Many survivors of those harrowing events are now living in the UK; as are the relatives of many victims.
It would be unacceptable for someone who had committed such acts to be admitted to the UK, even to visit.
In 1984 Mr. Tytler was the Union government Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs, a position from which he resigned after an official commission of inquiry found that, on a balance of probabilities, he was responsible for inciting and leading murderous mobs against the Sikh community in Delhi during the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms.
I am told that the final report of the Nanavati Commission was submitted in February 2004, detailing accusations and evidence against members of the 1984 government, including Mr. Tytler; and that the Commission found “credible evidence” against Mr. Tytler, saying that he “very probably” had a hand in organising the attacks. Nevertheless, although the Indian government decided not to take steps against Mr. Tytler, citing a lack of evidence, he subsequently resigned from the Union Council of Ministers.
I should point out that, in November 2007, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closed all its cases against Mr. Tytler, and submitted to a court in Delhi a report which stated that no evidence or witnesses had been found to corroborate the allegations against Mr. Tytler of leading murderous mobs during 1984.
However, in December 2007, a witness Mr. Jasbir Singh (now living in California), appeared on several private television news channels in India, and stated that he was never contacted by Central Bureau of Investigation. Thus, on 18 December 2007, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Delhi court, Mr. Sanjeev Jain, ordered the CBI to re-open cases against Mr. Tytler. In December 2008, a two-member CBI team was sent to New York to record the statements of two eyewitnesses, Mr. Jasbir Singh and Mr. Surinder Singh. Those two witnesses have stated that they saw Mr. Tytler lead a mob, but did not want to come to India to give evidence, because they feared for their personal safety.
In these circumstances, I urge you to review very carefully the reported decision to allow Mr. Tytler to enter the United Kingdom; and, if he already be here, to review whether he should leave forthwith.
Yours sincerely,
Rob
Rob Marris
MP for Wolverhampton South West
Rob Marris MP also had an emergency meeting with the junior Foreign Office minister, Ivan Lewis MP, who covers India. He gave him a copy of his letter to the Foreign Secretary, and implored to look into this issue urgently.
Sant samaj for issuing warning to Jathedar Nandgarh
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 26. The Gurmat Sidhant Parcharak Sant Samaj today asked the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh, to summon the Jathedar of Takht Shri Damdama Sahib, Balwant Singh Nandgarh, and issue a warning to him for hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs by issuing a statement against Takht Shri Hazur Sahib.
Passing a resolution after a two-hour long congregation of the sant samaj held at Gurdwara Gur Gyan Parkash at Jwaddi today, the Sikh religious leaders said Jathedar Nandgarh was out to torpedo the Panthic unity and he should be asked to refrain from issuing such statements in future so that no other leader dared to do so either.
Jathedar Nandgarh had recently created a furore by stating that the Sikhs should not visit Takht Hazur Sahib and Patna Sahib as these two seats of religion did not follow the Akal Takht maryada in letter and in spirit.
Announcing the resolution passed after the congregation, president of the sant samaj Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa Bhindrawale demanded that the Nanakshahi Calendar should be amended before December 24 and released.
Otherwise the sant samaj would call a congregation of religious heads to decide the future course of action on the issue. The religious leaders gathered today said it was unfortunate that whenever an issue confronting the Panthic unity was taken up, the Sikh high priests made controversial statements, thereby derailing the entire process.
Giani Harnam Singh said the issue of Nanakshahi Calendar had acquired sensitive proportions and even the Sikhs were now divided over it.
The Nanakshahi Calendar, which was prepared by Canada-based Sikh scholar Pal Singh Purewal, had caused some confusion in the minds of the Sikhs and so amendments were required to make it more acceptable.
The Sikh leaders had been debating over the issue and had recently directed the SGPC to remove the ‘discrepancies’ soon so that the calendar could be released on the auspicious occasion of the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh on January 5.
Community Effort Leads to Major Step Forward in Ending Sikh Exclusion from the Army
(New York, NY) October 20, 2009. The U. S. Army today decided to accept a Sikh recruit, Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, who bravely refused to remove his dastaar or shave his hair as a condition of joining the military.
For the first time in twenty-three years, the community’s effort has persuaded the Army to end the bar on Sikh service.
While the Sikh Coalition applauds the Army’s action, it remains concerned that today’s decision is an exemption to Army policy for a single, individual Sikh and not yet a change of the policy excluding all Sikhs from service. The Coalition remains encouraged, however, that the Army has directly expressed its willingness to review its general policy of excluding Sikhs from service.
Two Sikh men, Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, a doctor, and Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, were recruited to join the Army’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. Both maintained their turbans throughout the four year program, during specialized Army training, at Army ceremonies, and while working in military medical facilities.
Nevertheless, after completing the program, they were told that they must remove their turbans and cut their unshorn hair and beards. Rather than abandon their Sikhi, they chose to appeal to Army leadership to end its policy of Sikh exclusion from service. Today the Army decided to accommodate Captain Kalsi and defer a decision on Captain Rattan’s appeal until he completes his dental education.
“I am overjoyed by the Army’s decision to allow me to serve my country,” said Captain Kalsi. “Like the many Sikhs who fought before me, I know I will serve America with honor and excellence. It is now my hope that the Army will soon allow all Sikhs to serve and not only me.”
Indeed a number of prominent Members of Congress have called on the Army to welcome all Sikhs, and not just Captain Kalsi into the military. In August 2009, 43 members of the House of Representatives and six U.S. Senators called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to allow all Sikhs to serve freely in the U.S. Army. These efforts were led by Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) in the Senate and Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) and Carolyn Maloney (NY) in the House.
Captain Kalsi and Captain Rattan were represented in their respective appeals by the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and the Sikh Coalition. McDermott filed the original appeals that brought the current matter before the U.S. Army and led to today’s decision.
“Throughout the past six months, we have steadfastly asserted that our clients’ religious requirements in no way hinder their ability to effectively serve their country,” said Amandeep S. Sidhu, McDermott’s lead counsel on this case. “We are deeply impressed with the Army’s forward-thinking approach in allowing Captain Kalsi to serve with his turban and beard, and we now call upon the Army to consider amendments to a uniform policy that continues to close the doors to other Sikh Americans from serving in the U.S. Army.”
Next Steps
The Sikh Coalition will continue to engage the Army until the general policy of irrationally excluding Sikhs from service comes to a just and fitting end. While the case of Captain Kalsi has been successfully resolved, we continue to seek the accommodation of Captain Rattan and move forward in the campaign to end the Army’s general policy excluding Sikhs from service continues on.
“We wholeheartedly applaud the Army’s decision today,” said Amardeep Singh, Program Director, Sikh Coalition. “Sikh inclusion in the Army not only helps our military understand the diverse faiths and cultures that make up America, but also the faiths and cultures where we send soldiers into harm’s way. We look forward to the day when the Army welcomes all Sikhs, not just these two young men, to serve.”
On the advocacy front, 43 Members of the United States House of Representatives and six United States Senators have already written to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting that the Army end its policy of excluding Sikhs from service. These efforts were led by Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) in the Senate and Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) and Carolyn Maloney (NY) in the House. The Coalition will continue to build support in Congress for this campaign.
The Coalition will also continue build positive media coverage on the issue. While major media outlets such as CNN.com, the Associated Press, and Washington Post have covered the issue, more can be done to raise public awareness. The Coalition will also encourage grassroots community members to sign petitions to the Army and write to their Members of Congress. Thus far, over 9,000 people have signed petitions to the Army or sent postcards to their Members of Congress on the issue. With the community’s assistance, the Coalition hopes to significantly increase this number.
“As a community, we stand united behind Captain Kalsi and Captain Rattan and their desire to serve freely without sacrificing their Sikhi,” said Sapreet Kaur, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition. “We remain steadfast in our resolve to fight until the Army ends its irrational policy of discrimination against Sikhs. I call upon the community to strengthen its resolve to see this matter through until we have justice.”
A Thank You to Our Community Partners
The Coalition would like to take especially thank the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and Amandeep Singh Sidhu, Esq., McDermott’s lead attorney on the matter. In 2009 alone, McDermott attorneys have donated over $150,000 in pro bono legal services to the Sikh Coalition.
The Coalition would like to thank Representative Howard Berman (CA) and Jasmeet Kaur Ahuja on his staff for the countless hours they devoted to ensure a successful resolution of Captain Kalsi’s matter.
The Coalition would also like to thank the Sikh Council on Research and Education for the many hours it invested in outreach on Capital Hill, as well as the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and United Sikhs. Finally the Coalition would like to thank the thousands of Sikhs who signed petitions to the Army’s leadership and contacted their Members of Congress.
Our collective efforts as a community have resulted in a major step forward in the campaign to end the exclusion of Sikhs from the military. We look forward to working together to bring about a complete end to the U.S. Army’s bar on Sikh service. For now though, we celebrate our community’s victory and the major step forward represented by Captain Kalsi’s accommodation.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges all Sikhs to practice their faith fearlessly. If someone tells you to remove your articles of faith, please report the incident at legal@sikhcoalition .org.
Harjinder Singh & his friend Robert Noorlander in Haarlem
Is my sister equal to me ?
My answer to this question, whether I look at it from my Dutch or my Sikh perspective, is a resounding YES ! From a sub-continental point of view the question is more challenging. The two main religions or dharms on the sub-continent have a rich tradition of treating women as second class, as creatures to be ruled by men.
Sikhí is firmly based on the unity of mankind, but I have seen inequality being practised by Sikhs in Panjab and to a lesser degree here in the UK. I also find that English society is less equal in many respects than what I am used to in the Netherlands. This does not mean that they get everything right in my country of origin !
Guru’s teachings are wonderful. It is obvious from Gurbaní that Guru sees all creation, all creatures as coming from God, and that therefore we should respect all creation. Judging by Gurbaní Sikhs are way ahead of Panjabi, western, Hindu or Ibrahimic ‘teachings’.
The other day I went to two interfaith meetings. At the first meeting I met a female Anglican priest, who was treated by her two male colleagues as an absolute equal. That same day in another meeting I met a female vicar of the United Reformed Church. Both ladies were better educated than the majority of our granthis and were very comfortable in the company of people of other faiths.
A few years ago I attended a meeting regarding the Muslim school in Slough. The committee that was to decide on the school could not come to a decision and the case for a Muslim school was brought before an adjudicator.
The hall was full, partly with the Muslim variety of our greybeards, but there was a good presence of young Muslim women, many of them in hijáb. The men did what South Asian men are good at, they disagreed and launched personal attacks on each other.
The young Muslim women spoke good English, and formulated their contributions well. If it had not been for them the case of the Slough Islamic School might have been lost.
I am not saying that all Muslims and Christians are right and all Sikhs are wrong. In Sikhí we are on firm ground when we speak out for ‘One God, One Humanity’. But I am disappointed when I see that we are overtaken by Christians, Jews and Muslims when it comes to practising equality.
Please let us concentrate on getting our own house in order and let us practice equality between men and women, between all !
Press Release: 22nd October 2009 8th Katik (Samvat 541 Nanakshahi)
London, UK. UNITED SIKHS complained today to the Chairman of the BBC Trust for the misuse of the Khanda, a Sikh religious insignia, in BBC’s news reports last week on the sentencing of three men for heinous rape crimes.
The Sikh community had been very shocked and saddened by a BBC news report, on Friday 16th Oct 2009, about a Sikh rape victim from Wales, who had suffered prolonged abuse at the hands of those she would expect to be protected by, especially from such a young age.
It was, therefore, a double blow for the Sikh community when they saw the irresponsible use, by the BBC in the same news report, of a Sikh religious insignia, the Khanda, and the suggestion that the Sikh religion was connected to the crimes.
The news report had ‘victimised’ the entire Sikh community when the BBC used the Khanda, which is no less significant than the Cross, when they showed the convicted men, whose faces were darkened to protect the identity of the rape victim.
Further, the report, by innuendo, maligned the Sikh community as it made references to the Sikh religion, which had no relevance to the rape incidents. The community felt as though the reporter was trying to link the Sikh religion to the incidents.
The Khanda is a sacred symbol that symbolizes eternity and righteousness and is commonly seen at Sikh Gurdwaras and on the Sikh flag- the Nishaan Sahib.
“What was the reason for using the Khanda in the report? Have you have used the Cross or the Crescent and Star whenever you report on Christians and Muslims committing offences?” Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS legal director, asked in the letter to the BBC Trust.
“Does the BBC accept that the irresponsible use of the Khanda in the said news report could increase community tension and that it can lead to incitement of religious hatred?” she said in the letter, which was also copied to the National Community Tension Team (NCTT), set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers, ACPO. We have requested an urgent meeting with the BBC to address the Sikh community’s concerns.
On seeing the Khanda used in the above-mentioned way, the Sikh community had immediately started a national ‘text’ campaign to contact the BBC for the removal of the Khanda from the news item.
“We were contacted by hurt and irate Sikh youths who said something should be done about this outrageous misuse of the Khanda by the BBC in a flagrant disregard to the religious sensitivities of Sikhs,” said Mejindarpal Kaur.
UNITED SIKHS has asked the BBC to investigate how this irresponsible act was allowed to happen when Sikhs have lived in the UK for many years and the Khanda is a well known Sikh insignia. You may read the letter here.
You may read a previous press release on our efforts to create awareness and understanding of Sikh religious rights at http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PR-15-10-2009.html
UNITED SIKHS encourages the Sikh community to exercise their freedom of religion fearlessly, and to contact us with any problems, concerns, or incidents of discrimination.
Issued by:
Rishipal Singh
Director
UNITED SIKHS
Phone: 07709830442
Also read :
BBC News – Family rape case woman speaks out
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
With two seats in the European Parliament the BNP has made inroads into the political mainstream. Observers say that much of the party’s support comes from white working class who feel they are being overlooked and ignored. Jackie Long has been to Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, to test opinion there.
Blurton is getting better. The hoardings and the new street signs say so. But for many of the families who lived here for generations, it does not feel like it.
Fifty years ago, if you lived in Blurton, work meant the pits or the pots – the coal mines or the potteries.
Now, if you live in Blurton, there is a good chance you will be unemployed. The most recent government statistics show almost half of the people who live here are out of work, almost a third are registered sick or disabled.
The effect it has had on the community is devastating.
Diane Stanley is a true daughter of Blurton. Her father and both grandparents worked in the potteries. Her ex-husband was a miner.
Now she is out of work and so are her two sons:
“The majority of families live on benefits,” she says. “It’s hard. You can’t get a house because you haven’t got a job and you can’t get a job so it’s a vicious circle.”
Her boys are poorly educated. The sort of unskilled work they are looking for is very hard to find.
Diane says she feels let down, by the education system, employers and politicians. It is a feeling shared by many.
‘We have been forgotten’
In the local pub, men still clinging onto some form of work share a pint with those whose working days are over.
All agree that mass unemployment has robbed the community of Blurton of more than just wages.
“We’ve been forgotten,” says 56-year-old Derek Toplis. “No-one’s done nothing for me. When I was out of work they sent me to factories looking for jobs where people weren’t looking for 56-year-olds. I want work but there’s nothing for me.”
“We’ve got to put some pride back into the community,” Alfie Gleghorn says.
Sixty-seven-year old Alfie left school on a Thursday and was down the pits by Monday. With tears welling in his eyes, he says:
“There was no-one had more pride than I had when I got my overalls and pit boots on and I went to work. To me if you’ve got an income, you’ve got respect and you respect everyone else.”
That respect in the community is gone, he says.
‘No jobs to take’
Anti-social behaviour is a real problem. And now there is growing resentment about immigrants.
Though the population of Blurton is more than 98% white, people I spoke to endlessly blamed immigrants for taking their jobs and jumping the housing queue.
Stoke Council say less than 4% of social housing in Blurton is occupied by ethnic minority tenants.
And as for jobs, as one council official put it, immigrants are not taking anyone’s jobs – there are no jobs to take.
Nevertheless, all of this is fertile ground for the British National Party (BNP).
Michael Coleman is a councillor in a nearby ward and his party are actively targeting Blurton. He says the party speaks the people’s language.
And there were certainly those who agreed.
Dave Gore is a 40-year-old tradesman. He has just been made redundant. He says there is work out there but immigrant workers have pushed wages so low, he refuses to do it.
He has voted Labour all his life. Now he is getting ready to vote BNP for the first time.
“Labour took us for granted,” he says. “They’ve done nothing for us. Now I’m going to give the BNP a chance.”
