The Tribune – Badal draws flak from Sikh bodies over award

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 26. Various Sikh organisations have reacted sharply to the Akal Takht Jathedar’s announcement to award Panth Rattan Faqr-e-Qaum to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at Anandpur Sahib yesterday.

Former SGPC secretary and Shiromani Panthic Council chairman Manjeet Singh Calcutta, in a release issued here today, termed the announcement as “unprincipled” and said among Sikhs such an award was given to an individual for his services to the “Panth”. He said there are several deserving Sikhs like Bhai Veer Singh, Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, Prof Jodh Singh and Prof Mohan Singh who have served the religion immensely.

“If Badal has been given this award merely for raising memorials, then there are many Babas who have done a great contribution with their kar sewa,” he said.

DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said the five Sikh high priests should tell the community as to why they should feel proud of Badal. “Should we be proud of the fact that Sikhism is on the decline in Punjab under the SAD-ruled SGPC?” said Sarna. “Golden Temple’s Head Granthi Bhai Jaswinder Singh himself stated at Anandpur Sahib yesterday that 90 to 95 per cent Sikh youth in Punjab had become ‘patit’ (apostate).”

Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh said the announcement had led to mockery of the significance of the award.

Addressing the media in Hoshiarpur, he said, “Badal is not Faqr-e-quam (pride of the community) but fiqr-e-quam (headache for the community).”

SAD (1920) senior vice-president Raghubir Singh Rajasansi said the Jathedar should review the matter.

Meanwhile, Khalra Mission Organisation chief Harmandeep Singh Sarhali said the Sikh Panth would never acknowledge the award bestowed upon the CM as it was against the teachings of Sikh Gurus. He accused Badal of “rewarding the officials who worked against Sikh interests in the 1984 Operation Bluestar and the subsequent turbulent days of militancy in Punjab”.

BJP for Nobel to CM

BJP leader Tikshan Sud has sought Nobel Peace Prize for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his “service to humanity as well as world peace during his political career”.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111127/punjab.htm#9

The Hindu – Katju raises attacks on media persons in Jammu &Kashmir

New Delhi, 27 November 2011. In the wake of reports that some journalists covering protests were assaulted by Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Srinagar, Press Council Chairman Justice (retired) Markandey Katju on Saturday wrote to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Adbullah enquiring what steps were being taken to ensure that the media could work effectively in the State.

It has been reported that “some journalists were beaten up by CRPF personnel in J&K while covering protests in Srinagar recently. It is also reported that photojournalists and a video journalist were hospitalised,” Justice Katju wrote in his letter to the Chief Minister.

“It is reported that Umer Mehraj, working as a video journalist for Associated Press Television News, and Yawar Kabli and Showkat Shafi, both freelance photojournalists, were taken to SKIMS Hospital, after being beaten up by CRPF personnel,” he said.   Justice Katju said if the reports were true, the incident was “serious” and demanded that he be apprised of steps the State government was taking to ensure that journalists could do their job effectively.

“If these reports are true it is a serious matter affecting the freedom of the media guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”

“Please immediately give me your comments on these reports and also what steps you have taken so that the media is able to discharge its duties effectively.” (PTI)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2663306.ece

Sint-Truiden Guru Nanak Nagar Kirtan 23 October 2011

Woman in shawl in between Palki and Gurdwara

Sevadars busy in the kitchen

A small pot of tea …

Members of the sangat donate loads of sweets on Nagar Kirtan day

To see more Sint-Truiden Gurdwara related pictures go to :

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157624495772533/  

More Nagar Kirtan pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

Special to the Tribune – Labour says no to Dow sponsorship of Olympics

Shyam Bhatia in London

Leading members of the British Labour Party are supporting Indian athletes who say a company linked to the Bhopal gas disaster should not be accepted as a sponsor of next year’s London Olympics.

Dow Chemicals owns Union Carbide which ran the Bhopal chemical plant that leaked poisonous gases in 1984 when an estimated 25,000 persons were killed.

Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001, seven years after the disaster, and has refused to pay for clean up operations because it says its obligations have been met through an earlier settlement with Union Carbide.

Three months ago the London organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) said it had reached a £7 million deal with Dow to provide “sustainable” facing for the main Olympic Stadium.

It is this deal that has been criticised by Labour MP Barry Gardiner, who is also chair of the Labour Friends of India and who commented last Friday, “Locog cannot continue to ignore the risk that Dow poses to the Games. They need to focus on preparing to give the performance of their lives.

“It is not fair to distract them or have them embroiled in a political dispute. LOCOG made a mistake in partnering with Dow. They must now accept that, end the relationship and lift this cloud from London 2012. They now have a deadline of 10 days to do so.”

Amnesty International has also been critical of the Olympics link with Dow, saying in a supportive statement, “Locog put itself in an untenable situation in granting the wrap contract to the Dow Chemical company, in the face of its continuing failure to address one of the worse corporate related human rights disasters of the 20th century. It should put as a central concern the outstanding needs of the survivors of Bhopal and recognise that ongoing human rights concerns were not properly considered prior to the contract being given to Dow.”

In just over a week’s time India’s Olympic Association (IOA) is holding a vote on whether its athletes should boycott the games. Acting President of the IOA Vijay Malhotra said last week, “Many Olympic athletes have expressed concern about it and they are upset that Dow is sponsoring the London Olympics and they want to boycott.”

India’s boycott threat has won the sympathy of Former British Labour minister Tessa Jowell who said, “This is a very significant step to take for the IOA on behalf of their athletes. It is a reminder to the world, nearly 27 years after the disaster in Bhopal, of the continuing outrage in India at the apparent indifference towards the suffering Union Carbide has caused.”

Before India’s boycott threat was made public Locog chairman Sebastian Coe said, “I am the grandson of an Indian so I’m not completely unaware of this as an issue. But I am satisfied that at no time did Dow operate, own or were involved with the plant at the time of the disaster or the time of the full and final settlement.”

Earlier he welcomed Dow’s sponsorship, saying, “The stadium will look spectacular at Games time and having the wrap is the icing on the cake. I’m delighted that Dow, as one of the newer worldwide partners of the Olympic Movement, will be providing it and importantly doing it in a sustainable way. It reflects our vision and is a real statement of intent from Dow about their commitment to the Games.”

Why the row

Dow Chemicals owns Union Carbide which ran the Bhopal chemical plant that leaked poisonous gases in 1984 when an estimated 25,000 persons were killed.

Boycott possible

In just over a week’s time the IOA is holding a vote on whether its athletes should boycott the games. Acting President of the IOA Vijay Malhotra said last week, “Many Olympic athletes have expressed concern about it and they are upset that Dow is sponsoring the London Olympics and they want to boycott.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111127/main8.htm

BBC News – Pakistan orders Nato and US review after deadly border strike

27 November 2011

Pakistan has ordered a review of all co-operation with the US and Nato after the alliance struck a Pakistani army checkpoint, killing at least 24 people.

A committee chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also decided to cut supply lines to Nato in Afghanistan.

A Nato spokesman admitted it was “highly likely” that Nato aircraft were behind the strike at the Afghan border.

The US has stressed the importance of its relationship and said it fully backed Nato’s plan to investigate.

Nato’s Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson sent condolences to Pakistan and said the alliance was investigating how the incident occurred.

Ambassador summoned   Mr Gilani called the attack a “grave infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty”.

The BBC’s Orla Guerin in Islamabad says this could be a very costly mistake by Nato, which relies heavily on the route through Pakistan to supply its personnel involved in the war in Afghanistan.

A meeting of the cabinet’s defence committee, convened by Mr Gilani, decided the government would “revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and co-operative arrangements with US/Nato/Isaf, including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence”.

It “decided to close with immediate effect Nato/Isaf logistics supply lines”, according to a statement issued by Mr Gilani’s office.

Reports appeared to confirm that Nato traffic was not being allowed through Pakistan’s two border crossings with Afghanistan, at Torkham and Chaman.

The committee also said the United States would be asked to vacate, within 15 days, the Shamsi air base, which the US has used to launch drones.

However, our correspondent notes that Pakistan has made a similar demand before and the base may already be empty.

Pakistan’s government also summoned the US ambassador.

Late on Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement saying they offered their “deepest condolences for the loss of life and support fully Nato’s intention to investigate immediately”.

They stressed the “importance of the US-Pakistani partnership, which serves the mutual interests of our people” and pledged to remain in close contact with their Pakistani counterparts, the AFP news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Special forces   The night-time attack took place at the Salala checkpoint, about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from the Afghan border, at around 02:00 on Saturday morning local time (21:00 GMT Friday).

The Pakistani army said helicopters and fighter aircraft hit two border posts, killing 24 people and leaving 13 injured.

Local officials said the two posts were about 300m apart on a mountain top.

Pakistani officials said there had been no militant activity in the area, and most of the Pakistani soldiers were asleep.

They also said Nato had the grid references of the posts and therefore should not have fired.

Nick Childs, BBC defence and security correspondent

This may not have been the first incident of its kind on the Afghan-Pakistan border, but it is certainly shaping up to be the worst.

There are two very different, if incomplete versions of events. The two sides will probably have to talk to each other to sort it out, if sensitivities allow.

Cross-border tensions, and how to deal with the movements of militants back-and-forth, have been a running sore in relations between the governments of Kabul and Islamabad, and with the Nato-led force.

But relations between Washington and Islamabad have also soured over a string of wider tensions, including in the aftermath of the US raid into Pakistan in May that killed Osama Bin Laden.

In this atmosphere of undoubted ill-feeling, defusing this latest crisis will be a challenge for both sides.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15905777