Vilvoorde – Raj Academy 20 January 2013 / Sikhs in EU Headquarters 21 January 2013

Kirtan in rag on traditional string instruments

Surinder Singh and Surjit Singh – two Sarangi players

Not Sikhitothemax !

Surinder Singh and Surjit Singh

I think Jasvir Kaur’s instrument is a rebab

http://www.rajacademy.com/index.php

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji
14 Lange molen Straat
B-1800 Vilvoorde
(Just north of Brussel)

To see more Belgium and Netherlands gurdwara pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622147381380/

Amritdhari Sikhs wearing their 5 Ks visit EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas

On the right the Singh who does not live in Slough anymore

To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/

More pictures of this visit to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – CM, Sukhbir to meet PM on Bhullar case today; To stress on convict’s mental condition and case ‘peculiarities’

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 14. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal will meet Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh tomorrow and request him to urge the President to issue directions to stop the execution of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

They will make out a case for commuting Bhullar’s death penalty to life sentence in view of his “mental condition’ as well as certain ‘peculiarities’ in the case which they feel make it a unique case for consideration of clemency, say sources.

The leaders will present the report of doctors treating Bhullar, stating the latter is under depression.

Doctors treating the militant leader have claimed that they were not asked about his mental condition.

Bhullar has been categorised as a “patient who can attempt suicide any moment” by the medical team treating him.

The Akali leaders, who will not be joined by any BJP leader from Punjab, with the saffon party making it clear that it does not want to come in the way of execution of the death sentence, will stress on the ‘peculiarities’ in the case, said the CM’s media adviser, Harcharan Bains.

This includes the fact that the presiding judge in the case acquitted Bhullar on the charges presented against the militant and ruled that there was no evidence against him, except his own statement to the police taken under duress and which has been denied by him.

The leaders claim that the External Affairs Ministry had also advised that Bhullar should not be awarded the death penalty as it had given this assurance to the German Government upon his deportation from the country.

The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are likely to stress that nothing should be done that could threaten peace and harmony in Punjab. The Akali leaders are also likely to urge the PM that cases where justice is not seen to have been done should be treated differently.

‘Justice March’ on April 18

Ludhiana: About a dozen Panthic organisations, at a meeting in Gurdwara Jawaddi Taksal here, decided to hold “Justice March” on April 18 from Fatehgarh Sahib to Delhi and hand over a resolution to the President, with 75,000 signatures, pleading clemency for Bhullar. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), Akali Dal (1920), Akali Dal (Barnala), Sikh Students
Federation, Sant Samaj, Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committteee, Sikh Chetna Mission, Youth Akali Dal and Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj. The Khalsa Action Committee has appealed to the Sikhs to unfurl the saffron flag atop their houses on April 18. (TNS)

Tension in native village

Bathinda: Tension gripped convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s native village Dayalpura Bhai-Ka after the police did not allow hardliner Baba Hardip Singh from coming out of his house to lead a protest march against the Supreme Court’s rejection of Bhullar’s plea to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. The police was deployed in strength in the village to prevent any untoward incident.

However, a group of residents blocked the Barnala highway.They also organised a protest march. The residents did not allow the local authorities to hold a cultural programme in the village. They had boycotted Baisakhi celebrations on Saturday. (TNS)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130415/punjab.htm#2

Amsterdam and Den Haag – 20 December 2012 till 7 January 2013

My walk on 24 December 2012

Bloemstraat, Jordaan

Bloemstraat, Westertoren, Westerkerk

Bloemstraat, Eben – Haëzer
Till here God has helped us

Bloemstraat is in the Jordaan, a neighbourhood in central Amsterdam between Lijnbaansgracht en Prinsengracht

Sloterdijk

Sloterdijk NS Station, track 9 and 10
Hoofddorp – Hoorn Kersenboomgaard

Sloterdijk NS Station, track 9 and 10
Hoofddorp – Hoorn Kersenboomgaard

Sloterdijk NS Station, track 9 and 10
Hoofddorp – Hoorn Kersenboomgaard

There are really three Sloterdijk stations :
1) Main station high level track 11 and 12 for trains that come to/from Amsterdam via Schiphol Airport and continue to Amsterdam Centraal Station and further on
2) Main station low level track 1 to 8 for trains that come to/from Amsterdam from/via Haarlem and continue to Amsterdam Centraal Station and further on and for trains coming from Den Helder, Alkmaar and Uitgeest and continue to Amsterdam Centraal Station and further on
3) Track 9 and 10 for trains to/from Hoofddorp via Schiphol Airport continuing to Hoorn via Zaandam

To see more Netherlands General pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622146891077/

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll 2013; Campaigning ends, voting tomorrow, counting on January 30

Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 25. Campaigning for the January 27 Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections ended today with all candidates making tall promises in their last attempt to win the voters in their favour.

As the 4.15-lakh strong Sikh electorate gears up to cast vote a day after tomorrow, the community stands divided over a host of issues, thereby, making it anybody’s chance at winning the 46-member committee.

The Paramjit Singh Sarna-led group is in power at the cash-rich DSGMC while the Parkash Singh Badal-led group is challenging his authority. SAD president Sukhbir Badal and his team have been working overtime to accomplish their “Oust-Sarna” mission. Though the electioneering has come to an end, the acrimony at which the process culminated has given rise to a fear about the management of gurdwara affairs in the National Capital.

Also, the campaigning threw up several issues that will be a challenge for the winner to fulfill. The key issue is implementing the Akal Takht-approved Nanakshahi calendar to observe Sikh rituals and gurpurbs in Delhi.

DSGMC’s incumbent chief Sarna disapproves of the Akal Takht decision to announce the calendar on its own without any discussion among the jathedars of other Takhts. Sukhbir has been playing up the issue claiming that the Akal Takht was the supreme Sikh temporal body and that Sarna had been “defying” it.

Sarna, on his part, has been accusing the Badals of “running an agenda of the right wing body RSS in Punjab”. He warned the Sikhs in Delhi: “The Badals are eyeing the donations (about Rs 50 crore a year) gathered at Delhi gurdwaras.” The Punjab versus Delhi divide is also in play. Sarna says, “Delhi Sikhs have nothing in common with their counterparts from Punjab. The Delhi Sikhs settled in the National Capital following the 1947 migration from Pakistan and are largely traders. The Punjab Sikh is primarily a farmer.”

Countering the Sarna claim, the Badal group says: “Sarna, at the behest of the Congress, is created a geographical divide among the Sikhs.”

Another factor is the Jat Sikh versus non-Jat Sikh clash. The Delhi Sikhs sound intimidated by their Punjabi brethren, who enjoy the reputation of being aggressive.

In contrast, New Delhi’s Sikhs, mostly comprising traders, are more conciliatory by nature. Sarna’s followers are non-Jat Sikhs. Interestingly, Badal’s presidential nominee Manjit Singh GK is also a non-Jat.

The manner is which a few of the candidates have withdrawn from the fray or have retired in favour of their rivals has raised questions if they were under pressure or whether money power was at play. “It is money power of the Badals,” claims Sarna. Sukhbir, however, says, “The people are fed up with the Sarnas.”

The level of education in the DSGMC-run schools and colleges has been debated time and again. But the reality is schools and colleges have been used by ruling group to dole out favours. When the Badal group ruled the DSGMC, an inquiry found out that teachers were recruited on fake documents. They were removed. During Sarna’s tenure, there have been allegations of favouritism in appointments.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130126/punjab.htm#10

The Tribune – Kashmir Shooting; It was a pre-planned operation: Deputy General Officer Commanding

Tribune News Service

Rajouri, January 9. Brigadier J K Tiwari, Deputy General Officer Commanding of the 25 Infantry Division, today said the gruesome killing of two soldiers by Pakistani troops in the Mendhar Sector on Tuesday was a pre-planned operation.

Interacting with mediapersons after paying tribute to the two martyrs, Brigadier Tiwari termed the Pakistani Army’s action as most barbaric and inhuman. “It was a highly provocative act and pre-planned by Pakistan, which is highly condemnable,” he said.

Explaining how the killings took place, Brigadier Tiwari said, “Our area domination patrol was moving from one post to another along the Line of Control (LoC). Midway, it came under heaving firing by a group of Pakistani troops who had crossed the LoC and intruded deep into our side. The firing continued for over half an hour,” he said.

He said the soldiers were ambushed amid thick fog that greatly reduced visibility in the area, which has a thick forest cover and helped Pakistani troops intrude into India.

“After the firing stopped, the patrol party started consolidation of the area and found two men of the advance patrolling party missing. After the search, the badly mutilated bodies of two soldiers were found. The head of one of the soldiers was taken away by the Pakistani soldiers,” he said.

“They (Pakistani) are very desperate to send militants and their efforts have been successfully foiled by the Indian Army. That may be a reason for this action,” he said, adding that such an incident had not taken place along the LoC in the last eight to nine years.

Earlier, Brigadier Tiwari laid wreaths on the bodies of Lance Naik Hemraj (29) and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh (28) at the ALC Ground in Rajouri followed by a guard of honour. Wrapped in the Tricolour, their bodies were sent to their villages in UP and MP. The Army also called a high-level meeting of the 25 Infantry Division where all senior officers were present.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130110/main2.htm

The Tribune – Groundwater in Sangrur falling at alarming rate

Sushil Goyal, Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 5. Groundwater has been depleting by almost 1 m every year in the district. It has reportedly gone down by 8 m to 10 m in the last about one decade. One of the main reasons of the depletion of groundwater is said to be its over exploitation.

Sources said in 2002, the groundwater’s depth range was between 10 m and 25 m in the district. The same went down to 18 m to 30 m by 2012.

Deepak Sethi, Assistant Geologist, Agriculture, said as per an analysis of groundwater, prepared in 2004 by the Central Ground Water Board and the Water Sources Directorate of Irrigation Department, in collaboration with the state Agriculture Department, if the recharge of water (through rainwater, canals etc) was 100 per cent then, its discharge was 192 per cent. As per another analysis done in 2009, if the recharge of water was 100 per cent then, its discharge was 264 per cent.

Sethi said after implementation of the Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act 2009, the depletion of groundwater was restricted to some extent.

There are nine blocks in the district, namely Sangrur, Sunam, Dhuri, Malerkotla, Ahmedgarh, Sherpur, Andana, Lehra and Bhawanigarh. As many as 18 piezometers have been installed in these blocks by the authorities to record the groundwater level. On the basis of measurement, through these piezometers in June (pre-monsoon) and October (post-monsoon), an analysis report of groundwater is prepared every year.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130106/punjab.htm#7

The Tribune – Namdhari sect succession row spills onto roads in Ludhiana; International unit’s members protests, want Uday’s brother Dalip appointed head

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana December 18. The tug-of-war over appointing the successor to late Satguru Jagjit Singh took an ugly turn today when members of the International Namdhari Sangat took to the streets here today.

Namdhari sect head Jagjit Singh had died on December 13 and his nephew Thakur Uday Singh was appointed the successor on December 16.

The International Namdhari Sangat, however, wanted Uday Singh’s brother Thakur Dalip Singh appointed as the new Satguru. The Sangat had even appealed to Jagjit Singh’s widow Chand Kaur to reconsider the decision to appoint Uday Singh as the new head.

The International Sangat members today burnt an effigy of Namdhari Darbar (Bhaini Sahib) president H S Hanspal and vice-president Surinder Lyal at Vishvakarma Chowk here. The activists alleged that Hanspal and Lyal were trying to create factionalism among the Namdhari Sangat over succession.

International Namdhari Sangat president Navtej Singh said Hanspal and Lyal allegedly had vested interests in appointing Uday Singh as the new head. “Hanspal and Lyal want to become politically important and, therefore, have appointed Uday Singh as the sect head. Both are indirectly trying to divide the Namdharis,” he said.

Navtej alleged that both these leaders had committed a sin by ignoring Jagjit Singh’s desire and announcing Uday Singh as the Satguru instead of Dalip Singh. He claimed that a majority of the Namdhari Sangat was in Dalip Singh’s favour and that Hanspal and Lyal had allegedly ignored the mass feeling.

When questioned on the issue, Lyal said the International Namdhari Sangat was a “fake organisation”. “There is no confusion over succession as Chand Kaur herself had announced Uday Singh as the new Satguru. A section of the Sangat is trying to defame the Namdhari sect,” he added.

Hanspal, however, refused to comment on the issue.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121219/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – Cabinet okays linking Mohali with UT metro; Decides on Naib Tehsildar’s post for slain ASI’s daughter

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 12. The Punjab Cabinet today gave approval to link the Mohali railway station with the Chandigarh metro rail project at a cost of Rs 1,427 crore. The total 37.57 km length of the metro rail covering Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali will be completed at a cost of Rs.10,900 crore.

An official spokesperson said two corridors would be developed for the project. One from Capital Complex, Chandigarh, to Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan, Sector 70, in Mohali, having a length of 12.49 km. At least 3.97 km in this section lie in Mohali. The second corridor will be from Mullanpur (Punjab portion) to Grain Market, Panchkula, having a length of 25.07 km. A total of 3.87 km in this portion will fall in Mullanpur.

To ensure quick dispensation of justice to the people of the state, the Cabinet approved the creation of 37 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate besides entrusting the work of selection of 71 posts of PCS (Judicial Branch) to the Punjab & Haryana High Court by taking these posts out of the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). The said posts will be advertised by the PPSC and the selection will be made by the recruitment committee of the High Court.

The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Punjab Lokpal Act by making provision for the appointment of one Up-Lokpal.

To regulate the profession of travel agents and checking their illegal and fraudulent activities, the Cabinet gave its approval for enactment of the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Bill, 2012. The Bill stipulates whosoever indulges in activities that result in sending people abroad illegally shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of not less than three years, which may extend up to seven years with fine. Whoever is again convicted of an offence under the same provision shall be punishable, for the second and for each subsequent offence, with double the penalty provided for that offence. The Cabinet decided to appoint the late ASI Ravinder Pal Singh’s daughter Robinjeet Kaur, who is M.Sc in computer science, as naib tehsildar on compassionate grounds.

The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Punjab School Education Board Act, 1969, to declare the Board as the sole body to discharge its functions. The move will empower the board in checking the malpractice of issuing bogus certificates/degrees which were not approved for employment in government as well as other organisations.

The Cabinet decided to slash the rate of VAT on timber and scaffolding from 13 per cent (plus surcharge) to 5.5 per cent (plus surcharge). The reduction will help prevent flight of timber and scaffolding units from Punjab to other states.

Acting on the written requests from farmers, the Cabinet gave its go-ahead to return their land leased to the Citrus Council.

The Cabinet also approved repealing of the Pension Scheme of 1996 for the grant of pension and gratuity to the teaching and non-teaching staff of the state’s privately managed recognised affiliated aided colleges.

To ensure better citizen centric services to the people and smooth functioning of the Pathankot and Fazilka district administration, the Cabinet approved the creation of 239 and 228 posts in various departments of Pathankot and Fazilka districts, respectively. The Cabinet also approved the creation of 28 posts in blocks of Bhagtan Bhai Ka in Bathinda, Raikot in Ludhiana, Sujanpur and Dorangla in Gurdaspur district.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121213/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – The Jammu and Kashmir High Court wants houseboats shifted to another part of Dal Lake

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 11. Taking serious note of the non-compliance of court directions by houseboat owners, the J-K High Court has observed that the government should explore the possibility of shifting the houseboats on the Dal Lake from their present position.

The high court observed that these houseboats could be shifted to the Doldrum area, which is another location inside the Dal Lake.

These observations were made yesterday by a Division Bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar.

The high court has been hearing a public interest litigation plea calling for the conservation of the Dal Lake and has been monitoring the efforts of the government in this regard for many years.

In a bid to prevent pollution in the lake and to supervise the state government’s efforts to conserve the lake, the HC had on October 29 directed the houseboat owners to shift their anchored houseboats from their existing position at the lake by 300 feet from the Boulevard Road, which forms the outer periphery of the lake.

The high court had ordered that the retrieval process of around 230 houseboats should be carried out within 10 days. However, the boat owners have so for shown non-compliance of the court directions, citing many reasons.

As the matter came up for hearing in the court yesterday, the court was told that the owners were yet to retreat the houseboats from their current position.

This prompted the Bench to observe that the houseboat owners were just “buying time.” Subsequently, the Bench observed that the “government shall now explore the possibility of shifting all houseboats from their current position to another location at the Dal lake, which is known as the Doldrum area”.

The court, however, did not specify any time frame, as the matter has been posted for further consideration in February next year.

The houseboat owners have so for resisted realignment or shifting of the houseboats, maintaining that realignment or shifting of the houseboats at the lake is a “Herculean task” and may require a lot of “time and effort”.

Currently, the Centrally-sponsored Dal Lake Cleaning and Conservation Project, which was started in 2005, is being implemented by the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), Srinagar, under the court’s supervision. Over the years, the lake water has become polluted as sewage of hundreds of houseboats and hotels and houses on its periphery goes directly into the lake.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121212/j&k.htm#3

The Tribune – ASI cremated; shock, anger among mourners

Tribune News Service

Rampura (Amritsar), December 7. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ravinderpal Singh, who was shot dead on Wednesday by youths harassing his daughter, was cremated at his native village today with state honours.

Senior police officials, including IGP, Border Range, RP Mittal, Deputy IGP Paramraj Umranangal and Amritsar Police Commissioner Ram Singh, attended the funeral. The pyre was lit by the ASI’s daughter Robinjeet Kaur and son Navpreet Singh.

An inconsolable Robinjeet pledged to avenge her father’s killing. She fainted repeatedly as the last rites were being performed. A wailing Paramjeet Kaur, the deceased’s wife, demanded justice. There was shock and anger among the mourners.

Former minister and Attari legislator Gulzar Singh Ranike was the lone SAD leader to attend the cremation. Former SAD legislator Veer Singh Lopoke and district SAD chief Upkar Singh Sandhu were also present. Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was conspicuous by his absence.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu was with the bereaved family all through the cremation ceremony. Amritsar Mayor BR Arora and district BJP chief Naresh Sharma were the other BJP leaders present. Sidhu said it was time for introspection for all political parties.

“The parties should identify its members with a criminal background and shunt them out while the police should not brook political interference,” she said, adding that the incident had hit the image of the SAD-BJP government.

Talking to the mediapersons, a devastated Robinjeet said she would join as Sub-Inspector with the Punjab Police “so that nobody dares to do what Rana and others did to my father.”

A shocked Navpreet Singh could not utter a word. He had returned to Australia only 20 days back after getting engaged.

A number of Congress leaders attended the cremation. Among them were Amritsar West MLA Rajkumar Verka, former Deputy Speaker Prof Darbari Lal, District Rural Congress chief Harpartap Ajnala, Rajasansi MLA Sukh Sarkaria, former Amritsar Mayor Sunil Dutti and Amritsar Urban Congress president Jugal Kishore Sharma. Gurdaspur MP Partap Bajwa and Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikamjit Chaudhary visited the family after the cremation.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121208/main2.htm