Sarah Leung, deputy head teacher of Squirrels Heath Infant School, Salisbury Road, Gidea Park, was “delighted” when she saw the tribute for the first time to pupil Milan Lall, a seven-year-old #Sikhboy who died of leukaemia in June.

She said: “It’s simply amazing.”

“You can see so much work went into creating the bench with all of the detail. We’re very happy that we have got something to remember him as he was so lovely.”

A super heroes day was held at the school where pupils and staff got to dress up as their favourite characters and raised more than £1,000 which paid for the tribute to Milan.

The bench which also features Spiderman and a samurai sword, was created by carpenter Andy O’Neill from Wild Wood Carving in Bristol.

When he was told about Milan’s story who battled leukaemia for several years, Andy couldn’t wait to get started on making the bench, with the end result completed in three days.

He said: “It is a really really sad story but memorial benches are special jobs because they do mean so much to the family and you get to put someone’s spirit into what you create.

“I am very proud of the bench and just hope that the family like it and think it is a good tribute to Milan.”
The memorial has been placed in the school’s playground where pupils can go and visit.

Sarah said: “Milan’s friends from his class have moved on to junior school so the pupils here now didn’t know him but because the bench is here, they all ask about him. We never want to forget Milan and this tribute keeps his presence alive in the school.”

Originally published by romfordrecorder.co.uk

“The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, now before us, is a good opportunity to work together in the field of works of charity,” said Pope Francis, ideally turning to other religions, in the audience for the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. “And in this field – he continued -, especially where it counts compassion, can join us so many people who do not feel or believe that they are looking for God and the truth, people that focus on the face of the other, in particularly the face of the brother or sister in need. ”

“But the mercy we are called – added Francesco – embraces all of creation, that God has entrusted to us because we are stewards, not exploiters or, even worse, destructive. We should always propose to leave the world a better place than we found it, in the communities we live in, from little gestures of our daily lives”.

~ Source: ansa

I was coming back to home from Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan, Sohana situated in Sector 78, Mohali, suddenly some ladies sitting in a Maruti car and a male driver stopped by me and started asking about someone.

These ladies tried to indulge me in their talks but I doubted them so I continued my walk. Within a moment two ladies came out from the car and they forcefully put me into the car. After which I shouted as well, but nobody heard my voice as the glasses of the car were closed.

Afterwards the ladies started assaulting me in the car, also tried to remove my gold ear rings from my ears, as my head was covered properly Dupatta, they failed to remove the ear rings. When I felt that it is turning bad I took out my Kirpan and tried to hit them with it, so that somehow I may get rid of them.

Seeing the Kirpan in my hand those ladies got afraid and after some meters, the car was stopped near stadium and they dropped me down and ran away from the spot. Later I found that four gold bangles which I was wearing in both hands were gone and when I reached home I shared the incident with my family, they all were shocked. My elder son Jatinder Sabharwal immediately reported the incident to senior police officers.

The Kirpan which was given to me by my Guru, saved my life.

– Kuldeep Kaur, Mohali

Source- SikhFeed

Daljit Nagra has been appointed the first Poet in Residence by the BBC, a role through which the Indian-origin poet will curate a weekly programme for the corporation to tell a new story about the 20th-century poetry.

Nagra, the son of Sikh immigrants from India who came to Britain in the late 1950s, curate the weekly programme on BBC Radio 4 Extra. His role will last for two years. The 49-year-old will also be appearing on various Radio 4 broadcast and social media platforms over the year while writing original work to commission.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be given such a valuable platform as Poet in Residence at Radio 4. This position will, I am sure, inspire me to write new poetry that speaks of our complicated age,” Nagra said. “What excites me most is the chance to give exposure to my beloved art form of poetry.”

~ Source: PTI

He was the scripture reader (‘granthi’) attached to the Sikh units in the expedition to relieve General Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan. He had previously served for 19 years as an infantryman of the 6th #Punjab Regiment in many frontier fights.

The following vivid report was written by a correspondent of the ‘The South Australian Advertiser’ during his visit to the Calcutta International Exhibition on 19 February 1884:

‘One of the most interesting visitors to the exhibition during the week has been an extraordinary looking Sikh from Amritsar, a frontier district of the Punjab. From his dress and appearance this man created quite a sensation amongst the natives. His name is Heera Singh, and he is an Akali Nihang.

He stands about 6 feet 3 inches in height in his slippers, and as he wears a headdress over 2 feet in height his appearance is sufficiently imposing. This headdress is called a Guja, and is in the form of a conical puggaree, bound round with massive steel and silver chains.

From the crown it runs up to a point, the upper portion being ornamented with nine crescents of polished steel, very sharp at the edges, and capable of being used as weapons. The peak of the headdress terminates in a steel spearhead, so that a charge from one of these gentlemen, a la billy goat, would probably interfere considerably with the digestion of his adversary if delivered well below the belt.

Around the top of the hat are carried six quoits, or flat steel rings about 9 inches in diameter, very sharp on the outer edge, which, I am informed, are used by the Sikhs as weapons, being slung from the finger with such force as to take off a man’s head at a considerable distance. Round the neck a still larger quoit is carried.

The other arms carried by Heera Singh were a tulwar or curved sword, a Colt’s revolver, a dagger, and a katar — an extraordinary weapon for thrusting, which has the property of opening two blades after the fashion of a pair of tailor’s shears when the thrust has been delivered.

Heera Singh was brought to Calcutta by Mr. E. Nicholl. He has done good service for the British Government in many frontier fights. He carries the Jowaki medal, and is in receipt of a pension of four rupees per day, having served in the 6th Punjab force for nineteen years.’

~ Source: Sikhs Protecting the UK

Dalvir Kaur and her friend Balvinder Kaur don’t mind cleaning up the dirty dishes in the large kitchen of a Queens gurudwara.

“I want to do more work,” Dalvir Kaur said with a smile.

A few feet away, Daljit Singh is drying dishes with a hand towel. The 38-year old construction worker, who wears a turban, says that this type of work makes his “heart happy.”

The three individuals are just some of the devout Sikhs who volunteer their time at the Sikh Cultural Society’s “langar,” or free kitchen, located in the Queens neighborhood of Richmond Hill. They assist in the preparation of thousands of free meals a week at the Sikh temple, or “gurdwara,” where food is served almost around the clock.

Every Gurdwara in the world, no matter how large or small, has facilities to distribute free meals to the community. It is considered to be an honor to help cook and serve food to anyone that enters the langar.

At the Sikh Cultural Center–a sprawling complex in a city that is home to one of the largest population of Sikhs outside of India–Indian lentils, flatbreads, rice and colorful curries (all vegetarian) are served from gigantic pots onto individual trays. Attendees sit side-by-side on the floor and eat with their hands.

Balbir Rathor, a retired mechanical engineer, told NBC News he travels every week from his Long Island home to the Richmond Hill gurdwara to worship. Eating langar here puts him in a spiritual state of mind, he says, and is an activity he looks forward to.

“Eating langar is even more special than eating at home with my own family,” said Rathor, 73, as men around him poured water and heaped dollops of lentils and basmati rice onto his tin tray. “Eating langar is a blessing.”

There are currently about 700,000 Sikhs living in the United States who, like Rathor and the volunteers at the Sikh Cultural Society, have built their lives and careers across the country for decades.

But according to the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Sikh Americans have often been targets of discrimination, especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

SALDEF notes that it has been difficult to know the true number of hate crimes against Sikh Americans because specific statistics were unavailable until recently. In March, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced it would begin tracking hate crimes against Sikh Americans, as well as against Hindu and Arab Americans.

The largest hate crime to take place against Sikhs on American soil happened three years ago on the morning of August 5th, 2012, at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.

What started off as an ordinary day as local Sikhs gathered for service and prepared for Sunday school classes turned deadly when a gunman opened fire, killing six before turning the gun on himself.

A group of women and children were later found hiding inside a pantry in the kitchen where they sought cover.
The women had been busy before two terrified children ran to the kitchen, alerting them about the gunman. They were hard at work preparing the day’s langar meal.

‘I Volunteer Here Only to Please God’
Langar is about more than just eating free Indian food: the tradition of the community meal is as old as the Sikh religion itself–a religion that originated in the Punjab region of present-day India and Pakistan.

As the story goes, a young man was given 20 rupees by his father with the expectation that the son would use it to turn a profit. Instead, he used the money to feed hungry people he met, proclaiming that there was no venture more profitable than feeding his fellow man and engaging in selfless service.

The man’s name was Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, which is now the world’s fifth largest religion. His unselfish act is considered the first langar meal in the Sikh tradition.

Many poor and hungry people come here to eat,” Gurmeet Singh Gill, a manager at the Sikh Cultural Society, told NBC News.
“We do not ask anyone any questions,” he said, adding that some non-Sikhs also come to the gurudwara to eat, which is an expression of the Sikh principle of equality.

The langar institution, which is paid for by donations made by congregants, is based on the three golden rules of Sikhism: to earn by honest means, to give to charity, and to remember God at all times.

“If I work with my hands, then God will keep my family healthy and happy,” Dalvir Kaur said of her work at the Sikh Cultural Society. “I volunteer here only to please God.”

Source- NBC News

Volunteers stayed up all night preparing thousands of roti wraps for refugees camped in Calais.

About 5,000 wraps along with clothes, toiletries and dry food, were then distributed by volunteers from Singh Sabha London East, High Road, Seven Kings.

The group also donated to a temporary kitchen at the camp after distributing essentials outside a temporary mosque and church.

Organiser Mandeep Singh, 30, said: “It was a really good experience, but there’s still a lot of help needed. “It was quite humbling to help people in need and at the same time see their conditions – it was quite difficult.”
The police officer from Seven Kings said it was all about sharing the principles of Guru Nanak – one being “kirat karo” which is all about sharing. “To have such an opportunity to be involved in such a seva [selfless service] is very special indeed,” he said.

“Being able to help and speak to those in need in Calais makes me appreciate how lucky we are.”

In charge of preparing the food was Mandeep Chahal, 40, from Seven Kings.“There’s always lots of volunteers that want to help,” she said.

“I haven’t done an all-nighter before but the younger members stayed up with us and there was a lovely spirit in the kitchen.

“We were like machines,” she said. “It’s lovely to know that it was going to a good cause.” Volunteer Makhan Singh said the group hoped to return to Calais in the near future.

He said: “Compassion is a big part of the Sikh philosophy, so when we know these people are suffering just around the corner from us, we have to do something to help.”

~ Source – Ilfordrecorder.co.uk

Father Joshua Lickter, who is Christian church in California, USA, regularly prays for the current tense situation in Punjab, India. He makes it a point to include it during the prayer service at church.

“Things are pretty heated up there right now in the state of Punjab,” he says before leading his congregation in prayers for peace, justice, and protection for peaceful protesters.

“We’ve been praying for India, and have been involved in human rights advocacy in India. Things are pretty heated up there right now in the state of Punjab right now. “There are some peaceful protests that are going on because some of the Sikh scriptures were desecrated by just Hindu nationalists or people that were trying to cause a ruckus. And as the Sikh community was protesting it, the police have come in and are blacking out certain areas. They’re taking down the internet and not letting people post on Facebook what’s happening. The government’s getting involved in censoring these peaceful protests about this so a lot of the details and information aren’t coming out, but a lot of people are getting beat up, and hurt, and a few have been killed already by it. “So we just want to pray for peace in that situation, and for justice, and also for protection for people that are speaking out against it.”

~ Source: Sikh24.com

Australia has now set up it’s own version of a Sikh Helpline for Sikhs in the country, as an avenue for seeking counseling and advice for numerous issues that commonly effect the community.

A statement released by the service providers has been published below:

“With the aim of providing much needed support platform for Sikhs in Australia, the Sikh Helpline service is launched by Red Khanda Inc. The Helpline sewa run by volunteers will provide Australia-wide sangat confidential counselling, information and help on various issues in Punjabi and English.

“Presence of Sikhs in Australia can be traced back to early settlement periods but the number of Sikhs in Australia since those periods had not grown much until the end of 20th century mainly due to white Australia policy and Sikhs from Punjab favouring Canada, UK and USA over Australia. This scene has changed in last 10 years when young Sikh students and skilled migrants shifted their focus to Australia and made down under their home. The Sikh Australians are positively contributing to growth and development of their adopted country.

“While Sikh Australians report their experience in Australia en masse as good, the challenges faced by Sikh Australians cannot be pushed aside. Living away in a foreign land and as minority immigrant in adopted country is never easy but for Sikh Australians the incidents like 9/11 and Martin Place siege bring alive realities of racism and hatred. Adults and children come face to face with bullying, harassment and discrimination on day to day basis. Some can deal with situations on their own, others need some system of support to gather a response to these problems.

“Then there are our in house issues which need to be attended. Although Sikhi propounds abstinence from intoxicants and mandates equality, but the harsh truth is that some Sikh households do suffer from domestic violence, addictions etc. Due to stigma attached with such issues the victims don’t want to discuss things openly and need community support. Growing up in high pace modern materialistic societies either gives one less exposure to Sikhi or sometimes causes confusion and conflicts within about ones faith and identity.

“Above are some examples of situations and circumstances when one needs to seek help and guidance. With a view to help fellow Sikhs in need to help in such situation Sikh Helpline Australia is being launched.”

The confidential service has now rolled out and is available as a community run service throughout Australia.

Sikh Helpline can be reached at inquiries@sikhhelpline.com.au

~ Source: sikh24.com

Taranjit Singh, a digital designer based in the UK has an impressive portfolio of Sikh related digital designs. His latest Endeavour, however is worth particular attention as he produces impressive figurines of the famous Bhai Garja Singh, companion of Bhai Bota Singh, hailing from the 18th century.

Taranjit Singh creates an inspirational hero from Sikh history, Bhai Garja Singh. Taranjit Singh creates an inspirational hero from Sikh history, Bhai Garja Singh

A successful Kickstarter campaign has seen the pledged goal of £11500 being surpassed in but a few days.

The 3d prints of the small statues are described by Taran Singh as follows, “The sculpture will be 12 inches tall and will be cold cast in resin bronze. There will also be a real bronze version which will be limited to 10 casts only. I have researched and carefully crafted each and every component in 3D.

“Sikh history and art are my passion and I have always been inspired by stories about the brave Sikh warriors who rose to forge their own Sikh empire in Punjab during the 1700’s. I wanted to create something that would remind people of their bravery and celebrate their inspirational sacrifice. This is my way of sharing their story with the next generation.”

Bota Singh and Garja Singh are famed for their single-handed challenge to the oppressive ruling regime of the time. Keeping their swords in their sheaths and arming themselves with only staffs, they fought off the cavalry and infantry of a 100 man contingent.

They eventually succumbed to their injuries and laid down their lives, but not before propping their broken-boned bodies against each other, back to back, to spend their last few breaths dealing a few more deathly blows to the shocked soldiers who had come to ‘arrest’ them.

~ Source: sikh24