A Sikh student from New York is all excited about a federal court decision that allows him to enroll himself as well as other Sikhs in the U.S. Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps without compromising on their articles of faith. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson remarked that 20-year-old Iknoor Singh’s adherence to his religious beliefs would not restrict his ability to serve in the army.

“It was kind of surreal for something I have been fighting for two or three years. I’m excited and nervous; very excited to learn.” reported Iknoor.

Singh has had a lifelong interest in public service. He is well versed in four languages — English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu — and he aspires to work in military intelligence.

“Becoming an officer is not an easy thing, You have to be proficient in many areas!” he conceded. Remaining firm on his faith he said “Once a Sikh gets rid of his hair and his beard, it’s in direct violation of his faith. You lose what God has given to you,”

Under a policy announced last year, troops can seek waivers on a case-by-case basis to wear religious clothing, seek prayer time or engage in religious practices. Approval depends on where the service member is stationed and whether the change would affect military readiness or the mission.

Currently, only a few Sikhs serve in the U.S. Army who has been granted religious accommodations. Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Ben Garrett, said in a statement the decision is currently being examined. “The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin,” he said.

The senior staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition, Gurjot Kaur said the decision was “An Important Victory in the Fight for Religious Freedom. We urge the Pentagon to eliminate the discriminatory loopholes in its policies and give all Americans an equal opportunity to serve in our nation’s armed forces.”

Hofstra spokeswoman Karla Schuster said in a statement that the university “supports Mr. Singh’s desire to serve his country, as well as his right to religious expression and practice. We are pleased that the courts have affirmed that he can do both as a member of the ROTC.”

Like & Share to celebrate this Victory in the fight to practise religious freedom!

~ Source: nbcnewyork.com

During Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Diwan, Guru Sahib did benti to Bhai Daya Singh Ji to take the Chaur sahib away from the Singh who was doing Chaur sahib sewa.

The Singh was really upset that Guru Sahib had taken his sewa away so he asked Guru Ji “Why did u take the sewa away from me, I’m heartbroken?”

Guru Sahib said you have broken ‘my’ heart by taking away what I blessed you with. On reflection, that morning the Singh had seen a white hair in his beard and plucked it out because he didn’t want people to see it.

If Guru Sahib Loves ’1′ hair that much, imagine how he must feel when his beloved Sikhs do Kes beadbi.

~ Source: Kaur’s Corner FB Page

The ideal time to recite this raag is in the evening hours…

This raag is said to have its origins in southern India.

Guru Ramdas ji says:

Ang 1294
The mind roams and rambles in all directions. Meeting the holy the mind is brought under control. Then Guru ji gives the example…. Just as the fisherman spreads his net over the water, he overpowers and catches the fish. ….meeting with the holy, the mind’s vices are brought under control.

In this painting…

The five fish are representing the five vices within …lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment and ego.
Just as the fisherman’s net catches the fish, in the same way Guru ji tells us that the net of good company subdues and controls these five vices within.

The curling waters around the fish…suggest a struggle….like the fish, the vices within do not give up so quickly. The waves around the fish suggest this internal struggle before the vices within can be brought under control.

The Guru gives advice to consider the importance of good SANGAT….good company.

~ Dr Navjeet Kaur

The rainy season is associated with this Raag.

Guru Nanak Dev ji tells us,

Page: 1254: ……I hear the thunder in the clouds, my mind is soothed with the love of my Lord. The rain pours and my mind is drenched in Divine love.

For this painting, I chose to depict the grey clouds gathering and it’s beginning to rain. This raaga is associated with the rainy season.

The dark grey clouds have gathered once again….ready for a monsoonal down pour…..
The Guru says ….just as the rain quenches the parched earth ….he also longs to be soaked in the down pour of Divine love.

~ Dr Navjeet Kaur

A man keen to learn about Sikhism came to Punjab to understand the faith better. he was greatly enlightened by the Sikh religion. Reportedly, he’s been touring several historic sites and learning about Sikh history. In one of his visits to a Gurdwara Sahib, he did 84 Japji Sahib Paaths at Gurdwara Sahib Goindwal.

The man received immense respect from people on social networks. One person stated he lived just a few blocks away from the Gurdwara but might have never even done a single Japji Sahib Paath. However, the man was inspired after looking at the picture of the English man and has decided to come back to Sikhi.

The man has appeared to inspire a number of persons who are blessed to be born as Sikhs but fail to value it. We should encourage everyone with a righteous spiritual longing to go for that virtuous treasure. The practice at Goindwal Sahib is a great opportunity to dwell in the Shabd of Gurbani.

Dhan Sikhi! Dhan Khalsa!

~ Source: Daily Sikh Updates

At the age of 14 he was only with the Maharaja for a few months when one day he was asked to accompany the Maharaja for a hunt.

As they entered the forest, suddenly a man-eating lion jumped on him and threw him on the ground.

Hari Singh was completely caught unaware and did not even have the opportunity to draw his sword. But he got hold of the jaw of the lion and with great force flung the lion away, and withdrawing his sword, with one blow severed the lion’s head. The Maharaja and the other courtiers were extraordinarily amazed at this feat.

From that day onwards Hari Singh was given the appellation of “Nalwa” by the Maharaja, who acknowledged that Hari Singh had killed the lion similar to the way King Nall used to hunt (King Nall was a very brave king and was known for his audacity to kill lions and other dangerous animals with his bare hands, and hence the Maharaja adorned Hari Singh with that title i.e. “Nall-wa”- ‘like Nall’ )

Baron Hugel, a European traveller, writes in his book, “Travels in Kashmir & the Punjab”: – ” I surprised him by knowledge whence he had gained the appellation of Nalwa, and of his having cloven the head of a tiger, who had already seized him as its prey. He told the Diwan to bring some drawings and gave me his portrait, in the act of killing the beast.”

Source: Daily Sikh Update

#DidYouKnow Bertrand Russel was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950 and said this on Guru Granth Sahib Ji & Sikhism, “If some lucky men survive the onslaught of the third world war of atomic and hydrogen bombs, the SIKH religion will be the ONLY means of guiding them.

It has the capability, but Sikhs have not brought out, in broad daylight, the splendid doctrines of their religion, which has come into existence for the benefit of entire mankind.”

Russell was asked that he was talking about the third world war, but isn’t this religion capable of guiding mankind before the third world war?

In reply, Russell said, “Yes, it has this capability, but the Sikhs have not brought out in the broad daylight, the splendid doctrines of this religion which has come into existence for the benefit of the entire mankind. This is their greatest sin and the Sikhs cannot be freed of it.”

What Bertrand was most impressed with was that Sikhism does not have a doctrine of evangelism, that it does not go out to try to subvert and convert. He thought that Sikhs should go out and propagate their great faith.

~ Source: Punjab 2000

The ideal time to recite this raag is in the mid day.
Guru Arjan Dev ji

Ang 1220:
We shall merge again into the one from whom we came….He is the Essence of being.

So for this painting I tried to depict a small part merging into the the whole.
That is the finite droplets of water merging with the infinite ocean..

~ Dr Navjeet Kaur

Both the partridge and the full moon are associated with this raag.

It is considered auspicious to recite the raag during the full moon.

Guru Arjan says:
Ang 1122
When will the night pass? Asks the Chikvi bird. I will find peace only when the rays of the sun shine on me.

So in composing this painting, I wanted to incorporate those things that are associated with this raag….the Partridge and the full moon….you will notice at the bottom of the painting is the silhouette of the Chikvi as if it is looking at the moon….asking when will the night pass?

When will the Sun shine again?

In the sky birds in flight are returning to their nests…the full moon is framed by the branches….and holds its place in the center of the painting.

~ Dr Navjeet Kaur

Harpreet Singh is the co-CEO of Experfy, a big data consulting marketplace in the Harvard Innovation Lab. He works at the intersection of big data and analytics, developing advanced algorithms and high-performance big data systems. Harpreet earned Master’s and PhD degrees from Harvard University, where he was also a faculty member from 2012 to 2014. With an exceptional emphasis on structured governance, he managed the program management initiatives for sixty technology startups from Citigroup’s e-Citi Venture Portfolio Office.

In a later role as Director of Technology, also at Citigroup, he architected the infrastructure of global multi-tiered, web-based electronic exchanges. Harpreet subsequently established the Project Management Office (PMO) for FX Alliance, a global foreign exchange platform, where he was responsible for enabling project and risk management functions for New York, London and Tokyo locations.

Adding a new flavor to the business of transforming heaps of data into actionable insights, a Harvard-based startup is offering custom algorithms on demand. Founded last year, Experfy Inc. has built a marketplace for data scientists who, like designers using 99Designs Inc. or business consultants using HourlyNerd Inc., respond to requests from individuals and businesses for help with specific projects.

Experfy co-founders and co-CEOs Sarabjot Kaur and Harpreet Singh said they are initially targeting small and midsize businesses that have yet to harness value from data they have stored but not analyzed. Ms. Kaur said she has seen a number of companies in manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors that are doing between $50 million and $100 million in revenue, but have no dashboard and are still manually inputting many items.

“They think big data is not for them. They think it’s brain surgery,” she said. “It’s not.”

~ Source: blogs.wsj.com