A century-old story of Manta Singh’s valour at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in France has been inspiring British school kids for decades now. Last week, when the world marked the centenary of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission urged Indians to take a minute to remember those who died in the war. Among them was Manta Singh who sacrificed his life to save his officer in March 1915.

Manta Singh was born near Jalandhar in 1870. He joined the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, and was one of many Indian soldiers sent to France in 1914. In March 1915, during the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle, Manta Singh rescued a seriously wounded comrade-Captain Henderson-by pushing him to safety in a wheelbarrow, but was himself severely injured while carrying out this rescue. Manta Singh was admitted in the Kitchener Indian Hospital in Brighton. His wounds had become infected with gangrene, and he died from blood poisoning a few weeks later.

Manta Singh’s story is used online, in cemeteries in the UK, at the Neuve Chapelle Memorial in France and in classrooms.

According to CWGC, one of the biggest challenges before them today is to engage a new generation in the First World War. “In our experience, one of the most powerful ways to engage them is to bring to life the individual stories of those taking part in the war. And in terms of learning, we use the story of Manta Singh a great deal with schoolchildren as it is such a powerful story for them and having the living link to his descendants helps to bring the story home,” says Peter Francis, media and marketing manager Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The two families are still in touch.

“Manta Singh’s story, and the story of the other 74,000 Indian servicemen and women we commemorate from WW-I makes history live,” he said.

“India’s contribution during both world wars was vital and its involvement should never be forgotten. Their stories of bravery and sacrifice are both inspirational and sobering and Manta Singh’s sacrifice is a perfect example of that,” he added.

Bond survives time:

Peter Francis, media and marketing manager Commonwealth War Graves Commission says that Manta Singh and the injured man he rescued, Captain Henderson, had become firm friends as well as brothers in arms while he was undergoing treatment. When Manta Singh died, Henderson ensured that Singh’s son, Assa, was taken care of. He encouraged him to join the Sikh Regiment too. Throughout the Second World War, Assa Singh and Henderson’s son, Robert, served together, in France, Italy and North Africa. “To this day, the Singh and Henderson families remain close friends. Assa and Robert have passed away, but their sons, Jaimal and Ian, are in contact,” he shares.

~ Source: Times of India

MALAYSIA: Uditakiran Kaur, 12, completed the entire reading of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) towards the end of last year.

It was no mean feat for a wheelchair-bound girl who cannot turn the pages of the SGGS due to her physical disabilities.

Uditakiran is battling muscular dystrophy, a muscle disease that hampers her mobility and weakens her muscle cells. She cannot lift her hand high enough to turn the pages of the SGGS.

She has been bound to a wheelchair since the age of seven, after a long medical affair and numerous visits to hospitals.

On Jan 20, 2015, she was the centre of attention at the Gurdwara Sahib Klang in Selangor. She was all set to complete the reading of the last few pages of the SGGS which she started in 2013.

It was a proud moment for the family to see this little girl complete a feat which many Sikhs – so much older and physically abled – have not achieved.

“Her reading was so clear, so beautiful,” says Baldev Singh Leo, a local kirtani, who was present at the path-da-bhog ceremony. “I admire her confidence.”

Uditakiran started learning Gurmukhi from basic in June 2010 under the guidance of Ajit Kaur from Port Klang, Selangor. Within two years, she started the Sehaj Paath, the reading of the entire SGGS over time. She completed it in October 2014.

“I’m truly grateful to Bhenji Ajit for making this happen. She’s a truly sought after Punjabi teacher,” said her dad Jaspal Singh Bhullar, a businessman. Her mother, Harjinder Kaur, is a dental nurse.

Due to her condition, Udita, as she is called, needed physical support to flip the pages of the SGGS during the paath-da-bhog, the ceremony to mark to completion of the full reading of the SGGS. Uditakiran’s eldest brother, Gurveeer Singh, 15, was there to help.

At home, she read the SGGS from the sanchiaas (the SGGS in four volumes). She did that in the comfort of her home, at her own pace. She was able to turn the pages of the sanchiaas herself as it is physically smaller in size.
Uditakiran comes from a family where Gurbani recitation is a norm. The whole family does sehaj path. They have a saroop (copy) of the SGGS in their home.

Gurveer, who completed his full reading of the SGGS in 2013, inspired his younger siblings to do likewise. Now, her younger brother, Brahmveer Singh, 8, plans to start soon. Uditakiran also plans to start another round of the full reading of the SGGS.

Uditakiran attends a private school because the public school close by was not conducive for her condition as it hinders her mobility in a wheelchair.

“She’s perfectly normal in her studies. She’s just like the other students,” said Jaspal. – ASIA SAMACHAR (13 March 2015)

~ Source: asiasamachar.com

Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed here for a few days and wrote his famous defiant letter known as the Zafarnama (Declaration of Victory) in Persian to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. In the letter Guru Gobind Singh Ji starts by praising God and then goes on to condemn Aurangzeb for his failure as a ruler, for his communalism and for breaking his oath on the Koran to grant the Sikhs safe passage.

Guru Gobind Singh wrote that when all peaceful means have failed, it is righteous to draw the sword to fight tyranny. Guru Ji describes the bloody battle of Chamkaur and invites Aurangzeb to visit him even though for of his sons became shaheed due to Aurangzeb. The letter was personally delivered to the emperor in the Deccan by the Gurus two trusted Sikhs Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Daram Singh. Upon reading the letter the emperor was filled with remorse and asked Guru Gobind Singh to come visit him, but Aurangzeb died shortly thereafter in 1707.

~Source: Daily Sikh Update

Earning another glory for Indian hockey, India Men Hockey Team captain Sardar received one the most prestigious national honours – Padma Shri Award – from Honourable President Shri Pranab Mukherjee at a glittering ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. He even conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Both the awardees have to their credit of bringing laurels to the country for their contribution on the field and even guiding their teams to victories.

The 28-year-old midfielder Sardar has played a pivotal role for India and his skilful game which has even inspired the new generation of hockey players across the world. Sardar made his debut for the senior team against Pakistan in 2006 and since then he has played more than 200 international matches and has successfully contributed towards Indian hockey. Sardar is also the most sought player in the prestigious Hockey India League.

A delighted and proud Captain Sardar Singh said, “It is a great honour for me and I would take this opportunity to thank Hockey India for giving me the support which boosted my morale. Also, I must give credit of my success to the coaches, who have guided me and tirelessly worked with me during my journey in hockey. I am proud to have been received this award and will work harder to get more laurels for Indian Hockey.”

Sardar was appointed as the Captain of the Indian hockey team in 2008 for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the age of 22 years where India finished 2nd in the tournament and bagged the Silver medal. In 2010, Sardar Singh was nominated for the FIH All-Star team being the sole Indian to get the honour and a feat that was repeated again in 2012. In 2014, Sardar led India to a Silver medal finish in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow and in the same year, Sardar steered his team to win the Incheon Asian Games Gold beating Pakistan in a highly tensed finale and this feat of winning the Gold was achieved by the Indian team after 16 years. In the same year the India Hockey Team even beat Australia in a Test Series at home and also finished at a respectable fourth position in the Hero Men’s Champions Trophy 2014.

~ Source: ibnlive.in.com

A new law which will allow Sikhs in the UK to wear turbans in place of safety helmets in all workplaces across the country has come into force, providing more job opportunities to members of the community. Sikh groups have campaigned for years to close a loophole in existing UK employment legislation which meant that Sikhs were exempt from safety headgear only in high-risk areas, such as construction sites.

The Sikh Council UK had argued that this had led to turban-wearers facing discrimination in other low-risk areas such as factories, warehouses and transport.

An amendment introduced to the Deregulation Bill by the UK government with cross-party support in March 2014 has now been granted Royal Assent this week, making it a law.”We are pleased that our long campaign has enabled a vital change in the law,” said Gurmel Singh, secretary general of Sikh Council UK.

“It will make a real difference to Sikhs in the UK by increasing the number of workplaces that members of the community can work in whilst maintaining their religiously mandated identity,” he added. It said the rules led to a number of cases where Sikhs faced disciplinary hearings and were dismissed from longstanding employment for their refusal to remove their turban and wear a safety helmet.

Their campaigning led to an amendment to extend the exemption in the Employment Act to be introduced to the Deregulation Bill last year. There will still be limited exceptions where safety helmets will be required, such as for specific roles in the armed forces and emergency response situations.

The change also further provides protection for employees by extending the limitation on liability for employers in the construction industry to any work situation where a turban-wearing Sikh chooses not to wear a safety helmet.

~ Source: NDTV

At an age when most pensioners are winding down their lives, Fauja Singh begins a new one. Fauja Singh is 104 and is believed to be the world’s oldest runner.

In his late 80s, and feeling “more dead than alive” following the loss of his wife and one of his sons, he took up marathon running.

Now 104, he has become an unlikely celebrity despite a birth defect that prevented him being able to walk until the age of five.

“When I took up running, it was like meeting God himself. I have been running ever since.” With his distinctive flowing grey beard and the traditional Sikh headgear that has earned him the nickname “the Turbaned Tornado,” Singh has been a star entrant at marathons all over the world.

More medical tests done when he was 99 “showed that I was a man of 40 years of age.”

Singh grew up in a village in the Jalandhar district of the north-western Punjab state along with his four brothers and sisters and their parents.

“One doesn’t know about life’s complexities at that age. Whatever means one has always seems to be enough,” he said. “Life was good because we had land and animals … there was no stress.”

As well as soothing his soul, running has also brought Singh unexpected fame — he appeared in an Adidas advertising campaign along with soccer superstar David Beckham and boxing legend Muhammad Ali in 2004. A strict vegetarian (he appeared in a campaign by animal rights group PETA) Singh describes himself as “an illiterate person” — this interview was translated from Punjabi with the help of his coach.

Most of Singh’s marathons were charity fundraisers, in line with his Sikh beliefs. “There are two noble things in life: one to do charity and other to look after your body,” he said.

“This includes the high principles outlined by my religion, to earn an honest living and to share your means with those less fortunate. “I am inspired by honest people who don’t cheat others. To me the famous are those who are kind to fellow human beings and dedicate their life to charity.” And it is his religion that helps him keep going with that spirit.

~ Source: UnitedSikhs

The 17th annual Sikh festival will make its way into town on Sunday, drawing crowds of more than 3,500 from all over California.

The free event features a festive procession with bright colors, lively music and awe-inspiring displays of sword fighting. The display of mock battles and swordsmanship is a tradition dating back more than 300 years.

The festival also gives attendees a taste of many traditional foods.

The parade will last about four hours, beginning at noon at the Gurdwara Sahib Temple at 2765 Peach Ave., then move along Main Street to the Guru Nanak Temple on B Street.

Livingston Mayor Pro Tem Gurpal Samra, who helps organize the event, said it isn’t only for Sikhs, but for everyone in Livingston and beyond. Thousands of people from Fresno, Los Angeles and the Bay Area make their way to Livingston for one of the biggest Sikh events in the region.

According to the National Weather Service in Hanford, temperatures will drop in time for the festival. The forecast for Sunday is sunny with a high of 82 degrees, providing much-needed relief from Friday and Saturday’s temperatures, which have spiked to the mid-90s.

“The winds should be light in the morning and afternoon on Sunday,” said William Peterson, meteorologist technician with the National Weather Service.

The Sikh festival is funded solely by donations, according to organizers.

Sikhism is a religion that was founded in India. It has 27 million followers, more than 5 million of them living outside India. Sikhs make up nearly 20 percent of Livingston’s population.

~ Source: www.mercedsunstar.com

During the 1971 war against Pakistan in Bangladesh, General Jagjit Singh Arora and the Sikhs made a 90,000 strong Pakistani army surrender without any causalities. The Singhs shouting Jaikare (Sikh Slogan) Bole So Nihal ! Sat Sri Akal approached the war site.

After looking at the Sikhs and hearing the Jaikare the Pakistani General A. A. K. Niazi surrendered and all 90,000 Pakistani troops became prisoners of war. The Pakistani army fled the villages they had occupied along with many of the villagers. A Sikh soldier found a woman who was left behind in a Pakistani village. The soldier took care of the old lady, provided her with food, and tried to locate her family. This act of kindness was recorded in governmental files.

When the Sikh troops entered further into East Pakistan which is now Bangladesh, they found hundreds of woman left behind who were abducted by enemy troops and were raped. The Sikh Soldiers took off their jackets and some removed their turbans to cover the naked bodies of the woman.

The Sikh troops provided protection for the women while they were under control of the country.

Sikhs have a very long history of protecting women on enemy grounds. Sikhs led the charge in the 1700s of bringing back abducted woman by Ahmed Shah Abdali from Delhi to be sold in Afghan markets. The Sikhs would attack the caravans of Abdali and bring back them women to their villages.

~ Source: Daily Sikh Updates

Prime Minister Stephen Harper honored the recipients of the third Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards (PMVA) at a special ceremony in Toronto. He was accompanied by Joe Oliver, Minister of FINANCE.

The Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards recognize two national recipients – one for lifelong achievement and one for an emerging leader – as well as 15 regional recipients, including individuals, businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The awards also highlight best practices in community leadership and encourage partnerships across sectors.

National award recipients are:

• Lifelong Achievement: Dr. Myron & Mrs. Elaine Semkuley, Calgary, Alberta.
• Emerging Leader: Matt Cardwell, Whitby, Ontario.

Regional award recipients are:

• Community Leader: Cody O’Brien (Atlantic); Sylvie Ethier (Quebec); Dr. Syed Aslam Daud (Ontario); Rev. (Dr.) Deborah Olukoju (Prairies); and Raghbir Singh Bains (British Columbia and the North).
• Business Leader: LaHave River Credit Union (Atlantic); Industrial Alliance Insurance and FINANCIAL Services (Quebec); The Printing House Limited (Ontario); Chandos Construction Ltd. (Prairies); and Victory Square Labs (British Columbia and the North).
• Social Innovator: New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO – Sistema New Brunswick) (Atlantic); La Tablée des Chefs (Quebec); Haven on the Queensway (Ontario); Canadian Western Agribition (Prairies); and Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association (British Columbia and the North).

The recipients were presented with medals, certificates and lapel pins during the ceremony. As part of their recognition package, each recipient will identify a not-for-profit organization to receive a one-time FUNDING grant in their honour. Not-for-profit organizations identified by the 15 regional awards recipients will each receive $5,000, and those identified by the two national awards recipients will each receive $10,000.

Quick Facts

Created in January 2011, the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards fulfill a commitment in the 2010 Speech from the Throne to recognize the contributions of Canadian volunteers.
This annual event is aimed at inspiring Canadians from all walks of life to find new ways of making a difference in their communities.
The call for the 2015 nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will be launched on April 13, 2015, and will run until June 30, 2015.
In 2014, Canada was ranked third in the World Giving Index.

Quotes

“Canada ranks near the very top of the World Giving Index. Our generosity is evident abroad, but it is also plainly seen every day, right here at home. Contributing to their community is the primary motivation for Canadian volunteers, who gladly and freely give their time, energy and experience. I am pleased today to recognize these extraordinary individuals and organizations who are improving the lives of Canadians across the country.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper

“Social challenges are being tackled in new ways across the country. Local organizations could not achieve the incredible level of success they do, and Canadian communities would not be as vibrant if it weren’t for the talented, capable volunteers and charitable efforts of innovative organizations from coast to coast to coast.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

~ Source: pm.gc.ca

Thousands of applicants applied and the list went through its first round of selection. 100 applicants made it and Taranjeet is among them. He is the only Sikh on the list. From these 100, 24 will ultimately be selected for a one way trip to Mars to start the first colony on the red planet. Taranjeet Singh is good mannered, well humored, open-minded, intelligent, adventurous and spiritual. If humans meet martians surely an earthling like Taranjeet will leave a good impression. Here is our conversation with him and going to Mars.

Can you tell us a little more about yourself and your background?

Born and raised in India and Sikh-Punjabi heritage, I am pursuing the doctoral degree in computer science at the University of Central Florida in USA. I served two consecutive years as chairperson in Indian student association spreading Indian cultural awareness and bringing universal integrity among various student organizations. Past two summers, I have taken responsibility of welcoming new Indians student at UCF by arranging airport pickups and temporary accommodations. Outside campus, I have been involved in the various events organized by Interfaith Council of Central Florida and raising awareness of different issues such as anti-bullying in schools and hate crimes in the community.

My hobbies include serving community, exploring scientific knowledge, and spreading smiles. My parents and two elder sister who are married live in Indore, India. I am very simple person who believe that we are spiritual beings on human experience in this world. I value compassion and caring for all people, including self.

Do you have further aspirations for education?

I planned to enter academia after completing my current education. I have been teaching since first years in bachelors. I can understand very mindset of students in order to explain the problem. I love school and its learning environment.

If you are selected for the mission, what will be the first thing you’ll do when you arrive on the red planet?

Obviously, it is very difficult to express emotions and feeling of landing on Mars. It will depend on the mental condition, circumstances as well as hardship involved. One thing is certain that I will pay my gratitude to Waheguru for the safe journey and blessing for the life on Mars. I will stretch my body and take a run on red planet after spending seven months in small transit habitat for sure.

What do you think of the prospect of never returning to earth?

Yes. It is a one way trip to Mars and they have no plans to bring back us as of now. I think it is one incredible opportunity to leave your footprints in the course of human history. Getting people to Mars will be bigger than any single leap of exploration people of this planet ever taken. Regarding the clause “point of no return” also has brighter side to it. This clause actually provides extra motivation to astronauts and prevent them FROM HOMEsickness or mental trauma to pass the time anyway and go back to Earth as nobody will come to take them home and they have to accept Mars as their new home. The separation from loved ones, which will occur certainly at someone point in life, so why having fear of it. As somebody once told, “Future does not belong to the faint hearted, it belongs to the brave”.

Is there anything in Sikhi that helps to inspire you about Mars One?

As a member of the Sikh community, I strongly believe that Sikhi helps me a lot to prepare my mind for this mission. Removing the fear of death, a detachment of worldly things, and taking a righteous stand in the society is all part of the Sikh tradition. Sikh scripture talk about the existence of other worlds where life exist and we are not alone in the universe. I am committed to living my life with Sikh way of life style which includes earn honestly, share with needy and serve selflessly. Living in the Rehat makes me ideal candidate for this mission. Treat others with kindness, abandon any intoxicating substance, and maintain a healthy mental and physical state are valuable teaching of Sikhi.

Do you have a message for the youth?

manas ki jat sabhe eke paihcanbo – recognise all of mankind as a single caste of humanity. It is a great illusion when we think that people living with us in home as our only family. We understand the importance of neighbors when we visit other states. Two Indians share happiness seeing each other in other countries. Similarly, we will understand the importance of being human species together as a family when we start journey out of this earth and start looking for life on another planet. This thinking will give us motivation to unite and bring ends to all wars.

~ Source: sikhnet.com