Two amritdhari (batptised) Sikh candidates were told to remove their articles of faith before entering the examination centre at polytechnic institute here today. The candidates, wearing kirpan (small sword) and kada (steel bangle), were to appear in the examination for recruitment to the post of patwari.

When the candidates reached the examination centre this morning, examiner stopped Karamvir Singh and Sukhvinder Singh and asked them to remove their kada and kirpan before entering the examination hall.

The candidates informed their parents. On getting information, SGPC member reached the centre and protested against the attitude of examiner. The candidates were allowed to appear for the test. The Sikh leaders demanded strict action against the official. The issue reported the matter to the Secretary, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, for necessary action.

~ Source: fatehnetworks.com

An armed policeman stood guard outside the 300-year-old Sikh temple, known as a Gurdwara, in northwest Pakistan. He kept a watchful eye on everyone who passed him on the narrow street, looking for a suspicious gesture, or a bulge beneath the clothes that hints at a hidden gun or a bomb.

Earlier this month, the gurdwara in Peshawar’s crowded Old City opened its doors to worshippers for the first time in 73 years. The reopening was celebrated by Pakistan’s tiny Sikh minority, but security is a constant concern.
The newly-opened gurdwara has a 24-hour Sikh Security detail as well as police guards, but their Muslim neighbors believe an attack is inevitable.

“Security is very necessary … for the people who want to come here for prayers without any fear,” said Gurpal Singh, security chief for Peshawar’s Sikh community.

Gohar Iqbal, a bookseller who works at a busy stall opposite the temple was certain the building would be targeted by militants. “We are worrying because of the children if something happens,” he said, gesturing to the white cement building that houses a girls’ high school, which abuts the gurdwara.

Few in this overwhelmingly Muslim neighborhood welcomed the gurdwara’s opening. Apart from the security risks, many simply don’t want Sikhs in their midst. The Sikhs that lived in the area and attended the gurdwara left when it closed in the 1940s.

It is not known how many Sikhs live in Pakistan today. The vast majority migrated to India in 1947, the year Pakistan was created as a homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent. The CIA Factbook estimates that 3.6 percent of Pakistan’s 180 million people are non-Muslims, including Sikhs, Christians and Hindus.

Sikhs are among the smallest minorities. They are easily identifiable because of their tightly wound and often colorful turbans, and because they share the surname Singh.

Many of the Sikhs living in Pakistan are internally displaced, having fled their traditional homes in Pakistan’s tribal regions as the threat posed by militants increased.

to their original owners — as happened with the gurdwara — and at other times they are given to those who migrated from India to Pakistan, provided they can prove they owned property of a similar value in India.

Despite receiving a chilly reception from their Muslim neighbors, the Sikhs of the gurdwara are giving shelter to an elderly Muslim woman.

In one of the ramshackle buildings lives Begum Shafqat Ara, a diminutive old woman who believes her age to be around 90. She has lived in the gurdwara for some 60 years. She never married and taught at the vocational school, where she continued to live after she retired.

“I didn’t have anywhere to go, no family. This is my home,” she told AP, sitting on the purple carpeted floor of the gurdwara’s prayer hall.

Charanjeet Singh says Ara will stay. The Sikh community takes care of her and has promised to continue to do so for as long as she lives. Ara smiled a mostly toothless grin as she heard this and affectionately rested her hand on the knee of a nearby Sikh volunteer who had helped her to the prayer hall.

~ Source: bigstory.ap.org

ਮਿਤੀ 30 ਅਪ੍ਰੈਲ 2016 ਨੂੰ ਅਕਾਲ ਅਕੈਡਮੀ ਧੁੱਗਾ ਕਲਾਂ ਵਿਖੇ ਪੀ.ਟੀ.ਐਮ ਤੇ ਬੱਚਿਆ ਦੇ ਮਾਤਾ-ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਨਵੇਂ ਸੈਸ਼ਨ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਅਕੈਡਮੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੀ ਪਾਠਕ੍ਰਮ ‘ਅਕਸੀਡ’ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਵਰਕਸ਼ਾਪ ਲਗਾਈ ਗਈ । ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆ ਦੇ ਮਾਪਿਆ ਨੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਕੀਤੀ । ਅਕਾਲ ਅਕੈਡਮੀ ਧੁੱਗਾ ਕਲਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਅਕਸੀਡ’ ਸਿਸਟਮ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਪਹਿਲਾ ਸਕੂਲ ਬਣ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ ।

ਅਕਸੀਡ’ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਅਤੇ ਬੱਚਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਪੜਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਢੰਗ ਤਰੀਕਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਤਜ਼ਰਬੇਕਾਰ ਅਧਿਆਪਕਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਸ ਵਿਧੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਬੱਚਿਆ ਦੇ ਮਾਤਾ-ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣੂ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਵਿਧੀ ਬਾਹਰਲੇ ਦੇਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਪਣਾਈ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਪਣੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਅੰਦਰ ਵੀ ਇਸਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਮਹਿਸੂਸ ਹੋਣ ਤੇ ਕਲਗੀਧਰ ਟਰੱਸਟ ਬੜੂ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਆਪਣੀਆ ਅਕੈਡਮੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਸ ਵਿਧੀ ਨੂੰ ਅਪਣਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ । ਅਕਸੀਡ’ ਵਿਧੀ ਵਿਦਆਰਥੀਆ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਨਸਿਕ ਤਨਾਵ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਤਾਬਾ ਦੇ ਭਾਰੀ ਬੋਝ ਤੋਂ ਬਚਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦੇ ਖੇਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਵੱਡਾ ਉਪਰਾਲਾ ਹੈ ।

ਦੁਸਰੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਵੀਂ ਕਲਾਸ ਤੱਕ ਦੇ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆ ਨੇ ‘ਊਰਜਾ ਬਚਾਉ’ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਤੇ ਕਵਿਤਾਵਾਂ, ਨਾਟਕ, ਭਾਸ਼ਣ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਗਏ ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਰੇ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆ ਨੇ ਭਾਗ ਲਿਆ । ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਵੰਨਗੀਆ ਨਾਲ ਜਿਥੇ ਬੱਚਿਆ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀਆ ਕਲਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮਾਪਿਆ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਮੋਹ ਲਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਪਿਆ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਕਿ ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹੇ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਲੀਕਦੇ ਰਹਿਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ । ‘ਇਸ ਮੋਕੇ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਅਧਿਆਪਕਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਸੀਪਲ ਮੈਡਮ ਪਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਮਾਤਾ-ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਉਰਜਾ ਨੂੰ ਬਚਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਅਪੀਲ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ ।

ਇਸ ਮੋਕੇ ਗੁਰਚਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ, ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, ਮਨਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਹਰਮਨਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ,ਹਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਸਿੰਘ, ਕਮਲਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸਤਿੰਦਰਜੀਤ ਕੋਰ, ਸੀਮਾਂ, ਮੀਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਰਮਾਂ, ਗੁਰਪਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ, ਸਤਵੰਤ ਕੋਰ, ਸੁਖਜੀਤ ਕੋਰ,ਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਕੋਰ, ਹਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਕੋਰ, ਰਾਜਵਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ, ਮਨਦੀਪ ਕੋਰ, ਨਵਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਕੋਰ, ਗੁਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ, ਪਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ,ਸੁਖਵਿੰਦਰ ਕੋਰ, ਲਖਵੀਰ ਕੋਰ ਅਤੇ ਮਨਜੀਤ ਕੋਰ, ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸ਼ਰਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, ਅਮਰਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਦਿ ਸਟਾਫ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ ।

A cousin of Guru Ram Das Ji came to Amritsar from Lahore especially to ask Guru Sahib to attend his son’s wedding. But Guru Ji being unable to attend the wedding personally for some reason said, “Perhaps I can send one of my Sons instead.” Guru Ram Das Ji had three sons: Prithi Chand or Prithia, Mahadev, and Arjan Mal. Prithia was in charge of collecting donations. When the Guru asked him to attend the wedding, Prithia said, “I have to take care of the collections. And I hate going to weddings.” Actually, he was afraid if he were away from the Guru for too long, he might not be appointed the Guru’s successor. Guru Ji then turned to Mahadev. Mahadev lived his life in meditation and said, “I have no desire to involve myself in worldly affairs.” Finally, Guru Sahib Ji asked Arjan if he would go. Arjan said, “I only desire to do what you wish.” Guru Ji was very pleased. He asked Arjan to spend some time in Lahore to share the Guru’s teachings with the Sikhs there. Any donations he received were to be given to the free kitchen to feed the poor. The last words he said to Arjan were, “You should stay in Lahore until I send for you”

Arjan Mal stayed in Lahore after the wedding and grew to be much loved by his relations and the Sikhs there. Still, all the time he was there, his heart was with his father/Guru, Guru Ram Das Ji. When he expressed his longing to his new friends, they suggested he write a letter asking that he be able to return. Arjan Mal wrote a beautiful shabad :

“My soul longs for the Guru like the pied-cuckoo longs for the rain of the monsoon. I am always a sacrifice unto the True Guru.”

He sent this letter with one of the Sikhs who had come with him to Lahore. When the messenger reached Amritsar, Prithia saw him and suspected that he had a letter for the Guru from his brother. He said “I will take the letter to the Guru myself.” When he read the letter he knew that it was so beautiful that it would move the Guru’s heart in Arjan’s favor. So he hid the letter in his coat and sent the Sikh back to Arjan telling him that the Guru said he should stay in Lahore until sent for. When Arjan received this message, he knew that Prithia, and not his father, had sent it. He then wrote a second letter with strict orders that it be given only to the Guru. In it, he wrote,
“I love the sight of the Guru’s face and the sound of his words, and it has been long since I have seen him. I am ever a sacrifice unto the True Guru.”

This time, Prithia grabbed the letter out of the messenger’s hands, and grew more angry than before. Again, he hid the letter in his coat. He sent another message that Arjan was to remain in Lahore until sent for. When Arjan heard this from the messenger, he wrote a third letter, this time putting a number “3” on it. He told the messenger to be on his guard against Prithia and to give the letter to Guru Ram Das Ji himself. The messenger waited until Prithia had to go home, and then quickly reached the Guru and gave him the letter. In it, Arjan said,
“Each second away from the Guru is like an age. I cannot sleep without a sight of the Guru. I am ever a sacrifice unto him.”

On this letter, the Guru saw the number “3”, and knew instantly that he had not received the other two letters. The messenger related the story to him, and the Guru grew very angry. He called for Prithia and asked him three times if he knew anything about the other letters. Prithia denied it everytime. The all knowing Guru knew his thoughts, and told the messenger to go get the coat in Prithia’s house. When he returned with it, the two missing letters were in the pocket.

At once, the Guru sent Bhai Buddha to Lahore with a carriage to bring ArjanMal home as soon as possible. When Arjan was finally united with his father, he placed his head on Guru Sahib Ji’s chest against his long beard. He remained that way for many moments, while the Guru held him gently in his arms. The Guru then said that as he had written three stanzas, he should write a fourth to finish the poem. Arjan wrote the last verse saying,
“It is my good fortune to have met the True Guru, and I have found the Immortal God in my own home. My greatest desire is to never be separated from him again, not even for an instant. I am ever a sacrifice to the True Guru.”

Upon hearing this, the Guru was very pleased. He said, “The Guruship is passed on because of merit. As only the one who is most humble can claim it, I grant it to you.” Guru Ji then sent for a coconut and five paisey and placed them before Arjan. He descended from his throne and seated Arjan upon it in front of the whole sangat. Bhai Buddha pressed the tilak on Arjan’s forehead as a symbol that the light of Guru Ram Das Ji had now passed to Arjan, who then became Guru Arjun Dev Ji the fifth Guru of the Sikhs.

SHABAD HAZARE

The Bani (Scripture) of Fifth Guru Arjan Dev, in the Raag (Musical measure) called Maajh, Chau-Padas (Four lines per Hymn), First House of Raag.

~ Source- TuhiTu.com