News & Update

The story of one of the first Sikh Canadian WWI soldiers has been uncovered with the discovery of his Victory medal. Learn about the tale of a once forgotten war hero and early Canadian pioneer.

Buckam Singh came to B.C. from Punjab in 1907 at age 14 and eventually moved to Toronto in 1912/1913. He enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the spring of 1915. He’s one of the earliest known Sikhs living in Ontario at the time as well as one of only 9 Sikhs that we know of that served with Canadian troops in WWI.

Private Buckam Singh served with the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion in the battlefields of Flanders during 1916. Here this brave hero was wounded twice in two separate battles.

One of the interesting discoveries included the fact that after being shot Private Buckam Singh received treatment at a hospital run by one of Canada’s most famous soldier poets the Doctor Lt. Colonel John McCrae.

While recovering from his wounds in England Private Buckam Singh contracted tuberculosis and spent his final days in a Kitchener Ontario military hospital, dying at age 25 in 1919. His grave in Kitchener Ontario is the only known WWI Sikh Canadian Soldier’s military grave in Canada.

While he never got to see his family again and died forgotten almost 100 years ago, his heroic story is now being reclaimed and celebrated every year.

~ Source: SikhMuseum

This large millstone was once used by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

In the Janamsakhis, it is mentioned that once Guru Nanak Dev Ji was taken as a prisoner along with thousands of his fellow countrymen by Babar’s men.

Baba ji was, along with many of his fellow prisoners were forced to grind corn with hand-driven chakkis (millstones). His captors were surprised to see that the millstone used by Guru Nanak Dev Ji was turning, by itself, while Baba ji was simply pouring grist into the opening in the stone while he sang praises for the Akal Purakh.

Source: Sikhi Wiki

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96 Yr Old Air Marshal Arjan Singh was certainly the show-stopper at the President’s felicitation for 1965 war veterans yesterday. As his name was called and he walked ram-rod straight towards President Pranab Mukherjee to take a salute

Arjan Singh is the only Indian Air Force officer, who was promoted as Five-Star General. As he walk­ed up to the President, with a sti­ck in hand, all pride intact, and offered a salute, the ceremonial hall at Rashtrapati Bhavan broke into loud applause.

As a squadron leader during World War II, Singh was involved in the Arakan Campaign against the Japanese in 1944 for which he received the Distinguished Flying

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Manpreet Kaur sets a new National Record in the Women’s shot put event during the 55th National Open Athletics Championship 2015 in Kolkata, on September 16, 2015.

Manpreet Kaur has little idea how she added a metre to her shot put throw. She doesn’t even remember the mark set in her first national meet eight years ago. All she knows is that if she puts her mind, and broad shoulders, to it, she can do better than her record-breaking 17.96m on the first day of the 55th National Open Athletics Championships on Wednesday.

For now, 17.96 will be a special mark for Manpreet as it made her the second shot putter after Inderjeet Singh to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“It’s no big deal. I threw 18.6m on Monday, so I knew crossing 17.43 is within my reach,” said Manpreet in a matter-of-fact tone, referring to the 18-year-old record set by Harbans Kaur at Mumbai in 1997. That the runner-up in the women’s shot put final — another Manpreet Kaur from ONGC, came up with 15.03m shows how lopsided the event was.

It’s not as if Kaur wasn’t excited at breaking Harbans Kaur’s record. “She works in the same Patiala DCW department of the Railways as me. So that’s exciting,” said Manpreet.

However, she isn’t satisfied yet. Mother of a four-year-old girl, Manpreet’s last international meet was the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. Marriage and pregnancy meant she had to take a three-year sabbatical.

The comeback looks promising. She threw 16.39m at the last national meet, only to better it by 76cm at the inter-Railways meet last month. “I have to throw above 19m to give myself a chance of a medal in the Olympics,” she said. Preparations are in full swing, informed husband and coach Karanjeet Singh.

~ Source: Hindustan Times

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has warned schools must do more to ensure their uniforms respect the needs of Britain’s diverse religious and cultural communities.

The senior Conservative politician says schools should adapt their uniforms to prevent discrimination of pupils from minority races and faiths and avoid breaching equality laws. Her warning comes in the the wake of a religious row which erupted when two schoolgirls were ordered to remove their turbans on the first day of school.

As previously reported St Anne’s Catholic School headteacher Lyn Bourne apologized to the families of Prasimran Kaur, 11, and Simranjot Kaur, 13, when staff told them take off the religious headwear on the first day of term. Both Southampton girls have returned to classes at the Carlton Road school after being granted permission to wear their turbans which their families claim teachers had branded “fashion” items. Representatives from the Sikh Federation UK wrote to the Department of Education following the incident calling for “tough action” to prevent future flashpoints. In a written reply seen by the Echo, Ms Morgan, pictured below, said the girls’ case was a “wholly regrettable incident”.

Referring to the Equality Act 2010 which confirms that schools must be “sensitive” to the needs of different cultures, races, and religions and “act reasonably” in accommodating their needs, she wrote: “Schools are prohibited from discrimination on grounds of race, sex or any other protected characteristic. “This applies to schools’ uniform and other policies as well as to their interactions with pupils and parents.”

But pointing out that Miss Bourne has apologised for the teacher’s actions she said: “Regarding any further action, the department expects schools to take responsibility for and putting in place processes to handle complaints from parents or others, as well for setting, reviewing and if necessary adapting their policies to ensure compliance with the law.

“It is therefore, open to the parents or the Sikh Federation itself to engage directly with the school on this matter, should they or you want to assure yourselves that lessons have been learned , or indeed, to offer advice to the school on this or other aspects of Sikh practice and culture.”

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation UK, said: “Governing body at St Anne’s Catholic School and Southampton City Council need to step in to ensure school policies on race and religious discrimination are properly enforced.”

Harmeet Singh Brar, general secretary of the Sikh Council Hampshire said he is working with other faith groups to draw up a list of guidelines for use by Southampton schools.

He said: “I am glad that the Education secretary has got involved. Our guidance will help ensure this doesn’t happen again to anyone of any faith or religion.”

~ Source: Sikh Federation UK

Dear Turban,

I was of age 14 when I was for the first time introduced to you.
I didn’t like you too much that time, You were more of a compulsion than a choice for me.

I thought I looked weird or may be funny with you.
I made many excuses not to be with you initially.

This continued for few years. As time passed, I got more comfortable with you.
By college days, I think I started liking you. I bought more colors and new combinations and then even more colors.

Now I felt higher in spirits and in height , with you. You became a part of my every occasion. Different style in class, different with Bhangra, different with Gatka, different when I was tired in evening and wanted to relax, but you were always there.

Then I came abroad, where people looked at me differently, saw me from a distance and now recognized me from a distance.I could be identified among a million in a second. My presence or absence was felt.

People ask me about you, how many colors do I have, how long, why, what’s the significance etc and I feel so happy telling them.

~ Dharampreet Singh