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She ranked No.1 in British Columbia in the 75 kg category and made it to the national team with a highest total of 219 kg in March.

She was a part of the 13-member Canadian weightlifting team for the quadrennial event. It will be a proud moment for us when she wears the Team Canada jersey at the Pan American Games. She was Canada’s only weightlifter to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

She also lifted a silver medal in the snatch event in the Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, and bagged another silver in the Senior Commonwealth Championships in Malaysia in 2013. She won her first international gold medal at the Sub-Youth Pan American Championship in 2006, and repeated that win in 2007.

Her father, Harnek Singh won his last national title in Jamshedpur in 1989 where he set a national record with a lift of 189 kg in the 82.5 kg category before immigrating to Canada ,Prabdeep was born in Talwan village in 1993 .

In Canada’s Surrey, Harnek started working in tree plantations while keeping his passion for weightlifting alive, inspiring Prabdeep and her younger sister Simerdeep to choose the sport in 2002. He is now a truck driver.

~ Source: IndianExpress

It was a visit to Panipat (Haryana) recently. I was there to attend an event on invitation of known social activist Ram Mohan Rai. Panipat is a name known for battles in history books, however, this place has become a ground of peace and social reformation in many senses. Panipat has many crowns who worked for peace and social reformation and particularly for Indo-Pak relations; this place has become more relevant as many people migrated from and to Panipat during partition.

A famous shrine of Bu Ali Shah Qalander is situated in the city and about this sufi saint of Chishti order, it was said that he was very popular and had received fragrance (Bu) of Muhammad. I had the fortune of visiting the shrine resonating great peace, calmness and love.

The whole area that surrounds this shrine is a well-known market and an area that provides livelihood to many. Just outside the gate of this shrine, many shopkeepers are decorating their shops with flowers, itra, agarbattis and chaadars. I found one Sikh named Son Singh there who was dedicatedly selling the same things. It was a wonder that a Sikh was selling chadars, itra, etc to be offered for a Muslim shrine. I talked with him and got to know his interesting, thought-provoking story.

He told me that his family was doing the same thing since last 60 years. He narrated that his father Gurubachan Singh migrated from Shekhupura, Lahore during 1947. He did not remember the exact place from where his father was, but he knew that it was somewhere near Churakhana and the name of place was changed later to Jalalabad (probably) that was situated near a Gurdwara. During partition, his father Gurubachan Singh somehow managed to reach safely to Amritsar first and then went to Pilibheet (in Uttar Pradesh) in search of livelihood. After being in Pilibhit for some time, he came to Panipat, where he settled in one room that was filled with wool as this area belonged to weavers who had migrated to Pakistan. He got married in Panipat with the girl of another migrated family.

Son Singh told that his father Gurubachan Singh, in spite of being a Sikh by religion, knew Urdu language very well and would recite Quran very well. During his stay in Panipat, Gurubachan Singh read Guru Granth Sahab in the morning and then Quran at this shrine. Son Singh remembers that his father used to talk about Maulvi Attaullah of the shrine, who was a good friend of him and Gurubachan Singh used to offer Namaj with him. Son Singh tells that he (his father Gurubachan Singh) did it voluntary and he never minded doing it or never thought it as undoable or un-pious. He also wanted to go to his native place Shekhupura in Pakistan once but later he died and could not go back to see his birth place.

Son Singh still carries his legacy. He has respect for the Sufi saint Bu Ali Shah Qalander. He tells that he could have opted for other business also but he decided to run the same that his father had started. In spite of a victim of partition, he has no hatred for Pakistan or its people. He is only an eight standard passed and he sadly accepts that he could not learn Urdu. After knowing about me that I am working in a small way for Indo-Pak friendship, he expressed his desire that though his father could not go to Pakistan and died here, but he wants to visit Pakistan at least once before his own death. He also tells that he believes that people of both sides are same and friendly and he imagines that how nice it would be if all these fight and enmity of governments will be stopped.

I could see this Son Singh who in spite of not so educated was educating me about communal harmony and peace bonds, about humanity and love, about tolerance and dedication and many such things together. When we took his permission to leave, he immediately pulled my hand and told a boy working in his shop, ‘Chai aur biscuit lekar aa’ (Bring tea and biscuits soon), we accepted his offer with respect and left. While saying goodbye, he also offered dinner for us at his home with his family. This gesture was extremely unexpected in our present society.

Source Narrated by Ravi Nitesh, submitted to twocircles.net

Heritage Place where the 13th Generation of Bhai Dhalla Singh stays in Punjab!

He donated his land where Takht Damdama Sahib stands today!
This is the pic of his Astabal (Horse-stable) to which his family shifted and his 13th generation lives there today.

Bhai Dalla Singh was landlord of Talvandi Sabo, enthusiastically received Guru Gobind Singh when he arrived there with his entourage early in 1706, and attended diligently to the needs and comforts of the daily-growing Sangat.

Sacred Relics bestowed upon him by Guru Gobind Singh are preserved in the descendant family as sacred relics.

Day in and day out, a human keeps flowing in the ocean of life, no matter how smooth or troublesome the path maybe. His everlasting quest for a better life triggers him to find best possible ways to live a meaningful life. Well, this attempt also empowers him to come to terms with ups and downs.

In this journey of happy and sad moments, a human is often accompanied by his closed ones whose sentimental support becomes indispensable to stay composed and focussed even when the circumstances go unfavorable. So, no doubt, his blood relations stand by him during hardships, but there come times when opinions contradict and a tussle makes it way. This impasse tends to deteriorate his power of thinking and ultimately, ends up landing him nowhere.

So, where lies the solution? Doesn’t it pose a great challenge to a human’s temperament? Yes, it does and apparently, his wish to live a meaningful life gets defeated.

The capability of human beings to perceive things and use their approach is limited. There is felt the need of someone who could provide an incessant support and handle the turbulence and tribulation of life in his own manner.

This kind of a friend is unlimited in his approach, for his roots don’t lie in this materialistic world, but belong to the world of eternity. His power is unlimited and his existence is beyond time. It’s only his guidance and mentorship that help one strike a right chord between different activities. This role is played by an eternal friend who doesn’t let your morale go down, but boosts it, doesn’t contradict with your opinion, but sets its compatibility with you, doesn’t allow pessimism to disrupt you, but infuses your instinct with never-ending zeal.

Such an eternal relationship is not bounded by selfish means, but is channelized by an association that is free of prejudice. Yes, this is the beauty of a real relationship that a pupil shares with his Perfect Master. A Perfect Master bestows on his pupil, the eternal technique of self-realization, Brahmgyan that helps him establish direct connection with the Master inside only through meditation. This eliminates the need of rejoicing in this materialistic world where happiness stays for a certain period of time and then a human again becomes restless.

This kind of friend is Guru sahib.

~ Source: thenational.ae

The percentage population of Sikhs dropped 10.5% in 10 years from 1.9% (in 2001) to 1.7% (in 2011).

The Religion based Census data released by the Central Government shows that while India’s Total Population in 2011 is 121.09 crores; Sikh constitute 2.08 crores (1.7%), Hindu 96.63 crores (79.8%); Muslim 17.22 crores (14.2%); Christian 2.78 crores (2.3%);

Indian population growth rate in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 %. while Sikhs grew 8.4% at half the growth rate of the nation.

The decadal growth rate in Sikh population was pegged at 24.3% in 1991, which fell to 18.2% in 2001 and further to 8.4% in 2011. It has fallen by 15.9% in two decades

This alarming slowdown of the Sikhs is the lowest percentage since 1951. Sikhs were growing annually at the rate of 1.7% for a long time. Now that has dropped to 0.84%. Out of all the religious communities, it’s only the growth rate of Muslim population which has shows an upward trend.

India was partitioned in 1947. Hindus and Sikhs constituted about 20% of the population in what is now Pakistan. Now it is barely 1%.

This demographic catastrophe seeks attention and time to think to upon.

A religion known for its unparalleled sacrifices, a religion which stood up for the religious freedom of others is now at the brink of slowly becoming a micro-minority! Can we afford to lose it!

Time we should direct our thoughts, and ponder upon them.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/hindu-population-declines-by-0-7-muslims-increased-by-0-8-reveals-modi-govts-religion-based-census-data_1652693.html

The 438th Anniversary of Amritsar Foundation Day emphasizes the need for a sustainable city. EcoAmritsar, an EcoSikh Initiative, held several days of environmental activities to improve the city and the well-being of its people and animals.

Amritsar Foundation Day, which marks the day when Sikh Guru Ram Das founded the city in 1577, has been revived in recent years after EcoSikh petitioned to observe the historical day following years of indifference.

Four years after its birth, EcoAmritsar has emerged as a leading environmental organization in Punjab, entrusted with making Amritsar cleaner and greener and ensuring the longevity of the city for future generations. Amritsar Foundation Day is one event where EcoAmritsar spreads awareness about environmental degradation and spreads the Sikh gurus’ messages about caring for Mother Earth.

“Amritsar Foundation Day is now being celebrated as a green event,” said EcoAmritsar Program Administrator and coordinator of events, Tarundeep Singh. “It is not only a day to remember Sri Guru Ram Das ji establishing the city, but also a day to take pride and responsibility in the longevity of this place we call ‘home’ and ensuring the environment is healthy enough for the next 438 years.”

Local business owners, governmental officials, students and citizens all participated in the celebrations to reinforce the event’s theme: “Amritsar: My City, My Pride, My Responsibility.”

Students performed environmental skits and songs that displayed their love for the earth, and EcoAmritsar presented its vision for projects to clean up the city of Amritsar.

Day Two of the celebrations was highlighted by proposing an energy audit for one of the city’s largest cowshed sanctuaries: Baba Bohri Wala Gau Shala, where 400 animals are housed. With the help of EcoAmritsar, Gau Shala and Amritsar Consultants (energy auditors) worked together to plan a review of the sanctuary’s energy usage, with the ultimate goal of reducing energy leakages and improving the overall consumption of electricity and other resources. This step can be replicated in other businesses, homes and organizations and will lead to overall reduction in energy expenditures.

The week progressed with a dustbin installation by Voice of Amritsar (VOA) at the Government Medical College, Amritsar. VOA is a socially conscious NGO working to improve various aspects of life in Amritsar. The Word Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) hosted a nature walk with students where they observed the environment around them. Other activities included a seminar at Khalsa College of Education on How to Make Amritsar a Beautiful and Clean City,” and a cleaning drive at Bombay Wala Khoo Dump in Amritsar.

EcoAmritsar convened organized several organizations to take part in an extensive clean up effort.

Celebrations and reflections continued with the screening of the documentary Amritsar: Jithe Kehnde Rabb Wasda, a signature campaign, and wrapped up with a citizen’s march involving citizens and major stakeholders to commit themselves to preserving the longevity of Amritsar.

“We wish to see a clean and green Amritsar by 2017,” said EcoAmritsar Convener Gunbir Singh. “EcoSikh and EcoAmritsar are working with the community, the government and the diaspora to make sure Amritsar has a long and healthy future as a the home to Sikhs and so many others in the world.”

~ Source: www.ecosikh.org

Five members of the Indian Gurdwara in Hamburg were present for this process.

An Ardas ( Prayer) was made before the process started and the stone, that was burned off the stairs was respectfully processed by the members of the Gurdwara afterwards.

Yogacentre Hoheluft while conveying their apology,thanked to Gurdwara members for pointing out the rule prohibiting Gurbani on floors of which yogacentre members were not aware.

They made it very clear, that they did not mean any disrespect to the Mool Mantra or any hurt to the sentiments of fellow Sikhs.

“On the contrary we wished for our students to be inspired and uplifted by the Mool Mantra as they entered our Yogacentre. Now we understand that this was completely inappropriate.We will not repeat this mistake. We feel the love of the Guru as much as anybody else does “.

Source- sikhsindia.blogspot.in

Sikhs had disproportionately played a huge role in World Wars, but who thought some Sikhs had also served as Australian Soldiers way back in the early 1900’s.

The Occasion Marked the landing of Australia & New Zealand

armed corps in Gallipoli, Turkey. Every year this ceremonial marches take place to honour those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Sikh community proudly joined the ceremony to pay homage to their forefathers.

It has been eloquently said that those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. Let’s make an extra effort to honour the memory of those whose proverbial shoulders we stand on today!

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