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Baba Iqbal Singh’s greatest asset in spirituality has been to remain humble in his achievements while demonstrating his quest to transform society through his vision of establishing lasting peace in the world with value based education and spiritual rejuvenation.

The author, inspired by Baba Iqbal Singhji’s story, brings out the turbulent history of Punjab together with contributions of Sant Attar Singh and Sant Teja Singh towards improving the condition of the masses through access to modern education and spiritual training, thus creating evolved global citizens and great world leaders.

The charismatic life of Baba Iqbal Singh and the story of his evolution post-retirement from a bureaucrat to a spiritual leader of eminence is inspiring. He runs Baru Sahib, part of the Kalgidhar Trust, like a Gurukul where teachers and students live together in austerity and compatibility, learning life skills. In the process, he has successfully transformed education in Punjab.

The closing chapter titled ‘Music for Peace’ is especially uplifting.
As Akal Academy celebrates thirty years of its formation, I wish Baba Iqbal Singh ji all the best in his continuance of this journey of transcendence.

Ajay G Piramal,
Chairman,
Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

With a jaunty victory dance, 101-year-old Man Kaur celebrated winning the 100 metres sprint at the World Masters Games in Auckland on Monday, the 17th gold medal in the Indian athlete’s remarkable late-blooming career.

In truth her dash became more of a gentle amble the closer the tiny centenarian came to the finish line, with more energy spent beaming at spectators than running.

But Kaur was guaranteed victory as the only participant in the 100-years-and-over category at the New Zealand event, which has attracted 25,000 competitors.

Participation, not racing the clock, is the priority for Kaur, who has been dubbed the “miracle from Chandigarh” in New Zealand media.

Kaur only took up athletics eight years ago, at the tender age of 93.

She had no prior sporting experience before her son Gurdev Singh suggested she join him in competing on the international masters games circuit.

After a medical check-up she was given the all-clear and since then mother and son have taken part in dozens of masters athletics meets around the globe.

Kaur already has a swag of gold medals that would rival Michael Phelps’ haul and also plans to compete in the 200m sprint, two kilogramme shot put and 400 gram javelin in Auckland, taking her tally to 20

Her son Gurdev told the Indian Weekender newspaper that Kaur was on a strict diet that included wheat grass juice and a daily glass of kefir (fermented milk). World Masters Games 2017 chief executive Jennah Wootten said the Auckland organisers were delighted to host such an inspiration.

Spurce- Hindustan times

Born to a Christian mother and Muslim father of Iranian descent in Texas, Harsangat Raj Kaur should have been just another kid in the US, dealing with issues that come with growing up in an interracial family. Instead, she has adopted a totally different identity and lifestyle now. Kaur is one of the rarest white Sikhs who has become a Nihang, member of the armed Sikh warrior order famous for its victories in historical wars.

Kaur takes pride in calling herself Persian-Scandinavian Singhni who was born and raised in Texas. Today, she is a mounted archer in true Sikh tradition.

Inspired by a Nihang Sikh, Kaur not only adopted the lifestyle but also completed the ritual baptism of to become a Nihang Singhni. She was baptized by Baba Budda Dal Jathedar Joginder Singh in 2012 during his first visit to the UK. She told TOI that she has been riding horses since she was five. Trained as an archer too, she was fascinated by what she calls “the brotherhood of the horse” and slowly got attracted to the Nihang way of life. She says she finds this lifestyle to be natural, and today, she can easily recite Gurbani. Kaur has also visited Takht Shri Damadama Sahib and tried her hand at Gurmukhi, a Sikh script, by writing the letters in sand.
“My father’s native tongue is Farsi so it’s an advantage for me with Gurmukhi at times,” she says. On how her family reacts when they see her in the flowing robes of a Nihang, she says, “It’s not their favorite image of me.” However, she admits that ever since she embraced Sikhism, there have been several changes in her lifestyle. “My life has changed for the better and I give my thanks to Waheguru each day,” she says.

Kaur is not surprised that Sikhs were attacked in the US. “Growing up, I had to hide the fact of being Persian. I personally don’t like the attention that it (dressed as a Nihang) can bring,” she says.
Kaur aspires to have her own dal (group) of Nihangs in Texas with horses. “I want a place where the Sangat can come and meditate,” she says.

Source- Times Of India

Department of Physics, Akal University, Talwandi Sabo is organising a three day (April 22-24, 2017) workshop on “Olympiad Experiments at School Level” in collaboration with Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai. Prof. Gurmail Singh, the Vice Chancellor, Akal University and Prof. M. S. Johal Dean Academics, Akal University inaugurated the workshop. S. Baljeet Singh, District Science Supervisor and S. Gurpreet Singh, Assistant Education officer were the special guests for the inaugural session.

Thirty-three teachers from Twenty-one schools of Bathinda and Mansa districts are participating in the workshop. The eminent speakers for the event are Prof. P. K. Joshi, Mr. Vikrant Ghanekar from HBCSE, TIFR-Mumbai and Dr. Jogeshwar S. Purohit from Cluster Innovation Centre Delhi University. The workshop began with the lecture of Mr. Ghanekar who informed the participants about Olympiad programs for the science students. Prof. P. K. Joshi, another expert encouraged the participants to link all the science topics to everyday life scenarios for better understanding of the subject and demonstrated the experiments that deal with very basic concepts of science and mathematics such as pendulums, testing characteristics of milk, observing the digestion of milk in a test tube, detection of lycopene of tomato etc. The prime objective of the workshop is to introduce the teachers to the importance of carrying out science experiments in the schools and using hands on experiments as a powerful education tool.

A drunken passenger roughed up a Sikh cabbie and snatched the turban off his head in an assault the NYPD is investigating as a possible hate crime.

Harkirat Singh, 25, said the theft of his religious garb was the culmination of a scary encounter early Sunday with a belligerent boozehound and his three buddies that has made him too scared to drive another night shift.

“I’m so afraid. I don’t want to work,” Singh told the Daily News at his home in Ozone Park, Queens.

“It’s an insult on my religion, also,” he said. “An insult of my faith. It’s horrible.”

The immigrant from Punjab, India, said he picked up three men and a woman – all in their 20s – around 5 a.m. at the corner of Eighth Ave. and 30th St., a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.

The quartet said they wanted to go to E. 165th St. and Jerome Ave. in the Bronx. When the yellow taxi reached that intersection, the passengers complained that Singh took them to the wrong destination — but the drunks couldn’t give the cabbie a straight answer about where to go next, he said.

“The girl’s saying, ‘Take the right.’ The Spanish guy’s saying, ‘Take the left.’ So, at that time, I was confused,” Singh said.

They began hurling slurs and banging on the plastic partition in his cab, Singh recalled.

“They’re using bad words, also. They said, ‘Ali Baba, f–k you,’” said Singh, who moved to the U.S. three years ago.

He pulled over and told the group to pay $41.76 and to find another cab. The woman coughed up the cash after Singh called 911 — but then one of the men got back into the cab.

Singh said the man who got back into the cab tried to smash the meter. Then he punched Singh in the arm, the cabbie said.

After that, he picked off my turban from my head,” he said. “He wanted to snatch my phone also…It was too horrible.”

Police sources described the suspect as a clean-shaven white Hispanic man in his 20s, around 5-foot-9 and weighing 160 lbs. He was wearing red shoes and blue jeans. He had short hair.

Terrified and crying, Singh says he pleaded with the man to calm down.

“Why are you doing this, brother? We can sit. We can talk,” he recalled telling the unruly passenger.

“At that time, I’m so afraid — they can do anything to me. They’re gonna kill me.”