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In May 2014, stung by allegations of inaction over the rampant abuse and trafficking of drugs, the Punjab government launched an aggressive crackdown with Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal declaring: “We will spare no one.”

These words resonated in police stations across the state with 17,068 arrests in 2014 and 11,593 more until December 2015.

But that’s just on the surface

At Ground Zero, behind each door, a broken home

Dig deeper and what emerges is a story of a rush to rack up numbers. Punjab’s war on drugs has, in effect, turned into a war on its addicts, the most vulnerable rung at the bottom of the supply ladder.

That’s one of the key findings of an eight-month-long investigation by The Indian Express of 6,598 FIRs made available last year under the Right to Information Act.

These FIRs were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act from January 1 to December 31, 2014 in 152 police stations that fall under 14 of the 28 police districts in Punjab.

An analysis of the numbers tells the story: At least 2,555 out of the 6,028 arrests — or 42.4 per cent — were for possession of 5 gm or less of heroin, 100 gm or less of intoxicant powder, 50 gm or less of opium, 1 kg or less of poppy husk and 100 or less capsules or tablets.

“Those who have been arrested were merely small-time peddlers. No drug lord worth his name has been put behind bars. The crackdown was absolutely flawed and done to make up the numbers. It took place without any foresight and planning. Addiction is a sickness like any other disease and there is no point in putting addicts behind bars,” said Shashi Kant, former DGP (Prisons), who now runs an NGO, Nasha Virodhi Manch, to help addicts.

Nothing illustrates the cracks in the crackdown better than police records from Boot village in Kapurthala, where 47 FIRs were filed under the NDPS Act.

The Indian Express visited Boot and investigated each of those FIRs, which together name 63 accused, to find that at least 28 — or nearly 60 per cent — were registered for possession. Details from a selection of these FIRs illustrate who this crackdown really targeted.

Consider these:

* Date of FIR: 21-01-2014
Accused: Kulwinder Kaur, 27, w/o Mohan Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 50 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 24-01-2014
Accused: Baldev Singh, 45, s/o Hansa Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 25 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 28-01-2014
Accused: Raju, 22, s/o Amrik Singh.
Status: On bail
Seized: 50 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 28-01-2014
Accused: Sarwan Singh, 37, s/o Mohinder Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 50 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 17-02-2014
Accused: Malkit Singh, 19, s/o Amrik Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 7 gm smack

* FIR: 10-03-2014
Accused: Jaswant Singh, 19, s/o Gurmeet Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 50 capsules

* FIR: 20-05-2014
Accused: Sulkhan Singh, 19, s/o Sajjan Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 2 gm heroin

* FIR: 15-08-2014
Accused: Lakhvir Singh, s/o Mukhtiar Singh; Swaran Singh, s/o Munsaa Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 5 gm heroin

* FIR: 20-08-2014
Accused: Kamaljit Singh, 39, s/o Buta Singh; Kuldeep Singh, 24, s/o Swaran Singh.
Status: On bail
Seized: 45 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 02-09-2014
Accused: Paramjit Singh, 20, s/o Tarsem Singh (plus 2 from other villages).
Status: On bail
Seized: 5 gm heroin, 150 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 12-09-2014
Accused: Nirvair Singh, 19, s/o Mohinder Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 5 gm heroin

* FIR: 19-09-2014
Accused: Rajpal Singh, 23, s/o Harbans Singh; Bagga, 22, s/o Hajara Singh.
Status: On bail
Seized: 40 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 23-09-2014
Accused: Balwinder Kaur, w/o Surjit Singh. Status: On bail
Seized: 20 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 10-10-2014
Accused: Karnail Singh, wife Jaswinder Kaur. Status: On bail
Seized: 75 gm intoxicant powder

* FIR: 27-05-2014

Accused: Jaswant Singh & Gurpreet Singh, s/o Gurmeet Singh; Gian Kaur, w/o Harbans Singh; Charan Singh, s/o Kala; Joga Singh, s/o Kala Singh; Balwinder Kaur; Satnam Singh, s/o Harnam Singh; Manga, s/o Swaran Singh; Chunni Shah, s/o Joginder Singh; Lakha Singh, s/o Gurbachan Singh (plus 8 from other villages). Status: On bail
Seized: 4 gm smack, 5 gm heroin, 10 gm intoxicant powder, 1 kg poppy husk.

“The police only focused on youngsters who were addicts since they were easy to catch. The big fish continue to roam free. There are some examples in our village where local drug lords are roaming around freely. These people have built palatial houses with the money they have earned from selling drugs. The police know about them but have done nothing because they are well-connected politically,” said Jathedar Udha Singh, the local gurudwara pradhan and a Shiromani Akali Dal worker from Boot village.

In Kang village of Gurdaspur, villagers claim the crackdown was so intense that even those found in the company of drug addicts were put behind bars.

“I used to run a medical store at the time. That day, three of my friends were standing near my store… two of them were smoking drugs. All four of us were arrested,” claimed Jaspal Singh, 40, who was arrested last October and is out on bail.

Jaspal’s father, Gurmej Singh, an ex-serviceman, says he still cannot believe what his son has been through. “He is married, has two children and has never touched drugs. Yet, we had to move around in the village with our heads hanging in shame because of this taint,” he claimed.

Hoshiarpur-based lawyer, Sandeep Sharma, who is handling the defence of at least 50 accused, alleged that police “plant recoveries on the accused in several cases”. “Even if a minuscule quantity of drug was seized, the quantity was inflated several times by planting more drugs to make up the numbers. Only the end-users were targeted and thrown inside jails,” said Sharma.

(Reporting from Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Ropar)

#Courtesy : The Indian Express

Sikh Youth New Zealand is hosting the country’s first Auckland Turban Day, an event which lets passers-by try on turbans, drink masala tea, and ask questions about Sikhism.

One of the event organisers, Jaspreet Singh, said most in New Zealand were not aware of what Sikhs were, or their beliefs.

The 21-year-old medical student said for him, the turban was a symbol of leadership – a visual representation of his faith that he would carry with him everywhere he went.

It was also about equality, worn by both men and women and born out of a struggle against social heirarchy in India.

“Back then the Indian society, there was a big caste system and you had to have a certain class in society to wear a turban.”

“What Sikhism tried to do was say that everyone is equal and everyone should wear a turban.”

Mr Singh said he felt the effects of racial ignorance last year, when he was mistaken for a terrorist. He was sitting at a cafe outside Auckland Hospital, and just metres away from his university campus, when he was approached by two police officers who questioned him about the contents of his bag.He was told a member of the public had seen his headphone wires and thought it was a bomb.

Mr Singh said the incident was fueled by racial bias, but also confusion, because the woman who called the police had thought he was Islamic.

“This isn’t about holding someone accountable, but more so using this to raise awareness about these sorts of issues – the biases we hold in our society and how we can fight them.”

This event would try and do just that, by letting members of the public learn more about Sikh practices and meet young Sikhs.

Alongside performances and free masala tea, participants will be able to choose a colour of turban they like, and be taught how to tie one on their heads.They will then be able take the turban home if they want to.

“It’s an opportunity for people to come and learn about the values that are associated with turbans in a fun and interactive way.”

Turban Day, being held in Aotea Square, has been celebrated in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada and most recently in Norway.

~ Source : radionz

I was in school in Amritsar, Punjab, on June 1, 1984. It was 12:30 pm when we heard the unmistakable, chilling sounds of gunshots firing. We students were immediately sent home. However, for me, home was right beside the Darbar Sahib complex (also known as the Golden Temple). In fact, my family played kirtan at Darbar Sahib; they are Hazoori Raagis.

I scrambled on my bike and started riding home, in the direction of the gunshots. I was ten.

I remember hearing the gunshots as I peddled through the narrow alleys of Amritsar. I remember seeing a couple of bodies lying in pools of blood. I was not afraid, but I knew I had to quickly get home.

I managed to reach home safely, but not everyone was safe. This marked the beginning of days of horrific, unimaginable violence. This was the onset of the Indian military’s attack on Darbar Sahib and dozens of other gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed at the hands of the Indian military.

Code-named Operation Bluestar, the assault set the stage for a decade of violent state repression.

When I made it home, my mother was crying because she was so relieved to see me, knowing not all mothers were so lucky. She hid me under a bed, where I heard gunshots throughout the day.

The next day, after the curfew was lifted, my family and I also went to the Darbar Sahib complex. Sangat from all over began pouring into Darbar Sahib for Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s Shaheedi Divaas. By the following day, not only was Amritsar filled with sangat, but no one had ever seen that much military presence in Amritsar.

Once again, there was a curfew. Because of that curfew, we could not take my sick chachaji (uncle) to a hospital. He passed away that night.

On June 4th, at about 4:30 am, we awoke to bombardment. It sounded like the earth was being ripped apart at the seams – a sound I would never forget. Over the next two days, the violence, the blood and the devastation that I saw is hard to speak of, but it is permanently seared into my memory.

People sometimes ask, “Why should we remember such a dark period of our history?” We must remember that period of our history because it is still our history. Our loved ones cannot be left behind and our stories cannot be distorted. We cannot let others dictate our history.

Thousands of Singhs and Kaurs were horrifically killed. Yet the Sikh community, as always, shows resilience in the face of this violent repression. If we were able to survive 1984 as a community, like I did as a ten-year-old boy, we can survive anything.

It is our responsibility to remember and draw strength from our Panth’s sacrifices.

Chardi Kala,

Sawinder Singh
[Born in Amritsar and brought up within the Darbar Sahib complex, Sawinder Singh is a former Hazori Raagi of Darbar Sahib and founded the Sri Harmandir Sahib Academy. He currently works and resides in Maryland with his family. Sawinder Singh will be featured in the Sikh Project photography exhibit this year.]

~ Courtesy: Sikh Coalition

Guru Angad Dev Ji lived at Khadur Sahib in the Punjab, India. There lived a yogi named Shiv Nath in the same village. Yogis were saints who did not marry. They had a great hold on the people. Shiv Nath was very proud. He became jealous of the Guru’s fame. So he started making plans to get rid of the Guru by fair means or foul. He was on the look out for a chance to make the Guru feel small.

Once, it did not rain for a long time. There was a danger of drought. So the people were worried. They went to the yogi and asked him to do something about it. The yogi replied in anger, ‘How can you expect rain, you fools, when you look upon a married man as your Guru? Turn him out of the village and you will surely get rain.”

The people were carried away by the yogi’s words. They went to the Guru and said, “O Guru, the crops are dying for want of rain. If you will kindly leave this village, the yogi can save us by bringing rain for us.”

“Dear friends,” replied the Guru, “Rain and sunshine are natural. They are in the hands of God. Still, I don’t mind leaving the village if it is in your interest.” The next day, the Guru left the village. The people went to the yogi once more to ask for rain. The yogi could do nothing against the law of nature. It did not rain. The people waited for some days but then became very angry and realised their fault. They dragged the yogi out of his hut into their fields. It so happened that it rained in every field into which they dragged the yogi. So everyone was keen to drag the yogi into his own field first. They dragged him this way and that till he was sorry and accepted that he lied about the Guru.

The villagers were very sorry to have turned the Guru out of the village. They realised their mistake. They went to him and begged his pardon. They brought Guruji back with great respect. The Guru told the people to have faith in the Will of God. He then started a common kitchen in that village, with the help of his followers. This was known as the ‘Guru Ka Langar’ (“the Guru’s Kitchen”). Anyone could come at any time and have a free dinner in the Langar. Men, women and children of all castes, religions, colours and races sat and ate together. Many people cheerfully offered free service in the Langar and joined the sangat regularly.

Source : tuhitu.blogspot

This is the extraordinary moment a brave Sikh man removes his turban and uses it to lower himself down and rescue a stricken dog from drowning in a river.

Sarwan Singh, 28, immediately took off his turban when he noticed that the pet was in difficulty in the irrigation canal in Punjab, India.

He then gives on end of the long material to his friends at the top of the steep banks of the canal and uses it as a rope to steady himself as he lower himself down closer to the water.

Mr Sarwan, who cannot swim, then decided to make use of his turban in a last ditch attempt to free the canine.

He added: ‘The moment I started taking off my turban, people watching around were shocked. They thought I was disrespecting my faith.

‘But what was important at that point was to save the animal’s life.’

Wearing a turban is one of the five articles of faith in Sikhism. It is a doctrine of Sikhism that one can only remove their turban at home or while bathing.

He added: ‘The dog wasn’t comfortable. He was not coming to me at all.

‘We had to follow him for around 200 metres before I was able to wrap my turban around his neck and pull him to safety.

‘The dog was frightened, so I fed him some biscuits and let him go on his own.’

~ Source : DailyMail

ਧੰਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਜਨੁ ਆਇਆ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਸਭੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਤਰਾਇਆ ॥

ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਦੇ ਸਭ ਤੋ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਸੰਤ ਕਵੀ
ਡਾ ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦਾ
69ਵਾਂ ਸਚਖੰਡ ਪਿਆਣਾ ਦਿਵਸ

(7 ਜੂਨ ਸਵੇਰੇ 8 ਵਜੇ ਤੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਕਰਵਾਰ 10 ਜੂਨ 2016 – 5 ਤੋਂ 8.30 ਸ਼ਾਮ )

ਵਿਖੇ : 13/3 ਰਾਖੀ ਮਹਿਲ, 3ਜਾ ਫਲੋਰ, ਦਿਨਸ਼ਾਹ ਵਾਚਾ ਰੋਡ, ਵਿਪਰੀਤ ਸੀ ਸੀ ਆਈ ਕਲਬ, ਚਰਚ ਗੇਟ , ਮੁੰਬਈ -20

ਸਮਾਗਮ – ਸ਼ੁਕਰਵਾਰ 10.06.2016

ਸਮਾਪਤਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਪਾਠ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ – 5 ਵਜੇ ਸ਼ਾਮੀ
ਆਰਤੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਠ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਰਹਿਰਾਸ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ

ਗੁਰ ਸ਼ਬਦ – ਭਾਈ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ – ਕਵਿਤਾਵਾਂ, ਕੀਰਤਨ , ਵਿਆਖਿਆ, ਸ਼੍ਰ੍ਧਾਂਜਾਲੀ, ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਨ , ਸਮਾਪਤਿ ਅਰਦਾਸ

ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਲੰਗਰ (5 – 8 ਵਜੇ ਸ਼ਾਮੀ)

ਸਭਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹਥ ਜੋੜ ਕੇ ਵਿਨਤੀ ਹੈ ਇਸ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਵਿਚ ਵਧ ਚੜ ਕੇ ਭਾਗ ਲਵੋ ਜੀ
Other highlights

PARTICIPANTS –

Shri Ajit Arenja,

Bhai Sahib Gurbux Singh Ji KHALSA (Bhai Mohan Singh Puran Singh)
Sardarni Kul Bhushan Kaur Grover,Sardarni Manpreet Kaur Anand, Sardarni Varinder Kaur Arora,Sardarni Harinder Kaur Sokhi

WORLD WIDE APPEAL to Sikh Sangat to celebrate ANNIVERSARY’s & propagate ANMOL Literature of Respected SAINT-POET Bhai Sahib Dr Vir Singh ji on 5th DECEMBER & 10TH JUNE – every year, to KNOW & LOVE SIKHI & CONTRIBUTIONS of our GURU SAHIBAN & SAINTS who contributed Gurbani in compilation of SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JEE MAHARAJ – OUR JUGO JUG ATAL GURU -The Only UNIVERSAL GURU -being acknowledge the world over…………

Grateful thanks to….
Sat Sanghi’s for individual Langar participation Sewa & SANGAT SEWA.
Arota Family for Path Sahib Sewa,
S,Manmohan Singh Kohli Family for making available at 50% discount – books by Bhai Sahib Dr Vir Singh ji
Programme will be conducted at descreation of the organisers

ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO PARTICIAPTE IN PROPAGATING SIKHI FOR UNIVERSAL PEACE.

PLEASE FORWARD INTIMATION TO ALL YOUR ACQUAINTANCES through E-MAILS,WHATS APP – FACE BOOK

All who beheld Guru Nanak as an infant felt drawn towards him. Resting in his cradle, or lying in the loving arms of his kith and kin, the infant would ever smile such a beaming smile that all who saw him felt an unknown joy stealing into their hearts and elating their souls. He never cried but ever smiled and played.

When he was able to walk, the same jubilance marked him wherever he went, Soon, another trait of his personality became visible. Whenever a beggar, a needy man, or a faqir, called at the door, he would run in, take hold of whatever article of food or clothing he could get at, and, with a beaming, compassionate face, deliver it into the hands of the mendicant. Little did his father relish such unbounded charity but what could he do?

Guru’s childhood

In this way, this child who had come from the Lord became three years old. Now he started talking. He started playing also but his playing was somewhat different. When the sister would talk or tell some small stories, then he would listen and while listening he would say: Yes, He is there. Yes, He is there. Sometimes he would say: See! Who is there? It is He. It is He! Then he would raise his hands and say: It is He. It is He!

In this way while playing, in a playful gesture he would say something that people in the house did not understand. Sometimes in the verandah or his mom’s room he would sit down with legs crossed and close his eyes. Then open his eyes after sometime and laughingly say: Yes. 0 Lord!

When another child came to his house, Guru Nanak would offer them bread to eat and give butter. The toys that his mother would bring or the playthings that his sister gave, Guru Nanak would give them away to other children. Like other children he would not say mine, mine, or cling to the toys.

Guru’s childhood

At the early age of five, he began to talk of divine things. When he was among his playmates, he would, at times, seat them all around himself and bid them repeat after him the name of the Formless Lord. At other times, he would run and jump, frisk and gambol, at the bead of his little band. When all alone, he would sometimes sit for hours with half-shut eyes. Those who beheld him thus occupied, were struck at the radiance and glory that emanated from his calm, rosy face.

Guru Nanak was not an ordinary child. Children of his age liked him very much and everyone wanted to play with him. Nanak’s games were different from other children. He was a child of smiles, and his eyes were silent and wise. Whoever saw the child, or touched him accidentally, praised God. A thrill of unknown delight came to anyone who lifted the child, played with him.

Everyone saw that he was a child of God, he was beautiful, mysteriously fair in colour and form with a radiance that was new to earth. At a young age he used to talk about the Supreme Soul, the path of religon and good deeds.

Guru Nanak loved to play with the children of his age, he would share all his things with them. He was also gifted with a sweet and melodius voice. He sang in praise of God and his friends would repeat after him. The villagers were always pleased to hear Guru Nanak’s melodies. Nanak cast a spell none escape.

One day the head of the village Rai Bullar heard Guru Nanak singing. He was so impressed he mentioned to his friends that “Nanak is not an ordinary child. He has come into this world to steer people onto the right path.” When Rai Bullar and his friends passed Nanak, Guru Ji stood up and paid his respects to Rai Bullar. The Guru spoke with such dignity and wisdom that Rai Bullar and his friends were surprised to the hear the words from a child of such young age.

Source : www.discoversikhism.com

Kudos to her for encouraging every Sikh to be proud of his identity!

UNITED SIKHS Australian volunteer, who also served as a Director, says, “I’m not the one that’s a freak, I’m fully Sikh.” Sukhjit Kaur is first generation Australian Sikh, a spoken-word poet who is very passionate about Sikhi, free-speech and women’s empowerment.

Sukhjit Kaur is on a tour to UK, USA , and Canada conducting workshops, reaching out to people making them feel more confident of who they are. The main purpose of her trip is to connect with Sikh artists and activists in these communities and explore ideas, collaborate and learn from each other. She was with us in UK in Hyde park, London, click here to see her there.

Through her spoken word act she aims to be thought-provoking in an effort to evoke change. She pursues her passion in a unique way to continue to serve her community all over the globe.

A bright, ebullient, dynamic woman, Sukhjit took the stage of Australia’s Got Talent and showed the world what it means to be a Sikh. Her poetry tackles some core social issues like gender inequality, identity crisis and feminism.

In July, 2012 , she spoke at the annual YMCA Youth Parliament of Western Australia, where young people come together to share their views on community issues and develop a piece of youth legislation. The youth were given the opportunity to speak on any issue. Sukhjit Kaur gave a testimony on courage, drawing on her personal experiences with accepting the hair on her body and her story of overcoming bullying. You can watch Sukhjit addressing the Youth Parliament of Western Australia regarding her bullying here.

Sukhjit Kaur says, “I’m overwhelmed with the love and support from each event, organisation and individual. Not only has everyone welcomed me with an incredible amount of love but the gestures people have made gives me belief in my art and belief in myself. I’m so excited to work with all these amazing humans in the near future. The wheels are turning!”

UNITED SIKHS would like to commend Sukhjit Kaur for her role in encouraging the sense of identity in the sikh youth all over the world. UNITED SIKHS supports and encourages young enthusiastic, inspiring artist like her.

~ Source : Sikhnet