News & Update

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!

Like & Share this Great Memorable Day honoring the Sikh heroes!

Harjit Sajjan was a Grade 9 student at Sir Charles Tupper secondary when a teacher engaged him in conversation about the Royal Canadian Navy and the role of Sikh soldiers in World War II.

The teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and Sajjan, no more than 15 years old, sheepishly replied something about being a pilot, followed by something about not being smart enough.

“Why not?” the teacher asked.

It was a question Sajjan had never really considered before, and it was also a day that changed his life. He switched schools, found a new group of friends, and upon graduating from high school, joined the Canadian Forces as a reservist.

“I realized that I’ve always wanted to be the person who helped other people,” he said from his election office on Victoria Drive. “Once I got that bug, I really wanted to do something for people on a practical level.”

Today, Sajjan is a decorated soldier, a combat veteran, and a former Vancouver Police detective. He’s also the Liberal candidate for Vancouver South, and believes politics is the next step in his commitment to community service. “Through all my military and policing, I realized that when you see a problem right in front of you, you have to do something about it,” he explained.

“As much as I love the hands-on practical work… I’ve realized now that I do have a skill set and experience, and if we can influence policy, we can prevent a lot of problems from happening in the first place.”

He believes solutions come from understanding the causes of a problem, a formula he has tested on the battle field.
“We looked at preventing recruitment into the Taliban while we did the fighting,” he said of his deployments in Afghanistan. “Everything is connected whether it’s your society, your business, or your government.”

Bringing the concept to a local level, Sajjan said as a member of parliament, transforming youth in his riding would be one of his major areas of focus.

As a young person, Sajjan experienced many of the trials linked with his status as an immigrant, including racial discrimination and poverty. He also experienced many of the trials of his neighbourhood, including proximity to gangs, violence, and crime.

Years later, as a police officer in Vancouver South, he had the opportunity to examine these challenges through a different lens, and interact with youth who face them today.

“I realized the same challenges that we faced still existed, so if we did a little bit just to mentor the next generation, you can actually prevent them,” he explained.

“If we focus on our kids and make sure they’re inspired, they have the right resources moving forward; imagine what they can do down the road.”

It’s all about the ‘ripple effect’ he said — creating a series of positive changes that grow bigger and bigger with time.

“I didn’t get into politics to create a name for myself,” he explained. As long as the person who wins represents the best interests of the public, Sajjan said he won’t be disappointed if it isn’t him.

Election Day is Oct. 19, 2015.

~ Source: VancouverObserver

I always loved Cinderella’s story
A slave girl with a dream
Abused, exploited, worked to death
Then rescued by a team
A team of pumpkin, rat and mice
A coach, coachman and horses
A gem deprived of glow, but found
By a prince and prince’s forces
O’ Lord, I ask, beseech, I seek,
A coach to get me away
Enslaved, battered, daily hurt
I plead, I cry, I pray
Where is my pumpkin, where the rat
Where did you hide the mice?
Where is my fairy godmother?
Is she no longer nice?
A ‘God’ without a trace of grace
A ‘God’ without a tear
What good is he, who never cries?
A cry who doesn’t hear
I urge all fathers, mothers alike
To make a prideful choice
A daughter born, you don’t despair
Make her a Kaur, rejoice
You teach your daughter, self-defense
So no one dares to beat her
No one would then exploit her
No one would dare mistreat her
And then she needs, no unfair fairies
Pumpkins, rats or mice
No fake misogynistic ‘God’,
Nor men, who aren’t so nice
It’s better than, a tortured life
To die with a hand on sword
And if she dies, in self-defense
She’ll meet her One True Lord
The One True God – the Ik Onkar
The sole Creator of all
Who dwells in women, men alike
And equally loves us all

~ Dr. Satpal Singh

Dr Satpal Singh is an associate Professor at the University of New York , Buffalo in the Dept of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He is also a Chairperson in the World Sikh Council. He frequently speaks on Sikh Philosophy and Sikh Way of Life.

The soft spoken Sikh cab driver in his latest movie, Sir Ben Kingsley describes the feeling of the turban on his head as “really gratifying” and termed the discrimination and racial abuse faced by the community in the US as “totally regrettable”.

Kingsley plays a soft-spoken and righteous cab driver, proud of his Sikh identity, who settles in New York after getting political asylum in the country. Apart from working as a cab driver, Tur is also a driving instructor.

Kingsley said city-based social activist Harpreet Singh Toor provided valuable help during the shooting of the movie, telling him about the minute mannerisms of a Sikh and helping him tie the turban.

“To feel the tightness of (the turban) on my head was really gratifying. As Sikhs are warriors, I felt I was putting on my armour, which is a glorious feeling,” Kingsley told a select group of media persons during an interaction here.

He said the Sikh community in New York was “very generous” during the filming of the movie and invited the crew to shoot scenes in the local Gurudwara.

“The crew was so grateful to have had the opportunity to work there. The temple is a beautiful island of order, decency, worship and family in a sea of neurosis. It is a calm island in the middle of Queens,” he said.

“It is totally regrettable,” Kingsley told PTI at the interaction when asked about the discrimination and racial abuse that members of the Sikh community continue to face, particularly in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

“The Sikh drivers after 9/11 turned off all their meters and were slowing down and asking people where is your loved one, I will help you find them. All the Sikh community in New York, beautiful,” he said adding that “it is a complete reversal of what they are stamped with.

~ Source: BusinessStandard