News & Update

It seems that the heroic efforts by Salman Khan in the movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan have impacted not only the lives of common people but also that of the police department.

Recently in Chandigarh, two police officers reunited a 4 yr old girl Tanvi with her family after crossing a lot of hurdles. To begin with, they were clueless about the location of the girl’s home.

Quite similar to the story line of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the child, Tanvi, was lost and could not explain the location of her house to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Dilbagh Singh.

Singh rescued the child from a local market and he along with his constable went all over the city in search of her house as she could not explain anything about the area where she lived nor give her parents’ details.

Like Khan’s character in the successful film, Singh started his search on the basis of whatever little information she revealed. The search was not only confined to the city but also extended to nearby villages, including Shahimajra, Madanpura and other areas.

But finally, after five hours of search, the cops were successful in Mohali village, where some students of a school identified the girl and told cops where she lived. The students then helped the police in finding her house in Valmiki Colony of Phase 6 in SAS Nagar.

Ranbir, the girl’s father, told the police that he, along with Tanvi, had gone to Phase 1 administrative complex to apply for Aadhaar card in the morning. But Tanvi was left behind near his cart, from where she walked away, reported Hindustan Times.

Kudos to his spirit of serving his duty beyond boundaries!

~ Courtesy: ScoopWhoop

The Biggest plantation Driver EVER who else than PUNJAB can do it.

Sambhav Foundation, an NGO, claimed to have planted one crore saplings in one hour across Punjab. Sambhav, started as a social club, took matters into its own hands when Ludhiana was declared one of most polluted cities of the world by a WHO report.

The aim of organising plantation drive was to lay stress on public and administration’s partnership, besides making people aware about the importance of planting more trees.

The drive covered both rural and urban areas under the programme. Saplings were planted at schools, colleges, municipal land, panchayat land, cremation grounds, land belonging to Railways and other government departments.

Members of the NGO claimed that one lakh saplings were planted in one hour on July 20 last year during a similar drive. Raising the bar, the environmentalists in city to feel that such activities send out a positive message among youth.

Like & Share this great initiative by Sambhav to Paint #Punjab Green on the World Map!

Proud to see the zeal of participated to make this dream come true!

~ Source: The Tribune

Businessman Karan Singh Thakral, who was one of the judges in Asia’s first business-focused reality programme Angel’s Gate, has been appointed as Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Denmark.

Karan, an executive director in the Thakral Group of Companies, had earlier served as Singapore’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, resident in Singapore from July 2013 to April 2015.

The announcement was made in a statement dated 30 July 2015 released on the website of Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among his other appointments, Karan is chairman of the South Asia Business Group and Business India in Singapore as well as chairman of Givo Limited in India. He also serves as a Board Member of the ASIAN India Business Council, the same statement added.

He is married to Mrs Devinder Kaur Thakral and they have a son and four daughters.

~ Source: Sikh24

Efforts to raise awareness about Sikh faith in the form of giving back to the community is just what these blessed souls partook this weekend preaching a silent message about being Sikhs and take their stand about being united against hatred.

Members of the Northern San Joaquin Valley’s Sikh community volunteered their time over the weekends to work with Habitat for Humanity and to serve food to the needy in downtown Modesto.

These efforts were a part of the third annual Day of Seva, or selfless service, which aims to raise awareness of the Sikh faith and honor the victims and survivors of the 2012 mass shooting in suburban Milwaukee, Wis., in which a gunman killed six worshippers and wounded several others.

“Seva is a huge part of our religion, the principle of giving back to the community,” said Goldie Pabla, a volunteer advocate for the Sikh Coalition. “We always have food and shelter available to anyone at our Gurdwaras (places of worship), especially on Sundays.”

Early Sunday afternoon, Sikh volunteers prepared meals at the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh temple on Hatch Road in Hughson, then distributed the food at I and Eighth streets in downtown Modesto to the homeless and anyone else who needed it, Pabla said.
In their Day of Seva efforts over the weekend, volunteers wore white T-shirts that on the front read “We are all Sikhs” and on the back, “America stands united.”

“We want to be recognized as just Americans,” Pabla said as she and nearly 20 other Sikhs worked with a large group of volunteers to build a four-bedroom home on Signature Court near John Thurman Field in south Modesto. “If there was more awareness (of the Sikh faith), that hate crime may not have happened.”

The Sikh religion originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. In the United States, the faith dates back about 100 years, Pabla said, and the first Sikh temple in the nation is in Stockton. California’s Central Valley has the largest Sikh community in the country, she said.

According to an “at a glance” article on the Sikh Coalition website, “Sikhism is a monotheistic religion based on a definitive revelation. With over 25 million followers worldwide, it is one of the youngest major world religions. … Sikhism preaches a message of devotion, remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality between all human beings, social justice, while emphatically denouncing superstitions and blind rituals.”

Shortly after the Wisconsin killings, an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted they constituted “the most deadly U.S. attack on Sikhs – who often have been mistaken for Muslims and targeted in hate crimes – in recent memory.”

Efforts don’t go Vein! And keeping up that spirit of relentless optimism is what Sikhism is all about!

~ Source: fox6now.com

Today in History, 75 yrs ago Shaheed Udham Singh, the freedom fighter had shot dead British official Michael O’Dwyer who’d ordered the the 1919 Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. Singh who had surrendered himself was executed by the British in London and buried inside the prison.

He had travelled to London to avenge Jallianwala Bagh and travelled under the code-name Frank Brazil.

Micheal O’Dwyer was the British Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who approved the action of Brigadier-General R.E.H. Dyer when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar. He travelled to England to avenge the atrocity and shot O’Dwyer dead in public in a Caxton hall, Westminster.

On the 31st July, 1940, Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville jail, London. On the 4th of June in the same year he had been arraigned before Mr. Justice Atkinson at the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey.

The trial of Udham Singh lasted for two days, he was found guilty and was given the death sentence.

We all continue to derive endless inspiration and love for nation from his life. Let us all remember the great revolutionary and brave hearted “Shaheed Udham Singh” on his martyrdom day.

~ Edited by Tapasleen Kaur

1.Air Commander Mehar Singh – Saviour of Ladakh

Squadron Leader Mehar Singh was conferred the first and the only D.S.O. of the Royal Indian Air Force during World War II.

The moment of his ultimate glory came when he created aviation history by landing the first aircraft on the outskirts of Leh, by the banks of the river Indus.

By January 1948, Pakistan’s armed misadventure was fully contained in the Jammu region as also in the Srinagar valley. But for Mehar Singh’s innovative bombing with Dakotas followed by the landing of the first one at a manually-levelled, mere 600-yard strip at Poonch, that tract of India would have been lost to Pakistan. However, it was the lack of road and aerial access to Ladakh year-long which was now a cause of serious concern. It was evident that for the moment airlift of troops and materials to Ladakh was the only course open. It was equally evident that the only man who could pioneer the aerial landing at Leh was Mehar Singh.

2.Brig. Pritam Singh – Saviour of Poonch

Brig. Pritam Singh is another name of courage, command and bravery. He is the only man to whom the credit goes for saving Poonch and peoples there in. He was named as “Sher Bacha” (A Child having bravery and courage that of Loin) by the elders of that time. This was not only name but also a tribute out of love and from the core of heart. Even today the survivors of that turmoil assert that their life is a gift from Brig. Pritam Singh.

Born in Dina village in Ferozpur, Punjab he was commissioned in Royal Army in 1929 and got elevated to the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Major in the years 1931,1935 and 1940 respectively. For his courage and contribution he was decorated with Millitary Cross. Afer being promoted to the rank of Lt Colonel he joined 1 Kumaon (PARA) in 1946.

In 1947-48 Brig. Pritam Singh was commanding 1 Kumaon (PARA) in the operations in Kashmir. After the successful battle of Shalltang 1 Kumaon (PARA) was directed to save Poonch as a part of Poonch Brigade.

In November 21, 1947 Brigadier Pritam Singh leading only 419 soldiers of 1 Kumaon Para entered Poonch to write history of sacrifice, gallantry and heroism.

He had to do impossible job of saving dying refugees, maintaining law and order and fighting with equipped enemy sitting all around.

Brigadier Pritam Singh reorganized the resources he had and led daring attacks on the enemy posts and succeeded in uprooting the settled enemy locations. The operation lasted for almost one long year to bring peace back in Poonch.

3.Flying Officer Nirmaljit Sekhon, PVC- saviour of Srinagar

He was honored the Paramvir Chakra is the highest medal for gallantry of Indian Military.

In December 1971, Pakistan attacked at 14 airfields all across North India to preempt the Indian Air Force. At this time Nirmaljit Singh was posted at the forward base in Kashmir with the squadron named Flying bullets. His plane was an obsolete Gnat. Their airfield was attacked on 14th December 1971.

Only available pilot at this time at Srinagar Base was Nirmal Jit Singh. Flying from Srinagar on Dec 14th, Sekhon single handedly took on all six PAF Sabres. Although eventually overwhelmed, he managed to take score confirmed hits on two of them, and damage on rest of them. Once the Pakistan Sabres ran away he managed to land his Gnat just before his death due to bullets piercing through his body. Param Vir Chakra (the nation’s highest gallantry award) was posthumously awarded to Flag Officer N.J.S. Sekhon.

~ Source: Sikhchic.com, sikh-history.com, poonch.nic.in

The brave heart martyr Sardar Udham Singh who laid down his life for the country and was hanged till death on July 31, 1940, in the United Kingdom.

Udham Singh avenged the death of several innocent people, who died in the Jallianwala massacre, by assassinating the conspirator Michael O-Dwyer on March 13, 1940.

Ironically, the grandson of Udham Singh, Jeet Singh is working as a lowly labourer in Punjab.

It is astonishing that while a man gave up his life for the country, the nation is not even standing by him let alone the compensation. Udham Singh could have sold his consciousness by confessing to the crime to the British government and naming other fellow revolutionaries, but he rather chose to be hanged.

Jeet Singh is living in the Sangrur district of Punjab along with his two sons. Jeet is a labourer and he has to work in demeaning conditions.

-Source: IndiaSamvaad

A Sikh businessman from Ludhiana attended a conference on “French Historical Ties in the Punjab” at the French Embassy in Delhi and sent out a subtle message to the French Govt. to reverse the ban of Turbans in Govt. schools and workplaces. Harjinder Singh Kukreja is one of the few who believe that a tacit message is more effective than protests.

Harjinder, who runs a European Chocolate Café, Belfrance in Ludhiana, presented chocolates to H.E. the French Ambassador, Mr. François Richier and even got a selfie clicked with him. One may either call it the Selfie-diplomacy or Chocolate diplomacy or both but this is a great way through which this Sikh sent across the right message.

The relationship between Punjab and France was initiated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh when French General, Jean Francois joined his army in 1822 in Lahore. It is noteworthy to mention that thousands of Sikhs fought and laid down their lives for France in the World Wars.

Such profound and deep relationships need to be handled with love and compassion. Harjinder Singh Kukreja is doing just that. We pray for better Sikh-French, Franco-Punjab ties in the future.

Every effort counts!

Kudos to Mr Singh for dedicating his efforts on this noble cause!