News & Update

AMRITSAR: Sikh groups here have volunteered to perform sewa at gurdwaras in Afghanistan after the recent spate of migration of the community following their persecution by Taliban.

“Sikhs are leaving Afghanistan. We have several historical gurdwaras there. Who will take care of them? So, we have decided to send Sikh jatha to Afghanistan to perform sewa in gurdwaras,” said Nankana Sahib Sikh Yatree Jatha president Swaran Singh Gill on Thursday.

Thirty-five Afghan Sikhs, including 13 children, were recently found in a shipping container in UK’s Tilbury docks. The Sikhs from Afghanistan were forced to leave their country following harassment by Taliban.

Gill said he had written to both home ministry and Afghanistan embassy urging to grant permission to send an 11-member Sikh jatha to Afghanistan before they leave for Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November.

Acting president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Bishan Singh told TOI over phone from Lahore on Thursday that there were historical gurdwaras in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghzani in Afghanistan.

During his way back from Mecca, Guru Nanak Dev had traveled through Afghanistan and had held discourses with Muslim holy saints in Kabul. He said the migration of Sikhs was due to their discrimination and persecution. He said around two decade ago, there were more than 2.25 lakh Sikh population in Afghanistan which has now come down to a few thousands only. There was a sizeable number of Sikhs in Ghazni but many of them had migrated to Pakistan or India.

Gill also said he would also meet officials of home ministry and Afghanistan embassy in Delhi to expedite the matter.

~ Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Washington: Over 100 representatives from gurdwaras across the US have pledged support for National Sikh Campaign’s plan to engage top US political operatives and media firms for presenting the community positively.

Meeting here over the weekend for a grassroots meeting called by the newly formed NSC, the gurdwara representatives set a target of raising $5 million to shape the Sikh image in America, according to a media release.

During the strategy session, Geoff Garin of Hart Research, who served as Hillary Clinton’s former top political strategist and Isaac Baker of AKPD Message and Media, President Barack Obama’s media firm, outlined a roadmap of how Sikhs can change perceptions in the US and how crucial the campaign will be to the future of Sikhs.

Garin, also gave the meeting’s participants an exclusive update on NSC’s groundbreaking messaging research that will underpin the effort and inform the community how it can effectively communicate to the American public.

NSC executive director Gurwin Ahuja said, “The Sikh community in US has never been more educated, more wealthy, and more successful than today.”

In a strategy session focused on specific action steps to make lasting change in the US, Sikh Leaders worked together to create a realistic region by region breakdown of US gurdwaras and fundraising strategies.

Rajwant Singh, President of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education and senior advisor to NSC, said, “The consensus was that there is a critical need for this kind of media strategy for the Sikh community.

“Secondly, all possible efforts need to be made to include as many gurdwaras as possible in the network as partners,” he said.

“Thirdly, our goal is to keep the focus on introducing Sikhism and the Sikh identity while showing the positive contribution of the community in the media,” Rajwant Singh said.

Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, President of the Oak Creek Gurdwara, Wisconsin, where six worshippers were killed in a shootout on Aug 5, 2012, said:

“We are 100 percent behind this campaign.”

~ Source: http://zeenews.india.com/

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A RARE turban goes on display this weekend as part of an exhibition on the North-East’s Sikh community.

The Sikh ‘fortress turban’, usually housed at the British Museum and one of only five of its kind in the country, goes on show at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens on Saturday (August 23).

Such headdresses were once worn by skilled Sikh warriors to protect the head and hold weaponry, although this particular turban was made for ceremonial purpose.

This distinctive symbol of Sikh faith and history is part of a wider exhibition on Sikh culture, which continues until November 16.

The exhibition, organised in partnership with Sunderland Gurdwara and Durham University’s Oriental Museum, will also include free family craft activities and turban tying demonstrations on Wednesday, August 27 between 11am and 12:30pm, and 1:30pm and 3pm.

Councillor John Kelly, Sunderland City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture, said: “One of our city’s many strengths is its diversity of communities.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to get to know more about the history of the Sikh community.”

~ By Tony Kearney
~ Source: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/

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after Believes that “Guru is everywhere”

In 1964, when some of the weapons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji were brought back from England, an Englishman, in complete Sikh form, accompanied them. Out of curiousity, someone asked the Englishman what inspired him to adopt the Sikh form. Was it due to respect for the weapons or was there some other reason? The explanation given by him at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi is something that should be of interest to all readers.

“My name was A. David. I happened to be commanding a Sikh Regiment during World War II. My Regiment suffered very heavy losses fighting the Germans. Most of the Sikh jawaans (soldiers) of my Battalion were killed. Only a few survived and we were all surrounded by the Germans. As there were very remote chances of our survival, I called the Subedaar major of the Battalion and informed him about our precarious situation. Death was facing us and there was no chance of survival. I suggested to him that the jawans should individually attempt to escape from the enemy encirclement and save their lives.

The Subedaar Major replied, “We cannot bring ignominy to the Sikh Regiment by running away from the battlefield.” However, he suggested that they should perform an Akhand-Paath ceremony and take action as per the Divine Hukam (Holy Command). Accordingly, necessary security arrangements were made and the Akhand-Paath ceremony was completed without interruption. After the supplicatory prayer (Ardaas), the Divine Hukam from the Holy Scripture was explained to me by the Subedaar Major and the religious teacher (Granthi).

The Guru’s instruction as per the Divine Hukam was that we should not abandon the battlefield; victory will be ours. Then I conveyed to them the miracle that I had witnessed during the supplicatory prayer. While standing with my eyes closed during the Ardaas, a fully armed Sikh on horseback with a unique grandeur appeared in front of me and ordered “Follow me.” I pointed out the direction in which the fully armed Sikh went after giving the order and asked them about the identity of the warrior. The Subedaar Major said that from the description I had given, he seemed to be none other than Sri Guru Gobind Singh himself!

So, we got ready and launched an attack in the direction pointed out by the Guru. After a short while, we were able to break through the German encirclement and save ourselves. We then got in touch with the Brigade Commander on wireless and requested for additional help.

After the war, I reflected upon the incident and the divine personality who had saved our lives from the impregnable enemy encirclement in a desperate situation by ordering me to follow him. I made up my mind to follow him for the rest of my life. I resigned from the Army and along with my daughter, embraced Sikh Dharam with the initiation ceremony of the Khalsa. Now my name is Devinder Singh and my daughter’s name is Surjit Kaur. This is due to the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh that he made us his disciples.”

~ Sorce: http://dailysikhupdates.com/

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Machhiwara: Gatkebaaz from Ludhiana district bagged first position on the concluding day of Punjab state Gatka Championship (men & women) at Machhiwara (Ludhiana) by winning 73 gold, 26 silver and 2 bonze medals during the mega event. Former champion Patiala district have to console with second place with 43 gold, 24 silver and 17 silver medals while Gurdaspur got third position with 8 gold, 26 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Divulging details Punjab Gatka Association coordinators Baljinder Singh Toor and Dr Deep Singh Chandigarh said that in this two days martial art tournament about 900 Gatka players from 15 districts participated in under 14, 17, 19, 22 and 25 years events in single soti, farri-soti and weapons demonstration.

Speaking on the occasion MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon facilitated the Gatka players and assured all help to the Gatka Association. Gatka Federation of India President Harcharn Singh Bhullar IPS asked the participants to refrain from bazigiri acts and stunts during the performance of martial art skills. Adding further he said that adopting Gatka as an amateur sport enables youth to stay healthy and agile and keeps them away from the menace of drug abuse and other intoxicants to lead a disciplined life.

General Secretary Harjeet Singh Grewal said that Gatka Federation has taken major initiatives to revive and promote this rare art as a sport in India and abroad by organising “Virsa Sambhal” Gatka competitions to perpetuate the rich legacy of age-old martial art Gatka amongst the future generations on one hand and to revive this dying art on the other. He solicited that the Punjab Government must award due gradation to Gatka sport at par with other games at the earliest.

Among others Sabans Singh Manki member SGPC, Jarnail Singh Bajwa Sunny Enclave and Avtar Singh Patiala also spoke on the occasion.

It is informed that the martial art Gatka is a style of fighting with sticks between two Gatka or more players, intended to simulate the sword and focuses on infusing physical, spiritual and mental fitness.

~ by GatkaFederation
~ Source: http://www.sikhnet.com/

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